it's very hard to describe but you are right there on it....I feel like this: the top end jangle on modern guitars is way out separate and metallic where the top end on the vintage is still there sounding very much like the modern but it is less present and more integrated into the mids.......to me the modern frequencies sound more spread and springy and the vintage sounds tighter and denser
August ‘64 and the Custom Shop sound pretty similar. The June ‘64 has that aged pickup magnet tone, almost like there’s a slight, crunchy airiness in the sound.
Because the pot of the old guitar has deteriorated, The mid-bass fades away, and as a result, the treble often stands out, but if the magnetic force of the pickup itself is not reduced, the output is sufficiently large to provide a natural overdrive.
I have a genuine vintage 64 strat. It has June stamped at the end of the neck. Non original finish, jumbo frets and has hand wound custom pick-ups. Sounds lovely!
Question: How much time did you guys spend matching the setups of these guitars? Things like pickup height, action, neck straightness and the tension on the tremolo springs (just to name a few) are all going to have a noticeable effect on the overall tone of a guitar. Could it be that many of the differences we are hearing are simply stemming from differences in these adjustments? I know the purpose of this video is probably not to do a scientific comparison, but to those picking favorites just remember it can be misleading to compare guitars unless the setup is mimicked as closely as possible.
June one has the dark woody 3D thing I love. I just ordered a CS Journeyman 64. Curious to hear the hand wound fat 64 pickups in person. I have a set of Don Mare Jr Watson pickups that are that exact June sound. Huge, wooly, and 3D with lots of articulation. Never muddy, but not that glassy nonsense lol. These 3 all sound great, and with an equal setup, I bet the difference is far less noticeable. The June would still be the winner because you can hear the maturation in the pickups
Great 👍 demo The June 64 has something special... I owned many CS fender Stratocaster’s but nothing beats the real deal . I have a 1964 September with grey bobbins a 1965 and a 1966 that can’t live without them .
The old celluloid pickguards were originally a very (very) pale blue color. If you add the yellow from aging to the pale blue you get mint green. If it were the colors melting or blending together the green would be much darker near the center where it meets the black, but it's not. And wouldn't the tortoise layer of a tortoise pickguard melt into the other colors and make them orange or something? And lets not forget that in 1965 the first white pickguards were also celluloid, and they never turned green, nor did any of the pearloid pickguards which were also celluloid and also had a black layer. If you sand through a scrap piece of a damaged mint green celluloid pickguard, it is a very (very) pale blue color, and again blue and yellow make green. I hope this helps.
Indeed, there is way too much compression in the guitar sound to be able to hear the dynamics of the guitar. Especially the od sounds around 6:00. It sounds like a small tube amp where the rectifier tube can't keep up.
The authentic ones do sound very, very close to each other IMO. The new one is where you hear a real difference. Can't say if it's better or worse, just noticeably different, right
You all prolly dont care but does anyone know a method to log back into an instagram account?? I stupidly lost the login password. I love any help you can offer me!
@Paul Edison Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
I can't help but wonder if the differences would be minimized if you took pains to match the pickup height exactly. The June '64 has this dirty thing that I like, but they all sound good.
My opinion, all differences more down to the fact that different guitars sound a little different. So, if you have a budget of X, Y or Z.... try a few guitars in whatever range you're in and you'll be set. Never a guarantee that we'll like a guitar once it's in our hands, regardless of the pedigree.
I love All three. Each is amazing in its own right. Custom isn’t worth the price probably but it’s nice. Intrinsic and rarity values on the vintage models would drive the prices beyond my ever being able to afford one. but would love to have either even a fender player series is an awesome guitar these days. But they don’t compare to these without a few tweaks.
The CS nailed the chime and squish of the vintage pickups, the vintage just have more of everything. (Or less, depending) Would be very happy with the CS but the 64's are treasures
The CS and the August sound very, very close. I prefer those over the June, personally but the difference is small. The June sounds brighter on the bridge and 2nd position. After finishing the video I honestly think I prefer the Custom Shop over the real deal just judging from this video.
