Fender Malmsteen history?

[fuel0707]

I just ordered a Malmsteen through a friend of mine - candy apple red with a maple board. I know that the '07's have a few differences (machine screws for the neck, deeper scalloping, bullet truss rod, etc.)

I was curious to know if there is any good, informative site on the history of the Malmsteen Signature line. I know they were introduced in the late '80's and it came out at about the same time as Clapton's signature strat. I also know that it's gone through a few revisions, with the headstock shape and different pickups being major revisions. But I was curious to find out more.

Thanks for the help.

[Norton]

I remember that www.yngwie.org had some info about'em.

[Joe_Steeler]

Those Strats kick ass.

[Shawn Lutz]

Malmsteen Signature Strat

Yngwie's Fender Strat Gets an Update! 2007

A top seller, with new revisions!
News Flash: Fender® Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster®
Posted by: S. Crouch — Fender | January 18, 2007 at 10:05 AM

Fender® Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster®

The Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster guitar continues on, with some new changes to make this model more like his current number-one Fender! Details HERE!
Updates include a White /Black/White pickguard, bullet truss rod nut, and machine screw neck mounting! Unleash the fury today! www.fender.com/artists/
Fender's Work of Art:
the Malmsteen Strat

How the Custom Shop Works

Fender calls their custom shop The Dream Factory, and with good reason. It's here that their designers and craftsmen turn the exacting requirements of world-class guitarists into one-of-a kind instruments, achieving "the perfect expression of each musicia n's personal vision."
To create Yngwie's personal vision, designer George Blanda combined elements from vintage Strats of the 50s. "Yngwie is a traditionalist in many ways," says Blanda. "It was important to him that all the Strat body contours matched those of his 50s Strats. But the neck was something else. Scalloped fingerboards are an integral part of his techniques. So, for him it had to have the vintage look with his special neck."
Guitars from the Custom Shop are produced by hand. This includes cutting the body, performing six sand-and-finish operations, buffing to a radiant luster, and assembling the electronic circuitry. All components such as playing action, bridge height, and i ntonation are set to much finer tolerances than assembly line instruments. That's why Signature Series guitars are special orders, taking up to several months to fill. Here are the specifications on both the U.S. and Japanese-made Malmsteen models:
Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Series Stratocasters
U.S. Signature Stratocaster, 1998 Model
Fender's website introduces the new model thusly: "Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen first hit the U.S. music scene through a Guitar Player Spotlight column and from there, hit the ground running. From his days in the 80's rock scene to sold-out performances showcasing his classical influences and prodigious technique, Yngwie has remained truly one of a kind."

The 1998 model incorporates Yngwie's customization of heavy (Dunlop 6000) frets and a large 60's-style headstock. These models have the YJM pickup as well as the HS-3.

Body: Alder
Neck: 1-piece maple with 60's large headstock
Machine Heads: Schaller "F" tuners
Fretboard: Rosewood or maple, scalloped (9.5" radius/241 mm)
Number of Frets: 21
Pickups: 2 DiMarzio YJM (neck & mid), 1 DiMarzio HS-3 (bridge)
Controls: Volume, Tone, "No Load" Tone (bridge & mid)
Tremolo: Vintage
Pickup Switching: 3-way selector
Pickguard: mint green
Special: Aged parts, brass nut
Scale Length: 25.5" (648 mm)
Neck Width at Nut: 1.650" (42 mm)
Strings: Fender Super 3250L
Accessories: Strap & cable
Fender Case: Tweed

U.S. Signature Stratocaster, 1994 ModelFender introduces the updated Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster. The model still retains such Yngwie trademark features as scalloped fretboard and brass nut, and adds a late sixties large headstock, original Synchronized Tremolo, and aged plastic parts. Visit Fender's website for further details.
#010-7700 (rosewood neck), #010-7702 (maple neck) Colors: Candy Apple Red, Vintage White, Sonic Blue Body: Alder, satin finish Features:

