There is definitely some mojo in this guitar, and in the hands of a player with the feel you have...it is downright amazing. I’ve heard you pull some amazing tone out of relatively affordable guitars, but the vid with this guitar from Instagram was pure magic. Congrats!
Definitely agree, rich collector's, no matter what hobby, are a problem...at least when somebody like Joe Bonamassa or some rich rockstar buys a guitar it's actually going to be played and loved.
exactly guitars need to be played not put behind glass and shown off... the prices for guitars r ridiculous. I just wanna play the damn things and have fun I'm lefty so it's already a nightmare to find great guitars in the wild. gotta always buy online. but I'd love to own a 64' fender strat id never sell it hell a collector could have it after I was done playing it for a while... IDC about the money I just wanna play these amazing vintage strats.
@@sacredgeometry Gilmour is worth hundreds of millions, he didn't need to sell his black Strat. Having said that - even if he didn't sell it - that Strat becomes useless when he dies. The best place for it would have been in a music museum of sorts, for people to see it and get inspired.
Chris I'm new to playing the guitar. In fact i picked it up only when the pandemic hit. But i just wanna say I've lost count of how many times I've watched this solo and you've really inspired me to push hard and improve! Just unbelievable playing and that Strat sounds like it was destined to be in your hands.
This was a long wait, but well worth it. So nice to see and hear how it came out. A lot of other folks have expressed similarly, but that such a "holy grail" guitar is in the hands of as supremely capable player as yourself is truly just deserts.
5 months... and this Strat looks and sounds like it should in the hands of a master player! Chris, fantastic job on that axe. I hope that when you come and visit us in Lyon, France in Star’s Music, you’ll take it with you. See you around!
Wonderful. I’ve loved following this guitar on the Tone Twins channel. Hugh nailed it and you now have a beautiful vintage strat fit for the stage. Enjoy it my friend.
brother i just found you and i am so blown away by your style and your tone and just your GOD given talent.i am really mesmerized and i am a new sub/fan.and i will be studying you to see if i can even come close.thanks for what you do...
Wow! It sounds fantastic. It was a lot of work. From here, it was totally worth it. Hope it brings you great joy. You're playing is blazing. Thanks for sharing the whole process. Cheers!
That natural resonance that comes off the necks is the key to the great old guitars dont know how this was achieved but it is what makes the difference
Chris Buck, if you ever doubt that having a Friday Fretworks over 10-15 minutes is a bad thing, please think again. Watched every minute of this and I will not be complaining if you come up with another longer video later on. :) If you have something interesting to say/share, people will listen and watch. Classic example of this are the two nerds there in That Pedal Show. 1 hour videos? No problem. Great work here as always.
Personally I feel your playing style really benefits from that strat's resonance and the sweetness, dynamics, openess and 3 dimensional quality of the pickups. Theres something about finger style players expecially that benefit from the sponginess of pre cbs pickups. They really bring your playing alive. If theres a winder that makes them as emotive as the orginals I have not found one yet. Though Fenders now retired Abigail Ybarra came close! BTW Great move getting the pre CBS in the neck and the 70s in the bridge!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to document this whole process and your thoughts along the way. IIt's been incredibly enjoyable. Your eleoquence of the spoken word is only exceeded by your musical eloquence. I'm sure this instrument will provide you a lifetime of joy, both in the music you play on it and the conversations you have because of it. Cheers.
Excellent video Chris. Absolutely love your playing - great technique and feel. I love Les Pauls but more of a Stratocaster guy myself. This video reminds me of my 30th birthday back in the early 90’s. My wife wanted to buy me a Fender Stratocaster and the choice came down to either an American Stratocaster Plus or a ‘62 re-issue with a dark rosewood finger board and tomato soup finish on the body (looked very similar to yours). It was a tough decision, but ended up going with the Plus (with the Lace Sensors). After watching this, I kinda wish I went with the ‘62 re-issue.
Congrats from somebody who has been more and more fed up with guitar music. Your playing at the beginning is not only original and universal at the same time- I can hear eastern Anatolian 'Uzunhava ' in it, but it includes sounds that justify electric guitar as a musical instrument Enjoy the 62. Hope to hear it live in your hands in İstanbul in not too distant future :)))
I have a set of David Allen Tru 62s on my strat and they also have that sweet spot like the Fenders. They are a really good boutique set. Thanks for the video. I needed something for comparison. I also love your exceptional attack on the guitar.
In your final comparison I notice the whole body resonance you mention in the '62. It's like a body rattle that just works. Beautiful. The Highway 1 sounds as good, but is missing that little ghost in the machine ... gives it that SRV magic. Great video. Great guitar. Great player.
