Fender USA vs Fender Custom shop????

[yngzaklynch]

So I have a 50th Anni Strat loaded with DiMarzios. Probably my 2nd most played guitar behind my EBMM JP6 BFR. What I'm wondering is how much better are the Custom Shop pieces? Any experienced Strat guys here that care to chime in on this?


Jim

 

[yngzaklynch]

bounce

 

[carlygtr]

The Custom Shops were worth it years ago when they were around $1800-2000. Still got my Trower CS, had the JB and Clapton CS's as well as others I've forgotten.

Now a JB or Clapton CS clocks in at $3500. They (CS's) aren't worth that money IMO. Few hundred more you can get a Tyler, which I did.

 

[Rash]

Most importantly their wood (necks) are mostly more carefully selected (which is the most impotant thing building a strat), better steel tremolos...they often resonate better, sound a little more equal on different frets/strings, are lighter (i.e. mostly react faster) it depends, I also played shitty custom shop strats....you have to try some to get a good one, they all differ....as I like bigger frets, it is mostly necessary to change them, a lot of them have also 7,5 inch radius, I like arounf 9,5 better....keep hat in mind, a callaham with raw vintage saddles and springs did improve even the custom shop strat my buddy has......so no mystic...I am not into the fretwork of most normal custom shop strats....

For 600 usd you can probably get a local guitar maker make a neck to your personal specs from a resonant! piece of wood, buy the Callaham, with Van Zandt or Kloppmann or Fender Custom Shop SC, body from warmoth.....could also work, same price

 

[Zap]

Not too often a Fender thread pops up here, so I have to get in on this.

Many Fender American guitars are nice. Many Fender Custom Shop Strats are very nice. Do they warrant the extra coin? Let me examine the differences I've seen first.

I've owned the American Beck Strat and currently own the Custom Beck Strat. The Custom has a tighter neck pocket, a darker fretboard, a darker neck tint, a nicer finish, a nicer bridge, chrome Sperzel tuners instead of the matte Schallers (not sure if I like the Sperzels more), a two piece body, and it sustains a bit longer. Beck's sig is also on the back of the headstock as well. In other words, it has a bunch of little things that add together for a better package. There certainly is more attention to detail.

Getting back to my original question of if it's worth the price... Looking backing in retrospect, it depends on my mood.

Some days, I think I may have gone overboard and should have just stuck with the the American one. After all, ability is what's most important.

Other days, I pick it up, play it, and think, "Wow, this is a really well made guitar and if I can't get my shit together with it, I have no one to blame but myself".

You sound like you're content with your American Standard and DiMarzios. Stick with it. If you want a guitar that is somewhat better, find a mint used Custom Shop that hung on dentist's wall on eBay and take your lady out for some lobster with the money you saved.

Hope this helps!

 

[rupe]

a nicer bridge

What is the difference between the two bridges? I thought they both used the same two post Fender trem?

As for the value, I tend to agree with what Carl stated. Back when they first came out, the Custom Shops were a nice upgrade over the American Standards for not too much more money. The very first relics were much nicer than the newer ones IMO generally speaking (there are certainly some great new ones) and again could be had brand new for well under $2k.

At this point, although they are built to a higher quality standard, they don't justify the premiumthat you have to pay from a performance standpoint. Pick out a nice American Standard or other non-Custom Shop offering and tweak it with a few upgrades if so desired (trem/saddles, pickups, nut, etc) and you'll have every bit the player. If you want bragging rights and "oooohs and ahhhhs" on forums, by all means sink the extra money into a Masterbuilt (where you're paying a premium for scarcity, not quality).

Buying used is a different story...there are some decent deals to be had if you look for them.

 

[jcj]

Jim- I think you'd have to go a LONG way to find a strat that sounds better than the one you have; IMO, your best bet is to hit a couple of shops with some good inventory, and bring your current strat, as a reference.

BTW- If you find one you like better, feel free to sell your current strat to me

 

[Rash]

Plain and simple:

A nicer bridge is a Callaham with Raw vintage saddles and 5 Raw Vintage springs, the reason Suhr, Charvel, Tyler and other "Dream Builders" fail......that simple....

It is about neck, resonance, bridge and quite low output pickups (that make the quality/twang/transients/voice of the guitar come through), not about swirly furniture wood with glossy shine and cool name on the headstock, I never ran into a superior normal USA Fender or holy early MIJ Fender...a myth!

I only experienced 4 Masterbuilt Teles, they were (wood) the best, but too expensive, around 3500 Euro here in Germany, let s.o. built a guitar....

 

[yngzaklynch]

Jim- I think you'd have to go a LONG way to find a strat that sounds better than the one you have; IMO, your best bet is to hit a couple of shops with some good inventory, and bring your current strat, as a reference.

BTW- If you find one you like better, feel free to sell your current strat to me

Thanks. I'm gonna go play it

 

[rupe]

Plain and simple:

A nicer bridge is a Callaham with Raw vintage saddles and 5 Raw Vintage springs, the reason Suhr, Charvel, Tyler and other "Dream Builders" fail......that simple....

