tokaigeezer
Well-known member
Trekked down from the Four Corners to Albuquerque yesterday, driving the missus down to one of her meetings at the University of New Mexico and had several hours to kill.
Went to a Guitar Center type store (Grandma's Music on North Coors Blvd.) to eyeball a flock of new Fenders, just to see what they've been up to lately. Once again, out of all the guitars (including the Eric Johnson Strat - pretty and resonant, but it seemed like it weighed more than 8 pounds, and was kind of dead, IMO) none of them jazzed me like my vintage Tokais. I am not making this up. Of course, I had to contend with yet another guy playing the Ozzie Death Crunch through a dimed Marshall in the amp room (DUNH DUNH DUHN DUNH DUNH DUNH) so it became difficult to hear the qualities of the EJ pickups through a Deluxe Reverb reissue. Very nice, the EJ, as I've said, and the tinted, flamey neck is gorgeous, but nothing that bowled me over. And it costs $1,600.
Next stop, a tiny shop in the northeast, Encore Music, run by an old geez (I'm 51, so am just a geez in training) named Louie. They had some of those G&L Tribute (neck and bodies made overseas, assembled in the USA with standard G&L hardware) and wow were they better than the Fenders I tried earlier. Lighter, more resonant and very lovely, airy tones through a small Kustom tube amp (not the most expensive amp there by any means). The Tributes, which run about $600-$700, kicked the butts clean off the Fenders in every way. Fender ought to be ashamed of themselves. And these are the El Cheapo Korean-made G&Ls. I can't imagine what the USA made ones sound like! And no, I don't work for G&L, or know anyone who does.
I love the idea of Fenders, and in fact own a 97 Hendrix Tribute Strat that is a pretty good guitar, but am very dissapointed in their overall build quality lately. Brothers and sisters, it really ticks me off that another great American company is just going through the motions and living off the past! They are building assembly line cr*p! :evil:
I was so annoyed that I have vowed to build a Warmoth parts Strat that I suspect will dust the EJ. I have an ash body in Ice Metallic Blue, a nice birdseye maple neck (boatneck profile) and will use the Callaham Strat hardware kit, plus some Torres Blues pickups (clones of Van Zandt Blues) with the Torres deluxe mid boost. Total cost about $1,200.
So one again I am convinced to hang onto my Silver Stars and my 1980 Reborn Old!
Went to a Guitar Center type store (Grandma's Music on North Coors Blvd.) to eyeball a flock of new Fenders, just to see what they've been up to lately. Once again, out of all the guitars (including the Eric Johnson Strat - pretty and resonant, but it seemed like it weighed more than 8 pounds, and was kind of dead, IMO) none of them jazzed me like my vintage Tokais. I am not making this up. Of course, I had to contend with yet another guy playing the Ozzie Death Crunch through a dimed Marshall in the amp room (DUNH DUNH DUHN DUNH DUNH DUNH) so it became difficult to hear the qualities of the EJ pickups through a Deluxe Reverb reissue. Very nice, the EJ, as I've said, and the tinted, flamey neck is gorgeous, but nothing that bowled me over. And it costs $1,600.
Next stop, a tiny shop in the northeast, Encore Music, run by an old geez (I'm 51, so am just a geez in training) named Louie. They had some of those G&L Tribute (neck and bodies made overseas, assembled in the USA with standard G&L hardware) and wow were they better than the Fenders I tried earlier. Lighter, more resonant and very lovely, airy tones through a small Kustom tube amp (not the most expensive amp there by any means). The Tributes, which run about $600-$700, kicked the butts clean off the Fenders in every way. Fender ought to be ashamed of themselves. And these are the El Cheapo Korean-made G&Ls. I can't imagine what the USA made ones sound like! And no, I don't work for G&L, or know anyone who does.
I love the idea of Fenders, and in fact own a 97 Hendrix Tribute Strat that is a pretty good guitar, but am very dissapointed in their overall build quality lately. Brothers and sisters, it really ticks me off that another great American company is just going through the motions and living off the past! They are building assembly line cr*p! :evil:
I was so annoyed that I have vowed to build a Warmoth parts Strat that I suspect will dust the EJ. I have an ash body in Ice Metallic Blue, a nice birdseye maple neck (boatneck profile) and will use the Callaham Strat hardware kit, plus some Torres Blues pickups (clones of Van Zandt Blues) with the Torres deluxe mid boost. Total cost about $1,200.
So one again I am convinced to hang onto my Silver Stars and my 1980 Reborn Old!