Members goldenhose Posted September 24, 2008 Members Share Posted September 24, 2008 I really like mine but have read bad things about the swimming pool rout. Im thinking about getting another one but am thinking about getting one without the sp rout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Saturn Posted September 24, 2008 Members Share Posted September 24, 2008 I had a 86 -87 American Standard and out of all of the Strats I've had and played it was by far the best playing Strat. I though it was just about perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BootRoots Posted September 24, 2008 Members Share Posted September 24, 2008 show me one person who can "hear" the swimming pool route. Some people are just weird. Late 90s am stds have a SP route as well, I have one and its a great guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitar Heel Posted September 24, 2008 Members Share Posted September 24, 2008 Very well made. I'm not sure when the swimming pool came into being, but it wasn't there in the mid-80's (at least I don't think it was...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenhose Posted September 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 mine is a '88 and it has it. I dont mind it since it allows a lot of room to change pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members magentaplacenta Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 The worst thing you can do is pull the guard to find out what kind of route you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MichaelSaulnier Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 I read somewhere on the interwebz that the "strat" is going out of style. M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Strat87 Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 lol'd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nautaki Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 A friend's USA Plus I think has the pool route but it sounds and plays fantastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenhose Posted September 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 Reason strats have been so popular is theyre so cheap. The mim strats are just as good as the american ones. THe american ones are made by mexican immigrants. Dont matter where its made its by the same people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Wyatt Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 show me one person who can "hear" the swimming pool route. Some people are just weird. Late 90s am stds have a SP route as well, I have one and its a great guitar. I think I can tell in side-by-side tests tests, but ultimately don't think it matters (see my rant on guitar comparisons in the maple vs. rosewood fretboard thread). To me the swimming pool rout adds some resonance, a bit of airiness that implies a hint of hollowbody. But there is no way I could ever know what a rout was on any Strat just by picking any one up off the sales floor. Late '80's Am. Std's. may have the old multi-piece body. Fender used to use 6- or 7-piece bodies and hide them with veneers. This doesn't matter to me either, I buy and play guitars that sound and play good to me, regardless of construction, parts or finish used. Ultimately, since they just kept making the Am. Std. (at one recent time, calling it the American Series) and prices are still reasonable, the used price for any Am. Std. is kept in check around or below $700. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenhose Posted September 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 you dont need to remove the pickguard to figure out which route. just gently tap the pickguard with your finger and youll be able to tell if theres anything behind it. I dont have any preference but think it would be cool to own both routings to see what the differences in sound is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stymye Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 quit spending so much time reading what other people write on the internet.thers a guitar specialist on every corner. either you like the guitar or you don't..thats all that matters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metallica_00 Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 My friend has a late 80s Am. Std. Not a bad guitar, but switching to a set of Fralins made a big difference. The stock pickups weren't very good in comparison. Even with the Fralins it's not as nice as his Nash, Fender CS '62, or my G&L. But it was only $400 + pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members goldenhose Posted September 25, 2008 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 yeah, I plan on changing the pickups. are the fender cs '69's any good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alecto Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 When it comes to 80's Strats, definitely anything post-CBS (ie: after 1986). After that, I would hunt for one that feels and sounds great to your ears. I wouldn't worry about the swimming pool route. It does give a little more "air" to the tone, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Fender 69's generally get pretty good reviews, from what I've heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tumbleweeed Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 I really like mine but have read bad things about the swimming pool rout.: I really love my Tele's but Ive read some bad things about them. Im thinking of not liking them anymore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnfrusciante Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 show me one person who can "hear" the swimming pool route. Some people are just weird. Late 90s am stds have a SP route as well, I have one and its a great guitar. i can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Josh S Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 I've had four '89s... Two standards, a Plus, and a Clapton strat. I still have the standards and the Clapton. They are all excellent strats - great sound, and the best necks I've ever played. They're quite light too. When looking for used American strats, I go out of my way to find '89s. They just feel right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tumbleweeed Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 i can. Yeah when you put it up to yopur ear you can hear the ocean:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fw190 Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 Shouldn't a swimming pool route have more of a wet tone than an airy one? Maybe a hint of Michael Phelps? I like humbuckers in a Strat so for me the swimming pool route is the only way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BootRoots Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 I think I can tell in side-by-side tests tests, but ultimately don't think it matters (see my rant on guitar comparisons in the maple vs. rosewood fretboard thread). To me the swimming pool rout adds some resonance, a bit of airiness that implies a hint of hollowbody. But there is no way I could ever know what a rout was on any Strat just by picking any one up off the sales floor. If anyone else had posted this I might have just posted a rolleyes. But you are the one guy on this board that I would actually believe could tell the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dZjupp Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 Although i've never owned one, a friend had a 89 (maybe a 90) strat plus with the laces'. basically the best clean sounding and playing strat i've ever heard. i've come close to buying multiple late 80's strats. i think they relaly got it right when they got together and made the new standard (new back in the 80's). my good friend has an 89 telecaster standard that is the best playing and best sounding telecaster i've ever played. i don't know what it is, but man, its got some hot overwound pickups and they appear to just be stock, must be the TBX. Seems like they've come full circle as the new 2008 standards are the best stock instruments they've made since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PaulSter Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 My '91 is a swimming pool route. Everything about the guitar was solid and well assembled from the day I bought it new. The pickups didn't compare to to what my newer Strats came with stock. I first replaced the bridge pu with a Carvin AP11 (?). That upgrade served me well for about 4-5 years. After that- I upgraded to to Fat 50's. That was a HUGE upgrade and served me well for about 2 years. Here it is at that point: But then I simply got bored and wanted to take advantage of the swimming pool route- so I went to P-90s. That was a great upgrade, if not as complex a tone. I used Mighty Mite P-90s- all of around $35 for the set of three. It really turned it into a ROCK machine. Nice clean tones, but very fat and hot. It's a heavy Strat, but it has always intonated well and the I have never had to tweak the neck much on it. Oh-- and I have absolutely ZERO qualms with a swimming pool route. I like the P-90 conversion so much that I will probably get another SP-routed Strat to do the same again. PaulS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Burningleaves Posted September 25, 2008 Members Share Posted September 25, 2008 I really like mine but have read bad things about the swimming pool rout. Im thinking about getting another one but am thinking about getting one without the sp rout. They cool axes. But at any rate........Fender is making some great guitars these days. I imagine that for around the price of a "vintage" 80's MIA you would be close in price to a brand new American Standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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