Custom Shop Fenders

peteri

Agreed - completely

ICBM

I've played many Custom Shop Fenders, and it's very rare to find one that's any less than good. Some are great, among the very best guitars I've ever played and better than all but a few vintage ones. It's true that the old ones do have a certain unique vibe to them, but they very often have issues too - getting one that's right in all respects is hard, and getting one for even close to the price of a CS is near enough impossible, even for 'player grade' ones.

On the other had I've never played a single Suhr, Anderson or any other posh copy of a Fender that I've really liked, and most simply leave me completely cold. The only one that came close was an old 80s Schecter Dream Machine that I owned briefly, which sounded fantastic but was overbuilt and too heavy. All the rest have been just bland and boring in my opinion.

That's all really.

GavRichList

ICBM said:

I've played many Custom Shop Fenders, and it's very rare to find one that's any less than good. Some are great, among the very best guitars I've ever played and better than all but a few vintage ones. It's true that the old ones do have a certain unique vibe to them, but they very often have issues too - getting one that's right in all respects is hard, and getting one for even close to the price of a CS is near enough impossible, even for 'player grade' ones.

On the other had I've never played a single Suhr, Anderson or any other posh copy of a Fender that I've really liked, and most simply leave me completely cold. The only one that came close was an old 80s Schecter Dream Machine that I owned briefly, which sounded fantastic but was overbuilt and too heavy. All the rest have been just bland and boring in my opinion.

That's all really.

See, I played a couple of Suhrs in a studio we used for the last recording - a tele and a strat. Internet wisdom had me expecting great things, but I too found them to be utterly generic and mundane. "Fine" was the best way I could describe them. 

guitarfishbay

GavRichList said:

ICBM said:

On the other had I've never played a single Suhr, Anderson or any other posh copy of a Fender that I've really liked, and most simply leave me completely cold. The only one that came close was an old 80s Schecter Dream Machine that I owned briefly, which sounded fantastic but was overbuilt and too heavy. All the rest have been just bland and boring in my opinion.

That's all really.

See, I played a couple of Suhrs in a studio we used for the last recording - a tele and a strat. Internet wisdom had me expecting great things, but I too found them to be utterly generic and mundane. "Fine" was the best way I could describe them. 

How were they set up?

I've found some high end guitars are sometimes set up too well, with too low of an action which can be to the detriment of the tone.  

However I also think you can overbuild a guitar.  My own Fender sounds best with the stock parts, I tried Callaham saddles and block for a while but went back to the originals.

winstony

HAVING JUST BOUGHT A CUSTOM SHOP FENDER MIKE LANDAU 63 ,IT IS THE BEST FENDER BY FAR THAT I HAVE PLAYED , ITS LIGHT AND RINGS FANTASTIC AND PLAYS LIKE BUTTER . AND I HAVE HAD SUHR,S AND TYLERS WHICH ARE GREAT .THIS ONE I HAVE NOW IS IN A DIFFERENT CLASS , ONLY THING WHICH IS WRONG , YOU NEED BIG STRINGS ON THEM 9s ARE RUBBISH ! THANKS FENDER.

richardhomer

winstony said:

HAVING JUST BOUGHT A CUSTOM SHOP FENDER MIKE LANDAU 63 ,IT IS THE BEST FENDER BY FAR THAT I HAVE PLAYED , ITS LIGHT AND RINGS FANTASTIC AND PLAYS LIKE BUTTER . AND I HAVE HAD SUHR,S AND TYLERS WHICH ARE GREAT .THIS ONE I HAVE NOW IS IN A DIFFERENT CLASS , ONLY THING WHICH IS WRONG , YOU NEED BIG STRINGS ON THEM 9s ARE RUBBISH ! THANKS FENDER.

A capital contribution to the debate....

octatonic

Caps, dude!

GavRichList

guitarfishbay said:

GavRichList said:

ICBM said:

On the other had I've never played a single Suhr, Anderson or any other posh copy of a Fender that I've really liked, and most simply leave me completely cold. The only one that came close was an old 80s Schecter Dream Machine that I owned briefly, which sounded fantastic but was overbuilt and too heavy. All the rest have been just bland and boring in my opinion.

That's all really.

See, I played a couple of Suhrs in a studio we used for the last recording - a tele and a strat. Internet wisdom had me expecting great things, but I too found them to be utterly generic and mundane. "Fine" was the best way I could describe them. 

How were they set up?

I've found some high end guitars are sometimes set up too well, with too low of an action which can be to the detriment of the tone.  

However I also think you can overbuild a guitar.  My own Fender sounds best with the stock parts, I tried Callaham saddles and block for a while but went back to the originals.

Again, just unremarkably. They were ok to play. Pleasant enough. Satisfactory. Beige. 

crunchman

Beige is a very demeaning word these days.

The funny thing is that if we see it on a car it's beige and it's boring.  If we see it on a Tele it's called Butterscotch and it's lovely!

Evilmags

Ive got two of them and a/b with the US standards and strat pluses some mates have they appear better put together, lighter, and came with much nicer pickups and set ups.

That said the pink Telecaster is a much more vibrant and amazing sounding guitar. The only Tele I have played that was as good was a 50s body and a custom shop neck. (and it was much harder to play). 

Neither are relics mind you. I´m quite capable of damaging them myself.

Philly_Q

crunchman said:

Beige is a very demeaning word these days.

The funny thing is that if we see it on a car it's beige and it's boring.  If we see it on a Tele it's called Butterscotch and it's lovely!

I dunno... wouldn't beige be more White Blonde or maybe Desert Sand?

GavRichList

Conceptually beige, more than literally. Desert sand is lovely. 

thebreeze

richardhomer said:

winstony said:

HAVING JUST BOUGHT A CUSTOM SHOP FENDER MIKE LANDAU 63 ,IT IS THE BEST FENDER BY FAR THAT I HAVE PLAYED , ITS LIGHT AND RINGS FANTASTIC AND PLAYS LIKE BUTTER . AND I HAVE HAD SUHR,S AND TYLERS WHICH ARE GREAT .THIS ONE I HAVE NOW IS IN A DIFFERENT CLASS , ONLY THING WHICH IS WRONG , YOU NEED BIG STRINGS ON THEM 9s ARE RUBBISH ! THANKS FENDER.

A capital contribution to the debate....

A bit shouty but the CS Mike Landau '63's that I've played have all been amazing.  Definitely a guitar I would love to own. 

richardhomer

thebreeze said:A bit shouty but the CS Mike Landau '63's that I've played have all been amazing.  Definitely a guitar I would love to own. 

CAN'T DISAGREE. THEY'RE AWESOME GUITARS.

capo4th

Just better ! 

Better woods better pick pick ups nicer necks and fretboards just better buy one you know it makes sense.

Evilmags

CAn only get that spec on a custom shop one (10,5 inch radius neck, Nocaster pickups, pink)- No tele is cooler. 

Philly_Q

^ I don't really like Shell Pink, but I can't deny that looks fantastic.

Bridgehouse

Evilmags said:

CAn only get that spec on a custom shop one (10,5 inch radius neck, Nocaster pickups, pink)- No tele is cooler. 

Is that a TU-15?

richardhomer

Bridgehouse said:
Is that a TU-15?

Vintage!

Strangefan

Hmmm literally none of this has proved to me a custom shop is any better, then again I dont think ANY solid body made in a factory hand made or not is worth more than 1.5k