The Squier Strat I recently bought on eBay arrived yesterday, and so far, I'm very favorably impressed. The quality, condition and playability of the guitar all exceeded my expectations.
First, here are some pics, split up among two posts:
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DVM's Ever-Expanding Gear List:
Guitars - W-A-A-A-Y-Y too many to list. Check 'em all out HERE
Amps & Cabs - "Kap'n Kerrang-aroo" BYOC 18W TMB kit amp head; Mojave Coyote head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed Ltd. Ed.; Allen Sweet Spot kit amp; BYOC Tweed Royal kit amp; Epiphone Valve Jr. combo + mods; Drive 2x12 cab / Celestion G12M Greenback + G12H30; AB Custom Audio 1x12 cab / Celestion Alnico Blue
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DVM, that guitar is sweeter looking than when you posted it the other day - I just love that color.
Mark
* Loud is good, good is better!
Man that is a nice looking nut
Sweet acquisition DVM, yes the color is awesome
M29
Now for first impressions:
For an 11 year-old guitar, it's in remarkably good condition, and obviously wasn't played much. It's a dark wine-red finish, slightly transparent, so you can see wood grain if you look closely under good light. There's not a significant nick in the finish anywhere; the only marks at all that I can find are some light "pick rash", and a few minute surface scratches and a couple of tiny dents on the back. There is virtually no detectable fret wear, no rusting, and all parts are present and in good shape. It is missing one thing--the trem bar, but I can get one of those for a couple of bucks.
Quality-wise, it's great. It's definitely a "real" wood body, and not plywood. Alder? Agathis? I dunno--you tell me! The neck is straight and true, and the action is low, fast and free of any buzzing. And there's not a hint of the dreaded "fret sprout"! The tuners seem to work fine and hold tune nicely, though I really have to play it hard for a while to determine that. I haven't checked with a digital tuner yet, but the intonation sounds right on the money. I cleaned it up thoroughly last night (though it really didn't need much!) and put on a fresh set of D'Addario 10's. I also had a spare tusq nut and set of graphite string trees, so I installed them while I was at it. Plays like a dream!
The pots all work fine, but there's a small amount of scratchiness in the 5-way switch between positions, which some contact cleaner will probably clear up. The pickups were perhaps the biggest surprise. They may not compete with a set of Abby Ibarra's handwound CS '69's, but they have a very typical vintage Strat tone and aren't dull sounding at all, which is what I feared. Good treble definition and clarity, and the neck p'up has that round, bell-like quality I love. So while I may decide to upgrade down the road, these are more than adequate for the short-term. These p'ups can be enjoyed, not merely tolerated!
So that's where I am with the guitar so far. To say I'm pleased with my $86 guitar ($123, if you add in the shipping) would be a fairly collosal understatement. Maybe I can get a clip posted in the next day or two. But I may be too busy just enjoying playing this sucker to bother setting up the mic and recording stuff.... :
DVM's Ever-Expanding Gear List:
Guitars - W-A-A-A-Y-Y too many to list. Check 'em all out HERE
Amps & Cabs - "Kap'n Kerrang-aroo" BYOC 18W TMB kit amp head; Mojave Coyote head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed Ltd. Ed.; Allen Sweet Spot kit amp; BYOC Tweed Royal kit amp; Epiphone Valve Jr. combo + mods; Drive 2x12 cab / Celestion G12M Greenback + G12H30; AB Custom Audio 1x12 cab / Celestion Alnico Blue
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Just who is the thief on this forum?Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
I didn't know it was 11 years old - that makes it even more impressive in the looks department.
Mark
* Loud is good, good is better!
That's a beaut for sure Vood! Nice score!
I pick a moon dog.
Wow. What a deal!!!! That is a beauty of a Strat, DVM. Congrats!
Now, plug that sucker into a ZYS and the Firefly and post a clip!
Guitars:
Fender 2006 MIM Fender Stratocaster HSS in 3TS
Ibanez RG 570 with a bridge Invader
ESP M II Deluxe with a Tune-o-Matic bridge
Eleanor, the magical, mystical Road Worn wonder Tele
Blackstar HT Club 40
Yep, made in '97. I even checked the date in the neck pocket to confirm the serial number. Sure doesn't appear to have been used much in that time, though....Originally Posted by just strum
DVM's Ever-Expanding Gear List:
Guitars - W-A-A-A-Y-Y too many to list. Check 'em all out HERE
Amps & Cabs - "Kap'n Kerrang-aroo" BYOC 18W TMB kit amp head; Mojave Coyote head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed Ltd. Ed.; Allen Sweet Spot kit amp; BYOC Tweed Royal kit amp; Epiphone Valve Jr. combo + mods; Drive 2x12 cab / Celestion G12M Greenback + G12H30; AB Custom Audio 1x12 cab / Celestion Alnico Blue
Pedals/Effects - ZILLIONS, including DVM's Home-built Pedals - See some HERE and HERE, TOO!
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Hmm .. let me guess the string gauge ..11-50? (I try! lol) nice guitar man,those are my kind of tuners ..hope you enjoy playing her!
