stu wrote:
Now, deluxe, standard, custom.... What are all the differences?
With Fender Strats and Teles you need to play a bunch of them and then decide.
Take your time, line them up, plug them in, and an hour later you'll know which one to buy.
Don't worry whether it's a Deluxe or Standard or Custom, or whatever.
There's a Mexican Standard, a Mexican Road Worn, Japanese Pawn Shop specials, an American Standard, an American Deluxe, Custom Shop, etc.
They all have different specs, different neck radius, different frets, different bridges, different tuners, different pickups, ash or alder, 3 single coils, 2 humbuckers, 2 single coils and one humbucker, etc, etc. ?
Knowing all the specs will just confuse you, that's why I say go and play a bunch of them and see which one feels comfortable in your hands...who knows, you might land up with a made in Mexico Vintage Re-Issue with a 7,25" radius and vintage frets, or a John Mayer sig with 9.5" radius and 6105 frets.
Strats and Teles are very 'simple' guitars, two pieces of wood held together with 4 screws...the more expensive models don't necessarily blow away the cheaper ones.
In the last week I've played a whole bunch of them ranging from a Clapton Signature, USA John Mayer Sig (Dr Victor bought this one), R60,000 Custom Shop 60s "relic" with hand wound Abigail Yabarro 69 pickups, MIM Road Worns, Standards, etc.
The results were surprising...like I said, the most expensive ones definitely didn't sound and feel way better than the cheaper ones...your ears and hands will tell you which model to buy.
Music Connection and TOMS Sandton have a bunch of Fenders in stock, go play them, they'll both give you a great deal.
Importing one yourself makes the chances of you getting "the one for you" almost impossible.
