I'm sure this has been asked umpteen times but I'm gonna add to it in the hopes of getting something I haven't read/seen already.
Custom shop or off the shelf American Reissue.
I'm specifically looking at a Jaguar where the price difference is like £2000 which is a huge amount of cash. Problem is I've only played a custom shop strat and I mean it was nice but not sure if it is 2k nice you know?
And when there's a good secondhand market for US Jags the price gap gets even wider.
Just curious what your thoughts/experiences are. I know I've seen a few with CS guitars . What was it that made you take that hefty plunge?
I can see you know nothing of wizards. They are like winter thunder on a wild wind - rolling in from a distance.
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Each to their own, and I'd not shy away from a custom shop if it felt right, but at the end of the day fenders are bolt on guitars with pretty functional and easy to swap components.
well, I totally understand, in 1 way, Leo’s thinking is that the Strat is the most efficient way to make an affordable guitar and in truth there is nothing technically different design and construction wise between all the Strats bar quality of material and electronics. So that’s where 1 aspect comes, a CS will have (or it bloody should) have better wood, lighter wood, 1 piece instead of multiple piece, better electronics and this is the last part which cost the most, attention to detail which is labour cost the most, as Masterbuilt for example is like someone made it out of love, or at least the PR suggests.
It also has that X Factor of something costing more, it must be better, it is a well documented psychological fact that people associates more expensive = better so that also plays a part. Also when someone owns something, there is also a level of confirmation bias, people are often unwilling to say they made a mistake and bought something bad, a £2000 mistake so to speak.
I bought myself my first Strat this week, it’s 6 lb 15oz! A Mexican one to boot, so light weight guitar is not exclusive to Custom Shop. If you look on Wildwood most of their CS sits between 7-7.5lbs, whereas any other model have a much wider range of weigh so you need to look harder.
that said, lighter does not equal more resonance, it doesn’t mean it plays louder unplugged, my Palir telecaster at 7 1/2lbs plays noticeable louder unplugged, it may be because it’s Ash vs Alder in the Strat but the tele is clearly louder and sustains longer. There is no guarantee light = resonates.
Usually, for what I require, I am entirely content with a lightly modified AVRI. (Cap changes, Duncan Antiquity pickups, Mastery vibrato parts.)
Not so hefty because I bought pre-owned. The model I desired was unavailable in any other Fender series. (C.S. or F.O!)
If you absolutely have to spend that kind of money, that would be my choice
Otherwise the final iteration of the AVRI series are some of the finest production guitars Fender have made.
Alternatively, the Marr signature is pretty spiffy unless you're dead set on vintage spec.
I think I just wanted to see if there was anyone who was like 'yeah it costs more but you get more' which doesn't seem to be the mentality. I tend to be a bit of a tweaker anyway when it comes to my guitars so I'd probably get more enjoyment upgrading a second hand AVRI.
A mate of mines got a Marr, it’s really nice.
I quite fancy a Tele, but considering I'm not interested in a relic I'm not sure that paying double the price for a CS really gets me anything over the American Original 50's model.
That said one of my favourite Teles after going through a LOT of them is a MIJ '62 Reissue. Just a brilliant guitar.
They're all bits of wood - play enough and you'll find one. It's just a bit more consistent with the CS stuff!
The only answer is to try then both out. My main gigging instrument for years was a battered AVRI. I loved it. I was convinced there wasn't much better but then I found the right CS which is on another level!
I've had my 62 AVRI from new since 2012. Fair few guitars have come and gone, including some CS strats that I just didn't bond with for whatever reason over my AVRI. I'm lucky enough to Peach guitars 45 mins away. Coda about an hour. Regularly I'll go and see what's on offer. Plenty are equal to mine. But only twice have I known in an instant that I was playing something special. You can't even quantify it as it's totally individual to the player. But when you know. You know.
Unfortunately on both occasions I weren't in a position to purchase.
My nearest PMT has a good selection of CS stuff. They have 4 particular strats of identical spec but different clours. One of them is heads and shoulders a nicer player than the other 3. A friend of mine has also played all 4. My favourite was to him the runt or the litter.
For me. AVRI and the now re named American Original series are up there with CS outside of going master built.
The idea that somehow because the necks bolt on that the wood makes no difference is utterly ridiculous. As you go up the line, you’re paying generally for better wood, more hand finishing and better components.
Generally when someone asks the question, they want a cs guitar at factory prices and they think they’ll save money and get a product that’s as good. If you’re thinking that, get a cs. You’ll always wonder otherwise and you’ll never be happy.