I need opinions and comments from guitar players, please

I'm a six string hack. I've been playing since 1964, and can pretty much play along with any song, but I have no "chops" to speak of.

Don't laugh, but my current guitar is a 1976 US Made Fender Bullet. I like it just fine, has a real narrow neck. Plus American Fender. So what's the difference between a new Fender made in Mexico and the Fender "Squire" other than the Mexico guitar costs about $200 more (for either strat or tele)?

I know we all want a pre CBS Fender, and I lust over a friends 1977 US made Strat. But my skills don't justify the big bucks.
Thanks

Always been mainly a gibson player.

But I loved my 1972 Tobacco Sunburst Strat and Tele pair...



RL

What a frickin collection. The only guitar item I've owned that anyone would be interested in today was my Silvertone Twin Twelve Reverb tube amp from 1965. Worth around $300 on ebay. Everything else I've had has been bush league which is why I'd like to make one small step up. :hi:

I've sold everything in the pic except the Black Les Paul.

I bought that in High School in 1978 and will keep it forever, even though I don't play anymore.

The TV Yellow Les paul was a 1956 Special and it was autographed by Les Paul. I sold it to a collector for 300x what I paid for it.

At one time my roommate and I had over 20 guitars and basses in our apartment.

Ah, the 80's, when guitars were cheap, the drugs were good, the women plentiful, and sex wouldn't kill you.

:hi:

RL

as "investments" or something to hang on the wall. I just want to play.

If you're going to buy a sweet guitar just to hang on the wall, what's the point?

But the guitars were Ibanez. I didn't play but supported the band especially with food and a place to crash.

I'd keep what you have, especially if you're comfortable w/ it. If you're not doing it already, haunt the pawn shops and thrift stores; I bought an old acoustic Silvertone that looks just like this at a Goodwill for 79 bucks:

:hi:

RL

Was that a compliment? Don't know what happened to Kay.

The electrics were cheaply-made (but mighty) guitar beasts; Karl Precoda of The Dream Syndicate (now The Last Days Of May) must have destroyed 20 or 30 of them just by usage when he was with the band. That acoustic sounded so good....

Nice find!

I've got an old Mann acoustic I bought at another Goodwill for 30 bucks a couple years later that I swear sounds better than any Martin I've ever played. I usually get Rickrolled on the new guitars, so I stick to the pawnshops and thrift stores:D

not electronic gizmos.

Mine is a hand made 1972 Mervi from Valencia, Spain.

snarkiness of someone who plays the instrument in such a manner that individual fingers on BOTH hands are required to do something. :hi:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2VROY01EAg

:hi:

Is this supposed to be about talent and practice??????? No wonder I'm a three chord genius.

But check out this solo on electric guitar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATub40Npxik

but I have almost no experience with electric guitars. :P

Hence why I was thinking about skipping buying one and just learning how to make 'em myself.

of acoustic guitars. That was such a cool thing in the early '70s to buy an album and get the endorsement that playing loud was expected.

Wasn't born until '81. First modern music I ever heard that I realized I liked was Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.

I envy those who can make the instruments.

it doesn't take quite as great skill to make those as it does to make acoustic. :P

If I discover that I don't suck at it, I'll give acoustic a try. Until then... I don't want to risk creating an abomination out of something that should be beautiful.

that's the difference that matters. They really aren't playable instruments. All of the materials are worse, and the construction is worse.... and I think they're korean or chinese made, not mexican.

The mexican fenders are ok, but can be a little funny. If you have a chance, go play a couple, and buy the best one. The materials are pretty good (you may want to replace the pickups if you're going to be playing live or recording with it), it's just that there isn't the same level of quality control as on the US made guitars. If you have the money to spend, it's still worth laying out for an american made fender (for teles at least - I don't know anything about strats, because I think they suck).

Are you sure your bullet is a '77? I don't know anything about them, so I just did a little looking around, and it seemed from what I saw that the bullet didn't exist until the early 80's.

If you don't have your heart set on a fender, I'd suggest you check out reverend guitars, or if you don't mind (or like me, even like) the retro shape, phantom guitar works. The phantoms are US made, and at least some of the reverend guitars are. If you absolutely must have fender, you can still get 70's mustangs pretty cheap. They were a lower end guitar, like your bullet, but quite nice, I think.

Is there such a thing as an American made Fender anymore?

I didn't mean to be calling you a liar.

Yes! Fender still do make guitars in the US. Check out their website to see all of the models. A friend of mine has the american ash telecaster, and it's a fantastic guitar. It has a 50's neck shape, which isn't the most comfortable for me, but the sound and action are the best. I've played lots of american standard teles, and they're always fine - nothing special about them, but nothing wrong with them either.

I inherited a '62 stock strat a couple of years ago. I like the neck and it's tone is sweet. I bought the Mexican strar in 92. I can get good tone with the nobs at 2 & 3. The pickups are awesome at 10.

The nicest neck I ever played was on a 70's Fender Bullet.

If you want a higher grade fender go with the Mexican stuff or if you can, get one of those new robo-strats. I think Vintage and rare stuff is way over rated and ridiculously expensive.

It's like what the guy at the shop where I bought my Deluxe Reverb amp said when I asked what the difference between the silver faced and the reissue was. he said the re-issue comes with a 5 year warranty and a grounded plug, the silver face is a couple hundred bucks more and definitely needs work.

The headstock looks like a tele, but the neck is so thin and small, almost like a kids guitar. Wonder what the target market was.