Ok, its time to put down the dollars
for a quality guitar. The market is flooded with thousands of selections. Which one do you
buy? Well after years of playing, and months of research, I took the plunge and went out
and bought my second Fender guitar. The Jeff Beck Signature Series Stratocaster. Why the
Jeff Beck model? If you’re strictly into the blues I would not recommend this guitar.
There are better, less expensive Stratocasters out there, like the American Standard or
the American Deluxe, that will give you that quintessential, much copied, but never
duplicated Fender sound.
The Jeff Beck model offers some special features and sound
possibilities that just cannot be duplicated with the other Strats. Yes, that famous
Fender sound is there, but this guitar is capable of a wide range of sounds that cannot be
coaxed out of the other Strat models.
When I picked up this guitar the first thing I noticed was
the neck felt a little meaty in my medium sized hands. The Fender Spec on this California
made guitar is a, "50’s Shape Maple with a Rosewood Fingerboard," commonly
referred to as a baseball bat. No, it doesn’t taper drastically, from body to nut; it
just refers to the curvature. Don’t let that stop you from keeping this on your list
of possibilities. Try it. After 5 minutes with this baby, the neck felt perfect. Thin
enough to wrap my thumb over the 6th and 5th sting while still
laying the third finger across the first 3. If your playing style leans toward a heavy
hand and you like to push your guitar, this could be the neck for you. I know with a lot
of thinner, light necks, in the heat of the moment, my chording style can kind of give me
an out of tune sound. You know pushing too hard. Not so with this Strat. While this neck
lets you chord with confidence; it is more than capable of letting you play those fluid,
rapid flowing licks. If you pick one up, don’t put it down until you’ve given
yourself a chance to get used to the feel. It is a pleasant surprise.
The Sound, the sound, the sound. This guitar is equipped with
Fenders Gold Lace Sensor Pickups. Four to be exact. Your standard neck and middle
position, with two in the bridge position. What is unique about this bridge pickup, is
that Fender has set this guitar up with an inconspicuous little push button located
between the 2 tone knobs. When it is in the out position, both of the dual pickups in the
bridge position are activated. Push it in and only the pickup closest to the bridge is on.
What does all of this mean? Well what happens is when you have both activated, not only do
you get the usual highs common to a bridge pickup, but this just rounds out the sound,
adding some really nice balsy mids to the sound, giving you a wide range of harmonics and
sound possibilities. This is not your father’s blues guitar.
As I explored the sound possibilities of this guitar, I found
that the Gold Lace Sensors seem to put out a little thinner sound than the Deltatone or
the Texas Specials, that come on some of the other Strat models. However, it is easier to
fatten up the sound with your EQ, effects or amp settings, on the Jeff Beck Strat, than it
is to thin out the others, allowing you to produce that full Strat sound associated with
the pickup switch in the 4th position.
Every feature on this Strat is deluxe.
Alder Body, Bi-flex Truss Rod, Micro Tilt Neck Adjustment,
Locking Machine Heads, Straplock ready Schallers, the new LSR Roller Nut and the Strat
standard 5 position pickup switch. The tone control is a standard tone control for the
bridge and a TBX for the mid and neck pickups, giving you an even wider range of
possibilities to craft your own special sound signature. After all that’s what
it’s all about. Of course it wouldn’t be a Jeff Beck Strat without the 2 point
synchronized tremolo with a screw in whammy bar. You can flatten the strings out against
the neck, let it up and sure enough, it’s stays in tune. Play that 22nd
fret high pull up to the next 5th. No problem. The only issue I have with all
of these special tremolo’s is if you happen to change the gauge of strings or in some
cases even the brand, prepare yourself for an evening of playing with the spring
adjustments. Someday, somewhere, somehow, someone at Fender will come up with a
self-adjusting tremolo set up. A word of advice. If you’re hitting the stage, make
sure you are carrying the same gauge of strings with you.
Now for the important stuff, finding one. I searched high and
low and was able to locate one in Surf Green. Not my color, but after half an hour, I was
able to determine that this guitar was what I wanted, needed, and had to have. Of course I
had to special order mine (Midnight Purple) from my local Fender Dealer.
Fender lists this guitar with case for $1,699.00. Without a
doubt, you will pay closer to $1200 for this guitar. A little pricier than your other
American made Strats, but in my opinion well worth it. The range of sound possibilities
coupled with the feel make this guitar a winner. Ask any serious guitarist. There is
nothing, and I mean nothing, like the feel of a quality guitar up against your body.
Especially this one.
For more information on this or any other Fender product
visit the Fender website here .
