Custom shop Strat

bluze81 · Post by **bluze81** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:39 pm

I am trying out a 2005 56 Custom shop strat, light relic model, Just wanted to know if any of you own one of these? this one is seafoam green, very lightweight, its never really been played,it sounds good and has a nice soft v shape neck, I had bought a blonde one same model about 5 years ago and it was a doggg! got rid of it quick,so just wanted a little feedback, thanks

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:06 am

I have played some of these, and consider them of good to great type stuff. However, I dislike swamp ash models ( the blonde and sunburst color's on these models ) because for me, the ash is a bit too bright for single coils, especially the bridge one. The sea foam green one though, is probably alder, so it is probably a very nice sounding guitar.

bluze81 · Post by **bluze81** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:23 am

Hi Toneslinger this strat sounds great, I dont beleive its body is made of ash looking in the routes,if I keep it the bridge pickup will get wired thru the bottom tone control, I cant stand that instant brightness when switch to the bridge position! thanks bluze

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:29 am

I love those soft v to hard c necks on the '56 model. My favorite neck profile, although it cant be too thick,which some are. The beauty is, is that with a file and some sand paper, you can make almost any neck meet your exact specs.

worldoftone · Post by **worldoftone** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:21 pm

Last night I A/Bed my '58 against a new '57 CS Inca Blue "Dave's Guitar Shop" Limited Edition Strat. While the CS guitar was decent at lower levels, with the volume cranked up, the weaknesses of that guitar started to become very apparent. Pickups didn't have anywhere near the clarity or spank that the my original did. The CS also sounded kinda thin and compressed as well, whereas the '58 was more open and dynamic.

Just my thoughts. I have a Custom Shop '60 Relic that is pretty darn good. But, I played something like 40-50 of them to find one that I liked.

- WOT

bluze81 · Post by **bluze81** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:22 am

worldoftone wrote:Last night I A/Bed my '58 against a new '57 CS Inca Blue "Dave's Guitar Shop" Limited Edition Strat. While the CS guitar was decent at lower levels, with the volume cranked up, the weaknesses of that guitar started to become very apparent. Pickups didn't have anywhere near the clarity or spank that the my original did. The CS also sounded kinda thin and compressed as well, whereas the '58 was more open and dynamic.

Just my thoughts. I have a Custom Shop '60 Relic that is pretty darn good. But, I played something like 40-50 of them to find one that I liked.

- WOT

Wow 40 to 50 to pick one! I agree as far as the CS srats to orig,s I have owened 2ea 57 orig, and a few 59s maple and rosewood boards, the custom shop stuff is great but just cant compete with the early guitars, possibly the CS guitars will be great in years to come after they age in real time, I played my 56 relic tonight at a gig and it really did well,cut thru so good,a real nice woody tone with lots of definition, so I am pleased.

M. Hendrix · Post by **M. Hendrix** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:29 pm

Had a '56 Mary Kay relic about 6 months ago that was as good as any original guitar I have ever seen. Finely built, right neck, great weight.

They all need pickups. I hate Fender pickups. Seymour has my back!

I prefer the Japanese reissues to all ofther Fenders of the last 30 years, until the most recent relics.

Anyone tried the new Gibson stuff? The Les Pauls are finally right. Make you leave the old stuff home.

M

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:21 am

WOT knows his Strats that's for sure.
Love Strats the best,....the only guitar for me, my first and last

yngwie308

cole · Post by **cole** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 3:21 pm

Fender QC is in the shitter. When you see a review of a custom shop strat and there are bad electronics, poorly cut nut slots, neck pocket gaps, and so forth I really am weary about what fender is doing these days.

I have a Fender Deluxe Ash strat and I really don't give it high marks at all. I'm looking for that 1 in 50 that is built as one would expect - great neck pocket fit, no blems, beautiful action and setup and with pickups that actually sound good.

I hate the SCN's that come with the Deluxes.

I want me a decent Fender but they are hard to find.

I'm sure that most of you know what I'm trying to say here.

Cole

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 4:53 pm

Fullerton Vintage Reissues rule, had mine since 1983 as is a real Fender to me, and didn't cost $3K either.
yngwie308

cole · Post by **cole** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:14 pm

Dave, I'd take your word on that (as I did on the Corsa PG Les Pauls). I'll have to check that out.

Love my LCPG 127.

Tone Slinger · Post by **Tone Slinger** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:51 am

Fender wishes that they could sonically 'replicate' a great sounding strat 100 % consistantly. But it is a science that is impossible to do. The Fender Custom Shop guy's say they 'tone tap' the body blanks,thus ensuring a great sounding instrument. Tree wood is impossible to grade for tone. You have to have the body painted and assembled, and then, plugged in, to know how it is gonna sound. To alot of player's, 80-90 % similarity in tone is good enough to make them believe that a guitar is 'exactly' the same in sound to another,but most of us guy's here on the forums know better than that. A SMALL tone difference is BIG,when you get right down to how DEEP and SOULFUL music can be

.

I feel that,for a strat, that the bridge is of equal importance in tone as the body is (preferably Alder). The alloy used in the blocks changed at some point (not sure when). Other things contribute as well, like neck construction (thickness,rod design,etc), and the pu's.

Bottom line is that getting the variables in agreeance, is hard to do.

yngwie308 · Post by **yngwie308** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:29 am

http://www.joetheguitarman.com/usa_fend ... eissue.htm
Again I must say, I have played many vintage Strats and my Fullerton ordered '57 Reissue Blackie, stands among the best I have ever played, including the mega buck CS Blackie, which I A/B's with my Blackie at GC.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/msg/622696287.html
http://www.blueguitarmusic.com/images/I ... /RI57a.jpg
http://www.strat-central.com/cbs80s.htm
http://www.strat-central.com/pics/strat ... 4/57ri.jpg

yngwie308

Roadrunner · Post by **Roadrunner** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:46 am

I've had bunch of '56 CS Strats, for the most part they're excellent guitars. I've also owned a boatload of the real deal guitars from back in the day. Out of the 25 or so CS maple necks, I'd say a couple of 'em came real close to the sound of an old '58 favorite of mine.

Look for one that's lightweight if you're going with an alder body... alder seems to really work well, resonance wise, when it's light; ash is sort of the opposite... my old B'caster and Nocaster guitars are boat anchors and they sound insane. The light weight ash guitars can be a little one dimentional and "boing(y)" sounding... good country sounds though.

Yngve · Post by **Yngve** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:06 am

My favourite was a 65 custom relic in Lake Placid Blue. Had good resonance, that what l look into a Strat if it resonates acoustically.