Upgrading Guitar This Week

[lilBB]

Axefolks,

Time to leave my beginning guitar on the shelf (the one in my profile pic- yamaha fatstrat copy)

I like the way it played so much that I'm simply gonna get the real thing - Highway One HSS Stratocaster. Retail for 699.00 or 749.00 depending on color.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Highway-One-HSS-Stratocaster?sku=512870

anyone had any experience on it? thoughts? suggestions?

Peace

[gtrdave]

I think it's a great guitar for the money. You're not going to find an axe with those appointments and that quality for less $$$, imho.
Seriously, a genuine nitrocelulose finish, med/jumbo frets, alnico magnet pickups, and genuine American-made Fender quality for $750 or less.
That's a deal.
That said, you might want to look for a used Fender American Standard Strat...probably cost about the same.

[lilBB]

I think it's a great guitar for the money. You're not going to find an axe with those appointments and that quality for less $$$, imho.
Seriously, a genuine nitrocelulose finish, med/jumbo frets, alnico magnet pickups, and genuine American-made Fender quality for $750 or less.
That's a deal.
That said, you might want to look for a used Fender American Standard Strat...probably cost about the same.

thanks much Dave. are the Highway One's American made?

im gonna try to go play some different models during lunch, but i pretty much have to have the single/single/humbucker configuration. hopefully they've got some used ones as well. so many musicians in memphis, you rarely find something good and used.

[Dnell]

Yes, the Highway One instruments are made in the U.S., but like Dave said check out the used market,don't look past the Mexican made stuff too fast...because some of those are very nice.

[gtrdave]

thanks much Dave. are the Highway One's American made?

im gonna try to go play some different models during lunch, but i pretty much have to have the single/single/humbucker configuration. hopefully they've got some used ones as well. so many musicians in memphis, you rarely find something good and used.

Yes, Highway 1's are made in America but they have a few different features than the American Standard series, most notably the use of a traditional 6 screw bridge, vintage string trees, and a large '70s-style headstock...and the thin nitro satin finish.

There is a store here locally that had a genuine American Standard Strat for sale for $750. I went and checked it out and there was nothing wrong with it that I could tell. Sadly, I didn't have the cash to spare or I probably would have picked it up.
I may go check and see if it's still there...

Those kinds of deals, while rare, seem to find me on a regular basis. I paid $570 for a new American Standard Tele back in 2000 when the new models were selling for about $750. I then paid $630 for a new Am. Std. Strat in 2001 when they were selling for $800. My Godin Solidac normally sells for $700...I paid just over $250. My Godin Freeway 5 bass sells for around $600...I paid $380. I'm not talking retail price here...these were normal street prices and I, by God's grace, happened to find these great deals.

[JayP5150]

FWIW, I bought my Am. Std. Telecaster for $680 used. That was years ago, but it was less than a year old, and still had the plastic stuck to the pickguard.

Let us know what you find.

Happy hunting (that's half of the excitement to me lol).

[lilBB]

The Kill -

Highway One Black finish new (retail 749.00)  (didn't buy instantly, played for bout 30 min and really was pleased)

1 used but firmly intact hardshell Fender case

2 Monster Cables - 21'

1 set of .09 D'Addario strings.

Grand Total - 1 million dollars....that's what it felt like.... but really.....$800.00

[JayP5150]

That's not too bad. I always try to finagle a new set of strings out of them for free, though lol. At least a polishing cloth.

You have to change your avatar now...

[lilBB]

  definitely gotta change the avatar. try to have somethin by tomorrow.

i felt like i did OK. since the guitar alone retailed at 749.00...50 bucks for two Monsters, a hardshell, strings, and cloth (forgot to mention) didnt seem terribly bad.

...of course the word "hundred" after anything always feels bad, lol.

[gtrdave]

Sounds like a deal to me.

Post some pics soon!

[Abe]

The Kill -
Highway One Black finish new (retail 749.00)  (didn't buy instantly, played for bout 30 min and really was pleased)
1 used but firmly intact hardshell Fender case
2 Monster Cables - 21'
1 set of .09 D'Addario strings.
Grand Total - 1 million dollars....that's what it felt like.... but really.....$800.00

Sounds like a cool deal.
Do you catch this deal at Guitar Center, Martin Music on G'town Parkway or the classifieds?

Abe from Memphis 

[lilBB]

Sounds like a cool deal.
Do you catch this deal at Guitar Center, Martin Music on G'town Parkway or the classifieds?

Abe from Memphis 

MARTIN MUSIC?? didn't even know there was a place! now ive got to go see their stuff.

got it from G Center.

gotta say thanks to JayP cuz I wouldn't have know to try to negotiate for a case or something if he hadn't put it in a thread awhile back.

you can't tell me that LGM is not helpful!

Pics coming soon! ( i feel like a schoolboy all over again)

[JayP5150]

Thanks, I forgot about that thread lol.

The big guys usually aren't too good about throwing stuff in, but if you're dealing with the smaller stores, they "need" to sell stuff, so they're good about helping you out.

You made out pretty good there.

My cousin just bought a Seagull acoustic, and he got a softshell case, and $.50 off a pack of strings lol (I guess the guy was kinda being a jerk to him, though--tried to talk him out of his string preference and everything--I hate that. I've used the strings I use for years... that's what I want... sorry, got off topic there...).

