Can you make a less expensive Strat feel/play/sound as good as a Custom Shop?

guitarfishbay

The only thing you can't massively change is the resonance.

One of the biggest factors I find is just having really nice fretwork, and that's something that isn't massively expensive to get done, or you could learn to do it yourself over time.

mudslide73

My one piece MJT/EJ Strat isn't quite in the same ballpark even though it has Callaham bits as well. There's more to it than just buying a load of great bits I think. I had a mate with a Dan Smith Strat which I reckon was at least as good as the Custom Shops I've tried. 

mr-mac

mudslide73 said:

My one piece MJT/EJ Strat isn't quite in the same ballpark even though it has Callaham bits as well. There's more to it than just buying a load of great bits I think. I had a mate with a Dan Smith Strat which I reckon was at least as good as the Custom Shops I've tried. 

Exactly if you have a cheaper one that sounds a bit good to start with then its likely to a good case for upgrade

soma1975

I used to own a custom shop deluxe Strat and after a setup and replacement of pickups and pots my 2006 Classic Player Strat is a far superior instrument. Plays better and sounds better. 

zepp76

Jonathanthomas83 said:

zepp76 said:

Are you able to find somewhere that you could try out the David Gilmour signature Black Strat? Could be right up your street, if I had the spare dosh I'd have one in a heartbeat!

I'm not that into Signature stuff, mate, tbh. It looks incredible, but nah, not really my thing - I'd change a few specs, mainly radius etc. Bet it's awesome though! :-)

Fair do's, I guess if it ain't blue, it ain't you! 

Roysterdoyster

I think you'll find that most people who own a CS will answer "no", and those who don't have one will answer "yes" Only you can decide what makes you happy, and that's all that really matters.

terada

My number 1 strat is a 62 AVRI. Better than any custom shop I have played so far. There is not much to a strat or tele, as long as the hardware is sound and the neck profile is comfortable, I'd be surprised if even the most affordable ones couldn't be set up to play splendidly.

TheMarlin

I quite liked my old Antigua Japanese Strat, really liked my old Journeyman strat.  Absolutely loving my modded MIM Classic Player 50's strat.  It's got fresh 11's on, and a pro setup,  it's a stunner to play.  Love it.  First strat I've ever truly bonded with. 

JayGee

Roysterdoyster said:

I think you'll find that most people who own a CS will answer "no", and those who don't have one will answer "yes" Only you can decide what makes you happy, and that's all that really matters.

How about those who could own, and really liked the idea of CS but, having spent an afternoon working their way across the Peach shop’s back wall stock decide that all their mid ‘80s MIJ needs to stand with the best of them is a decent set of pickups?

Oddly enough I have played a handful of CS guitars which sounded and felt truly exceptional and put clear blue water between themselves and their counterparts elsewhere in the Fender range, but they were all Telecasters!

Winny_Pooh

Easy, just don't buy a Fender. Most above the MIM range (even though have rocketed in prive) are actually overpriced when you consider how, where and by whom they are built. Heck, most MJTs will match or smoke a CS guitar for a fraction of the price. 

gringopig

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HAL9000

Only ever played a couple of CS Strats and apart from the resonance there was something about the way that they felt. They both had a great 'played-in' feel - kind of like your oldest most comfiest shoes. I can't imagine that's an easy thing to replicate. The other noticeable thing was how much better the bodies were shaped compared to their lower-priced brethren. Look at, say, a MIM Strat and you can see that there are definite 'edges' where the radii start. Not so on the CS.

RMJ

interstellar said:

easily buy a K-Line 

Not cheap though....

gibsongretschfan

I’ve played a few very expensive guitars in shops that were dead wood. Unplugged were just dull, quiet, lifeless. Like you were listening to it under a blanket.

theres no saving a guitar like that if it’s £5000 or £500

but if your guitar starts off sounding resonant and loud etc then there’s lots of things you can change.

The obvious one is the pickups, and everyone has their favs, but for me the last little percentages that cheaper guitars are usually missing is because of their crappy die cast hardware. Stick a proper bridge in there and your guitar will warm up nicely 

menamestom

Main difference is neck profiles and options. Factory necks always seem to be ‘modern C’. You can get a light resonant nitro body from quite a few places now, but a nice neck with a good profile seems hard to get.  I think it’s easier in the US with Warmoth and USACG, but in the UK we’re limited to people selling nice bodies and the odd nitro finished Allparts or Hosco neck.
Getting a CS quality neck is the difficulty, IMO.  There is no impossible to recreate mojo, but you need that non-standard, special feeling neck.   Everything else you can buy.

jeztone2

I’m not convinced tbh. Wood is an organic substance, so therefore variable. I've played enough posh guitars that didn't live up to the hype and plenty of mid-priced instruments that punched above their weight.  Your best to judge each instrument on its merits. Also due to the modular nature of Fender’s designs they can be improved & dialled in. 

The best Strat I've ever played was a 2005 FSR American Vintage 62 Deluxe. Basically a 62 Am Vintage reissue with modern radius & American Deluxe Electronics. This was in the days when CS Strats were a lot cheaper. So it wasn't such a big price difference between three Strats. It was up against an Eric Johnson sig & a CS Clapton. The Clapton was nicely finished & well made. But the FSR had a certain something. It just sounded and felt so much better. Even unplugged. Unfortunately, I dithered on my decision & missed buying it. Maybe there’s more consistancy the more.you pay. But there's a lot of marketing too.

As a final point. I don’t really see people gigging CS Strats that much. There's a guy I vaguely know locally who gigs one. But if I go down to my local blues dive, its usually modded American Strats, Les Paul’s, PRS & the odd Tokai. 

Neil

If you really loved the CS model buy that.

It's easier than buying something cheaper that's not the finished article and trying to mod it to some idea you have in your head.

Buy the thing that is there now that you love and meets your requirements. 

Jonathanthomas83

This is interesting. A lot of different opinions. Wish we could do polls on here sometimes, that would be good, @TTony / @digitalscream ;?

Be keen to hear thoughts from @WezV and @ICBM on this.

Jonathanthomas83

Neil said:

If you really loved the CS model buy that.

It's easier than buying something cheaper that's not the finished article and trying to mod it to some idea you have in your head.

Buy the thing that is there now that you love and meets your requirements. 

Money isn't it. Big investment and I've not got good form for keeping hold of expensive things, through feeling guilty about them!

GoldenEraGuitars

“Can you make a less expensive Strat feel/play/sound as good as a Custom Shop?”

Yes.