Rip Dimebag Darrell,Stevie Ray Vaughan,and Randy Rhoads.
now that has to happen.....congrats on a great deal!Originally Posted by Katastrophe
ww
Guitars: Gibson 1998 Les Paul Special : Peavey Predator (Early 90's Fat Strat Copy) : Ibanez GAX30TROriginally Posted by just strum
Brownsville Reso - 101 Electric Reso : Fender GDO-300 Maple Quilt Top Acoustic
Amps: Fender Super Champ XD
Effects: Digitech RP250 Modeling Guitar Processor : DVM "Phased and Confused" Script Phaser Clone : Digitech Bad Monkey
Danelectro Cool Cat Chorus : Behringer Distortion Modeler : Ernie Ball Volume Pedal : Dunlop Cry Baby Wah
Well, almost. I decided that it would be more appropriate to plug it into my Fender Blues Junior, where the guitar's clean sounds could be shown to best advantage, and then include a bit of ZYS dirtiness at the end of that. Besides, that Firefly really wants humbuckers.Originally Posted by Katastrophe
The clip at the following link contains four sections:
- Bridge pickup, clean, just some quick noodling
- Bridge/middle "quack", clean, a bit of old Ed King/Skynyrd
- Neck, clean, more noodling
- Middle, ZYS in TS-808 mode, riff a la SRV
Lemme know what you think....
DVM's Ever-Expanding Gear List:
Guitars - W-A-A-A-Y-Y too many to list. Check 'em all out HERE
Amps & Cabs - "Kap'n Kerrang-aroo" BYOC 18W TMB kit amp head; Mojave Coyote head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed Ltd. Ed.; Allen Sweet Spot kit amp; BYOC Tweed Royal kit amp; Epiphone Valve Jr. combo + mods; Drive 2x12 cab / Celestion G12M Greenback + G12H30; AB Custom Audio 1x12 cab / Celestion Alnico Blue
Pedals/Effects - ZILLIONS, including DVM's Home-built Pedals - See some HERE and HERE, TOO!
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sounds good. I don't know if you already mentioned this, but how was the action when it arrived?
I made contact with the second seller today and both of mine will be shipping tomorrow.
Five minutes left on the other Deluxe (Korean). at $82. Could there be three headed this way tomorrow?
Mark
* Loud is good, good is better!
Yes, I did. As stated above, "...the action is low, fast and free of any buzzing." The guitar was virtually perfectly set up when I received it. Whoever did it knew what they were doing.Originally Posted by just strum
DVM's Ever-Expanding Gear List:
Guitars - W-A-A-A-Y-Y too many to list. Check 'em all out HERE
Amps & Cabs - "Kap'n Kerrang-aroo" BYOC 18W TMB kit amp head; Mojave Coyote head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed Ltd. Ed.; Allen Sweet Spot kit amp; BYOC Tweed Royal kit amp; Epiphone Valve Jr. combo + mods; Drive 2x12 cab / Celestion G12M Greenback + G12H30; AB Custom Audio 1x12 cab / Celestion Alnico Blue
Pedals/Effects - ZILLIONS, including DVM's Home-built Pedals - See some HERE and HERE, TOO!
DVM's Gear Photos
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Oopssss, I have to learn to read more closely.Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
Well it sounds really nice.
Mark
* Loud is good, good is better!
Sounds good DVM, classic strat sounds!
I can't say that I've given up on a flanger cause I've never liked the effect either. I also can't say the same about Tremolo. I hate them both equally. - Tone2TheBone 2009
Ah, ha...
My oracle reputation remains intact, I see!
So, it is a cream puff, a sweet deal after all, eh DVM?...:
Cool...I'm glad it worked out well. Nothing like a deal to make you smile. Makes you feel like you got away with something, doesn't it?
A cream puff, indeed! I just plain STOLE this one for $86! I'm half expecting the local gendarmerie to march into my office here at work this morning, slap the cuffs on me, and haul me off to the hooscow! Seriously--it feels, plays and sounds better than the last MIM Std. Strat I played at GC. (Of course, to be fair, that was a "wall hanger" and God knows how long it had been there and what it had been through!)
Yep, your status as resident FretNet oracle is secure! : : :
DVM's Ever-Expanding Gear List:
Guitars - W-A-A-A-Y-Y too many to list. Check 'em all out HERE
Amps & Cabs - "Kap'n Kerrang-aroo" BYOC 18W TMB kit amp head; Mojave Coyote head; Fender Hot Rod Deluxe Lacquered Tweed Ltd. Ed.; Allen Sweet Spot kit amp; BYOC Tweed Royal kit amp; Epiphone Valve Jr. combo + mods; Drive 2x12 cab / Celestion G12M Greenback + G12H30; AB Custom Audio 1x12 cab / Celestion Alnico Blue
Pedals/Effects - ZILLIONS, including DVM's Home-built Pedals - See some HERE and HERE, TOO!
DVM's Gear Photos
Visit MY WEBSITE!
Well, even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then....Originally Posted by duhvoodooman
Sounds like it was a great Father's Day weekend in Voodoo land! :