You have the patience of a saint. I think I would have been in the parking lot stringing it up in a manic state like a crackhead. Id have to know right away! Lol
I owned a 62 Sunburst finish rosewood fretboard Strat with the old 3 way pickup selector switch that I picked up in a trade for a 1932 Gibson mandolin I traded in at Dave Ferretta's store in Denver CO back in 77. In that trade I also received a Gibson 56 Les Paul Jr., a 50's Gibson ES 125, and a 70's Gibson Southern Jumbo acoustic guitar. I had purchased the mandolin a few years before that for a $100 from an elderly woman near Paradise Michigan who's husband had owned it but he had passed away and she had decided to part ways with it. I liked the 62 Strat and it was nice, but I sold all of those guitars in 1980 to help to finance a move from CO to southern WV. In around 86 I purchased vintage style 62 Strat replacement parts from Saga Musical Instruments and rebuilt my missing 62 but chose an Ash body and a neck with the maple fingerboard which I had found more to my liking. I went with a non vintage pickup set which I eventually replaced with Rumplestiltskin Experience vintage pole staggered pick up set in 2005. I feel like the rebuilt plays and sounds better. I believe that the original 62 had an Alder body. Currently I own 3 Strats of which 2 are SX Hawk VTG series made in China guitars. They all sound great but somewhat different. The old 62 Strat was a nice guitar, but is it worth the hype. No in my opinion. One can build or purchase a new guitar and with the right pickups get that sound that one desires. My ears tell me that your Highway Strat pickups have a slightly fatter sound than the 62 , but it's all good since your playing is great. I do wonder what amp or effects you are playing with on out past the guitars though. Don't believe that it was mentioned, but I skipped around a little when watching it.
I love your practicality. Also enjoyed your discussions with the luthier/restorer. Such great tone from a body covered with enamel (?). The tone goes deep with this baby. What a fantastic find.
Really well done review! Often times these guitars are almost deified to an extent. I have been fortunate enough to have acquired used, a very nice newer American Strat and a custom shop Gibson ES 335. These were big purchases relatively for me and sonically the best I’ve owned to date. I always found it odd that there was a camp of vintage owners who would always consider the tone of my instruments short of the mark because of their age. It was refreshing to see such an unbiased and hype-free review. No doubt there can be inherent quality traits from certain eras but generally, great guitars are where you find them. Very refreshing to see a vintage owner who can still say that. Cheers!
Pickups are a real trip. I've got a 1967 335 that had one antiquity in the neck and some kind of crazy SD Jeff Beck PU in the bridge with an insane output of around 16k (but didn't sound anywhere near that loud or hot - and there was nothing wrong with it). The guitar sounded absolutely phenomenal, especially in the middle position, but nevertheless, I was still wanting an early patent number set for it. I finally found the set, put them in and... the magic was gone. I was absolutely floored. I could not imagine how these two, great condition, early-60s humbuckers didn't improve the sound of the guitar. It sounded GOOD, but that *magic* was gone. So I put the Antiquity and that strange 16k Jeff Beck bridge back in an again, it's back to sounding like perhaps the best electric guitar I've ever held in my hands. I also ended up with a previously converted 1952 (to 1957) Les Paul, and finding an original set of PAFs was the final piece of the puzzle to get this this as close to an old standard as possible. It had (again) Antiquities in it, and sounded great but of course I was expecting the thing to come alive once these original PAFs were in - so you can imagine how utterly stunned I was to hear essentially zero difference in tone. The pickups greatly increase the value of the guitar, so there was no reason to take them back out, but it was hard not feeling like I'd just wasted $5k. Ultimately it showed me just how important wood is to the tone (and how great Seymour Duncan Antiquities are).
I can’t express with words what I feel when I listen every single pickup(including that non original 70’s single coil)! I think you don’t need to worry about that! The guitar sounds incredible! I have a Highway one that came with bridge Humbucker and the previous owner change for other fender single that i can’t identify(if you could help to discover it would be great)! And i have to tell that my guitar was refinish in fiesta red nitro, but the painter made a mess with paint including the neck pocket and with a short period of the time fiesta starts to look pink! I sent the guitar to a luthier to paint 3 color sunburst thin nitro, and i’m gonna enjoy my first fender strat forever! At least until to find my 59(that’s the one I love) in Auction(your English it’s too fast and i can’t understand where and how much you pay for this beauty, i’m from Brasil 🇧🇷 ) anyway, I think it was a bargain! Congrats for your Guitar🎸 ! It’s Awesome! Thanks for the long text! How our American friend say in the other side of Atlantic: Peace ✌🏻
Awesome story and a nice looking quirky , holy grail guitar. I have one suggestion , the patched switch holes if they ever bother you, Id cover up with a number 46 raffle ticket.
You have a very interesting , right hand picking technique, in the way some of you picking fingers attack the strings. Although it is a common style, your fingers have a slightly different attack then the average pick and finger player uses.
