The 55 he’s holding has almost the same wear and cracking to the pickups that Buddy Holly had on his first Strat! Always wondered what happened to the ones that were stolen on tour, always wondering one day those will turn up. Imagine having a Holly played Strat!
Thanks very much for Watching & for your Comment. We have over 30+ new/upcoming episodes in our new Season 3 with George - so, Stay Tuned! Lastly, please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already and thanks again, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Coolest guitars ever made , I'm still hopeful I will be able to afford one some day, or I may go for a light relic custom shop strat, what's your opinion on cs light relics? I primary want one for the lovely nitro thin skin finish. The though of a guitar aging with the amount I play is very seductive...
Very Well Said & Absolutely True. If you Google "Gruhn Vintage Guitar Guide" you will find that all of George's knowledge is contained in this "price guide" that he WROTE & authored for the entire industry! He is a "walking encyclopedia of guitars & other stringed instruments" and our Show has only begun to showcase his extensive knowledge of these fine & rare guitars - so, make sure to Subscribe & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
i agree, but i think it is more than just his "knowledge" of guitars- there is something about the way he speaks- it is like those rainstorm videos, just relaxing
The musician network: I understand that there are tons of vintage guitar lovers, i am one of them but i guess in the end it is about the music you can produce with thoses instruments. That is just my opinion. A great guitar player can play on virtually anything.
+Matthew Scott Thanks very much for Watching & for Your Comment. Our goal with George's Show was to showcase his incredible knowledge of these fine, vintage instruments - first & foremost. A "play-test" is absolutely understandable but - again - it's kind of a different "animal" (production-wise) than a documentary-style show, which was our goal. We understand why everyone on UA-cam doesn't really understand that & it's fine. We are guitar players, as well, so please know....."We Get It." However, George is a wonderful person & his knowledge is one-of-a-kind, as well - thus, our focus on George, as your Host. Thanks again for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
I know this is only based two examples , but I was looking to buy my last ever strat- having owned and then sold many over the years. I looked at a two genuine vintage maple strats which I found for sale in London, but the prices were simply ridiculous. To be honest , I was underwhelmed by both guitars. Both sounded sweet, although the older one's pups were a bit unbalanced in volume. The necks were ok for chords , but not brilliant for lead runs, one was difficult to keep in tune as the neck seemed a little unstable, and on the other, the high E was so close on the edge of the fretboard that it kept slipping off even under mild pressure !! in the end I went for the eric Johnson strat at £1600, saved a fortune and got a guitar that sounds better, plays like a dream come true, is built to very tight tolerances, and is only a tiny fraction of the cost to insure, with no fears of taking it to gigs.....a no brainer I think.....There ARE great vintage guitars out there for millionaires, but many vintage axes are pretty crap....yet people seem to assume the mantra that all vintage is good, and that of course is bullshit. Fender did not have anything like reliable quality control through the 50's or 60's, and many guitars from that era are bloody awful....though a select few are fantastic.................if you can afford the bloated prices.
Notice the wear on the later maple neck is not like the "reliced" stuff we see. I've never seen such harsh wear marks on really older strats and can't understand why the Custom shops do it.
Thanks very much, Martin. Many more episodes are on tap for 2016-17 release - so, Stay Tuned & Please Make Sure to Subscribe if you haven't already so you're notified by UA-cam upon release! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Thomas Tommy Hello again Tommy, Nashville, TN. George's store in Nashville is ***Iconic*** & You Can See it by visiting his website at www.Guitars.com! He even does "Visitor Tours" for a minimal fee.....You should make a trip, there....if you can! Tell George how much you enjoyed The Show and that Russ sent you! Sincerely & Stay Tuned, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
forgot to mention that from 54-56 they changed from the short skirt knobs with no prongs inside to a more tapered knob with 3 prongs ;) im just kidding. although thats true, This was a nice detailed video. I appreciate it
I would respectfully disagree about 2 adjacent pickups being out of phase at least electronically. My 1963 Strat has all pickups wired the same with magnets the same polarity. For awhile I had a switch on my bridge pickup to switch the black and white wires for out of phase which canceled out some of the tone for a thinner sound.
