One axe to rule them all and in the dorkness bind them

[smp]

I'm 30. I want to buy my last guitar.
I want to buy a strat, new, used, vintage, I don't care!
You can skip right to the end if you don't want to read my story...



See, I'm a little sentimental. I want to buy a guitar and that will be my guitar for life. I don't mind spending some money, I mean, it's for life. I'm starting to take playing a lot more seriously than I ever have and something that's been bugging me lately is that my fingers hurt in the morning after playing. The pain isn't muscle stiffness, it actually feels like joint pain .. I'm worried I'll be all arthritic with age .. not that a guitar will change that. I just want one that fits!
Fit is really all I care about. That and a maple board because I just like that esthetic more than rosewood.

My confusion lies in all the different neck and fret sizes and styles. Seems my local music shop only has strats with 9.5 radius modern C Shape necks and medium jumbo frets. Well, that's fine, they feel ok .. but i really want to wrap my hand around a 7.25 with a V .. because I don't know what that feels like!

Thumb over is how I roll. My current strat, a early 90's MIM "waynes world" (the fender, not the squire) has a really thin neck and I think I need something thicker. Also, the guitar doesn't stir my gut the way I want it to and I bought it because it was available and cheap. No idea what the neck profile is so it would be hard for me to compare to others.... ?

So yeah .. how long does it take to figure out what style of neck/frets you like to play?

[Rocket]

So yeah .. how long does it take to figure out what style of neck/frets you like to play?

So far, about 45 years... I'm hoping to figure it out soon!

[just strum]

I'm 30. I want to buy my last guitar.

Boy, I wish I had a guitar for every time I said those words. Wait, I do.

So yeah .. how long does it take to figure out what style of neck/frets you like to play?

You don't, that's why you have many guitars for when the one "just doesn't feel good".

Good luck with your search.

[Spudman***]

You need to do some traveling and stop in to every guitar shop you can to find the "one" that you'll be attached to for life. Anything else is a shot in the dark.

Bon voyage.:

[marnold***]

It is a never-ending quest as Rocket pointed out. I haven't owned many guitars, but I've owned/played enough where I've gotten a decent idea of what I like: maple, satin finish, 24 frets, flat (~16") radius, thin profile. My Squier '51 had the maple and satin, but the 21 frets and vintage fret wire didn't do it for me. My Charvel had 22 frets, maple, and big frets, but the glossy finish did me in.

These are all HIGHLY subjective things. There is no true right or wrong. I know for a fact that very few people on The Fret would agree with my choices, but que sirhan sirhan.

Unfortunately, it's not as easy as saying "I'll try a 7.5" radius fretboard in a store." You really need to own it and use/abuse it for awhile. Then and only then will you know if it works for you or not. I admire your enthusiasm, but trying to find "the ultimate guitar for me" at 30 (or pretty much any age) is difficult at best, impossible at worst.

[sumitomo]

Boy Marnold,you have got that right it is more that it just feelin right at the store,seems after awhile well it's now different.So to avoid any confusion just get one of each,that way you get what you like and they won't wear out as fast.Heck that makes good sense and then you can get a bunch of different amphs and then well your gunna need a bigger house! Sumi

[SharkUSMC]

I recommend you make nice with some local people that would let you try out a few different instruments that might have a more varied feel than what you'll find in a music store. I think you'll be hard pressed settling for that one last guitar though.

[markb]

You need to do some traveling and stop in to every guitar shop you can to find the "one" that you'll be attached to for life. Anything else is a shot in the dark.

Bon voyage.:

I can't but second this plan. The guitar that speaks to you might be a Custom Shop special order or a MIM standard. Fenders vary enormously from sample to sample. More so than from model to model.

[Jimi75]

I'm 30. I want to buy my last guitar.

Sorry, but from this point on the thread started to get unrealistic.

Anyways, from what you tell about your preferences the Jimmie Vaughan Strat should be a real catch for you. It has a V-shaped neck, plus the radius allows to play strings in pretty low action which could release the pressure you have to put on the strings to fret. Relaxed playing! I would exchange the Tex Mex pus against a set of Texas Sepcials. If you want to spend more money, but still have the V-shaped neck, the Eric Johnson signature could be something for you (the one with the maple neck, not the new one with the rosewood neck and the binding!).

[smp]

Thanks all. I guess I posted in haste .. really, it's just that I have this problem .. I keep acquiring guitars! Right now I only have the one electric, but until yesterday (when I sold one) I had three acoustics and one classical.
It's true though, they all warrant my attention depending on my mood.
Dammit, this isn't gonna be easy is it?
I really like the old light blue faded colour too .. that's my ideal, but that's hard to find.
The highway one is on sale here locally, six months no interest as wel.. it's not a V neck but I'll try it out and see how it feels. In the end if i don't like it I can sell it or just get another guitar
The wildwood website has a deluxe strat with soft V neck, maple neck .. it looks pretty nice but I would want to play it before dropping 1600USD plus shipping and duties...

[smp]

also .. one last thing about that "one guitar" thing... I look at the players I admire and they seem to usually play the same axe, like the "number one". I want a number one .. know what I mean?
Our modern culture, there are just too many choices and it can become paralysing.