Great guitar! I enjoyed the whole process of restoration. It doesn't matter what are the pick ups, you have your own distinctive sound. I bet you can make any beater sound as good. Cheers mate!
Sounds and looks great! I have an original 64 stratocaster. Haven't found any modern strat that sounds as good. It has a "deeper", rounder tone. The modern strats sounds thinner. Especially the mid position is much more rounded in comparison. And that is without losing the treble. Which also makes the in between sounds better.
Just found your channel, Chris. This was a fun one, eh? I would trust your luthier with my woma...well, maybe not with her - but with any of my guitars. Nice auction find, btw. Greetings from the USA!
Fantastic restoration. I think it looks and sounds terrific. As I said in the Instagram reveal I personally like the x1 in the context of it driving more. That would suit my style too. I love you left it unfinished I actually like the look, it's a true honest relic. Funny note as I watched this the postman arrived with some £6 tuners for a child's classical which isn't worth restoring but I've made the badger's arse fingerboard smoother and fixed the hole in the side. I just hate to see any guitar die if it may breath again. That is the best at the end of the day you have a Strat you connect with I can't wait to hear you write, record and gig with it.
I was fortunate enough to play a '63 once, and - like I try all guitars - did that unplugged. I'll admit it felt amazing, and it resonated beautifully. There was no way I could afford it though, nor would I want to spend so much. And honestly - I have some late 70s / early 80s Japanese guitars and basses (Aria Pro-IIs), and they absolutely hold their own against that '63 Strat and other vintage American instruments with regards to that acoustic resonance and playability. And I can take them on the road too, as they didn't cost me half a mortgage. They are *worth* it though :)
Fabulous sounding Strat and a wonderful job by Huw on the restoration. Personally those patches in the pick guard would drive me mad (I’d put a period replica on until I could get the colours matched), but it’s going to be a working guitar so in the end it doesn’t matter. Goodness knows what it’s worth now!
rustisamust I know what you mean, but I see them as scars on the face of a boxer.... every mark on that guitar tells the story of a hard life, well lived. I think the restoration treads a beautiful fine line and succeeds in retaining the story, history and vibe. I know Chris Buck has mentioned they discussed replacing it with a period replica, but - for better or worse - that pickguard belongs to that guitar. It’s a conundrum, I admit...
Love the tone, playing style and entire vibe of Chris Buck. I am glad that great instrument found him. On the other hand, what is going on with Chris"s hair???????
Glad to see it being played. I don't think it sounds better or worse than your Highway 1, just different. They would sound great panned hard left and right in a stereo mix. Excellent playing and nice video.
Fascinating analysis Chris. An excellent players view. Yes there’s a width/stereo sonic advantage there....but in the game of “electric” guitars and amplification I don’t think it’s sufficient to outweigh the playability advantages of modern instruments. Interested to see how your taste and use of various guitars grows over time
That guitar sound SO damn good. I just bought a 62 reissue. A cheap Japanese ASSWOOD ceramic pickup fuckin juggernaut of a strat.. best strat I've ever played to be honest and I bought it based on that without actually knowing what the damn thing was made of but it plays and sounds like a dream.
John frusciante 62strat has Seymore Duncan Antiquity surf pick ups in it . These retail at about 300 pounds, so its the age of the wood that makes these strats sound great. I have a 78 strat with original pups and the resonance and acoustic sound is amazing . Its all down to the age of the wood.
Dai from from the Rhondda here Chris wanna buy a 1962 Shaftsbury amp in immaculate condition to go with your strat. Single ended, Mullard and brimar valves, vale rectifier, Goodmans alnico 10 inch speaker. Bought it off an old man who had it under his organ, it looks like new £300 baps and its yours. Big fan mate, all the best Dai from the Rhondda.
Hey guys! First of all the licks are killer! Great tone as well! I need to know what rig are you playing in this clip? I have to have that sound! Sounds very Fender blackface but I can quite put my finger on the drive you are using. Help a brother out, please!
I think it's largely in the pickups. I had some SD APS1s - alnico 2, & 6.1k resistance in a strat and they sounded very retro. Next time I'd go with Lollars or Fralins and again look for low magnetic poles like A2s or A3s and light winding around 5k. The trouble with old guitars is that non-playing collectors have made them all so damn expensive - but old guitars have such random specs in the pickups and of course over time the magnets have weakened - Amber pickups get deeply into all that stuff if you want to look them up..
Wow, that IS resonant as hell. I can hear a bit more of that wonderful middy fullness in the 62, but I'd probably prefer the larger board radius of the later guitar. 5.5 lbs is REMARKABLE for a Strat. Doesn't even seem possible. That would make the body around 3lbs. The lightest ones coming out of the FCS these days are 7 to 7.5lbs, and FCS bought up all the light swamp ash on the market, so most NON FCS Strats (alder or ash) now weigh about 8lbs. But yeah, the wood was probably lighter back in the day, and 60 years of drying and seasoning. I have a 54 LP with a honduran mahogany body and a Brazilian rosewood board, and it's the same deal. Resonance for DAYs. It has a little something more going on sonically than an excellent 2014 GCS LP I also own. The vintage guitar sounds better, but maybe only 5% better. The rest of it is mojo. But mojo counts.
