The Black Friday 2018 guitars
It's time to list off my personal picks for guitars to get this holiday season.
Black Friday lands on November 23 in 2018, so to get the jump on what's good out there, I'm listing what I think are the axes to get before that day comes around.
My picks are a bit different this year in the respect that I'm covering a wide price range. The list below is from $200 to $2,500, starting with the lowest-priced first.
This is, without question, the "easiest" Jazzmaster there is, as it's just a simple hardtail build with two humbuckers. Great introduction to the Jazzmaster shape, and works great whether you leave it as-is or mod it.
If the Jazzmaster shape doesn't suit, this will. For a little more, this absolutely incredible value from Schecter is a genuinely good guitar. It looks way more expensive than it actually is. Very solid build all around.
Squier Vintage Modified '70s Stratocaster
This is a guitar I've personally owned before. Great Strat. Very easy way to get the big Strat headstock with a modern comfortable neck shape. This is one I regretted parting with and might buy another one someday because this axe definitely delivers proper Stratocaster tone and just looks cool.
Squier Classic Vibe '50s Stratocaster
This is the Strat to get if you prefer the '50s style and smaller headstock. Again, great guitar. Where this differs other than in appearance is that it has pickups with alnico III magnets that, while not having as strong of a pull as alnico V, does result in higher treble response and works better with vintage-style tones. In other words, if you want a Strat with as "clean" of a sound as possible without having to upgrade it, get this one.
The Tribute ASAT from G&L is a killer Telecaster style axe. It's a nice combination of vintage and modern touches, but what really sets it apart are the MFD pickups made in Fullerton, California. Pickups like what's in the ASAT are what most Tele players upgrade to, but you get them stock in this guitar.
Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top PRO
Most people cannot afford a Gibson Les Paul Standard, so the sensible choice is to go Epiphone. And the one people want is, of course, the Standard Plus Top PRO in Heritage Cherry Sunburst. This guitar is absolutely loaded with goodies and includes coil-splitting with its ProBucker pickups, so you really are getting something special with this guitar. I'm not a Les Paul guy myself, but even I can see that this Epi delivers.
I mentioned very recently this guitar will probably go away in 2019. 2018 will most likely be the very last year we'll see the Mexico-made Fender Standard Stratocaster. Fender lists that the Sunburst is the only one available right now, but you can also get it in black or in Arctic White.
This may be your last chance to get a Standard before it's permanently retired and the Player model completely replaces it.
Fender Classic Player Baja Telecaster
Originally a Fender Custom Shop model, this worked its way into the regular Fender lineup because so many players like it. The trick up the Baja Tele's sleeve is a 4-way switch where you can change back and forth between series and parallel wiring, and the S-1 switch for some serious tonal options. It's a hot-rodded Tele that completely keeps the look of a classic vintage Telecaster.
A mainstay in the Schecter lineup for a while now, the C-1 Hellraiser is a serious rock guitar. It's always sold well and everything is very well put together. This is a no-brainer buy for anyone that wants a rock guitar that needs absolutely no upgrades whatsoever. Out of the box, this thing is ready to go. And it's a gorgeous guitar with a nice sense of elegance to it. Not overdone, not underdone. Just right. You'll get a smile on your face every time you look at this resting on its guitar stand before picking it up to play it.
While true the current Fender American Professional Jaguar is largely inspired by the Marr Jaguar and costs less, I still prefer the Marr version because of the extra controls on the top horn. That, and I think the headstock logo on the Marr Jag looks cooler. The mods done to this particular Jag are what most fans of this guitar would want in the first place. Easy-to-use four-position blade selector on the bottom horn, upper horn switches (one "universal bright" switch, one "4 position bright" switch), taller tremolo arm with nylon sleeve to prevent arm swing, and just an excellent player all around. Great Jag. Again, the Am. Pro Jag is no slouch, but I still think this is the better guitar where a modernized Jag is concerned.
Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster
I've said it before and will say it again, this is the best Artist Series Stratocaster that Fender makes. Yes, even better than the Clapton Strat. Why? Because it has the most features that players would actually use. Note that there are no string trees on the headstock because it already has special staggered-height tuners that eliminates the need for them. The fingerboard is a 12" radius like a Les Paul, making for easier note bending without fretting out. The neck shape is a "soft V" contour (very comfortable).
A note on this guitar: It does not have a plastic rear cover for the rear tremolo spring area, nor are there any holes drilled in the body to place a cover on back there. This is the way Eric Johnson wanted it, and I 100% agree with the decision since getting strings through that cover has ALWAYS been a pain in the butt when doing string changes.
