Custom Shop Fenders - Your Reasons

thebreeze

In my personal experience, if you're buying used, it's easier to get back what you paid if you buy CS.  AVRI's take longer to sell and aren't nearly as consistent.  You'll enjoy a CS more I think.  You've got lots of good options on here (yes, I have one FS) from Strats, Jags, Tele's, NOS, relics, heavy relics etc.  I think now's a good time to buy as the new CS prices are pretty ludicrous (I imagine you've read the recent thread on CS pricing).  Ben MaCarthy's Blackie looks really nice and chris78's Tele is a belter, there was a really nice fiesta red Tele on here recently - I can see why you're spoilt for choice.

Tex Mexico

thebreeze said:

In my personal experience, if you're buying used, it's easier to get back what you paid if you buy CS.  AVRI's take longer to sell and aren't nearly as consistent.  You'll enjoy a CS more I think.  You've got lots of good options on here (yes, I have one FS) from Strats, Jags, Tele's, NOS, relics, heavy relics etc.  I think now's a good time to buy as the new CS prices are pretty ludicrous (I imagine you've read the recent thread on CS pricing).  Ben MaCarthy's Blackie looks really nice and chris78's Tele is a belter, there was a really nice fiesta red Tele on here recently - I can see why you're spoilt for choice.

I need you to write an anonymous letter to my wife...

Your Strat is awesome by the way, if the relic was a bit lighter it would be a first choice for me.

thebreeze

Ah, yes, the wife.  Have you tried the "it's just like shoes" line? (Be very careful  )

Ben_McCarthy

I don’t think you can go far wrong with a second hand custom shop, especially with the price hikes over the last few years realistically you’re not going to lose much money at all if any. 

My experience of playing them is certainly they are more consistent. The fit and finish is quite frankly better. Can you get an AVRI that’s better than a random CS guitar of course you can. It’s not the price of the guitar which influences how good it plays or sounds. but if you take a load of each my money would be on the CS ones, on average, being better guitars. If it’s a big purchase for you. Play as many as you possibly can and get the one that speaks to you.

jeztone2

I would just go out and play lots of guitars and be open minded about what you bond with. I’ve played a few nice CS Fenders. But my favourite Strat is the FSR ones from 2005 where they put modern electronics and fingerboard/frets in a 62 AVRI. But they only made them for 5 minutes. 

Three years ago I wanted to buy an ES339. I tried a few. Took my time & ended up with a Goldtop Les Paul. Because it was the best instrument I’d tried. 

p90fool

I can't help feeling that there's something almost transitory about a new CS guitar if I'm honest. They're very well made and obviously expensive, but for me they're still just fine until something else comes along. 

Two years ago I sold a '63 Strat and a Wal Custom fretless bass and as I already have a keeper Les Paul I had the budget for pretty much any Strat you could imagine, within reason. 

What I ended up with was an £800 1977 Strat and yet more motorcycles.

The point was that whatever its limitations, the '77 instantly felt like "mine" and stopped me being remotely interested in any others. For me (and obviously it's related to my age) there's something almost tangibly permanent about simply having a Fender Stratocaster made in Fullerton from before there were a million different options made in half a dozen different countries. 

Now apart from it sounding great this stuff is obviously all in the mind and is little different to Custom Shop hype or Abigail Ybarra silliness, but at least the back story is real and the guitar is not a reissue, or a relic, or a daft reproduction of the day they repainted some sunbursts pink and then accidentally sanded some of it off. 

In short, when you suddenly have the budget for whatever you want there is so much choice that it can all seem incredibly shallow, and you can't imagine any of those new shiney options becoming lifetime keepers. 

Keep your options open.

JayGee

My take.

Go to a good guitar shop which does a wide range of stock across the widest possible price range, has has a good rep for how they treat the stuff which goes on the wall (i.e. gives them at least a cursory inspection and setup check). Play as many guitars as you can without looking at the price tags, the small print on the head stocks, the hang tags, and the logos on the neck plates then do it again a couple, of times and buy the one you like best. You might just be surprised.

In my case I did this at Peach (with a budget which could have taken me well into CS territory) and ended up keeping my early ‘80s Japanese Strat but putting new (Bare Knuckles “Slow Hand”) pickups in it. Second place would have been a relatively low priced factory built ‘60s re-issue. Turned out it wasn’t about getting the “best” guitar but getting the one which was right for me...  

I like the idea of a CS guitar as something which has been built with love, care and attention by a small team as part of a small run of instruments and the most memorable guitar I’ve ever played was a very easy CS “Nocaster” relic but there are a lot of very well made guitars out there...