More money spent that i really dont have.

[jmartyg]

Ok back story.
I had to have a new clutch put in my car a week ago ($1200)

current story:
Jam session was tonight, I needed strings for one of my Strat copies. I went to the music store and on the front door they had signs for the big "Blowout sale!!!" so I thought, "Ok, maybe cheap strings." Inside the door, they had some "Left handed Jay Turser's" I figured $150ish Canadian. I noticed a big tag on one of them, that said $50. figured it was some financing or a second - bad neck or dead electronics. I go over, have a quick look at the fenders. A few nice sunburst Strats and a black lefty one that was a ripoff.

I goto the counter, ask for my strings, and throw in, "Whats with the Jay Turser Strat copies? The tag says $50."
He says, "yup."
"Whats wrong with them then? Whats the catch?"
"None, they're on sale as part of the blowout."

Yeah, brand new LEFT HANDED strat copies for less than $100.

So I say one sec, grab a pick and grab the first one. Looked decent, black on a white pickguard. Looks like a lefty version of the one I already have. There was a little nick on the finish. So I grab the next one, figured it was another black and white one. Nope. Some sort of wine coloured red that you can slightly see the grain through. I flip it over. The back is the same - not black like you'd expect on these guitars. Same with the sides and contours. Woot.

I don't even bother strumming it. I already know the pickups are garbage as they're identical to the ones in my other Jay Turser. They sound thin and low output. Not what I want considering I prefer high output humbukers.

2 packs of strings, one guitar for $75 after taxes. Can't beat that.

I took it to the friends basement, where the jam was, and had a god look at it with some proper lighting. I can't find a seam from 2 pieces of wood. Either the top, bottom, contours and sides are laminated by a leprechaun or I actually have a body that is one piece. Both of those seem impossible, but so does an uber cheap Strat. I thought it would be 3 piece, but I can't find a seam. Might have to take some pics with a flash and see what it shows.

The neck profile is slightly more of a C shape compared to the right handed version I have, which is what I'd call a soft V. the other difference is the tuners. This one has more modern styled ones. Everything else is mirror image.

Threw the new strings on, tightened the claw all the way in, quickly adjusted the intonation for the thicker 10-46 stings (it came with either 9 or 8's) and strummed it for a bit. The string height is too high for my taste, but once the neck sets with the thicker strings, I can lower it. It sounds good when its unplugged, but sounds like a cat molesting a tin pot when it's plugged in.

The to do list is:
- Sand off all the thick 'aged' finish off the back of the neck
- Shield the insides
- Cut the slot for the bridge pickup to fit a humbucker (i am actually getting quite good at that now)
- Find some clean yet high output, cheap single coils
- Find a diMarzio f-spaced super distortion that isn't a ripoff
- Put in a better nut
- and finally properly give it a complete setup.

The model number is: JT62SLTWR_LH and the normal price is $169.98

[newey]

Musicland Central has these for $119 (plus S&H), with a $10 upcharge for the lefty. So you got a great deal at 50 bones.

These cheap Strat copies make a great basis for mods. Usually, the ultimate question is how much neck work and fret work needs to be done to get it decently playable. If you can do that stuff yourself (I can't . . ) you can get a decent player for not too much money.

[jmartyg]

yeah, the neck is about an 8 out of 10. 10 being an older neck a week after a $100 fret job.

The other one i have is also a JT62S but black and right handed. it has 2 mexican strat pickups and a humbucker that i have had in another guitar for years, its fairly bright and matches the single coils well.

After a few months of breaking in, the thing plays like a dream. Hopefully, this one will too. It has some fret buzz right now, but that can be accounted to the thicker strings and no time for the neck to react to them.

ive never ever picked a left handed guitar up at a store and it be playable. dont know why the stores dont set them up correctly.

and besides, if the neck does decide to go screwey on me, i can gut it ad make $50 alone on the bridge. the body would be another $50.

[jmartyg]

www.jaytursercanada.com/jay_turser_electric_results.asp?ModelID=12&CategoriesID=1

I didn't even know there was a canadian branch. the other one i have is the JT62 i guess. the only difference is the colour options and tuners.

EDIT:
I just got the time now to do a proper setup. I got the bridge setup the way i like (claw cranked all he way in, springs parallel, the 6 scrrews on the face of the bridge all in and backed of about 1/8 of a turn - or whatever will make sure the bridge is flush with the body. The string hight is about 2/3 of what it was when i got it and innotated.

It plays great now. Still sounds incrediely thin but not as thin as before.


Whats really interesting is that the volume and tone knobs are left handed - the numbers are backwards - i've never seen that before.