posh strats/teles/LPs etc

siraxeman

 This is OBVIOUSLY going to be highly contentious...but again - what is your view! I'm not slamming anyones preference here - each to their own!

Now that said, me personally I've never played any custom shop Fenders or Gibsons. I've always used the American standards/Gibson Standard/traditionals....and for me these are perfectly good enough. The look/feel/sound good and like they're 'supposed' to sound. Now again I've never tried one in the flesh. Closest I've experienced to any custom shop is to ogle them on shop walls up close. (I have tried LP Customs and they're custom shop now aren't they...but they just seemed to be more blinged up thats all) When I here such guitars demo'd, well - they sound like Strats/Teles/Les Pauls! They don't ever make me think "wow that's so much better than mine...I must have one!" So luckily for me I don't have any desire to spend that much more on them.  Do they feel that much better ? I'm not gonna even entertain they sound any better cos they don't when I've seen/heard them demo'd. But I'm asking cos as I said never tried 'um ! The aged/relics aren't for me that's just pure personal preference. So aged cosmetics is just something that I personally have no desire for...fair do's to them that like it and are willing to pay for it. Not for me. But feel/sound/looks count to me.

So - Feel - no experience of.

Sound - to me they just don't sound better...and electronics pups etc can change that anyway to ones personal preference.

 Looks - well for ME they don't look any better.

Am I a luddite in the dark and don't know what I'm missing ? ;-)

What I will concede is this - I've tried many cheaper Fenders like the Mex/Squiers, and copy Gibson alikes such as Tokai/Epiphone/Vintage etc and here I can discern definitely a more classy feel. And of course the wood does look nicer when its a real nice slab of flame maple over say a photo flame. So I can detect a quality improvement as you go up the price ladder...but that old chestnut of diminishing returns crops up here - Once you get to USA Standard level after that well...you tell me how much better do they feel/look ? I have for many years settled on that shelf and feel happy here....and yet you believers may just think "ignorance is bliss"

p90fool

It depends on what your preferences are. I'm not that interested in extremely accurate reissues of 59 Les Pauls and actually prefer the cheaper Standard, and for me paying 3 grand for a bolt together Fender is sheer lunacy, you can get the Tele of your dreams for half that, easily. 

That said, a lot of Custom Shop guitars do feel really nice, some having that indefinable "something" over standard. 

As a pub-gigging hack though, if you can't define it, then I'm buggered if I'm paying for it. 

siraxeman

p90fool said:

That said, a lot of Custom Shop guitars do feel really nice, some having that indefinable "something" over standard. 

As a pub-gigging hack though, if you can't define it, then I'm buggered if I'm paying for it. 

exactly!! That's what I am a pub/club gigger and teacher. I doubt i'll be changing my views but it is nice to hear what others think. As you said  if there is some magical feel to a guitar over an American Standard then that is something that could tempt me down the line. But here and now, the American Standard is what feels good to me that is the 'standard' baseline for me. And something a lot more expensive would have to offer something really special in terms of extra tone/feel/looks to warrant/justify it.

Whats that old pic on the web somewhere I saw once on FB...ah found it. Teh troof...

 https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.136078927.8222/flat,550x550,075,f.u3.jpg

Roland

p90fool said:

... for me paying 3 grand for a bolt together Fender is sheer lunacy, you can get the Tele of your dreams for half that, easily. 

Make that £300. I can understand why someone who could afford it would spend £3k on the guitar of their dreams. My reasons for having a guitar are different.

meltedbuzzbox

A good guitar is a good guitar. 

It doesn't matter about all the marketing bollocks (and that is what most of it is)

However, the best guitar I own is a custom shop fender :-)

earwighoney

p90fool said:

It depends on what your preferences are. I'm not that interested in extremely accurate reissues of 59 Les Pauls and actually prefer the cheaper Standard, and for me paying 3 grand for a bolt together Fender is sheer lunacy, you can get the Tele of your dreams for half that, easily. 

Fender have some Masterbuilts T's and S's at £8k. 

Bridgehouse

Funnily enough, I popped into PMT in Nottingham today with the missus to get her a new hi hat stand and hi hats - whilst in there and having a browse, guess what caught my eye? The £189 Squier Affinity Teles.