IMHO, I‘d take the sounds of the June 64 (all but the middle, that’s clearly the August), the looks of the August 64 for the price of the Reissue on a 15% discount. ;)
great video i ordered a 65 cs saw your video and stoped it from shipping and changed the order to a 64 custom shop ...., I have a 57 cs i love i'm playing it so much, need another quality strat to split the wear, and havent had rosewood in years it will be 2 different great strat sounds
CS form me, just because 64 is already a "calm" sounding pick up, it's not a 69 or first 50ies. And in this specific case I think I don't need extra pleasing sound, like in the video. I have a 64 CS, and keep in mind Fender Stratocaster is intendend to cut trough the mix when needed.
Oh yeah wanted to add lol two years later watching it again that my 65 has transition logo but a 64 neck plate Looking at it really says 64 Pups sound so good
If you want an investment the 64 original , if you want an nice sounding instrument to play the custom shop The custom shop had clarity and sounded every bit as good .
the 64' june all the way for me the CS and 64' August sound a bit bright and not as raw and rough the 64' june gave me more Hendrix vibes (my fav guitarist and the only reason I started playing in the first place lol) but yeah the 64' June all the way sad they guitars aren't for players anymore and r put behind glass in show cases... I'm lefty so im gonna be getting another CS soon hopefully for my Bday this month but man if I had the money I'd def grab a original 64'...
@@sjefs5513 no snake oil here don't get to any conclusions by listening to TH-cam , play a good one yourself and you will get it. I had 7 MASTERBUILD Strats but after the first real - 64 I sold them all.
@@SAGABIJO2 do you mean purely tonewise? Because i cant understand how a mass produced product with way inferior technologies would feel beter or would be constructed beter then we can with modern tooling and technologies?
@@sjefs5513 It's not the technology, it's the materials and the personal attension. The woods where generally better, more dry and higher quality, the hardwere also better much more pure, each guitar was built by hand and had it's own personality. All in all you get more resonance from these instrument. There are also some bad ex. but it's in less % Some of them are amazing that no new ex. can match ( and never will ), they started amazing back then and just got better with the years. you have to look for the most dry - woody ex. with strong pickups, these instruments can handle everything you throw at them and ask for more, they flow with you and not against you. A good vintage instrument is not only sound but also the great behavior they have. New guitars of today does not have enough lows and if it does it become muddy, highs are shrill and the mid is not there, it feels instant in your hand and the tone is flat and uninspiring. I had 7 Masterbuilt Strats at a time ( 3 JC ), I sold them all after I bought my first real - 64 now I have two - 64 and one - 65.
@@SAGABIJO2 i bet its probably the dryness of the wood then + it could dry more for 50+ years. The hardware metal can make sence too since they used to make heavyer alloys in the past but that also would be a bit hit and miss because foundries nowadays are pretty consistent but raw metals cost a lot more these days. I dont believe the build quality would be that much beter then a masterbuild custom shop tho but i have to admit i never tried a 64 myself so i cant judge that
My life goals: spend 1 or 2 entire days at Thomann and then drive to Guitar Point. Ultimate pilgrimage. The ears must be superhuman to hear that the Custom one has a slight treble plus. BUT sorry guys I cannot watch your show anymore because Mark Agnesi ( Norm Rare Guitars ) says that your show is boring! 🤣😤🤣
Well that's a life goal worth fulfilling. Come on and check it off your bucket list man! :-) Yeah, I've seen Mark's video about gear demos / reviews. Hmm... to me that sounds like telling kids their toys are ridiculous and boring. Or telling car junkies they don't need new rims because that's all pointless and boring. Well, it's not. :-) //cheers, Kris
Clearly, the Custom Shop '64 was cleaner. I think the differences are pretty obvious, though it's tough to tell unless you're hearing through headphones or a decent sound reproduction system. I run my lap top through a Bose Wave radio. It works!
