Anyone familiar with the "set neck" Strats? Info d

[Noel Grassy]

I recently aquired this 1995 CS Strat with beautiful appointments I've not seen elsewhere on Fender Strats, Custom Shop or otherwise.
There's very little on the Custom Shop during this period let alone the set neck axes. This puppy has an Ebony fretboard that is such a joy compared to Rosewood! I'm strictly a Maple neck player when it comes to Fender. The Ebony is friggin' regal though!

Pics of my axe will stir someone's memory banks.............

[jaysg]

The strats and teles I saw were all mahoghany/clear finished with ebony fretboards. I don't recall the pickups. Very nice axe.

[Tubetwang]

From "Interactive Fender Bible"

Set Neck Strat (second version) 1995-98

Neck: Rosewood fingerboard

Body: Sunburst or Natural

Electronics: two white six-polepiece pick-ups and one white coverless humbucker (at bridge) Custom Shop production.

[Tubetwang]

OK got it Noel...page 69...Fender Bible.

Your's is the first version of Set Neck Strats (1992-95)

Two-pivot vibrato
No strings-guides
Four Lace Sensor pickups (two at bridge)
Glued-in neck.

Neck: Maple glued-in with Ebony fingerboard; 22 frets; trust-rod adjuster at headstock end; locking tuners; roller nut.

Body: with figured top; Sunburst or Colors.

Electronics: four white plain-top Lace Sensor pick-ups (two at bridge); three controls (volume, two tone), five-way selector and coil switch, all on pickguard; jack in body face.

Hardware: 11-screw white laminated plastic pickguard; two-pivot bridge/vibrato unit.

Custom Shop production. Also Custom Shop Limited Edition.

[Noel Grassy]

Dang Tubetwang! Biggups & copious kudos for your help.

That's the item you described.

I'm going to Google the "interactive Fender bible" just to see what they say about the MIM series of Strats.

[Structo]

Nice guitar!

Were these made in Japan?

I see the prices on MIJ and CIJ guitars are really climbing.

The quality on these guitars compared to the same period USA Fender guitars is quite surprising with the Japan guitars being superior.

Most of those Japanese guitars were never intended for the USA market but a few make it across the pond every year.

[Tonegeek]

Very nice!
I am a recent convert to the Lace Holy Grail pups. What model are yours and how do you like them? How does the doubled up arrangement work in the bridge? Does it sound like a traditional humbucker when they are both on? Do you have any sense of how the ebony or the set neck affects the tone? I am guessing that guitar has some good sustain and a bit darker sound than a maple strat.

[David Root]

Noel, do you notice any tonal differences from the set neck vs. bolted? Sustain, harmonic coloration perhaps?

[Noel Grassy]

Structo, No, these were made in the then new Corona, Ca. Custom Shop.
The builder is John Page, the manager for the Fender Custom Shop division. I have to agree, the MIJ (CIJ) and MIM guitars can certainly hold their own compared to the Fender product from "USA".

Tonegeek, yeah I had no idea the Lace PUs worked so well. This Strat sports a Blue neck PU, a Gold middle PU and a pair of Red sensors in the
bridge. I can't comment to it sounding like a traditional Humbucker as I've
never played a Strat with a PAF in it. LOL. But if I get your question one would be hard pressed to say it wasn't a HB in the bridge on a Strat.
The switching allows for either N or M to be in series (me thinks) with the Bridge coils. An additional mini-toggle determines which of the two (or both) are selected. A master TBX control does a remarkable job of shifting frequency response making this guitar even more useful if you bring only
one axe to the date.
The set neck really sustains well, I bet the Ebony contributes to sustain but I wouldn't know how to compare this percieved attribute verbally. I reiterate, the fretboard is a regal thing to play and behold. The other bonus is the neck joint is so-o-o-o invisible when working up to the "wheedily-wheedily" portion of our program (thus eliminating my personal guitarist grimace . Darkness really isn't an issue (or perceptible) with the above noted tone controls.

David, Will you accept the answer above? I should admit that I'm not blessed with enough of the "Golden Ear" affliction to remember what my
Maple neck Strat's miniscule overtone capabilities are in the space of unplugging one guitar and plugging in the challenger. I could give a better comparison if I A/Bd 'em with a switching device and some headphones from my mixing desk. But as anyone will tell you, my quest-for-tone would be better spent practicing instead of monkeying with the minutae.

Thanks for the nice comments and queries,

NG.