Masterbuilt Stratocaster

[razormemphis]

I'm close to pulling the trigger on a Todd Krause masterbuilt Strat. It's gonna run me in the neighborhood of $5400. I'm curious if anyone has had any experience with these masterbuilt guitars. Is it worth the extra cash? It sure has a lot of feel/mojo to it. I play LPs mainly but it's time to take the Strat plunge. I've got the dough to do it but I don't want to get ripped off. I haven't played enough of the less expensive Strats to know the difference. Just curious about other's opinions.

[Red Baron]

This sounds familiar, I haven't owned a strat in over 20 years and play Les Paul's exclusively.... until a few days ago. I bought a 54 master built strat off a mate and I gotta tell ya, I can't put it down. I've hardly touched a Les Paul since buying this strat, it's that good.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to compare it against a custom shop team built 54 as well as an original early 55... first off there was no competition with the 55, it just blew both of the 54's reissues completely out of the water (best sounding strat I've ever played), but I wouldn't say the master built 54 is a better guitar than the team built one, it has weaker pickups and more twang, but the team built guitar was also an excellent sounding guitar in its own way and I could have just as easily bought that guitar.

Hope this helps, good luck :BEER

[Bluestar]

IMO, my Masterbuilts (three) are worth what I paid for them - the attention to detail, tone, construction, etc., is what I want in a Stratocaster. Passions can become pretty high any time there is talk about guitars with several thousand dollar price tags. Many claim they can build their own partoscaster and/or buy a lower cost production line Stratocaster and get the same thing, because there is so much hype and crap in the advertising world - I say more power to 'em if that's the way they see it. Sounds like you've run across one that does it for you - allright! - good luck with your decision.

[XKnight]

I own a Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt and a couple of Teambuilts. All are excellent guitars. The difference is in the minor details such as the frets being finished a little better on the Masterbuilt. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a Masterbuilt if the price was right. Whether it's worth the upcharge is something only you can decide for yourself.

[7String Thing]

You know what they say...

If the shoe fits,


Try every other pair of shoes in the shoe store, then settle on one that is maybe one size to small, but looks bitchin, kinda smells funky, but is cheaper, and is made of beaver skin.


I say, if the shoe fits, wear it! That is a pretty big pricetag for a strat though. Tried a Suhr Antique?

[7String Thing]

You know what they say...

If the shoe fits,


Try every other pair of shoes in the shoe store, then settle on one that is maybe one size to small, but looks bitchin, kinda smells funky, but is cheaper, and is made of beaver skin.


I say, if the shoe fits, wear it! That is a pretty big pricetag for a strat though. Tried a Suhr Antique?

[Phoebe]

If God were to build the perfect Strat and sell it for $5K I'd still pass..... IMO there's nowhere enough value in a Strat to make it worth that kind of dough. I certainly understand how emotional the purchase of a great instrument is, but there are too many other options at that price point. Personally, I don't like to subsidise corporate marketing departments.

I think Fender is trying too hard to morph into Gibson's business model.

[neastguy]

I'd never pay that much for a guitar unless I can play it first YMMV

[skhan007]

I love my Greg Fessler masterbuilt '64 strat, but I'm shocked at what a beating these guitars are taking on the resale market. I saw a natural ash masterbuilt strat for $2500 recently.

In any case, if you want a "top shelf" Fender strat (i.e. made by Fender's Custom Shop), there are none better on the planet than the masterbuilts.

[WDiggs]

If you really are going to spend that kind of money on a Strat, at least have it custom built for you. If you work with a diamond dealer near you, they can specify EXACTLY what kind of guitar they want build (especially with a Masterbuilt). You can control every aspect of your guitar (even pickup levels, weight of the wood, exact relic marks, special wood, etc).

Just play around in a store and see what you like in a guitar, what kind of wood on the neck, etc... It'll take a few months or more, but you'll have your very own custom guitar.

[Bhodie]

Wow.. I guess I am amazed at the retail price of these now.. I paid about $2,500 new for my John English 54.. and for $5,400.. even if I had the money, would seem like a lot of a strat.. masterbuilt or not.

I put $4K into a new 59 historic 335, one of the nicest guitars I own, and I had a real hard time pulling the trigger on that one!

Love my JE masterbuilt.. but if someone offered it to me today for $5K I would pass...