I really appreciate the information in these videos, that's why i continue to watch/listen. But honestly, the fact that George speaks so incredibly quiet with the vocal fry effect makes it hard to follow without falling asleep.... I mean no malice, just a note that maybe a little more enthusiasm or emotion behind the words would make these videos a lot better :)
We are responding directly to you, out of sincere appreciation for your viewership. Please make sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already, as we would appreciate it, as well. In this particular clip, it was shot very late in the day (after shooting probably 20+ other instruments, that day) and George was tired & understandable so. In addition, George's demeanor and manner of speaking is "actually George", in most cases. He is a "walking encyclopedia" of more knowledge about these incredibly fine vintage instruments than more people could ever hope to remember, themselves, about them! Lastly, also, we apologize for the lower audio volume in certain episodes as we experienced a very strange/weird interference ("noise") from George's cellphone & his wireless lapel mic transmitter. It was not evident, during shooting, and we have processed the audio (to remove it) - as much as possible. Thanks again for Watching, for Being a Subscriber.....Stay Tuned & Hope That Helps! Sincerely, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Wow... that's a hell of a response haha. I understand that is George's style and that he was recording a lot that day, i think the text form of communication on the internet lends itself to a negative undertone.... but i definitely do not mean it that way. Just meant that George seems to know an insane amount and I love hearing about the history of all the guitars etc. but yeah he sounded tired. Not a "real complaint" just a note on how to draw in viewers who are not as excited about the info as Guitar Nerds (like me) are. Prob shouldnt have said anything honestly, i understand he's human and get tired hahaha thanks for the reply anyway tho. George is a treasure im coming to find in the guitar knowledge world!
Strat truly is a incredibly designed guitar. But the reason why vintage spec is still popular today is not because they are superior than modern super Strats. Some of the original features, such as neck radius, fret size and string tree (just name a few), are bad for either playability or stability of the instrument. The guitar community is very strange-we hate changes, so much so that the entire guitar industry gets hindered on making better instruments.
Very True, Indeed. And, isn't it amazing that Leo (Fender) pretty much "nailed it" with his original design specs from the 1st Strat model because the modern-day instruments are nearly the SAME as they were more than 50+ years ago! Thanks for Watching, for Your Comment, Please Make Sure to Subscribe & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
+David Allen David, it sure does....when George brought this particular guitar, on set, for us to film it...that's exactly what we thought. Thanks very much for Watching & for Your Comment. Please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Just to be fair, electronics and guitars are very different and cannot be compared in a way he did. Also the part of the fact is that irrationality played some role in people wanting old guitars. That's one of big reasons Fender and Gibson designs have not changed much. More than a dozen design flaws-big or small-can be found. People just love them.
+Mike Irourkes Hello Mike, Thanks for Watching & for Your Comment. The reason the '57 Strat isn't covered, in this episode, is George did not have one - in stock - so he could describe it, on camera. We try extremely hard, in our work together on this Show Series, to be VERY exact in making sure the instruments covered are physically available, at George's store in Nashville, so they can appear - on camera. That's the reason & hope you can understand. Thanks again for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
diego bernardo Hello Diego, Thank you for your Question. Our Goal with the Gruhn Show was to focus on the historical, features & benefits of the instrument, themselves. That's why. George is a very good guitar player, in his own right (please watch several other episodes to see this) but we wanted to focus on his world renowned knowledge of the instrument's themselves. That's your answer & hope you understand. Thanks for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Hello Gentlemen, you are correct. On truly vintage guitars, if you are concerned about retaining & appreciating their monetary value (most care, some don't) you need to NOT modify them & keep them all-original. If you are only concerned about a vintage instrument being "a player" then mod away but be prepared to (possibly) "feel bad" about the changes you've made - 15-20 x years down the road! Thanks for Watching, for Commenting & Stay Tuned! Lastly, please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & again - Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Yes, actually two are "residents" of the 2nd level (ultra-vintage instruments) at Gruhn's in Nashville. We had to immortalize them in this video to honor them! Thanks for Watching, for Commenting & Please Make Sure to Subscribe if you haven't already and Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
In the $15k-$25k range. Thanks Very Much for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Its a guitar man!!!!!! its a guitar! let it be what it is supposed to be without intellectualizing every single detail of the pick guard and the fucking knobsss ect........,.,
Hey Mike, thanks for watching & for your comment.....but, that's what George does and what the Show is about....the features (no matter how miniscule), benefits and history of these fine vintage guitars. Hope you like it and again, thanks for watching! Sincerely & Stay Tuned, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
If you owned a vintage strat from the 50's in mint condition, you could sell it and buy a BMW. Still think it's just a guitar? Every detail on a vintage guitar can affect its value. That's why Mr. Gruhn goes into such detail. He is also perhaps the world's leading expert on the history of the Stratocaster.