Maybe I've swallowed the Koolaid but at the end, honestly, the difference between the 2 guitars was night and day. The 62 was, to my ears, so much richer and nicer.
I have 2 sixty replicas I also have eric clapton signature and I find there is so much difference in both the sound and the way they play. It seeems to me that sometime my music is defined by the guitar I am playing at the moment. Same with my gibsons. I seeem to need all of them for the sound to right for the song that playing. My SRV seems to flow with nasty Warm tone that give me that SRV style along with that gritty feel of the neck, But yet I try to go into the johnny Lang or little feet and I struggle. Same when i write the guitar seems to decide where we go musically. I would like to tell you . that in 1967 I was 11 yrs old and my dad bought me a red fender strat. it was old and used them. was stolen from me in 1970. Wish I had it now.
Very informative and interesting vid. As have The Tone Twins restoration vids. It's great to hear Chris talk practically and frankly about the 'mysticism' of vintage Strats. The 'sure they're good but not quite THAT good' is something I've tried to say only to be shouted down many times. I'm 'fortunate' enough to own a '63 Strat that got given to me. Its of course worth a lot of money. And it sounds and plays wonderfully. But -and this is the cause of much finger pointing and poo-pooing - its not my fave Strat I own. That's a '92 Strat Plus. But the 'purists' all give me the 'are you mad???' shellshocked glares. I can now confidently point them to this vid so they can hear a true master play and echo my sentiments.
The 62 beat the crap out of the Hwy 1. ...which also sounded great, but not like the 62 which sounded alive and "airy" as you say. It has a lot of headroom, and definition with also softness and warmness, and just right there in the middle. It sounded perfect the 62 did. Your hands do not hurt the situation.
As a long time vintage guy the old wood is important but Who's hands does the guitar land? Think of it this way.Will SRV's strays ever sound the same ? What about Rory or Jimi? Look at it the other way TROWER used large headstock Squires. Nuff said
Cheers for your patience folks. What do you make of it? Worth the wait?! 🎸
There is definitely some mojo in this guitar, and in the hands of a player with the feel you have...it is downright amazing. I’ve heard you pull some amazing tone out of relatively affordable guitars, but the vid with this guitar from Instagram was pure magic. Congrats!
I hope you take this beast to show on that pedal show again. I'm sure Dan and mick would love it!
awesome.
What a character 👏👏
Definitely worth the wait! It looks great and sounds fantastic! Super happy for you Chris! see you next week!
A "holy grail" guitar deserves to be in the hands of players like you, rather than in collections, in my opinion.
Excellent axe!
Definitely agree, rich collector's, no matter what hobby, are a problem...at least when somebody like Joe Bonamassa or some rich rockstar buys a guitar it's actually going to be played and loved.
Gilmour begs to differ. He flogged his Black Strat to be forever kept in a safe. Buried, basically. ⚰️🤔
@@Phoenix_cataclysm_in_2040 He didnt want that but it was an auction for charity he didnt get to decide who bought it
exactly guitars need to be played not put behind glass and shown off... the prices for guitars r ridiculous. I just wanna play the damn things and have fun I'm lefty so it's already a nightmare to find great guitars in the wild. gotta always buy online. but I'd love to own a 64' fender strat id never sell it hell a collector could have it after I was done playing it for a while... IDC about the money I just wanna play these amazing vintage strats.
@@sacredgeometry
Gilmour is worth hundreds of millions, he didn't need to sell his black Strat. Having said that - even if he didn't sell it - that Strat becomes useless when he dies. The best place for it would have been in a music museum of sorts, for people to see it and get inspired.
Man smokin playing and just a great video 10/10 Subscribed.
Ah, thank you Robert! I love your videos man ☺️
I smell a collab...
@@jakemguitarist That would be great!
chris your playing is just something else man, every time i'm amazed again
Holy lord. I just clicked on the vid Bc it was talking about a ‘62 strat. Didn’t expect that level of craftsmanship. Wow.
Chris I'm new to playing the guitar. In fact i picked it up only when the pandemic hit. But i just wanna say I've lost count of how many times I've watched this solo and you've really inspired me to push hard and improve! Just unbelievable playing and that Strat sounds like it was destined to be in your hands.
This was a long wait, but well worth it. So nice to see and hear how it came out. A lot of other folks have expressed similarly, but that such a "holy grail" guitar is in the hands of as supremely capable player as yourself is truly just deserts.
It’s actually a miracle that they sound as good as they do.