Had a quick play and thought it was cracking for the money. After buying the missus her bits I asked her to put it on my chrimbo list. 

richardhomer

meltedbuzzbox said:

A good guitar is a good guitar. 

It doesn't matter about all the marketing bollocks (and that is what most of it is)

However, the best guitar I own is a custom shop fender :-)

The Fender range is good across the board - but generally you do get a better guitar, the higher up the range you go.

Clearly the rule of 'diminishing returns' is a factor - and for some, the quality improvement doesn't reflect the gulf in price - but that doesn't mean that there isn't a significant difference. To some extent this is moot if you can't afford - or don't see the need to own - a high end guitar. 

Custom Shop Fenders are generally the best guitars Fender has made since the 60s - they are the 'no compromise' option. If bought used, they're great value - but still a lot of money.

mgaw

this again:)  if someone wants to spend loads of their money on a guitar then why the fuck not

dindude

Interesting question. As someone who played and gigged an American Standard Strat for the best part of 10 years very happily and then moved on to a Custom Shop Custom Deluxe, which in many respects is the CS version of it, I.e. No relic'ing 2-point trem etc, there was definately another jump in quality.

The Nitro finish (albeit modern nitro, probably over a ply base) was less shiny and more tactile.
The pickups were hugely better.
The neck was far far nicer, fatter more interesting shape, heavily rolled edges and a masterful fret job, all add up to a sublime feel.
Does it sound any better, yes definately, twice as good as the Amercian Standard. Probably not, but that's not the point really.

Gassage

Mine are all USA standard guitars these days .....no custom shops for me

DamianP

For most people a guitar is pretty much an externally focussed object. As long as the name on the headstock projects the right image, you can use whatever justification suits your needs.
Once you get into the non-fashion guitar market then the instrumental focus becomes sharper and concepts such as brand and model  ranges of less significance. 

richardhomer

Gassage said:

Mine have disappeared. I've been burgled again....

FTFY

Rave

A posh guitar does not make a posh player.

JookyChap

@DamianP said:

For most people a guitar is pretty much an externally focussed object. As long as the name on the headstock projects the right image, you can use whatever justification suits your needs.
Once you get into the non-fashion guitar market then the instrumental focus becomes sharper and concepts such as brand and model  ranges of less significance. 

I really shouldn't have asked if you could put a 'F' logo on it, should I?

robgilmo

Isnt it nice to own something nice?

midlifecrisis

Bridgehouse said:

Funnily enough, I popped into PMT in Nottingham today with the missus to get her a new hi hat stand and hi hats - whilst in there and having a browse, guess what caught my eye? The £189 Squier Affinity Teles.

Had a quick play and thought it was cracking for the money. After buying the missus her bits I asked her to put it on my chrimbo list. 

recently picked up a butterscotch one of these and its replaced my mexican strat. just love it, gigged it twice this month while my les paul studio sat at the back of the stage. this is my first quest into telecasters and im tempted to get a "proper" fender one but tbh i find this affinity very playable and sounds great

Bridgehouse

midlifecrisis said:

Bridgehouse said:

Funnily enough, I popped into PMT in Nottingham today with the missus to get her a new hi hat stand and hi hats - whilst in there and having a browse, guess what caught my eye? The £189 Squier Affinity Teles.

Had a quick play and thought it was cracking for the money. After buying the missus her bits I asked her to put it on my chrimbo list. 

recently picked up a butterscotch one of these and its replaced my mexican strat. just love it, gigged it twice this month while my les paul studio sat at the back of the stage. this is my first quest into telecasters and im tempted to get a "proper" fender one but tbh i find this affinity very playable and sounds great

Looked at the rosewood board ones - I think the one I tried was orange (!) but there was a brownish one there too.. just seemed to be much higher quality than I was expecting for the cash. Much higher.

Brize

I agree that a cheap guitar can be great and an expensive guitar less than great, but I'd say that's the exception rather than the norm. In my experience, when Fender and Gibson get it right in their Custom Shops, they really get it right and produce instruments that sound great and are a joy to play.

It's true, of course, that expensive gear doesn't make a better player, but having a great-sounding, really playable guitar can encourage you to pick it up and practice.

Chalky

Glad you don't like great guitars - what you call posh - because that will mean there is less demand for them and people like me can afford to buy more. 

robgilmo

For me a posh guitar would be something very old. A lovely vintage Tele for instance.