I had a 59 strat through out the 60s. Best playing guitar Ive ever had. But you know what they say, A fool and his 59 strat soon part company.
It must truly be wonderful to play and own those old girls, I could never afford one these days, but I wonderful thing to see them being played
George good job for the history on fender guitars thanks God Bless
The 55 he’s holding has almost the same wear and cracking to the pickups that Buddy Holly had on his first Strat! Always wondered what happened to the ones that were stolen on tour, always wondering one day those will turn up. Imagine having a Holly played Strat!
The Behram Shah of guitars. Could listen to him for hours. Great upload. Thank you.
I love this guy. He really cares about guitars
Love these videos. I'm completely obsessed with 50s and 60s gear! keep em coming.
Thanks very much for Watching & for your Comment. We have over 30+ new/upcoming episodes in our new Season 3 with George - so, Stay Tuned! Lastly, please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already and thanks again, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Coolest guitars ever made , I'm still hopeful I will be able to afford one some day, or I may go for a light relic custom shop strat, what's your opinion on cs light relics? I primary want one for the lovely nitro thin skin finish. The though of a guitar aging with the amount I play is very seductive...
I could listen to George all day long....he is like the Aristotle of guitars
Very Well Said & Absolutely True. If you Google "Gruhn Vintage Guitar Guide" you will find that all of George's knowledge is contained in this "price guide" that he WROTE & authored for the entire industry! He is a "walking encyclopedia of guitars & other stringed instruments" and our Show has only begun to showcase his extensive knowledge of these fine & rare guitars - so, make sure to Subscribe & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
i agree, but i think it is more than just his "knowledge" of guitars- there is something about the way he speaks- it is like those rainstorm videos, just relaxing
Brilliant...love George's voice too
Rocking it out with his socks and sandals.
The musician network: I understand that there are tons of vintage guitar lovers, i am one of them but i guess in the end it is about the music you can produce with thoses instruments. That is just my opinion. A great guitar player can play on virtually anything.
getting these guitars out is great. George should have someone plug them in. maybe even take one apart and describe the details.
+Matthew Scott Thanks very much for Watching & for Your Comment. Our goal with George's Show was to showcase his incredible knowledge of these fine, vintage instruments - first & foremost. A "play-test" is absolutely understandable but - again - it's kind of a different "animal" (production-wise) than a documentary-style show, which was our goal. We understand why everyone on UA-cam doesn't really understand that & it's fine. We are guitar players, as well, so please know....."We Get It." However, George is a wonderful person & his knowledge is one-of-a-kind, as well - thus, our focus on George, as your Host. Thanks again for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
+THE MUSICIAN NETWORK (TMNtv) thanks for the reply!!
Just got a fender 60s stratocaster today and very excited!
Thanks George 😃
There's a cat walking around in the store. I hope that's not what he feeds to his snakes!
Just kidding! This guy is a legend!
hi I really like those three Fender Strats
Great Video thank you George:)
I know this is only based two examples , but I was looking to buy my last ever strat- having owned and then sold many over the years. I looked at a two genuine vintage maple strats which I found for sale in London, but the prices were simply ridiculous. To be honest , I was underwhelmed by both guitars. Both sounded sweet, although the older one's pups were a bit unbalanced in volume. The necks were ok for chords , but not brilliant for lead runs, one was difficult to keep in tune as the neck seemed a little unstable, and on the other, the high E was so close on the edge of the fretboard that it kept slipping off even under mild pressure !! in the end I went for the eric Johnson strat at £1600, saved a fortune and got a guitar that sounds better, plays like a dream come true, is built to very tight tolerances, and is only a tiny fraction of the cost to insure, with no fears of taking it to gigs.....a no brainer I think.....There ARE great vintage guitars out there for millionaires, but many vintage axes are pretty crap....yet people seem to assume the mantra that all vintage is good, and that of course is bullshit. Fender did not have anything like reliable quality control through the 50's or 60's, and many guitars from that era are bloody awful....though a select few are fantastic.................if you can afford the bloated prices.
Love that two tone sunburst!
long live the fender strat.....best guitar ever made
Amazing amount of knowledge - a lifetime of dedication - George seems tired here - I hope he's in good health.
