Fender Alternate Reality

kentuckyklira

What´s the general opinion around here?

There´s a second hand "Sixty Six" for sale here that might become interesting if the seller reduces the price a bit. They´re just not the guitars you get to check out in every secong guitar shop.

ICBM

As my dad always said about 'alternative comedy'... there's a "to" missing.



(He wasn't always right, obviously!)

It might have been interesting as a baritone - an alternative to a Bass VI - but it's really just a HSS Strat with an odd body shape.

On the other hand if that sounds like your thing then it's probably more interesting than just another Strat.

punchesjudy

I had one very briefly and it was alright. Just alright. As @ICBM ; said it’s basically a Strat. The body was actually smaller than I thought it would be and my particular one was quite heavy. 

Neck could’ve done with some rolled edges as well. 

Not a bad guitar by any means but honestly nothing to get excited about unless you really want a slightly different shaped Strat. 

kentuckyklira

OK, thanks guys. I guess I´ll pass as I already have more Strats than I need.

dazzajl

I lusted after sixty six for a long time. I finally got myself down to a shop, played on, convinced myself I loved it and took it home. 

A week later I just couldn’t deny anymore that it was the most lifeless and uninspiring guitar I’d played in a long time. So I took it back.

ive been too scared to try another one, even though I know there must be really fabulous ones out there too 

EricTheWeary

The Sixty Six was supposed to be a bit unique but always reminds me of several Cort guitars where they stretched the S shape a bit - it's the Hiram Bullock model that always comes to mind.  

Sassafras

Just looks like Fender ran out of ideas.

thegummy

Sassafras said:

Just looks like Fender ran out of ideas.

With the release of the Pro II range I've been thinking how it's actually quite strange that unlike other markets, e.g. a new graphics card series comes out and every part of it has been improved with new components or even something like a razor, at least there are new parts to it that the company are claiming are an improvement.

But when Fender release new guitars (not that other guitar companies are any different) they may as well have thrown some dice to determine what combination of components and features that have been around for decades and aren't any better or worse than the previous year's.

The "this time it has a push push knob" just seems so arbitrary that it really does seem a random selection just so they can relaunch the same product every year.

TTBZ

I agree @thegummy - I think the trouble Fender and Gibson have is that guitar players hate change and anything modern. I've come to the realisation that if I want a Fender style guitar with some more modern features and playability then I have to either go Charvel if I want the headstock shape, or something like Schecter if i dont care about that.

Tenebrous

If you like it, go for it. I've been keeping an eye on the more bizarre releases from Fender starting with the first series Parallel Universe guitars & I'm still convinced I bought the best looking Fender ever made Of course they're not going to be to everyones tastes, but if you love it, go for it.

Funkfingers

TTBZ said:

the trouble Fender and Gibson have is that …

… they came up with a bunch of all-time great electric guitar designs more than sixty years ago. 

It would be commercial suicide to cease production of those models. On the other hand, it looks unimaginative to build nothing but the all-time greats.

Market research throws up novel suggestions for what customers might buy in future. The manufacturers give some of those ideas a try. Limiting availability convinces some of the public that the novel products have investment potential.

Ker-ching!

usedtobe

I had to google it. I wouldn’t, personally..

Offset

It's not a good look to these eyes I'm afraid.

skullfunkerry

Tenebrous said:

If you like it, go for it. I've been keeping an eye on the more bizarre releases from Fender starting with the first series Parallel Universe guitars & I'm still convinced I bought the best looking Fender ever made Of course they're not going to be to everyones tastes, but if you love it, go for it.

What did you buy?