"Forget" The Number. It's Just a Number. Start Telling Your Self, What Ever Number. Sounds Good to You. "Maybe" 30, 32, 38, 44. 55. You Choose. You have Nothing to Loose. ✨️✨️✨️🙂
LOL! I'm 76! My very first guitar was a '54 I got for Christmas of 1963. $75 from one of the downtown Jacksonville pawn shops on West Bay Street. This is probably just another Stratocaster they are calling a "1954." But it darn sure looks tempting ...
They age well... our husks do not. :-) I thought I had a couple more decades in me, but my skin and Psoriasis has other plans. Happy 70. And the Strat too.
Matt, you sound so good playing your 59 thru a Super Reverb or your Bassman. You have your own unique sound. When you play through something else or you play a different guitar, you sound like anybody else.
My one and only electric 6 is a 2010 Standard Strat, two piece ash body, one piece maple neck. Sunburst too. Looks remarkably like that one, but cost £500 and weighs a gnat's under 7lb. Maybe the extra thousands in that 70th's price is all down to that extra 1lb. Bar o' gold, maybe?
my wife got me a 75th Anniversery, let me pick out the pickupd setup. i never had a strat before. i got it like my Ibanez Jem: Double, Single , Double. I love the single in the middle for cleaner stuff and somewhat dirty picking. I dont like single in neck or bridge, but these doubles came with issues. I had to turn both around so i can raise the posts to improve the sound at the right locations. I lowered the neck one and really brought out magnet posts away from neck, sounds like a p90. Bridge was too bright on 10, so i slightly lowered it and slightly brought up magnet posts away from bridge. Sounds like a p90 backed off to 7 or 8 and now very ballsy and not brittle on 10.
First I have heard of the 70th. I currently own a Custom Shop 2004/5 50th anniversary Strat built by Master Builder JT English. Found it at a little boutique online shop... it included the original 2 cases and all case candy... I'm a nut so I put together a little time capsule with the original Fender Frontline 2004 catalog with the add for the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary Stratocaster, a Fender Authorized 1995 reprint of the original folding Sales Catalog from 1954, a reprint of the Custom Shops JT English obituary found online on Fenders website in 2008, a 1954-2004 Custom Shop license plate, Tom Wheelers "The Stratocaster Chronicles" a history celebrating 50 years of the Stratocaster and a real 1954 Franklin Half Dollar (for posterity). I also own the 2004 American Deluxe Stratocaster 50th Anniversary Edition. At the age of 42 in the year 2000 I began a serious journey of learning to play guitar and the above equipment was all part of that journey. Today I am 65, have been playing for 23 years and have never regretted one moment of guitar collecting and playing. Thank you Matthew for your videos, I love seeing your journey of the older equipment finds you have made. Keep up in tune...! nwh
I fell in love with Strats as soon as i saw one. They look like rock and roll to me. I'm on the cusp of 69. I have a late 90s MIM one and a much newer, bought in a garage sale, MIC Squire. Love them both and wouldn't sell them for the world. A real Fender is sadly out of my budget.
I ordered a Strat through the MOD shop. I wanted a '57 looking Strat like (Buddy Holly) but with a modern compound radius neck. Mine came in at 7lbs 7ozs. alder body that looks like 1 piece, 2 tone burst. single ply pickguard etc. Fender far exceeded my dreams, it's incredible and I'm super picky. Even 8 lbs seems heavy now, close to 9 lbs would be tough to live with.
Sounds like the best brand new strat I've heard in a while Matt, amazing chops as usual. Will receive your record very soon, delivery is on the way, cannot wait to have it. Cheers brother!
i don't like vintage frets or the thinner smaller necks but i appreciate how you make them chime there are definitely people who make them sound magic the midrange sounded nice nØt overbearing or too anemic or thin
Ok. I’m in! I like everything you do and I’ve learned a lot from your videos. More please 🙏. That’s as close as I’ll get to an original first year 54 Strat. My favorite year is 59 & I got a Custom Shop reissue. I don’t think you would like it since you have the real deal. Again I’ll never be able to get a vintage 59. I can live with it. 👍☮️🌞🎸🎵🩷
It’s a strange colour. It dark as if it’s aged and yet there is no other relic work on the guitar. The cases had the latch in the centre from memory and the latch was an unusual shape.
It sounds a bit like the Gilmour black strat limited edition, but perhaps a bit warmer, and chimier … it also sounds like the strings are a bit close to the neck …
I had an American Standard that weighed like 9lbs, and it basically turned me off Strats for a decade. Finally got a '57 reissue last year at 7lbs 10oz, and it's just got a totally improved feel, playability, and tone. Lighter is better IMO.
Would a 54 Stratocaster have the truss rod stripe on the back of the neck. I thought that came later in the 70s when the adjustment was moved to the headstock.
Excellent. Nice Job, guys… but do we really want to relive old times. Going back round, again and again. I don’t know. Is it all just for commercial gain?
Honestly, the weight thing is either irrelevant when it comes to tone, or it's a bit nuanced. I personally like my Strat lighter, and it at least "seems" that they resonate better when they are lighter. Maybe that's just all in my head. Some guys like heavier guitars and they say it gives more sustain. But often those guys prefer higher output pickups and high gain amps whereas we like playing through clean tube amps that are cranked. So maybe it's nuanced. Who knows, I just like my Strats light lol.
