why and how is this possible.....a strat I like?

[st.bede]

I played a strat today...an american standrad with an ash body...and I really like it.....it looked just like this (except it was right handed)....

I played another am. standard that I hated because it sounded so different....that looked like this:

the salesmen said they were both the same...I looked carfully at them both and the PUs looked to be adjusted to the same hieght.....

now, I have played many am stand teles that are damm near the same if not completly the same....so I am assuming that with the use of computers fender starts are all pretty identical except for the known difference...such as a alder vrs ash or, different types.....say the EC vrs the RC....what is going on here?

another question is the strat was a two piece body???? is that the norm on am stand?
(this is all about the sound not playing differences...)

 

[st.bede]

I think I answered my question....I bet one was ash (Ash on:
(747)** Sienna Sunburst, **add $100.00 for Special Wood Requirements,) and the other was alder (Alder on: (712) Candy Cola,)
....so I love an alder tele but I really like ash strats....

 

[overdriver]

I think I answered my question....I bet one was ash (Ash on:
(747)** Sienna Sunburst, **add $100.00 for Special Wood Requirements,) and the other was alder (Alder on: (712) Candy Cola,)
....so I love an alder tele but I really like ash strats....

Thats one of the reasons , the other is that any Strat or tele even same models , they can and do sound different. Not so much an ASH or Alder thing IMO ,more this or that guitar .When ever I shop Strat ,I play many till I find one. Best to buy the one you find rather then , just ordering in the same model. Like say you like that one but Joe down the road can get one in 3 weeks for 50$ less, may not be the same at all. IMO

 

[jomo]

You gotat play Strats, you can't buy one site unseen. There are huge differences. Now most of the Custom Shops that I've played are a "safer" bet but still.....

 

[ellem52]

Were the fret boards as shown above? Maple on one and Rosewood on the other? There's a pretty big "pop" difference between those woods. Maple is much brighter sounding.

 

[jhollon]

i have a maple neck on mine. switched it out for a rosewood neck for all of about two hours. maple put back on and rosewood sold on ebay. maple is perfect on the strat.....

 

[st.bede]

i have a maple neck on mine. switched it out for a rosewood neck for all of about two hours. maple put back on and rosewood sold on ebay. maple is perfect on the strat.....

the poppyest guitar I have evey played was a robert cray strat with an rosewood fretboard....???? I really do not know what to think but, I feel that maybe the whole fretboard thing is just not true....

and also the strat I like was the one with a rosewood fret board where as the other one had a maple and the maple one sounded muddy to me...wher as the rosewood one had a great snap. but not as overbearing as the EJ or the RC.....

THE BIG QUESTION IS: is there really such a difference between one strat and another (same model same wood etc...)...I mean if I did not know that i had sold my tele many years ago I would think that the tele I bought last year was the same one...the tonal difference are slight....

 

[overdriver]

i have a maple neck on mine. switched it out for a rosewood neck for all of about two hours. maple put back on and rosewood sold on ebay. maple is perfect on the strat.....

IMo the way it was meant to be!

 

[overdriver]

THE BIG QUESTION IS: is there really such a difference between one strat and another (same model same wood etc...)...I mean if I did not know that i had sold my tele many years ago I would think that the tele I bought last year was the same one...the tonal difference are slight....[/QUOTE]



Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I mentioned that. also Most are pretty good ,some are fantastic some are P.O.S. form all the decades of manufacture and place of manufacture.

 

[996ttcab]

Do you guys have Strats? I have played Strats since at least 1981 and had a 72 Strat from 1981 until 1986. I also had some 80s models during the 80s, and since I have had a Custom Shop and an American Deluxe. I have played many of them through the years and I have played the newer Ash bodes in addition to some very nice Vintage Strats and I do not find that big of a difference in body material alone. I find more of a difference due to hardware and between the different models, especially the artist models like the EJ, Malm, SRV, and the Custom Shop. I do think the Rosewood and maple makes a difference in sound, but that could also be a mental thing since I just prefer playing on the maple.

 

[MrWrong]

I have a 4 strats, including an Ash American Deluxe which may be what you played, the Ash Am Deluxe has the S-1 switching with SCN pickups which are very different in tone than an MIA Standard which has different pickups. I don't believe they have an Ash Am. Standard, just and Ash Am. Deluxe. On the S-1 switching the the center of one of the control knobs depresses to toggle the S-1 cuircuit.

I really like the Ash.

Ash American Deluxe

American Standard

 

[996ttcab]

I really doubt that 99 percent of the people on here could tell a difference in sound, especially through most amps with distortion if the hardware was exactly the same.

Even the Master built solid colors, Custom shop solid colors and Artist series solid colors generally have alder bodies.