June 64 sounds better than both the others. Would go for the custom shop against the august 64, they sound too close. June 64 has a slightly rounder tone, which i do prefer. Overall the difference is very minimal though. The sound would never justify paying that much for an old one. It's the vibe. The history. Really, just knowing it was made with all of your heroes' strats, under Leo's company, while the glorious 1960's were happening. Makes you feel like closer to rockn'roll history. That's why eventually i'm gonna get one, probably
After so many years and they are now the VINTAGE 61', the question would be this or the Custom Shop... the Original Vintage is within the reach of almost none of us!!!
To me the custom shop sounded "harsher" in all settings. If I had the cash (joke!) I'd buy the Aug. There again I have a Squire JV 62 Stratocaster so do I need another one like that?.... 😉
Graham Hunt . The answer is no ! I have a Squier JV 62 strat also. It was built May 1982. Owned since Jan '83 and gigged ever since. It's wonderful and a lot less expensive than either of these three. Wouldn't say no to one as a gift tho !
Kris here, hi! We used the same 10-46 gauge Fender Pure Nickel strings on all of these three strats. That's our (and Fender Custom Shop's) choice of strings for great single-coil sounds. We changed all the strings 30 minutes before recording. What strings do you use?
im super late to the party here but i totally loved this video and its associated comments . Personally loved the neck pickup on the beat up june 64. The others sounded great too as the playing was teriffic as well , of course alot of the sound comes from the hands. Think im going to ceck out your videos to see if iv missed some other gems ... Thank you for posting.
I owned a '64 Stratocaster which I bought used in 1965 ... it was gorgeous! But had the worst overtones you ever heard on the 5th and 6th strings at the 12th fret (no matter how I adjusted it); so just because it is old does not mean it is better.
This is just silly. String gauge, frets, pickup height, overall set up . . . could all contribute to the extremely slight differences we’re hearing. Two June ‘64’s will also sound different. They all sound like strats to me.
Yes, it's a mixture of old and super dry wood (different resonances) and of course the pickups. Magnets age as well, they get weaker and will often have a sweet tone. Still, let's not forget: not all vintage guitars are awesome. It's something like with wine. Some age well, some don't. haha//cheers, Kris
Je nach Pickup-Position gefällt mir mal Gitarre A, mal Gitarre B und mal Gitarre C am besten. Offenbar muss ich sie alle drei kaufen. So ein Pech aber auch!
3 really great guitars and 3 slightly different flavors. For me the August 64 just has that extra "something" in the sound, but they all sound fantastic :-)
Considering the fact that a 4 grand CS strat most likely will need additional work right out of the box, I'd rather build a parts-caster, just as good if not better, for half the price. It's insulting that fender asks for such large amounts of money for a mediocre instrument.
Good point, I was also thinking the same. I guess Custom Shop goes for a more classy "smooth" transition, instead of having three crazy saturated colors. Also interesting: the sunburst on the vintage strats were pretty roughly sprayed (in today's standards at least). Almost like using a high quality spray can, instead of a spray gun. I found that really cool and it's definitely part of the mojo. //cheers, Kris
Wow i really want a real vintage guitar. The custom Shop version just doesnt have that vinatge sound even though it is very similar sounding. Very close to the 64's but the 64's are much better sounding
2:54 black bottom and grey bottom pickups do not sound the same. grey bottoms are wound with enamel wire (expect in 1965 they were wound with polysol wire) and black bottom pickups are wound with formvar wire. This tone difference is very noticeable. Grey bottoms have a very mid scooped tone.
You can't evaluate an electric guitar properly with a fart box amp setting. Turning down the guitar's volume pot to get a clean sound changes the tone.
Very very close....pleasantly surprised but we all know the more a guitar is played the better it sounds So play the re-ish hard for ten years and it will be magic too...
Custom shop definitely brighter. I owned a '64 for a couple of years and oh boy did it sound amazing! I don't know if they're all great but this guitar was a monster! Anyone who played it loved it. Beat the hell out of any new stratocaster. undeniably amazing.
By far more melower, powerfull, and nice dynamic responces from 1964 June. Follows the 64 August, and last the custom shop , which is great, but custom shop's pickups, cant hide the thinner sound compairing to the previous originals, even they heard nice. The differences are obvious, but if you can spot them is ok , if you dont you are the happiest man in the world!!
