Eric,
I've had a few of those on my bench and they all presented themselves well.
I think Eric's meticulous nature and expectations pushed Fender to create a solid model. I'm also under the impression that his contract was such that if FMIC deviated on specs or quality he could terminate the agreement.
I'm not always sold on quarter sawn necks though. Some can be too stiff to adjust for the customer's preferences and this was the case on one such EJ I worked on.

Cheers,
Jeff

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic

Definitely a great guitar! I do know the guy is a tone freak and it is reflected in this instrument. The neck adjusts perfectly.

Toneschaser wrote:

My son just brought an '08 EJ signature model home over the weekend. I own a pair of AVRI Stratocasters and this guy lays waste to both of them.

Erick, that's one beautiful Strat! Do you know the name of that color? Pretty striking! So, why do you say that it 'lays waste to AVRIs'? In which way?

So, this is your son's guitar, not yours, then? We will not be seeing you play it at the next D-Rays gig?? (Personally, I think that'd be awesome! )

Ivan
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Ivan, if I'm not mistaken, I believe that color is called Palomino Gold.

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

I bought an EJ strat when they first came out in the mid 2000's. They only came with he maple neck, back then. The rosewood neck models came several years later. My EJ start is, hands down, the best strat that I've ever played. The resonance of this guitar is absolutely "magical". When I play a chord or a note, it sustains really well, starts to fade, and then "blooms" back. I think that the body wood is the biggest factor, but think that the thin nitro finish, quarter-sawn neck, staggered tuners with no string trees, the specially designed pick-ups, and more, all contribute to the exceptional tone of this guitar. EJ's meticulous quest for the best tone really shows in his signature models. On the original Yahoo SG101 online forum, Dave Wronski has said that the EJ strats were the closest that a production guitar came to being a custom shop instrument. He also said that the EJ strats were the best production instruments to come from Fender since Leo sold the company to CBS in the mid 60's. Being that Dave is not only one of the finest guitarists that I've ever heard, but also builds guitars at Fender, his opinion carries some weight. By no means, am I the expert that Dave is, but my experience concurs with this opinion. I've played a lot (and owned a few) strats, and my to my ears, my EJ strat is, by far, the best.

Bob

Last edited: Oct 13, 2017 00:36:01

It's truly a beautiful guitar. I remember seeing this finish in a Fender ad when it was introduced, but never again that I can remember. I'm guessing it didn't last very long. It's just gorgeous, though!

Some years ago I got to play an early EJ signature model with the maple board at length but it had thin strings and I didn't get to plug in so it was hard to judge. It was a nice guitar, but I have to say that to me it didn't seem superior to my reissues. Just different. Maybe I just lucked out with my guitars (three '62 reissues and one '65 reissue) and they're better than average, but they're great guitars. I recently got that Custom Shop NOS model, and though that's a better guitar than my reissues, the difference is not really that big, I would say. Mostly pretty subtle. Anyway, that's just my take on it. Would love to try out an EJ model with a rosewood board and fat strings, though, and maybe even do a direct comparison, that would be interesting.

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
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stratdancer wrote:

......off to ebay and reverb. Talk later.

Here you go Dave. Because we all know you need another Strat.

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

There's one on eBay right now in Palomino Gold/Brown, 2011 for $1.5K - somebody buy it before I do something very stupid and crazy!!! David, help!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2011-Fender-Eric-Johnson-stratocaster-Palamino-metallic-/162503319141?hash=item25d5f3de65:g:5FQAAOSwxEpYxJHQ

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
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CrazyAces wrote:

Ivan,
Why would that be stupid and crazy?
You need a good Strat don't you?

Exactly!

Jeff, I don't think these guys appreciate a good enabler...

Wes
SoCal ex-pat with a snow shovel

DISCLAIMER: The above is opinion/suggestion only & should not be used for mission planning/navigation, tweaking of instruments, beverage selection, or wardrobe choices.

tahitijack wrote:

If you like the EJ model, you might also look at the Jeff Beck signature strat.

Yep, I have the Artist Series version, not CS. It is a part of me. I changed the pickupa to a trio of Duncan SSL-1. For me, it is the perfect Strat unless you need vintage specs to be happy.

Lorne
The Surf Shakers: https://www.facebook.com/TheSurfShakers
Vancouver BC Canada