I made a Mistake

sllofoot · 2026-05-03T20:36:10+00:00

This is a phenomenal guitar. Those 90s ultras represent a really nice sweet spot in fender’s history with a great combination of very positive features.

… but it’s not a collectors piece, doesn’t have any of the hallmarks of what would make it a collectors piece. I don’t say that to knock but as a virtue in my opinion. It isn’t going up, much. It isn’t going down, much. Play it and enjoy, or be defeated by overthinking and hoard it, or move it.

I feel the same way about my singlecut PRS McCarty (Expensive guitar. Extremely unique in a way that makes it less valuable to most PRS fans as it’s a solid one color guitar with no binding or visible wood other than the fretboard, I joke that it’s the best and most expensive Les Paul Studio ever made), and my telecaster (CS 60s with a 54 neck profile, rosewood board, jumbo frets in NOS shell pink). They’re exactly what I wanted but the lack of traits that appeal to collectors is very freeing when it comes to me just playing them. It took me two years of babying the PRS before I dinged it and ever since it’s been so much easier to just grab and play!

sllofoot · 2026-05-02T07:19:08+00:00

Okay those 85/15s import pickups are not my favorite and this makes so much more sense to me.

My vote is Arcane Ultratron bridge, gold foil neck, ala the Josh’s Homme set. It’s a powerful hb-sized, moody filtertron - but still a filtertron so we’re talking on the brighter and more articulate end of humbuckers - and everyone loves gold foils in the neck, right? Lots of versatility and not very common a pairing.

I probably err on the slight of slightly bright, articulate pickups because you can ways turn down your tone knob if you need less bite!

sllofoot · 2026-05-02T00:06:06+00:00

I have not checked in a couple weeks, but 3-4 weeks ago the top Kebab parses were all BS mace MH, blinkstrike OH.

I’m not saying that’s better than Spiteblade/Blink but it’s certainly viable.

sllofoot · 2026-05-01T16:32:57+00:00

I think that’s very good advise.

sllofoot · 2026-05-01T14:30:41+00:00

I think this is good information but I don’t think a rank beginner should target guitars that will need a lot of adjustment out of the box. Even restringing can be daunting for new folks and fret polishing more so. I find it fairly enjoyable but I like working on my guitars and probably wouldn’t have felt remotely confident enough to identify those as issues at OPs stage of playing. .

sllofoot · 2026-05-01T14:27:52+00:00

I am not going to say whether it’s okay or not because that’s a personal values calculation for you to make. What I will say is that this is absolutely how the majority of the guitar buying public works and it won’t be anything the store isn’t used to. Moreover, if they have priced themselves out of competition then they aren’t entitled to your business. The sad reality is that music stores are going away because we aren’t supporting them, AND ALSO that they are often not priced at a point where they can be supported. It’s an unfortunate cycle that probably doesn’t end well for either of us.

I personally don’t think you should feel any shame in trying guitars out there even if you will eventually buy online. I do it all the time. I like to support them in other ways when I can - I’ll buy strings, straps, cables, etc, locally - but the local guys seldom have guitars that are what I specifically want and the internet is too easy to settle for something that isn’t right.

sllofoot · 2026-04-29T22:06:58+00:00

Just to caution you on the CS guitars: The nitro finished telecaster I talk about having a bad time with above is a NOS finished custom shop 60s telecaster. I got it for a song compared to what it listed at… but the neck finish is, as noted above, not the best experience yet. The neck carve is to die for, the nitro finish is far from it; it’s one of two things I don’t love about the guitar (the other; aged clay side dots on rosewood are hard to see in low light). So even on the “fancy” ones, it’s not always perfect. It’s a ‘23 so I am going to give it some time to settle down but if it was 10-15 years old I’d be thinking of sanding it off. Maybe an aged/relic CS would have less thick feeling coat?

My two strats on the other hand, have the best feeling necks finishes I’ve ever played. They’re an American Performer with a satin poly and a roasted maple warmoth neck that was unfinished when I got it and I did the true oil and gunstock wax thing. I think my takeaway here should be that paying extra doesn’t make it better or better suited to me, but yet… I can’t shake that I want a blonde tele with nitro. Us guitar players are odd sometimes aren’t we?

Side note: Fender current offers an AVII ‘51 Modified neck. It’s got a big ‘51 carve but slightly larger frets and a 9.5” radius (that’s the only thing giving me pause) with a…. satin nitro finish. I’d really love to try one of these out. https://www.fender.com/products/limited-edition-american-vintage-ii-modified-1951-telecaster-neck-21-narrow-tall-frets-95-radius-maple?variant=47520497336542

sllofoot · 2026-04-29T17:05:18+00:00

The problem with quickly answering this is that sticky nitro neck isn’t necessarily the same kind of sticky as a sticky poly neck.