IMO the whole pre CBS Strat thing amounts to cork sniffing, pinkies up. I'd be willing to bet good money that experts can't tell the difference in a blind test with more than chance accuracy. If that's how it is for a Stradivarius...
Not my experience at all...the older formvar wire and magnets are way more transparent and the woods were generally milled and cured from older trees which were more readily available..i will say that ,having owned many pre cbs fenders (as well as played a ton), not all are winners..some are dogs, but the pickups always have some of that mojo imho...
June '64 no doubt for me. It had slightly less shimmer and sounded a bit more raw. I love that!
it's very hard to describe but you are right there on it....I feel like this: the top end jangle on modern guitars is way out separate and metallic where the top end on the vintage is still there sounding very much like the modern but it is less present and more integrated into the mids.......to me the modern frequencies sound more spread and springy and the vintage sounds tighter and denser
@@NolalanD yes! It's like the tremolo sunk down to the top of the mids.
yes, not a big difference though
August ‘64 and the Custom Shop sound pretty similar. The June ‘64 has that aged pickup magnet tone, almost like there’s a slight, crunchy airiness in the sound.
Custom shop is actually my favorite.
Because the pot of the old guitar has deteriorated,
The mid-bass fades away, and as a result, the treble often stands out, but if the magnetic force of the pickup itself is not reduced, the output is sufficiently large to provide a natural overdrive.
Custom shop was actually my favourite. When it came to funk riffs the vintage strats sounded kind of dull in comparison. I like clarity.
It's not clear it's thin and less organic, hot pickups and no lows.
I agree I also felt the custom shop had a slightly cleaner tone. Probably due to new electronics and fully charged pick up magnets.
I have a genuine vintage 64 strat. It has June stamped at the end of the neck. Non original finish, jumbo frets and has hand wound custom pick-ups. Sounds lovely!
Hope you still have it and enjoy it 😁
Now this is my type of video.
No, you're my type of hero!
Hello Harry from the past !
Question: How much time did you guys spend matching the setups of these guitars? Things like pickup height, action, neck straightness and the tension on the tremolo springs (just to name a few) are all going to have a noticeable effect on the overall tone of a guitar. Could it be that many of the differences we are hearing are simply stemming from differences in these adjustments? I know the purpose of this video is probably not to do a scientific comparison, but to those picking favorites just remember it can be misleading to compare guitars unless the setup is mimicked as closely as possible.
June one has the dark woody 3D thing I love. I just ordered a CS Journeyman 64. Curious to hear the hand wound fat 64 pickups in person. I have a set of Don Mare Jr Watson pickups that are that exact June sound. Huge, wooly, and 3D with lots of articulation. Never muddy, but not that glassy nonsense lol. These 3 all sound great, and with an equal setup, I bet the difference is far less noticeable. The June would still be the winner because you can hear the maturation in the pickups
Great 👍 demo
The June 64 has something special... I owned many CS fender Stratocaster’s but nothing beats the real deal .
I have a 1964 September with grey bobbins a 1965 and a 1966 that can’t live without them .
agreed!!!
Old? New? Which one is for you?
//Andy
I hear a little more clarity in the recent replica. Ageing does not improve pick-ups.
Custom shop sounds better for me
The old celluloid pickguards were originally a very (very) pale blue color. If you add the yellow from aging to the pale blue you get mint green. If it were the colors melting or blending together the green would be much darker near the center where it meets the black, but it's not. And wouldn't the tortoise layer of a tortoise pickguard melt into the other colors and make them orange or something? And lets not forget that in 1965 the first white pickguards were also celluloid, and they never turned green, nor did any of the pearloid pickguards which were also celluloid and also had a black layer. If you sand through a scrap piece of a damaged mint green celluloid pickguard, it is a very (very) pale blue color, and again blue and yellow make green. I hope this helps.
Judging by the sound of the video I wouldnt be buying any of them. Something went wrong!