[rish1906]

thts a great guitar..but like someone said dont look passed the used market though....but it sounds like u got your mind made up aleady thats a good thing...lolol...but i just bought a 1993 Mex fender strat from a guitar show for 200 bucks...i waited right untill they closed and hit em up..the guys at guitar center told me that they would of spent almost 800 to a 1000 for it...that made me feel good..ill post a pic...

[Abe]

MARTIN MUSIC?? didn't even know there was a place! now ive got to go see their stuff.

got it from G Center.

gotta say thanks to JayP cuz I wouldn't have know to try to negotiate for a case or something if he hadn't put it in a thread awhile back.

you can't tell me that LGM is not helpful!

Pics coming soon! ( i feel like a schoolboy all over again)

Here's the address:
Martin Music Guitar
8014 Club Center Drive, Suite 12
Cordova, Tennessee 38018
Phone: 901.757.9020

http://www.martinmusicguitar.com/

Be careful not to stumble over the amps and guitars when you fist walk in the door. 

[buddy_guise]

     Congrats on the H1 strat lil BB.  There's also a Yarborough Music store two exits south of that GC also.  They don't have as big of a selection as GC, but they have some that you might not find there also.  ** Also, a guitar tech in Clarksdale, MS told me about this pawn shop south of memphis... just before Robinsonville.  He said that the owner doesn't know guitars at all.  The guy had a Squire for $350 and an Am. strat( that he bought right away) for $150!!!   
     I've been trying to decide if I should buy this 06 Am. Strat (HSS roller nut, maybe S1 switching... don't know) that I saw here for $650 or the Carvin DC...400 maybe( Wilkinson Trem, locking tuners, coil taps and phase switch) for $650 also.     I can't decide.  Anybody play Carvin?

[lilBB]

     Congrats on the H1 strat lil BB.  There's also a Yarborough Music store two exits south of that GC also.  They don't have as big of a selection as GC, but they have some that you might not find there also.  ** Also, a guitar tech in Clarksdale, MS told me about this pawn shop south of memphis... just before Robinsonville.  He said that the owner doesn't know guitars at all.  The guy had a Squire for $350 and an Am. strat( that he bought right away) for $150!!!  
     I've been trying to decide if I should buy this 06 Am. Strat (HSS roller nut, maybe S1 switching... don't know) that I saw here for $650 or the Carvin DC...400 maybe( Wilkinson Trem, locking tuners, coil taps and phase switch) for $650 also.     I can't decide.  Anybody play Carvin?

thanks for the info buddy. i need to get to Clarksdale ASAP!

got 1 glitch in the guitar that ive got to get straightened out..... in the middle pickup position (5 way switch) the tone knobs don't alter the sound ONE bit. neck tone control works on the top two neck pickups, and bridge tone control works on the bottom two bridge pickups...but i gets nada when in the middle position.

other than that, its wonderful, just felt like the folks at GC knew that and didn't tell me. and I'm responsible for not checkin that when i was there too.

its all good tho. axe has been good to me otherwise. i thought i would be the only one to notice the difference in sound than the old one, but just about erebody notices. extra icing on the cake.

[JayP5150]

I'll have to look into it some, but I think that's how the Strat's are wired.

funkstrat will know off hand. I'll look into it. I believe that one tone knob is for the bridge pu, and the other is for the neck pu (or one is for one, and the other is for both).

I'll look it up.

Besides, tone knobs are silly. Keep that monkey on 10  . The Wolfgang doesn't even have one lol.

[JayP5150]

http://www.fender.com/support/diagrams/pdf_temp1/stratocaster/0111700B/SD0111700BPg4.pdf

Here it is... sho' nuff... the middle pickup by itself does not have a tone control.

The tone closest to the volume controls the neck and the neck-middle combo; the tone farthest from the volume controls the bridge and the brige-middle combo. The middle pickup alone does not have a tone control.

Wow, I can't believe I remember stuff like this lol. I'm a nerd.

[lilBB]

lol..an extremely helpful nerd! thanks Jay, always able to assist man.

i like to to tone it down when playing more jazzy stuff, get a mellow tone. guess it doesnt make a whole lot o sense since i got a semi-hollowbody. just haven't gotten into switchin guitars for songs. maybe a few years down the line.

now that i know its all good, i can stop crying (sniff), and continue as normal (sniff).

i do have a minor testimony. my playing has really opened up over the last couple weeks. watchin clips of Joe Pass and Jairus Mozee (cat from Gibby's post), and Uriah's "My Faith Looks Up to Thee Post"....its finally gotten me interested in theory.  .

learned stuff i kiiiinda knew but not really..... Em and its inversions can substitute for Cmaj7... learned that one of my favorite chords is called "diminished" now i recognize it every time. learned a I VI II V progression and substitutions for it. and i had this Tamia song on my computer ("Sittin on the job") that's straight guitar using augmented, maj7, and diminished chords. sat down yesterday and was able to figure it out strictly from learning the new stuff past few days. had had the song for months and never knew what was goin on.

had known 1 or 2 maj7 voicings but not this one...Cmaj7    x3223x (or x3243x....which is adding a '9' i believe)..

to know me is to know that speaking this stuff if like learning english all over again, but knowin that im even close to understandin the guitar better is a really good feeling. gotta say thanks to all you guys and your theory posts too.

okay im done. thanks for listenin guys and gals.