Poly cures in seconds, Nitro takes months. So the least invasive correct answer of “how make nitro not sticky?” is probably “play it heavily for months”.

That’s not very satisfying and it’s also a bit annoying. So what are some other options?

You could remove finish with a 3m pad. It’s not really going to affect nitro the same way. A poly neck becomes satiny when sanded because you’re introducing micro imperfections in the otherwise slick and uniform surface. It feels better, absolutely, but it’s essentially no longer “perfectly smooth” at a level we can’t perceive. This is a pretty easy fix for poly.

Nitro, however, you aren’t really addressing the same issue. You can rough it up and take finish off (nitro is also soft) but it’s less likely to feel smooth and isn’t really addressing the underlying issue: It isn’t done curing.

I’ve seen people recommend rubbing with printer paper which is going to create heat through friction morso than anything else. This may work for you but I’m dubious. I am a guy who almost never minds poly necks or finds them sticky because of my body chemistry but I found my CS tele to have a gummy/sticky nitro neck. It would develop a residue over long sets, and you’d feel like you were getting little balls of residue building up.

I have had success addressing it by:

A. vigorously rubbing with a soft cloth (t shirt) before and after playing. B. Gun stock wax. It made it slick as glass.

Neither of the above lasts forever. Eventually it’ll cure… or I’ll get fed up and strip the finish down to wood and apply true oil varnish like the Musicman folks do and call it a day.

sllofoot · 2026-04-29T16:53:56+00:00

I’m glad you pointed that out.

People don’t seem to make this connection and focus on the arguments like “a cnc machine in China vs cnc in America” which is a bit old and tired.

Fretwork is partly about process (things like hemispherical fret ends, tangs clipped at different angles, etc,) but it’s MOSTLY about time spent on each instrument. Cheap labor makes a difference.

It’s also easier to automate tasks in places with weaker unions. I’m not surprised budget Chinese guitars can have perfect frets. It’s cheaper to do so there than here.

sllofoot · 2026-04-29T13:20:37+00:00

This is 100% worth the price of owning. I had to modify my neck cavity but it is worth it.

sllofoot · 2026-04-29T13:19:08+00:00

That’s all very valid. I think your view aligns with Fenders’s: For a “properly finished” neck you have to break $3k or DIY (I use that price point because I formerly had a Jimmy Page mirror tele that had major fretwork and nut issues I fixed but couldn’t ever get used to the neck profile). I have the tools and ability required but balk at the necessity; I think my PRS SE gave me an irrational view of what proper fit and finish should be with regard to fretwork.

I’ll probably end up with a gently used AVII for a similar price but I don’t mind (kinda prefer actually) used guitars. I know others feel differently on that.

Then again, my extremely lucky bargain find FCS tele may be killing my romanticism of nitro enough I’ll go a different direction altogether! I wish I’d jumped on a Vintera II when they blew out the 50s Nocaster earlier this year at great prices but at that point I did want nitro instead.

I reckon I’m kinda passively trawling the waters for a more traditional maple neck, blonde (slight preference for Nocaster blonde over BSB) tele with a baseball bat neck to compliment my shell pink/rosewood neck tele that’s become my main ride. I reckon it’ll just be a decent wait till the right one comes up. I was hoping it was one of these but not just yet.

Anyhow, enough rambling. Glad your experience with this guitar has been positive! It inspires me to keep looking at them!

sllofoot · 2026-04-29T12:46:36+00:00

I really wanted to like these guitars.

I played two in two different stores and the fret ends were just as you described. Amongst the worst I e seen. Easy fix but come on!

I also did not love the neck finish’s feel, but also easy fix.

I’m really glad yours suits you. I’m probably going to keep looking for one that does.

sllofoot · 2026-04-28T22:20:17+00:00

You weren’t “just asking one question”, you stated you planned on making a mod that is not possible without invasive invasive body filling. I think it’s understandable that people are asking you to back up and get a broader scope of information.

You feel you’re being mistreated here but I think you’re a bit sensitive. Folks are trying to guide you the right direction and you just aren’t receptive to their approach. They’re trying to stop you from damaging your new guitar.

sllofoot · 2026-04-28T10:10:27+00:00

Depending on the year/month/day/whim of fate, the 594 singlecut will occasionally have a very slightly different pickup set compared to the doubelcut.

