fender..what to buy?

slick123 · 01-05-2011 11:38PM #1

hi all
looking out for a nice secondhand fender , old jap or american models. ive had mexicans and never taken to them. what can i get for about 750?
ive been looking at a few 60th anniversary usa standard tele and strat? any views?
ive also been offered an 91/92 jap tele.
whats the best option/value for money. im not saying i wouldnt rule out a jazzmaster or jag either
cheers:D

Ravelleman · 02-05-2011 12:34AM

Strats and Teles are quite different, obviously. You should know which you want before you take the plunge.

With that kind of money I'd get a USA G&L - either an ASAT, a Legacy or an S-500, depending on whether you want a Tele, vintage sounding Strat or a modern sounding Strat. Contrary to popular belief, they can be had for under €900 if you buy from the States. European prices make me laugh.

Here's my 2010/11 Legacy:

Alanstrainor · 02-05-2011 12:35AM

Ravelleman wrote: »

Strats and Teles are quite different, obviously. You should know which you want before you take the plunge.

With that kind of money I'd get a USA G&L - either an ASAT, a Legacy or an S-500, depending on whether you want a Tele, vintage sounding Strat or a modern sounding Strat. Contrary to popular belief, they can be had for under €900 if you buy from the States. European prices make me laugh.

Here's my 2010/11 Legacy:

I forgot that you had that...i was just thinking yesterday that i haven't had GAS in far too long a time...damn you! DAMN YOU!

lalee17 · 02-05-2011 02:17AM

You could get a good deal for a Fender on adverts.ie

slick123 · 02-05-2011 11:24AM

cheers for the reply lads. the g&l look like nice guitars but ive never tried one!!
i've got gas for a fender the last while, was going to buy one of those 60's les paul tributes but i am now going to go for a fender as ive already got an es-137.
there is currently a few fenders on adverts im looking at but have yet to really make my mind up on a strat or tele yet.

kevin65 · 02-05-2011 04:35PM

I have a japanese strat, bought it new about 15 years ago. They are a very nice guitar (but I much prefer my SG) and play well. But the hardware, such as the switches wouldn't be the highest standard. But if you're handy with a soldering iron, you can replace items like the selector switch easy.

Ravelleman · 02-05-2011 04:56PM

You should also decide if you want something vintage-style or something more modern. That will obviously make a big difference.

A lot of Fender Japan's offerings are loosely based on vintage-style American Fenders but the link, to me at least, seems rather tenuous. The similarities between the '57 RI models made by Fender Japan and Fender USA more or less end with the maple fretboard, alder body and single-coil pickups.

Try doing some searches on Harmony Central or the like, if you're interested. Some of the guys over there have explained it quite well.

People rave about MIJ Fenders but, to be honest, the ones I've tried have left me pretty cold.

Johnny Storm · 02-05-2011 05:47PM

MIJ Fenders are really well made, quite a bit better than MIM afaik.
The problem with them is that they pretty much all have those vintage frets which don't suit everyone.

-Chris- · 02-05-2011 06:59PM

I'd say you need to play a Tele and Strat (and Jazzmaster/Jag/whatever) so you can decide what sound you like and which feels more comfortable.

Then when you've narrowed it down to one, decide on what kind of looks you like - vintage, modern, beaten up, pristine, colour etc.

Once you have that, look at the available guitars in your price range.

That's just my €0.02, but there are significant enough differences between a Strat and a Tele that may make you like one over the other. Also, there are so many Fender and Fender-alike options available, both new and second hand, that you'll tie yourself in knots with choice unless you can narrow it down a bit more.

TotallyEpic · 04-05-2011 03:17AM

I have a MIM Strat, and while it's not AS good as the MIA Strats I've played, it's still a freaking awesome guitar. The only thing I'd fault it for is the jack and controls aren't the best.

I haven't had the chance to play a MIJ Strat.

Malice · 04-05-2011 01:43PM

I've got an American Series Strat that I bought new in 2000. The day I bought it I did pretty much as -Chris- posted above, played new and second hand/beat up Telecasters, Jaguars and Strats. I kind of did things in reverse though as I spotted the guitar I bought first and had more or less decided that was the one for me but I had a couple of hours to kill before my plane journey home (this was in the USA pre Sept 11th 2001).

Squidgy Black · 04-05-2011 01:51PM

I had a MIM strat, was not a fan of it really.

Strats, tele's and jazz/jagmasters are all totally different beasts, you're better off trying each kind out and decide which feels best.

