Another One Bites the Dust: Squier MIK Stratocaster SOLD

In what is starting to feeling like a run of exceptionally good luck, I've managed to sell another guitar for more than I acquired it for, and like the Epihpone Les Paul, it only took 48 hours to get it to move for my asking price. This time, it was the 1988-89 Squier Stratocaster, which sold for $250.

I've been keen on turning gear into cash after playing the Paisley and Blue flower Jazzmasters currently available at most Long and McQuade's across Ontario, but have been given pause after discovering a Made In Japan "Hybrid Series" 50s Stratocaster.

Long story short, it was an amazing player.  Not being keen on dropping over a grand on a sunburst Strat that wont get any love, I'm trying to be patient and wait for the right thing to come along.

So, what's it going to be... or not be?

Epiphone Casino  (Sea Foam Green) - $650 with case

A couple of weekends ago, I was at a shop that had a wide assorment of Epiphone hollow and semi-hollow guitars, and aside from a $4K Gibson 335, the Epiphone Casino was the only one that played without that stiff, machine made quality that so many far-east-made hollows and semi-hollows seem to have.

They're not loud, the don't resonate, and they feel like more glue that wood.

Despite all this, I'm takin a pass on this.  I'd love "something different" in the collection, but MIC + Epiphone at this price is just too dear.

I'll buy Epiphone, but I've gotta know I can make a buck on the other side.  There's just no room for that here.

Fender Big Apple Stratocaster - $1200 with case

Although this burnt-orange-whatever color isn't exactly a Fender classic color, it sure is a looker.

Combined with its atypical looks area pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers and some nifty switching options, which I'm not going to bother getting into. I remember reading a review of this model when it came out (late 90's, early 00's) and the author noted that having two volumes and a tone would make more sense for the player used to a dual humbucker setup, and I couldn't agree more.

It's exactly why I wired my Blacktop like that a decade later, and also the reason I'll take a pass on this. A dual-bucker Strat is definitely something to have, but two? Perhaps overkill.

Gibson Les Paul Studio - $1000 with case

I'm not going to make this mistake again, am I?

Probably eventually, but not today.  Probably.

If anyone at Gibson were interested in my opinion, I'd be telling them that a Les Paul Studio just like this one with vintage-inspired pickups, maybe something alnico II flavoured, would be a significant positive change for the line.

As it is, the Les Paul Studio still aims too much towards the every-player, with pickups that don't exactly inspire.  Your tastes may vary, but I'll take the GuitarFetish alnico II humbuckers in by Blacktop over the 498/490 combo in Studios.

Cool color though.






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