Lockbody Posted February 7, 2009 Posted February 7, 2009 After getting a used MexiStrat a while back, I found I really missed them, and after a few upgrades I noticed I was playing it more than anything else. Well, I got the bug for another USA Strat and put out some feelers. This fell into my lap: An almost like-new '08 American Standard. I've been reading up on them since sending in payment, and most opinions are that this is probably the best AmStd in the last fifteen years. I might agree. Great paint job, smoking neck, decent pickups (I thought I was immediately going to swap in the Duncan Classic Stacks from my MIM, but I may keep the singles around for a while. Nice and bright, and they take distortion really well.), an overall great guitar. Once I get the JBJr and L'il 59 in from Brooks, I'll swap them into my MIM and have two guitars that cover a ton of ground. Both together: Props to new member rooster69f. No BS and he was a pleasure to deal with the whole way. We traded numbers, and when there was a slight snag he didn't hesitate to get on the horn to me and straighten things out right then. The guitar was everything he said and more, and he packs well. He's one one of the good guys folks.
Feynman Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 As a newfound Strat appreciator, I say "Congrats!"How different are they from each other?
Lockbody Posted February 8, 2009 Author Posted February 8, 2009 How different are they from each other?As I've done quite a few upgrades to the MIM Strat, not that much. Acoustically, the AmStd is fuller and is slightly more resonant, whereas the '93 MIM's poplar body is stronger in the lows and highs. The necks aren't that different in feel even though the MIM has smaller, vintage-style frets, where the AmStd had med jumbos. The MIM neck does feel a tad fuller, though.With the Callaham bridge, Sperzel locking tuners, RS Classic Strat kit, and the Duncan Classic Stack STK-S4s, the MIM is a far cry from where it started, and a damn good guitar, but the new AmStd is just more "Stratty" you know? Fit, finish, touch, action, sound... everything.
backinit Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Two nice strats. I have a strat copy that I built years ago and I'm working an another project with a MIM body.I recently picked up used Squier 51 for a little more than pocket change to beat on.There are some who don't appreciate Fenders. I'm not one of them.Enjoy.
princeofdarkness56 Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 I had a 89 American Standard in midnight wine. Really grew to love that guitar and the maple neck. Took me a while to get use to single coils but eventually I did, especially the neck pup. The bridge pup was the man drawback for me. I sold it and I regret it. Now I am itching for for a strat with a maple neck and a red lace sensor in the bridge.
hardheartedbill Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 nice strat! I did a bunch of stuff on the middle pup last night, sounded awesome, the strat is a mighty mighty tool! You should try a GFS Lil killer if you need more umph in the bridge, unreal value and tone
BubbaVO Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Sweet! Strats are good in my book. You've got some nice ones there.
backinit Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 nice strat! I did a bunch of stuff on the middle pup last night, sounded awesome, the strat is a mighty mighty tool! You should try a GFS Lil killer if you need more umph in the bridge, unreal value and toneSorry for the threadjack, but it's good to hear you talk about the lil killer that way. I have one ready to go into the strat body that I purchased recently.
hardheartedbill Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 nice strat! I did a bunch of stuff on the middle pup last night, sounded awesome, the strat is a mighty mighty tool! You should try a GFS Lil killer if you need more umph in the bridge, unreal value and toneSorry for the threadjack, but it's good to hear you talk about the lil killer that way. I have one ready to go into the strat body that I purchased recently.sorry to continue to hijack but it's the 11k model and it sounds amazing, I've had every Duncan small bucker and this things sounds as good or better
Lockbody Posted February 8, 2009 Author Posted February 8, 2009 Hijack away. I'd probably try the 15k model first , but the Li'l Killers looks great. What do run in your neck pos? Still got your Mk I? Looking back, this could all just be merged in the Strat appreciation thread.
velorush Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 nice strat! I did a bunch of stuff on the middle pup last night, sounded awesome, the strat is a mighty mighty tool! You should try a GFS Lil killer if you need more umph in the bridge, unreal value and toneSorry for the threadjack, but it's good to hear you talk about the lil killer that way. I have one ready to go into the strat body that I purchased recently.sorry to continue to hijack but it's the 11k model and it sounds amazing, I've had every Duncan small bucker and this things sounds as good or betterJust one more threadjack... In my opinion, one of the best and simplest mods to help the Strat bridge pickup is to move the rear tone control from the middle pickup to the bridge pickup. Takes seconds (after wrestling the pickguard out of it, of course), costs nothing and makes a world of difference. I also really like the Fralin baseplate, $10 (though Jason Lollar says he can't tell any difference). The tone control removes the icepick sound and the baseplate helps that and seems to add meat in the mid and lower frequencies.
lesterpaul Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 sweet grab,Lockbody....love my strat as well....maybe you will get a chance to try her out thru my MK V when it gets here and we do the Great North Alabama Boogie Shootout!
Lockbody Posted February 8, 2009 Author Posted February 8, 2009 Just one more threadjack... In my opinion, one of the best and simplest mods to help the Strat bridge pickup is to move the rear tone control from the middle pickup to the bridge pickup. Takes seconds (after wrestling the pickguard out of it, of course), costs nothing and makes a world of difference. I also really like the Fralin baseplate, $10 (though Jason Lollar says he can't tell any difference). The tone control removes the icepick sound and the baseplate helps that and seems to add meat in the mid and lower frequencies. The '08s and later already have the middle and bridge wired to the second tone control. Plus, it has the "Delta" tone where it acts as a regular tone control from 1-9, then 10 removes the capacitor from the circuit yeilding a normal, brighter, bridge sound. Now that I have a guitar with plain ol' singles again, I might try one of those baseplate to see if I like 'em. sweet grab,Lockbody....love my strat as well....maybe you will get a chance to try her out thru my MK V when it gets here and we do the Great North Alabama Boogie Shootout! Ha, I aim to spend the next month or so dialing in this thing to my DC-5 and making you and that MK V sweat some.
backinit Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Hijack away. I'd probably try the 15k model first , but the Li'l Killers looks great. What do run in your neck pos? Still got your Mk I? Looking back, this could all just be merged in the Strat appreciation thread. That's the one I have.
hardheartedbill Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 Hijack away. I'd probably try the 15k model first , but the Li'l Killers looks great. What do run in your neck pos? Still got your Mk I? Looking back, this could all just be merged in the Strat appreciation thread. I have an original MKI head now, a very early one plus the reissue ( I may be moving it ) I've been using the premium alnico hot bridge GFS , I love the things and they are dirt cheap
Brooks Posted February 8, 2009 Posted February 8, 2009 i'm gonna try the GFS "NEO7 Neodymium V31 Single Pickup- Hotter than Vintage" in the neck slot of my chap, its on its way now.
hardheartedbill Posted February 9, 2009 Posted February 9, 2009 i'm gonna try the GFS "NEO7 Neodymium V31 Single Pickup- Hotter than Vintage" in the neck slot of my chap, its on its way now.dont clip the wires till find out if it's out of phase w/ the other pup, the Lilkiller was out of phase w/ the alnicos
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