Unbelievable job Chris, enjoy.
That opening jam tone is...wow. Of course, most of that is down to your playing, which is fecking fantastic. You've got a new fan, man. :)
5 months... and this Strat looks and sounds like it should in the hands of a master player! Chris, fantastic job on that axe. I hope that when you come and visit us in Lyon, France in Star’s Music, you’ll take it with you. See you around!
It’s great that this guitar has landed in the hands of someone who can really play and get some proper use and mileage out of it
i think that first jam was the best i've ever heard you sound! so i'd say yeah its worth the hype
Wonderful. I’ve loved following this guitar on the Tone Twins channel. Hugh nailed it and you now have a beautiful vintage strat fit for the stage. Enjoy it my friend.
You and that Strat were meant to get together, I reckon. Great work all round, from Huw and yourself. I wish you many years of musical bliss.
brother i just found you and i am so blown away by your style and your tone and just your GOD given talent.i am really mesmerized and i am a new sub/fan.and i will be studying you to see if i can even come close.thanks for what you do...
Wow! It sounds fantastic. It was a lot of work. From here, it was totally worth it. Hope it brings you great joy. You're playing is blazing. Thanks for sharing the whole process. Cheers!
That's a seriously good restore.
Hell yes, that is fantastic sound, some tings are meant to last a lifetime. That sound is for sure.
Glad she's in your hands Buck.
If YOU like playing it, and if YOU think it's worthwhile, who cares what anyone else thinks??! Fantastic playing, by the way.
The pickups of the 62 sound amazing.
Chris your videos are incredible!!
You manage to keep them interesting all the way through
That natural resonance that comes off the necks is the key to the great old guitars dont know how this was achieved but it is what makes the difference
The 62 almost has kind of a dobro sound like a hollow body. I really believe that the wood does make a difference.
Chris Buck, if you ever doubt that having a Friday Fretworks over 10-15 minutes is a bad thing, please think again. Watched every minute of this and I will not be complaining if you come up with another longer video later on. :) If you have something interesting to say/share, people will listen and watch. Classic example of this are the two nerds there in That Pedal Show. 1 hour videos? No problem. Great work here as always.
Wow, quite a process, superb result chaps and very interesting to follow
Awesome playing. Really really outstanding..🤘.
Sounds great man, the comparison with the highway one guitar proves how amazing those guitars are for the money too!!
You should put SRV stickers over the pick guard holes! 😄
...or a Harley Benton sticker 😀😀
That was a fun journey. Thanks for taking us along for the ride. The guitar sounds great.
Personally I feel your playing style really benefits from that strat's resonance and the sweetness, dynamics, openess and 3 dimensional quality of the pickups. Theres something about finger style players expecially that benefit from the sponginess of pre cbs pickups. They really bring your playing alive. If theres a winder that makes them as emotive as the orginals I have not found one yet. Though Fenders now retired Abigail Ybarra came close! BTW Great move getting the pre CBS in the neck and the 70s in the bridge!
Thank you for taking the time and effort to document this whole process and your thoughts along the way. IIt's been incredibly enjoyable. Your eleoquence of the spoken word is only exceeded by your musical eloquence. I'm sure this instrument will provide you a lifetime of joy, both in the music you play on it and the conversations you have because of it. Cheers.
Excellent video Chris. Absolutely love your playing - great technique and feel. I love Les Pauls but more of a Stratocaster guy myself. This video reminds me of my 30th birthday back in the early 90’s. My wife wanted to buy me a Fender Stratocaster and the choice came down to either an American Stratocaster Plus or a ‘62 re-issue with a dark rosewood finger board and tomato soup finish on the body (looked very similar to yours). It was a tough decision, but ended up going with the Plus (with the Lace Sensors). After watching this, I kinda wish I went with the ‘62 re-issue.
Damn thing sounds incredible! Cheers!
Congrats from somebody who has been more and more fed up with guitar music. Your playing at the beginning is not only original and universal at the same time- I can hear eastern Anatolian 'Uzunhava ' in it, but it includes sounds that justify electric guitar as a musical instrument Enjoy the 62. Hope to hear it live in your hands in İstanbul in not too distant future :)))
I have a set of David Allen Tru 62s on my strat and they also have that sweet spot like the Fenders. They are a really good boutique set. Thanks for the video. I needed something for comparison. I also love your exceptional attack on the guitar.
I love the patched pick guard. In 20+ years people will be making replicas, like greenie or srv. But mainly due to your playing 😁
Already do.
That bridge pickup has a nice snarl.
That guitar sounds great Chris. Well done!
Fantastic, Chris. Thanks for taking the time to assemble this video. It's been really interesting. BTW, your garage is disturbingly clean.