G&L's are amazing guitars, I'm pretty sure Dublin Guitar Centre on Exchequer street have some in stock to try them out.

Ravelleman · 04-05-2011 03:54PM

stetyrrell wrote: »

G&L's are amazing guitars, I'm pretty sure Dublin Guitar Centre on Exchequer street have some in stock to try them out.

They had some Tributes and a blonde USA ASAT Classic last time I went there. The price of the ASAT was an absolute lol though! :pac: I think they've lowered it quite significantly since, but it still seemed much too high to me.

Malice · 04-05-2011 04:26PM

What is the pricing of G&L guitars like in Dublin out of curiosity? I saw a few in Cork last year but they seemed very expensive (as in €1,000+).

Ravelleman · 04-05-2011 07:28PM

Since the guys from DGC are members here I'll do them the service of allowing them to respond to that if they want. I don't really want to be too critical since they seem like nice guys and obviously have to try to make some money in a hostile market.

Depending on what you're buying, I'd say that a G&L with modest features - usually without body or fretboard binding, or figured maple for the neck, but frequently with the gun oil tint on the neck - would run at in and around €1000 if you order from the States and are sensible about who you buy it from and ship it with. Some can be a lot less, as I was so happy to discover.

Obviously a lot of the American stores have much larger turnovers so they have the advantages of economies of scale and so forth...

If you buy second hand, prices drop massively. Ireland seems to be about the only place in the world where you can sell a G&L for what you paid for it (and frequently for more). Most people run on the idea that they're uncommon in Ireland, but for me that doesn't actually change the inherent value of the item. G&Ls are cheap. Simple as.

Funny how they're not more popular though. You get the Fender name and the features of a standard G&L, when compared to a standard America Fender, seem a lot better to me.

The colours are much more interesting as well. And. as we know, that's the most important factor of all!

slick123 · 04-05-2011 08:50PM

cheers for all the responses lads. i will keep trying tele's and strats out till i find the right one. i just bought a 60's tribute les paul in waltons . had a honeyburst on hold just to try out in the chance i might like it as ive heard mixed reviews.. well let me tell you it is some guitar!! a gibson for 699euro. ive also got an es137 and it easily matches it for quality and the neck is just unbelievable for playing.. that means the tele/strat is on gold for a while!!

Johnny Storm · 05-05-2011 06:26PM

Nice!

I hope you are fully aware of our rule: no pics = no guitar

Ravelleman · 05-05-2011 10:17PM

It's a fair rule, alright. No man is above it.

Malice · 05-05-2011 10:47PM

Ravelleman wrote: »

Since the guys from DGC are members here I'll do them the service of allowing them to respond to that if they want.

Who or what is DGC?

Ravelleman · 06-05-2011 12:02AM

Dublin Guitar Centre

Malice · 06-05-2011 08:52PM

Ravelleman wrote: »

Dublin Guitar Centre

So when you say they are members here are they posting on behalf of the shop or at least in some sort of commercial capacity?

Ravelleman · 06-05-2011 09:05PM

I thought we all knew this, I mean its not a secret. There was a big thread about this about 2 months ago, where it was all discussed. They never try to sell anything here, they just explain the various challenges of running a guitar shop and their own experiences from the indsutry. They seem like swell guys.

Dublin Guitar · 07-05-2011 01:27PM

Thanks Ravelleman, appreciate it.

Malice - We emailed when we joined to say that we would be posting on behalf of Dublin Guitar Centre. There are other stores on here that post, I have always assumed that once it was transparent there was no issue with posting here, please correct me if I am wrong.

Malice · 08-05-2011 10:02AM

Dublin Guitar wrote: »

Malice - We emailed when we joined to say that we would be posting on behalf of Dublin Guitar Centre. There are other stores on here that post, I have always assumed that once it was transparent there was no issue with posting here, please correct me if I am wrong.

There's no issue from me anyway and if you've contacted the site admins and they're happy then everything is grand

.

MetalDog · 08-05-2011 05:58PM

May I just say that the G&L models in DGC are lovely and if I had any cash (which I don't have) I would be torn between buying a G&L or a Fret - King

Dublin Hibby · 10-05-2011 11:01AM

Recently bought an unblemished lite ash korean strat, seymour duncans on it, on this site for a good price. Took it to a luthier for a set up and he tried to buy it off me. Really good bang for buck axe.

fender..what to buy?

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