Vintage Fender Experts

[GrantB]

Hi - I am not well versed in the vintage Fender world at all. I have some rough ideas about values of things I've obsessed about in the past (like Jazzmasters) but when it comes down to the wire I'm not in a good position to make an informed decision about the real "worth" of an old Fender. Even more so in todays fickle and depressed vintage guitar market.

Which leads me to where I am today, needing to make an informed decision about an old Fender.

If you *are* an expert on vintage Fenders, particularly pre CBS Strats, I would very much like to hear your views on something specific. Please PM me though for that specific discussion - I won't be posting information about this particular instrument for now.

However, feel free to mock me and my afliction as per normal below.

[Vorbis]

I thought you were Fender incapable?

[GrantB]

I think that I was oft misunderstood (so therefore everyone elses fault, not mine ) in that quote. Here's the translation:

"I love Fenders but I cannot make them sound any good"

As opposed to "Gibson rules, Fender sucks"....which I what I believe some did think I meant.

So yeah, I am Fender incapable. But I'm willing to keep trying.

[Polar Bear]

Strat>Treble Booster>AC30
Strat>Treble Booster>Marshall Major
Strat>Very Large Marshall Stack
Strat>Hiwatt

Seems to be the best way to get them to sound good. Also, not playing any Clapton licks on them, as they certainly don't sound any good on a strat.

[GrantB]

Clapton's tone on a Fender is as desirable to me as a fork in my eye is.

[Vorbis]

Clapton's tone on a Fender is as desirable to me as a fork in my eye is.

It really depends on what you class as good Strat tone I suppose. Did Hendrix have a good tone?

In defence of Claptout, I never understood why he didn't just play Gibson les Paul's or 335's as that was always the tone I think he was wanting with his Strats...perhaps Gibson wouldn't make him a V neck

[mr_sooty]

I never understood why he didn't just play Gibson les Paul's or 335's as that was always the tone I think he was wanting with his Strats...

I think the same thing could possibly be said about me.

[Vorbis]

Strat>Treble Booster>AC30
Strat>Treble Booster>Marshall Major
Strat>Very Large Marshall Stack
Strat>Hiwatt

Seems to be the best way to get them to sound good. Also, not playing any Clapton licks on them, as they certainly don't sound any good on a strat.

I think a Strat with a treble booster thru a Vox would slice the top of your head clean off, I never liked Strats thru Marshall amps either. I tried a Strat thru a classic 30 once and that was probably the worst.

You have to marry your Strat with the right amp, the one Ryan made me (review still pending ) is absolutely sublime. I have a cheap partsocaster that has more spank, quack and jangly strattyness than any Strat I've owned when plugged through that thing.

[calling card]

Watching this space - bring it on home!

[mr_sooty]

I think a Strat with a treble booster thru a Vox would slice the top of your head clean off

+1. Doesn't sound like a pleasant recipe to me.

I never liked Strats thru Marshall amps either.

-1 (Depending on the particular model - A Strat through the 1974x sounds great. Hendrix seemed to get some good sounds through a Marshall too.)

I tried a Strat thru a classic 30 once and that was probably the worst.

- 1. I think they work great with the Peavey Classics, apart from the confused midrange.

You have to marry your Strat with the right amp.

+1. So we're even.

[Slowy]

I think that I was oft misunderstood (so therefore everyone elses fault, not mine ) in that quote. Here's the translation:

"I love Fenders but I cannot make them sound any good"

As opposed to "Gibson rules, Fender sucks"....which I what I believe some did think I meant.

So yeah, I am Fender incapable. But I'm willing to keep trying.

Talk to Blackstrat Blues.
He KNOWS.

[Polar Bear]

I think a Strat with a treble booster thru a Vox would slice the top of your head clean off

+1. Doesn't sound like a pleasant recipe to me.

I never liked Strats thru Marshall amps either.

-1 (Depending on the particular model - A Strat through the 1974x sounds great. Hendrix seemed to get some good sounds through a Marshall too.)

I tried a Strat thru a classic 30 once and that was probably the worst.

- 1. I think they work great with the Peavey Classics, apart from the confused midrange.

You have to marry your Strat with the right amp.

+1. So we're even.

Of course you're probably both thinking of running a strat into the Top Boost channel. Both Rory Gallagher and Richie Blackmore did a pretty good job of getting great tone with a treble booster into an AC30, which would most likely have been in the Normal channel.

Also, Blackmore and even Yngvie know how to get good tone out of a strat and a MArshall, which is what I was getting at, as opposed to just randomly listing amp and guitar combinations.

[Bg]

Rorys tone into the AC30 ruled and I've always loved strat into Marshall tone.

[jeremyb]

Don't waste your time on Strats, go straight to Teles

[Vorbis]

Also, Blackmore and even Yngvie know how to get good tone out of a strat and a MArshall, which is what I was getting at, as opposed to just randomly listing amp and guitar combinations.

So you're talking overdriven tones ala Blackmore and Yngwie (stacked humbuckers btw ) as opposed to clean (or slightly hairy) Strat tone?

I mean Grant set fire to a ceriatone and still can't find a Strat tone he likes...lost cause? $5k-$50k on a vintage won't sound any better than $2k on a modern US, although you'll be able to keep all your credit cards in the gap of the neck pocket (psst I have a cure for that problem )