Okay, add me to that list. :cry: I don't need and didn't particularly want one of these - heck I even posted that I wouldn't buy one! (I am SO ashamed... :oops: )
But at $99, and watching this guitar reach "cult status," I figured I would buy one and hang on to it for awhile. If Fender puts out a high end version of this guitar, these might be worth a few $$$ in a few years. But, the thing that really got me was that many are customizing their '51s, which sounds like a fun project. At least, I am sure to learn a lot if I customize it. I may do it as a project with my son.
Okay, add me to that list. :cry: I don't need and didn't particularly want one of these - heck I even posted that I wouldn't buy one! (I am SO ashamed... :oops: )
But at $99, and watching this guitar reach "cult status," ...
Are lemmings a cult? :wink:
-=tension & release=-
Gee, I've never been a part of a cult before. Feels GOOD!
My dad would always talk about retirement, and allude to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And I say all you've got at the end of the rainbow is death. You're riding the rainbow right now. - Mark Borchardt
Hey, at worst I bought a $99 maple neck. Still not a bad deal. Anyone who HATES the guitar can jump on Ebay and pick up a body loaded w/ pickups and make a new guitar!
A number of odd things seem to be going on in '51-land.
First, according to posts on the Fender forum, many of the guitars currently being shipped were made in 2005 (e.g., s/n IC0507xxxx would have been made in July 2005), which implies a BIG inventory problem at Squier, and would explain why they are currently blowing them out and would also give creedence to the stories that they are discontinuing the guitar.
Also, curiously, there seems to be two types of necks being shipped. Some are the usual one-piece maple necks, while others appear to be two-piece, with an add-on maple fretboard (the separation is plainly visible on the side of the neck.)
Further, some of the guitars are shipping with height adjustment screws for the neck pickup!
No insight; just observations.
"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."
Mine has the two-piece add-on fret board, not sure about, pickup adjustment screws, I havn't taken off the pick guard.
#IC0506xxxx
Scott
I havn't found my tone yet, and I have no mojo....but I'm working on it :)
I've just joined this group as well, figuring this could be the beater or customizing guitar when I get to that point...
Mine has the one-piece neck and is #0504xxxxx, so must have been made in April '05.
Margaret
When my mind is free, you know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue, the guitar's comin' through to soothe me ~
I picked one up Friday night, didn't play it. Straight out to the work bench it went and is now in pieces. I figure for $99 it will be a good project guitar for something to do over the winter. So armed with these body parts and the URL for guitar fetish, we'll see what I have come the spring thaw.
I've got an idea for a Wizard of Oz guitar :twisted:
Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.
New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys
my resolve to avoid this is evaporating fast.... MF is now advertising 0 payments and 0 interest until January of 2008 on all purchases over $199 if you use their platinum card... you all need to buy a few of these so they can run out of stock...
please ...do it for me.... :roll:
#4491....
Think Solid Black body with Neon Glitter green flying monkey dead center of the body, and ruby slipper fret markers
Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.
New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys
Nice, and an imitation monkey fur strap!
Life's journey can be hard at times, but you have to realize that you are the only one with the power make it a worthwhile experience.
I just called the Guitar Center in Nashville to check on a mini-Strat for my son. I casually asked if they still had any of the '51s. They had 1 left. Sunburst. It's now sitting in the back waiting for me to leave work and pick it up.
Another one turns to the dark side :)
I havn't found my tone yet, and I have no mojo....but I'm working on it :)
Mine arrived yesterday via Fed Ex. I got a vintage blonde model. I fooled around with it last night, did a quick change of strings to D'Addario 10s, tightened the truss a bit, lowered the strings saddles, took a peak under the pickguard, etc. If anyone is interested, here are some thoughts, in no particular order, about the guitar:
1. A+ for the paint job. For a solid color guitar it is as nice as any guitar I have ever seen. It is a beautiful color too; I always wanted a guitar this color.
2. There was some talk of 3 piece necks being sold recently. Mine is a one piece neck.
3. Neck is kind of rough. I know it is unfinished, but it feels like they should have sanded it one more time, with very fine sandpaper. I am pretty sure the fret marker dots are painted on. The edges of the frets are a little rough, but not that bad. The frets themselves are perfect - no dressing needed.
4. Some have said the tuners were garbage, but my seem to hold tune after I changed the strings. No problems there.
5. The bridge is a piece of $%&@! :D It reminds me of the bridge on my very first guitar, a 1980 Vantage Avenger (anyone remember those??). I was always having buzzing and intonation problems with my first guitar, and this bridge is like stepping back in time to 1980! They are NOT fond memories! I will have to change it out.
6. The pickups are okay. I only played it for an hour or so with the new strings, but I was able to get some decent blues sounds out of both pickups - I even got some decent overdriven sounds out of the humbucker. I think I like best the sound of both pickups activated, while the humbucker's coil is split.
7. Nut was installed lopsided! The nut is much higher on the low E than the high E string. Also, the nut slots look like they were cut with a chisel - not much precision there. I may lower the slot slightly, but not today.
8. The pickguard is made of a matte finish plastic. I kind of like the look, but a shiny plastic pickguard would be cool too. I like the shape - it is different. You would think it was hiding a butcher job cutting the pickup slots, but I looked and it is VERY clean under there.
9. As I was going over the guitar, I was thinking about all the beginner level guitarists out there who bought one of these guitars and who don't have the experience to set them up properly! If you are reading this and fall into that category, get your Squier 51 to a good technician - FAST. He will turn your guitar from barely playable, which mine was right out of the box, to a pretty good player.
I doubt this will become my favorite guitar. It feels a little cheap, which it is. That isn't a knock - it is a good guitar, considering it cost only $99. I am amazed they can produce them this cheap. I bet Fender makes no profit on them. This will probably be a "knock around" guitar for me, to be played on the sofa while watching reruns! If someone sits on it while it is laying on the sofa or one of the kids knocks it over - no big deal. So, I probably will not spend much more on it, except to change the bridge.
If the rumors are true and Fender decides to make a higher quality version of this guitar, I will certainly buy one. I really like the looks and style of it, but I have gotten a bit spoiled over the years - I like the quality in more expensive Fenders. Perhaps Fender could make them in their Japan or Mexico factories and sell them at the $500 price point. Give them better quality hardware, finish the neck, etc. Mine feels and sounds more like a Strat than a Tele to me. If Fender does make a higher quality version, I hope they forget the knob pickup selctor, turn that into the tone control and put a Tele style toggle in. :D
Mike
