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Post by ChrisK on Apr 28, 2009 17:46:10 GMT -5
Fender is blowing out the VG Strats.
GC has them for $999 and I've seen them for $949.
If you want one, now might be the time........
Of course, there is some reason for this, I heard suspicion that there might be a new model based on the upgraded/downgraded American Standard Strat (well, U.S. Standard Strat, everyone in this freakin' hemisphere is an American - or did everyone sleep thru geography class as well as math class?).
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Post by sumgai on Apr 29, 2009 1:59:53 GMT -5
Chris,
No, the didn't so much sleep through those classes, as they were skipping them in order to attend the Marketing 101 classes they took, in dreams of million dollar mansions, etc.
Remember, never attribute to stupidity that which can be adequately explained by Marketing-induced malice!
HTH
sumgai
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Post by ChrisK on Apr 29, 2009 16:59:23 GMT -5
I had a good laugh today as I looked on ebay at all of the VG Strats listed for $1,500.
Word travels slow (oh wait, if we hurry up and buy them at $999 we can sell them online to the under-informed).
;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by ChrisK on Apr 29, 2009 17:13:12 GMT -5
Although, I am thinking about getting one of these........
Put a 1 3/4" fatback neck on it and ebay the Fender neck....
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Post by ChrisK on Apr 30, 2009 14:52:36 GMT -5
Seriously, I am seriously thinking about getting one of these........ Should I consider psychoanalysis?  (Man, that should open some floodgates.....) |
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Post by cynical1 on Apr 30, 2009 17:24:19 GMT -5
Seriously, I am seriously thinking about getting one of these........ Should I consider psychoanalysis? (Man, that should open some floodgates.....) Yes, we could take the cheap shot here...and it would be tempting... But I'm not going to do that...this might just be a cry for help. Let me direct you to the Psychiatric Hotline. Their phone menu goes like this: Welcome to the Psychiatric Hotline.
If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1 repeatedly.
If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.
If you have multiple personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6.
If you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just stay on the line so we can trace the call.
If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.
If you are depressed, it doesn't matter which number you press. No one will answer.
If you are delusional and occasionally hallucinate, please be aware that the thing you are holding on the side of your head is alive and about to bite off your ear. Hope this helps with your G.A.S... Happy Trails Cynical One |
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Post by newey on Apr 30, 2009 18:58:42 GMT -5
First, you have to want to change . . . ;D ;D
I note that Fender's website now officially lists the VG Strat as "discontinued".
I guess the marriage of '50s guitar with 21st-century digital effects failed to find a market. Doesn't surprise me much. The guy who maybe had a Squier Strat or some other copy and has decided to move up to a Fender wants a regular-type Strat, just like the original ones. The VG seems to me to appeal to the guy who's already got an AmStd or whatever and wants a second Strat with something different. Second Strat buyers are much less numerous than first timers.
In short, the VG is a Guitar Nutz type of Strat. And we're a distinct minority of players (although our ranks may be increasing!)
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Post by ChrisK on Apr 30, 2009 19:11:58 GMT -5
I don't think so, Tim. How ya gonna mod it? Oh, I know, I'll put two P-Rail(s) in it. Oh wait, where would one put the switches and wiring. Holy cow, the VG Strat really is a semi-hollow guitar turned inside-out.  About the only thing that one could do is to put their favorite three pickups into it. One needs two poles on the 5-way to select things digital VG. That leaves two poles on a super switch. The volume and tone might each be able to be a push pull pot. I a'spose that some stuff could be done to cause our kind of trouble. One would have to watch one's signal integrity. |
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Post by newey on Apr 30, 2009 19:27:19 GMT -5
Well, I wasn't really thinking in terms of modding it, but you're right, our kind is more likely to try to shoehorn the Roland goodies in there ourselves, rather than buy it "pre-modded". I seem to remember a project along those lines by some guy . . .  On the discount front, I also note that some Gibbys are suddenly seriously discounted. MF has the Explorer Robot for $1300 and the Reverse V for $1500. |
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Post by ChrisK on Apr 30, 2009 19:55:15 GMT -5
I had posted about the Gibby discounts at the March Madness Sale earlier. Well, them prices are back. The first run of Gibby's robotic flew oot the doors, so they did another run. Nobody, including their mothers, wants one. Don't hate me, but I think that the robot guitars were just plain dumb stupid. Yeah, lets spend $2K to $3K on a standard model with shiny gear-driven tuners and fugly painted finishes. At least the VG (a U.S. Standard model with "electronical gears") had enough decency to do a bit of modeling too. Most of the Gibby's that were on sale in March are back on sale. PnS does have a new VG for $949 w/HSC. I'll be back in the 'burg on the morrow..... |
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Post by ChrisK on Apr 30, 2009 20:10:48 GMT -5
The VG has 37 different tones.
What? How are they counted?
Well, while not easily discerned without manual consultation, they are:
Magnetic
1. B
2. B+M
3. M
4. M+N
5. N
Modeled Strat
6. B
7. B+M
8. M
9. M+N
10. N
Modeled Tele
11. B
11. B (this was stupid*)
12. B+N
13. N (this was stupid*)
13. N
Modeled Strat with humbuckers
14. B
14. B (this was stupid*)
15. B+N
16. N (this was stupid*)
16. N
Modeled Piezo-Acoustic
17. one (which one?)
18. two (which one?)
19. three (which one?)
20. 4our (which one?)
21. 5ive (which one?)
And......
Each modeled position is 6 string (all alternate tunings aside) and 12 string.
*Perhaps this was out of deference to certain culture's numbering systems that are comprised of 1, 2, 3, and (too) many. Or, as everybody suspects, Tele and LP operators are stymied and stumped by the vast number of pickup selections available on a modern Strat.
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Post by newey on Apr 30, 2009 20:45:01 GMT -5
No haters around here. I agree with you, I can think of a lot of guitars I'd rather have for $1300. In fact, I can think of a brace of guitars for $650 apiece that I'd rather have.
I just took it to be a sign of the recession- belt tightening by trimming product lines and eliminating underperforming models.
Like, say, Pontiacs . . .
Although the Reverse V is sort of nerdy-cool, in a Rick Nielsen kind of way, I noted that Gibby's marketing copy seemed to focus more on its potential collectability than on its playability. Are they in the guitar business anymore, or just interested in selling to collectors?
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Post by ChrisK on May 1, 2009 18:11:24 GMT -5
They don't care why you buy them, just buy them. Otherwise they'll have to raise prices 30% to increase sales like Fender did. I wonder how that's working out......  ;D ;D |
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Post by ChrisK on May 1, 2009 18:32:07 GMT -5
Not anymore.   |
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Post by ChrisK on May 5, 2009 12:39:10 GMT -5
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