Fender's new answer to Suhr and Tom Anderson ...

[Suhr]

Can somebody also please tell me the definition of a Superstrat?
I have Fender Stratocasters with humbuckers in them. Are they Supertrats?

A Superstrat to me: A humbucker in the bridge (sometimes in the neck as well)...hotter than average, fast necks with flatter radiuses...often compound, trems in most cases,....including Floyds, contoured bodies, often sleek-contoured neck heels, often locking tuners in place of traditional tuners but not always, sometimes maple caps, etc.

If that's the definition of a superstrat, Fender has been making them for something like 25 years. I think the Strat Plus was the first variation with Lace Sensors. Jeff Beck's current signature model has 3 stacked hot noiseless humbuckers, locking tuners, roller nut, contoured heel, two-point bridge, etc. Even the American Deluxe HSS guitars have these characteristics. The Select Series just seems like a much more expensive version of the Deluxe Series with carved tops and bindings. I'm assuming the pickups are not noiseless though.

Other people have been making them for over 30 years.
When Super Strats first started coming out all Fenders production was coming from Asia and they were just trying to get their shit together building simple strats.

 

[Suhr]

Fender CS was making these as production models in the 90's

Yeah and who do you think had a large input in to that guitar and the Showmasters?

 

[Digital Jams]

Fender CS was making these as production models in the 90's

Yeah and who do you think had a large input in to that guitar and the Showmasters?

Was it you or Tom? The story I heard was that Fender was WAY late to the superstrat party and they had either you or Tom put together their toothpaste logo "Strat" series and also the stagemasters.

 

[Suhr]

This is not a slight against any high dollar guitar maker but as a consumer I'm allowed to not get caught up in forum hype and after playing them for myself say it's not worth it. All IMO and from my own experience trying and buying.

This doesn't make sense though since Fender has instruments that are all over in price point. Many blow away the prices of all smaller boutique builders.
Whether or not the up charges are worth it to anyone is a personal choice. Our guitars start at around $2K though.

 

[Suhr]

Yeah and who do you think had a large input in to that guitar and the Showmasters?

Was it you or Tom? The story I heard was that Fender was WAY late to the superstrat party and they had either you or Tom put together their toothpaste logo "Strat" series and also the stagemasters.[/quote]

We did those guitars while I worked at Fender based off what I did with Pensa-Suhr and Mark Knopfler.
I actually fought the Strat sized body and pushed for the Dinky but I lost in the first round. Gene Baker, John Page and I were working on these models.
Laster they finally did the Showmaster CS which was a down sized body. We actually cut the first 50+ pieces for Fender on the Carved Top Showmaster and programmed the carve cutting for them.

 

[killertone]

I could care less what other people play. Put your big boy pants on and play/buy what you want.

 

[SLOgriff]

I used to play Fender strats exclusivey for years......but I got tired of finding 3 & 4 pieces of wood under the paint and the quality was hit and miss. You can slap a pretty top on a guitar but it still won't compete with a Suhr or Anderson. I LOVE the Suhr Pro Series....I get 2 pieces of quality wood under the paint or under a nice maple top. I've talked to John Suhr on the phone a couple times and this guy cares and just builds guitars the wa I have always wanted Fender to....

Even those 90's Showmasters talked about above were overpriced and still lacked in tone and playability! Go to guitar Center and pick up all the fenders in their Fender room....boring and overpriced for what you get!! Not so with Suhr!

 

[Digital Jams]

I could care less what other people play. Put your big boy pants on and play/buy what you want.

You play duncans for christ sake, all forum cred is gone bro.

 

[killertone]

I could care less what other people play. Put your big boy pants on and play/buy what you want.

You play duncans for christ sake, all forum cred is gone bro.

That was all I had...my life is so empty now.

 

[jcj]

I could care less what other people play. Put your big boy pants on and play/buy what you want.

Best post of a very painful thread

 

[Digital Jams]

Regardless of what flag you may fly from the late 70s till around 1987 was a great time for player's guitars. Guitars that would do what you wanted them to do and make it easier. From Groover Jackson and his Charvels, Anderson and Pensa-Suhr to Ibanez releasing the JEM and RG550 lots of creativity was flying around. The giants got so relaxed and comfortable that a sham of a USA company Kramer almost bought gibson and fender had no answer to that time's player.

You can argue all you want but one can argue guys like Suhr and Anderson made sure the guitars we know today made it to today..........................

 

[skoora]

This is not a slight against any high dollar guitar maker but as a consumer I'm allowed to not get caught up in forum hype and after playing them for myself say it's not worth it. All IMO and from my own experience trying and buying.

This doesn't make sense though since Fender has instruments that are all over in price point. Many blow away the prices of all smaller boutique builders.
Whether or not the up charges are worth it to anyone is a personal choice. Our guitars start at around $2K though.

Sure it makes sense. Fender has many options for less than $1500 and even $1000 that are great guitars. All IMO of course. They also have Custom shop stuff which is in fantasy land, just like Gibson. But like Gibson they're for collectors/hobbyists with lots of money. G&L's are even better in my opinion than Fender and also pretty custom if requested for well under $2000. But on the other hand many feel the perceived attention to detail with a company's like yourself, Anderson or Grosh are worth a premium. I don't say perceived sarcastically, just that I don't know for myself. I guess for me I would rather own a few nice but different guitars than have just one uber, money guitar. Same with amps. I'm glad I'm pretty much a Gibson guy because if the set neck, mahogany guitar world had the options the bolt-on neck world had I would explode.

I reckon for most they find a neck shape/fretboard that rocks their socks and if it's an Anderson for eg., well you start saving up.
I'm just fortunate that for a strat/tele type guitar I found some G&L necks that do that for me.