The best high-end Strat-style guitars - According to Musicradar

timmysoft

richardhomer said:

duotone said:

carlos said:

sweepy said:

No Suhr ? 

Probably haven't been buying much advertising space on Music Radar.

+1, I thought the same

Really?

I’ve not read Guitarist for a long time - but I doubt LSL and Xotic are throwing much into their advertising coffers.

But I bet the distributor is, or somewhere like Peach 

richardhomer

timmysoft said:

richardhomer said:
Really?

I’ve not read Guitarist for a long time - but I doubt LSL and Xotic are throwing much into their advertising coffers.

But I bet the distributor is, or somewhere like Peach 

Peach stock Suhr & LSL - so I’m not sure the argument holds water.

slacker

Philly_Q said:

sweepy said:

No Suhr ? 

I can't boogie.

if you play a certain song lol given

fendergibson

Flippin’ lol.

A Strat is a Fender.

All you ‘high end’ lovers/manufacturers fook off, make your own guitar.

That is all 

timmysoft

richardhomer said:

timmysoft said:

richardhomer said:
Really?

I’ve not read Guitarist for a long time - but I doubt LSL and Xotic are throwing much into their advertising coffers.

But I bet the distributor is, or somewhere like Peach 

Peach stock Suhr & LSL - so I’m not sure the argument holds water.

Suhr sell themselves, stuff like LSLs need more help because there’s a new fad builder every week who supposedly builds the best Strat ever. They’ve got a wall of LSL and Xotics, but I don’t know who would choose one over a CS Strat, so they’d want those pushed. I reckon in a years time you’ll struggle to get stuff like xotics and LSLs, the stocks will be run down and they’ll be less desirable due to the influx of them into the used market.

seen it all before.

dindude

fendergibson said:

Flippin’ lol.

A Strat is a Fender.

All you ‘high end’ lovers/manufacturers fook off, make your own guitar.

That is all 

How very open minded of you. Actually a Strat is a Strat and Fender the company have the rights to the original headstock design etc, but it’s not like Leo is still at the helm and it doesn’t mean someone can’t put their own take on it. 

I can can kinda see why someone would go a different route, for all the options of the Custom Shop, I found it incredibly difficult to find one with the spec I wanted. 

Philly_Q

dindude said:

I can can kinda see why someone would go a different route, for all the options of the Custom Shop, I found it incredibly difficult to find one with the spec I wanted. 

The only thing I wanted but couldn't get when I ordered mine was stainless frets. 

But that's just me, I'm sure there are many other options they don't offer - other manufacturers' hardware, for example.  And presumably you're limited to mostly Fender pickups, standard electronics etc but I wasn't bothered about that.

Kebabkid

A Strat is a great and iconic instrument but if it didn't need tweaks here and there to improve things, be it locking tuners, steel trem block, pickup upgrade etc or even a Floyd, Gotoh, SS Frets, fancy switching or HB in the bridge then these Superstrats wouldn't have been born and it wouldn't be the most modded of guitars.

There's room for all of them and obviously, demand.

I remember buying a nice MIJ Strat in the early 90s and taking it to Chandlers for one of their 'superstrat upgrades'. After discussing it with them, looking at the pros and cons, like cost, features, resale value etc I got a mega-deal from Doug and ended up part exchanging it instead for a Tom Anderson which ticked all the boxes from the get go.

HarrySeven

FWIW (not much, admittedly)...the H7 verdict:

All six of the MR choices look like shit.

The End.

prlgmnr

Is the Cutlass a Leo Fender design?

duotone

prlgmnr said:

Is the Cutlass a Leo Fender design?

Yep. http://blog.music-man.com/instruments/introducing-the-new-2018-cutlass-stingray-guitars/

“The instruments are an update to the original Ernie Ball Music Man Modern Classics that were designed by Leo Fender in 1975.”

dindude

Philly_Q said:

dindude said:

I can can kinda see why someone would go a different route, for all the options of the Custom Shop, I found it incredibly difficult to find one with the spec I wanted. 

The only thing I wanted but couldn't get when I ordered mine was stainless frets. 

But that's just me, I'm sure there are many other options they don't offer - other manufacturers' hardware, for example.  And presumably you're limited to mostly Fender pickups, standard electronics etc but I wasn't bothered about that.

