The ShadowMusic Web Community

If it sounds as good as it looks you're on a winner there.

Just picked up one from 'Guitar Guitar' on Hagley Road , B'ham. Very nice looking & playing guitar with nice tweed case.
I will give it a set-up this afternoon. The first one I tried was off the shop wall, & had a fault of the middle pickup not working. Probably a bad connection in the switch, so I hope they have had a look at it.

Tony.

Cant believe how much these have gone up! I brought the normal mex classic 50s about 7 or 8 years ago now for £325 brand new! Great guitars though

Yes, I know what you mean. £700 + seems a lot to pay for a guitar that cost around £300 a few years back. I guess most of the price is now inflation, & the exchange rate going the wrong way. I bought a Squier 'Simon Neil' Strat in F.Red when they first were issued ( 5 years ago ??) for £260, & it is now costing well over £400 ! I think that good guitars are better than holding cash at present. Well, that's my excuse anyway .
At least with this new model you know being an FSR it's a limited edition, like the Jap Marvin. It has gold hardware, Custom '56 pickups, & a nice vintage tweed hardcase, which on it's own retails at about £120.

Tony.

Mine arrived this afternoon from Gear4Music and after trying it out and comparing with what I already have, I decided to send it back. It's basically a £350 guitar with gold parts and a tweed case + a lot of hype from the sellers.
It plays and sounds OK but wasn't as good as what I already have in that department and dare I mention the colour, it's not a nice fiesta red, it's dull.
This range has increased in price to almost double and I can confidently say that the Squier Classic Vibe that I had in fiesta red a couple of years ago sounded, played and looked far better for under £200.

Aah, the old Fiesta Red controversy. Well I think it's not too bad for a mid-priced, available guitar, for most of us. While I was at Guitar Guitar store, I noticed on the wall yer actual Custom Shop '56 models. Very nice for £2,600 + They were described as 'Faded Fiesta', & they did, I must admit look like the same shade as I saw in the early sixties in our stores. A milky Pink. But, I'll be happy to play this one under spotlights.
My Squier 'Simon Neil' Classic Vibe Strat will probably play as well as this one, & cost me a lot less, but times have moved on & so have prices. Maybe I will have the strength of will not to buy any more guitars, now.

Tony.

Mine arrived this afternoon. Looks great...loving the gold hardware and the tweed case.. and very happy so far with the way it plays and sounds. I bought a new Professional Strat earlier this year and the FSR seems a little mellower. May take me some time to get used to the different wiring on the tone pots though!

I guess this is just a MIM classic 50 with gold hardware as the price difference is not that great. Frightening how the prices have shot up... and disturbing to hear about current quality control (the one on the wall with middle pup not working...). My last classic 50 had the pups fail after half an hour and the jack plug escutcheon was severely damaged- obviously not checked by the factory or shop, (Thomman). Guitar looks nice though...and just the thing for Hank look-a-likes! I'm much more inclined these days to have to go into the shop to buy, rather than use online purchase which I've always done in the past with very little trouble.

Hi Tiger,
Yes, I'm sure it is simply a regular Classic series '50s Strat in Fiesta Red, but with Gold hardware, '56 pickups & a Fender Tweed case. It cost me £738, which when you add up the current cost of a Classic series Strat (£626 at Andertons). The '56 vintage pickups seem to be advertised anything from £80 to £170. The Tweed case with a Fender logo £120. So, total separates cost could be around £826 on a conservative side.
You can get faults on new guitars of any make & quality, even Custom shop models, so I guess quality control is not all that great anywhere. I know from experience at Andertons, that instruments ordered on line are simply shipped out of their warehouse in the un-opened packaging that they came in from the manufacturer. They do offer immediate replacement or compensation for faulty product.
I am tending to shop at my local stores, in person, these days; hence my discovery of the faulty pickup. Don't forget that if you don't use your local stores, one day you may find that they are not there any more.
Anyway, I am happy with what I got, & will give it a first outing tonight though my Boss Katana 100 combo at my local music club tonight.

Cheers, Tony.