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HNGD! Again?!?

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(@rparker)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
Topic starter  

:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

I traded and sold a total of 5 economy guitars to finance the new one. It's a 2012 American Standard Strat.

In a word. Wow!

In more words. It's everything I ever wanted out of a Strat, plus more. The tone, the lack of extranious noises, the action, etc. It's all there. I can bend strings all I want, I can use the trem, it's quite as a mouse, the bridge pickup is a strength...I can't say enough.

A big thanks to CitiZenNoir for giving me some tips on the year & model particulars that lead me to the 2012.

I got the three color burst with the rosewood fret-board and the S-S-S configuration. I got really lucky on this one. It was the last one they had in stock of any color for the 2012's. It just happened to be my favorite and the desired configuration. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Some pics:

I really dig that fretboard.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@citizennoir)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1247
 

WOW, is right!

That's a beautiful Strat, Roy! :mrgreen:
That rosewood board is gorgeous 8)

Glad you're happy with it :D

Ken

"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway

"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles


   
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(@liontable)
Estimable Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 146
 

Beautiful guitar, Roy! I absolutely love the finish on yours (Mine has a simple black finish). Enjoy it! By the way, is that a Fender Blues Deluxe by any chance?


   
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(@trguitar)
Famed Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

She is a beauty Roy, congrats! You know, I was actually going to do a similar thing when I got my Marshall. I was going to move a couple of low enders and sell some along with my found money. I was actually shopping the American Special that was on sale for $799 ($100 off) Same color as yours too only with a humbucker. But ...... I saw the Marshall. No regrets what so ever .... that Marshall is the best amp I have ever owned ... yes, better than my JCM900's! So, no more posts of extrainious noises? Shouldn't have now. And sound samples? Please sir ..... more sound samples? I was thinking when I got my amp, what will Roy get next? :lol: Job well done!

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@rsadler)
Reputable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 210
 

Beautiful guitar! I favor Maple fretboards but that looks awesome!


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
Topic starter  

By the way, is that a Fender Blues Deluxe by any chance?
Why, yes it is. It's a really nice amp. You have one as well?

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
Topic starter  

So, no more posts of extrainious noises?Hopefully, no. So far so good. I do have to put in a couple more springs, but that's just because I put 10s on it an I've tightened that bar as much as I feel comfortable doing.
I was actually shopping the American Special that was on sale for $799 ($100 off) Same color as yours too only with a humbuckerI was steered to the 2012 by Ken and the salesman did not disagree with him. These pickups are really nice, too.

Samples soon. I've still got to finish setting it up when the springs come in. Hopefully not much left other than springs. The string height is just a hair up, but it's playble. The tension springs shoul pull that plate back own to nromal along with the strings. After that is done, then the final adjustments for the pickup height. They're close.

I've also got to figure out the strengths of these pickups an the various combinations. In particular, the 2n and 4th. They don't come right out an snag you. Kind of a Knopfler or gilmour tone on a few of their songs. Hard to describe. You'll see in the sample.
Beautiful guitar! I favor Maple fretboards but that looks awesome!Thank you. Those maple necks looked really nice in person. At least the ones on the earlier year models. Nice feeling, too.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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(@liontable)
Estimable Member
Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 146
 

By the way, is that a Fender Blues Deluxe by any chance?
Why, yes it is. It's a really nice amp. You have one as well?

I'm actually going to get that amp in a few days (maybe the Deville 410, because that's the one in stock) so after all that looking I could spot it anywhere!

My favorite clean is switching pickups between the neck and the mid one, and then turning one tone knob to 4 and the other to 3. Adding in just a tiny bit of reverb really gives those genuine John Mayer cleans from "Slow Dancing". In any case: awesome combination, jealous! :lol:


   
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(@s1120)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 848
 

Whoooooo she's a beauty. Good luck with it

Paul B


   
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(@dogbite)
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Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 6348
 

beautiful guitar. congrats.
the workmanship in these American made Fenders is awesome. the best part is the attention to the fret work and neck finish. it feels soooo good.
play those switches, roll off the treble, work everything you can because you'll find all kinds of excellent tones and sounds.
look for the sweet spot (28th fret). pick there and WOW.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=644552
http://www.soundclick.com/couleerockinvaders


   
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(@trguitar)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3709
 

the workmanship in these American made Fenders is awesome. the best part is the attention to the fret work and neck finish. it feels soooo good.