He always sounds like that!
George sounded like that in 1970
luv that '63 w/ lots of real wear / no BS relicing..
Who is playing the beautiful music/guitar starting at 0:23?
Notice the wear on the later maple neck is not like the "reliced" stuff we see. I've never seen such harsh wear marks on really older strats and can't understand why the Custom shops do it.
Great video.
Thanks very much, Martin. Many more episodes are on tap for 2016-17 release - so, Stay Tuned & Please Make Sure to Subscribe if you haven't already so you're notified by UA-cam upon release! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
I too like rosewood fingerboards on my stratocaster, it just feels better.
Awesome video. Where is your store located? Thanks for sharing your video.
Thomas Tommy Hello again Tommy, Nashville, TN. George's store in Nashville is ***Iconic*** & You Can See it by visiting his website at www.Guitars.com! He even does "Visitor Tours" for a minimal fee.....You should make a trip, there....if you can! Tell George how much you enjoyed The Show and that Russ sent you! Sincerely & Stay Tuned, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
there's a little buddy! 5:55 to 6:07
Yep. Had to be "in there". Thanks for Watching & for Noticing! Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
My cat loves my Strat!
forgot to mention that from 54-56 they changed from the short skirt knobs with no prongs inside to a more tapered knob with 3 prongs ;) im just kidding. although thats true, This was a nice detailed video. I appreciate it
I'll take all 3 please... I wish
I would respectfully disagree about 2 adjacent pickups being out of phase at least electronically. My 1963 Strat has all pickups wired the same with magnets the same polarity. For awhile I had a switch on my bridge pickup to switch the black and white wires for out of phase which canceled out some of the tone for a thinner sound.
thats why early sleep is more important
Cool video though, it's a good series
Boy, that 63 is younger but beat up to hell. Do you think it has to do with rock becoming more popular in the 60's?
its for people who loves guitars more than music
I love my American Stratocaster.
Didn't bother looking at anything else
thanx
Its funny how bright white the Bakelite is on the original Strats and the aged look of the 60s Strats.
Nice video but please... please turn off the limiter or adjust it so the sound doesn't "pump" so much
sweet
I really appreciate the information in these videos, that's why i continue to watch/listen. But honestly, the fact that George speaks so incredibly quiet with the vocal fry effect makes it hard to follow without falling asleep.... I mean no malice, just a note that maybe a little more enthusiasm or emotion behind the words would make these videos a lot better :)
We are responding directly to you, out of sincere appreciation for your viewership. Please make sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already, as we would appreciate it, as well. In this particular clip, it was shot very late in the day (after shooting probably 20+ other instruments, that day) and George was tired & understandable so. In addition, George's demeanor and manner of speaking is "actually George", in most cases. He is a "walking encyclopedia" of more knowledge about these incredibly fine vintage instruments than more people could ever hope to remember, themselves, about them! Lastly, also, we apologize for the lower audio volume in certain episodes as we experienced a very strange/weird interference ("noise") from George's cellphone & his wireless lapel mic transmitter. It was not evident, during shooting, and we have processed the audio (to remove it) - as much as possible. Thanks again for Watching, for Being a Subscriber.....Stay Tuned & Hope That Helps! Sincerely, Russ Gaines, Founder & CEO, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Wow... that's a hell of a response haha. I understand that is George's style and that he was recording a lot that day, i think the text form of communication on the internet lends itself to a negative undertone.... but i definitely do not mean it that way. Just meant that George seems to know an insane amount and I love hearing about the history of all the guitars etc. but yeah he sounded tired. Not a "real complaint" just a note on how to draw in viewers who are not as excited about the info as Guitar Nerds (like me) are. Prob shouldnt have said anything honestly, i understand he's human and get tired hahaha thanks for the reply anyway tho. George is a treasure im coming to find in the guitar knowledge world!
Strat truly is a incredibly designed guitar. But the reason why vintage spec is still popular today is not because they are superior than modern super Strats. Some of the original features, such as neck radius, fret size and string tree (just name a few), are bad for either playability or stability of the instrument. The guitar community is very strange-we hate changes, so much so that the entire guitar industry gets hindered on making better instruments.
