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Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:53 pm
by Ronnie Robinson
OK bought 2 weeks ago ...saw this a few times in my local guitar shop and loved the colour, I avoided it successfully for a while ......as I knew it was going to be costly but once I tried it that was it, sold a les paul and bought it.

I did own a 2008 Strat deluxe, this elite has some excellent improvements, I love the neck profile and the neck is a bit thicker which I prefer, the new version of noiseless pickups is a massive improvement (the version on the 2008 were not good) and the S1 is much better sounding, more useable than I remember, especially on the neck and middle pickup - fattens and rounds the the sound almost making it sound P90 ish

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Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Fri Mar 29, 2019 3:21 pm
by caldurham
it looks great. i like the sparkly burst with the blue. what year is it?

i have an 02 highway one american strat. it's honey blonde with a rosewood fingerboard. before i got it i probably would have never owned a strat. it was my brothers and i got it after he passed away in 06. it's probably one of my top 3 guitars now and not just for sentimental reasons. it's a great guitar.

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2019 10:37 pm
by Gorgar
Congratulations. Nice guitar. I have one just like it, couldn't resist the color, and it sounded great. Doesn't sound exactly like a normal strat with the noiseless pickups...kind of less clangy overall. I put flatwounds on mine to push it further that way, and now I use it for ambient type stuff.

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2019 5:39 am
by Ronnie Robinson
Thanks! It's a 2016 so it's been in my local guitar shop for a while so explains the good price I got, it is superb I'm still blown away with the quality / playability and tones, sounds incredible!....that neck pickup for lead is totally addictive.

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:42 pm
by Les Paul Lover
Very interesting!!!

Are those the new USA deluxe?
The specs are close to my Vigier Expert- locking tuners and noiseless single coils.

I had a USA deluxe for s short while, it was a splendid guitar.

Like you, the neck pick up is my favourite position. Beautiful cleans, lovely blues/rock grit with a bit of gain.

My Vigier took a bit of a back seat though.... because it couldn't deliver the harder punch I need for harder rock.
I've solved that with a Di Marzio Chopper in the bridge. Now it can really do it all.... which is great. I've never really enjoyed strat bridge pick ups, so dropping in a single sized humbucker there has been a game changer for me.

Anyway, that bridge pick up might not be an issue for you.

I bet the cleans through your AD30 are glorious!!!

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2019 12:20 pm
by Stu Cazz
Very nice!

Congratz & enjoy it!

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2019 5:24 am
by Ronnie Robinson
Stu Cazz wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 12:20 pm
Very nice!

Congratz & enjoy it!
Cheers

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2019 5:25 am
by Ronnie Robinson
Les Paul Lover wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:42 pm
Very interesting!!!

Are those the new USA deluxe?
The specs are close to my Vigier Expert- locking tuners and noiseless single coils.

I had a USA deluxe for s short while, it was a splendid guitar.

Like you, the neck pick up is my favourite position. Beautiful cleans, lovely blues/rock grit with a bit of gain.

My Vigier took a bit of a back seat though.... because it couldn't deliver the harder punch I need for harder rock.
I've solved that with a Di Marzio Chopper in the bridge. Now it can really do it all.... which is great. I've never really enjoyed strat bridge pick ups, so dropping in a single sized humbucker there has been a game changer for me.

Anyway, that bridge pick up might not be an issue for you.

I bet the cleans through your AD30 are glorious!!!
Cheers, it sounds great overdriven so no issues!

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:16 am
by Hubaxe
Nice catch. There are so many strat models ! It's always good to find one that match your tastes.
Does the S1 act like a Clapton booster?

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2019 6:26 am
by Ronnie Robinson
Hubaxe wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 6:16 am
Nice catch. There are so many strat models ! It's always good to find one that match your tastes.
Does the S1 act like a Clapton booster?
Cheers, yeah similar I think, although I've never tried a Clapton Start but certainly on the neck and middle pickup with the S1 engaged there is a slight increase in volume and a more rounded tone with less treble. It's certainly much more usuable that what I remember of the S1 switching I had in my 2008 deluxe.

Re: Ngd - Fender strat elite

Posted: Mon Jul 08, 2019 3:08 am
by groundmeat
I have a 2015 ash body American Elite in the cherry sunburst color. They are INCREDIBLE guitars. The compound radius neck and fretboard isn't really something you notice and feel to a huge degree when you're playing, but it does seem to make playing easier.

And while I... LOOOOOOOVE... this guitar, I should probably explain that it might not be the perfect Stratocaster for everyone. The 4th generation Noiseless pickups they put on them are pretty treble-heavy, which personally, I like. It cuts through, and it twangs nice and bright, perfect for a lead guitar. It could also have a little to do with the ash body, which supposedly produces a brighter tone as well. But I've also tried American Professionals, Fender Deluxe (Mexico) models, 1970's reissues, and even Hendrix strats, which also have pickups that are fairly treble-heavy. None of them sound as clear and sparkling as the gen4 Noiseless pickups used on the American Elites. But if you're looking for a plain-jane Strat just to hang back and handle rhythm duties and not stand out in the mix, something else might fill that role easier and for less money.

If someone's looking to buy a real Fender strat (American Professional), don't overlook the Elites. Yeah, they cost a little more, but it's one case where you actually DO get a little more for that money. I've test driven some of the nicest hand-made and boutique strats from folks like Nash and Mario Martin, and they were pretty damned nice, but I still wouldn't trade my Fender American Elite for any of 'em.