Fender SRV Signature series Strat

[stephen]

Yep, I've talked about it before, but I dont think I gave it a full review.

I have tried this guitar several times, from anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour at a time, and I'm impressed!

For tose that dont know ( :-s ), its modeled after Stevie's Number 1 Strat, without all the wear and tear that Stevie put it through.

The neck just felt so right! Its hard for me to tell what shape it is, but its the best strat neck I have ever played! Funny thing though, no skunk-stripe down the back of the neck? Hmmmm. Oh well, I liked how it played, and thats all that matters to me.

Its strung with 11 gauge strings, and it feels pretty good to me! I figured it was gonna be difficult to bend strings at that gauge, but it wasnt bad at all! I think it must have something to do with the trem bridge.

I thought it would have been awkward with the left handed trem, but I likey! And so far its the only trem that doesnt go a mile out of tune when I play it! After a few whamy bar-dives, just a slight tug upwards, and she's all in tune!

Plugged into a hot-rod deluxe, she sounds sooooooooo sweet!

Its my hope that one of these days, I would be able to afford one of these puppies. My Tele would still be my number 1, but this strat is the first strat that does really excite me as a guitarist

[jazzrat]

I've gotta agree boss.
The SRV is really nice. If memory serves it's a 12" radius which lends to it's playability. The neck on the one I played was a nice beefy 'C' shape, bigger than Am series strats.
Pastor Nick or Crunchy will have a better take on this but the 60's necks the SRV is modeled after, had the truss rod installed before the fretboard
hence the missing skunk stripe.
I'd like one too!

[Old Believer]

Fender calls the neck shape "oval." They are really nice guitars. A friend has one and he loves it. I'm a fool for sunburst finishes, so that's a draw. I just don't like the idea of having the initials carved into the pickguard (just personal preference, though).

[jazzrat]

Yup, I'd swap the pickguard out. #1 cause I'm not wild about the looks
and #2 to keep it in good shape for a possible future sale to someone who does like it.

[kewlpack]

I never liked the big SRV etching... I appreciate the spirit in doing it... but I kinda like my guitars to be "clean".

[stephen]

I'd even play it with the SRV engraving on the pickgaurd, cause Stevie's was that way! Yep, I'm a bonafide, 100%, bark-at-the-moon, SRV nutcase!

Well, I would never dress like him, and I cant play like him (cause I figure I'd need at least two extra fingers on my left hand to pull that off!), but, I like the way his signature model is set-up. Plus I'm a bit lazy: the Strat pickguard is a bit harder to change out than a Tele's, so I'd leave it be, and just play dat thang!

[Pearly Gator]

Didn't SRV tune down to Eb? How was the one you played, tuned Stephen?

PG

[stephen]

Well I grabbed a tuner on all 6 of the ones I played, and yes tuned it too Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb, cause thats the way you gotta play an SRV Sig Series!

How'd it sound? SWEEEEEEEEEEET!

[kewlpack]

Strat-fever kicked in... (LOL)

Picked up an Official, non-SRV, MiM, Arctic White Strat last night... :mrgreen: :-s

It's real purdy, very low action, and finally got my single coil fix (again)... Hehe... I played several but settled on one with a Rosewood fretboard/Alder body. Has a nice vibe goin' on.

It wasn't too expensive so this will eventually be a project guitar. I have some Fender/Schaler tuners I'm gonna slap on there already since I have 'em laying around. ;) Will plop a stacked humbucker in the bridge later on too.

Woot! Shame on you Steph-O... you caused me to GAS. :crazy (J/K)

[jazzrat]

Congrats Kewlpack.
The other guitarist at church plays a MIM strat. The poor thing was in dire need of TLC. (you would not believe the gunk on the strings and neck).
As a surprise for him I took it home, did a full setup and fixed some stuff.
I had forgotten how nice the neck is on those!
I sold a white one like yours last year. The neck has more beef than the Am series. The combination of vintage frets and more modern radius make for a really nice playing ax.

[Old Believer]

Strat-fever kicked in... (LOL)

Picked up an Official, non-SRV, MiM, Arctic White Strat last night... :mrgreen: :-s

It's real purdy, very low action, and finally got my single coil fix (again)... Hehe... I played several but settled on one with a Rosewood fretboard/Alder body. Has a nice vibe goin' on.

It wasn't too expensive so this will eventually be a project guitar. I have some Fender/Schaler tuners I'm gonna slap on there already since I have 'em laying around. ;) Will plop a stacked humbucker in the bridge later on too.

Woot! Shame on you Steph-O... you caused me to GAS. :crazy (J/K)

Some of those MIM strats are real players. I had an Olympic white Jimmie Vaughan Strat. It was a wonderful guitar. The neck felt great, it was a soft v shape. It had American hardware and killer pups. I was a real bonehead, and eBayed it after I got my Lester. Now I wish I had it back.

[stephen]

Woot! Shame on you Steph-O... you caused me to GAS. :crazy (J/K)

OK, you can blame me for your lack of control when it comes to purchasing your gear, cause I too think it should be someone else's fault, and none of our own (at least thats what I tell the wife: Honey, its Leo Fender's fault for making such great guitars!)

But this bile, evil, malicious, nasty, nick-name calling has got to end! :lol: Joking aside, it just always makes me think that some guy in a cheap poleyester suit is tryin to sell me a very used car, for a nearly new price, whenever someone calls me 'Steph-O!'

I still appreaciate that SRV Signature Series Strat, and I'll probably go play number7 this weekend!

[kewlpack]

Hehehe...

When I say that, it just reminds me of the Crocodile Hunter... LOL

No worries I promise to not call you Steph-O ever again after this post.

Sorry Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O Steph-O !!!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Just pullin' yer leg. :)

[stephen]

BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAH!

Y'all know I only joke about that (except the used car salesman part), plus I figure I had much worse nicknames hoisted onto me in the old-man days, that are far worse than Steph-O!

So kewl, how many leisure suits do you own?

[stephen]

I still appreaciate that SRV Signature Series Strat, and I'll probably go play number7 this weekend!

Oh yeah, one other interesting thing I have noticed: If you woulda blind-folded me and put those 6 different SRV strats in my hand to play, I probably woulda said you were giving me the same exact guitar to play, over and over! I cannot discern any differences between them, so it looks like Fenders Quality Control is really tight on this model!

[dmw]

I'm a sucker for most sunburst Fender Strats. I think the SRV model would be a wonderful guitar to own.

[SAguitar]

I've done some research, and an unnamed more-or-less reliable source tells me that SRV Strats are standard issue in heaven. Just hang in there, gentlemen! \:D/