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"That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms" (thatbastardkurtis5) 07/06/2018 at 15:31 • Filed to: None

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A few months ago, facing a minor financial crisis, I had to sell my Strat. It wasn’t an expensive one, but it was extremely cool: a black early 90s made in Mexico Squier with a maple neck , I had installed an LSR roller nut, vintage tuners, and a pickguard loaded with Pribora pickups that I had hand wired myself. I regret selling it, because it was awesome...so today I replaced it with something I hope will be equally cool.

That’s a 2018 ‘Player Series’ Fender Stratocaster HSS in Sage Green Metallic with a Pao Ferro fretboard, and I think it looks absolutely killer. I’ve never liked rosewood fretboards except with greens and blues, and even then I’d usually take maple 100 times out of 100, but Fender’s recent switch to Pao Ferro just does it for me.

It’s a fair bit lighter in color than rosewood, and paired with sage green, it’s basically my favorite Strat colorway ever.

They also made some nice changes to the Player Series, which takes the place of the former ‘Standard’ Fender guitars, aka the Made in Mexico Standard. The tremolo is now a 2 post rather than a 6 hole vintage, the pickups are Shaw-inspired alnico pieces instead of the Standard’s ceramic magnets, and they gave it the same vintage style headstock logo as the American Professional gets.

I’ve also heard the neck is a little chunkier, but this was kind of an impulse buy and I haven’t so much as been to Guitar Center to hold one. This one was a demo from Sweetwater, and the price was great, so I pulled the trigger knowing if I hate it, Sweetwater is great about returns.

It gets here Tuesday, I’m pretty excited about it. 

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/06/2018 at 15:58

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Particularly the trem and alnico magnets. Don’t know what kind of strings you intend to use, but might sound interesting with lights, played soft with a lot of bending. Smokey dive bar blues, that kind of thing.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/06/2018 at 16:08

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The trem brings it dangerously close to the Classic Player series, which is an $800 guitar. It’s got a soft V neck instead of a modern C, but a C fits me better anyway. Plus I might go dual humbucker some time down the road, but the fact it’s got alnicos means I’m not in a hurry. 

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/06/2018 at 16:14

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I have a hankering for a Tele I have yet to indulge in. Not much of a Strat man, but that is a heck of an elegant guitar and it’s right . I fixed a Kramer strat-compatible a while back for a friend’s wife that was mint green, had a Floyd Rose on it - pretty nice budget guitar, but it’s not getting played. Sigh.

Die-Trying > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/06/2018 at 17:03

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Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/06/2018 at 17:13

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I s c r a t c h e d t h a t i t c h a w h i l e a g o w i t h a S q u i e r V i n t a g e M o d i f i e d T e l e D e l u x e . I I R C i t w a s $ 3 2 5 n e w f r o m S w e e t w a t e r / Z z o u n d s .

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/06/2018 at 17:15

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H o w m u c h i s a m o d d e d S q u i e r w o r t h ? I r e c e n t l y r e f i n i s h e d m y Fender H H Mexistrat and am back & forth over a d d i n g n e w G r o v e r s a n d a b r i d g e o r j u s t s e l l i n g i t a s - i s .

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 07/06/2018 at 18:22

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That one was worth about $200, as I recall, but I only paid $100 for the guitar so I about broke even in the end . I’d tell you to sell it as-is, you’re not going to get the price of the Grovers and bridge back modding anything. Market for MIM Strats is around $300 for a good one right now, $250 on the low end.  What color is it?

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/06/2018 at 20:14

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Looks really nice. FWIW my Mexican Tele has been absolutely rock solid for 19 years since I bought it new. I keep saying I’m going  to sell my Gibson SG and get an HSS Strat.  I’ve been holding out for an American one but it might be time to just getone of these. 

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 07/06/2018 at 21:49

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Having owned an American Standard Strat, the main difference to me is in the electronics, and I’ll likely swap those anyway . The necks and bodies on the Mexicans seem to be every bit as nice now...they even satin finish the back of the neck and gloss the front like they do on the Americans now. I feel like the Mexican guitars are occasionally heavier, maybe because they’re often 3 piece bodies instead of 2, but the one I just ordered is 8 lbs 3 oz, which isn’t bad at all. I’ll report back on how this one is next week, but Fender is consistent and I wager it’ll be great. 

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/06/2018 at 22:09

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This is before I stripped off that thick poly finish. Now it’s a kind-of antique white with white p/g. I may strip it down again and refinish as it didn’t quite come out as the Olympic White I was looking for. IIRC I paid $150 for it with a crappy little 3w practice amp so if I fugg it up I’m not out any real money.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 07/08/2018 at 09:23

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I love that color. Where did you buy it? I spend waaaaay too much money on Reverb.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 07/08/2018 at 14:17

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Sweetwater. I almost ordered one, but then the one I was going to buy sold, so I was bummed. Then this one showed up as a demo for $70 less, so I grabbed it.