Haha! It's not my garage unfortunately. That's so why it's so tidy! 😂
In your final comparison I notice the whole body resonance you mention in the '62. It's like a body rattle that just works. Beautiful. The Highway 1 sounds as good, but is missing that little ghost in the machine ... gives it that SRV magic. Great video. Great guitar. Great player.
You have the patience of a saint. I think I would have been in the parking lot stringing it up in a manic state like a crackhead. Id have to know right away! Lol
I'm enjoying your channel. I like your refreshing attitude to the whole thing. Your playing is, it goes without saying, amazing. Great stuff!
The guitar is stunning and your playing is simply exquisite! Nice job.
I owned a 62 Sunburst finish rosewood fretboard Strat with the old 3 way pickup selector switch that I picked up in a trade for a 1932 Gibson mandolin I traded in at Dave Ferretta's store in Denver CO back in 77. In that trade I also received a Gibson 56 Les Paul Jr., a 50's Gibson ES 125, and a 70's Gibson Southern Jumbo acoustic guitar. I had purchased the mandolin a few years before that for a $100 from an elderly woman near Paradise Michigan who's husband had owned it but he had passed away and she had decided to part ways with it. I liked the 62 Strat and it was nice, but I sold all of those guitars in 1980 to help to finance a move from CO to southern WV. In around 86 I purchased vintage style 62 Strat replacement parts from Saga Musical Instruments and rebuilt my missing 62 but chose an Ash body and a neck with the maple fingerboard which I had found more to my liking. I went with a non vintage pickup set which I eventually replaced with Rumplestiltskin Experience vintage pole staggered pick up set in 2005. I feel like the rebuilt plays and sounds better. I believe that the original 62 had an Alder body. Currently I own 3 Strats of which 2 are SX Hawk VTG series made in China guitars. They all sound great but somewhat different. The old 62 Strat was a nice guitar, but is it worth the hype. No in my opinion. One can build or purchase a new guitar and with the right pickups get that sound that one desires. My ears tell me that your Highway Strat pickups have a slightly fatter sound than the 62 , but it's all good since your playing is great. I do wonder what amp or effects you are playing with on out past the guitars though. Don't believe that it was mentioned, but I skipped around a little when watching it.
Man that sounds awesome!!!!!!!!
I love your practicality. Also enjoyed your discussions with the luthier/restorer. Such great tone from a body covered with enamel (?). The tone goes deep with this baby. What a fantastic find.
Superb playing! That’s soloing with heart.
My goodness Chris is an awesome player!
Really well done review! Often times these guitars are almost deified to an extent.
I have been fortunate enough to have acquired used, a very nice newer American Strat and a custom shop Gibson ES 335. These were big purchases relatively for me and sonically the best I’ve owned to date.
I always found it odd that there was a camp of vintage owners who would always consider the tone of my instruments short of the mark because of their age.
It was refreshing to see such an unbiased and hype-free review. No doubt there can be inherent quality traits from certain eras but generally, great guitars are where you find them. Very refreshing to see a vintage owner who can still say that.
Cheers!
Fantastic episode. Man, I loved all of this.
Enjoy the guitar. It's in good hands.
Pickups are a real trip.
I've got a 1967 335 that had one antiquity in the neck and some kind of crazy SD Jeff Beck PU in the bridge with an insane output of around 16k (but didn't sound anywhere near that loud or hot - and there was nothing wrong with it).
The guitar sounded absolutely phenomenal, especially in the middle position, but nevertheless, I was still wanting an early patent number set for it.
I finally found the set, put them in and... the magic was gone. I was absolutely floored. I could not imagine how these two, great condition, early-60s humbuckers didn't improve the sound of the guitar. It sounded GOOD, but that *magic* was gone.
So I put the Antiquity and that strange 16k Jeff Beck bridge back in an again, it's back to sounding like perhaps the best electric guitar I've ever held in my hands.
I also ended up with a previously converted 1952 (to 1957) Les Paul, and finding an original set of PAFs was the final piece of the puzzle to get this this as close to an old standard as possible. It had (again) Antiquities in it, and sounded great but of course I was expecting the thing to come alive once these original PAFs were in - so you can imagine how utterly stunned I was to hear essentially zero difference in tone.
The pickups greatly increase the value of the guitar, so there was no reason to take them back out, but it was hard not feeling like I'd just wasted $5k.
Ultimately it showed me just how important wood is to the tone (and how great Seymour Duncan Antiquities are).
Excellent video. I loved that bridge pickup, mate. But you're right, there is something three-dimensional, round, about those '62 pickups.
