Budget Strat - which one adds up?

[sunvalleylaw]

Not that I am in the market, but seeing some nice options, I am just wondering what the members think is the best value in a budget strat. Pluses and minuses to be discussed.

Candidates I can think of are:

Squire Deluxe Strat - may be best truly budget one out of the box from what I hear from members.

Squire Classic Vibe - some seem pretty happy with it.

Japanese Strats - like the one Vood is selling for $125 plus shipping, or the one ShortbusX picked up for $150.

SX strats - I really know nothing, but T-man and Robert seem to have had good luck.

Xaviere Strats - ditto. Vood's looks nice, but needed more fixin' up out of the box than I would want to deal with myself.

Used MIM's. - Another ShortBusX favorite. If I were in the market and going that way, I might look for a used one of mine (60th Ann.), as I still think it played and sounded better out of the box than the other new MIM's I tried in the stores, but a standard used MIM seems a good platform for building your own dream strat. Seems staying '06 forward would be better, given the improvements.


Peavey Predator?

What else? I am wanting to stick to more traditional looking strats, rather than the fullerton close out deals with the pointier body or Ibanez, etc. What do you guys think?

[ShortBuSX]

Browse the Craigslist 2x a day, morning and just before leaving work...youll miss stuff if you dont. Ive seen 60th Anniversaries going for $350! Models that youd never considered will be listed...and youll never lose money on used if you decide you dont like it, re-list it!
I dont think you need to sacrifice quality because of budget.

[edit]Pointy guitars??? No way! I prefer more vintage type tones, myself.

[Bloozcat]

I think if it were me, I'd go with the Squire Classic Vibe 50's Strat right now. Good looks, good features, good tone, great price. They even went with the right headstock shape...

The people who've gotten them seem pretty uniformly impressed with the fit, finish, sound, and playability. What I really like about it is the vintage tinted maple neck, the two-tone 50's sunburst finish - at no upcharge, the modern 9-1/2" radius fretboard, and the price at $299.99 delivered. Even if I felt the need to mod it later on, it has all the necessary ingredients to make modding minimal (just the electronics).

I recently purchased an SX and I'm really impressed with the quality of the unit I received. But, I've heard from others that that's not always the case. So, you're taking somewhat of a chance. But, the SX was only $109.95 - almost 1/3 the cost of the Squire (if that's an issue at either price).

And of course, there's the Agile Strats, which are consistently a cut above the SX's. Definitely worth looking at, although if they are priced above the cost of the Squire 50's Vintage Vibe, I might question where the low cost appeal of the Agile went.

[R_of_G]

I think if it were me, I'd go with the Squire Classic Vibe 50's Strat right now. Good looks, good features, good tone, great price. They even went with the right headstock shape...

My Squire Strat is not from the CV series, though it does have that headstock. I also agree with ShortBus that if you wind up with one you aren't pleased with you can always re-sell it. somebody is always looking for a strat.

[ShortBuSX]

I think if it were me, I'd go with the Squire Classic Vibe 50's Strat right now. Good looks, good features, good tone, great price. They even went with the right headstock shape...

He does have a point...I keep hearing them compared to MIJ quality/features.

[Bloozcat]

He does have a point...I keep hearing them compared to MIJ quality/features.

China is the new Japan...that's what everyone is saying. What took Japan 30 years to accomplish in the quality of manufacture realm, China has done in a decade. That China can turn out decent guitars, in and of itself is not that big a deal. Modern manufacturing techniques became pretty universal in the 20th century. But, just a few short years ago China couldn't make anything except crude weapons and ugly clothes. To manufacture anything of true quality in so short a time, is pretty impressive.

[sunvalleylaw]

Ok, CV is a top candidate, but what about the Squire Deluxes? What is the main reason for picking the CV ($299) over the Deluxe ($249)? I was thinking for a person looking, who does not want to have to mod or fix right away (to be clear, I have a great strat, I am not looking right now), that Deluxe, the CV or a MIM ($200 to $250) might be the ticket. But if you can get a good used one like mine for $350 or less, I think that also is a very good bet. I love mine.

