Lets talk about guitars .

[fastfredracing]

I want to buy my kid a real strat. He wants a squire , but I think I am going to save my pennies, and blow him out of the water with a real one .
I got my grades up in 1983, and was a really good boy, and my Dad surprised me with a stratocaster when I was 13. I have played it my whole life, still have it, and still cherish it .
I want to do the same thing for him .
I mean, like real vintage old school usa stratocaster .
Any specific vintage that play better, or more sought after?
. I have a feeling that in a few years, we will have a room full of amps and guitars again .
I just got back in after a 15 year hiatus. It feels like my first hit off the crack pipe again. ( I have never smoked crack) . I forgot how much I loved playing . My hands are all beat up, and I now have a metal plate , but I think I can still get lots of enjoyment out of it .
You tube is awesome . Like the equivalent of $20,000.00 worth of guitar lessons at your fingertips for free, any time of the day .
I know we have some players here .
Feel free to talk about anything guitar related here

[fastfredracing]

here is a cool little write up I read this morning .
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjin7Omq6vkAhVHRa0KHWmeBlAQFjAAegQIARAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.musicradar.com%2Fnews%2Fguit ars%2Fjimi-hendrix-week-i-played-jimis-woodstock-strat-178118&usg=AOvVaw3CwIhU-HEjMLBxALzGEbq9

[flipper35]

If you are looking for a vintage just to have a vintage one that
s great, but to get one to play don't discount the old Made in Japan or Malaysia Squires. They play and sound as good or better than some of the less vintage (AMF) Strats.

[LWJ]

Ok. I have a room full of music junk and a son who plays. Some random thoughts:

I bought a 1962 reissue Japanese grey market strat in 1985. I had a pro set up.
That thing was magic. Of course I sold it and regret it.

Why do I mention this? You can buy Japanese made strats on ebay or similar still. They have a lovely build quality. Strats by design are modular and made to swap out parts if needed. The Japanese strats are worth looking at.

I also have a nicer Mexi strat at home that is nothing to sneeze at. Similar cost to the Japanese one.

Another idea is to build your own? You can buy nice bodies and necks. Custom nitro paint with Reranch. Spec your hardware. That could be a KILLER option. It will cost more. But it would be something to do with the kid. Projects are great.

I would discourage you from US vintage guitars. Higher cost. Many years are awful. Although, if I win the lottery, I did promise my son a Lake Placid Blue 1962/3 strat...

Fred, unfortunately, you have opened an almost unanswerable question. Keep us posted and congrats about your son!

[john walker's workshop]

Hand size/neck size. Strats are too slim for me. Anyone try www.cordify.net ?

[ramonesfreak]

Strat necks come in many different sizes

Just get him an American std strat from the past few years. Very nice and affordable. I also have an American vintage series 1964 telecaster. I like it mostly because it’s lacquered. It chips just looking at it but I like that. Couldn’t play the sticky neck until I sanded it. The newer American std strats are satin finished necks very smooth and fast. The 7.25 radius on the vintage series along with vintage size frets are not to everyone’s liking, even mine. Whether the vintage series strat or tele, I can’t recommend them for a kid. They are finicky and not the easiest to play because of the radius and frets and sticky neck

A killer guitar I just got is the Johnny Marr signature jaguar. I changed the bridge out to a mastery bridge but there’s no real need to do that.

My go to guitars are Gretsches

I think mostly it depends on what the kids likes and budget. I have Gibson’s, ricks, PRS etc.....so many choices

[ramonesfreak]

And as for “I mean, like real vintage old school usa Stratocaster”....not sure what you mean by this. If your talking 1950s or 1960s......uh, have you seen what they go for? Might as well buy him a nice 911sc or better

If your talking 70s or 80s, just buy a new America strat. They are truly excellent instruments

[Cajundaddy]

It depends on budget. Real vintage old school (50s-60s) guitars could easily be $10k in very good condition. A nice piece of history but IMO they play no better than a modern Standard Strat. I would never gig with such a fine piece of history because if it gets dropped (it will) or stolen I would be forever crushed. It's like racing a 1952 Porsche 356 and going off track at 100mph+.

If my kid was getting serious about guitar and I had up to $1k to spend, I would look hard at either a USA Standard from 2000 to the present, or a minty MIJ Strat from the 90s. Both are really high build quality with good hardware, nice PUs, and they just play great. I own a 2000 USA Strat and out of 8 guitars, it is the one that always goes to the gigs. A sure thing.

Don't discount the Mexi Strats either. It is a lotta guitar for $500 and I could take one off the rack, do a minor setup to taste, and gig with it tonight. They are that good, at least the ones I have played.

Make sure he has a quality amp to play through. About 60% of his tone comes from the amp so I recommend spending at least $300 for a decent one. $500 is better still.