Very True, Indeed. And, isn't it amazing that Leo (Fender) pretty much "nailed it" with his original design specs from the 1st Strat model because the modern-day instruments are nearly the SAME as they were more than 50+ years ago! Thanks for Watching, for Your Comment, Please Make Sure to Subscribe & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
The 55 strat looks exactly like the Buddy Holly tribute strat with the pickup covers partially cracked off
+David Allen David, it sure does....when George brought this particular guitar, on set, for us to film it...that's exactly what we thought. Thanks very much for Watching & for Your Comment. Please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Just to be fair, electronics and guitars are very different and cannot be compared in a way he did. Also the part of the fact is that irrationality played some role in people wanting old guitars. That's one of big reasons Fender and Gibson designs have not changed much. More than a dozen design flaws-big or small-can be found. People just love them.
real old fender!!
Why isnt the fender 1957 mentioned? Is the 57 strat not as valuable or important as the other ones from the 50's???
+Mike Irourkes Hello Mike, Thanks for Watching & for Your Comment. The reason the '57 Strat isn't covered, in this episode, is George did not have one - in stock - so he could describe it, on camera. We try extremely hard, in our work together on this Show Series, to be VERY exact in making sure the instruments covered are physically available, at George's store in Nashville, so they can appear - on camera. That's the reason & hope you can understand. Thanks again for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
NO
👍
why you don t play this beauty?
diego bernardo Hello Diego, Thank you for your Question. Our Goal with the Gruhn Show was to focus on the historical, features & benefits of the instrument, themselves. That's why. George is a very good guitar player, in his own right (please watch several other episodes to see this) but we wanted to focus on his world renowned knowledge of the instrument's themselves. That's your answer & hope you understand. Thanks for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
They said Hark a whole lot back then.
didnt buddly holly end up with the 1958 three tone alder strat and the last guitar he used
Mister Rogers
Intro music?
Что звук-то не показали?
I'd raise the bridge, file down the nut, and take the buzz out the low E
I wouldn't touch anything on these guitars. leave them original.
Hello Gentlemen, you are correct. On truly vintage guitars, if you are concerned about retaining & appreciating their monetary value (most care, some don't) you need to NOT modify them & keep them all-original. If you are only concerned about a vintage instrument being "a player" then mod away but be prepared to (possibly) "feel bad" about the changes you've made - 15-20 x years down the road! Thanks for Watching, for Commenting & Stay Tuned! Lastly, please make sure to Subscribe if you haven't already & again - Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Anyone joking about modifying these should be beaten.
DOES NO ONE GET THE WAYNES WORLD REFERENCE????
Is he speaking in slow motion.
George has a Cat!
Yes, actually two are "residents" of the 2nd level (ultra-vintage instruments) at Gruhn's in Nashville. We had to immortalize them in this video to honor them! Thanks for Watching, for Commenting & Please Make Sure to Subscribe if you haven't already and Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
Anyone need a liver? I'll give mine for the cost of the 63 strat.
ibanez blazer 81 kills every strat
I traded a 58 for an Ibanez road star in 1985
That is very, very hard to accept now, to be sure.....Our Condolences. Sincerely, TMNtv
Sharky The 80's got you, huh?
5:56
I dont like the bright red on the sunburst its too vivid
Сказочник Джордж
That's a fat cat!
Information that everybody allready knows.
Conservative values on these three are?
In the $15k-$25k range. Thanks Very Much for Watching & Please Make Sure to Subscribe, if you haven't already & Stay Tuned! Sincerely, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
the geritol network sorry lol
Its a guitar man!!!!!! its a guitar! let it be what it is supposed to be without intellectualizing every single detail of the pick guard and the fucking knobsss ect........,.,
Hey Mike, thanks for watching & for your comment.....but, that's what George does and what the Show is about....the features (no matter how miniscule), benefits and history of these fine vintage guitars. Hope you like it and again, thanks for watching! Sincerely & Stay Tuned, The Musician Network (TMNtv)
If you owned a vintage strat from the 50's in mint condition, you could sell it and buy a BMW. Still think it's just a guitar? Every detail on a vintage guitar can affect its value. That's why Mr. Gruhn goes into such detail. He is also perhaps the world's leading expert on the history of the Stratocaster.
Very much appreciated.....
shhhh. It's OK
it is not a guitar.. it is a historic relic ... ...
no save cantar vien canta mal
A strat is a strat , I couldn’t care less what year it was made , they all sound the same , Gibson’s on the other hand were better in the 50 s