The Strat gold standard.

I am looking to buy an electric guitar that will be top quality and a joy to play for the next 30 years or so, you know, the guitar I will grow up with. As a result I am expecting to pay a fair amount, but I want to get good value for the cash.

I have mainly looked through the Gibson and Fender range (I intend to read up on some PRS and anyone else people recommend), and I have been leanning towards the Fender range because Gibson and Fender seem to offer a simerlar quality but Gibson seem to cost about 30% more so perhaps represent less value.

Sooooooo, Fender.......... I have my eye on a couple models; the Strat VG,
American Deluxe, and to a lesser extent the Vintage Hot Rot Strats.

The VG appeals because I think it will make me a better player. Before scoffing at this theory I know its the player and not the guitar, but in this case the VG will enchorage me to play in more varried styles because they will be instantly accessable and if it doesnt make me better I will at least be more rounded as a player. At this point I would probably just consider the VG, but having read some mixed reviews it's quality is questioned by some. Which brings me to the American Deluxe, as far as reviews go it seems to be the best quality Strat going. Sure, it doesnt have the features of the VG but it seems to be the best example of a Strat without, in my opinion, paying over the odds for an Artist range Strat or a Vintage reissue. This is also the problem with the Hot Rod Strats, reviews simerlar to the American Deluxe, but am I paying a little bit more for the fact that it claims to be a vintage 57? I do wonder.

What do you lot think? My budget is up to $3000 at a push. I want quality and substance over bells and whistles (but the VG is attractive), something that will still be truly great in decades to come. My aim is to record at home. I am interested in playing ever genre except for super heavy metal and certain punk elements. I am also not interested in the romantics of playing a 50's or 60's model, if they sound better than the current models then great, but I am just after the best guitar, simple as that. WHAT IS THE STRAT GOLD STANDARD?!

So anyone got any comments on the varieties of Strat I have mentioned and anyone want to recommend any other guitar models and makes, even other Strat models?

If I want variety would it just be best to plug a Line 6 Pod into a Deluxe over a buying a VG? Is VG a fad?

So many questions............Sorry guys. Thanks for any feedback. ;)

Simply - I Love Fenders and especially Strats !!

Originally Posted by: GramboSimply - I Love Fenders and especially Strats !!

But which Strat my good man........which Strat?

Listen to your heart, my friend..... if it's the VG you have your eyes set on, then the VG it must be. I don't suppose you've even considered an Ibanez??? I'll probably get in trouble for even recommending this but I find that both of my Ibanez electrics sound great with my line 6 amp, the distortion tones are perfect and they are comfortable and easy to play. however, all strats make excellent guitars regardless of what some people may tell you.

[QUOTE=UnholySpirit]Listen to your heart, my friend..... if it's the VG you have your eyes set on, then the VG it must be. I don't suppose you've even considered an Ibanez??? QUOTE]

Thanks Unholy, but my heart doesnt know. I will of course take them all for a test drive before one is decided on. I suppose I am really looking for info from anyone who has experienced multiple Strats. The confussing thing about Fender is that they dont proclaim which piece is the example of their best work. With Gibson you know that the Les Paul Standard is their benchmark, yes, you can go custom but if you have a standard then there is no need to go higher.

I have not considered an Ibanez until now ;)

I am going to give the range a look and I will tell you what I think. I have to say though Ibanez is, to my limited knowledge, a guitar build for speed metal etc, right? Not that I have anything against it, I would love to give it a go some day, but it would be close to the bottom of my list of choices. I am just more mellow.

Thanks man

What a fantastic predicament :)
If I was going to spend $3000 on a strat that is going to last a lifetime I'm not sure I would go with something that is going to be old technology in a years time, why not go for a nice classic and timeless instrument. Personally I like the John Mayer model or the SRV if I only I had that money to spend....

With that kind of money,I'd look elsewhere. fender and Gibson are both amazing, but have long been ridiculed for dwindling quality over the years.

Why not look at fender-based designs in custom shop models. try
Tom Anderson
Suhr
Paul Reed Smith (I have a custom 22 and a Gisbon LP Studio...my Prs wins hands down)
James Tyler
.The list is endless.

Of the custom shops, the follwing do mostly S and T type guitars:
Tom Anderson
John Suhr
Valley Arts
Don Grosh
Melancon

all are worth a look, and will be of better quality than fender guitars (although fender are also awesome...just if you have the money, I'd go fancy).

I think the VG is more of a gimmick than a timeless guitar...as was mentioned...in ten years, you'll be able to get a VG equivalent with updated technology...but you'll also still be able to get a sweet sounding strat with bog-standard alnico magnet pickups.

Thanks guys, I am tending to forget about the VG after a bit of thought. I think if I want a guitar for the long term the VG will very quickly be surpassed by more advanced technology and I think it will loose a shed of value over time. Getting a custom model or one of the the artist pieces would give me a top class piece that will retain value. Good stuff, thanks freaksauce.

As for the Andersons, Suhr, Tyler, PRS pieces........ Well as luck would have it, although they are not mega mainstream my local guitar store is one of the very few in the uk outside of London that stocks them all. So I get to try all of them. I particularly like the look of some of the Tyler models.

