Eric Johnson Strat

[tramp]

Does anyone own one, have an opinion etc?? Just looking to buy a new gtr and this popped into my head!! heard that it was the best strat fender make??!!

 

[gonzo]

i looked (played) a EJ strat, took the best ideas from it, and built my own version of it.
my USACG strat project

(headshot)

(side headshot)

(jackplate)

(bill lawrence pickups, and the hipshot trem)

(backshot)


body: lightweight Alder 2-piece, with a contoured heel, routed for a 2-post
Hipshot trem, non locking, side jack, fall-away cut out on the back side of the bottom bout.

pickups: humbucker-single-single, Bill Lawrence L-500L and 2-280s (n & m)
Q filter for the L-500L wired to 'tone pot', and a master volume.

neck: hardrock maple neck, with a pau ferro fingerboard. 6150 frets, 1-5/8" nut width. small fender-style headstock
Gibson scale length neck, 22 frets, fingerboard radius, of 12". the shape of the neck is a thin "C" shape,
with a .78" neck thickness at the 1st fret, up to .85 at the 13th, mother of pearl dot inlays.

headstock: tiltback design, 13 degrees, graphtech nut.

Super thin Nitro finish, with (2) thin coats of wipe-on poly on the neck, feels like polished raw wood.



i believe this build is far superior to the EJ strat i spent several hours with.
plus, it's cool to put your own thing into it, makes it more personal.

 

[KH Guitar Freak]

I wouldn't say it's the best strat Fender makes, but it's nice. I personally found it didn't sound like a classic strat sound but. Cops the EJ tone pretty darn good...

 

[Don]

I played one and liked it, though there were a few features that I didn't care for.

I ended up buying a cheaper Strat (a Hwy1 with a great looking body). I had USACG make a neck more to my liking (I sold the original neck for what I paid for the USACG neck), installed a set of Fralin Vintage Hot pickups that I already owned and a Callaham bridge. I sold the parts pulled off of the guitar and nearly broke even and ended up with exactly what I wanted.

 

[DudewithFr0]

suhr strats are the best :mrgreen:

 

[lreese]

Suhr Guitars have a different "feel" than Fender. They're awesome guitars.

The EJ is a fine strat - After playing a "NoNeck", I prefer the NoNeck. That's a CS with the Nocaster neck profile, which is a huge neck. EJ is more of a V to C profile, feels much skinnier but still a substantial neck. The only thing that bothered me was the RWRP middle pickup - in with a Duncan Alnico II and all is well. Might also have a problem with lacquer being sticky - keep it rubbed down and you're OK.

 

[gonzo]

i have recently discovered, that a SUHR strat, does not play or sound any better than my custom job.....

quite a suprise, to be sure.

it really helps to know exactly what you want, and WHY, when you build a custom job.

i think the only way i could improve on the thing, would be to carve the heel more like the ibanez jem, that 'all access' heel, and use the threaded inserts and screws to attach the neck.
as it is, with the usa custom guitars body i ordered, i did get the contoured heel, but it's still not as smooth as the ones with the rounded off corners.

 

[yem]

A supreme stratocaster!!! Love everything about it except the PICKUPS. AIII=no bueno for me. Put some antiquities in there or something I think i'd be my favorite stratocaster. I just don't know about the money. My favorite fender pickups come in the Jimmie Vaughan strat. I love the neck, too. Better than most MIA strats. All you have to do is hit up warmoth for a 3 ply pickguard so it doesn't look like a squier.

 

[moodyedge]

im a les paul player and the only strat i ever played i liked was the Vintage Hot Rod '62 Stratocaster and I came very very close to buying one after years of fender slating. Big chunky neck...big chunky sound....olympic white..nice guitar

I may get one one day

I bought a duel rectifier instead

 

[thinskin57]

when they first came out they were $1609. now they're something like $2500?! i wonder if they sound $900 better as to justify the increase. totally over-priced, but that's fender. anyway, the first year they came out i went to GC to check one out. wanted to love it and take it home, but it was beat out by a Clapton strat that i took home that day. go figure, i'm not ever a fan.

 

[mefgames]

I originally wanted a Fender signature strat, but the prices were just too much. I ended up buying an American Standard Strat about 3 years ago for $700. I was never happy with the pickups, so I did some research, and ended up installing a set of Kinman Mark II's. www.kinman.com I added the option of his HX 85 in the bridge. Coupled with the fact that these are truly noiseless, these are THE BEST vintage tone pickups you will ever hear. I also added the K9 switching system for an variety of tonal possibilities, cost around $ 400. If you want an EJ Strat, buy one, but if you want the best Strat you can get for the money. I highly recommend going the way I did. you will not be sorry.


Good Luck

Mike

 

[Rezamatix]

the new american standards 09 models are great strats, some great long overdue improvements on those, i would also have to agree that the 62 reissue is a bad mofo for sure. I was on a strat hunt for the last three months, I was gassing for a new strat without all the mods I had done to mine, I ended up buying some lindy fralin single coils and now i dont care. my strat sounds and plays as good as or better than the custom shops I have tried out. I would suggest buying an new 09 american standard and maybe throwing some locking tuners on it, get some fralins or kinmans or even nordstrand pickups and get your mojo workin!

 

[gonzo]

just posted a tune in rigs and tones, using my cream strat, with humbucker and single coil neck tones in abundance....
this is my 'better-than-a-eric johnson' strat.....!

heheh

 

[lockbody]

the new american standards 09 models are great strats, some great long overdue improvements on those, i would also have to agree that the 62 reissue is a bad mofo for sure. I was on a strat hunt for the last three months, I was gassing for a new strat without all the mods I had done to mine, I ended up buying some lindy fralin single coils and now i dont care. my strat sounds and plays as good as or better than the custom shops I have tried out. I would suggest buying an new 09 american standard and maybe throwing some locking tuners on it, get some fralins or kinmans or even nordstrand pickups and get your mojo workin!

The improvements came with the '08 and later Strats. FWIW, save money on the locking tuners, and take it to a competent luthier for a decent setup. My '08 stays in tune as good with the stock tuners as it did with a set of locking Schallers after I took it in to give the nut some needed attention. So good, in fact, that the Schallers have just been sitting in the parts drawer since.

 

[barryathome]

I have a USA Strat Deluxe and love it. Hate the whole S1 thing. I'm gonna replace the pickups. I'd love to trade for an EJ Strat.

I used to own a SRV Strat, loved it, loved the fat neck.......

 

[Guitar GeeK]

http://forum.grailtone.com/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=42967