I wouldn't mind owning it. i do own a 1956 strat all original. it is much lighter in weight. the n eck is also fatter at the fist fret but it also is a big pointy V not a c and it is a 1956 not a 1954,. and the last 35 y ears I have been buyin g Clapton models, 6 of them which are heavier too other wise I like them a lot i have both the lace sensor pickups and the newer ones with the pole pieces again. which perhaps I like more hard to say i like them all the lace sensor to me seems thruster when you turn them up they punch in faster and harder perhap. either way i wou ld like another early or mid 50's strat. do you get to keep that gu it ar and wha t do they sell for now.. the reissue that is. oh is it custom shop or No? I didn 't hear you call it a custom shop just has all the nice case candy s tuff. enjoy stay safe and healthy.. Seems like lots of high end bite maybe too much and zi really didn't hear what I would call that really good fat neck pickup sound again to me i thou ght it had lots of high end bite e ven on the neck pickup none of that fat cleaN HENDRIX OR sTEVIE OR CLAPTON TONE TO IT . at least i was not hearin it. although i would still like owning one.. Mike in phoeni x, Az... Oh y ea the old ones and mine have Bakelite for the knobs and pickup covers too. how about this one???
How do I do what y oy asked. i am not a all that cumputer savoy. heck I don't even have a cell phone same house nu mber though for 45 years. yea the cave number. I am getting older wi ll be 68 next month but still love playing and guitars and amps like i did when I was 15 back in 1974 .. yea let me kn ow how or where to get in tou ch that would be good going forward.. Than ks, M.g. in phx. stay safe & healthy. oh and g reat playintg on y our part too as well you are a fin e guitarist which is impressive coming fro me.= Cool.
The only other review I've seen, the guitar weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. I guess there isn't enough ash left for them all to be that light. I'm tired of the anniversary numbers. They give anniversary number based on the instrument and the company. Next year we will probably see a '65 reissue celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first CBS strat.
I purchased a Custom Shop 50th Anniversary Strat back in 2004 for my 50th birthday. Master built by Mark Kendrick. 7lbs 3 oz. Thought I might get one of these for my 70th birthday but am now deciding against it. Not the same quality as my 50th. Those were all Masterbuilt guitars which made it feel to me that Fender was making the occasion really special. These 70th Anniversary models make it feel like a money grab. I paid a little over $3K for mine, which was a great deal for a MB back then. Can't believe yours is almost 9 lbs?
I'm an old guy that's been playing guitar since surf music was popular back in the sixties. I've owned two fifty four Stratocasters I paid less than a thousand dollars for each of them. To be perfectly honest I really didn't like the way they played. The best stratecaster I ever owned was a nineteen sixty three with the b neck. Absolutely fantastic. Really should have held on to that one. Oh well.😢
I've had the good fortune to play a couple of '54 Strats. One was okay, the other was not. It hummed, squealed, had thin, short frets and didn't feel right in my hands at all.
Maybe it's just the nerd in me, but I wish Fender would have made just a genuine 1954 Reissue..instead of close but not 100% accurate American Vintage for $2500 or the on spec Custom Shop for $5k..the necks on these AV are a golden orange..in fact they came from the factory with clear lacquer and some turned yellow from smoke, sunlight, and age..not to mention how damn heavy they're making these..a 9lb 54 Strat..Really?
The Fender 60th anniversary '54 Strat is actually more period correct (including the single-seam, center pocket case and pickups); and the bodies are noticeably lighter (mine only weighs a hair over 6.5 lbs-2 piece swamp ash...)!
Agreed! I own a 60th Anniversary '54 Stratocaster Relic w/gold anodized pickguard. It's light, looks stunning and sounds magnificent. My only complaint is that -- having had it for 10 years -- the bakelite volume and tone knobs have developed hairline fissures, though they remain stable and haven't broken off. I've tried contacting Fender Customer Support, but they're loathe to provide replacements to purchase unless you go through a whole involved process to get them through the Custom Shop.
The unique and priceless thing about Leo Fender's original design (apart from body and neck shape) was the three pickup, single coil configuration and exactly where (harmonically) and at what angle they were positioned. I recently purchased a second hand Squier Strat for £60 and after some hours filing and smoothing fret ends, adjusting nut, truss rod, intonation etc she has at least 90% of the very best of the very best Fender sound. Plays beautifully and stays perfectly in tune after using extensive trem ♥ Never owned a Strat of any kind before but they're amazing!
I have several Strat type guitars, and while I like a lot about the pickup configuration, I think, much like the 6 screw trem bridge plate, the spacing of the pickups had more to do with looks than string harmonic mode considerations, with the exeption of the angled bridge pickup and posssobly the neck pickup pos. The Strat has a well-proportioned look, and people are attracted to things that look that way i.e.facial feature proportions.
I am very eskeptical a Squier can be as good as a Fender. Very skeptical. My first guitar was a Squier and it was a very bad guitar in comparison just with a Koean Fender, not even American (however, my Korean is probably better than many Americans...). I also have a modern Squier and it is way better than my first guitar but still, miles away from a good Fender. Bridge has a bad design that can hurt you. Tunners are terrible. Pickups have less dynamics. The neck is a good Squier one, but still, miles away from a good Fender in playability. Now, regarding recorded sound, that is no longer a point because you can play with a milk carton that can sound as good as a custom masterbuild Fender...
