New Guitar Day pt. 2

PFDarkside

PFDarkside

of the Forum
I present to you a Fender AVRI 62 FSR (Fender Special Run) in Ice Blue Metallic with matching headstock.

I've been wanting a '62 style guitar for quite some time. I've always loved Ice Blue Metallic, but it seems like a pretty rare color. I see it in Custom Shop pieces, and the AVRI Jaguar is now available in it, but the affordable Strat version was always elusive. I didn't realize this FSR existed, when I found it I was pretty pumped. As a FSR it originally came with Noiseless pickups, I wanted to go with traditional style pickups, so I started with my Duncans I already had.

Specs:
-AVRI '62 Body
-AVRI '62 Neck w/ Matching Headstock, 9.5" radius & Jumbo Frets
-Seymour Duncan APS-1/SSL-1/SSL-1
-Mint Guard/Aged White Pickup Covers & Knobs
-CTS/Switchcraft/CRL vintage style wiring
-.010-.046, tuned to E

I originally had the APS in the bridge, but it seemed weak. When I metered it, it ended up around ~5.9K rather than the 6.4K that the SSL-1's were. I swapped the APS and SSL, and it really worked out nicely. The APS in the neck is more "Chewy" than the SSL-1, it's a nice contrast to the '69 neck in the other Strat. Also, position 4 (APS + SSL) is a little more subdued and gentle than with 2 SSL-1's. I think I've ended up with my two "complimentary" Strats and Strat tones like I wanted. :)

Here it is...




 
Re: New Guitar Day pt. 2

Both of those have a lot of WOW factor! I have to say I'm usually not a fan of matching peg heads. It is like a balloon at the end of a thick long string. But if I look at it as a sexy lady holding on to a balloon.....ya, then it make sense!
 
Re: New Guitar Day pt. 2

Thanks for the kind words, it's exciting owning an instrument of this caliber.

Aasinsilta said:
Looks like you've got another killer Strat. You must be in tone heaven right now.
Click to expand...
I hope I haven't been keeping the neighbors up... When I first completed the Black (69 style) Strat it was an immediate attraction to the tone. The 69's sounded great from 1 through 5, all very familiar tones in my head that I've heard before.

With this one, something just wasn't quite there, it sounded good but not quite what I wanted. The SSL-1's were in the Deluxe Strat Plus before and I was used to that tone with locking tuners/bridge/Roller Nut. This Strat was a touch brighter, so the neck tone was brighter than I was used to and the APS-1 was too anemic in the bridge (being at 5.9K vs the 6.4K N/M pickups)

I've gotta say, after putting the APS-1 in the neck and the SSL-1 in the bridge, this thing smokes now! The neck tone is rounder and warmer and the the Neck/Mid tone is very smooth and refined but still Stratty due to the mid A5. It's a great compliment to the Black Strat's 69's. I think this APS is an anomaly, wound to 5.9K instead of the published 6.4K. I think that underwind combines with the A2 to balance each other out. (Brighter wind, darker magnet) I remember loving this pickup in the neck a long time ago, too bad it took this long for me to use it again! Also, the traditional Bridge/Mid tone is back, and the A5/6.4K bridge is useful now! Still bright like a Strat should be but also snarly and full compared to the underwound APS.

So... I know my friends Lew and TGWIF are die hard A5 Strat guys, but if you're looking for a slightly different flavor of vintage Strat tone, give an APS/SSL/SSL a go, it's a nice alternative for a slightly "smokier" position 4 and 5.
 
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