Ash is primarily used for aesthetics, otherwise they would offer it on solid color and not just the sunburst or thin skin finishes. Ash can be a tad heavier than Alder but the grain stands out more. The Ash body does have a slightly fuller tone and sustain but partly because of the Sunburst and "thin coat" nitrocellulose finishes. This type of finish allows the moisture in the wood to escape over time and allows the wood to age which gives it more resonance. Some Ash bodies have been known to get ridges in them where the grain seperates at the rings. As part of the solution to that they use 2 piece mirrored Ash bodies instead of one solid piece. This is why you can sometimes see the seam in your thinner finishes.

Again, I seriously doubt anyone on hear can really tell a difference if hardware, FINISH and everything else was the same, especially if playing through an amp with gain. If you want a guitar with nice grain and finish where you can see the grain, get Ash.

I repeat, if Ash was so much better sound quality wise, all of the high end, master built and Custom Shop Solid colors would have Ash bodies and you would see more of it.

 

[st.bede]

it is just a difficult thing.....

I played the same guitar today and I did not groove on it....

but I tried a different one (at a different store) with the weird S1 switch and I thought that was pretty good....and it had a maple fretboard...

so now when I started: the EJ was great and played it another day and then did not like it....then I thought the am. stand. w/rosewood was great (not S1 thing) played it again and then did not like it....and now I really like an am. stand w/maple fretboard and (S1 switch) and I think it is my fav...but probably when I play again (on sunday or monday) who knows????...

WHO REALLY KNOWS WTF IS GOING ON....I am getting pretty confused

(it probably is that I am just not a strat guy)

 

[overdriver]

I really doubt that 99 percent of the people on here could tell a difference in sound, especially through most amps with distortion if the hardware was exactly the same.

Even the Master built solid colors, Custom shop solid colors and Artist series solid colors generally have alder bodies.

Ash is primarily used for aesthetics, otherwise they would offer it on solid color and not just the sunburst or thin skin finishes. Ash can be a tad heavier than Alder but the grain stands out more. The Ash body does have a slightly fuller tone and sustain but partly because of the Sunburst and "thin coat" nitrocellulose finishes. This type of finish allows the moisture in the wood to escape over time and allows the wood to age which gives it more resonance. Some Ash bodies have been known to get ridges in them where the grain seperates at the rings. As part of the solution to that they use 2 piece mirrored Ash bodies instead of one solid piece. This is why you can sometimes see the seam in your thinner finishes.

Again, I seriously doubt anyone on hear can really tell a difference if hardware, FINISH and everything else was the same, especially if playing through an amp with gain. If you want a guitar with nice grain and finish where you can see the grain, get Ash.

I repeat, if Ash was so much better sound quality wise, all of the high end, master built and Custom Shop Solid colors would have Ash bodies and you would see more of it.

Some good points, but would like to say many ASH bodied starts are three piece , form the get go to current ones( George liked 3 piece ash). IMO Nitro Vs. Poly is B.S. the best sounding strat I have ever come across was a 1969 polyester , took her out around town for several weekends(in the 80s) and put it up against over a 100 strats , vintage , RIs , MIJ RIs, MIA standards , found 1 that came close a 57 MIA RI.
All fender nitro finishes have a sealer coat so the breathing story doesn't jive with me.

To the do you guys own strats ?, yes I do ,have had at least 25 of them since 1968 never had 2 that sounded the same, have 2 now same model made the same year , same custom wound pups they sound different.

To the poster on whats going on. NO TWO GUITARS FROM ANY MANUFACTURE SOUND EXACTLY THE SAME EVEN ACOUSTIC GUITARS JUST PART OF THE MAJIC. NATURE OF THE BEAST. THE WAY SHE GOES. PLAY A BUNCH BUY AS THEY SAY, THE ONE THAT SPEAKS TO YA.

 

[overdriver]

I have a 4 strats, including an Ash American Deluxe which may be what you played, the Ash Am Deluxe has the S-1 switching with SCN pickups which are very different in tone than an MIA Standard which has different pickups. I don't believe they have an Ash Am. Standard, just and Ash Am. Deluxe. On the S-1 switching the the center of one of the control knobs depresses to toggle the S-1 cuircuit.

I really like the Ash.

Ash American Deluxe

American Standard

The AM Standard does come in ASH on the Sienia (sp?) burst . 100 $ more Did with the previous AM series as well and a HSS

 

[st.bede]

Thank you overdriver...I think you are getting at what I am experencing...

 

[overdriver]

Thank you overdriver...I think you are getting at what I am experencing...

Yes it is the way it is All guitars are like this, you got your greats in a model your average ball park sorta sounds right guitars and the WTF is wrong with this dead piece of poop. Billy Gibbons has many fine lps, but only 1 pearly , hasn't found one like it. although whatever guitar he uses he sounds great, but . IMO forget what a guitar is suspossed to sound like form what you have heard from other players, for one thing you are not those players , don't have their studio and amps etc. just find one that suits you and enjoy.

 

[overdriver]

You gotat play Strats, you can't buy one site unseen. There are huge differences. Now most of the Custom Shops that I've played are a "safer" bet but still.....

IMO this man knows what he is talking about!