The Spray Can Yellow Fender 1982 Standard Stratocaster

gball said:
I'd bet you just about anything that if Gibson had agreed to make his line of guitars for him he would have jumped all over it. It's great he found the right place to build his guitars for him, but he had to source from companies that do contract work and those that do real quality are relatively limited. I could be wrong of course, but the man was a Gibson die-hard before he decided to start his own line, when he could have been playing anything he wanted, including products made in the same factory he makes his guitars in now. And any guitar company on Earth would have thrown an endorsement his way so I'm not buying that he only played Gibson for that reason - his entire line is basically a copy of Gibson specs/layout with different body shapes.
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Could be, I'm not certain. He definitely came up with some wild designs. Kudos to Zakk.

Mathias Jabs has a Cort signature model that he actually plays during some performances.

Endorsement deals are funny things. Sometimes the fine print states that you "will not wear apparel, use, promote, discuss or be photographed with an instrument from any other builder, private or commercial. "

When I was offered the lead guitar spot in a huge country artist's band in 2007, the proposed contract stated, "will agree to only play guitars and amps from Fender (FMIC) both on stage, in studio and for any and all public events."

Needless to say, I turned it down.
 
gball said:
Don't get me wrong, they are great guitars, but a bit too "precious" for me. Their borderline perfection seems to render them a bit sterilized for my taste. One of the PRS' I had was a Singlecut 245, which is really the guitar that made me recommit to Les Pauls in a bigger way, albeit indirectly; it was gorgeous and played great, but it only got me like 95% of the way there on tone and expressiveness, and I realized I was using it to chase something that is was kind of trying to be, and that something was a real Les Paul. Also, they got the knobs wrong and it drove me nuts. Before I sold it I came close to rewiring it so they were the same as a Gibson.
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I wonder what that "sterile" phenomenon is that you mention. I think it's real. I kinda feel that way with my Schecter.

It's like "boringly perfect," but I complain about guitars that need a lot of work, so maybe it's just my silly ass???
 
@gball - I gotta say that I really do enjoy my YelloStrat. I will divebomb the poop out of it all night long and intentionally play open chords right after a tremolo dive to showcase the fact that it's in tune.

After a show, I will usually get several guys come up and ask me how I keep a Fender in tune. I think back to when EVH refused to answer Randy Rhoad's questions about how he kept his stock Fender Tremolo in tune - and I never wanted to be like that - so I share all my setup techniques openly with anybody who asks.
 
I'm spoiled to that 1-3/4" Deep 1" V profile. It makes everything else hard to play.
 
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Robert Herndon said:
@gball - I gotta say that I really do enjoy my YelloStrat. I will divebomb the :poo: out of it all night long and intentionally play open chords right after a tremolo dive to showcase the fact that it's in tune.

After a show, I will usually get several guys come up and ask me how I keep a Fender in tune. I think back to when EVH refused to answer Randy Rhoad's questions about how he kept his stock Fender Tremolo in tune - and I never wanted to be like that - so I share all my setup techniques openly with anybody who asks.
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Dude, I think in terms of the "big picture" that's all that really matters. You love it and it works well for you, and by extension it inspires you.

I actually have never really understood why people can't get a Fender bridge to act right. Granted, the 2-point ones are easier to set up and have a nicer feel than the 6-screw ones, but I have owned a lot of Strats over the years, some good, some bad, a couple that were really good, and I have never had any tuning stability problems even with a floating bridge. Just a little patience and attention to detail and the design is just fine. IME of course.
 
gball said:
Dude, I think in terms of the "big picture" that's all that really matters. You love it and it works well for you, and by extension it inspires you.

I actually have never really understood why people can't get a Fender bridge to act right. Granted, the 2-point ones are easier to set up and have a nicer feel than the 6-screw ones, but I have owned a lot of Strats over the years, some good, some bad, a couple that were really good, and I have never had any tuning stability problems even with a floating bridge. Just a little patience and attention to detail and the design is just fine. IME of course.
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Exactly!!!!
 
On the brass nuts, you just don't get any wear....the divots were dug by pressing my strings down behind the nut, so I cut them deeper to allow more pitch change.

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Here you can see how my strings literally ate the Tusq XL after only 30 days of playing.

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So,

I haven't had YelloStrat out of the case since this Paul arrived on November 17, 2021.

Yesterday morning, I pulled it out and played it. I figured it would probably be the next one to sell off or donate to the music academy.

Holy Biscuits...

The thing just played so effortlessly and fast. I couldn't believe it. The DiMarzio Neanderthal literally sounded like it was killing my amplifier.

Not that the Les Paul doesn't sound great, but the BB-3 in the bridge doesn't hit the amp as hard as the 16.5k AlNico9 44AWG Neanderthal in YelloStrat does.

The massive 1-3/4" x 1.125" thick, Deep V/U Profile/SRV Profile (triple profiles in one neck) worn to a slick shine by daily use, is just so easy to play on that it's ridiculous.

Definitely a keeper....
 
Ol' Yellar is still getting some daily play time and serves as a primary back up to my main 2021 Gibson Les Paul 50's Standard Gold Top.

It hasn't been tuned in 3 months.

Everywhere I take it, people ask to play it and divebomb it. They are stunned that it stays in perfect tune.

Vintage hollow-post tuners, brass nut and no string trees...

When we perform with this guitar, I will intentionally divebomb it, followed by open chords, just to show how stable the tuning is.
 
The paint job on YelloStrat leaves a lot to be desired. After almost 2 years, the clear is still soft in direct sunlight and the case fabric leaves an impression on the finish.

I'm thinking that I may get a new, mahogany body from Warmoth, in Graffiti Yellow, as an upgrade to the current 1984 Japan Strat body.

Not something I can afford right now,but definitely thinking about this...

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