Super Strat suggestion thread... Balaguer, Chubtone, etc?

[mystixboi]

My 15 year anniversary with my office is coming up. with it, I'll be getting a small bonus. I'm looking to put part of that towards a super strat "dream build". I'm looking to get something like the attached image.

Some of the specs I'm looking for are:

- Roasted Ash Body
- Roasted Maple Neck
- Stainless Steel Frets
- Locking Tuners
- HSS Pickup config - with custom switching in the 4th position to make the two singles act as a humbucker
- Gotoh 510 bridge

If I got this from Balaguer, it would be around $1750. If I got it from Chubtones, it would be $1895. I don't mind going used. I could get an Ibanez AZ Tom Quayle for around $1800 if I looked around enough, but I already have an Ibanez AZ HSS so that would be kind of redundant. A Kiesel Delos build would be around $1500 or so.

Any others? My top price point on this would be $2000.

 

[Racerxrated]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

 

[mystixboi]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

 

[Metlupass2]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

 

[paulyc]

Chubtone

 

[mystixboi]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

I've owned 10 BG's, all made in SK. They all go to Joe's show in PA before being shipped out and he and his head tech go over each one before they are sent out. I'd easily put them up against my Music Man's and Kiesels any day.

They aren't made in WMI either. It's a smaller shop with 3 master luthiers.

 

[guitarnerdswe]

Just a thought on your switching: Unless you're familiar with and love middle + neck in series, I'd strongly advice against it. It sounds nothing like a humbucker, and I don't think it's even a usable tone at all. It just sounds like a weird and tubby version of the middle & neck position on a regular strat. A much more usable tone is to ditch the middle pickup by itself, and run the middle position as split bucker & neck. Not exactly like a Telecaster, but it's usable. I do that myself on one of my Suhrs via a mini toggle.

 

[LP Freak]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

No question there

 

[Metlupass2]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

I've owned 10 BG's, all made in SK. They all go to Joe's show in PA before being shipped out and he and his head tech go over each one before they are sent out. I'd easily put them up against my Music Man's and Kiesels any day.

They aren't made in WMI either. It's a smaller shop with 3 master luthiers.

I have no problem with a Korean made guitar but NOT for $1750. There are sooooo many us or even Japan made guitars for that price.

 

[mystixboi]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

I've owned 10 BG's, all made in SK. They all go to Joe's show in PA before being shipped out and he and his head tech go over each one before they are sent out. I'd easily put them up against my Music Man's and Kiesels any day.

They aren't made in WMI either. It's a smaller shop with 3 master luthiers.

I have no problem with a Korean made guitar but NOT for $1750. There are sooooo many us or even Japan made guitars for that price.

I hear that… I bought my first suhr modern satin for 1775 new

A buddy of mine just bought an Eastman made in China for 1200

 

[vultures]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

I've owned 10 BG's, all made in SK. They all go to Joe's show in PA before being shipped out and he and his head tech go over each one before they are sent out. I'd easily put them up against my Music Man's and Kiesels any day.

They aren't made in WMI either. It's a smaller shop with 3 master luthiers.

I have no problem with a Korean made guitar but NOT for $1750. There are sooooo many us or even Japan made guitars for that price.

I dropped about $2400 on my Korean Balaguer. Haven't gotten it yet, but so far I think I'll have no regrets. One of my update pics:

 

[mystixboi]

So, the Balauger is USA made for that price? If not I’d go Chubtone....nothing against Balauger as I’ve heard nothing but good things. But USA for the win.

South Korea. They have US line but it would be out of my price range.

$1750 for a Korean made guitar?! Pass!

Go with a Chubtone

I've owned 10 BG's, all made in SK. They all go to Joe's show in PA before being shipped out and he and his head tech go over each one before they are sent out. I'd easily put them up against my Music Man's and Kiesels any day.

They aren't made in WMI either. It's a smaller shop with 3 master luthiers.

I have no problem with a Korean made guitar but NOT for $1750. There are sooooo many us or even Japan made guitars for that price.

I dropped about $2400 on my Korean Balaguer. Haven't gotten it yet, but so far I think I'll have no regrets. One of my update pics:

Nice. I saw him at on the Facebook group. Looking forward to seeing with that look like when it’s done