I can’t express with words what I feel when I listen every single pickup(including that non original 70’s single coil)! I think you don’t need to worry about that! The guitar sounds incredible! I have a Highway one that came with bridge Humbucker and the previous owner change for other fender single that i can’t identify(if you could help to discover it would be great)! And i have to tell that my guitar was refinish in fiesta red nitro, but the painter made a mess with paint including the neck pocket and with a short period of the time fiesta starts to look pink! I sent the guitar to a luthier to paint 3 color sunburst thin nitro, and i’m gonna enjoy my first fender strat forever! At least until to find my 59(that’s the one I love) in Auction(your English it’s too fast and i can’t understand where and how much you pay for this beauty, i’m from Brasil 🇧🇷 ) anyway, I think it was a bargain! Congrats for your Guitar🎸 ! It’s Awesome! Thanks for the long text! How our American friend say in the other side of Atlantic: Peace ✌🏻
Congrats on this purchase and restoration. Quite smart. And, dude, you can play!
Your playing is always fantastic. Thanks Chris. BTW- 8 seconds into the intro jam I already knew the answer to your question 😆👍
Awesome story and a nice looking quirky , holy grail guitar. I have one suggestion , the patched switch holes if they ever bother you, Id cover up with a number 46 raffle ticket.
Very nice work accomplished, beautiful guitar... 🤟💀🥀🏴☠️
You have a very interesting , right hand picking technique, in the way some of you picking fingers attack the strings. Although it is a common style, your fingers have a slightly different attack then the average pick and finger player uses.
This vid. was right on time. dope shit make me smile when I'm down!
Great guitar! I enjoyed the whole process of restoration. It doesn't matter what are the pick ups, you have your own distinctive sound. I bet you can make any beater sound as good. Cheers mate!
It's beautiful
you rock young dude
Excellent review & thoughts on this.
Good Lord, that 62' smokes!!!!!
My '62, is a glorious thing! Wish I could post a pic...
Sounds and looks great! I have an original 64 stratocaster. Haven't found any modern strat that sounds as good. It has a "deeper", rounder tone. The modern strats sounds thinner. Especially the mid position is much more rounded in comparison. And that is without losing the treble. Which also makes the in between sounds better.
Wood aging and pickups aging even hardware plus original plastics etc must be a factor
The same, I have an early 65’. To be honest most new guitars feel like toys compared, not to say that there aren’t good new guitars made.
@@luapnoguob9828 I think you're right, aging is probably the most important factor.
Just found your channel, Chris. This was a fun one, eh? I would trust your luthier with my woma...well, maybe not with her - but with any of my guitars. Nice auction find, btw. Greetings from the USA!
Those guitars behind him look like 💪 💪 nice
Fantastic restoration. I think it looks and sounds terrific. As I said in the Instagram reveal I personally like the x1 in the context of it driving more. That would suit my style too.
I love you left it unfinished I actually like the look, it's a true honest relic.
Funny note as I watched this the postman arrived with some £6 tuners for a child's classical which isn't worth restoring but I've made the badger's arse fingerboard smoother and fixed the hole in the side. I just hate to see any guitar die if it may breath again.
That is the best at the end of the day you have a Strat you connect with I can't wait to hear you write, record and gig with it.
That opening solo was HOT!!!!
Great Episode.
Great Playing.
Great Restoration.
And a very tidy garage :-)
I have a 502T because of you, but I draw the line well before a 62 Strat. But man, does it sound good!
That guitar deserves the love of a great guitar player
I was fortunate enough to play a '63 once, and - like I try all guitars - did that unplugged.
I'll admit it felt amazing, and it resonated beautifully.
There was no way I could afford it though, nor would I want to spend so much.
And honestly - I have some late 70s / early 80s Japanese guitars and basses (Aria Pro-IIs), and they absolutely hold their own against that '63 Strat and other vintage American instruments with regards to that acoustic resonance and playability.
And I can take them on the road too, as they didn't cost me half a mortgage. They are *worth* it though :)
Absolutely incredible 🤟🏻
That dark Brazilian rosewood board...sorry ...that is special.....
Fabulous sounding Strat and a wonderful job by Huw on the restoration. Personally those patches in the pick guard would drive me mad (I’d put a period replica on until I could get the colours matched), but it’s going to be a working guitar so in the end it doesn’t matter. Goodness knows what it’s worth now!
rustisamust I know what you mean, but I see them as scars on the face of a boxer.... every mark on that guitar tells the story of a hard life, well lived. I think the restoration treads a beautiful fine line and succeeds in retaining the story, history and vibe. I know Chris Buck has mentioned they discussed replacing it with a period replica, but - for better or worse - that pickguard belongs to that guitar. It’s a conundrum, I admit...
Love the tone, playing style and entire vibe of Chris Buck. I am glad that great instrument found him. On the other hand, what is going on with
Chris"s hair???????
Glad to see it being played. I don't think it sounds better or worse than your Highway 1, just different. They would sound great panned hard left and right in a stereo mix. Excellent playing and nice video.