DVM, you have owned a few strats, and are selling a MIK. What do you think? Pluses or minuses? For truly budget, that MIK you are selling looks awesome at $125 plus shipping. I have been tempted just a little to pick that one up myself!

[birv2]

A guy at the jam last night had one of the SX strats, with P90's. He said it played and sounded terrific (I agree). This is a guy who can afford some nice gear, and he said was starting to regret having 2 $1000 strats, since the SX ones he has bought are just about as good. This person is a good guitarist and pretty picky about tone.

I have an Affinity strat which I love. Got if off ebay several years ago for $75, and everyone who plays it is amazed. I've also had lots of people compliment me on the tone.

I'm sure that the expensive strats are very good, but I'm beginning to wonder...

Bob

[ShortBuSX]

Ok, CV is a top candidate, but what about the Squire Deluxes? What is the main reason for picking the CV over the Deluxe? I was thinking for a person looking, who does not want to have to mod or fix right away (to be clear, I have a great strat, I am not looking right now), that Deluxe or a MIM might be the ticket.

All the reviews Ive read have said that the CV came ready to play, right out of the box...intonation, set up and all. Like theyve all got an extra high dose of QC.

I dunno bout recent Deluxes, but mine needed a wiring mod right out of the box...but then again that may explain why Overstock had them at $99 at the time.

I also get the impression that the CV is above the Deluxe as its jam packed with features that usually only come with the higher end models...what would need modding???

[sunvalleylaw]

There you go. I did not know that. So the CVs are coming better than the new Deluxes. I knew Zman, Duff and Spud were impressed with their new Deluxes. I wasn't sure about Just Strum, because he turned around and sold his. It was looking to me that one does not really need to mod anything on either of those recent releases, CV or Deluxe.

[Bloozcat]

The Classic Vibes are supposedly coming out of a factory in China that was set up specifically for their manufacture. There was a high level of importance given to the quality of the instruments made there. I didn't see the thread, but I've heard that someone from that factory was online over at The Fender Discussion Page (FDP), talking about the facility and manufacture of the guitars. Apparently, eveyone involved in their making is pretty proud of the product they're turning out. The fact that anyone from China has been given unrestricted access to the internet like that is pretty shocking on it's own.

It wouldn't surprise me in the least if Fender was just doing a test to see if a quality instrument could be made in China to Fender's spec. Given the initial success of the experiment, I wouldn't be surprised to see some Fender labled guitar coming from there in the future...at a higher price, of course.

[sunvalleylaw]

Hmm. Very interesting!

[just strum]

I don't know if it's still for sale, but I would buy DVM's

And yes, I liked my Deluxe, absolutely nothing wrong with it. Just needed the cash.

[tot_Ou_tard]

What about the Squier Classic Vibe Teles? Are they being received as well as the strats?

I just noticed that those have pine bodies. Does anyone have experience with pine?

[sunvalleylaw]

I don't know if it's still for sale, but I would buy DVM's

And yes, I liked my Deluxe, absolutely nothing wrong with it. Just needed the cash.

Too late. It is sold as posted by DVM last night.

[Duff]

Great subject.


My latest, greatest, budget strat was given to me free by a kid in my son's band that I used to lend my most expensive guitars to for him to gig with. The only person I have trusted to lend my guitars to. He recently had a PRS import given to him for a majorly discounted price by someone he taught how to play that got a real PRS or something super expensive, so he gave the import PRS to this kid I know for a little over a hundred.

Now that he had his new PRS import, he gave me an old, multi passed down, 40th Aniv. affinity strat, black, dinged a couple places, beautiful super flammed maple neck, rosewood board, cracked an faded white pickguard, pup's kicking in and out, improperly wired electronics, non functioning tone pots, etc.

