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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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
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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
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’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.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Thanks, I hopefully should hear back from Fender in a week or so. I am a few weeks past the 30 day return policy but I am hoping they will replace it if need be. Thank you for the info!
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.
Agree 100%. I posted the same on GearPage after owning mine for a month. The Custom Shop version had white side markers, as do original 1960 Strats. No clue why they went with brown. Can’t see them at all in dim light!
just got my mccready back from my guitar tech. he said he found several issues. a few of the frets were high so he leveled them out. he took the bow out of the neck and lowered the action. the A and G strings were sitting high so he leveled them out. also, he made some adjustments to the tuning machines so it stays in tune much better now. the thing plays like butter now.
also, he addressed some of the relicing and made it look more natural. the wood below the lacquer no longer looks like brand new wood. he used a wood dye that he makes that he said he can always lighten if i do not like how it looks. he also smoothed over some of the rough edges where the lacquer was peeling off. he has a 1963 strat that is just beat to shit that he used for reference, so it now feels the way his '63 feels when you handle it and run your hands over it. the new aging job may look like too much for a lot of people, but i am happy with it. at least now i can tell mine apart from everybody else's. see new pics below:
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
just got my mccready back from my guitar tech. he said he found several issues. a few of the frets were high so he leveled them out. he took the bow out of the neck and lowered the action. the A and G strings were sitting high so he leveled them out. also, he made some adjustments to the tuning machines so it stays in tune much better now. the thing plays like butter now.
also, he addressed some of the relicing and made it look more natural. the wood below the lacquer no longer looks like brand new wood. he used a wood dye that he makes that he said he can always lighten if i do not like how it looks. he also smoothed over some of the rough edges where the lacquer was peeling off. he has a 1963 strat that is just beat to shit that he used for reference, so it now feels the way his '63 feels when you handle it and run your hands over it. the new aging job may look like too much for a lot of people, but i am happy with it. at least now i can tell mine apart from everybody else's. see new pics below:
That looks great! Glad you were able to get the playability issues sorted out, too. For what these things cost new, high frets, improperly cut nuts and basic setup issues shouldn't exist from the factory.
Part of me wonders if the high demand for this model lead to some of them being fast tracked out the door without proper QC.
Either way, yours looks incredible and I'm glad it plays well now. Enjoy that thing!
If hope can grow from dirt like me, it can be done. - EV
just got my mccready back from my guitar tech. he said he found several issues. a few of the frets were high so he leveled them out. he took the bow out of the neck and lowered the action. the A and G strings were sitting high so he leveled them out. also, he made some adjustments to the tuning machines so it stays in tune much better now. the thing plays like butter now.
also, he addressed some of the relicing and made it look more natural. the wood below the lacquer no longer looks like brand new wood. he used a wood dye that he makes that he said he can always lighten if i do not like how it looks. he also smoothed over some of the rough edges where the lacquer was peeling off. he has a 1963 strat that is just beat to shit that he used for reference, so it now feels the way his '63 feels when you handle it and run your hands over it. the new aging job may look like too much for a lot of people, but i am happy with it. at least now i can tell mine apart from everybody else's. see new pics below:
That looks great! Glad you were able to get the playability issues sorted out, too. For what these things cost new, high frets, improperly cut nuts and basic setup issues shouldn't exist from the factory.
Part of me wonders if the high demand for this model lead to some of them being fast tracked out the door without proper QC.
Either way, yours looks incredible and I'm glad it plays well now. Enjoy that thing!
thanks man. yeah i agree that the qc should have been better. like you said, some of these were probably fast tracked due to demand. my tech said that "this is a really nice strat. the body is a great piece of wood. it just needed a little tlc to get it right." he said he may buy one for himself since he doesn't want to gig his '63 strat because it is worth so much.
i have been playing it all day today. it plays better than my nash strat that i have had for 15 years.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Comments
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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.
Enjoy the hell out of that beauty!
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
You can really tell the difference on the relic job done on the Masterbuilt. Much much more realistic.
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.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
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
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
https://www.toneshopguitars.com/products/used-fender-mike-mccready-strat-w-case-tsu18201
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
I thought there was a 10k version of this too, hence the "affordable" thread here?
i could be wrong, but i think i've seen the masterbuilt ones for $25k on reverb.com. also, those were in super limited quantity.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
also, he addressed some of the relicing and made it look more natural. the wood below the lacquer no longer looks like brand new wood. he used a wood dye that he makes that he said he can always lighten if i do not like how it looks. he also smoothed over some of the rough edges where the lacquer was peeling off. he has a 1963 strat that is just beat to shit that he used for reference, so it now feels the way his '63 feels when you handle it and run your hands over it. the new aging job may look like too much for a lot of people, but i am happy with it. at least now i can tell mine apart from everybody else's. see new pics below:
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
That looks great! Glad you were able to get the playability issues sorted out, too. For what these things cost new, high frets, improperly cut nuts and basic setup issues shouldn't exist from the factory.
Part of me wonders if the high demand for this model lead to some of them being fast tracked out the door without proper QC.
Either way, yours looks incredible and I'm glad it plays well now. Enjoy that thing!
i have been playing it all day today. it plays better than my nash strat that i have had for 15 years.
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."