USA Strats with (4) pieces of wood

[sytharnia1560]

you guys do know the tonal properties of glue are highly sort after right??.....especially mid 70's glue

 

[jlb32]

I personally would not let it bother you if the guitar still looks great and plays great.

Using multi-piece bodies is nothing new from Fender or others for regular production guitars. Guitar manufacturers do not waste wood so as long as the wood is of great quality, the amount of pieces isn't really a huge deal or something out of the ordinary IMO.

Most manufacturers keep the one piece bodies for the more expensive Custom Shop models but even at times they can be 2 pieces or maybe even 3. The wood quality is usually sorted from highest to lowest also.

Custom Shop gets the best highest quality selection of wood coming in, USA production gets the next highest quality wood and the lesser (but still great wood) goes for the lower level/made outside the USA models.

I get it, but would you have purchased that beautiful PRS in your avatar if it had 4 pieces of mahogany on the back?

To me it depends on the company. Fender is known for this so it's not out of the norm and most buying Fenders kind of expect it. If PRS or others did that are known for using one or 2 pieces all of a sudden went with 4 or more piece bodies it would be shocking and most would turn away.

 

[maxguitars]

The lowering of standards. Why put up with it? You can buy a strat from carvin (standard 2-piece body) or for $50 up-charge they will sell you a 1-piece body for about $800 all in with a case made in San Deigo. What can't fender do that for what they charge?

 

[ibzprestige]

SLOgriff if you're talking about all the ones they have at the Guitar Center in Phoenix, I just went there today and yeah, the ones with translucent finishes looked ugly with all those multiple uneven cuts of wood. I tried out an American standard that was fiesta red with all rosewood neck today that wasn't bad, but for $1400 that thing was set up horribly.

 

[SLOgriff]

SLOgriff if you're talking about all the ones they have at the Guitar Center in Phoenix, I just went there today and yeah, the ones with translucent finishes looked ugly with all those multiple uneven cuts of wood. I tried out an American standard that was fiesta red with all rosewood neck today that wasn't bad, but for $1400 that thing was set up horribly.

Yeah, I visit that GC at least once a month. Usually leave disappointed, mainly from the pleathora of cheap gear being sold these days. The one I was leaning towards (but won't buy) is at Bizarre Guitar on 7th Ave. I'll probably settle for a 3-piece body but just can't pay $1300 for a new 4-piece body American Standard.

 

[PWE Amplification]

Actually I've found that 3 piece bodies can sound really good if the bridge and pickups are on the center piece and not on two pieces of wood. Most clients want 2 piece for aesthetic reasons but there's nothing wrong with a 3 piece body if it's made correctly. As for making bodies out of 4, 5, 6 pieces, they might come out sounding great but I would have a problem building a guitar out of shop scraps.

 

[rupe]

The lowering of standards. Why put up with it? You can buy a strat from carvin (standard 2-piece body) or for $50 up-charge they will sell you a 1-piece body for about $800 all in with a case made in San Deigo. What can't fender do that for what they charge?

Overhead driven by an astronomical marketing/advertising budget, lawsuits, and inflated executive compensation.

 

[paulyc]

I have a '79 Strat and it's a 3 piece ash body, not heavy at all. I had it stripped and refinished in nitro by MJT with a relic job. Love it.