Buddy guy strat

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Cali Dude

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I have the American built signature model "Buddy Guy" Strat. Mine is from '95, the first year that they were made. The polka dot version was made in Mexico, and had standard pickups. The American version has the active midboost and lace sensor pickups, master tbx, master volume, and midboost volume. I really love mine. It has a vintage soft V neck, and vintage frets( though I changed mine to vintage tall frets). The American version really is the best Strat that I have ever played.
 

John C

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I have the American built signature model "Buddy Guy" Strat. Mine is from '95, the first year that they were made. The polka dot version was made in Mexico, and had standard pickups. The American version has the active midboost and lace sensor pickups, master tbx, master volume, and midboost volume. I really love mine. It has a vintage soft V neck, and vintage frets( though I changed mine to vintage tall frets). The American version really is the best Strat that I have ever played.

Sounds very similar to the Clapton sig.

The USA Buddy Guy sig was the Clapton sig with 2 changes - ash body and the tremolo was not blocked at the factory like it is on the Clapton Strat. Eric gave Buddy a couple of guitars; playing them for a while led Buddy to request some from Fender with a change to the ash body; unblocking the trem is of course a set-up change. Fender worked out the endorsement deal and the USA Buddy Guy model was born.
 

John C

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It is a soft V neck, but not as severe as the EC Strat.

I thought that they EC had evolved to a softer V shape by the time the Buddy Guy came out and that they were the same shape. I know that the current EC neck isn't as severe a V as the original (late 80s/early 90s).

So the Buddy Guy was even "softer" than the current EC neck? I've never gotten to play a USA Buddy Guy; never came across one in person.
 

Cali Dude

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I thought that they EC had evolved to a softer V shape by the time the Buddy Guy came out and that they were the same shape. I know that the current EC neck isn't as severe a V as the original (late 80s/early 90s).

So the Buddy Guy was even "softer" than the current EC neck? I've never gotten to play a USA Buddy Guy; never came across one in person.
I am basing my experience with an EC Strat that I played from the early 90s. I am no expert on Clapton strats. But my Buddy Guy Strat has a very comfy neck. I recall feeling uncomfortable with the EC Strat neck.
 

John C

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I am basing my experience with an EC Strat that I played from the early 90s. I am no expert on Clapton strats. But my Buddy Guy Strat has a very comfy neck. I recall feeling uncomfortable with the EC Strat neck.

Yes, those original EC necks were thin and a fairly sharp V. No expert EC Strats either; I just played a few circa 1988-1990, didn't play one again until circa 1998 and the neck wasn't nearly as sharp. It seems like the AVRI necks also morphed a bit during the 1990 prior to the 1998 revision where they tried to get the '57 to a more accurate small V and the '62 to a more accurate C (and of course the '52 Tele to a U shape).
 

srblue5

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When I was in the market for my first Strat, I tried the polka-dot Buddy Guy MIM signature (as a huge BG fan -- he pretty much swayed me to the Strat). I LOVED the neck -- it was the beefiest Strat neck I had ever played. I should have bought that guitar but I was put off by the polka dots.

Years later, I tried another MIM polka dot BG Strat and the neck seemed a bit smaller in profile. Maybe my memory of the first one I tried was off or this one's profile had decreased in the intervening years. Still a nice guitar but not as magical as that first one.
 

superjam144

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I've read that they are excellent guitars and also affordable on eBay.

If my tele wasn't so sweet I'd have pulled the trigger on one for around 800 used.

But the gas has passed no pun intended.
 

wildschwein

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I can find a heap of Buddy Guy Strat bodies on eBay but not much else at the moment. Looks like someone is running a chop shop. Could be a cool way of getting a Clapton Strat more cheaply though. Townsend liked the Clapton Strat too and he could be seen a lot with them for a while.There was a Japanese Strat made with Lace Sensor Golds and the Mid Boost as well for a bit in the early '90s.
 
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