I played a high end one in a music store, over a grand and that was like 8 years ago, and that is what I noticed. The neck felt much better than the imports. Attention to detail.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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 Cat
(@cat)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 1224
 

Ha! As good lookin' as yer Golden! Enjoy it, Roy...

Cat

"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"


   
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(@rparker)
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Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
Topic starter  

Thanks again, guys. I'm still very much liking it.

Nice top re the sweetspot, dogbite. There is a extra little bit of snappiness going on there.

My extra tension springs came in yesterday allowing me to finish setting it up. The pickups' heights were the only really off thing about it from the beginning. The bass side was all the way down on the neck and mid pickups. I eye-balled it the moment I got it home and waited for the springs to go in and subsequent adjustments before working on them. It's all good now.

So there I have it. A Strat, set up nicely, no messed up noises, no twisty necks (old MIM issue) and no more hiding away at the back of the rack in the other room. Seems almost too good to be true. :lol:

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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 cnev
(@cnev)
Famed Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 4459
 

Good for you Roy now I think I have the same issues with my Epi LP that you had with your other Strat, extraneous noise etc. Don't have a twisted neck though.

I had the Epi set up by a pro and changed the bridge pickup and I still don't like the way it sounds.

How do find the optimum pickup height? By adjusting the height playing something and then readjusting or are you just adjusting them to some measured distance from the strings and if so what distance and why? Sorry fo the 3rd degree but you have way more experience than I do with adjustments.

"It's all about stickin it to the man!"
It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll!


   
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(@rparker)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 5480
Topic starter  

How do find the optimum pickup height?

TR would be a much better source on he LP settings than i would, but I'll offer my $0.02 anyhow.

Apologies in advance for the lengthy reply.

For me and my Epi LP Custom with stock, nothing special pickups, it's a question of low end. Thickness of tone. If my pickups are too high, I get gobs of thick tone. The tone thins out as I lower it. I've got my epi's distance from bottom of string to highest point below it on the pickup set to 5/64ths on the bass side and 3/64ths on the treble side.

I did a little experiment a little while back with the epi LP. I recorded three little riffs. One each with the pickups too low, somewhere around spec and then a bit too high. The ones that were too high were muddy as can be. Very thick. The too-low recording was thin. The original spot - which was specs on GN'er Nils' web page for set-ups - was nice a crisp. Not too thick, not too thin, nice volume, good clarity, etc, etc.

As far as string height, I think I am a tiny bit higher than most people. I don't like a lot of noises. Strings that are too low bug me not only because of fret buzz, but also some sort of slapback or sympathetic string vibration noise that comes through the amp. Sometimes it's almost like a fake echo of sorts. I'm really not sure how to describe it.

I follow Nils' page and use those specs as a starting points. My Epi LPs play like buttah. You know how it is with that Hot Rod Deluxe. That amp will tell you the truth. If you've got a bit of sympathetic warble noise, for example, you will know it. You can't hide nuttin with those amps (or the BDRI, the 'Twin, etc).

It's also my understanding that you need to go in order of:
1: Check nut height;
2: Check Truss Rod;
3: check string height;
4: Check Intonation;
5: Check Pickup Height;

One other famous noise maker for LPs. TR can back me up. These saddles with the wire. I've even got a tiny bit of buzz going on in a non-wired replacement now on my other LP. :x :x

Here's Nils' web page: http://home.roadrunner.com/~nils/BasicGuitarSetup.htm

Oh, one other thing to keep in mind is that other manufactures post their own set-up specs and procedures. although pretty close to this, they do vary a bit in where to measure and what to shoot for.

Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin


   
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