Fascinating analysis Chris. An excellent players view. Yes there’s a width/stereo sonic advantage there....but in the game of “electric” guitars and amplification I don’t think it’s sufficient to outweigh the playability advantages of modern instruments. Interested to see how your taste and use of various guitars grows over time
Great Video
That guitar sound SO damn good. I just bought a 62 reissue. A cheap Japanese ASSWOOD ceramic pickup fuckin juggernaut of a strat.. best strat I've ever played to be honest and I bought it based on that without actually knowing what the damn thing was made of but it plays and sounds like a dream.
Wondering how close it actually is to the real thing.
Hey mate, hope you’re all well! I was the guy bidding against you for it ;) glad you’ve done it justice, keep killing it :)
John frusciante 62strat has Seymore Duncan Antiquity surf pick ups in it . These retail at about 300 pounds, so its the age of the wood that makes these strats sound great. I have a 78 strat with original pups and the resonance and acoustic sound is amazing . Its all down to the age of the wood.
Dai from from the Rhondda here Chris wanna buy a 1962 Shaftsbury amp in immaculate condition to go with your strat. Single ended, Mullard and brimar valves, vale rectifier, Goodmans alnico 10 inch speaker. Bought it off an old man who had it under his organ, it looks like new £300 baps and its yours. Big fan mate, all the best Dai from the Rhondda.
Amazing
Hey guys! First of all the licks are killer! Great tone as well! I need to know what rig are you playing in this clip? I have to have that sound! Sounds very Fender blackface but I can quite put my finger on the drive you are using. Help a brother out, please!
I think it's largely in the pickups. I had some SD APS1s - alnico 2, & 6.1k resistance in a strat and they sounded very retro. Next time I'd go with Lollars or Fralins and again look for low magnetic poles like A2s or A3s and light winding around 5k. The trouble with old guitars is that non-playing collectors have made them all so damn expensive - but old guitars have such random specs in the pickups and of course over time the magnets have weakened - Amber pickups get deeply into all that stuff if you want to look them up..
Wow, that IS resonant as hell. I can hear a bit more of that wonderful middy fullness in the 62, but I'd probably prefer the larger board radius of the later guitar. 5.5 lbs is REMARKABLE for a Strat. Doesn't even seem possible. That would make the body around 3lbs. The lightest ones coming out of the FCS these days are 7 to 7.5lbs, and FCS bought up all the light swamp ash on the market, so most NON FCS Strats (alder or ash) now weigh about 8lbs.
But yeah, the wood was probably lighter back in the day, and 60 years of drying and seasoning. I have a 54 LP with a honduran mahogany body and a Brazilian rosewood board, and it's the same deal. Resonance for DAYs. It has a little something more going on sonically than an excellent 2014 GCS LP I also own. The vintage guitar sounds better, but maybe only 5% better. The rest of it is mojo. But mojo counts.
Maybe I've swallowed the Koolaid but at the end, honestly, the difference between the 2 guitars was night and day. The 62 was, to my ears, so much richer and nicer.
I have 2 sixty replicas I also have eric clapton signature and I find there is so much difference in both the sound and the way they play. It seeems to me that sometime my music is defined by the guitar I am playing at the moment. Same with my gibsons. I seeem to need all of them for the sound to right for the song that playing. My SRV seems to flow with nasty Warm tone that give me that SRV style along with that gritty feel of the neck, But yet I try to go into the johnny Lang or little feet and I struggle. Same when i write the guitar seems to decide where we go musically. I would like to tell you . that in 1967 I was 11 yrs old and my dad bought me a red fender strat. it was old and used them. was stolen from me in 1970. Wish I had it now.
Not just a great player but a very eloquent young man.
Very informative and interesting vid. As have The Tone Twins restoration vids. It's great to hear Chris talk practically and frankly about the 'mysticism' of vintage Strats. The 'sure they're good but not quite THAT good' is something I've tried to say only to be shouted down many times. I'm 'fortunate' enough to own a '63 Strat that got given to me. Its of course worth a lot of money. And it sounds and plays wonderfully. But -and this is the cause of much finger pointing and poo-pooing - its not my fave Strat I own. That's a '92 Strat Plus. But the 'purists' all give me the 'are you mad???' shellshocked glares. I can now confidently point them to this vid so they can hear a true master play and echo my sentiments.
Strat is bound to sound more resonant without pickups in it as it now has 3 sound holes.
Yep.. 30:17 = Mojo
The 62 beat the crap out of the Hwy 1. ...which also sounded great, but not like the 62 which sounded alive and "airy" as you say. It has a lot of headroom, and definition with also softness and warmness, and just right there in the middle. It sounded perfect the 62 did. Your hands do not hurt the situation.
This is like when a great sword falls in the hands of an adept swordsman.
As a long time vintage guy the old wood is important but
Who's hands does the guitar land? Think of it this way.Will SRV's strays ever sound the same ? What about Rory or Jimi? Look at it the other way TROWER used large headstock Squires. Nuff said