Sorry to the original poster for the shameless thread-jack!
Chad Adam Browne wrote:
@Sebber - That tele is sexy, but that black reverse headstock strat is the sexiest of them all ?
Why thank-ee, that's my main number 1, a 1997 MIA Voodoo Hendrix Stratocaster, I bought it new in January 1998 and it's travelled the world pretty extensively. Back then the retail price (in the UK) was £1299, I got mine for about £950. It's taken a bit of a beating over the years, so I was looking to find another one second-hand to take the strain off it, but they're about as rare as hen's teeth (only manufactured in '97 and '98) and some of the second-hand prices online, when they crop up, are ludicrous: there's been a white w/maple fretboard one on eBay over the past few weeks, seller says it's in mint condition, but he wants US$4500 for it. I lost out on a couple of eBay auctions where there were pretty good condition Voodoo Hendrix strats on offer: the bidding pushed the prices up to US$2800-3200, both times the bidding started around US$1700-1800, and both times the max I was prepared to pay for one was US$2200. Then it occurred to me that for around about that price I could look at a new Custom Shop Strat rather than a second-hand MIA factory Strat... So...
I picked up the Custom Shop Strat from a retailer (on eBay) for US$1995, brand new and with all the case candy (straplocks, just thought I'd mention them in case anyone accused me of off-topic-ism, Fender leather strap, Custom Shop branded Whirlwind cable, paperwork and Certificate of Authenticity and so on).
Can you believe I paid, in total (including shipping and import duties, though I think they cocked-up the import duty since I only paid them R650) around R17,000 for it? Some MIM Fenders are pushing that kind of retail price here in SA, before discount, of course.
