NGD: Fender Pawnshop '51 Strat

[LordByron]

First picked this up earlier this week to demo a 5e3 clone hiding in the back of the local GC. After playing it a bit, I really started digging it. I came back a few days later and laid the two again. Just couldn't get the two out of my head... so I went back to today and:

Untitled by ByronMGSanford, on Flickr

Untitled by ByronMGSanford, on Flickr

As you would expect from the Pawnshop series, it's a bit of an unusual beast, but I really like it. Made in Japan. Fantastic neck. The body is quite resonant. The neck pickup is clear and articulate. The bridge humbucker is fierce and authoritative, without being overwhelming, and the 'bucker is coil split, so you can dial in some sweet single coil sounds from the bridge as well. All-in-all it's a real player.

Can't wait to try it out at band practice this week!

 

[SciFlyer]

Is that an SC-2 in the background?

 

[evaporatus]

didn't they start making strats in 1954?

 

[swlees]

Pretty cool - I like the look. Congratulations.

 

[LordByron]

didn't they start making strats in 1954?

I think you're correct. Not sure why they call this the '51. Maybe the Tele elements in it? All I knows is it plays nice and sounds purdy!

 

[LordByron]

Is that an SC-2 in the background?

You mean on the left? Nope. It's a mid-80s G&L F-100.

 

[monty]

Congrats those are mighty fine guitars.

 

[Boris Bubbanov]

That '51 is a revised, MIJ substitute for a Squier '51 that was made in Surabaya from 2005-2007. Your has gorgeous finish work and Gotoh split tuners, but the neck section is much thinner than the original Indonesian one. Yours is made of quality wood, while the "basswood" the originals were made of was inconsistent and often crummy. But the Squier '51 had IMO much better (tho cheaply made) pickups. Yours is through strung, where the stock Squier '51 bridge was a wreck. I've got fewer now, but I have owned 30 of the Squier '51. Fun guitar, and so light when you're back is sore.

I paid between $ 69-99 for mine so I felt at ease making all sorts of strange mods to them.

It ain't a Telecaster, and it ain't a Strat. It is a '51. Enjoy!

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Cool. Kinda like the guitar version of a Tele Bass.

 

[RickenbackerPro]

First picked this up earlier this week to demo a 5e3 clone hiding in the back of the local GC. After playing it a bit, I really started digging it. I came back a few days later and laid the two again. Just couldn't get the two out of my head... so I went back to today and:

Untitled by ByronMGSanford, on Flickr

Untitled by ByronMGSanford, on Flickr

As you would expect from the Pawnshop series, it's a bit of an unusual beast, but I really like it. Made in Japan. Fantastic neck. The body is quite resonant. The neck pickup is clear and articulate. The bridge humbucker is fierce and authoritative, without being overwhelming, and the 'bucker is coil split, so you can dial in some sweet single coil sounds from the bridge as well. All-in-all it's a real player.

Can't wait to try it out at band practice this week!

Looks great, OP! Fun pickup combination. How's the neck, bridge and nut work?

Let's hear it!

 

[joy-z]

It's called a '51 because the pickguard is modeled after a '51 P bass.

 

[mojocaster.com]

Hey OP, looks like a fun and versatile gigging axe right there. And easy to mod if you desired down the road... Enjoy!

 

[moosewayne]

Yeah, those things have a certain 'something' going on.
I dig them!
Congrats!

 

[LordByron]

It's called a '51 because the pickguard is modeled after a '51 P bass.

Ah hah! Thanks for the illumination!

 

[LordByron]

Looks great, OP! Fun pickup combination. How's the neck, bridge and nut work?

Let's hear it!

The neck feels great. It's a little on the thin side of what I like, but is not a skinny neck by any means. The nut is well cut and aligned and doesn't seem to bind the strings. The Bridge is decent, but I may upgrade it at some point to something more like the 2 point trem&bridge on my G&L. For now, it is certainly serviceable and does not kill the sustain on the guitar.

 

[LordByron]

That '51 is a revised, MIJ substitute for a Squier '51 that was made in Surabaya from 2005-2007. Your has gorgeous finish work and Gotoh split tuners, but the neck section is much thinner than the original Indonesian one. Yours is made of quality wood, while the "basswood" the originals were made of was inconsistent and often crummy. But the Squier '51 had IMO much better (tho cheaply made) pickups. Yours is through strung, where the stock Squier '51 bridge was a wreck. I've got fewer now, but I have owned 30 of the Squier '51. Fun guitar, and so light when you're back is sore.

I paid between $ 69-99 for mine so I felt at ease making all sorts of strange mods to them.

It ain't a Telecaster, and it ain't a Strat. It is a '51. Enjoy!

I did know that this was sort of the spiritual ancestor of the Squier. I have owned a number of Squiers in the past and they have made some interesting guitars over the years. I really liked my VM Custom II Tele with P-90s. Definitely a slightly wacky combo, but it was a great guitar. As great as some of the the Squiers I've had and played (including my late, much missed '83 MIJ Squier Strat) the fit an finish on this PS 51 is leaps and bounds better. For the price it really is a pretty killer axe. I like it significantly better than the MIM Strats and even some of the lower-end American Strats of recent vintage that I've played.

 

[BBBJay]

Congrats! I had one of these In the past it was a blast to play