Rockinger strat (Robert you may be interested...)

[elavd]

Hello again! I read on Robert's blog that he is interested in finding a good strat.
Here is my story:

I was looking for a nice-looking strat that could produce the STRAT-SOUND that I have in mind (Gilmour, Knopfler, J. Mayer etc...). At the moment I had a Fender MIM Deluxe Super strat which didn't sound right although I have tried different types of pickups on it (first the Vintage Noiseless and then the CS 69s).

I was feeling miserable because I could get twangy and snappy bass notes as also clear glassy highs...

Finally I discovered a German company called ROCKINGER.

They produce strat and tele copies (they call them "kits") at a very LOW price (490€ ~ 620$).
But the good news was that this strat had the perfect specifications for me:
> 2-piece alder wood, 2 tone sunburst (Fender uses 3-4 pieces)
> rosewood fingerboard (9.5" and medium jumbo frets)
> Alnico 5 pickups
> Kluson Deluxe vintage tuners
> mint green 3-ply pickguard
> CLR 5-way switch
AND
> vintage bridge with STEEL block.

I found that this "little" detail has a major role on the whole tone of the guitar.
Both MIA (standard models) & MIM fenders as also Squiers don't have real STEEL blocks (my MIM had a zinc one).
You cannot imagine how much tone improvement makes a steel block on a strat...

I payed them 27€ for a perfect nut slotting (in order to avoid sting detunings) and I received the guitar in perfect condition!
The fret job was just PERFECT !!!

This guitar looks like a 62 Strat (the neck hasn't a stripe on the back) despite the color that it is 2-tone rather than 3-tone sunburst.

I think that this guitars are better in quality than an average American standard strat and if you think of the price you can feel more happy!

Here are some pictures of my guitar:












Robert, unfortunatelly I don't know how much it would cost you to buy one from Canada (I live in Greece so the shipping costs was only 16€) but I think that you wan't be dissapointed if you buy one.

PS. Sorry for my bad English...

[elavd]

Another 2 photos:





Here is a decal I made (it says "FERDEN StraVocaster... )


Also, these are 2 clips from my band (PETTISH FISH) playing:
Rory Gallagher's "do you read me"

and Doors' "Riders on the storm" where I use this strat /

[Guitar-Chris]

Finally I discovered a German company called ROCKINGER.

Oh, Rockinger is - at least here in Germany - well known for their excellent guitars. For the same price as a "real" Fender you get very good instruments.

And: Yours looks very good, hm, already gasing again....

[elavd]

And: Yours looks very good, hm, already gasing again....

Thanks Chris

If you liked my strat...then take a look at my Rockinger Candy Apple Red Tele too:



More photos here:
http://www.offbit.gr/tele/
http://www.offbit.gr/tele2/

[Guitar-Chris]

If you liked my strat...then take a look at my Rockinger Candy Apple Red Tele too:

Great cream-white binding and great guitar at all. The frets look very big, or is it just the foto?

[elavd]

Great cream-white binding and great guitar at all. The frets look very big, or is it just the foto?

No they are just normal Medium Jumbo frets.
Again the fret job was perfect!!! The frets were probably polished and they shinned a lot

[Guitar-Chris]

No they are just normal Medium Jumbo frets.
Again the fret job was perfect!!! The frets were probably polished and they shinned a lot

Ok. But: No plate on the tremolo spring chamber? Hm, i don't like that....

[Nelskie]

Wow, elavd - the audio mix you have on that video is fantastic! Did you take it right off of the board? Being a huge Rory Gallagher fan myself, I really enjoyed your band's rendition of Do You Read Me. You're getting a fantastic tone with that guitar / amp combo (I can see a Marshall head peeking up behind you??) Overall, impressive performances from the all of the band, but I especially enjoyed hearing this song with a solid keyboard / organ tone behind it. Thanks for sharing it with us. Also - does your band do any other Rory Gallagher numbers?

[elavd]

Ok. But: No plate on the tremolo spring chamber? Hm, i don't like that....

The quys from Rockinger sent me a back plate but I didn't put it on the guitar as I liked the fact that there where no screw holes on the back of the body like the Eric Johnson signature strat

http://elderly.com/fmic/items/FEJS-2SB.htm

Also, some people (including Eric Johnson) believe that the tone of a strat is even better without a back plate.

Personally I cannot hear any difference in tone (I don't have Eric Johnson's ears...) but I left it off for another reason: it is easier for me to change a broken string in a live situation

Wow, elavd - the audio mix you have on that video is fantastic! Did you take it right off of the board?

First of all THANKS for your compliments!!!

The audio "mix" that you hear is the sound of a hand camera! (You can also hear my girlfriend talking too... )

You're getting a fantastic tone with that guitar / amp combo (I can see is a Marshall head peeking up behind you??)