Here is where the budget part stops. I hot rodded it with some Seymour Duncan pup's in a black pearl pickguard and spring cover; SD black hot rail in the neck, SD 'lil 59 in the middle also black, and a SD black JB Jr in the bridge. These added up to about 200 alone, pickguard 20, electronics 15, then I put most recently a beautiful set of Fender shaller type locking tuners I had on another guitar on it. The tuners were about 80.

So it's not a budget guitar but it is awesome with tone you wouldn't believe and it's lighter than a regular strat. I really like the rebuilt and naturally relic'ed look. I need to post some pictures and sound clips of this. I was a fun project and those noise cancelling SD pups are super great sounding.

The Deluxe has not been modded and plays and sounds great. No need to mod it. I have other projects in mind for other guitars that should benefit greatly from some mods.

A truly budget strat that I got used at a local shop for 130 I think is absolutely awesome just as it is: a trans satin crimson Squire standard strat with duncan designed chrome humbuckers and a solid mahogany body. Still had plastic on the back of the tuners and not a scratch on it. I think it was new and unused and traded or something unusual. I have not modded anything on this guitar and it is one of my best sounding guitars. Those duncan designed humbuckers sound fabulous and it has a two pivot point tremolo, which I prefer, like the Deluxe has; they are very touch sensitive in my opinion, much more sensitive than the six screw type strat bridge. I would say this guitar is higher quality than my two SX strats, although I may modify one of my SX'es with some GFS pups.

I would definitey consider buying used if you know what you are getting or can test it out completely and check it for cracks, etc.

Rondomusic just had, but sold out fast, a solid mahogany natural finish SX SST57 with white P90s on it and a maple board for 109. I wanted one of those. With the really nice SX guitars you have to move fast or they get bought really fast by people that know what they are doing and might have been waiting for a certain item. This just happened. I got a LP Jr type SX with solid mahogany body and mahogany set neck and P90s in antique burst for 139 and they were gone in a few days. I knew I would have to act fast and I was right. On the other hand I've seen SX guitars I thought would go fast linger for a long time. This SX LP Jr. is awesome and is not modified, has tone and sustain that is outstanding. I can see where the set necks sustain better, in general.

I also agree with many that Squire is really moving up in quality and is more like Epiphone is to Gibson. The old stigma that was associated by some with Squire is history. I have a Squire Tele Custom with the two P90s that is without doubt one of my best guitars, period. This thing bites and sings and sustains and produces super great singing tones and smooth overdriven sounds. Really, really touch sensitive and dynamic. Vol and tone controls like a LP. I think it is called a Squire Telecaster Custom II. Just says Squire Telecaster Custom on the headstock. It is black with a black pickguard and black pups, rosewood board and is totally unmodified and is hum cancelling in the middle pup switch position.

That hot rail Squire strat looks great, as do some of the other vintage modified ones. I think the hot rail strat is a vintage modified one. The Crimson red with tortiseshell pickguard with sss duncan designed pups vintage modified is made out of Indian red cedar and is a really great sounding and feeling guitar.

I find the hot rail SD I have on the affinity to be a great sounding pickup and it is probably unsusal to put a pup like that in the neck position, but it sounds really great there.

I can't speak for the Xaviers or the Predator, but they look great. SX has some ash body strat copies that are possibly great. I believe ash is a very dense, very hard wood, and it is supposed to be a great tone wood. It probably promotes a bright tone and might be compensated for by putting in some nice humbucking single coils like rails or other similar pups.

I was watching some of Roberts youtube's tonight of him playing a yellowish SX SST57 with some Fender Custom Shop '54 I think, pups in it and it sounded super great and chimey. He played some SRV tune, or a tune SRV covered really well plus some other very impressive playing. That SX sounds really great and those pups would probably sound great in any strat; but then again, you are departing from the budget strat road at that point.