Are these US made, or are they MIM like the 75th Anniversary Teles ? I got one for my B'day when they were released, I love my Tele, in the silver metallic Diamond.
I graduated in ‘96, which was Fender’s 50th anniversary. I used some scholarship money I received from the local Masons to buy myself a brand new American Standard 3-tone sunburst Strat with a rosewood fretboard. Still have it. Hadn’t played it in a few years because the frets were shot. Intonation was out of the question. Watched some RUclips videos to gain some tips and successfully refretted it myself. Now it’s back in playing order and in the fold. Thank you RUclips. I wish you were around when I was a kid. I’d probably be doing something in the music industry instead of testing switchgear.
This guitar isn't for the 70th Anniversary of Fender as a company. It's a guitar to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the first Stratocaster which was introduced by Fender in 1954. They also did this in 1979 (25th), 1994 (40th), 2004 (50th) and 2014 (60th). To me the most valuable one would be one from 1994 because they only made 1,954 of them and were numbered on the back of the headstock. I had one but sold it 4 years ago. It sounded great, but I couldn't get used to the obscenely, heavily lacquered maple fretboard.
Awesome video. I always dreamed of owning a Les Paul as a kid. They're all I dreamed about. As I became a gigging musician years ago, despite my best efforts at resistance, I fell in love with Fender. My #1 is a 1959 Custom Shop relic Strat. To say I love that guitar would be an understatement. I have a Mexican Stratocaster that I bought new when I was 16 (I'm 44 now) and that thing has traveled with me all across the US and EU during the late 90s and early 2000s. Our band was playing festivals and opening for larger acts, and the scars and memories that thing holds are priceless. I know that once I'm dead and gone it will just be a beat up junk Mexican Strat for someone to throw away, but there is no amount of money I could be offered to part with it. I don't believe Mexican Strats are junk, but lets face it, unless it is American made, a beat up Strat has no collector or "vintage" value outside of its sentimental worth to me.
I love your story. I’m 45 and I also have a 90s Mexican Strat that I absolutely love. I learned to play guitar on it. I upgraded it to Fender 57/62 reissue pickups back in the 90s. I also wouldn’t get rid of it.
My mexican Jim Root Telecaster is one of the most stable and in tune instruments I ever played. An absolute workhorse for gigging. I replaced the EMGs with passives and the black hardware with chrome so it is more traditional and less metal and I play lots of blues and hard rock on it. She's beaten and the nitro finish is wearing but damn she's great! Guitars are tools, you just need to find reliable ones. Doesn't matter if Mexican or US :)
What back in 54 that cost about $100....How much is it now?I love all strats.A heavier strat is better.Susutain.The 70's strats lighter.Neat guitar overall.
The first few years of the Stratocasters were all over the map in terms of shapes and contours. I wonder if sourcing the lightweight ash is hard even for Fender. Nice playing as always! 👍
The Stratocaster body design simply cannot be beaten in my humble opinion. I finally managed to buy a new sunburst USA Highway One in the mid-2000s, and I’m never going to part with it. Yes, I am currently having an affair with a low-cost pretender, more precisely, with its streamlined heel joint which suits my ageing digits, but in the end, it’s the Fender that will stay with me forever. Thank you so much Mr Leo Fender for creating this iconic instrument.
IMO I’m with you on the weight. Lighter body less finish more resonance.However; I believe that the thicker the neck the better the tone, and roasted necks are even better. IMO I did and A/B with a 54 reissue that had a smallish C and put a Mayer Sig USA neck on it and it was so much fuller, warmer and just more everything period. I do like what I’m seeing here, how big is the neck? Is it 59 John English big or maybe more Mayer US big if you’ve played one? Thank you for what you do. You’re doing what you love and doing it well.
If you started out in the neck position, the guitar sounds extremely bright to me. -Nice looking. If it doesn't break the bank, it would be a nice addition to a player's arsenal.
Luvit Matthew! And I hav to say, Fender seem to've tried a LOT harder with this than my one... I bought the 25th Anniversary Strat as a youngster, (God I can'tbeleive they're on 70 years already! 😱). It was ridiculously heavy, (and quite possibly damaged my left shoulder over time...). Also, some bad-mouthers said that Fender made the '25th' from 'Old Unused Parts' swept up at the factory!... Not sure that's true, but can definitely say this '54/70th sounds wonderful in your capable hands mate... Lovely stuff, thanks!... Bobby 🙏
What a guitar. Sounds better than anything sold by Fender right now. This strat provides evidence that the 54strat is the holy Grail of the stratocaster by far. Fender pulled this off again. Modern players will push back! There is nothing sold by Fender including the ultra or pro II that touches this guitar for tone and playability ..The soft V neck is awesome too ..
I’m guessing it cost more than a Strat did in 1954, accounting for inflation! I’m sure Fender will release a 75th Anniversary and they’ll say they got it right then also! This guitar makes me want to find my Buddy Holley Greatest Hits CD!
8 lbs 12 oz… the thing still thinks it’s a tree. Lol That guitar shouldn’t be an ounce over 8lbs imo. I guess that’s where the custom shop comes in though.
I think it’s an awesome guitar. I bought and sold a number of the 50th anniversary years back. I kept one, and I love it. As for this one, ash bodies can vary in weight, but are as a general rule a heavy wood. I play LP’s too, so the weight doesn’t concern me. This on is everything I wished the 50th anniversary model was with the exception of not being able to set the switch in the “in between” position. Hopefully Fender fixes this so it can be done. Other than that, this is one awesome guitar!