[Brian Krashpad]

also .. one last thing about that "one guitar" thing... I look at the players I admire and they seem to usually play the same axe, like the "number one". I want a number one .. know what I mean?
Our modern culture, there are just too many choices and it can become paralysing.

Just the opposite.

I find it freeing.

Embrace the madness, play a different guitar every day!

Mwahahahaha!

[pes_laul]

Just the opposite.

I find it freeing.

Embrace the madness, play a different guitar every day!

Mwahahahaha!

hey Brian, what kind of twelve string is that white one?

[Brian Krashpad]

hey Brian, what kind of twelve string is that white one?

That's my most recent (guitar) addition, a Daisy Rock Retro-H. It's the same guitar as the pink 6-string, but with 12 strings and different pickups. The previous owner, whom I've "known" for a long time over at Harmony-Central, yanked the stock mini-HB's in favor of single coil toastertops from a Brownsville guitar. As it so happens, I have a Brownsville with the same toasters and know that they're also great pickups (though very different-- singles with low output versus mini-HB's that are considerably hotter), so I could buy via interwebs with confidence knowing his choice was a good one.

Still looking forward to using it onstage. Will probably have occasion to do so in church before I can with my rock bands. An electric 12 for under 3 bills is a pretty good deal methinks.

[ZMAN]

Going back to the neck profiles. I have owned everything from a 7.25 to a 15 on a Strat style neck. I have owned every profile out there. To give you my favourite would be silly. Because you have different hands than me.
What I will say is the for ease of play I found the 9.5 with the c shape and standard to medium frets the best. The 12 inch radius on the Deluxe Player and the SRVs is pretty flat and is the most I would go. The 7.25 tends to fret out when bending. I like the rolled edges on the MIA Deluxe.
If I were going to recommend a great Strat I would get the MIA Deluxe. The one I have has the locking tuners the S1 switch, SCN pickups strap locks and a beautiful neck. The light blue color might be a problem though.
For some reason Fender equates the 50s colors to a 7.5 radius neck.
The Squier Deluxe currently comes in Daphne blue color and and comes in the 9.5 radius with the rolled edges and medium jumbo frets. The pickups are very Duncan Design, and they are a very nice guitar, that will get you what you want for very little money.
It is up to you. The next step is the most fun. You can try out many many guitars and you will find the one that just feels great. And I agree with you on the maple board. 7 of my 9 strats have maple. Another thing don't be scared off by the SCN pickups. They are excellent and with the S1 you can get almost any tone you want.

[TS808]

Finding the right guitar takes some trial and error, but eventually, you'll find that guitar that "feels" right to you. Not only does that guitar sound good but just feels like it "fits". For me, my fave is my 2003 American Series strat. I tend to prefer the 9.5" radius, and 25.5" scale.

I've played Les Pauls and Ibanez guitars, and they sounded very good, but just weren't comfortable guitars for me to play.

It's all subjective though...it's about what works for all of us individually.,

[VoodoChild]

All Of the Responses you have received are good .......I Have Had over 30 different strats though out my time and About 20 different amp configurations Looking for my # 1 I now have 8 strats and 2 amps that are my # 1 ... Out of what I have now ,only 2 are My best friends I could sell the others and not miss them ( well I would)..out of all the guitars and buying /trying /selling I did One huge circle and 1 I have had the whole time and the other I just got....I spent a lifetime in search of the Ultimate Tone ....The Secret is in your hands !!!!! Practice , practice , practice then when your Done practice more. You Just have to try several If it feels good Then thats your axe !!!

[jazzrat]

Out of the gillion strats I've had including Custom shop I am happiest for dollar spent with the Eric Johnson strat. 12" radius on a nice sized neck makes for great playability.
I have been trying to figure out how to get one of the newer rosewood models
with a bound fretboard.

If I was looking at a lifetime guitar....one that would play and play I'd probably
look at an Anderson with stainless steel frets.

[MAXIFUNK]

SMP,

That one axe I wish.

although I have found that one BASS Ibanez SR 500 until I say my dollars and get the SR prestige neck through and then I'll be good on the BASS front for life.


I have only been playing guitar since DEC of 08 but in that short time here is what I have found.

My Strat with the 9.5 mm radius is my favorite neck by far. its a 60th MIM anniversary neck it plays like butter.

My Strat with 7.25 mm radius is very nice as well but since I have small hands this neck seems to tire out my hands faster than 9.5 mm radius.

My Tele with the 15.75 mm radius is a great fit in my hand but for some reason I tend to make more fretting mistakes on this neck its just to flat for me. I am either going to sale this guitar to get a Peavey HP™ Signature Series EXP or Michael Kelly Patriot Limited or Patriot Premium. As long as the necks are not flatter then 12mm radius. I have to have at least one guitar HH style.

9.5 mm radius neck with rounded edges I.E. Fender American Standard or Deluxe is perfect for me.

After that a 10 to 12 mm with round edges would be my second choice.

As far rosewood or maple one of each would be ideal. both have a different tonal sound which you may want on one song rather than another.


Enjoy the hunt for you #1

I may have found it but I am not sure as of yet so the journey continues for me.