Again, this is the best Artist Series Strat there is. There are of course other Artist Series Strats, but they all have dopey things done to them while this one has all the things done you would want to have (much like the Johnny Marr Jaguar mods).
Ibanez JS2410 Joe Satriani Signature
Last on the list and most expensive is the Ibanez JS2410. While not my style of guitar, I can't deny that this is one serious badass axe. It has all the toys. The pickups are both DiMarzio with the bridge being a "Mo' Joe" and the neck being "Satch Track" (note the dual rails, there's no hum noise here). All frets feature "Prestige fret edge treatment", meaning every fret is machined to perfection. Neck is a 3-piece of maple + bubinga for ultimate stability. Electronics feature push/pull coil-tap on the tone knob that changes the humbucker to a single-coil. Even the tremolo arm is an "Ultralite" for ridiculously smooth and easy tremolo use.
Like I said, this is a badass axe. It has a high price tag, to be sure. But there's nothing else like it. The color is MCO, which means "Muscle Car Orange". And that's just cool.
Again, not my style of guitar, but with this one you totally do get what you pay for. And yes, it does come provided with a hardshell case.
Happy shopping, everyone.
Is the Fender Standard Stratocaster going away?
This guitar will probably be gone very soon.
I noticed something on the Fender.com web site recently. Although the Standard Stratocaster is still listed there, it's not listed as a main category of Strat anymore.
Uh-oh.
Only one Standard Stratocaster is listed for sale, the Sunburst with 1-piece maple neck. That's it. No other choices.
This strongly indicates that 2018 is the final year you can buy a Standard Stratocaster new. After this, the model that replaces it is the Player Stratocaster.
We saw the retirement of several Fender models over the past few years. American Standard was replaced with American Professional, American Vintage was replaced with American Original, and so on. But the one that held out the longest was the Mexico-made Standard. And that's the one that will most likely not survive into 2019.
What does this mean for the Strat?
A few things.
- It's probably the last time ever you can buy a Fender Strat for under $600.
- It's probably the last time you'll see a non-vintage/special model with the 6-screw bridge instead of the 2-point.
- It's probably the last time you'll see a non-vintage/special model with a 21-fret neck instead of the modern 22.
- With the retirement of this model, the most mod-friendly Strat will be gone from the lineup.
It's #4 that takes most Strat players by surprise.
When you want a Fender Strat that uses 100% standard Fender measurements for a relatively low price that will fit almost any third-party replacement part (pickups, pick guards, bridges, tuners, etc.), the Mexico-made Standard is the best thing going for the money when the goal is to mod the guitar.
The Player Stratocaster, while "better" in certain respects, means you have to fork out more cash and end up with a guitar that is not as mod-friendly as its previous model.
I'm not saying the Player Stratocaster is bad, because it's not. It's actually quite good - but it costs more and isn't as mod-friendly. With the two-point bridge for example, you can't just drop in a 6-screw. Not without drilling holes into the guitar, anyway. That's just one small example.
Should you buy a Standard Stratocaster now?
If you want one that's the most mod-friendly, yes, get one now while they're still for sale new and comes with a warranty. It's very possible that come 2019, you won't be able to buy this model new anymore.
Midnight Telecaster from Japan
It came from Japan...
...but I don't like it. However, you may like it. You can make that decision for yourself after reading my thoughts on this guitar.
Take the Fender Made in Japan Traditional 60s Telecaster Midnight. And yes, there is a Stratocaster version, but I'm concentrating on the Tele since I just talked about Strats recently.
Obviously, this guitar comes in one one color, Midnight Black. It's got gold-gold-gold hardware everywhere with color-matched headcap that adds to the overall look. Nicely done.
However... it's a "Traditional" model, and that's where things go downhill for me.
This means a butt-adjust truss rod adjustment location where the neck has to come off the guitar to adjust the truss rod. It also means a 7.25" super-round fingerboard radius and a "U" shape neck.
In other words, yes it's built to '60s Fender specs.
I prefer modern spec Fender, but if you're looking for a '60s build that's new and from Japan with a cool look to it, here it is.
The biggest sell of this guitar for me is actually the U shape neck. That's a neck "with a lot of shoulder" to it that should result in something thick and chunky - and some players really like that neck feel.
How does it sound? No idea. But it is loaded with "Vintage-Style Single-Coil Tele" pickups from Fender, so it should sound bright and spanky like a Tele should.
