Members fiveoclockhero Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 The Fender MIM vs. Squier CV thread got me thinking about this issue. It seems that a nice compromise for anyone who wants better pickups and also a satin-finished neck might look into an American Special, provided they're willing to spend a bit more. The Special has Texas Special pups which are hotter than the norm and it's also got some cool "vintage" appointments like the "3 barrel" bridge and blackguard. And yet... there doesn't seem to be a huge uproar in favor of these guitars. I've seen a few people with them and they seem to be received favorably but I get the feeling most people either want a cheap guitar, in which case the Am. Special is too pricey or they want an American-made guitar with flashier appointments in which case the Spec. seems a little schlubby. I get the feeling that most people tend to say "If I'm spending THAT MUCH anyway, why not spend another hundred or two and get the American Standard?" and the Spec. is a non-starter. Also, whenever it comes up in conversations, people always recommend the Highway One instead. But it's entirely possible to PREFER the finish on the American Special if you don't like the way the Highway One feels. Do you think the American Special will find its audience or will it fade into obscurity? I think it's a good concept but I also see people who are going to spend this much money opting for the Standard instead. Also: Does anybody remember when Music Man tried the same thing with the "S.U.B." models? This might go the same way, methinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 Pretty much Highway One's with poly and different pickups? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fiveoclockhero Posted February 13, 2011 Author Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 They have Satin Urethane finish on the necks and Texas Special pickups which are a bit hotter. Plus, like I said, a few classic appointments just for anyone who does like the old "3 barrel" bridge and blackguards. The hook is that they're made in America but they're more affordable. It's a no-nonsense alternative to the American Standard. You can snag a MIA Special for about $800 or so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 H1s have the same neck and harware as the specials and you can get them for $699. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 What about the $449 Fender Blacktops series. The HH teles look pretty cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cbh5150 Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 H1s have the same neck and harware as the specials and you can get them for $699. Not for long; I believe the H1s are discontinued, and if you look at the online stores, they only have a few remaining of a limited amount of finishes. The the original point: frankly, I love the AmSpecs I have played. I have kind of had them in my sights, but don't know if I am gonna pull the trigger. Plus, they are gonna be a harder sell now, because the price is going up. I kind of agree about their pricing strategy, and I don't get it - if someone is going to spend (now) 849 new, why not bump up a little for a Standard, or even better, find a good one used for much less? Plus, they have priced the new Road Worns at 949 street , when they had to drastically reduce the prices on the original RW line just to get them to move... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members streetknight Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 I like the ones I've played Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 For me, guitars are about the neck. I played an Am Spec, liked the sound, but the neck was a little thin for my tastes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members faberbz Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 I think the perception is that there is not too much of a significant difference between the Hwy1 and the Am. Special besides the finish and slightly different pickups, not significant enough for the price difference. But for only $150 more than the Am. Special you get the Am. Standard. And in addition to the differences in the hardware and pickups, you get a pretty nice SKB HSC, which is almost worth the difference in cost alone. You just get a lot more upgrades from the Am. Spec. to the Am. Std. than what the $150 difference would suggest. The price points seemed to be well separated from MIM to Hwy1 to Am Std. Adding the Am Spec and possibly getting rid of the Hwy1 seems to make too much of a jump from MIM to Am Spec, and not enough of one from Am Spec. Maybe this is a way to encourage more sales of Am. Standards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members alfsboy Posted February 13, 2011 Members Share Posted February 13, 2011 I played a Blacktop Strat in sonic blue/maple .It was great .I really bonded and it sounded great through a big Blackstar Combo.Clean or dirty it was fine and felt like it had been custom made for me ....so I bought it ,or at least laid it away.I never look at US strats now .A bit too pricey for my needs.I have played plenty and they are very good mostly but I love my CV Simon Neil Strat and prefer it to the HW1 I owned and quite a few US models I tried out ,Maybe its just me . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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