Plain and simple:

With the clock running out on 2012, you may have just thrown a "Hail Mary" and scored yourself the most dumb-ass post of the year. Congrats!

 

[Badronald]

They may be a little better overall, but I have a group of carefully selected American Strats that I've gathered over the years. All have upgraded pickups and electronics. I don't have over $800 into any one of them.

I would find it very difficult to spend $3,000 on a Stratocaster from the Custom Shop that may have a very small difference in tint or a little tighter pocket (I bend my necks down a step, I abuse them).

Anyway.....

 

[Rash]

Thank you rupe you are Einstein aren´t you!

My advice, first check something especially guitars (they all differ), than make a statement, very simple starting point!

So you have something to do in the year 2013 changing to a callaham trem...go for it! Evaluate then talking. Thank me later

What makes what? Changing pieces, I have done that, Floyd, 2 point, Wilkinson, they all differ extremely, for best tune stability floyd, fattest best twang sound callaham...

My wishes for 2013 less bullshit talk!

Thanks

Kai

 

[rupe]

Thank you rupe you are Einstein are´t you!

My advice, first check something especially guitars (they all differ), than make a statement, very simple starting point!

So you have something to do in the year 2013 changing to a callaham trem...go for it! Thank me later

Kai

Compared to your blanket statements, comparing me to Einstein is an understatement.

Funny to hear you make sweeping generalizations, and then when called out come back with "they all differ"...no shit!!!

And I will try out a Callaham bridge...and I'll thank you if I like it

 

[Rash]

I would never buy a guitar without playing it, even a masterbuilt...never ever...hardware different story.

In some cases very dark sounding guitars (I know no mahogany strats) the callaham could sound a little too fat, I do not like his saddles at all Check Raw Vintage, the expensive Wilkinson VS100 has better tuning stability due to different string ball locking (deeper inside the block than callaham) and probably oval screw holes, seems/feels more string pull, that also leads to a slightly different sound (imho brighter, but less punch than the callaham).

Suhr, Tyler have incredible setup, but I think the whammy bar has a quite big effect......

Talking about important necks, I noticed that instruments that I liked (also Fender Basses) had mostly a quite narrow(er) more wood rings/density.

Kai

 

[Zap]

a nicer bridge

What is the difference between the two bridges? I thought they both used the same two post Fender trem?

As for the value, I tend to agree with what Carl stated. Back when they first came out, the Custom Shops were a nice upgrade over the American Standards for not too much more money. The very first relics were much nicer than the newer ones IMO generally speaking (there are certainly some great new ones) and again could be had brand new for well under $2k.

At this point, although they are built to a higher quality standard, they don't justify the premiumthat you have to pay from a performance standpoint. Pick out a nice American Standard or other non-Custom Shop offering and tweak it with a few upgrades if so desired (trem/saddles, pickups, nut, etc) and you'll have every bit the player. If you want bragging rights and "oooohs and ahhhhs" on forums, by all means sink the extra money into a Masterbuilt (where you're paying a premium for scarcity, not quality).

Buying used is a different story...there are some decent deals to be had if you look for them.

I tend to agree with you and Carl as well. There's no doubt that they're overpriced. I meant to say that the saddles are nicer. The bridges themselves are probably identical. You can see the differences between the two saddles here.

American Artist Series


Custom Shop

 

[carlygtr]

I'll add that 9 times out of 10, the CS's are 8lbs and over. IMO, that's BS. $3500 for a CS Jeff Beck Strat weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs? They can stick it.

 

[Zap]

I'll add that 9 times out of 10, the CS's are 8lbs and over. IMO, that's BS. $3500 for a CS Jeff Beck Strat weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs? They can stick it.

Mine weighs in at 8 pounds, which is roughly what my old one weighed. Maybe it's the locking tuners? I think 8 is the typical Strat weight, although the American EJ Strats are consistently in the mid 7s.

 

[carlygtr]

I'll add that 9 times out of 10, the CS's are 8lbs and over. IMO, that's BS. $3500 for a CS Jeff Beck Strat weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs? They can stick it.

Mine weighs in at 8 pounds, which is roughly what my old one weighed. Maybe it's the locking tuners? I think 8 is the typical Strat weight.

Mine was around 8lbs as well.....but I paid $1800 for it. At $3500 they can start using lighter wood, IMO

 

[Zap]

I'll add that 9 times out of 10, the CS's are 8lbs and over. IMO, that's BS. $3500 for a CS Jeff Beck Strat weighing in at 8 1/2 lbs? They can stick it.

Mine weighs in at 8 pounds, which is roughly what my old one weighed. Maybe it's the locking tuners? I think 8 is the typical Strat weight.

Mine was around 8lbs as well.....but I paid $1800 for it. At $3500 they can start using lighter wood, IMO

I agree!

 

[BGG]

The Custom Shops were worth it years ago when they were around $1800-2000. Still got my Trower CS, had the JB and Clapton CS's as well as others I've forgotten.

Now a JB or Clapton CS clocks in at $3500. They (CS's) aren't worth that money IMO. Few hundred more you can get a Tyler, which I did.

Wise words !!