[fastfredracing]

Yes, I was thinking more along the lines of 70's -80's stratocasters. I think they quit building them in the USA in the early 80's??
There is a 68 for sale near me in pieces needing restored for $800 right now. We all know how I love a project.
I am not against building one . The pieces and parts you can buy online now are outstanding, and vast .

[Cajundaddy]

Actually, the 70s-80s were a rough spot for CBS Fender USA and some of the worst guitars they ever made were from that era. You can find a good one but for every good one there are maybe five duds. They totally cheaped-out on build quality, hardware, fit and finish, and nearly went out of business halting USA production for 2 years. After employees bought the company from Columbia around 87 quality started to improve and by the mid nineties they were putting out high quality guitars that rivaled their best efforts.

Here is a timeline of Fender production:
https://www.soundunlimited.co.uk/blogs/articles/fender_timeline

[ramonesfreak]

My strat is a 2013 American standard. It’s a wonderful guitar. I like it much Better than the 2005 American standard I had. My strat doesn’t get much play but I would never sell it. I think I paid only $950 new for it. How can you beat that? It’s every bit as nice as my other guitars as far as sound, feel and finish and my other guitars are all $2,500 -$5,000 instruments

Best bargain in the guitar world is still the American Strat. I know they changed the name and upped the price recently. Still, a bargain even at $1,500 or whatever they charging now

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

Hand size/neck size. Strats are too slim for me. Anyone try www.cordify.net ?

Do you still play , after all those years of wrenching John? I hope I can get back some of what I lost .

[Scott Douglas]

Just talking here. I'm not a player, synapses from fingers to brain or vice versa aren't there.
Suppose a beginner were to buy this:

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/74594227

Could you take out half the strings and learn on it?
Will it sound way different with only half the strings strung?

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

Just talking here. I'm not a player, synapses from fingers to brain or vice versa aren't there.
Suppose a beginner were to buy this:

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/74594227

Could you take out half the strings and learn on it?
Will it sound way different with only half the strings strung?

Crazier things have been done but it is a specialty guitar designed to play as a 12 string.
A nice axe if you are a fan of the Byrds but not my 1st choice for a learning tool.

For learning electric guitar there is no shame in buying a nice used Mexi Stra/Tele for $300 and spend a year with it building your vocabulary. They look great, play well, and sound just like their $3000 custom shop cousins.

[fastfredracing]

All great information guys, thank you . Keep it coming . I would not be opposed to grabbing up an american standard . Glad to hear they play so well .
We are both huge Hendrix nuts , this thing looks decent also . https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi3j-P9wqvkAhXp_-MHHZVTBscYABAGGgJ5bQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASEuRovFrAwtjtO18ZsNKIYrMbQg&sig=AOD64_3zFw18JMRSlEeQzf80Dh6gmwF06Q&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjMqLH9wqvkAhVF1qwKHaeYAPoQ9aACCEs&adurl=

[fastfredracing]

Any body have any feedback on Epiphone ? I don't think I ever played one, but remember my buddy not liking his much .
I Really liked the last Ibanez I played.

[Scott Douglas]

Again, just talkin' here.
Is this a good resto project?
I know the paint wouldn't look the same when done, but is it as easy as strip all the hardware off and sand it down and apply paint, then put it back together?

https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/74791182

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

Any body have any feedback on Epiphone ? I don't think I ever played one, but remember my buddy not liking his much .
I Really liked the last Ibanez I played.

Some are very nice, rivaling Gibson front line guitars. I have played recent vintage Sheraton and Casinos and they were pretty sweet. Also their upscale Les Pauls. The low end Epis are pretty rough and I would not spend $100 for one.

Scott, ^^ That Goodwill refinish project above looks pretty butchered. I'd say at least 30 hours of work sanding, prepping, painting, rust removal and who knows what other damage was done during the prior hack job refinish *project*. Not worth $50 to me. A nice unmolested Mexi Strat in VG condition can be bought today in LA for $300 and played tonight.

This is very likely a high quality mid 80s MiJ Strat that has withstood the test of time. $400 looks dirt cheap to me for this build era when MIJ Strats were far nicer than USA Strats. Decent mods look professionally done so this owner was probably a serious player.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/msg/d/lakewood-fender-strat-japan-series/6963556929.html

Here is a workhorse Blackie MiM for $320. I'd drive out and see if I liked her.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/msg/d/north-hills-fender-strat-mim/6963212021.html

All original closet queen MiM with hard case $350. Yep, definitely worth a look.
https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/msg/d/canyon-country-fender-strat-60th/6967211365.html

[Scott Douglas]

Thanks Cajundaddy, appreciate the comments.

[LWJ]

Epiphone. I have a Dot. 335 clone. It's really nice for the $160 I paid at a pawnshop.

Not a strat.