Indeed, there is way too much compression in the guitar sound to be able to hear the dynamics of the guitar. Especially the od sounds around 6:00. It sounds like a small tube amp where the rectifier tube can't keep up.
The authentic ones do sound very, very close to each other IMO. The new one is where you hear a real difference. Can't say if it's better or worse, just noticeably different, right
Wow, big audible difference between the two genuine 64's... that was surprising, June was my personal fav.
I love all 3, but the August 64 has the edge for me, especially the overtones of it, just sounds that much more fuller!
You all prolly dont care but does anyone know a method to log back into an instagram account??
I stupidly lost the login password. I love any help you can offer me!
@Finnley Dorian Instablaster :)
@Paul Edison Thanks so much for your reply. I got to the site on google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
@Paul Edison It worked and I actually got access to my account again. I am so happy!
Thank you so much, you really help me out !
@Finnley Dorian you are welcome :D
I can't help but wonder if the differences would be minimized if you took pains to match the pickup height exactly. The June '64 has this dirty thing that I like, but they all sound good.
That bit at the end when talking about the sound of old amps and guitars was fascinating!
My opinion, all differences more down to the fact that different guitars sound a little different. So, if you have a budget of X, Y or Z.... try a few guitars in whatever range you're in and you'll be set. Never a guarantee that we'll like a guitar once it's in our hands, regardless of the pedigree.
I love All three. Each is amazing in its own right. Custom isn’t worth the price probably but it’s nice. Intrinsic and rarity values on the vintage models would drive the prices beyond my ever being able to afford one. but would love to have either even a fender player series is an awesome guitar these days. But they don’t compare to these without a few tweaks.
Hi, I'm wondering about the radius, both 2 vintage are 7.25, correct? Thank you.
yes
They all sounded the same surprisingly so that means they’ve been making the same guitar since forever.
You should buy some headphones cause they dont
Need to check: do you have ears?
@@mouloudo they sound very close. you wouldnt be able to pass a blind test.
The June sounds like it has a built in fuzz compared to the other two 🤔
That is actually a pretty good idea!
//Andy
The CS nailed the chime and squish of the vintage pickups, the vintage just have more of everything. (Or less, depending) Would be very happy with the CS but the 64's are treasures
The CS and the August sound very, very close. I prefer those over the June, personally but the difference is small.
The June sounds brighter on the bridge and 2nd position.
After finishing the video I honestly think I prefer the Custom Shop over the real deal just judging from this video.
IMHO, I‘d take the sounds of the June 64 (all but the middle, that’s clearly the August), the looks of the August 64 for the price of the Reissue on a 15% discount. ;)
Can't hear any difference, and I have good external speakers on my PC.
MrCrrispy listen to low end
Use headphones
I can notice a difference but it’s not really significant. Which sound better? It’s just preference. They all sound of the same quality.
But can you compare it to a cutlass :O I’ve found the cutlass to sound just like a fender.
great video i ordered a 65 cs saw your video and stoped it from shipping and changed the order to a 64 custom shop ...., I have a 57 cs i love i'm playing it so much, need another quality strat to split the wear, and havent had rosewood in years it will be 2 different great strat sounds
CS form me, just because 64 is already a "calm" sounding pick up, it's not a 69 or first 50ies. And in this specific case I think I don't need extra pleasing sound, like in the video. I have a 64 CS, and keep in mind Fender Stratocaster is intendend to cut trough the mix when needed.
those CS strats can be crazy good, I found 1 out of 7 tested, that guitar just sings, very happy :)
That June guitar was real special. I think the custom shop and the august guitar sounded very very similar.
Oh yeah wanted to add lol two years later watching it again that my 65 has transition logo but a 64 neck plate Looking at it really says 64 Pups sound so good
What is vintage correct pickguard and pickup cover color for ‘64
I hate to say this but the custom shop sounds the best to my ears,I like the August 64 for looks and mojo
If you want an investment the 64 original , if you want an nice sounding instrument to play the custom shop
The custom shop had clarity and sounded every bit as good .
the 64' june all the way for me the CS and 64' August sound a bit bright and not as raw and rough the 64' june gave me more Hendrix vibes (my fav guitarist and the only reason I started playing in the first place lol) but yeah the 64' June all the way sad they guitars aren't for players anymore and r put behind glass in show cases... I'm lefty so im gonna be getting another CS soon hopefully for my Bday this month but man if I had the money I'd def grab a original 64'...