I bet a kid would really like that hot rail Squire strat that I think is in the vintage modified line. It comes in white or pearl white and maybe one other color, possibly; but definitely in white. I'm sure that guitar would be a pleasure to try out. I didn't play it but have had a hot rail pup in another strat before this affinity and they sound great.

It might make sense to try to buy a budget strat that is already set up as close to what you are looking for as possible; instead of having to dramatically mod it. There are some great options out there.

On the other hand some people like to buy budget strats and do like I did with the affinity I got free; some even do a lot more, as we know, and they really enjoy doing it. I really enjoyed fixing up that strat but did wonder if I was wasting money. But when you do something like that you don't look at it as wasting money. It is more of a quest. A quest to produce something outstanding and my affinity is really outstanding, but it had some really outstanding things going for it to begin with like a great neck and somebody that wanted to fix it up.

The kid that gave it to me was at the house the other day and I asked him if he wanted to play his old guitar and he played it thru my Delta Blues and his eyes lit up and he asked me where I got this guitar. My son laughed and said, "That's your old guitar". He couldn't believe his eyes.

What I want to do is fix up one of my other guitars and give it to someone that needs a decent guitar but can't afford one. Maybe an amp too.

Duffy

[dan P]

You can buy a 100 buck rondo or agile, but you won't have the fender name on it, you wont have the beautiful lacquered tinted 9.5 in radias neck, you wont have the three piece, light, two tone alder body, you wont have the great sounding alnicos, vintage tuners.............

[Ro3b]

What about the Squier Classic Vibe Teles? Are they being received as well as the strats?

Oh yeah, the teles are great. Easily in the same league as American Fenders. I'm loving mine. I've heard very good things about the CV strats too, though I haven't seen one in the flesh yet.

I just noticed that those have pine bodies. Does anyone have experience with pine?

Well, the tone is nice and bright and responsive, everything a tele should be. I'm not sure how much the pine body has to do with that. It's on the heavy side, which should have some sustain-enhancing effect. Shrug? The grain looks really nice.

[duhvoodooman***]

I certainly don't consider myself an expert on inexpensive Strats, having only owned a couple. The new Squier CV line sounds very, very solid from what I've read, but they're obviously not super-cheap--though still (apparently) a bargain for what you get.

The Squier Vintage Modified series caused quite a buzz when it first appeared, but that seemed to fade pretty quickly. I read a lot of comments expressing disappointment over those "Duncan designed" pickups they have--apparently, there was a LONG way between "designed by" and "made by".

I guess my limited experience with truly "cheap" Strats (under $200) and similar Fender knock-offs suggests that the range of quality and playability is pretty large. I very much like the new Xaviere XV870 I just bought, but many of you have read about the minor-but-annoying build quality issues I found with mine. Damn nice sounding, playing and looking guitar, though! If you can do your own minor repair work, I recommend them highly, for what you end up with. And Jay at GFS is just super to deal with. Hopefully, he can get the Xaviere factory build quality issues sorted out quickly.

That MIK Squier Strat I just sold was really extraordinary for how little I bought & sold it for. Played like an absolute dream, as good or better than any MIM Strat I've picked up, no exaggeration. There was not a single thing wrong with it, other than the pickups were merely adequate. Drop a set of some of those good GFS Alnicos into it, and you'd have a gem of a guitar for under $200. But I've heard negative comments about MIK Strats of that same basic vintage, too, so "buyer beware", I guess.

I haven't played an SX Strat, but the reviews/comments I've seen have definitely been a mixed bag overall. Then again, can you seriously expect a guitar without some design or manufacturing flaws for $110 or so?? Borders on miraculous, I think....

Lastly, I'd just emphasize that if you want to start playing around with sub-$200 Strats, expect your risk factor to go up substantially, because the quality variation, even within a brand/model, can be quite high. If at all possible, play THAT GUITAR before buying, or deal with someone you're sure will stand behind the guitar, if it turns out to be a woofer....

P.S. We really need to have Spudman chime in on this topic. Now, there's a guy who has owned a serious quantity of Stratage!!