The 4 to 3 masterplan

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monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
in Guitar tFB Trader
Having lost interest for the past couple of years I've got the guitar bug again so I've been having a think about my gear.

Currently I have 4 guitars:
08 PRS DGT Goldtop
90's Gretsch Tennessee Rose
80 Fender The Strat (modded)
08 Fender US Std HSS Strat  (modded)

Here's a shot of the Strats

Considering I don't gig and don't have a lot of space one of them is going to have to go and hopefully will be consolidated into 3

The DGT is simply the best guitar I've ever owned so that's safe.
The Strat is my first proper guitar and has sentimental value and a brilliant neck, but it's stupidly heavy, the electronics are a bit suspect and it's set up really badly.
The US Std is a nice guitar, but the modern C profile is a bit skinny for me and I really don't need two Strats so it makes sense for this to go.
Now we come to the Gretsch. It sounds great and it's the coolest guitar I own, but I hardly ever play it because with 3 kids running about I'm always worried that it's going to get damaged so it just lives in it's case.

The logical thing to do would be fix up The Strat and sell the Std, but I'm seriously starting to think about also selling or trading the Gretsch and consolidating both into a really nice Tele which would get a lot more use.

Am I crazy, or is this a sensible plan?

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Comments

  • DrBobDrBob Frets: 2998
    For whatever my opinion is worth it sounds like a sensible plan, I can relate a bit, I’ve got a beautiful Heritage H535 that was a gift from the wife but in the melee of family life I worry about it getting damaged so it never comes out of the case and instead I mostly play my bitsa Strat 
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  • JDEJDE Frets: 1092
    Totally sensible. My immediate thought would be to sell the Std (should be easy enough to replace should you ever feel the need) and the Gretsch. 
    To be honest i’d probably do up the Strat and sell that too. Sentimental reasons don’t mean anything to me, but this is a character flaw on my part. 
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    I’d sell the two strats and the Gretsch and buy one amazing Strat or Tele - then you have something with single coils and your DGT with humbuckers - all you need. I sold a few centimental guitars last year and don’t regret it - I’ve got better guitars out the end of it.
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    dindude said:
    I’d sell the two strats and the Gretsch and buy one amazing Strat or Tele - then you have something with single coils and your DGT with humbuckers - all you need. I sold a few centimental guitars last year and don’t regret it - I’ve got better guitars out the end of it.
    I agree with this. ‘The Strat’ is historically interesting in that they were Fender’s first real attempt to get back to the model’s classic features - but based on the ones I’ve played - still nowhere near, really. As you point out @monquixote weight is their biggest issue.

    Later vintage reissues and CS guitars are much better and in quality terms much more in keeping with the DGT.
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  • martmart Frets: 5205
    Is there any mileage in combining the strats - putting the nicer neck on the lighter body?
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  • DrJazzTapDrJazzTap Frets: 2158
    I shifted a tokai 335 last year. I had bought it for my 30th. Lovely guitar, but i had a similar epiphany. I was too worried about damaging it and i don't need so many guitars. I really should shift one of the strats.
    I would love to change my username, but I fully understand the T&C's (it was an old band nickname). So please feel free to call me Dave.
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  • fandangofandango Frets: 2204
    Having done an image search on t'internet, the Tennessee Rose looks a lovely guitar, and it's got a Bigsby which the others don't have. Is it not worth keeping the Gretsch because it's different to the others, even if you don't play it much?

    I might suggest that if you can overcome the practicalities of putting it away in the case at the end of a playing session, it should be a keeper in favour of one of the strats, irrespective of sentimentality.
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    dindude said:
    I’d sell the two strats and the Gretsch and buy one amazing Strat or Tele - then you have something with single coils and your DGT with humbuckers - all you need. I sold a few centimental guitars last year and don’t regret it - I’ve got better guitars out the end of it.

    It's an interesting idea.