Here's my little PSA to you all: If Fender has done the same thing with this reissue as they did with the 60th, remove the knobs immediately if you'd like to play it regularly. The knobs will inevitably crack if they are using the period correct bakelite knobs. I had one crack on mine and when I listed it for sale, I got TONS of inquiries of people asking if I'd be willing to sell the knobs, (even the cracked one). Great playing as always Matthew.
I contacted fender to get a replacement knob for one on my 60th custom shop strat that cracked, and they told me to take the guitar to a repair center, which would involve shipping it…just for them to give me a damn knob!
I wish they'd make the 54 knobs available separately (and more robust). I bought a 60th anniversary strat from someone but the knobs were later replacements as presumably the originals had broken. Nice guitar though and luckily the switch tip and pickup covers were intact.
Rhett Shull said head over here for a review by Matt Scott who does a good job and really knows what he's talking about. Thank you Matthew! I am 70 and have been guitar in hand for 66 years. Great review. I will start looking!
I listen to your CD front to back at least twice per week. This guitar sounds technically / mechanically good but compared to the SRV Little Wing style tones on your CD, they simply aren't there with the reissue. :/ Rock on & Peace out!
Dude tell me about it. Listened to his whole album start to finish on my way to work and my way home. I got an hour ride to and from. And I bring my acoustic for my lunch break and I jam along with him. This album is one of my favorite albums ever. No filler! All great songs.
Maybe I should have paid more attention to what was said during that excellent video but I was just wondering if the neck had a 7.25" radius and a 3-way switch like the original models ?
can't imagine anyone who thinks heavier guitars sound better. Even Derrick Trucks says he picks his SG's by just picking them up to see which is the lightest. shame that the guitar is so heavy.
Hey I hope you see this I’ll comment on your other vids as well but I featured you on my channel as artist of the week if you want me to take the short down I have no problem doing that but all credit is going to you
Not that impressed The only thing I would say is the amp was set rather dry sounding. It all sounded less 'vintage' and more like an off the shelf Strat sound from a music store...
I also just turned 70.
Damn.
Happier for the Strat!
"Forget" The Number. It's Just a Number.
Start Telling Your Self,
What Ever Number. Sounds Good to You.
"Maybe" 30, 32, 38, 44. 55. You Choose.
You have Nothing to Loose. ✨️✨️✨️🙂
LOL! I'm 76! My very first guitar was a '54 I got for Christmas of 1963. $75 from one of the downtown Jacksonville pawn shops on West Bay Street. This is probably just another Stratocaster they are calling a "1954." But it darn sure looks tempting ...
@@TonetwistersDo you still have it?
They age well... our husks do not. :-) I thought I had a couple more decades in me, but my skin and Psoriasis has other plans. Happy 70. And the Strat too.
What's your serial number? JK, Happy 70 laps around the sun!
Matt, you sound so good playing your 59 thru a Super Reverb or your Bassman. You have your own unique sound. When you play through something else or you play a different guitar, you sound like anybody else.
My one and only electric 6 is a 2010 Standard Strat, two piece ash body, one piece maple neck. Sunburst too. Looks remarkably like that one, but cost £500 and weighs a gnat's under 7lb. Maybe the extra thousands in that 70th's price is all down to that extra 1lb. Bar o' gold, maybe?
Wonderful playing as usual. Always a pleasure to hear you play!
Enjoyable as always. Love your Toys. Good to see & hear you again.
Best Regards Always.
my wife got me a 75th Anniversery, let me pick out the pickupd setup. i never had a strat before. i got it like my Ibanez Jem: Double, Single , Double. I love the single in the middle for cleaner stuff and somewhat dirty picking. I dont like single in neck or bridge, but these doubles came with issues. I had to turn both around so i can raise the posts to improve the sound at the right locations. I lowered the neck one and really brought out magnet posts away from neck, sounds like a p90. Bridge was too bright on 10, so i slightly lowered it and slightly brought up magnet posts away from bridge. Sounds like a p90 backed off to 7 or 8 and now very ballsy and not brittle on 10.
First I have heard of the 70th. I currently own a Custom Shop 2004/5 50th anniversary Strat built by Master Builder JT English. Found it at a little boutique online shop... it included the original 2 cases and all case candy... I'm a nut so I put together a little time capsule with the original Fender Frontline 2004 catalog with the add for the Custom Shop 50th Anniversary Stratocaster, a Fender Authorized 1995 reprint of the original folding Sales Catalog from 1954, a reprint of the Custom Shops JT English obituary found online on Fenders website in 2008, a 1954-2004 Custom Shop license plate, Tom Wheelers "The Stratocaster Chronicles" a history celebrating 50 years of the Stratocaster and a real 1954 Franklin Half Dollar (for posterity). I also own the 2004 American Deluxe Stratocaster 50th Anniversary Edition. At the age of 42 in the year 2000 I began a serious journey of learning to play guitar and the above equipment was all part of that journey. Today I am 65, have been playing for 23 years and have never regretted one moment of guitar collecting and playing. Thank you Matthew for your videos, I love seeing your journey of the older equipment finds you have made. Keep up in tune...! nwh
That’s John English! Never let it go!
