More affordable Mike McCready 60's Strat

gimmesometruth27

mine showed up today. it looks great and plays pretty well. no sharp frets or anything like that. neck is a little thin for my tastes but that is ok. the pickups sound pretty good. have only played it through my princeton and have not played it through my gig rig yet. overall i am pretty happy with it. have band practice tonight so will break it out and surprise the guys. a few pics to follow.

gimmesometruth27

gimmesometruth27

Theebs

Looks fantastic Congrats.  I want one but that truss rod is holding me back.  I am not taking the neck off everytime it needs an adjustment!  I hate that they did that

mcgruff10

Oh baby!!! Looks fantastic.  Congrats!!

bootlegger10

Congrats!  Channel the McCready.

I am fascinated that Stone is playing that early 70’s Les Paul Signature so much.  Even on the old songs.  I don’t think a reissue is coming for that.

Abe Froman

Damn that McCready strat looks fantastic!  Congrats @gimmesometruth27
Enjoy the hell out of that beauty!

gimmesometruth27

Abe Froman said:

Damn that McCready strat looks fantastic!  Congrats @gimmesometruth27
Enjoy the hell out of that beauty!

thanks man! you know the rules, you have a cobain jaguar, now you have to get the matching mccready strat!

gimmesometruth27

Theebs said:

Looks fantastic Congrats.  I want one but that truss rod is holding me back.  I am not taking the neck off everytime it needs an adjustment!  I hate that they did that

i hear you. i don't mess with adjusting fenders. i am ok with adjusting my gibsons, but any time a fender needs something i have to take it in to a pro.

gimmesometruth27

mcgruff10 said:

Oh baby!!! Looks fantastic.  Congrats!!

thanks man!

gimmesometruth27

bootlegger10 said:

Congrats!  Channel the McCready.

I am fascinated that Stone is playing that early 70’s Les Paul Signature so much.  Even on the old songs.  I don’t think a reissue is coming for that.

i've been saying for years that if stone ever gets a gibson signature model it needs to be that les paul custom with the #3  sticker and the rats sticker on the pickguard.

gimmesometruth27

gimmesometruth27 said:

bootlegger10 said:

Congrats!  Channel the McCready.

I am fascinated that Stone is playing that early 70’s Les Paul Signature so much.  Even on the old songs.  I don’t think a reissue is coming for that.

i've been saying for years that if stone ever gets a gibson signature model it needs to be that les paul custom with the #3  sticker and the rats sticker on the pickguard.

i want to say it was a cherry sunburst. used in the very early years.

gimmesometruth27

after playing this thing every day for the last 11 days i can say a few things about it.

1. it needs a setup. doesn't play terribly. just that the action is kind of high and it is not even. the low e and a sit a little higher than the other strings. i usually have new guitars set up but haven't had the chance. it doesn't need a plek or anything, just something to make it a little more playable. also need to oil the fretboard. will probably do that tomorrow.

2. the only 2 things i do not like about it are:

a: the fret markers on the top of the neck are brown, not white. with the dark fretboard it is impossible for me to see where i am in low light. i did not realize how much i relied on those fret markers before. i am constantly accidentally playing a half step up or a half step low because i can't see where i'm at.

b: the relicing on the front, the wood underneath looks brand new. like fresh wood. like brand new guitar body wood. it needs to be darker to look more natural. i have figured out a way to make it look a little better. what i have been doing is after i mow the grass or go to the gym, i get my shirt really sweaty, and when i get inside the house i rub my sweaty shirt over these areas. i have done it 3 times and it already looks a little better to me. i am not sure if that is ok for the guitar, but it seems to be aging those areas a little bit. i think it will also age a little more the more i play it.

3. overall it is a really nice guitar. it inspires me to pick it up and play every day. i have gotten used to the smaller neck and the neck profile. it really does sound more "stratty" than my old strat. maybe because of the treble bleed wiring? it sounds really good and feels really good to play and it is pretty light. i am really happy with it. happier than some guitars i have that cost $1000 more.

bootlegger10

That is a great review.  I am guitar illiterate compared to you.

You can really tell the difference on the relic job done on the Masterbuilt.  Much much more realistic.

mcgruff10

Great review! Thanks.

gimmesometruth27

bootlegger10 said:

That is a great review.  I am guitar illiterate compared to you.

You can really tell the difference on the relic job done on the Masterbuilt.  Much much more realistic.

one other thing, they did really nice lacquer checking on the headstock front and back, and did a great job on the neck, but they did not finish check the lacquer on the body. i am sure the masterbuilt is checked to hell all over the place. that is where a lot of the money went for the mb because that is a labor intensive process i am sure. 

i am going to take it to the guy that built and reliced my tele and see if he has some suggestions or if he wants to take a stab at making it look a little more natural. will also have him set it up while there. 

gimmesometruth27

mcgruff10 said:

Great review! Thanks.

yeah man, for the price you can't beat it. plays good, sounds great, and inspires me to pick it up. when i let the dog out in the back, i bring this strat with me and play it outside. my neighbors probably think i am a weirdo, but i really just want to pick it up and play it no matter where i am inside or outside of the house.

gimmesometruth27

sweetwater has 5 in stock. financing option is 80 bucks a month for 24 months

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/StratMcCrdy3CS--fender-mike-mccready-stratocaster-electric-guitar-3-color-sunburst

guitar center has them, but their financing is only 6 months. if you wait can probably get it when it goes back to 48 months financing.

https://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender/Mike-McCready-Stratocaster-Electric-Guitar-3-Color-Sunburst-1500000398353.gc

yieldtothepj

I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying the guitar!  The pickups sound fantastic. Do you have an issue with your high E string being too close to the edge of the fretboard?  I keep sliding off of mine and it is really annoying and am not sure if this is normal or not.  I purchased it straight from Fender and when it arrived it sounded awful.  I had major buzzing coming from the G, B, and high E strings. I had it set up but now the B string even though in tune sounds very dull. I am not sure if I just received a lemon or not.  Took it to an authorized Fender dealer and they are contacting Fender to see if there is an issue with the guitar. I am glad to hear that you like it.  

gimmesometruth27

yieldtothepj said:

I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying the guitar!  The pickups sound fantastic. Do you have an issue with your high E string being too close to the edge of the fretboard?  I keep sliding off of mine and it is really annoying and am not sure if this is normal or not.  I purchased it straight from Fender and when it arrived it sounded awful.  I had major buzzing coming from the G, B, and high E strings. I had it set up but now the B string even though in tune sounds very dull. I am not sure if I just received a lemon or not.  Took it to an authorized Fender dealer and they are contacting Fender to see if there is an issue with the guitar. I am glad to hear that you like it.  

i don't have the issue of the high e sliding off. that may mean that your nut was cut incorrectly. you should not have that happening. a setup should have been able to correct the other issues. not sure why the b is sounding dull. hopefully you get an answer and they can either fix yours or replace it.