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FDP Forum / Fender Guitars: Stratocasters / A Tale of Two EJ Strats
(This message was last edited by Mintage at 04:00 AM, May 18th, 2012)
FDP Forum / Fender Guitars: Stratocasters / A Tale of Two EJ Strats
Next 20 Messages
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
JH: It's not no game we're playing.May 13th, 2012 05:52 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I've unexpectedly come into two Eric Johnson Strats: A 2005 maple-neck candy-apple-red and a 2008 bound-rosewood-neck turquoise, the latter from a fellow FDP-er. Both happened because I had the money (unusual) plus I had completed my ten-year journey of trying different types of electrics (1xP90, 2xP90, 3xP90, etc.) and found myself back where I started - a Strat guy.
I took them both to Greg at Metro Guitar in Virginia, who does a wicked setup, and asked him to use Pyramid Pure Nickel 10-48 strings, which I provided, from Just Strings. It turned out that both low-E strings (.048) were bad, in that they wouldn't intonate properly.
So, it's round 2 since the Pyramids are noticeably different from the usual thing. Stay tuned, if you're interested - I haven't even plugged them into an amp yet. The both seem pretty lively, acoustically, by the way.
Standard24
San Antonio, TexasMay 13th, 2012 07:27 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Hard to go wrong with any EJ Strat... Two is even better! (The image of the CAR w/maple is swirling in my brain. Yeah!)
Pinetree
Contributing Member
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I Swill Be Certain.May 13th, 2012 08:10 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Pyramid strings are nice, But I gave up on them many years ago.
Have fun!
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
JH: It's not no game we're playing.May 13th, 2012 08:20 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Gave up on them why?
Pix in profile of both guitars now. The '08 doesn't quite look turquoise but that's what it is.
dmoulton
canadaMay 13th, 2012 09:09 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Love the rosewood models, though never played one :-(
Someday!
Enjoy them!
David
Pinetree
Contributing Member
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I Swill Be Certain.May 14th, 2012 09:50 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Gave up on them because I'm just as happy with Ernie Balls or GHS.
smurph1
USAMay 14th, 2012 12:01 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Never Liked Pyramid Strings..I'm just a Di'Addario guy I guess..
SoK66
Contributing Member
****
USA
We had the hit but Van got the moneyMay 16th, 2012 09:39 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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My CAR maple neck EJ is terrific. A MF 'blem" I scored back in '07. it was sealed in the box and we've never found anything "blem" about it. Added a Callaham shield under the guard to kill the static.
Mintage
Europe
Linus66May 17th, 2012 05:38 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I got my 2SB EJ in 2005 (the first shipment to Germany, Ser.No 0274) and I have to say, that this guitar is the best Fender I have: playability, Sound and craftsmanship are outstanding. The compound radius of the neck feels comfortable to my hand - I never get tired playing that guitar!
I use D´Addario 095 (EXL120+) strings on all of my guitars - after trying them all...!
I would love to buy a EJ with a rosewood neck, but the bound fretboard is an absolutely no go for me !
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
JH: It's not no game we're playing.May 17th, 2012 07:21 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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SoK - There's a little metal plate in the case pocket that looks like it goes between the three pots/pickup selector and the pickguard. Is the Callaham something like that?
"... but the bound fretboard is an absolutely no go for me !"
Why's that?
The Pyramids are German, by the way.
thaus
CANADAMay 17th, 2012 08:45 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I have an 06 CAR EJ and really, they are the best production strats imo, only my CS strat may be a bit better but that is subjective. Love bound boards so I am always looking for an EJ with a bound/rosewood neck.
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
JH: It's not no game we're playing.May 17th, 2012 09:52 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Here's one of the rosewood models on eBay (no connection to me). Most of them for sale are the maple-neck models.
KAL
USA
Thank God for GuitarsMay 18th, 2012 01:47 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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Great guitars Just had my sunburst / maple neck EJ out last night. Wish the frets were a bit more accurate but it's a great strat. Not the easiest to play but sounds great. Wish i had a white one! Cheers and congrats.
Mintage
Europe
Linus66May 18th, 2012 03:58 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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@ Paul:
The reason I don`t like bounded Strat necks is just a matter of my taste...!