I fell in love with Strats as soon as i saw one. They look like rock and roll to me. I'm on the cusp of 69. I have a late 90s MIM one and a much newer, bought in a garage sale, MIC Squire. Love them both and wouldn't sell them for the world. A real Fender is sadly out of my budget.
I see the slope behind the nut is sharp like the Eric Johnson Strat. Quite different than my '62 CS reissue. I noticed Matt tunes a half step down.😊
towards the tuners ? or
sloping towards the pick-ups ?
Yup, test 'em in E standard.
I ordered a Strat through the MOD shop. I wanted a '57 looking Strat like (Buddy Holly) but with a modern compound radius neck. Mine came in at 7lbs 7ozs. alder body that looks like 1 piece, 2 tone burst. single ply pickguard etc. Fender far exceeded my dreams, it's incredible and I'm super picky. Even 8 lbs seems heavy now, close to 9 lbs would be tough to live with.
I think I prefer this to the vintage ii. Better case and candy and love the sound
Some guitars from Leo’s factory back in the day were heavier not all of them were light weight ❤
Is it possible that this new issue is heavier just because it doesn’t have 70 years on its back? I mean how much weight can the wood loose in decades?
Sounds like the best brand new strat I've heard in a while Matt, amazing chops as usual. Will receive your record very soon, delivery is on the way, cannot wait to have it. Cheers brother!
i don't like vintage frets or
the thinner smaller necks
but i appreciate how you make them chime
there are definitely people who make them sound magic
the midrange sounded nice
nØt overbearing or too anemic or thin
Nice tone
i listen to your albuns everyday bro. Love your stuff
8lbs 12oz. heavy ha ha - my Les Paul is 11lbs (and I like it that way). great playing as always mate
Ok. I’m in! I like everything you do and I’ve learned a lot from your videos. More please 🙏. That’s as close as I’ll get to an original first year 54 Strat. My favorite year is 59 & I got a Custom Shop reissue. I don’t think you would like it since you have the real deal. Again I’ll never be able to get a vintage 59. I can live with it. 👍☮️🌞🎸🎵🩷
it feels a bit like back to the future.....not only for the "strat"..but for me as well....my 70th was 2022......just another day.....
It’s a strange colour. It dark as if it’s aged and yet there is no other relic work on the guitar. The cases had the latch in the centre from memory and the latch was an unusual shape.
It sounds a bit like the Gilmour black strat limited edition, but perhaps a bit warmer, and chimier … it also sounds like the strings are a bit close to the neck …
I had an American Standard that weighed like 9lbs, and it basically turned me off Strats for a decade. Finally got a '57 reissue last year at 7lbs 10oz, and it's just got a totally improved feel, playability, and tone. Lighter is better IMO.
mine came with the serial # stamped in the backplate, 7.25 radius neck, and a 5 way switch.......................7lbs 10oz
Really thorough review
Would a 54 Stratocaster have the truss rod stripe on the back of the neck. I thought that came later in the 70s when the adjustment was moved to the headstock.
ALWAYS love your videos and your MUSICAL ABILITY. A EXCELLENT guitarist!!!
i like the strat because it can be anything you want it to be
They could've at least tried to replicate the headstock transition on the back of the neck to make it look like the actual 54 which is rounded.
Great demo
i like that riff
8:55 - 9:06
excellent ⚡🔥⚡
fabulous guitar!
That sounded really really good.
I agree man.. I'm a die-hard fan of Fender..👍
Maybe the three way switch doesn’t work with the in between positions because it’s a 3 way and not a 5 way. 🧐🤔🧠🤏
You must have never used a vintage Strat with a 3 way switch..
One question...what's the damages..err cost
Thanks Matthew 👍🏻
Nice Work Matthew! WooF!
Sounds pretty darn good.
Would love to know what noise gate pedal Matthew is using on his demos? Or if it's a plug-in, what that would be?
Excellent. Nice Job, guys… but do we really want to relive old times. Going back round, again and again. I don’t know. Is it all just for commercial gain?
Honestly, the weight thing is either irrelevant when it comes to tone, or it's a bit nuanced. I personally like my Strat lighter, and it at least "seems" that they resonate better when they are lighter. Maybe that's just all in my head. Some guys like heavier guitars and they say it gives more sustain. But often those guys prefer higher output pickups and high gain amps whereas we like playing through clean tube amps that are cranked. So maybe it's nuanced. Who knows, I just like my Strats light lol.
you should try it with some good strings those sound shrill AF. Or at least give it a week of playing so they settle a bit
does it have a nitro body and neck??
I wouldn't mind owning it. i do own a 1956 strat all original. it is much lighter in weight. the n eck is also fatter at the fist fret but it also is a big pointy V not a c and it is a 1956 not a 1954,. and the last 35 y ears I have been buyin g Clapton models, 6 of them which are heavier too other wise I like them a lot i have both the lace sensor pickups and the newer ones with the pole pieces again. which perhaps I like more hard to say i like them all the lace sensor to me seems thruster when you turn them up they punch in faster and harder perhap. either way i wou ld like another early or mid 50's strat. do you get to keep that gu it ar and wha t do they sell for now.. the reissue that is. oh is it custom shop or No? I didn 't hear you call it a custom shop just has all the nice case candy s tuff. enjoy stay safe and healthy.. Seems like lots of high end bite maybe too much and zi really didn't hear what I would call that really good fat neck pickup sound again to me i thou ght it had lots of high end bite e ven on the neck pickup none of that fat cleaN HENDRIX OR sTEVIE OR CLAPTON TONE TO IT . at least i was not hearin it. although i would still like owning one.. Mike in phoeni x, Az... Oh y ea the old ones and mine have Bakelite for the knobs and pickup covers too. how about this one???