Tthats round lam or laminate so called when thinner laminated rosewood board is fitted to latter sixties models.
I liked the custom shop most. The real deal sounded like the magnets lost some of their magnetism.
Exactly.al the snake oil stories proven
@@sjefs5513 no snake oil here don't get to any conclusions by listening to TH-cam , play a good one yourself and you will get it.
I had 7 MASTERBUILD Strats but after the first real - 64 I sold them all.
@@SAGABIJO2 do you mean purely tonewise? Because i cant understand how a mass produced product with way inferior technologies would feel beter or would be constructed beter then we can with modern tooling and technologies?
@@sjefs5513 It's not the technology, it's the materials and the personal attension.
The woods where generally better, more dry and higher quality, the hardwere also better much more pure, each guitar was built by hand and had it's own personality.
All in all you get more resonance from these instrument.
There are also some bad ex. but it's in less %
Some of them are amazing that no new ex. can match ( and never will ), they started amazing back then and just got better with the years. you have to look for the most dry - woody ex. with strong pickups, these instruments can handle everything you throw at them and ask for more, they flow with you and not against you.
A good vintage instrument is not only sound but also the great behavior they have.
New guitars of today does not have enough lows and if it does it become muddy, highs are shrill and the mid is not there, it feels instant in your hand and the tone is flat and uninspiring.
I had 7 Masterbuilt Strats at a time ( 3 JC ), I sold them all after I bought my first real - 64 now I have two - 64 and one - 65.
@@SAGABIJO2 i bet its probably the dryness of the wood then + it could dry more for 50+ years. The hardware metal can make sence too since they used to make heavyer alloys in the past but that also would be a bit hit and miss because foundries nowadays are pretty consistent but raw metals cost a lot more these days. I dont believe the build quality would be that much beter then a masterbuild custom shop tho but i have to admit i never tried a 64 myself so i cant judge that
My life goals: spend 1 or 2 entire days at Thomann and then drive to Guitar Point. Ultimate pilgrimage.
The ears must be superhuman to hear that the Custom one has a slight treble plus.
BUT sorry guys I cannot watch your show anymore because Mark Agnesi ( Norm Rare Guitars ) says that your show is boring! 🤣😤🤣
Well that's a life goal worth fulfilling. Come on and check it off your bucket list man! :-)
Yeah, I've seen Mark's video about gear demos / reviews. Hmm... to me that sounds like telling kids their toys are ridiculous and boring. Or telling car junkies they don't need new rims because that's all pointless and boring. Well, it's not. :-) //cheers, Kris
@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses Well damn said Kris!!!!!!!!!!
Clearly, the Custom Shop '64 was cleaner. I think the differences are pretty obvious,
though it's tough to tell unless you're hearing through headphones or a decent
sound reproduction system. I run my lap top through a Bose Wave radio. It works!
@@larrygeetar9309 I run my videos into my home studio set up... I guess I should change my ears! lol
the 2 originals sound very similar nice and thick the reissue like all of them and I have tried a few sound just that bit thinner
For my ears all very close. I like the 06/64 a lit more than the CS! Nice video!
What a great video. Well done.
CS and the August '64 sound very close to each other I think. The June '64 comes through somewhat darker through my speakers. All sound mega!
I concur!
There's as much difference between individual CS strats as between years.
Absolutely
Should've let that Super Reverb breathe some. Poor thing sounded choked out! Spittin' and poppin lol
June 64 sounds better than both the others. Would go for the custom shop against the august 64, they sound too close. June 64 has a slightly rounder tone, which i do prefer. Overall the difference is very minimal though. The sound would never justify paying that much for an old one. It's the vibe. The history. Really, just knowing it was made with all of your heroes' strats, under Leo's company, while the glorious 1960's were happening. Makes you feel like closer to rockn'roll history. That's why eventually i'm gonna get one, probably
I agree. There is something about owning a real piece of history. I can see paying for that regardless of the sound. Those were great days in music.
