I'd love to get members' input on the best features for a STRAT for surfing- fret size, type neck (V-shaped, C-Shaped, etc.), rosewood or maple fretboard, relic or not, vintage reissue, etc. To get the best surf sound out of a STRAT, The best STRAT model/features, regardless of price....Thanks Much!

I want to apologize to everyone for not having spotted the Surfin' Strat thread below.....I'm intruiged by the AV '62 Reissue, which, if I'm not mistaken, comes with a rosewood fretboard only....Is a rosewood vs. maple fretboard a significant difference? I personally think a maple fretboard LOOKS better, but that's not the primary thing here....Would love to get some insight on some of the technical features.....

I have far too many guitars from chasing the magic potion called playing better through buying another guitar. Now, I like them all (mostly) and I even play them all (mostly). I even have a few highly desireable guitars along with a couple total duds. But I'll probably keep them all anyway. And, there are a couple more guitars that would be a lot of fun to own. But I know I'm not buying anything anymore to play or sound better.

What matters most to how surfy I sound isn't what I play, but how I play. And what controls that is how often and how seriously I practice, and how often I play. Which, unfortunately, in my case is not enough.

Lots of people play great surf on Strats, while others use Jazzmasters, Jaguars, Mosrites, Gretches, DiPintos and more. Some people own and play only one type of guitar while others own and play several kinds. The best guitar players play the best no matter what they play.

I really hope this helps.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

To take a different approach, if you're a traditionalist, an AVRI '57 Strat will put you there. Vintage all the way. Tinted Maple fretboard, vintage frets and radius, vintage pickups. Perfect.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: Aug 08, 2012 23:03:34

Thanks Gents!- The shot of the AVRI '57 has me drooling lasciviously!

Last edited: Aug 09, 2012 08:09:37

Before you rush out and buy the maple board Strat, you might want to try the '57 in person side by side with the '62 AVRI. Many dealers will have both in stock.

As everyone has said, either will work for surf.

But you might find subtle differences in tone between the two that are meaningful to your decision.

Have fun and best of luck.

Paul

Love the look of a Strat (that 57 above is just beautiful). But, personally, the placement of the volume knob on a Strat drives me so nuts that it is a complete no go for me. Primary reason I sold my Jimmy Vaughan Strat a number of years ago. Well, that and it turned out I liked the v neck less than I did in the store.

Sean

Last edited: Aug 09, 2012 14:34:43

Brian wrote: NONE of that matters. At all.

I will second that statement. The player is far more important than the gear.

Sure there is a difference. Which is best? There is no best. If there were an absolute best, we all would be playing the same guitar. We each have our preferences. What feels most comfortable, which neck feels best in our hands, and which pickup configuration gives us the sound we want. All subjective. All matters of personal preferences.

I like a vintage neck these days. I generall play a vintage V profile like on a 57 reissue. However, I do also play the thick C profile from the early 60s. I also now play 7 1/4 inch radius fretboards. That combiniation is more comfortable for my stiff fingers. As a kid, I hated that combination (back before the 57 and the 62 were reissues).

If you are looking at an AVRI either 57 or 62, give some thought to tracking down an older one. I believe the 82 through about 86 models were better made. Those were like a custom shop production. A small specially trainded crew making them to try to save Fender. Not a heck of a lot of them made, but they feel better to me than the mass produced later versions. I am fortunate enough to have found three, an 83 AVRI 57 , an 85 AVRI 57 and an 86 AVRI 57. I think all three of the guitars are have a better feel than the later AVRIs. I put them right up there against my Fender Custom Shop NOS 60 in quality.

Talk to you later,
Norm

I have a fender strat elite HSS.
I love it!
But it isn’t the same as my ‘62 vintage pickup one.
Grab a strat and play it. It you l8ke it you are good. If not move on to another one.
I like my Elite, but it has gizmos that I never really use. Push push switching, and a lead circuit button that seems almost useless to me.
But when I bought it I just new I would need the fancy stuff. But not really.
But it is a dream to play. I love the neck. The sound is a Strats sounds. It’s American built very nicely. And completely worth the money in my opinion.
But most strats now days are. Even the Mexico ones. Try them until one of them makes you happy.

Last edited: Dec 15, 2020 21:02:14

As others have said, things like fret size, neck shape, fretboard wood, etc. don't have a direct impact on tone. But I would add that if you have a guitar that just feels right to you and it is like an extension of your body, you are going to play more often for longer periods and better (mostly as a result of playing more). I think an instrument that truly inspires, even if it is the aesthetics, will make a difference if it means more time woodshedding.