Best high end strat for the money?

  • Thread starter Thread starter VanMalmsteen
  • Start date Start date
V
VanMalmsteen
Banned
Active member
Ive been thinking about a Robert Cray strat but am not sure. I like the Eric Johnson v neck and have heard that the early ones are custom shop good. What are some other gems In the line like that?

I guess similar to sg standard vs the Dereke Trucks. Apparently they’re 90% as good and awesome and thousand dollars difference.
 
I have an American Professional II with the all rosewood neck and board that is really cool, I like it a lot. Vintage yellow and the dark rosewood neck looks and feels great. Are you strictly looking at Fender or others? If I bought another Strat I’d go for a Tom Anderson. Since I got my first TA cobra S, I’ve been blown away by them.
EDIT: I’d also go used, there are some good used ones out there at the same price as a high end Fender.
 
No such a thing. And I've tried so many.

Fender Custom Shop, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Vigier, D'Pergo, Vinetto, Thorn, Ron Kirn, Melancon, and a lot more.

Find one where the body wood and neck wood are a perfect marriage and you'll be good.
Test play them unplugged and when one rings like an acoustic, buy it - regardless of the brand.

Can't say enough good things about the Music Man Cutlass though.

strat.png
 
Quality doesn't always equate to a good sounding guitar. I have played some lower priced models that sound better than the expensive ones.

I would suggest a trip to a good guitar store, and try everyone they have, that's the way I used to do it.

But if you just want to buy online, pick the one that best suits your playing style.
 
I have played some Custom Shops, Master Builts, but the Eric Johnson ones are hard to beat in every aspect.
 
I had an ej sig that was great. Currently I like the Friedman vintage s over the suhrs, Andersons and fenders I've had.
 
If you like fast, and more modern, necks try out the new Fender Ultra Luxe. It’s absolutely ridiculous feeling
 
Donnie B. said:
No such a thing. And I've tried so many.

Fender Custom Shop, Suhr, Tom Anderson, Vigier, D'Pergo, Vinetto, Thorn, Ron Kirn, Melancon, and a lot more.

Find one where the body wood and neck wood are a perfect marriage and you'll be good.
Test play them unplugged and when one rings like an acoustic, buy it - regardless of the brand.

Can't say enough good things about the Music Man Cutlass though.

View attachment 80141
Click to expand...
Ive been curious about these guitars actually. Looks great. Looks like it has great upper feet access too
 
Geo said:
Quality doesn't always equate to a good sounding guitar. I have played some lower priced models that sound better than the expensive ones.

I would suggest a trip to a good guitar store, and try everyone they have, that's the way I used to do it.

But if you just want to buy online, pick the one that best suits your playing style.
Click to expand...
Yea it’s just most stores local are so low stock or shut down, the days of doing that are slimming down in a lot of areas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Geo
GOHOINC said:
I had an ej sig that was great. Currently I like the Friedman vintage s over the suhrs, Andersons and fenders I've had.
Click to expand...
Nice I didn’t even consider them. Anything particular you prefer or just it just suit you more so?
 
VanMalmsteen said:
Ive been curious about these guitars actually. Looks great. Looks like it has great upper feet access too
Click to expand...

Better upper fret access, a whammy that stays in tune even when abused, single volume and tone to keep things simple,
and the usual amazing MM neck and fretwork - if I remember right I think the profile is a bit chunkier than stuff like
the Luke and bolt on Petruccis.
 
My best playing one is an American standard from the late 90s early 2000s; it absolutely kills custom shop strats.

with strats it's truly luck of the draw and the body and necks synergistic relationship. I've played partscasters that kicked ass and a Shishkov that was totally meh.

As well as Friedman, suhr, and Tom Anderson, I would suggest checking out EBMM as well.

The EJ strats can be hit and miss, the early ones were really really good.
 
VanMalmsteen said:
Yea it’s just most stores local are so low stock or shut down, the days of doing that are slimming down in a lot of areas.
Click to expand...
I feel you on that one, same problem here.

Maybe someplace like Sweetwater could help but I am sure that would be a trip and a half.

Speaking from experience, I have tried a lot of gear over the last 38 years, I always wind up back at the classic brands. Fender, Gibson, Marshall....etc
 
Geo said:
Maybe someplace like Sweetwater could help but I am sure that would be a trip and a half.
Click to expand...

@VanMalmsteen

Not sure how much you've bought from them, but I was up front with my guy one time
and told him I was looking for a nice XXX and that I may end up returning a few 'as new' until
I landed one.

Told me as long as I didn't fuck up the packaging and sent it back right away he was cool.
Fortunately the second one did the trick. But I think I could have run through at least a
couple more before he spoke up.

I paid the return shipping which isn't bad going ground.
 
Last edited:
VanMalmsteen said:
Nice I didn’t even consider them. Anything particular you prefer or just it just suit you more so?
Click to expand...
The neck feels better to me than the suhr and and anderson and the setup, playability, fit, finish etc. Are every bit as good as a suhr or anderson and at a slightly lower price point, not much lower, but every bit helps... I could spec an anderson or suhr with a bigger neck but don't need to now... I've heard a lot of people say james tyler makes the best strats they've ever played but I've never played one so can't compare. The Tyler's usually have a 1- 5/8 nut which is why I sold the last anderson I had... the Friedman just feel great in my hands. I've got 4 of them...
 
GOHOINC said:
I've heard a lot of people say james tyler makes the best strats they've ever played
Click to expand...

Tyler/Suhr/Anderson

For every one person who says one is the best ever they'll be two others voting the other two. :D

Tylers are great and probably unique from the others for the way he rolls the fretboard edges.
The fretboard is not scalloped, just the edges.

roll.JPG
 
Last edited:
I’ve played all the guitars mentioned here except for Melancon, Vinetto and Thorn and the best strats made today that I’ve played are my Novo Serus S and my Charvel Aged Nitro Custom Shop San Dimas. The latter is a dual humbucker guitar, but put a Strat pickup anyway in the neck (I don’t care that it looks weird) and it’s the best Strat tone of anything I’ve owned yet. I had a Tyler recently and while it played great, was loud unplugged (still not good tone though imo) and was a nice guitar overall, my Charvel’s smoked it in tone, especially unplugged, so much richer, more tonally complex and lively sounding and liked my Charvel’s a little more in playability too, so I returned the Tyler. Honestly, I think Anderson/Suhr/Tyler are highly overrated, especially Suhr, at least if we’re talking pure tonal potential of the guitar, which is what really matters to me, not how it looks, feels, etc. A good custom shop Charvel or Novo is hard to me imo unless you can afford a real vintage Strat. I also have a Riggio Sierra that’s a great Strat imo
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
 
Back
Top