Picked up my new 50'sClassic Vibe strat today

[Duff]

I was really impressed with the CV Strat 50's and I put a down payment on it based on its sound, feel, tone and look.

Picked it up today after having the five way switch modified to have the tone knob assigned to the bridge pup. I talked to Spudman about the guitar and the bridge tone knob mod and decided that the mod was a great idea.
Thanks Spud! It sounds so versitile.

The guitar sounds even better at home thru my Fender Super Champ XD on voice 2, Tweed Bassman.

I can't express how glad I am I took my Epi LP Junior back to GC and saved up to get this CV at a local shop I like to support. They beat MF's price out the door. I saw it, played it and put a down payment on it. Now it's home.

The neck is the nicest of any guitar I own. The wood grain is nice and straight and it has a character that is stunning, even on the headstock. The wood grain pattern is super nice with lots of tiny rectangular blockinesses all over it filling in the straight grain lines. There is zero buzz and very low action that I like. This guitar will get played a lot, guaranteed.

The sound of the guitar is superior to most of my guitars, based upon my initial impression and no comparisons. It is bright or smooth and bassy and has great tone and playability all over the fretboard. If you are wondering, still, about this guitar, it is truly a gem. I think mine might be the 22nd made based on the serial number but I'm not sure how to exactly read the new style serial numbers. Also the way the headstock transitions into the fretted part of the neck is different from any of my other strats, nice and smooth and visually cool looking. Nice big frets as well.

I love the two tone sunburst body and the extra coffee colored pup covers and plastic trim.

Inside the pickups look like high quality items with Fender written clearly on them, a calibrated set of three Alnico III's.

The pots, however are the tiny'est I've seen yet but the tech said that they are what they are and not to mess with them until I have a reason. The solid white pickguard is extra thick, not flimsy or likely to crack or warp as in thinne single ply pickguards. The tremolo block does not look like typical zinc. It looks like steel to me.

It plays, feels, and sounds so good it is the type of guitar that you don't want to unplug. I'm sure I will play myself to sleep several times tonight. I've been playing bass and guitar on my bed at night lately. Play the bass for a while and it seems really easy to play a guitar. This might be a practice method that could help someone make their guitar sound much more manageable. The guitar feels small and easy to master after jamming with the bass for a while.

Also, playing myself to sleep has helped me play better in another way; or should I say helped me pick up a very useful playing ability: I play with the lights out a lot and have gotten to know the sound of chords very well and the sound of the right notes and positions and power chords. When I get messed up I illuminate the area with my computer monitor and get back on track. This method has produced excellent results very quickly in terms of not having to look at the fretboard while transitioning amoung chords, notes, and positions. Plus the psychological depth of the sound goes really deep in the dark, if you know what I mean. Playing in the dark allows me to really immerse my soul in the sound like swimming in water or something. It is the only thing present and is thick and clearly perceptible without visual distraction , just sound vibes without the visual accompaniment. It's cool and I know a lot of you guys and gals play in the dark.

Anyway, this guitar is really a nice example of the Classic Vibe '50s strat. I feel really lucky to be able to own one. I'm getting so that most of my guitars in my assemblage are really nice intruments, irregardless of price paid. And they all sound different.

I'm sure I will be posting more positive remarks as I "learn" the guitar progressively more; especially with this new wiring set up for me. Never had the bridge and neck pups wired to the tone knobs. Makes a lot of sense and I like it.

Hope this amateurish feedback helps someone understand the CV '50s Strat a little better.

This is one outstanding guitar and is probably able to claim a much higher price, considering the big picture this guitar paints.

How is this picture until I get one of the Classic Vibe? The white Deluxe w duncan designed pups; and the "Cherry Burst" Standard with stock really nice sounding pups but the CV sounds different in a very pleasant way and sounds great all over the fretboard. Then the "Black Pearl".





The mother pure bred Black Labrador:





Duffy
Winfield, Pa.

One lucky dude.

PS, If anyone can tell me how to tell by the serial number which number my guitar was produced in the sequence from when they started making them I would appreciate it. The serial number is: CGS080100022. Quality control checked it out on 3/15/08. PO # S NAMM 08. If any of this makes any sense to some of you experts it would be interesting to know what it all means. Maybe it is the one hundred thousand and twenty second one made, not the twenty second.

Those considering this guitar might be quite impressed by playing a good example of one.