    The problem is that it's absolutely Rory Gallaghered and because it's real damage not fake that probably makes it nearly worthless. (What a strange world we live in)

    I've no idea what it's worth but probably much less than how it plays and sounds.
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  • Hick81Hick81 Frets: 122
    Keep the one with sentiment value. You’ll regret selling it. 
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  • dindudedindude Frets: 8534
    dindude said:
    I’d sell the two strats and the Gretsch and buy one amazing Strat or Tele - then you have something with single coils and your DGT with humbuckers - all you need. I sold a few centimental guitars last year and don’t regret it - I’ve got better guitars out the end of it.

    It's an interesting idea.

    The problem is that it's absolutely Rory Gallaghered and because it's real damage not fake that probably makes it nearly worthless. (What a strange world we live in)

    I've no idea what it's worth but probably much less than how it plays and sounds.
    I’d still probably get rid for brain-clear purposes, or just stick under the bed. 
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    The sort of people who would buy a 1980 Fender The Strat expect it to be either unmolested in original specification or a "player's guitar" and cheap. In your position, I would keep it.

    The American Standard Stratocaster is a perennial favourite. Should be easy to sell or trade against its eventual replacement.

    If the Gretsch isn't getting much action, perhaps, it should go too?

    Why not combine the best elements of a Telecaster and a Gretsch in the form of a La Cabronita Telecaster or Especial model?
    Be seeing you.
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Yeah I can imagine getting £500 for the The Strat though I've seen a minty one up at £2k
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  • HenrytwangHenrytwang Frets: 470
    edited March 2019
    I’m hopeless at this sort of thing as I just can’t part with a nice guitar. I’d just sort out the storage problem, (I actually built an extra room for my guitar overspill). Keep them all and save up for a nice Telecaster. Sorry no help at all.
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  • menamestommenamestom Frets: 4641

    Sell the 08 strat.

    The Strat, send it to a pro and get a really good setup, it will be your friend again.

    When you know how much you have after the above steps, move onto the next part of the plan.

    ‘A really nice Tele’ doesn’t necessarily need to cost a fortune.


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  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3665
    The DGT does everything, so if you end up in a band again, it will cover any sound you want. You'll always need a backup so keep the Strat that's the most flexible.

    I'd say, sell the '08 and the Gretsch, use the money to get The Strat over to Feline to see if they can do anything about weight relief and get it properly set up. You'll probably find it's a totally  new guitar.
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  • jdgmjdgm Frets: 850
    edited March 2019
    Whatever you do, DON'T sell The Strat as believe me you will regret it horribly later on and forever.

    I speak from bitter experience.....
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  • vizviz Frets: 10647
    DON’T sell the strat!!!!












    unless to me. 
    Roland said: Scales are primarily a tool for categorising knowledge, not a rule for what can or cannot be played.
    Supportact said: [my style is] probably more an accumulation of limitations and bad habits than a 'style'.
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  • antonyivantonyiv Frets: 300
    You can always sell the American Standard strat and buy another one - there are too many of them around. Besides that it seems that you really don't like the neck.

    Keep the Strat. It has sentimental value and it is pretty rare animal. That sounds good to me:

    - PRS: for humbucking sounds
    - Strat: for single coil sounds
    - Gretsch: for in-between sounds

    Now we come to the Gretsch. It sounds great and it's the coolest guitar I own, but I hardly ever play it because with 3 kids running about I'm always worried that it's going to get damaged so it just lives in it's case.

    I have the same problem and thats why I play my G&L the most. However - you don't fell comfortable damaging the Gretsch but it is somehow acceptable the damage to happen on the DGT?
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
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    The PRS is the most valuable but it's a very chunky solid body which is already quite reliced from years of gigging.

    The Gretsch on the other hand is a hollow body and if one of my kids jumped on it they would probably go through it.
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  • DrCorneliusDrCornelius Frets: 7069
    I'm down to 2 at the moment, a DGT and a Yamaha semi with P90s. The DGT does everything I need, the coil split gets you in Tele territory and the HBs do a great LP impression.

    The Yamaha is still here because it's beautiful to look at and has a very different feel and sound to the PRS.

    For that reason Id keep the DGT and the Gretsch
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