Looking for nitro strat

Sunhillow

Ok, starting to come to terms with the fact that perhaps I just can’t afford the CS strat of my dreams right now. Plan B.

Every Fender I’ve played, I’ve always preferred nitro finished models. I love my AVRI jazzmaster so much. I wonder - anyone looking to sell a Strat? Preferring 60s spec. Want trem too.

Been looking at AVRI / Highway One / American Original. 

I think I’d prefer black or 3TS, but keen to see anyone’s opinions / gear. I found my very first guitar (squier bullet from 2000), it feels pretty good in the hands but needs A LOT of fixing up. Been reading on upgrading Squiers… but I wonder if it’s not really worth spending that money. 

Or do I just keep saving..

guitargeek62

I've got a pretty straightforward choice available:

FS/T: Fender Vintera RW60s Strat, ‘88-90 Greco LPC

Ticks the boxes, barring a slightly less-traditional colour-choice

marxski

I have a ‘59 American Vintage with rosewood board - it’s from 2014ish so with the flash coat nitro and real celluloid nitrate pickguard. Sherwood Green metallic. PM if you are interested and we can talk.

Sunhillow

Thanks for the answers guys, really cool to hear. Damn I wish I could get into going for more colourful guitars… I struggle with that. Appreciated !  

munckee

I’ve had most non CS fender nitro finishes., I bought a road worn and an A O this summer, I had decided to keep the AO then my old 79 came up which I have previously had refinished.  The road worns are nice but are too satin for me as are the highway ones. 

The Mexican classic laquers and the. AO and AVs are much better. 

My favourites are the guitars I had refinished by iamf68 of the board. 

marxski

Sunhillow said:

Thanks for the answers guys, really cool to hear. Damn I wish I could get into going for more colourful guitars… I struggle with that. Appreciated !  

The Sherwood metallic is a more dark  muted green - it’s not like candy green.

Sunhillow

munckee said:

I’ve had most non CS fender nitro finishes., I bought a road worn and an A O this summer, I had decided to keep the AO then my old 79 came up which I have previously had refinished.  The road worns are nice but are too satin for me as are the highway ones. 

The Mexican classic laquers and the. AO and AVs are much better. 

My favourites are the guitars I had refinished by iamf68 of the board. 

Hey this is useful information for me. Thanks.

I wonder.. do you have any photos to show what you mean? I did think the Highways were a little weird. 

thermionic

Keep an eye out for MIM Classic 60s Lacquer Strats. They didn’t make them for very long. I found a used one for 70% of the new price but I don’t know often you’d see one that reasonable. Be careful on ebay though - I’ve seen a seller who fraudulently sold two recently that were clearly just 60s Classics. Check for the very specific tweed case, and the date.

RobG3294

thermionic said:

Keep an eye out for MIM Classic 60s Lacquer Strats. They didn’t make them for very long. I found a used one for 70% of the new price but I don’t know often you’d see one that reasonable. Be careful on ebay though - I’ve seen a seller who fraudulently sold two recently that were clearly just 60s Classics. Check for the very specific tweed case, and the date.

This ^. The Lacquer Teles are easy to spot from Standard CS 50s/60s Teles as the normals have the silver spaghetti logo whilst the Lacquers have gold. On the Strats both have gold. Always worth using Fender's serial number lookup to cut through the devious lies/embellishments, and in innocent cases - oversights that certain sellers make.

Another common mistake to see are people  selling classic series and classic players (a slightly higher spec with modern appointments). A really tasty Guitar to look for is the 2014 nitro FSR in Desert Sand (classic player). It is all nitro, such a sick colour, gold hardware, locking tuners, AVRI 57/62 pickups. Comes in a equally tasty 60th anniversary embroidered G&G case. You can snag them for under a grand if you're patient. The necks on them are very similar to the Clapton. 60s sized, but with a slight V. Problem is they're maple boards. 

American Originals are nice Guitars and being decade specific can usually be had slightly (not much though) cheaper than the AVRI/AV and are ostensibly just as nice, just perhaps not as period correct.

Sharky77

PM'd

Sunhillow

Hey everyone, really grateful for all of your insights. I'm a little inexperienced when it comes to Strats & enjoying hearing your angles.

I really was expecting I'd go for a full Fender.. but there are some interesting partscasters coming my way.. floodgates are kinda open now.