Guitar Advice Please

[cwight]

I got the urge to buy another guitar. I'm thinking of a Fender '60s Classic Player...anyone tried one? They look to have great spec, and are a great price here at the moment (about 350 pounds). I tried one out today but it was set up crap so it was hard to tell. The trem seemed nice though.....Or should I get something completely different like an Ibanez? Decisions, decisions....it's worse than voting in the rumble.....

[trikloretylen]

you cant have to many guitars!
what sound are you after colin?

[JouniL]

Hey Colin! Obviously you need a Fender jazzmaster! Soapbox tone is a killer! Why not try out the Elvis Costello "Detective" guitar?

[cwight]

Yeah Jazzmaster...hadn't thought of thought; thanks for complicating things even further Jouni.... As for tone trik, I still want that single coil thing but I have that covered with my other strat...However, the trem on that is driving me nuts....I can't look at it...Also the 69 pups on 60 Classic player are really sweet sounding... I suppose I'm thinking about the Ibanez as I've always had fender....and if I get the Ibanez will I be able to shred (or do I still have to practice?) They are also very cheap compared to the Fender's, and play much easier, god the necks are flat as a pancake. The 60s player has a 12 inch radius, quite flat for a Fender really.....I think I'm just gonna try loads....I think I'm basically a Fender guy and you can't have too many strats.....or teles, or jazzmasters.....sigh....

[atalwar]

if you are keen on ibanez have a look at S-series too. they should have some with Single coil pups too.

s-series have a thin mahogany body and ZR tremolo and wizard 2 necks, one of the best in Floating tremolos i have come across and exceptionally stable in tuning. Mine stays in tune for months even better than some of my hard tails.

With ibanez build of Indonesia ones is not as good as korea(which i have) which are again not as good as japan (but i doubt any s-series were ever done in japan). and do stay totally away from china ones.



Strangely i am seeing almost doubled US prices on this item now.

[JouniL]

Hm, I just read about a Fender '64 Signature David Gilmour. Short vibrato arm and all black with white custom mad epups ... droool

[atalwar]

Hm, I just read about a Fender '64 Signature David Gilmour. Short vibrato arm and all black with white custom mad epups ... droool

That's My Retirement Plan!

[Charvelguy]

Are you looking at Musicians friend? Those 60's classic players do look like a decent buy, I've thought of jumping on one. Depends on what you want from a guitar though, so you should start figuring; hardtail, or vibrato, what kind of vibrato, scale, materials/woods (maple, ash) pickup config, hum, single coils, neck shape, budget, etc,...breaking down those things that appeal to you the most.

[blue4u]

I would avoid it (the Classic Players Strat)! I bought that guitar because of how GREAT those 69 pups sound and they are indeed some of the best Strat tone pups I've EVER heard! However...I had to return the guitar because when I took it in for a fret dress and setup (frets were quite sharp and uneven) the guy told me the neck could not even be adjusted it was in such bad shape. Imagine that! I was bummed! Looks like a crap guitar with AMAZING pickups!!!

So....where can we find those '69 pickups?

Right here baby: Fender Custom Shop '69 pickups - Abigail Ybarra

Now you guys get to help ME decide which guitar to put them in

I'm thinkin' RIGHT HERE is a good place to start

[GuitarSlinger]

I researched these, 50's classic players strat, quite a bit and backed out on a trade for one after reading about the setup issues and useless trem.

Not sure your price range but maybe check out an MM like a Silhouette Special or Albert Lee for single coil models, hard tails are cool too. The MM vintage trem is just magnificent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-0e4M1DPI8

[Charvelguy]

I've had good luck with my mexi Hendrix strat, I use that a great deal lately...on Rich's "Dream Awakening" and Lenny's "Wait for Me", I totally dig on it stock, which for a strat from Fender is rather not me.

[redbaron]

...I can't really believe that you're asking a question like this after 25 years of playing the guitar, Colin

I'm quite sure that you know VERY well the sound you're looking for and which guitars are most likely to deliver it. So I won't even start discussing the merits of a PRS versus the Yamaha etc. pp. - you know all this already. However, if I was you, a Strat player looking for another but not too different sound, and a fixed bridge, I'd go with Jouni's advice and try a guitar with soapbar PUs. There's a very affordable PRS SE with soapbars! And Epiphones, too. The Jazzmaster or Fender Jaguar might be worth checking out as well.

But why you're even considering some sort of a Metal axe like an Ibanez escapes me.

[loadstar]

But why you're even considering some sort of a Metal axe like an Ibanez escapes me.

Exactly...if you want a metal-axe, get a Jackson
(cue verbal abuse about Jacksons...)

[meesh]

If you never played a G&L then I HIGHLY recommend you try one of their Legacy guitars (basically a true version of a classic Strat)...not sure what there prices are these days or if it's in the range you're looking at though.

Good luck Colin..can't wait to hear what you get!

[cwight]

'But why you're even considering some sort of a Metal axe like an Ibanez escapes me.'

cos I'm a guitar player that's why, and we are all slightly mad. having had nothing but Fenders, there's always the little thing on the shoulder saying....'shouldn't you try something different at some point in time'.....to which of course, my natural inclination is...'yes BUT'......Whenever I play Ibanez in the shops I'm always surprised at how nicely they play; those necks must have no radius at all, when just about every strat feels like a slight struggle....but it's a struggle I enjoy (which is of course mad). I was really asking for feedback on the 60s Player Classic because they have quite a flat neck for a strat (12 inch radius). Anyway, the Ibanez thing was probably a throwaway....but then again, I already have 2 strats, why not get something completely different? I can see the logic here, but I'd put money on me buying another Fender (or something like it).....

The bigger question, for my wife, is why I need another guitar at all, and most of all one that to her eyes is identical to the others I have? How do you explain that to a non-guitar player? The answer to that is that as much as I like my current guitars, there must be something more perfect out there. A friend of mine has advised me to buy parts and construct one. Sound idea 'Colin Custom House Special'. But then what if I hate it when I play it?.

But you're dead right of course Christoph, I do know what sound I want, and I suppose what you are saying is that no matter how nice the Ibanez might play, they won't deliver 'that' sound, so I shouldn't even be looking....

I should say I spent hours playing loads of Epi LPs and couldn't find one I got on with...most of them had frets that would slice bits out of your hand if you moved up and down the fretboard (although i know some on here love them).

But thanks for the advice guys....Guitar players and guitars. Women and shoes...Same thing....