A diamond in disguise! Fender American Floyd / Cornford content

[Fretmaster]

What a bunch of fun. I just picked up this cherry, mint condition, 1992 Fender American Deluxe Floyd Rose Stratocaster at a great price. It wasn’t something I thought I was interested in but the price was good and the condition was pristine so I took it. It has an original Floyd Rose trem and factory original DiMarzio humbucker in the bridge. I assume the singles are American Standards but they sound really good. I plugged her in to my Cornford Hurricane for a lower volume jam session today and damned if I didn’t have myself one hell of a good time!! I started out playing chunky blues and fusion stuff and ended up everywhere including old Van Halen chops!! I haven’t been inspired to play EVH licks in 15 yrs!! I have no idea what DiMarzio model the humbucker is but it sounds GREAT!! Very dynamic and responsive and cleans up very well with the volume knob. And has some of the sweetest harmonics I’ve heard in years. Just goes to show you you don’t have to spend $2500 to get killer tone and feel. This guitar sets in my collection next to more than a dozen other’s that I paid 2 or 3 times as much for and I enjoyed today’s jam session as much as any I’ve had for a long time. Tone, feel, vibe… it’s all there. What a diamond in disguise.

Oh... and I should give props to the Conford Hurricane while I'm at it. That little amp just sounds flat out amazing for many different style of playing. Killer amp without a doubt!!

 

[Fretmaster]

Here she is....

 

[59burst]

That is an absolutely beautiful axe! I have a soft spot for axes that combine elements of the classic strat era - sunburst finishes, normal (i.e. not super thin/flat) necks - with some elements of the shred rock era - Floyds, H/S/S or H/S/H pickups.

Congrats on snagging it!

Question - are those tuners Am Std tuners, or vintage style tuners?

 

[Fretmaster]

Originally posted by 59burst
That is an absolutely beautiful axe! I have a soft spot for axes that combine elements of the classic strat era - sunburst finishes, normal (i.e. not super thin/flat) necks - with some elements of the shred rock era - Floyds, H/S/S or H/S/H pickups.

Congrats on snagging it!

Question - are those tuners Am Std tuners, or vintage style tuners?

Thanks! I'm tickles pink with it. The tuners are vintage style tuners. She was in tune when I unpacked her and plugged her in and still hasn't gone out of tune after over and hour long session full of EVH dive bombs! You just can't beat those oringal floyds with locking nuts for staying in tune forever. I feel like a kid again.

 

[59burst]

Man, that axe looks so right with those tuners, the nice burst, the great wood grain.

A really well set up Floyd is a thing of beauty. I went through a number of US Jackson in the 80's and one had a Floyd that literally never went out of tune, no matter what you did. I used to hold the guitar parallel to the floor by the wang bar and shake the guitar, all while plugged into a high gain amp. It was quite a sound.

The Ibanez version in the 80's and 90's was also great.

I used to do that shaking thing with a 1988 PRS Custom, and it would never go out of tune, either.

But, none of my guitars look nearly as good as yours!

 

[Fretmaster]

You're far to kind 59burst. It appears the bridge pickup is a DiMarzio PAF Pro which explains why the tone is so chunky and vintage. I have always been a huge fan of the orignal PAF tone. WOW... I had fully intended to get this guitar, pull the pick-ups and throw in something more to my taste but these pickups sound GREAT! I am just smiling from ear to ear to be getting such killer tone from such a reasonable investment and need no upgrades to boot. Very cool..

 

[Fretmaster]

Just scored another one!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7342524914&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

 

[poipounder57]

Nice Strats!!!

I like that tool you have mounted on the head stock. Do you know where I could purchase one? Reaching for it at the head stock sure beats looking for them in the gig bag
Here's a picture of my lil girl...

She's loaded with Seymour Duncans...Alnico Pro II at the neck and a EVH custom wind at the bridge.

Congrats on your great scores!!!

Aloha

 

[Fretmaster]

Thanks! That's a pretty cool axe you got there yourself. That tool on the back of the anniversery model was there from factory. It's just a allen wrench holder. I'm not sure where you could find one after market but I'm sure there out there. I'm just tickled pink over this discovery. I've got PRS's, Suhr's and Custom Shop Gibson and Fender's in my collection and I have enjoyed playing that Floyd Fender as much as any of them. I can't wait to get this new one I just scored. With a proper setup and pickups these are ultimate player's axe. You can get nearly every sound imaginable. SRV to EVH all in one guitar. You just can't beat that kind of versatility and at a price that is dirt cheap compared to the other's in my collection. And it sounds killer though every one of my amps. You just gotta love that!

 

[buddastrat]

I used to have one. It was a great guitar. I sanded down the neck to give it the natural feel. The Dimarzio pickup was made for Fender specifically for that guitar. I researched this and talked to Dimarzio. Dimarzio said it's not a PAF pro as listed, but was based off of one. I think the wind was similar, but the poles were different. The PAF pro has the funky allen screws I think.

Whatever it is, I loved that pickup. Sounded great through my JCM 800.

Your guitar looks like it's ash body.?? I thought they only came with alder. nice!

 

[Fretmaster]

Originally posted by buddastrat

Whatever it is, I loved that pickup. Sounded great through my JCM 800.

Your guitar looks like it's ash body.?? I thought they only came with alder. nice!

Nope...both alder bodies. Although I agree the burst strat does have an amazing grain for alder! I had fully intended to pull the pickups and through in some cool after market boutiquers but she sounds amazing just the way she is!

 

[Soothsayer]

Nice, Nice, Nice, I am going to have to get one of those!

 

[poipounder57]

Thanks Fretmaster!!! I haven't been playing my Floyd Strat lately. But...after reading your post I had to dig it outta my closet. Yuuup...after been tuck away for all this time no need to tune it up. Ready to go right outta the case. I've been diving deep these past couple of days
The Floyd is a amazing bridge...it took me awhile to get used to it.
Well back to my music room for more diving...it's driving my wife nuts But I'm having fun!!!

Aloha