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Like I'm sure many have, I've rediscovered guitar during COVID - 25 year hiatus. I'm playing my 94 or 95 MiM Strat and want to upgrade. Would a new players strat be much of an upgrade? Or should I enjoy my old strat and pick up a new PRS or something for more variety.
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Wow, I'd hate to try to advise you; everyone's needs and likes are different, and so what works for me may not work for you. So, let's rewind a bit: What makes you want to upgrade? Would a refret, a setup, or even just a new pair of strings be all your guitar needs? If not, what sound are you looking for? Do you have any special needs (small hands? large hands?)? For the record, I've looked at PRS guitars, but have never pulled the trigger on one. I own several Fenders, and they are all terrific. But I buy guitars using different criteria than many others do. I'm not a gigging musician, so I have less interest in amps, pedals, boards and cables. As they say, YMMV (your mileage may vary).
If I'm going to be putting in 60-90 minutes a day learning guitar, I'd like to do so on an upgraded guitar. I get a lot of fret buzz on the low E string overall I guess I'm assuming technology has advanced a lot in the last 25 years. I'm not going to service my existing guitar given social distancing measures. I've literally never held a guitar beyond my '95 MiM Strat. Would I noticed a big upgrade in the new player series? If so, I'll probably do that and try to sell this old one and then get a PRS in a year or so when things return to normal. Or would the two Strats be fairly similar and I should pick up a new PRS so I have more variety? I have smaller hands and play everything from Phish/GD to Classic Rock to Punk.Quote:
Originally Posted by OldStrummer
before you throw in the towel on the old guitar, check out some youtube videos on how to set up a stratocaster. Elixer Strings put out a 4 part series with John Carruthers that I learned a lot from. Dan Erlewine also has excellent videos but their availability on youtube I don't know. There are some excellent books as well. Learning how to set up your guitar is an invaluable skill that I think all guitarists should learn.
I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that your guitar has probably never had the truss rod action checked or adjusted, especially if you hadn't touched it in 25 years? That can definitely lead to fret buzzing.
Now mind you, I'm not saying don't buy a new guitar. I'm just saying don't let a little fret buzz make you give up on a quite possibly perfectly salvageable guitar. 4 of my 5 bolt neck i.e. Fender guitars needed adjustment about a month ago. The humidity in my new apartment is way higher than my old house. They all had fret buzz. A simple tweak of th truss rod was all they needed to return to their playable selves again.
Incidentally, my 5 bolt necks are Squiers and partsocasters built with Squier necks. I've owned Fender Custom Shop guitars in the past, had to sell them for financial reasons. Now that i know how to set up guitars, I don't have to spend big money to get great playing guitars. Does that stop me from longing for a sweet '59 Esquire reissue or a 70th anniversay Broadcaster, not in the least. But buying less expensive guitars allows me to have a greater variety, just saying. Ain't nothing wrong with a MIM
Some of the best sounding Strats I've ever heard are MIM, older and newer.
You might be getting rid of a guitar that could prove to be a real winner.
As for a second guitar, you have to think about what kind of sound you're looking for.
PRS makes some fantastic guitars. The SE series is affordable, being made offshore. The ones made in Maryland are costly. I've heard great things about the SEs. And of course the US PRSes live up to their reputation. Wish I had one.
Another vote to do some maintenance on your existing guitar but far be it from me to talk you out of a new guitar!
As far as PRS goes, I encourage you to look at the SE line. Very capable and good quality for the price. Maybe not as nicely finished as a US PRS, but still. I own an SE singlecut with dual humbuckers. It’s my “rock machine”.
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Originally Posted by awarren82
In a very straight forward answer, no. It wouldn’t be MUCH of an upgrade. The new player series is basically a MiM standard Strat with specs that resemble the American Standard’s specs, the only real “improvement” being the 2 point tremolo bridge, which is indeed more functional though still a matter of taste.
I wouldn’t let go of your 90’s MiM, I’d give it a good setup and play the living hell out of it.
My main guitar is an American Standard Strat, it’s sidekick being a Rickenbacker, but my third guitar (in terms of how much I use them, not tone) is a ‘94 Brazilian Fender Strat, which is roughly comparable to your 90s MiM and I’ve played that guitar live and for real, nothing to complain about.
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At your stage of the game a properly set up mim will probably play better than an off-the-shelf USA model.
Being able to service and set up your guitar is part of learning to be a player. You need to learn it just as much as scales, chords and rhythms.
The best upgrade you can probably make at this time would be what you play the guitar through. A good amp or processor will make pretty much any guitar sound good and vice-versa. A cheap amp usually makes any guitar sound cheap.
Chuck
At risk of repeating what's already been said, there's most likely nothing wrong with your current guitar that a little tweaking won't fix, especially if it hasn't been played in a while.
It's also never a bad idea to know how to do minor repairs on guitars.
I like Dan Erlewine's How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great. (link)
Stew Mac also has some good videos right on their site. (link) (link)/
As far as PRS' go, they're great guitars - personally I don't like them because I always hit the volume knob when I'm strumming, causing it to roll off gradually. But you'll pay for them - there's a lower cost US version, the S2, then the SE series.
There's also the other of the big 3, Gibson - they have their issues also, but how many players can't all be wrong.
and thousands of other builders, from mass producers to those guys who spend a year on one guitar, gnawing it out piece by piece with his teeth.