• <LI class=MainBody>Scalloped fretboard <LI class=MainBody>21 frets <LI class=MainBody>American Standard tremolo system <LI class=MainBody>2 DiMarzio HS-3 pickups <LI class=MainBody>1 Fender American Standard pickup <LI class=MainBody>Tweed case, strap, cable <LI class=MainBody>1 volume control, 2 TBX <LI class=MainBody>5-position switching <LI class=MainBody>25.5" (647.7mm) scale length <LI class=MainBody>9.5" (241.3mm) radius <LI class=MainBody>1.654" (42mm) width at nut <LI class=MainBody>Brass nut
• 50's style headstock
  

Japanese Signature Strat, 1995 Model #027-2702 (maple neck)
Colors: Black, Vintage White, Sonic Blue
Body: Bass wood, gloss finish
Features:

• <LI class=MainBody>70's style Stratocaster <LI class=MainBody>Scalloped fretboard <LI class=MainBody>3 single-coil pickups <LI class=MainBody>Molded case <LI class=MainBody>70's style headstock <LI class=MainBody>5-position switching <LI class=MainBody>1 volume control, 2 tone control
• Standard tremolo

[Norton]

If it had 22 frets, it would sell a lot much more.

[Axewielder]

If it had 22 frets, it would sell a lot much more.

+1....I guess that's why YJM plays such light gauge strings, so he can bend that C# up to the moon! :ROTF:

[Norton]

+1....I guess that's why YJM plays such light gauge strings, so he can bend that C# up to the moon! :ROTF:

It's a lot more practical than having 22 frets, huh?

[Bengal65]

If it had 22 frets, it would sell a lot much more.

He won't let Fender do that. On his instruction video's he states 21 is enough! He said he has had 22 and 24 fret necks and doesn't care for them. I can't disagree. I can barely utilize 22.

[Holy Diver]

24 frets give so much more room, though.

[Shawn Lutz]

if they had a 22 frets and a Floyd I'd be all over it

[cdwillis]

If it were any different people would be crying that it's not the same as Yngwie's guitars. Of course there are still differences. The pickups in Yngwie's guitar are wired straight to the volume pot with no tone pots and the middle pickup isn't hooked up.

[Norton]

if they had a 22 frets and a Floyd I'd be all over it

There's a trem system compatible with the vintage tremolo hole spacing.You can just put it on a strat and you have a double-locking tremolo. I don't recall the name,tough.


And If I had a strat, I would definitely put a Wilkinson tremolo and locking tuners on it. Better than a Floyd, I think

[fuel0707]

If it were any different people would be crying that it's not the same as Yngwie's guitars. Of course there are still differences. The pickups in Yngwie's guitar are wired straight to the volume pot with no tone pots and the middle pickup isn't hooked up.

About 5 or so years ago, I read an interview with Yngwie where he said that he's using the middle pickup after so many years of thinking it was useless to him. As I recall, he made reference to get some Hendrix-y tones that with the middle pickup and that's why he's using them again. I tried finding the article online but I didn't have any luck.

It's interesting to note that Yngwie's signature guitar comes with three pickups while Ritchie Blackmore's signature strats don't have middle pickups. The Japanese Blackmores from 1997 have a plastic piece in the middle that looks like a pickup but isn't. The USA Blackmores don't even have the fake middle pickup - just a neck and a bridge pickup, sort of like a Tele.

[Cygnus X1]

Speaking of Hendrix tones, I watched a few Robin Trower youtubes this morning, and it looked like he always has the switch in the mid position.
Now I have to look at the SRV, Marino, and Hendrix pix closer, and see what they did.

[sonicsamurai]

SRV uses his in the mid alot i'm told, but when i listen to it and try and emulate it, i find bridge and mid together gets that glassy clean sound much better- the mid on its own just sounds slightly woolly. i never use the mid pickup on its own really, but i use the in between sounds alot