Fender VG Stratocaster

Ironbird · #1 04-13-2009, 06:49 PM

wow ..

Played one the other day at the local music store ..

Junk.

Felt like a cheap,cheap mexican strat .. tuners were cheap and crappy ..knobs were loose,but the worst was the alternating "tunings". The pickups are SO weak, i mean, there is a baritone tuning but the pickups are so weak that the tone is beyond muddy ,and the digital setting SUCK the tone out of the guitar.I tried several amps, including a marshall Tube stack and it Sucked.As much as Fender kicks ass , this guitar is deffinitely not worth the cash that they want for it.I know it's an old guitar,but my guitar shop is too cheap to buy an abundance of new ,nice guitars.

Just my 2 cents. /end Rant

toneboy · #2 04-13-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironbird

wow ..

Played one the other day at the local music store ..Junk.

The general public seems to agree because Fender discontinued them a few days ago.

Quote:

...the worst was the alternating "tunings". The pickups are SO weak, i mean, there is a baritone tuning but the pickups are so weak that the tone is beyond muddy

When you use any of the alternate tunings, you're not hearing the guitar's magnetic pickups but rather the virtual pickups. I just wanted to clear that up.

skins345669 · #3 04-13-2009, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironbird

/end Rant

Is there more?

...

Bad joke.

Yeah, sounds pretty bad. It's Fender's effort at keeping up with the Gibson robot guitars, and by my thoughts, they got it really wrong.

jallen · #4 04-14-2009, 12:29 AM

I really wanted to like it, but I agree that it just didn't do it for me. I didn't have an issue with the playability (standard AM strat, which I like) or quality, but the "modeling" just left me dry. Why would I want to saddle my guitar with lame modeling sounds? I can just get a processor for that (much cheaper and upgradable too). The Robot Guitars are a much better idea, IMO, since they preserve the integrity of the instrument's sound. The V sounds like a V, the Paul a Paul, etc. The VG took the sound over- it was more of a Roland guitar than a Fender.

forest4 · #5 04-14-2009, 02:03 AM

Hate to say it, but I feel that way about all Strats.

Ironbird · #6 04-14-2009, 10:57 AM

well then the virtual pickup sucks,not the magnetic pickups. Sorry I always thought fender as the best,but just disappointed with this guitar.It seems there's alot of fender hate on this site,even before posting the VG thread.

jallen · #7 04-14-2009, 09:29 PM

i', not a hater. I love many Fender models and their unique sound. Its just the VG that didn't do it for me. Of course, the full-line price increase is a whole 'nother story...

**jim777** · #8 04-14-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironbird

It seems there's alot of fender hate on this site,even before posting the VG thread.

Let me guess, you just showed up, right?

Lots of us, mods included, own Fenders.

ColinMmmmm · #9 04-14-2009, 10:24 PM

Yeah I love fenders. I play my strat way more than my Ibanez, even though the frets are all worn down. The neck just feels nicer.

waylay00 · #10 04-14-2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forest4

Hate to say it, but I feel that way about all Strats.

DavyH · #11 04-15-2009, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ironbird

well then the virtual pickup sucks,not the magnetic pickups. Sorry I always thought fender as the best,but just disappointed with this guitar.It seems there's alot of fender hate on this site,even before posting the VG thread.

Plenty of Gibson haters too if you look real hard

I had a VG strat for a while and traded it in on an American Deluxe. No contest there. The underlying Strat was fine, but nothing special, but the modelling was a bit thin and artificial and the battery life a joke.

HOWEVER, the VG predated the Robot guitar by a couple of years, so it was hardly Fender's "response" to Gibson.

skins345669 · #12 04-15-2009, 07:38 AM

So has anyone tried the Line6 Variax, seeing as that works on the same principle (does it?) ?

**jim777** · #13 04-15-2009, 05:48 PM

I tried a (now discontinued) Variax 5 string bass, and it was a ton of fun

A friend of mine has a Variax acoustic, and its OK, but not my cuppa tea. Sounds great but not very easy to play.

bluesmaker59 · #14 05-14-2009, 08:32 PM

I purchased the VG during closeout at the $999 price and it's a steal at that price. I read here that someone felt the feel of the VG was that of a cheap Mex strat... I strongly disagree. I have 2 mex strats and I'm very fond of them, they're adequate and produce a pleasing single coil sound. I know mexican strats and this my friend is no mexican stat...the VG is easily the better player by far. It holds tune better, the jumbo frets are a joy, passive pups are a far cry sweeter then the mex pups and, in active mode...no 60 cycle hum.

I have, for the last 8 years, been fortunate to work in a constantly busy blues band in the Albany, NY area. Carting 3 guitars (main guitar, back up and slide set up axe) to gigs is a problem because of the footprint I'm limited to in some smaller venues. I appreciate a guitar that can switch to G or drop D tuning with the flick of the wrist or switch to resonator or humbucking. Granted, the VG may not be for the home recording musician armed with a barrage of guitars within easy reach but if you're playing blues through a Deluxe Reverb to a live audience and you want to "kick it up a notch" it sure is nice to have the tonal flexibility at a moments notice. The VG is not perfect but it's solid and it provides flexibility on the fly, on the stage...and that is where it's real value comes to play. I'm very pleased with the VG.

Ironbird · #15 05-15-2009, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluesmaker59

I purchased the VG during closeout at the $999 price and it's a steal at that price. I read here that someone felt the feel of the VG was that of a cheap Mex strat... I strongly disagree. I have 2 mex strats and I'm very fond of them, they're adequate and produce a pleasing single coil sound. I know mexican strats and this my friend is no mexican stat...the VG is easily the better player by far. It holds tune better, the jumbo frets are a joy, passive pups are a far cry sweeter then the mex pups and, in active mode...no 60 cycle hum.

I have, for the last 8 years, been fortunate to work in a constantly busy blues band in the Albany, NY area. Carting 3 guitars (main guitar, back up and slide set up axe) to gigs is a problem because of the footprint I'm limited to in some smaller venues. I appreciate a guitar that can switch to G or drop D tuning with the flick of the wrist or switch to resonator or humbucking. Granted, the VG may not be for the home recording musician armed with a barrage of guitars within easy reach but if you're playing blues through a Deluxe Reverb to a live audience and you want to "kick it up a notch" it sure is nice to have the tonal flexibility at a moments notice. The VG is not perfect but it's solid and it provides flexibility on the fly, on the stage...and that is where it's real value comes to play. I'm very pleased with the VG.

Good to hear you enjoy your guitar man.I only stated that it felt like a cheap mexican strat,because the condition my music shop kept it in.Their guitars are always (even the gibson les pauls) out of tune, dry ,cracked fret board, TERRIBLE action,and ****ty strings.I guess if i played one that was set up properly it would be a great axe