How do I do what y oy asked. i am not a all that cumputer savoy. heck I don't even have a cell phone same house nu mber though for 45 years. yea the cave number. I am getting older wi ll be 68 next month but still love playing and guitars and amps like i did when I was 15 back in 1974 .. yea let me kn ow how or where to get in tou ch that would be good going forward.. Than ks, M.g. in phx. stay safe & healthy. oh and g reat playintg on y our part too as well you are a fin e guitarist which is impressive coming fro me.= Cool.
I like how everyone is complaining about weight. I guess no one has tried marching in drumline.
Nothing sounds quite like a Strat. Play on brother
The only other review I've seen, the guitar weighed 7 lbs 2 oz. I guess there isn't enough ash left for them all to be that light. I'm tired of the anniversary numbers. They give anniversary number based on the instrument and the company. Next year we will probably see a '65 reissue celebrating the 60th anniversary of the first CBS strat.
Gran guitarra hermoso tono
Good quality light swamp ash is getting harder to come by.
I purchased a Custom Shop 50th Anniversary Strat back in 2004 for my 50th birthday. Master built by Mark Kendrick. 7lbs 3 oz. Thought I might get one of these for my 70th birthday but am now deciding against it. Not the same quality as my 50th. Those were all Masterbuilt guitars which made it feel to me that Fender was making the occasion really special. These 70th Anniversary models make it feel like a money grab. I paid a little over $3K for mine, which was a great deal for a MB back then. Can't believe yours is almost 9 lbs?
A masterbuilt is almost 10k now. A bit ridiculous.
@@A_Noid Agreed. I have my one Kendrick. All the old MB guys are gone except Krauss. That's it for MBs for me.
The only thing wrong with your videos, is that we have to wait too long between them!! Nice to see you again, young man! Play those guitars!!
I'm sorry I was gone too long. I'm back on it. ✌🏻👊🏻
Quality takes time my friend!
The greatest joy is in the expectation - science actually bears that out, it’s how the brain chemistry works …
@@MatthewScottmusic man!! I'm just teasing!! I Love your work! Just keep em coming!!
It’s always a nice gift to see anew vid drop! This one doesn’t disappoint!
I'm an old guy that's been playing guitar since surf music was popular back in the sixties. I've owned two fifty four Stratocasters I paid less than a thousand dollars for each of them. To be perfectly honest I really didn't like the way they played. The best stratecaster I ever owned was a nineteen sixty three with the b neck. Absolutely fantastic. Really should have held on to that one. Oh well.😢
I've had the good fortune to play a couple of '54 Strats. One was okay, the other was not. It hummed, squealed, had thin, short frets and didn't feel right in my hands at all.
@@GreenDistantStar I agree. The ones I had were really hard to play.
dont be afrraid to type numbers out
Early 60s strats are the best
@@colevanbalen7205😂
Maybe it's just the nerd in me, but I wish Fender would have made just a genuine 1954 Reissue..instead of close but not 100% accurate American Vintage for $2500 or the on spec Custom Shop for $5k..the necks on these AV are a golden orange..in fact they came from the factory with clear lacquer and some turned yellow from smoke, sunlight, and age..not to mention how damn heavy they're making these..a 9lb 54 Strat..Really?
I think the 60th Anniversary Version is the best reissue they've made, Pure Vintage I think they called it
The Fender 60th anniversary '54 Strat is actually more period correct (including the single-seam, center pocket case and pickups); and the bodies are noticeably lighter (mine only weighs a hair over 6.5 lbs-2 piece swamp ash...)!
Agreed! I own a 60th Anniversary '54 Stratocaster Relic w/gold anodized pickguard. It's light, looks stunning and sounds magnificent. My only complaint is that -- having had it for 10 years -- the bakelite volume and tone knobs have developed hairline fissures, though they remain stable and haven't broken off. I've tried contacting Fender Customer Support, but they're loathe to provide replacements to purchase unless you go through a whole involved process to get them through the Custom Shop.
8 lbs? What a tank!! My 50th Anniversary 54 was 6lb 14 oz. I regret selling it now.
Can we all just move on from the 3 way switch? 5 is better, who cares about period correct anymore with playability
Another channel doing this guitar. Fender really spent big on the Paid Promotions for this cash grab.
The unique and priceless thing about Leo Fender's original design (apart from body and neck shape) was the three pickup, single coil configuration and exactly where (harmonically) and at what angle they were positioned. I recently purchased a second hand Squier Strat for £60 and after some hours filing and smoothing fret ends, adjusting nut, truss rod, intonation etc she has at least 90% of the very best of the very best Fender sound. Plays beautifully and stays perfectly in tune after using extensive trem ♥ Never owned a Strat of any kind before but they're amazing!
I have several Strat type guitars, and while I like a lot about the pickup configuration, I think, much like the 6 screw trem bridge plate, the spacing of the pickups had more to do with looks than string harmonic mode considerations, with the exeption of the angled bridge pickup and posssobly the neck pickup pos. The Strat has a well-proportioned look, and people are attracted to things that look that way i.e.facial feature proportions.
