I am targeting a good rock and blues guitar. Do the pickups really hum and are they annoying?
Too many Fender guitar models
As a beginner, it makes my head swim. It has taken me hours to browse the differences and I still would not know what to choose. My budget is not to go over $1000. I'm probably not ready until August but wanted to at least look at options. If it doesn't say "American" then do I assume it is foreign built? Do foreign built Fenders lack in better hardware or nicer craftsmanship?
I am targeting a good rock and blues guitar. Do the pickups really hum and are they annoying?
I am targeting a good rock and blues guitar. Do the pickups really hum and are they annoying?
# 1
As an owner of a Fender American Standard Strat, I can sympethize. Things have actually improved - you used to also be able to choose whether or not the guitar had a tremelo (hard tail, aka fixed bridge, or floating bridge).
From what I know of current prices, you should be able to get an american made strat for your price point. Keep in mind that the solid color finishes are cheaper than the transparent multi color ones.
Back when I was doing my strat shopping (back in 2000), the MiM (Made in Mexico) strats were held in good regard and second only to the American made ones.
I remember doing tons of research and completely changing my mind once I got to the store and tried a bunch out. You shouldn't buy a guitar strictly based on online research.
Good luck with your shopping!
From what I know of current prices, you should be able to get an american made strat for your price point. Keep in mind that the solid color finishes are cheaper than the transparent multi color ones.
Back when I was doing my strat shopping (back in 2000), the MiM (Made in Mexico) strats were held in good regard and second only to the American made ones.
I remember doing tons of research and completely changing my mind once I got to the store and tried a bunch out. You shouldn't buy a guitar strictly based on online research.
Good luck with your shopping!
# 2
I dont know if you allready bought one but heres a youtube clip form a english shop where they talk about the different. Is pretty interesting to hear. Its about stratocaster, but if you search hes chanel you can find telecaster as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnUuUjqHEMU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnUuUjqHEMU
# 3
I'd say that the easiest thing to do first is just focus on the Standard Strat. They come in both just "Standard" (which I take is the foreign built one) and the "American Standard".
These Strats have three single coiled pickups, and a trem system. Its not a locking trem, so its going to go out of tune if you use it a lot. The pickups can produce a fair bit of hum, but usually its only when you take your fingers off the strings. -A word about the "hum" thing... back in the late 80's & into the 90's eliminating hum was all the rave, and Fender even came out with a specialized "single coil" pickup (Lace Sensor or something like that) that eliminated hum and was supposed to be THE greatest thing ever... throw your single coil pickups in the trash, the future is here! Everyone was going to rack effect units too, and old BOSS stomp boxes were going for a fortune on ebay. Well, few years later, everyone's back to stomp boxes, and single coils are once again the mainstay for Strats, so don't worry about it. Seems like it was more fashion than anything else.
Once you've tried out some Standard Strats, you can look at some others and see if you like them. Probably the single most important "non-standard" feature that might interest you is the HSS models that essentially have a "humbucking" pickup in the bridge position. This can give the guitar a fuller, "meatier" sound, and also a hotter signal that drives the amp a bit more, BUT, it also means you don't have a single coil in the bridge position. As a Strat player, I'd say that's pretty significant, because you'll see a lot of dedicated Strat players use the Standard, single-coil bridge position almost exclusively. Its just a very bright, distinctive tone that has that "Strat" sound. So keep that in mind.
Happy shopping!
These Strats have three single coiled pickups, and a trem system. Its not a locking trem, so its going to go out of tune if you use it a lot. The pickups can produce a fair bit of hum, but usually its only when you take your fingers off the strings. -A word about the "hum" thing... back in the late 80's & into the 90's eliminating hum was all the rave, and Fender even came out with a specialized "single coil" pickup (Lace Sensor or something like that) that eliminated hum and was supposed to be THE greatest thing ever... throw your single coil pickups in the trash, the future is here! Everyone was going to rack effect units too, and old BOSS stomp boxes were going for a fortune on ebay. Well, few years later, everyone's back to stomp boxes, and single coils are once again the mainstay for Strats, so don't worry about it. Seems like it was more fashion than anything else.
Once you've tried out some Standard Strats, you can look at some others and see if you like them. Probably the single most important "non-standard" feature that might interest you is the HSS models that essentially have a "humbucking" pickup in the bridge position. This can give the guitar a fuller, "meatier" sound, and also a hotter signal that drives the amp a bit more, BUT, it also means you don't have a single coil in the bridge position. As a Strat player, I'd say that's pretty significant, because you'll see a lot of dedicated Strat players use the Standard, single-coil bridge position almost exclusively. Its just a very bright, distinctive tone that has that "Strat" sound. So keep that in mind.
Happy shopping!
# 4
