| Beauty aint it? |
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I decided that i HAD to have the perfect Strat sound. You know, THE sound that founded rock and roll.
Problem
was that I had a REALLY crappy strat clone (see the ART STRAT) that
looked terrible but had a GREAT sound to it. Now when you see this
thing you realize that the Hotrail in the bridge the mystery in the
middle and the Brian May pup in the neck, MAY have had soemthing to do
with its PERFECT sound but hey...........
Anyway I looked for 8 months traveled through 6 counties and went about 400 miles, Triedd almost a HUNDRED strats and
stra a likes looking for THAT sound.
I heard that G&L was Leo's best work, so I drove 3 counties away to MAYBE try a few G&L's. Not what I wanted.
I have 2 Sam Ash's, 3 George's Music, a Guitar Center and 1/2 a dozen OTHER mom and pops in this town - NOTHING sounded
as good as that damn ART STRAT.
I
found an MIM Roland Ready for $800 that sounded REAL close, I mean it
sounded ALMOST 99.99% of what I wanted. But I just couldnt see paying
twice the cash for a function (gk2) that I would never need. (now of
course I'd LOVE a midi equipped guitar).
Have I mentioned I'm Cheap?
So
since this was to be my most expensive guitar to date I figured it was
worth the wait. I saw this 84 Strat at a Guitar Show that rolls through
every year. I played it and fell in LOVE. The sound was perfect the
nech was amazing, EVERYTHING was exactly what I wanted. But I was $80
short and the seller wouldnt BUDGE.
So I went home, with his card and decided I'd call him in 2 weeks, after I got paid, and if it was still available OBVIOUSLY
god wanted me to have this guitar!
2
Weeks later I call him up, yep he has it, he's come down $50 in price
and he'll throw in the OHSC. WOO HOO! Load the wife up and off we go.
We get there and he tells us the story that he bought the axe the same
year his wee little daughter was born, and now she was all grown up and
going to college. He offered HER the guitar as a memento, and she
turned it down (que the violins). He had promised his wife he would
thin out his collection so off it was going to the Guitar SHow. When it
didnt sell he ALMOST took it as a sign that it shouldnt. Then I came
along and blew THAT out of the water.
It
TRULY is a great guitar. Dont EVER let anyone tell you all MIA's play
the same, I could spot differences in years. Also dont believe that
MIM's are 'just as good' as MIA's. If you want an MIA and want the real
strat sound, do your homework and DO NNOT settle for ANYTHING less than
the best!
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