After so many years and they are now the VINTAGE 61', the question would be this or the Custom Shop... the Original Vintage is within the reach of almost none of us!!!
To me the custom shop sounded "harsher" in all settings. If I had the cash (joke!) I'd buy the Aug. There again I have a Squire JV 62 Stratocaster so do I need another one like that?.... 😉
Graham Hunt . The answer is no ! I have a Squier JV 62 strat also. It was built May 1982. Owned since Jan '83 and gigged ever since. It's wonderful and a lot less expensive than either of these three. Wouldn't say no to one as a gift tho !
Hi, Kris here! Funny, I was also "built" May 1982. In my eyes, that makes your strat the coolest of all. But you know, I might be a bit biased. haha
Thomann Music
You are right of course ! My neck date is May 25th. It's my 'go to' gig strat. Never let me down and has definitely improved with age.
What size of strings are you using? A greeting!
Kris here, hi! We used the same 10-46 gauge Fender Pure Nickel strings on all of these three strats. That's our (and Fender Custom Shop's) choice of strings for great single-coil sounds. We changed all the strings 30 minutes before recording. What strings do you use?
im super late to the party here but i totally loved this video and its associated comments . Personally loved the neck pickup on the beat up june 64. The others sounded great too as the playing was teriffic as well , of course alot of the sound comes from the hands. Think im going to ceck out your videos to see if iv missed some other gems ... Thank you for posting.
I owned a '64 Stratocaster which I bought used in 1965 ... it was gorgeous! But had the worst overtones you ever heard on the 5th and 6th strings at the 12th fret (no matter how I adjusted it); so just because it is old does not mean it is better.
This is just silly. String gauge, frets, pickup height, overall set up . . . could all contribute to the extremely slight differences we’re hearing. Two June ‘64’s will also sound different. They all sound like strats to me.
I would go with the old one.The sound is darker and a bit crunchy also it seems that it has more output.
Which one do you mean? Ms. June or Ms. August? Both were original 64 strats. //Kris
All three sounded pretty much the same.
but the june 64 sounds better,i think...
Hey, people can spend their money however they want. If you've got $20,000 for a guitar...More power to you.
Mmm you should buy some headphones cause they really dont
Yes, I can!
But I like them both. However, IMO the "real" '64 sounds warmer in all positions. I'm guessing the sheer age of the wood plays here....
Yes, it's a mixture of old and super dry wood (different resonances) and of course the pickups. Magnets age as well, they get weaker and will often have a sweet tone. Still, let's not forget: not all vintage guitars are awesome. It's something like with wine. Some age well, some don't. haha//cheers, Kris
Custom shop seemed to have more clarity.
Both are great...but my 1960 fiesta red and 1961 Daphne blue sound better..custom colors make it sound better ;)
thats actually true
Je nach Pickup-Position gefällt mir mal Gitarre A, mal Gitarre B und mal Gitarre C am besten. Offenbar muss ich sie alle drei kaufen. So ein Pech aber auch!
He managed to make em all sound muddy In the low end... How that's possible on a super reverb.... is either poor camera positioning....or terrible eq
Pickups I’m the custom shop?
Some pick guards came green, they didn’t just turn green is my understanding. 🤦🏻♂️
June' 64 for me. Thankyou.
How abut thé Fendre S usa 1968
3 really great guitars and 3 slightly different flavors. For me the August 64 just has that extra "something" in the sound, but they all sound fantastic :-)
I agree, the August sounded the best to me too
Guitarpoint great pics of classy vintage Strats and Lps
Agreed!
//Andy
to my ear the june of 64 won this by a mile. having said this id take any of this guitars without a doubt
Even if most of you will hate me for that: I'd choose the June '64 just because it's old and it looks better than the other two.
very good info in the video, just poor camera work and logo or titling on the videos.
