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cheap strat - but there's a catch...


brandass

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You may have seen this in the Hot Deals thread: red MIJ strat ('92-'93) with aftermarket floyd rose, no case, for $299 plus shipping from Music Go Round.

 

http://www.musicgoround.com/gear/inventorydetails.asp?id=652039

 

The catch: the neck was damaged with floyd installation (see last two photos). Also, a height adjustment nut broke off the bridge (but that's small fry, right?).

 

The first salesperson I talked to said the whole headstock had broken off, but the repair was so well done and it plays so nicely that he'd never have noticed if the previous owner hadn't pointed it out to him (a stretch, judging from the photos). The second guy said the neck just cracked, didn't entirely snap in two. Regardless, it's certainly cause for concern.

 

Given that the guit is in IA and I'm in CA that'd normally be the end of the story - no play, no way. But at $300 + ship ($25-$35, according to their site) I'm tempted to roll the dice and return it if it comes up snake eyes. That's a pain, and my life is complicated enough right now as it is... but the guit could be sweet...

 

Whaddya think? What odds would you give this working out? Total non-starter? Probable tonemaster? Wholly unpredictable? Your guidance is much appreciated!

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man i have had a guitar repaired like that. same sort of break, and that guitar was repaired really well. investigate it more. dont let that turn you off. many of rock history's best guitars have had the same repair

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"Also, a height adjustment nut broke off the bridge".

 

I'm not sure what that means, so I don't know if it is a small deal or not. If they are talking about string height, there are only a couple ways to do this with a floyd, the two pivot screws, and shims under that saddle screws. Do they mean a saddle screw?

 

Worst case, something is busted off and the remains of a screw is stuck inside the bridge someplace, and the bridge is dead. Best case, you can buy a replacement part at stew-mac and you are good to go.

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You know, I was interested in the guitar as well and called them to ask about it, and they told me about the broken headstock and that's why it was priced how it was.

 

Now, that is not an aftermarket floyd install, it's stock on that guitar, I have a few just like it here at home. So what happened was someone dropped the HELL out of it and snapped the headstock off. Just wondering what that does to a tross rod and frets when something takes that kind of impact.

 

That guitar normally goes for about 500-600 on eBay in good condition, even dinged up. It does look like a good repair, and it probably is worth $300, but the thing that worried me enough to not buy it, was that maybe I wouldn't be able to resell it without taking a hit later on.

 

If you want a good player and are not worried about resale value, go for it. Make sure you know what their return policy is before you buy it though, in case you decide you want a refund after you see it in person.

 

Those are fantastic guitars, and I was bummed to find out about the damage.

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I've seen those necks alone from those guitars go for $200 or more. Would negate the good deal to have to buy a new neck. I'm sure that neck is probably fine, as long as you know what your getting going into it.

 

Also, if I remember correctly the heel on those is wider than a standard strat neck, so an aftermarket one might not fit perfectly.

 

Offer them $250 and see what they say.

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Yeah, you guys seem to be converging on what's going through my head: offer to buy it for a bit less, to cover the risk and the possible return; get a clear statement as to return policy; and basically write off re-selling it if I do decide to keep it.

 

I'm gonna sleep on it, suss out my wife in the morning ("Uh, remember how I said that I have all the guitars I'll ever need? Well..."), ask a few more questions (also will address the bridge nut issue - kenh got me wondering), and see how things stand at that point. Can't Hamlet here - got to move on! I'll let you know... Thanks!

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Slept on it, and decided that:

 

1) As wagdog says, I don't really NEED another guit

 

2) With the other stuff going on in my life right now I'm not looking for additional drama

 

3) Our finances could take the hit, and my wife would look the other way, but with the question marks here I'm not inspired enough to pull the trigger

 

So I'm gonna walk. It hurts, but I think it's the right decision for my current situation. But it hurts.

 

Thanks for all the advice - it did help me sort things through.

 

Hope the guit finds a better fit with another forumite. If so, please write it up - I'd like to find out how the story ends...

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I just put this one out of its misery - yeah I pulled the trigger. How bad can I get hurt on this? What does 3 benjamins get you these days? A closeout relic'd Washburn? :eek:

 

I made him throw in the red instrument cable with it. :lol:

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Got this thing yesterday - and let me say this Strat is everything I hoped for and more. :love::love::thu: Big score. My first Strat mind you.

 

Firstly, its beautiful (I'm a LP guy, and this just seduced me something fierce) - some bumps and bruises, needs a good cleaning but its got vibe to spare and that red finish with white PG just kills. The feel is ubelievable - its just perfect - well balanced. I can see why the necks go for big $$ on ebay like Mazz pointed out. Very smooth, probably the easiest playing guitar I have ever played. No lie. Good meaty frets. Very slight buzz on the low E and A - nothing a little shim won't fix. This thing is extremely resonant - the way the notes ring out, its hard to explain. They just jump off the fretboard.

 

I want to take it apart and give a deep cleaning, but I am afraid to touch anything - it feels that good. The neck repair is very good. While playing, your hand does not even touch where the repair was, but if you run your hand over the repair you can feel one spot where its not 100% flush. I would hang this on my wall by the headstock and not think twice. In fact, MGR had this in their shop for 2 weeks hanging by the headstock before I scarfed it up.

 

Pics will follow, but y'all have already seen 'em I'm sure. This is the second guitar I got from musicgoround, and both were ace.

 

Many thanks to Mazz an co. for feeding the fire - something just told me this was a no-brainer. :thu: I will be keeping my eyes out for another.

 

Originally Posted by Wasted Effort

Another used gem from Music Go Round:


Fender MIJ strat with Floyd $299

http://www.musicgoround.com/gear/inv....asp?id=652039

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  • 4 years later...
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figured after almost 5 years (and puchasing this guitar TWICE!) I would post some updated pics.  :)

I had the floyd setup free floating for a long while, and it held tune pretty good. Now with the FU tremstop (dive only) & noiseless springs setup it is rock solid. Should have done this a long time ago.

 

 

FU-strat.jpg

 

 

FU-strat2.jpg

 

 

also had a tremel-no on at one point, but it was a pain and didn't work out for me.

 

 

 

 

route.jpg
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