I am very eskeptical a Squier can be as good as a Fender. Very skeptical. My first guitar was a Squier and it was a very bad guitar in comparison just with a Koean Fender, not even American (however, my Korean is probably better than many Americans...). I also have a modern Squier and it is way better than my first guitar but still, miles away from a good Fender. Bridge has a bad design that can hurt you. Tunners are terrible. Pickups have less dynamics. The neck is a good Squier one, but still, miles away from a good Fender in playability. Now, regarding recorded sound, that is no longer a point because you can play with a milk carton that can sound as good as a custom masterbuild Fender...
@@predigr Times have changed. The tolerances are perfect now.
@@scottnathanphoto yes, I see price now means mainly "more beautiful guitars". That is what you are paying for.
Are these US made, or are they MIM like the 75th Anniversary Teles ? I got one for my B'day when they were released, I love my Tele, in the silver metallic Diamond.
I graduated in ‘96, which was Fender’s 50th anniversary. I used some scholarship money I received from the local Masons to buy myself a brand new American Standard 3-tone sunburst Strat with a rosewood fretboard. Still have it. Hadn’t played it in a few years because the frets were shot. Intonation was out of the question. Watched some RUclips videos to gain some tips and successfully refretted it myself. Now it’s back in playing order and in the fold. Thank you RUclips. I wish you were around when I was a kid. I’d
probably be doing something in the music industry instead of testing switchgear.
96 would have been their 42nd anniversary considering 2024 is their 70th?
@@RoryOBrien85
Fender was founded in 1946.
This guitar isn't for the 70th Anniversary of Fender as a company. It's a guitar to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the first Stratocaster which was introduced by Fender in 1954. They also did this in 1979 (25th), 1994 (40th), 2004 (50th) and 2014 (60th). To me the most valuable one would be one from 1994 because they only made 1,954 of them and were numbered on the back of the headstock. I had one but sold it 4 years ago. It sounded great, but I couldn't get used to the obscenely, heavily lacquered maple fretboard.
Awesome video. I always dreamed of owning a Les Paul as a kid. They're all I dreamed about. As I became a gigging musician years ago, despite my best efforts at resistance, I fell in love with Fender. My #1 is a 1959 Custom Shop relic Strat. To say I love that guitar would be an understatement. I have a Mexican Stratocaster that I bought new when I was 16 (I'm 44 now) and that thing has traveled with me all across the US and EU during the late 90s and early 2000s. Our band was playing festivals and opening for larger acts, and the scars and memories that thing holds are priceless. I know that once I'm dead and gone it will just be a beat up junk Mexican Strat for someone to throw away, but there is no amount of money I could be offered to part with it. I don't believe Mexican Strats are junk, but lets face it, unless it is American made, a beat up Strat has no collector or "vintage" value outside of its sentimental worth to me.
Groove it's really great to read your post thanks this.
I doubt it will be considered a junk Strat... I think it would live on and be making cool music for a long time to come !
What type of music did your band play?
I love your story. I’m 45 and I also have a 90s Mexican Strat that I absolutely love. I learned to play guitar on it. I upgraded it to Fender 57/62 reissue pickups back in the 90s. I also wouldn’t get rid of it.
My mexican Jim Root Telecaster is one of the most stable and in tune instruments I ever played. An absolute workhorse for gigging. I replaced the EMGs with passives and the black hardware with chrome so it is more traditional and less metal and I play lots of blues and hard rock on it. She's beaten and the nitro finish is wearing but damn she's great!
Guitars are tools, you just need to find reliable ones. Doesn't matter if Mexican or US :)
What back in 54 that cost about $100....How much is it now?I love all strats.A heavier strat is better.Susutain.The 70's strats lighter.Neat guitar overall.
the custom shop should relase a 140th anniversary strat NOW !! thats
how ahead of his time leo was back then, what a guy 😇thanks
matthew, superb 👍👌
I got that “HM” strat re-issue been my main gig guitar since. Fender is killing it 🤘🎸🤘
The first few years of the Stratocasters were all over the map in terms of shapes and contours. I wonder if sourcing the lightweight ash is hard even for Fender. Nice playing as always! 👍
Apparently, it is. I believe they save the lightweight ash for the custom shop guitars. But 8 lbs 12 oz is Les Paul territory!
Fender Matthew Scott signature relic stratocaster (USA & Mexican).. Possible ??? 😊
It is American made 2500 dollars
@@Dan-qi2sx I wish Fender made Matthew signature.. thats what i'm sayin..
Damn, 8.75 lbs is way too heavy for a Strat
The Stratocaster body design simply cannot be beaten in my humble opinion. I finally managed to buy a new sunburst USA Highway One in the mid-2000s, and I’m never going to part with it. Yes, I am currently having an affair with a low-cost pretender, more precisely, with its streamlined heel joint which suits my ageing digits, but in the end, it’s the Fender that will stay with me forever. Thank you so much Mr Leo Fender for creating this iconic instrument.
IMO I’m with you on the weight. Lighter body less finish more resonance.However; I believe that the thicker the neck the better the tone, and roasted necks are even better. IMO I did and A/B with a 54 reissue that had a smallish C and put a Mayer Sig USA neck on it and it was so much fuller, warmer and just more everything period. I do like what I’m seeing here, how big is the neck? Is it 59 John English big or maybe more Mayer US big if you’ve played one? Thank you for what you do. You’re doing what you love and doing it well.