Considering the fact that a 4 grand CS strat most likely will need additional work right out of the box, I'd rather build a parts-caster, just as good if not better, for half the price.
It's insulting that fender asks for such large amounts of money for a mediocre instrument.
why are old sunbursts brighter and more saturated than modern sunbursts..
Good point, I was also thinking the same. I guess Custom Shop goes for a more classy "smooth" transition, instead of having three crazy saturated colors. Also interesting: the sunburst on the vintage strats were pretty roughly sprayed (in today's standards at least). Almost like using a high quality spray can, instead of a spray gun. I found that really cool and it's definitely part of the mojo. //cheers, Kris
The nitro lacquer has had 60 years to sink into the wood
Personal favorite...August.
New guitars I think they’re both too dark, but also somehow lack low end and body. The mids they do have are platicy
I just can't get with newer pickups with a few boutique exceptions...vintage all the way!
Wow i really want a real vintage guitar. The custom Shop version just doesnt have that vinatge sound even though it is very similar sounding. Very close to the 64's but the 64's are much better sounding
CS 64 was ever so more glassy. But if you could not see it playing, would you know? Best sound wins to the player.
2:54 black bottom and grey bottom pickups do not sound the same. grey bottoms are wound with enamel wire (expect in 1965 they were wound with polysol wire) and black bottom pickups are wound with formvar wire. This tone difference is very noticeable. Grey bottoms have a very mid scooped tone.
Love the original specifically the August yes afterall i was born on that month
That strat on your profile looks beautiful
@@ruditopoderoso thank u so much its my dream strat and it was built by Dale Wilson from custom shop its a 1962 strat reissue
Think the custom shop where as good as the others this time. In the room maybe different.
Since i am also June 64 that would be my choice
You can't evaluate an electric guitar properly with a fart box amp setting. Turning down the guitar's volume pot to get a clean sound changes the tone.
The differences disappear as soon as you do a blind test
I have to disagree. There's a very discernible difference to me as I'm currently scrolling through the comments and only able to hear the audio.
original sounds clearer while cs is a little bit muddy
June 64 sounds the best to me. Rich and full.
August 64 for me :-)
They bleached the alder so it would be more transparent
Custom shop 👍👍👍👍
Dark Brazilian rosewood looks superior, that’s what I learned
Very very close....pleasantly surprised but we all know the more a guitar is played the better it sounds So play the re-ish hard for ten years and it will be magic too...
You are absolutely right, that's a huge factor. If wood gets older and the guitar gets played a lot the sound improves massively.
//cheers,
Kris
Custom shop definitely brighter.
I owned a '64 for a couple of years and oh boy did it sound amazing!
I don't know if they're all great but this guitar was a monster!
Anyone who played it loved it. Beat the hell out of any new stratocaster.
undeniably amazing.
The CS sounded the best lol
Guitar Point better sell CSs as well!
June 64 !
That would be my choice too. Such a sweet tone, right? //Kris
June 64, but very little difference. Best buy Customshop.
"Harsh sounding" is the main problem of people who cannot find the tone control.
I liked the CS best. It was livelier.
By far more melower, powerfull, and nice dynamic responces from 1964 June. Follows the 64 August, and last the custom shop , which is great, but custom shop's pickups, cant hide the thinner sound compairing to the previous originals, even they heard nice. The differences are obvious, but if you can spot them is ok , if you dont you are the happiest man in the world!!
taqisl Amen.
Either I have too much wax in my ears or they have a blanket over the amps speakers because it sounds like shit or a bad fuzz pedal .
IMO the whole pre CBS Strat thing amounts to cork sniffing, pinkies up.
I'd be willing to bet good money that experts can't tell the difference in a blind test with more than chance accuracy. If that's how it is for a Stradivarius...
Not my experience at all...the older formvar wire and magnets are way more transparent and the woods were generally milled and cured from older trees which were more readily available..i will say that ,having owned many pre cbs fenders (as well as played a ton), not all are winners..some are dogs, but the pickups always have some of that mojo imho...
June 64 for the win. Big time.