Store specific ‘FSR’ orders

clarke_111

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200824361411025--fender-guitarguitar-exclusive-roasted-player-strat-sonic-blue-r

What do people make of models like this-store specific runs with a few spec tweaks and a price bump. Visually I like this a lot-big fan of sonic blue, fat 50s are great and the roasted maple looks nice... BUT it’s £799 for a player strat-£250 above the standard model. 

Do people think that given the upgrades and the ‘limited’ nature of things like this that the mark up is worth it, or that you’d be mad to spend £800 on a player strat... ?? 

chris78

Forgot the fact it’s a player. It’s a mim, which means it’ll be a well put together guitar. It’s got cs pickups, which are £150 plus on their own and the roasted neck is generally at least £100 upcharge. Looks a nice guitar and I’d say in today’s market, it’s a reasonable price

Gerz6558

Its tempting to compare it to a £800 USA model you could get.  But the reality is that a new USA roasted neck strat with custom shop pickups will likely cost you double these days. You can probably get a decent used American Standard or Performer, so I guess its horses for courses.

The Mexico vs USA means nothing to me these days, I've had a few of both and would be happy with either.  I had a player strat about a year ago and it was fantastic.

SPECTRUM001

Try getting a nice US Standard with Fat 50s for £800 ??

Not easy in the current market.

SPECTRUM001

Given that the price point of this FSR is similar to a Vintera, I guess the question is -

Which would be considered the better guitar ?

Epsilon

Got to say I think it's very well spec'd for the price.

bencowling81

There is a Gordon Smith strat for sale in the classifieds in nene blue, roasted maple neck, ebony board. Looks stunning and would’ve cost around £1400 new. @MrBump is selling for £800 so bang on your budget and a lot more bang for your buck. 

jeztone2

That’s a lot of guitar for the money. As others have said Mexican Fenders are really good these days. I’d snap that up if I had the cash and was Strat inclined. 

crunchman

SPECTRUM001 said:

Given that the price point of this FSR is similar to a Vintera, I guess the question is -

Which would be considered the better guitar ?

I'd go for the Vintera.  I'd be a little concerned about the roasted maple neck.  I think they are meant to be softer than normal maple.  The Vintera also has the classic Strat bridge, not that two point thing.

chris78

crunchman said:

I'd go for the Vintera.  I'd be a little concerned about the roasted maple neck.  I think they are meant to be softer than normal maple.  The Vintera also has the classic Strat bridge, not that two point thing.

The idea of roasting the neck is that they strengthen the neck and make it more stable.
There's a video that Peach did with Patrick Eggle and he explains that he uses roasted necks to help with stability as his necks are highly figured and figured wood often is less stable.

There is no doubt for me that roasting changes the tone as well (without being too cork sniffy). It darkens the sound of a guitar and takes some of the top end away. On a very bright Fender, that's a good thing in my view. With fat 50s, which are very bright, that's definitely a good thing.

SPECTRUM001

Yes, I thought the idea was the neck would be stronger rather than weaker.

idiotwindow

I believe roasting makes the maple more brittle.

March

I've got a few guitars with roasted maple necks. They are super stable, I've rarely had to tweak the truss rods on any of them, and they appear to take knocks like regular maple. Unscientific view, but they also appear to aid resonance. 

ThePrettyDamned

chris78 said:

crunchman said:

I'd go for the Vintera.  I'd be a little concerned about the roasted maple neck.  I think they are meant to be softer than normal maple.  The Vintera also has the classic Strat bridge, not that two point thing.

The idea of roasting the neck is that they strengthen the neck and make it more stable.
There's a video that Peach did with Patrick Eggle and he explains that he uses roasted necks to help with stability as his necks are highly figured and figured wood often is less stable.

There is no doubt for me that roasting changes the tone as well (without being too cork sniffy). It darkens the sound of a guitar and takes some of the top end away. On a very bright Fender, that's a good thing in my view. With fat 50s, which are very bright, that's definitely a good thing.

Odd, I'd have thought drier, more brittle wood would be a hair brighter. 

guitargeek62

@Chris78 - I never found the Fat50s to be particularly bright at all, isn’t that their selling point???

chris78

We’ve all got different ears I guess, but I thought the idea was that they were 50s pickups but slightly overwound

DrJazzTap

I personally think it's a cracking guitar. Fender prices have risen on the American made guitars. I bought a FSR Solid rosewood neck strat in 2015 for about £1100 IIRC. Those now are around £1500.

I enquired at GG about selling mine a while back, i was offered about £650! Given that Andertons are selling just the rosewood neck for £500! I decided to hang onto mine. Plus it has a few chips on it now. 

The fat 50s pickups to my ears sound like a classic stratocaster to my ears, I like the sound of them. I find the bridge pickup bright (but aren't all strat bridge pickups bright??).

exocet

ThePrettyDamned said:

chris78 said:

crunchman said:

I'd go for the Vintera.  I'd be a little concerned about the roasted maple neck.  I think they are meant to be softer than normal maple.  The Vintera also has the classic Strat bridge, not that two point thing.

The idea of roasting the neck is that they strengthen the neck and make it more stable.
There's a video that Peach did with Patrick Eggle and he explains that he uses roasted necks to help with stability as his necks are highly figured and figured wood often is less stable.

There is no doubt for me that roasting changes the tone as well (without being too cork sniffy). It darkens the sound of a guitar and takes some of the top end away. On a very bright Fender, that's a good thing in my view. With fat 50s, which are very bright, that's definitely a good thing.

Odd, I'd have thought drier, more brittle wood would be a hair brighter. 

This would be my suspicion too. One of my guitars (Telecaster Partsacaster) has a Roasted Maple neck - I didn't really want roasted but when I ordered the neck, they were low on wood stocks so they offered me roasted (more expensive) for the same price.

I have another Telecaster (USA Fender) with standard Maple neck. My parts a caster definitely has more upper mid range presence - I've changed pickups / bridge saddles but the enhanced upper mids are still present. I put it down to neck but until I swap it out I can't say for sure.

WezV

idiotwindow said:

I believe roasting makes the maple more brittle.

this.

It is definitely more stable in normal use.   But overtighten a screw, or bash it on the headstock, and you will find its a hell of a lot more likely to split

simonhpieman

DrJazzTap said:

I personally think it's a cracking guitar. Fender prices have risen on the American made guitars. I bought a FSR Solid rosewood neck strat in 2015 for about £1100 IIRC. Those now are around £1500.

I enquired at GG about selling mine a while back, i was offered about £650! Given that Andertons are selling just the rosewood neck for £500! I decided to hang onto mine. Plus it has a few chips on it now. 

The fat 50s pickups to my ears sound like a classic stratocaster to my ears, I like the sound of them. I find the bridge pickup bright (but aren't all strat bridge pickups bright??).

Fat 50s pups do sound excellent. I really liked mine, just never got on with the neck of the Strat they were attached to.

The dream setup has surely got to be Fat 50s with the second tone pot controlling the bridge pickup?

Whitecat

I think these look like a great deal. I’m a total roasted wood convert - have it on Fender, Novo and Fidelity guitars and they are all excellent. Sonic Blue is a great colour with roasted necks too...