New 2007 Strats

I spent a few of hours today at Guitar Center (luckily very quiet today) checking out all of the new Fender line up, and boy was I surprised. First of all, the necks on all of the American made models....VG, Standard, and Highway One models are the same "satin" finished necks that Cary didn't like in his review of the 2006/2007 Highway One. I didn't feel quite as strongly as Cary, but in general, there are definitely better feeling necks on the other even less expensive Fender guitars (I tend to like the 50's Classic Player, which is very similar to the Eric Johnson Model). These new American models had the C shape and larger frets (like my 2002 American Deluxe), but they definitely felt "off"....perhaps its the way they are finished or maybe a lack of a proper setup. They felt like cheap Squires with a larger nut width.

The VG Strat with the modeling capabilities was a huge disappointment....I think these will be in the discount bin in a few months. Even the guys at Guitar Center hated them. Not only do the models sound bad, there is a noticeable delay when using them....just trying playing some funk with them, and it's apparent immediately. I had to try a few because the batteries kept dying and I needed to swap the out....imagine this at a gig! Line6 makes a much much much better modeling instrument for 1/3 the price...that has much more and better sounding models....with no noticeable delay & is powered by the stereo cable. I think the 12-string "maybe" sounded a little better than the Line6, but even the modeled strat tones sounded bad....they should sound at least as good as the ones coming out of the pickups!

The Eric Clapton Blackie with the Noiseless pickups was probably the best of the new 2007 models that I played.... it had a much more natural feeling neck, and it sounded basically like my 2002 American Deluxe. They had a couple of good Custom Shop Relics that I also liked....I tended to prefer the ones with the finish worn of the neck.... but all in all, there probably isn't a "new" Fender on my shopping list for new guitars in 2007. I would maybe be tempted by a MIM 50's Model if the price came down around $500 on special.

Thanks to Guitar Center La Mesa for letting me twiddle all afternoon.

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If you're in the market for a strat-ish guitar, I really think you need to spend some time here:

http://www.edromanguitars.com/newsit...earlcaster.htm

Hehe... I may have had an even more negative reaction than you, Rick, but I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the bad "feel" (for lack of a better word) on these necks.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but they ultimately just felt slow and uncomfortable––something I didn't find in any of the vintage-style Strats, including the much cheaper MIMs.

When I was in GC recently I wanted to try out the VG Strat, but being GC they didn't even have batteries in it. Since the employees there seemed to be avoiding me like the plague I didn't bother asking if they had any batteries I could use, but I may just bring a set in with me next time so I can take it for a test drive.

Many of the guitar publications are giving the VG great reviews, but highly questionable reviews were the major motivation for starting my blog, and I won't be surprised at all if user reviews for the VG Strat aren't nearly as rosey as those by industry folks.

Anyways, glad to hear I'm not crazy.

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egr :: guitar spoken here

I work in an industry were good analyst reviews are bought and paid for in exchange for advertising or "research fees".... I wouldn't be surprised if that's the way it works in the musical instrument business. I bet that when one of the biggest advertisers puts out a bad product, the first person that puts out a bad review immediately gets put on a "list".... and good reviews get comp'd with free stuff and more advertising. One of the the beauties of the internet....no retribution (at least not yet!).

I think Fender is trying to shift to meet the "demands" of today's popular music while cutting the number of brands they market.....my opinion is they should bring back the Jackson & Charvel brands they acquired and use those guitars to blaze new ground (or compete with the Ibanez/ESP/Shechters of the world) rather than trying to change the tried and true Stratocaster model.... but then again, that's why they have the custom shop, relics, artist model, etc.

The new strats weren't bad guitars.... but to me, they certainly are not worth $800-1600, considering you can have a completely custom made instrument for approximately the same price. FYI, my "new" relic has not arrive yet...and I'm traveling most of next week, so I'm not going to get my hands on it until Thursday at the earliest. I'll post pics and a review once I've put it through it's paces.

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I'm definitely going to have to spend some more time with these newer models after reading these posts. Thanks for the info guys.

I am seriously considering purchasing the Fender Standard Stratocaster (made in mexico, mostly because dont want to spend an extra $450 for the american version). Do any of you have an opinion on this? I tested it one day at Guitar Center, but it was very noisy that day, so it was hard to tell.

Wesinator....are you a beginner or have you played for a bit of time? Mexican Standard Strats aren't bad for beginners, but they don't have much resale value, and if you are a serious player, it's probably a guitar that you will out grow. Even if you could spend just a little more cash (between $100-$300 more) you'll be better off getting a 50s & 60s Classic Players, or the Deluxe Players Mexican made model (they'll have better necks and electronics). There are a few that are "custom shop designed", that surpass the latest American models. Also, in my opinion some of the Mexican made Telecasters are an outstanding value (like the Nashville or Thinline models)...perhaps even better than their American counterparts in some respects.

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Thanks for the input adaptable. I got the guitar on the 4th of July. Guitar Center was having a big sale, so that was a good day to buy it. I am a beginner, and so far I am very happy with it. I got a Lin6 Spider III 30w Amp to go with it, and it is amazing.

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Wes