Got a new question though. Does anybody have any tips on which current guitars will increase in value in the future? Future classics? Future classics of the current Fender crop? Will PRS, Tyler and the rest be worth much in the future? Total speculation I know, but opinions guys, opinions.

By the way if you were wondering why I am taking about buying in $ but living in the UK, it is because I am going to order in the US and get it sent over (packed to withstand a nuclear blast). With the exchange rate the way it is, my money goes about 30-40% further. Its worth the bother for this one off.

Cheers guys

Originally Posted by: rhythmThanks guys, I am tending to forget about the VG after a bit of thought. I think if I want a guitar for the long term the VG will very quickly be surpassed by more advanced technology and I think it will loose a shed of value over time. Getting a custom model or one of the the artist pieces would give me a top class piece that will retain value. Good stuff, thanks freaksauce.

As for the Andersons, Suhr, Tyler, PRS pieces........ Well as luck would have it, although they are not mega mainstream my local guitar store is one of the very few in the uk outside of London that stocks them all. So I get to try all of them. I particularly like the look of some of the Tyler models.

Got a new question though. Does anybody have any tips on which current guitars will increase in value in the future? Future classics? Future classics of the current Fender crop? Will PRS, Tyler and the rest be worth much in the future? Total speculation I know, but opinions guys, opinions.

By the way if you were wondering why I am taking about buying in $ but living in the UK, it is because I am going to order in the US and get it sent over (packed to withstand a nuclear blast). With the exchange rate the way it is, my money goes about 30-40% further. Its worth the bother for this one off.

Cheers guys

No worries, let us know what you decide on, would love to see pics when you get it :)

Bear in mind that if you buy from the states and aren't very very careful, customs will hold your guitar until you pay all the relevant import taxes etc. It may not be any cheaper at all once you have to pay the duty and VAT.

Sorry to be a kill-joy, but I've been caught by this on a PRS singlecut - I didn't save a penny really, and it was a real drag as well...

The Tyler/Suhr etc boutique end of the market are generally guitars built just for you, the resale value isn't the same. You'll have to go for the mass market models as an investment really. PRS might be a good bet - they retire models very frequently.

I buy old Ibanez guitars, which seem to go up in value but I but them because I like them. I bought a 1977 Les Paul Pro a while back because that's the year of my birth. Time will tell if it was a nice investment or not, but it's a nice guitar. If you buy a guitar as an investment you'll want to keep it mint. Are you a player or a collector?

If you want to play it, don't worry about anything but what it plays like....

Originally Posted by: renBear in mind that if you buy from the states and aren't very very careful, customs will hold your guitar until you pay all the relevant import taxes etc. It may not be any cheaper at all once you have to pay the duty and VAT.

Sorry to be a kill-joy, but I've been caught by this on a PRS singlecut - I didn't save a penny really, and it was a real drag as well...

Yep, I know what you mean. I got killed importing some ski bindings from Canada a few years ago. Thing is I forgot to mention that I wont be getting it shipped direct from a store. My sister lives in Texas, so I ship it to her and then she repacks it in some crate so it looks like its used and ships it as a 'gift' and that sorts out the import tax. I would never consider doing this without someone in the US to forward it. I totally agree, you dont save a penny if you pay the duties. At a 2/1 exchange rate though its great if you can pull it off.

I will defo post somepics when I get the thing. I am going to take my sweet time about it though. A major investment for me so I am going to be certain I am MEGA sure I have found my electric soul mate before I get it.

Thanks guys.

get the hot roded one it has a sweet dimarzio single coil pickup so its extremely versitile it can play linkin park and metal then go to country but with the vg is good if oyur doing lots of recording or if you want a line 6 kind of guitar which in my opinion is blah to me but if it intrests you then go ahead but if i were you i would get the hot rodded one for shure

You live near SoundsGreat?

I live next to GuitarGuitar in Newcastle, England. When I said Line 6 I didnt mean Variax, I just ment that if I wanted effects the like of the VG I could just hook a standard Strat through some Line 6 pod stuff.

Anyway guys, I think I am going to have to stop posting on here for a while as my dad got landed in hospital on Saturday with pneumonia and it looks pretty bad. My mother is a wreck and as the only child in this country I have a few things on my plate. Just posting tonight for a little bit of normality away from hospital. Anyway guys, thanks for the replies.

Out for now. ;)

G

WOW!! :eek: The Fender Strat VG is an awesome guitar.. I do agree about the value thing though.. but man.. I just went to the VG website for the first time and I was blown away! I was reading Guitar World and I saw this advertisement that had a picture of a fender strat with a splash of text about 37 tonal choices and 5 alternate tunings.. This confused me a little bit and at first I thought it was a joke advertisement that they have in magazines sometimes. I was thinking, "Hey.. that'd be great if you could have a guitar that did all that.. especially the tuning thing."..

Then I realised it was for real and I started trying to work out how it all worked until I could get on the website to check out some videos of it.. It's a great idea and the fact that you can still play it as a standard Fender USA strat, makes it a perfect strat guitar... but it's also a "synth" so really makes you wonder whether or not it will set a new standard or just become some sort of mistake, never to be repeated again..

http://www.fender.com/vgstrat/home.html