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NGD 64 Strat

Ship

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Dec 22, 2016
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I wasn't in the market for another guitar but I happened across this beauty a couple of weeks ago. It's the best Strat that I have ever played and I absolutely had to get. Well, today was the day! It is a 5 way switch, refin, and it has a refret. Everything else is original.
 

Ship

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Dec 22, 2016
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Congrats, looks great! :salude
What made it stand out to you?
You're sure it is no a #precbsguitar http://www.lespaulforum.com/forum/showthread.php?204983-Maybe-just-a-lil-TOO-good ?

Thanks! When it comes to Strats, I am very picky. I got a 60th anniversary 1954 AVRI last year, I spent months trying to find the right one, not that I thought every one I played was bad, I just couldn't find one that did it for me. Up until I played this one I hadn't found one that I liked as much or better than my AVRI. Usually I am partial to a maple neck so when I saw this one, I wasn't expecting it to feel great to me with the rosewood neck. But I plugged it in and played it for awhile and everything just kind of came together. The neck is super playable, and it sounds great, and it's super light and resonant.

I have been following that thread but, I'm about 90% sure that it is a late 63 early 64. Everything seems to check out that most of the parts were made in 63 and it seems that the body was made in 64. I have some of the backstory of this guitar and I am working on connecting the dots. But what I have so far seems to lend to it being authentic. I don't want to indulge anything until I have the full story and I have a couple of gaps to fill. But honestly if it is the real McCoy, I got it for what I think is a fair market value for the condition it is in and if a day ever comes that I have to part with it and it isn't legit I honestly will be ok with that because it's an amazing playing guitar and that's ultimately why I got it.
 

fakejake

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Sep 3, 2010
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1,274
Cool man! I recently broke out my Strat which has been sitting in the case for over 2 years, and I really like playing it at the moment. I don't think Strats will ever feel as natural to me as Teles or 335s, but I they're great for a change.
Is this your first vintage Strat? Since it's a refin, how does it feel different to the AVRI?
 

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Cool man! I recently broke out my Strat which has been sitting in the case for over 2 years, and I really like playing it at the moment. I don't think Strats will ever feel as natural to me as Teles or 335s, but I they're great for a change.
Is this your first vintage Strat? Since it's a refin, how does it feel different to the AVRI?

Thanks!:salude Yeah I go back and forth between my Lester and my Strat. At the moment I've been on a big Strat kick and I've recently gotten into Tele's. This is my first vintage Strat and vintage guitar for that matter (Hopefully not the last!). It's still kind of soaking in. The neck profile is a little different between the two. I have smaller hands and nerve damage from when I was a wee lad. The vintage one seems a little thinner? (I'm not sure if that's the right adjective) but I can play it with a little more ease. Which is the big thing for me. Plugged in I find this one a little fulller sounding, compared to the AVRI. I also find the in between selections more distinctive whereas on the AVRI I couldn't tell the difference for the most part. I'm sure I could change this with different pickups but since it the 1954 reissues were limited in numbers I didn't want to mess with them. Both guitars are very resonant. I'm not sure how old the refin is, it doesn't look very new to me and I was told late 60's to early 70's but who knows.
 

sikoniko

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Aug 28, 2012
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congrats on the new acquisition! the cool thing about a refin is the value is already down, so if you want to change the color, it's all up to you. not saying that you want to, but that you have many options...
 

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congrats on the new acquisition! the cool thing about a refin is the value is already down, so if you want to change the color, it's all up to you. not saying that you want to, but that you have many options...

Yeah that is a great point. I don't thank I'm going to change the color on this one as I really love the it, even though I'm usually partial to Fiesta Red. But I could see me getting another refin down the road if a deal pops up and refinishing it in Fiesta Red. Unfortunately, it will be some time as my wife would kill me (probably literally) if she if suspects I'm even thinking about acquiring another guitar. Luckily I can't put this Strat down so I should be able to control the gas for the foreseeable future :laugh2:.
 

Known4tone

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Apr 23, 2015
Messages
134
That's how I like a vintage Strat. Refin-check, refret-check and a 5 way-check. Affordable and the only mods done...perfect for the pocketbook.
 

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That's how I like a vintage Strat. Refin-check, refret-check and a 5 way-check. Affordable and the only mods done...perfect for the pocketbook.

Absolutely! I don't think I could have afforded this one if it was 100% original. Plus, the refin is one of my favorite custom colors, the refret was probably needed, and who doesn't love a 5 way? Plus I'm not afraid to play it!

A close friend of mine and I decided to go check out the vintage room at the GC in Hollywood in July as I hadn't gone since I moved out to California about 5 years ago and he hadn't been there in about 15 years or so. When we got there we saw some cool stuff but nothing that really stood. Right across the street there is a Sam Ash, so we went over there to check it out too and they had this beauty in a case. One of the sales guys let me play it and I was blown away. I was absolutely obsessed with this guitar for the next couple of weeks and after getting the wifes blessing and reaching out and negotiating on the price I went and picked her up. When I was checking out the sales guy told me that the guitar used to be owned by Sammy Ash, I believe he's the grandson of the founder Sam Ash. The back story didn't quite check out. I reached out to Mr. Ash, really nice guy, and he told me he didn't actually own it but he had taken it home for awhile to decide if he wanted to purchase it but ended up getting something else. He also told me that Russ Irwin took it on tour with Joe B last year during the Summer of 2016. I was really hoping to learn the story of where this guitar has been over the last 53 years. But alas I am just happy to be able to own and play such a great piece of American History.
 
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