If you started out in the neck position, the guitar sounds extremely bright to me. -Nice looking. If it doesn't break the bank, it would be a nice addition to a player's arsenal.
Yeah all I heard in this demo was treble and bite. Some off-putting overtones too. Maybe it's the heavy ash body?
Money to burn 😢
8lb 12oz les Paul territory- ridiculous
Thank you!! I’ve been listening to your album almost daily since it came out. Awesome stuff.
Luvit Matthew! And I hav to say, Fender seem to've tried a LOT harder with this than my one... I bought the 25th Anniversary Strat as a youngster, (God I can'tbeleive they're on 70 years already! 😱). It was ridiculously heavy, (and quite possibly damaged my left shoulder over time...). Also, some bad-mouthers said that Fender made the '25th' from 'Old Unused Parts' swept up at the factory!... Not sure that's true, but can definitely say this '54/70th sounds wonderful in your capable hands mate... Lovely stuff, thanks!... Bobby 🙏
What a guitar. Sounds better than anything sold by Fender right now.
This strat provides evidence that the 54strat is the holy Grail of the stratocaster by far.
Fender pulled this off again. Modern players will push back! There is nothing sold by Fender including the ultra or pro II that touches this guitar for tone and playability ..The soft V neck is awesome too
..
I will always be a Stratocaster player.
I’m guessing it cost more than a Strat did in 1954, accounting for inflation!
I’m sure Fender will release a 75th Anniversary and they’ll say they got it right then also!
This guitar makes me want to find my Buddy Holley Greatest Hits CD!
Purty and it sounds good but you always sound good brother
To each his own but I'll take a Tele over a Strat every day of the year.
It’s driving me crazy, what’s the song he starts playing at 9:15? Thanks!
8 lbs 12 oz… the thing still thinks it’s a tree. Lol
That guitar shouldn’t be an ounce over 8lbs imo. I guess that’s where the custom shop comes in though.
I think it’s an awesome guitar. I bought and sold a number of the 50th anniversary years back. I kept one, and I love it. As for this one, ash bodies can vary in weight, but are as a general rule a heavy wood. I play LP’s too, so the weight doesn’t concern me. This on is everything I wished the 50th anniversary model was with the exception of not being able to set the switch in the “in between” position. Hopefully Fender fixes this so it can be done. Other than that, this is one awesome guitar!
You’re not a very good player.
I was talking to myself 😢
Sounds like an electric guitar.
So job done. ..... i guess 😐
Matthew, You should give me this Guitar, I was Born in 1954, And I turn 70 this Month, Thank YOU , Cousin Figel
I concur wholeheartedly.
@@Em_Dee_Aitch Thank You,
Agreed , you deserve it!
Here's my little PSA to you all: If Fender has done the same thing with this reissue as they did with the 60th, remove the knobs immediately if you'd like to play it regularly. The knobs will inevitably crack if they are using the period correct bakelite knobs. I had one crack on mine and when I listed it for sale, I got TONS of inquiries of people asking if I'd be willing to sell the knobs, (even the cracked one).
Great playing as always Matthew.
Selling your knob. Sounds like a dream job.
@@BeefNEggs057lmao
Good point. Thanks for the tip.
I contacted fender to get a replacement knob for one on my 60th custom shop strat that cracked, and they told me to take the guitar to a repair center, which would involve shipping it…just for them to give me a damn knob!
I wish they'd make the 54 knobs available separately (and more robust). I bought a 60th anniversary strat from someone but the knobs were later replacements as presumably the originals had broken. Nice guitar though and luckily the switch tip and pickup covers were intact.
Fender just casually sends you a 70th Anniversary Strat....that's wild!!!!
Don’t worry, they will have it back, after he makes his videos.
Rhett Shull said head over here for a review by Matt Scott who does a good job and really knows what he's talking about. Thank you Matthew! I am 70 and have been guitar in hand for 66 years. Great review. I will start looking!
ami the weird guy that always wants to replace the pickups no matter what strat it is
That is a sweet guitar & case combo.
I listen to your CD front to back at least twice per week. This guitar sounds technically / mechanically good but compared to the SRV Little Wing style tones on your CD, they simply aren't there with the reissue. :/ Rock on & Peace out!
Dude tell me about it. Listened to his whole album start to finish on my way to work and my way home. I got an hour ride to and from. And I bring my acoustic for my lunch break and I jam along with him. This album is one of my favorite albums ever. No filler! All great songs.
Thank you so much for listening and purchasing the record.
@@BensToneLounge it is good enough to send as a gift to someone who's never heard Matthew Scott.
Maybe I should have paid more attention to what was said during that excellent video but I was just wondering if the neck had a 7.25" radius and a 3-way switch like the original models ?
can't imagine anyone who thinks heavier guitars sound better. Even Derrick Trucks says he picks his SG's by just picking them up to see which is the lightest. shame that the guitar is so heavy.
Hey I hope you see this I’ll comment on your other vids as well but I featured you on my channel as artist of the week if you want me to take the short down I have no problem doing that but all credit is going to you
I would have to say I've picked up super light guitars that had awesome tone as well !
Me to I have a pine telecaster sounds beautiful being old I only buy light guitars
Nice playing!
Sounds like a 70s strat.
That sounds great 👍🏽 😅
I have a 25th
Not that impressed The only thing I would say is the amp was set rather dry sounding. It all sounded less 'vintage' and more like an off the shelf Strat sound from a music store...