STAR LETTER

AMERICAN DREAM?

I bought a Mexican Strat for £329 as a teenager back in 2002. A Strat fan, I always had in mind that I’d upgrade to the ‘real thing’, a USA Strat, when I could afford it, but never got round to it. Playing more recently, I finally made it along to the local guitar shop and tried out a couple of Professional II models and an Ultra. They were great to play, but, on reflection, were not the step up I was expecting from my Mexican Strat.

The Ultra’s neck was nice and the heel shape with better upper-fret access is a good feature, but back home my Mexican has a neck that actually feels more slimline and easier to play. The big difference was on the bridge pickup, which sounded fuller with more sustain, the noise-cancelling making a big difference. The ability to add the neck pickup in also sounds really great here.

The Sunburst and Arctic White finishes on the new models look great, but again my Midnight Blue with a rosewood neck – and some pleasing dents and bashes – still feels special, too. I’m probably being a bit sentimental about my long-standing friend, but the £2k upgrade didn’t seem worth it. I’m thinking instead of upgrading the pickups, with the option to blend the neck in with the middle and bridge if possible. Does that sound sensible? Am I missing something about the US models? Nick Seeley

Nick, your thoughts on all of the above touch on some really important matters. In the final analysis, the only guitars you should own and buy, if you want to be satisfied, are ones you just click with. That feeling of connection usually happens instantly and it isn’t necessarily about price, country of origin or cachet – the editor of this tome has had that feeling of connection with both a £4k Patrick James Eggle Macon and an old Antoria Les Paul Junior copy worth only a few hundred pounds. So perhaps we should try to set aside our preconceptions about what is ‘better’ and try not to feel that we must inexorably rise higher up the escalator of a maker’s guitar ranges as we pass through life.

If you try a USA Fender or even a Custom Shop model and love it to bits then go for it. But if you’re happy with your MIM Strat as is, there’s no law (or indeed sense in) saying you have to spend £2,000 on a US replacement. Okay, if you want to just treat yourself to something cool, new and shiny, then fine. But you don’t need to do it.

As to whether new pickups would be good, we would ask what it is you think the current ones lack, if anything? Again, you may not need to change them. However, quality pickups from makers such as Bare Knuckle, DiMarzio, Lollar and others will often bring something extra to the voice and feel of a factory-spec guitar. But try to be analytical about what you want from any upgrade and, where possible, talk to the maker about which pickups meet your exact needs before pushing the button.

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