I know Pyramid strings for a long time, but they don`t fit to my sound imagination: I don`t like the distorted sound with Pyramid strings! For clean and "soft" crunch sounds they are great, but not when it gets to a rock distortion.
If someone is looking for the "true-Fender-Clean-Sound-of-the-50´s" - then Pyramid is everything you need.
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
JH: It's not no game we're playing.May 18th, 2012 06:01 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I agree - I like them because of their solid clean sound plus they stay in tune much longer than the GHS Boomers I used to use. That may be because they are stiffer, which takes a little getting used to, playing wise.
A bound-neck Strat does look a little peculiar to me but so far I hardly notice it while playing.
"Wish the frets were a bit more accurate but it's a great strat." (Do you mean the fret placement wasn't so great?)
"Not the easiest to play but sounds great." (Could you elaborate on the first part of that? Thanks).
Jazzrat
Contributing Member
Idaho
Picks?, I use them bread wrapper thingysMay 18th, 2012 02:32 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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I've had 3 EJ Maples since 2005. Great guitars but they came and went in various gas attacks.
I have a Dakota Red Rosewood now. Suits me better than the maples. Some folks hate'em but
I use Elixir Nanowebs on mine. They seem slightly warmer and they last a good long time.
KAL
USA
Thank God for GuitarsMay 18th, 2012 07:20 PM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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sorry if I was unclear.
"Wish the frets were a bit more accurate but it's a great strat." (Do you mean the fret placement wasn't so great?)
More like the frets are fairly flat at top and not as precisly pointed or crowned so intonation suffers. My tech pointed this out to me when I complained about the intonation.
"Not the easiest to play but sounds great." (Could you elaborate on the first part of that? Thanks).
The strings as they come off the nut down to the headstock on an EJ Strat come down at a much sharper angle than normal strats (part of the EJ's design). It makes the strings feel much more taut than regular strats and can make the high e string "ping" a bit.
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
"Surely not to live in pain and fear..."May 21st, 2012 07:42 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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"The strings as they come off the nut down to the headstock on an EJ Strat come down at a much sharper angle than normal strats (part of the EJ's design)."
Even more so than a "normal" Strat with string trees?
I finally played them both over the weekend and they sound and play pretty nice. I didn't really notice the compound neck shape while playing - it's subtle. Also the bound fingerboard didn't feel any different, although I don't wrap my thumb around. Both are wired with no tone control on the middle pickup so maybe the '05 was modified. The '08 wasn't quite as bright as the '05, probably due to the rosewood fingerboard. The '08 also seemed louder, which was surprising - have to check that out again since supposedly the pickups are the same. The '05, at 7lbs 3oz, is the lightest solid-body electric I've ever owned.
ecfan
New Jersey USA
1-4-5May 21st, 2012 09:58 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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"The '08 also seemed louder, which was surprising - have to check that out again since supposedly the pickups are the same."
The pickups are not the same. Eric Johnson said in an interview that the pickups were changed to account for the sonic differences of the rosewood board.
Paul Boudreau
Contributing Member
**********
Washington, D.C.
"Surely not to live in pain and fear..."May 22nd, 2012 07:12 AM Edit Profile Print Topic Search
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"The pickups are not the same. Eric Johnson said in an interview that the pickups were changed to account for the sonic differences of the rosewood board."
Hmm, I've read the opposite, specifically here:
"Besides the bound rosewood fretboard, the newest Eric Johnson RW was supposed to have a hotter bridge pickup (according to the EJ interview vids at Harmony Central). NAMM '09 Fender booth video at bottom indicates maple & rosewood ended up utilizing the same pickups.
JAN 28, 09 NOTE: ALL PICKUPS ARE IDENTICAL BETWEEN RW & MAPLE MODELS. The pickup specs, specifically the BRIDGE pickups, have NOT changed. An original 2005 EJ Maple has the same pups as a new EJ RW. Special thanks to Steve at Wildwood Guitars for confirming bridge pickup clarification with factory, who also indicated that the EJ RW development involved several pickup configurations, but in the end the original config. was utilized."
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