Was thinking more what’s in the shops rather than custom order.

Firstly I wanted a NOS finish, that immidiately narrows it to about 10 Custom Shop Strats nationwide!

Then preferred neck choice was ‘65 C, but compromised on Oval 60’s as simply none about.

Would have also liked a satin back to the neck but hey I can do that myself.

Pickups - 60’s fine, but would have liked something a wee bit hotter in the bridge.

So I guess what I’m saying is I’ve ended up with a great guitar, but it will need tweaking to get it just right, but actually something like a Suhr Classic is probably closer to my spec and more readily available, that’s why they are valid options.

Philly_Q

dindude said:

Was thinking more what’s in the shops rather than custom order.

Firstly I wanted a NOS finish, that immidiately narrows it to about 10 Custom Shop Strats nationwide!

Then preferred neck choice was ‘65 C, but compromised on Oval 60’s as simply none about.

Would have also liked a satin back to the neck but hey I can do that myself.

Pickups - 60’s fine, but would have liked something a wee bit hotter in the bridge.

So I guess what I’m saying is I’ve ended up with a great guitar, but it will need tweaking to get it just right, but actually something like a Suhr Classic is probably closer to my spec and more readily available, that’s why they are valid options.

Fair enough, if you're buying off the shelf then it is hard to find particular combinations of features.

The vast majority of rosewood-board '60s CS Strats seem to have the mid-60s Oval C profile, the vast majority of '50s CS Strats have the 57 or 10/56 V profiles.  I'd quite like a '60s Strat with a rosewood board and a 10/56 V - I have seem a few but only as dealer custom orders.

My Strat has mostly '70s spec but with a 54 U profile neck, I'd never have found that in a shop.

Whitecat

timmysoft said:

richardhomer said:

timmysoft said:

richardhomer said:
Really?

I’ve not read Guitarist for a long time - but I doubt LSL and Xotic are throwing much into their advertising coffers.

But I bet the distributor is, or somewhere like Peach 

Peach stock Suhr & LSL - so I’m not sure the argument holds water.

Suhr sell themselves, stuff like LSLs need more help because there’s a new fad builder every week who supposedly builds the best Strat ever. They’ve got a wall of LSL and Xotics, but I don’t know who would choose one over a CS Strat, so they’d want those pushed. I reckon in a years time you’ll struggle to get stuff like xotics and LSLs, the stocks will be run down and they’ll be less desirable due to the influx of them into the used market.

seen it all before.

Dunno. Knaggs isn’t on their list even though at least two of their writers have the horn for them and personally own & play them (their “technical” videos often feature them). But doubt Knaggs advertises with them even though Peach stocks them. 

carlos

Best strat I ever played is the one @Del_Preston built using Washburn N5 parts. Admittedly, haven't played that many strat-type guitars. Anyway, what IS a strat?

Del_Preston

carlos said:

Best strat I ever played is the one @Del_Preston built using Washburn N5 parts. Admittedly, haven't played that many strat-type guitars. Anyway, what IS a strat?

Haha, thanks mate...  That's nice to hear!

underdog

Collings said:

grappagreen said:

thomasross20 said:

Ooh xotic looks good!

I have to say I do like the look of Xotic but seem's like lot of money for a guitar with key components sourced from the far east. 

That's not to suggest they don't play/sound nice..

I've just brought an Xotic XSC after spending a good few months trying strat type guitars in that price range and it was by far the best for me.

I thought they were largely USA made based on the info they have one their website regards origin but maybe its how I've interpreted it.

They list it on their website.

http://xotic.us/country-of-origin

Click on the Xotic Guitars tab.

That definaltey sounds like made off shore and assembled in the USA.

blueskunk

fendergibson said:

Flippin’ lol.

A Strat is a Fender.

All you ‘high end’ lovers/manufacturers fook off, make your own guitar.

That is all 

Amen

fendergibson

carlos said:

Best strat I ever played is the one @Del_Preston built using Washburn N5 parts. Admittedly, haven't played that many strat-type guitars. Anyway, what IS a strat?

It’s a Fender, whatever any southern big girls blouse tells ya 

If you want something modern go spec a CS or buy an Ibanez RG550/Jem