Thanks again I use my Rockinger strat a Marshall BluesBraker II overdrive (on the rythm parts I have the guitar volume knob on 80% and during solo on 100%). Yes on that live I used a Marshall stack (I don't know any details as it was brought from the guys that organized the festival).
I usually use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (which is a perfect amp for my taste!!!) and I think that I can get very similar tone to Rory's

Also - does your band do any other Rory Gallagher numbers?

Unfortunatelly no (at the time...)

[Nelskie]

First of all THANKS for your compliments!!! The audio "mix" that you hear is the sound of a hand camera! (You can also hear my girlfriend talking too... )

Wow. A hand-held video camera. Really - that's quite amazing. If you don't mind, I'd sure like to know what kind of video camera she was using. It really has fantastic sound.

Thanks again I use my Rockinger strat a Marshall BluesBraker II overdrive (on the rythm parts I have the guitar volume knob on 80% and during solo on 100%). Yes on that live I used a Marshall stack (I don't know any details as it was brought from the guys that organized the festival). I usually use a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (which is a perfect amp for my taste!!!) and I think that I can get very similar tone to Rory's

May I suggest that you guys consider doing "Million Miles Away". There's a fantastic live rendition of that song off of Rory's "Irish Tour" album - I believe its circa '74 or thereabouts. Its another keyboard / organ-driven song that I think would lend itself well to your band's style of music. Although the Marshall sounded great on that cut, I'm certain that the HR Deluxe makes that Strat of yours sound even better! Cheers to you, bro'!

[elavd]

Wow. A hand-held video camera. Really - that's quite amazing. If you don't mind, I'd sure like to know what kind of video camera she was using. It really has fantastic sound.

It's a Sony MiniDV but I cannot recall the model. If you are interested in the details, I can ask her and tell you

May I suggest that you guys consider doing "Million Miles Away".

It's UNBELIEVABLE!!! I was just viewing Rory's video of Million Miles Away on YouTube right now!!!
The "Irish tour" version is Perfect and I will suggest it to my band.
THANKS AGAIN!!!

[Nelskie]

It's a Sony MiniDV but I cannot recall the model. If you are interested in the details, I can ask her and tell you

Yes, I would appreciate that - that is, if you wouldn't mind asking.

It's UNBELIEVABLE!!! I was just viewing Rory's video of Million Miles Away on YouTube right now!!! The "Irish tour" version is Perfect and I will suggest it to my band. THANKS AGAIN!!!

Great minds think alike!

[tiefnig]

Me and my friend (plays bass) order our stuff from rockinger or thomann, I really like rockinger though. Are the guitars they "make" really that good? We've only bought smaller parts, like a bridge or pickups.

[elavd]

Are the guitars they "make" really that good? We've only bought smaller parts, like a bridge or pickups.

I have played with many strats and I think that my Rockinger strat although it costs 490€, is worth 1500€ at least...

The quality of the quitars is very HIGH, higher than an overestimated-due-to-its-logo Fender...

What I mean is that I believe that Fenders are overpriced for what they really are (Of course I am NOT talking about the Custom Shop ones!!!)

I don't think that building a BOLT ON guitar is ...rocket science, so I can't understand why the prices are sooo high...

The parts from Rockinger I think that are bought from the same supplier that Allparts get its parts. They are the SAME!

When I ordered my strat, I asked them to send me a lightweight sunburst guitar, that would have a NON-boring wood pattern

This is what I got:


Also, keep in mind that the specs of the Rockinger guitars are exactly like Fender's.
I am saying that because, many guitars look like Fenders, but usually they have some differences (e.g. different headstock).
I think that European guitar builders don't have to pay patend rights to Fender (Warmoth and Allparts pay a lot of money, that's why the prices are very high!!) and so the prices are kept low...

[Guitar-Chris]

The quality of the quitars is very HIGH, higher than an overestimated-due-to-its-logo Fender...

What I mean is that I believe that Fenders are overpriced for what they really are (Of course I am NOT talking about the Custom Shop ones!!!)

I sign this 100%. But to be honest: Personally I like the "Fender" logo a little bit as well

[elavd]

Personally I like the "Fender" logo a little bit as well

I like it VERY Much!!!

When I first bought the Rockinger tele, I created on Corel an exact Fender decal and I put it on:



But later, when I got the strat, although I wanted a Fender logo, I didn't want to put it on because my guitar is NOT Fender and I don't want to advertise Fender while playing another guitar
So I made something different on Corel:

[Guitar-Chris]

But later, when I got the strat, although I wanted a Fender logo, I didn't want to put it on because my guitar is NOT Fender and I don't want to advertise Fender while playing another guitar

Oh i like the rockinger without any decal, too. Looks a bit mystical or like e real custom guitar.....

[SuperSwede]

I dont see the reason why people puts fender decals on their non-fender guitars?

[elavd]

You are absolutely right...

But...on the other hand, although it is illegal, I can understand those people that do it (I am one of those)...

The reason that I did it is the fact that I love the spaghetti logo of Fender and I thought that a Fender type headstock is empty without a logo and UGLY with any other type of logo...