its time to start speculating again

[wilkinsi]

I'm guessing they might introduce trans and graphic finishes. A friend of mine had a strat head charvel refinished in EDS and it looks fuggin awesome!

[Grandturk]

I'm guessing they might introduce trans and graphic finishes. A friend of mine had a strat head charvel refinished in EDS and it looks fuggin awesome!

Oh I hope not. I could probably live with some trans colors (I'd never buy them) but I think EDS is so commonplace - it bores the hell out of me.

[Newc]

Agreed. EDS is the new black, only twice as boring and nearly as "done to death".

I don't see trans finishes coming off the Fender Mill unless it's photoflame, which is the dumbest idea since the infamous Stabbed Poo Jackson.


As for F.R. on the S1, I don't see that working out since they didn't use the same Candy Purple on the SoCal, which I thought was odd, considering CT, PW, and PG were used on two models, unless it was a shortage issue.

[Grandturk]

So when do you think they'll run out of colors? Having something as basic as white as a limited color is kind of nutty to me. So they build how many F-Red Socal - and then never again - that color/guitar combo is retired. We'll be seeing Shell Pink and Sea foam Green in no time.

[fullmetalguitar]

At the factory a few weeks ago, I asked Mike Kotzen if they were going to ever do trans finishes on these and he said probably not due to the fact that it would increase the cost/price.

[Grandturk]

Yup - they'd need to use nicer wood for starters - 2 piece Ash, etc.

[shreddermon]

+1.

I think it's more likely that we'll start to see some "simple" graphics that can be done in large-ish scale numbers. Bullseye, anyone? Or rising sun? Tiger stripes? The only question is "how much" (extra)?

I think you'll still see SDs and SoCals in limited colors. And then - to replace the Tele - an even smaller number of limited graphics and/or pickup arrangements on the SD model (one each quarter again).

[Bionic]

Yup - they'd need to use nicer wood for starters - 2 piece Ash, etc.

Hi! I want to jump in here...
Ash vs. Alder shouldn't be framed like that. Ash isn't NICER than Alder...it's a tonal choice. We would have just as easily spec'd out Ash instead... but Alder was the most requested wood.

Thanks,

Mike

[Grandturk]

Hi! I want to jump in here...
Ash vs. Alder shouldn't be framed like that. Ash isn't NICER than Alder...it's a tonal choice. We would have just as easily spec'd out Ash instead... but Alder was the most requested wood.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike - I meant that Ash is a nicer looking wood visualy - F tonally - I'm not talking about that. No one wants to see a trans finish over Alder - Leo knew this, I know this, that makes it FACT!!! Yeah yeah - there are some nice looking pieces of Alder out there, but in general, its few and far between. That's why Fender went to an "opaque" sunburst so they could use Alder for all their guitars - not just the solid colors.

And I agree - Ash is not the first shoice for a superstrat tonally - its groing to be too bright and sproingy. Alder, Basswood, Poplar are all better suited - IMO.

edit - put in a smiley so you know I'm not crazy serious.

[Flatpicker]

I still want robin's egg blue.
And Shell Pink.
Ahh. Maybe next run.

[fullmetalguitar]

I still want a Dinky shape.
And vintage trem.
Ahh. Probably never.

[Zaneus]

There's a couple of sites that have Strats and whatnot, and probably Charvels and Jacksons, but if you saw one that said "Luquid Pixel Shop's Custom Guitar Generator" and it wasn't on this site or on the Liquid Pixel Shop homepage, that site needs to be reported for piracy.
Eric put a ton of work into that - learning Flash from the ground up and figuring out how to make it do everything it can do - and he deserves proper credit and payment for it. If someone's got it uploaded for free, I'll personally go to their house and break their fingers.

It was definately a copy of what's on this website. I remember ages ago the one here at JCF used to be free. Once they started charging for it i just forgot about it. Then someone at Ultimate-Guitar linked to a separate page that had everything that used to be here up for free. I don't have the link now though, had to format my computer twice in the last few months.

[Chubtone]

Hasn't Fender done a bazillion sunbursts over alder where you can see the grain of the alder? 99% of the Fender sunbursts are over alder where you can see the wood. They went to that opaque sunburst in late '65 and '66 and it is pretty hideous. They were back to regular sunburst in '67.... on alder.

I am not positive about these dates, but I do own one of those ugly sunburst strats. Mine's a '66 and the thing sounds killer.



And my equally ugly '66 P-bass in sunburst

[Jacksonguy666]

My guesses:
S1 - Hot Pink (or something of that nature - Shocking, Flaming, Screaming, etc) to match the 3rd batch Slime Green
S2 - Polar White because a Tele in white is like a fat girl in the bakery - made for each other
SoCal - Candy Red cuz the color contrast with the black pickguard is classic


But if we continue on the previous discussion that each batch's colors are somehow related to the time of year they're released (1st run were Fall colors Red, Gold, Orange, 2nd run was Christmas colors Red, Green, Blue, 3rd batch was Mardi Gras Purple, Green, Gold, 4th run was.....Memorial Day? Purple, Orange, White? )

So what color scheme fits the Summer? Red, White, and Blue? Blue's been done for the S1, and Red's been done for the S1 and S2. SoCal has never had Red, White, or Blue. The White S1 has already happened as well.

There's also the more Spring-like colors - Yellow, lighter-than-Candy Blue, and Pink.


I'm sure everyone wants a White SoCal, too. That'd be sweet. Not sure if they'd let it happen, though. Then again, the White S1 was direct competition for the Smith, so a White SoCal being turned into a Jake shouldn't be a problem.

And besides, a White SoCal is an almost-guaranteed sell-out. They'd be harder to find than CT SoCals from the first run

GASsing over that first one!