What really sets this guitar apart from other Telecasters is the black-to-black body and headcap color match with gold hardware. Great look, and well done. Note that even the pickup cover for the neck side pickup is also in gold.
Every single exterior metal thing on this guitar is gold with the exception of the frets, which is fine. The look works.
The ugliest Fender Strat made in 2018
Good guitar. Bad color.
The Deluxe Strat is a modern offering from Fender with three "vintage noiseless" pickups, push/push mini switch to add in the bridge pickup for positions 4 and 5, modern two-point bridge, 12" radius fingerboard, contoured neck heel and locking tuners.
This is a good guitar. But it looks horrible in Sapphire Blue Transparent.
Now to note, this guitar is available in three other finishes, 2-color sunburst, black and vintage blonde. And any one of those is better than the blue.
The reason why the blue doesn't work on this Strat is because it makes it look cheap.
Transparent blue is a color you expect to see on something like this low-cost Ibanez... or even cheaper with a sub-$100 no-name guitar. You don't expect to see it on a Deluxe Model Strat that costs significantly more, but yet it exists.
However, there is a bright side. This is one of the very few guitars in Fender's current lineup that looks like it got hit with the ugly stick. As said above, there are 3 other colors that look notably better for the same model.
My personal pick for the best looking Deluxe Strat is the 2-color sunburst. That one has a look done right.
Some guys like a Stratocaster with gold hardware
Is gold on a Fender Strat a bit kitschy? Yes. But there are some guys that like it.
A guitar that has the gold is the Fender Special Run '50s Stratocaster with the full gold treatment. And by full treatment, I mean that almost every single thing that is metal on this guitar is gold. Bridge, string saddles, all screws (including screws that hold the rear plate,) neck bolt plate, tuner buttons, tuning posts, strap buttons, string guide and even the tremolo arm.
The only things not gold on this Strat are the pickup pole pieces and the frets. Other than that, all metal parts are in a gold color.
I've mentioned guitars with the gold hardware treatment here before and will mention the same warnings I always do whenever I talk about one of these based on my personal experience.
Gold finishing will wear off over time if the guitar is played regularly.
On this particular Strat, the gold will wear down at the bridge around where the 4, 5 and 6 strings sit. Why? Because most Strat players rest their picking hand palm on the bridge when playing. All that palm rubbing over time wears the gold off where you'll see steel come through eventually. This is not necessarily a bad look when it happens, but just know that yes, it will happen.
The gold will also get a bit dinged and scratched up at the output jack from plugging and unplugging a guitar cord in there over time as well. The gold won't wear down, but scratches will happen and that's just the way it is.
My biggest warning however about gold hardware guitars is this: Do NOT lose anything that comes with this guitar. If you don't use that tremolo arm, don't throw it out. Just store it away somewhere. If you swap out anything gold for different hardware, the same applies. Keep all the original gold stuff.
Do you keep the gold hardware for resale value? No. You keep it because it's difficult to source official Fender replacements just in case you ever want to put your guitar back to 100% original condition. If you want regular steel stuff, those parts are easy to source. For gold, not-so much. Yes, you can get third-party gold hardware, but the color will be slightly different than the gold already on the guitar.
And speaking of color, gold changes even with Fender-issued parts from year to year. On some years it's brighter while on other years it has more yellow in it and is slightly darker.
Again, if you buy this guitar, just make sure to keep all original hardware and you'll be fine. Lose hardware, and you'll kick yourself for it.
What does this guitar sound like?
It is usually true that Fender will put pickups with AlNiCo (aluminum, cobalt, nickel) magnets in them that are III strength for '50s model Strats and V strength for '60s model Strats. Generally speaking, AlNiCo III has less volume with greater treble response while AlNiCo V has more volume with less treble response.
Said in plain English: Unless stated otherwise, a Strat designated as a '50s guitar by Fender has "very clean" voicing to it. When you want a Strat with that sought-after "bell-like chime,", pickups with the AlNiCo III pole piece magnets are usually the best way to get that sound - and that should be what's in this particular Strat with gold hardware.
And remember, the easy way to boost volume with pickups that have AlNiCo III magnets is just to use a compressor effect; there's no shame in doing that. When you want the bell-like chime and some boost for more prominent notes and chords, that's the way to get it.
Worth getting?
If you like the gold, yes.
Does this guitar cost any more than a non-gold '50s Strat? Yes, but not by too much, relatively speaking.
Can you get this guitar with a rosewood fingerboard? No. Strats designated as '50s guitars all have 1-piece maple necks. Strats designated as '60s guitars all have rosewood (or other darker wood) fingerboards.