FrankAtari Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Hi Guys, I bought a new guitar (actually just bought it, so it's travelin' and should be with me in a few days). Ok why did I buy a new guitar? I used to have a Fender MIM telecaster and I loved it. It was my first electric guitar. As time went on I realised that it was no perfect. The nut was not properly cut, the body is a slab of wood, the bridge design was lacking, etc. and above all the weight was unbearable (no pun intended :)) , alder body - 4.7 kgs! It didn't bother me in the beginning but then I felt more and more frustrated about the weight and the other issues, but it was mainly the weight. So I decided I needed a change and sold the Tele. I would buy a telecaster again, because at the end of the day, all in all, the guitar is not too bad. But I wouldn't buy it again from BIG F. This time I decided to go for a Stratocaster, but I wanted a lightweight model without paying an arm and a leg. I did my research and I had few options such as: 1) Harley Benton Travel Strat. But it's not a real strat, is it? 2) Ibanez S561 - very cool super strat, but the body is super thin... 3) Harley Benton ST 62 deluxe, no complaints here, but the gold hardware? SO WHAT DID i BUY? TRY AND GUESS! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Don't know about you, but I'd have gone for the Ibanez because it looks as cool as a cool thing. The non Strat, Strat would be great for travelling, but I'm not sure about the playing ergonomics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32 Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 We can only guess from the 3 options provided? In that case I’d say you probably went for.. .. .. the ibanez! Because it looks totally cool 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusoe Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 I'll plump for the ST62 Deluxe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 3 hours ago, R32 said: We can only guess from the 3 options provided? Ha ha very smart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 (edited) REVEAL yeah we all agree that the Ibanez is super cool but that was not my choice. Only because I am buying the guitar online and I couldn't assess the shape etc. however I almost repent not going for the Ibanez. I didn't buy the Candy apple portable half Strat either, because of the ergonomics. Indeed it is very light and technically it is a Strat, but out of the box is unplayable and with all the upgrades I wanted was too expensive and probably not worth it. And I didn't buy the HB ST 62 DLX either ! The Harley Benton was my first choice because it is a perfect Strat replica and largely compatible with Strat aftermarket parts etc. and also people all over the internet speak very highly of the brand so I really wanted to give it a shot. But I did some research and I realized that the DLX model costs more only for the finish, but it does not have anything substantially better over the standard ST 62 vintage series. SO I WENT FOR THIS MODEL: https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_st_62_mn_vw_vintage_series.htm and since I also read online that the guitar is great but the electronics is so and so, and I still had some money to splurge, I replaced the whole pickguard with Fender Custom Shop FAT 50' pre-wired pickups (twice the price of the guitar). It took me a bit to make a decision because I was thinking to myself "why in the world should I buy a cheap guitar and then change electronics, tremolo, tuners etc? The answer for me is that I get exactly what I want and I can invest my money a bit at a time, if the guitar is worth it (both the model and the shape). If the guitar is rubbish (which I doubt) I can still use the Fender's pickups for another Strat project. I am very fascinated by the idea of a guitar that performs perfectly apart from looking cool and so I went down this road. I am not into tinkering with the instrument, I just want to play, but I feel confident that a partcaster, once sorted, is a great choice for me and great value for money (if compared with high end guitars). Anyway, that's all. The super Strat is coming! Oh yeah, I also love the vintage white colour! What do you think guys? Edited October 16, 2022 by FrankAtari Just some highlights 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted October 10, 2022 Share Posted October 10, 2022 Classic looks and at that price, hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 Just now, ezbass said: Classic looks and at that price, hard to beat. I love the classic looks very much, but with the Fender Fat 50's pickups it cost me around 400 pounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted October 10, 2022 Author Share Posted October 10, 2022 Just now, FrankAtari said: ... with the Fender Fat 50's pickups it cost me around 400 pounds. Actually 400 pounds was: 1) guitar 2) Fender CS pre-wired pickguard 3) TUSQ nut (or less I am not sure because I also had some strings in the basket etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32 Posted October 11, 2022 Share Posted October 11, 2022 I think it’s a great choice having checked it out online! I used to have a strat copy (yung chang fenix I think) which was the same colour. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it and it certainly looks the part! I think you’ve made a good choice based on your reasoning 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinnyman Posted November 6, 2022 Share Posted November 6, 2022 Have you got the NotaStrat yet? Thoughts? I’ve only heard good things about HB so interested to know if they’re maintaining the standard they’ve set themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted November 6, 2022 Author Share Posted November 6, 2022 8 hours ago, Skinnyman said: Have you got the NotaStrat yet? Thoughts? I’ve only heard good things about HB so interested to know if they’re maintaining the standard they’ve set themselves. The guitar is bloody good. I'm gonna write a quick review about it, but in a nutshell, it easily compares with my old Fender MIM, apart from the finish, which is good but not superb, and I have no axe to grind in saying this, unlike most youtubers. The electronics were awful, but I installed fender pickups and all that jazz... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankAtari Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 On 20/11/2022 at 03:28, ReneAsologuitar said: I love the guitar you ended up buying. Very nice looking and no extra blings, plain and lovely!!! Congratulations!!! Rene Thanks a lot buddy. The guitar is lovely, especially the plain colour scheme. There are many humble models that will get the job done, indeed, as you may know, in the 50s 60s and probably in the 70s as well, Fender guitars were popular because they were cheap and there was not much of an alternative. Also the guitar is traditionally a humble instrument when compared to the piano, etc. You see? Senile babble reveals I'm getting older 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
