Ben Randolph
Power User
All,
This has been a purchase years in the making. For years I've had the idea of a top-quality Strat that has vintage tonality, but with modern playing enhancements, all with the best woods, electronics and materials all around. I researched guitars, including the usual top-end suspects like Suhr, Anderson, FCS and even the Eric Johnson Signature Strat.
Around five years ago I was ready to make the purchase to celebrate a certain awesome life event, but decided at the last minute that I would really benefit from a good Gibson guitar, and bought my 2006 Gibson Custom Shop SG Standard (a decision I have not regretted at all!).
Having 2 other Strats, a '57 American Vintage RI and the Bencaster (a mutt of a Strat lovingly pieced together by myself over the years), I decided that it would be foolish to get yet another Strat. So, while I'd occasionally look wistfully at Strats online or on the rack, I could never justify the purchase.
I told myself I didn't want a relic, as my Gibson already has light relicing (equivalent to a Fender Closet Classic) and one of my Strats has a Road Worn body.
Back in November, a nice Custom Shop Strat caught my eye on the Sweetwater site. Knowing that I only live once, I took the plunge. It was not in stock at the time, but Sweetwater estimated they could get it around mid-January. I told them no problem and set to waiting. Well, in January, I was informed that the CS gave them a revised date of March. March rolls around and the CS pushes that date back to June.
Well....darn!
I talked with my Sweetwater rep and decided to cancel the CS and apply the purchase price to another guitar in stock. I knew I wanted Olympic White and a rosewood fingerboard. The closest guitar they had in stock was a 1963 Time Machine Relic.
"Well...." I think to myself "....maybe I should give the relic a try. Pickings from the Fender CS these days for non-relics is rather slim, and that thin nitro coat and worn in feel might be just what I like. I can return it if I don't like it."
Sweetwater knocking 10% off the price sealed the deal. She arrived Saturday before last, and I haven't been able to put her down. The guitar feels fantastic and is very nicely balanced tonally. The neck plays like a dream. It was even setup perfectly out of the box. I couldn't be happier!
It has all the mojo of a vintage Strat, but with a 9.5 radius and big frets.
R84673-front-large
R84673-detail2-large
R84673-detail1-large
R84673-body-large
R84673-backbody-large
R84673-back-large
R84673-angle-large
This has been a purchase years in the making. For years I've had the idea of a top-quality Strat that has vintage tonality, but with modern playing enhancements, all with the best woods, electronics and materials all around. I researched guitars, including the usual top-end suspects like Suhr, Anderson, FCS and even the Eric Johnson Signature Strat.
Around five years ago I was ready to make the purchase to celebrate a certain awesome life event, but decided at the last minute that I would really benefit from a good Gibson guitar, and bought my 2006 Gibson Custom Shop SG Standard (a decision I have not regretted at all!).
Having 2 other Strats, a '57 American Vintage RI and the Bencaster (a mutt of a Strat lovingly pieced together by myself over the years), I decided that it would be foolish to get yet another Strat. So, while I'd occasionally look wistfully at Strats online or on the rack, I could never justify the purchase.
I told myself I didn't want a relic, as my Gibson already has light relicing (equivalent to a Fender Closet Classic) and one of my Strats has a Road Worn body.
Back in November, a nice Custom Shop Strat caught my eye on the Sweetwater site. Knowing that I only live once, I took the plunge. It was not in stock at the time, but Sweetwater estimated they could get it around mid-January. I told them no problem and set to waiting. Well, in January, I was informed that the CS gave them a revised date of March. March rolls around and the CS pushes that date back to June.
Well....darn!
I talked with my Sweetwater rep and decided to cancel the CS and apply the purchase price to another guitar in stock. I knew I wanted Olympic White and a rosewood fingerboard. The closest guitar they had in stock was a 1963 Time Machine Relic.
"Well...." I think to myself "....maybe I should give the relic a try. Pickings from the Fender CS these days for non-relics is rather slim, and that thin nitro coat and worn in feel might be just what I like. I can return it if I don't like it."
Sweetwater knocking 10% off the price sealed the deal. She arrived Saturday before last, and I haven't been able to put her down. The guitar feels fantastic and is very nicely balanced tonally. The neck plays like a dream. It was even setup perfectly out of the box. I couldn't be happier!
It has all the mojo of a vintage Strat, but with a 9.5 radius and big frets.
R84673-front-large R84673-detail2-large R84673-detail1-largeR84673-body-large R84673-backbody-large R84673-back-large R84673-angle-large
