GearDump

I want to start off saying: “I am a Stratocaster-haulic.” These guitars attract my attention more then any others because they are so versatile and to this day do things in a unique way that no other manufacturer has matched (save for G&L). When I heard there was a new American Standard strat coming out last year I was very excited to see how they had altered the design from the previous one which had been around for almost a Decade.

Much to my dismay the alterations seemed to be something that is either harder to justify or more sinister. I didn’t care to much for the last American Standard because it still had some obvious flaws. For one the bridge had this awful tone block. It should have been made of brass, though it would probably have added fifty dollars to the end user I certainly would have paid it. I also never cared for the American Standard’s Pickups.

The new Stratocaster seems almost rediculous. They went back to vintage style saddles with a modern two bolt fulcrum tremolo. Come on Fender, ALL OR NOTHING! The saddles did improve the tone slightly but anyone who has played Stratocasters with vintage bridges for long periods of time knows that they develop burrs and have to be replaced. The truth is Fender cut costs by switching to only vintage style saddles on all it’s guitars. This would save them from having other machines and other personnel to make the new style andold style saddles. I can hear you now, “The bridge block is an improvement.” It’s still not Brass. Lets face it you don’t see people playing copper trumpets and tubas do you? I’m not even going to ask what the word Copper Infused could actually mean. One of my employments is through a Metals manufacturing organization and I can say that Copper is just a bit above Zinc in terms of Cost.

This thinner coat of laquer crap is the funniest thing they did. At first thought you might really buy into it. I can see the logic: “hey if it can vibrate because it’s not stifled by the finish then the guitar’s natural wood sound will shine through.” That may be partially true, but unless it’s nitrocellulose I doubt your going to see that large of a difference. The real way to get a guitar to sound better is to use a finish that soaks into the guitar and really enriches the tone as the guitar dries over the years. The real reason they thinned the laquer was because it would soften their material costs.

That wasn’t the real kick in the teeth from Fender. They really hit players upside the head when the American Standard price increased by 30% as a result of their economic price hike EVEN AFTER they cut their costs. Sorry Fender, you failed in my book.

Honestly I don’t see any reason to get an American Standard strat when there are so many great stratocasters of recent years languishing in Pawnshops and on Ebay. Hopefully I’m not the only one seeing it this way so we can all give the FMIC a bit of a wake up call!

WAKE UP FENDER!

Parker has been in business for quite a while and their appearance on the scene has often been scoffed at since their outrageous bodies seemed delegated to some sort of science fiction film. Parker guitars are currently used by Adrian Belew of King Krimson (among others) & Vernon Reid producer & Guitarist for Living Colour.

If you have ever heard a Parker you will know that they can conjure a wide range of tones. On the stratocaster end of the spectrum they lack the bass of most single coils. Many people who have played Stratocasters know that the bass can often interfere with Amplifier tone, so the fly may actually improve this quality. Parker Guitars can also do much heavier sounds due in part to the Dimarzio & Seymour Duncan pickups. Depending on the model Parker guitars can be made of solid woods or a mix of wood and epoxy resin. In general the guitars that feature Ash or Maple as hardwoods will often sound very Strat like. The Mahogany and more traditional woods often sound more gibson-esque. Regardless of wood all Parker’s have a very articulate mid range and top end that really makes notes pop out in a mix. As with many guitars and effects, it may not sound great by itself in comparison to other guitars but in a full band situation but the Parker will definitely cut through.

Many parkers feature a wide range of piezo and magnetic picking options. The Adrian Belew signature features a sustainer pickup. The Vernon Reid model has a Roland GK Midi pickup.

Guitar has been an instrument that has been fairly stagnant since the development of active pickups in the 70’s and 80’s. I think it is important that manufacturers like Parker and Steinberger have advanced the instrument since without these innovations we’d all be playing Gibson 335’s with Bigsby Vibratos.