help regarding the different models of fender strats...

[elgintwx]

hello, i am interested in getting a fender strat sometime soon but i am confused by the many different fender strat models sold at guitar shops... just wondering if any of you guys can help clarify and point out the differences... like whats the diff btw a highway 1 and american strat? pros and cons?

thanks man

 

[popeye]

hello, i am interested in getting a fender strat sometime soon but i am confused by the many different fender strat models sold at guitar shops... just wondering if any of you guys can help clarify and point out the differences... like whats the diff btw a highway 1 and american strat? pros and cons?

thanks man

A little more effort of browsing to www.fender.com will answer your questions.
So go ahead.

Pros & cons of different fender strats? Just take Strats as boobs. Basically all boobs are the same, just a couple of extra lump on female chest.

But what makes Pamela Anderson boobs and your neighbourhood girls' boob different? You can tell by looking at it, touch it and feel it (well, in term of strat, you also need to listen to it). American boobs, Japanese boobs, mexican boobs are all feels different, and so are American fenders, Japanese fenders, mexican fender. And I can't tell you which one is betetr than others. Depends on your preference. From there, you can appreciate why certain boobs are more expensive than others.

Oh one more thing... you can never enough with one pair of boobs only, aye? :lol:

 

[Fruitwine]

wow. popeye, thats quite the anology 8O

elgintwx, there are many differences between the models, not just b/w highway 1 and american, there are so many models of fender strats. some are replicas of their respective era, or upgraded and improved versions of older ones, or something. it would be easier if u viewed the fender website as popeye said, and ask abt specific features of the strats u are interested in.

for highway 1 and american, if im not wrong, the highway 1's parts arent manufactured in the US, but shipped there from elsewhere, but assembled in US. the american guitars' parts are manufactured and assembled all in US.

p.s. if there are discrepancies up there, someone please correct me.

 

[thor666]

to generalise,

mexican strats tend to sport more traditional specs (21 frets, vintage saddles).

american strats tend to have more modern specs (21 or 22 frets, vintage or modern saddles).

japan strats do have a combination and a plethora of models. i don't remember any having modern saddles though.

korean strats? - i don't know.

in each category, there's too much differences in specifications alone, so no one can effectively answer your question well. you have to do your own research. i suggest you work with an excel file and copy all specifications of the models you're interested and do elimination from there, then go try out the actual things at the shops to see if you like them.

 

[elgintwx]

oh ok, how about differences in quality? like quality differences between mexican, jap and american strats? are the price differences indicative of the differences in quality between them? especially tone wise

 

[Fruitwine]

er, i think, personally, that the japan strats very well made, maybe even better than the US ones. thats just a personal opinion, of course. tone wise, i think u shouldnt really be bothering abt the price tag and the make, but more of the wood type, pickups that come with it, etc.

for example, for american strats, they're usually made of swamp ash(for those grain-showing finishes) or alder. mexicans im not too sure, but usually alder. then u have jap strats which sometimes use basswood. also, poplar is sometimes used as a body wood as well.

so i think its more of a personal preference, where u pick the model, regardless of country of origin, which has the specifications that u are looking for.

p.s. again, correct me if im wrong.

 

[thor666]

it's VERY hard, but I'll say it again.

the quality of a guitar is not equivalent to the quality of a model. hence it's not equivalent to the price of the guitar.

it would be easy to say model A is better than model B. but guitar A may be more inferior than guitar B at the guitar shop.

certain things are easier to compare. for example, there is a general consensous on which Ibanez trem is better and worse. These things are mechanical, and tend not to be widely varied.

The wood used on the other hand, dead spots and other stuff on a guitar can on the other hand, be widely varied at times. certain things can be corrected - a guitar can be set up well and parts replaced - but the neck and the body can't (i take it u'd be building a new guitar if u were to replace the neck and body for tonal reasons.)

in short, price may not always be correlated to quality, especially when it comes to tone.

 

[amberbrew]

depends on what you like

 

[turtlemuscle]

my opinion is to go for the Japanese strats. they are really worth the value. i think the important thing is also to see what your budget is like. you may also wish to consider 2nd hand guitars.

 

[tany]

depends on what u like! i liked the h1 for it's sound and it's construction. but if u were to ask me if i were getting another strat, i would definitely look at MIM and MIJ ones too. wat's important is how u like it

 

[ronaldleft]

Basic difference is that the Highway 1 has a 3-4 piece alder body, and is finished in a dull Satin lacquer which would come off real fast esp if you sweat while playing. Pickups are also different.
American std usually has a 3 piece alder/ash body, with glossy polyurethane lacquer finish.
Go here for details:
http://www.fender.co.uk/news/WhatistheDifferenceBetweentheHighway1SeriesandtheAmericanSeries.asp

 

[thor666]

thank you ronaldleft!

if you guys don't mind i'll sticky this.

 

[ronaldleft]

ur welcome dude

 

[ronaldleft]

In fact, this is a great source for pple that want to read more abt the different Fender models.
http://www.fender.co.uk/fenderfiles/default.asp