Buying A Fender Strat Advice Needed

[MusicPebbles]

Hello guys im saving up to buy a strat. I saw a Standard Fender Strat from standard value which cost $880 is it a good deal? i believe it is a MIM.

Btw does all Strats have this tuning prob with the tremolo bridge?

 

[subversion]

with a whammy bridge, regardless if it's a locking unit or otherwise, tuning stability is always an issue but dilligent maintenance would help

regardless of the Fender make (american or otherwise...), the one you like matters most.

 

[faizal_rocks]

I'd say go for it, if it feels and sounds right to u

For the vintage trem bridge, as long as u dun dive bomb on the bar and just do subtle whammy, the tuning would be stable. Just make sure u install the strings properly and that the nut is properly cut.

 

[MusicPebbles]

feels like the trem on guitars are "fragile" can't really use them hard huh? but still strats are used by legends so nothing to say.

 

[PatheinRaindropMoe]

those vintage trem aint designed for hard wanking in the first place. It aint fragile, but if used wrongly and harsh, any sorta trem will also be fragile as well.

 

[relinquish69]

you should check out stores which carry Japanese made Fenders before laying the cash on the Mexican ones. Both are around the same price range.

 

[huatsup]

American or Japanese

Agree that you should check out shopd that sell Jap strats: Davis or Sound Alchemy.

I personally would go for either the American or Japanese ones. Mexican ones are the cheapest but I feel it is good only if you want to do some mods to it. The American and Jap ones are great as they are stock.

 

[subversion]

Mexican ones are the cheapest...

depending on the model, yes?

 

[Maidendroogie]

I did this to my Strat, and tuning hasn't been an issue since.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Oyc6slYRc

 

[Whitestrat]

I personally would go for either the American or Japanese ones. Mexican ones are the cheapest but I feel it is good only if you want to do some mods to it. The American and Jap ones are great as they are stock.

Don't oversell the Japanese Fenders. Yes, MIJ and CIJs do have a standard of quality for the price, but they are not the miracle strats everyone makes them out to be. They are very overrated.

An MIM Classic Player will kill the CIJs and MIJ (and evn many MIAs!), no matter what price point. (Go check them out if you haven't already) While MIj and CIj in general are very well made, and have little problems, you cannot say the same about the parts they use in all price spectrums.

All guitars, regardless of price point, will have their good pieces, and bad pieces. Even $6,000 Fender Custom Shop pieces have problems.

 

[MusicPebbles]

When i get the strat should i spend xtra cash to upgrade the tuners to locking ones and the string tree? And nut?

 

[junkiemanxl]

When i get the strat should i spend xtra cash to upgrade the tuners to locking ones and the string tree? And nut?

the good thing about strats is that they can be easily customizable. Parts are not that difficult to get. Spending xtra cash on upgrades is when the stock configurations is not good enough for you.

If you are planning on picking a strat, go ahead and pick up one and start from there. Play it and see if it requires any mods to suit your playing style.

Even if u spend money on locking tuners and upgrades, it might not keep your guitar in perfect tuning with huge dive bombs.

Even some floyd rose trems wont stay in tune!

 

[Whitestrat]

When i get the strat should i spend xtra cash to upgrade the tuners to locking ones and the string tree? And nut?

First, you need to understand what the Stratocaster is. It was designed by Leo Fender (who was an engineer), to be very customisable. To the point that you can pretty much replace anything (even the body or the neck) to get your "perfect" strat.

so, with this in mind, go for what is the hardest to upgrade: Body Resonance. Go and find one where the neck is straight, and the fretwork is good. That both the neck and the body will work well together, giving a good acoustic tone.

Practically everything else can be replaced. But that replacement process is long, and expensive.

So, go find a well made CIJ, MIJ, MIM or even MIA strat, so you have the least work to do. The more you pay, the less you should have to spend. I had a CIj strat where I was unhappy with the frets and the body resonance. Cost me a new body and new frets to sort out. I gave up on the guitar and sold it after. I now have only 2 strats (owned 6 at my peak). one is an MIA Vintage Hot Rod, and another is a Partsocaster. Both are outstanding in tone, build, resonance and feel, and I don't have to look for another strat ever again.

 

[huatsup]

Don't oversell the Japanese Fenders. Yes, MIJ and CIJs do have a standard of quality for the price, but they are not the miracle strats everyone makes them out to be. They are very overrated.

An MIM Classic Player will kill the CIJs and MIJ (and evn many MIAs!), no matter what price point. (Go check them out if you haven't already) While MIj and CIj in general are very well made, and have little problems, you cannot say the same about the parts they use in all price spectrums.

All guitars, regardless of price point, will have their good pieces, and bad pieces. Even $6,000 Fender Custom Shop pieces have problems.

I'll have to agree with this sir. I was referring to Standard Strat, which I though was a bit "off" in QC compared to the rest. I would also consider the MIM Deluxe Strat to be a good choice.

 

[MusicPebbles]

Btw i just come across the LSR Roller Nut from fender is this a good choice to replace the nut with? it seems like jeff beck use this and he uses his trem alot.

does our local shops stock them?

 

[relinquish69]

If you use your trem alot, you might consider getting a strat equipped with FR. It is easier to get your hands on a good FR trem as compared to the LSR Roller nut. I might be wrong but only the Fender Jeff Beck signature model has them.

 

[MusicPebbles]

Btw i play rock, Blues, Ballad, Instumental kinda stuff studing Jazz soon so will strat be good? or should i get les paul instead?

 

[csds92]

try them both and get the one u like more than the other one
generally strats are able to play any kind of genre