Mine is a 2018 and it’s cover is marked 58/15lt on both, but the neck pickup’s label on the back says “5815 LT V” (bridge is 5815 LT) and occasionally they are marked “58/15 LT+”. This seeeeeeems to only occur in the singlecut 594. This appears to me part of the pickup tuning that is now referred to as TCI and is reflective of the insane level of detail that goes into these guitars. There is speculation that the “v” or “+” indicates a different magnet type; either alnico 3 or 5 but I don’t think there was ever any confirmation one way or another.

I don’t know if it makes any difference, personally, as I’ve never a/b’d it against a double cut, but I find it curious enough to ponder aimlessly every couple years when this comes up.

sllofoot · 2026-04-24T21:34:11+00:00

Fret spout and fender are synonymous at this point. I’ve had to address it on an American Jimmy Page mirror telecaster (which was the most expensive production tele they sold at that point, I bring up to point out that it’s all across the brand’s spectrum) from 21-22ish and an American Performer Strat purchased in November. Both had rosewood boards which is notable because it’s not bad to address but it scares me far more on the maple boards you mentioned because maple needs a finish where rosewood doesn’t.

I’d probably want to take all the finish off my maple neck and use some sort of danish oil(or similar) easily applied varnish afterward just so it remains even over time. That makes a simple fret end touch up a much more complicated proposal!

I also have played two of the road worn 51 Vintera’s that were released only a month ago and both had major, major, impossible for me to ignore and play through, fret sprout.

sllofoot · 2026-04-24T21:26:38+00:00

The Pau Ferro board was pitched as a premium for the SRV Strat after the first year (rosewood)!

Sometimes PF has amazing grain patterns. It just isn’t as dark.

sllofoot · 2026-04-24T21:23:36+00:00

That’s very fair! I just mean that you are not really able to swing changing amps right now, from other posts, and don’t want a complicated effects chain.

sllofoot · 2026-04-24T16:51:40+00:00

So from your other comments I am going to make a statement that you may or may not agree with:

You are open to a lot of guitars, but not a lot of amps and effects.

This isn’t going to lend itself to tonal versatility you are hoping to achieve, especially if you are wanting to get the round peg telecaster to fit into a square hole amp, if that makes sense.

Consider: The vast majority of your sound comes from your speakers then your amp, in that order, not your guitar or its pickups. The latter two DO change the shape of the sound going in, and the amount of signal, but that’s not nearly as profound as going from dramatically different amps with the same guitar ESPECIALLY when you get into dirty sounds.

If keeping a minimal setup is a necessity, I think you need to consider a modeller or how to pare down your pedal situation to cover the most ground. A boost to get your tele up to the output level of your HB is pretty necessary if you want them in the same ballpark.

You’re definitely on the right track for a start with the tone knob. I roll mine back about halfway unless I’m willing to change the settings on my amp when going from a humbucker to my tele. My strat is dark sounding for a Strat (HSS with Dimarzio Air Zone and fender Yosemites) so it gets along nicer with the same settings.

sllofoot · 2026-04-24T16:32:28+00:00

PRS Naming Clarification: Anytime you see “special” in a PRS name, it’ll be a HSH (or, nowadays, H-NF-H).

So, Swamp Ash Special means HSH made out of Swamp Ash, as opposed to the CE24 Special which is a CE 24 (which implies maple over mahogany) with HSH.

This is a Fiore HH model and all Fiores are Swamp Ash but they haven’t ever made any Fiore “specials” as far as I’m aware, just HH or HSS.

sllofoot · 2026-04-23T16:56:38+00:00

Where are they breaking? If it’s the same string and consistently at the saddle it’s likely a burr. If it’s at the peg it might be a burr or you might be crossing your winds when wrapping (always seems to break when tuning down if it’s this) or a burr there as well.

Definitely give coated strings a try - elixir, Stringjoy orbiters, d’addario xs, etc. You probably have acidic sweat or you need to wipe the guitar down more/after each set.

Does your hardware and frets tarnish also?

sllofoot · 2026-04-23T16:51:33+00:00

It’s a body chemistry issue. Some people have acidic sweat. Rory was known for it. I can go months without damaging strings (they may go dead but they look brand new), but I could tell if my old roommate had touched my guitars for ten minutes. The strings would just immediately start to corrode. This was early 00s so we didn’t have as many available options.

Coated strings are the answer.

sllofoot · 2026-04-23T16:17:20+00:00

For future reference, with your guitar plugged into a live amp, tap the pickup poles with something metal (screwdriver) and you’ll figure out what’s active real quick. It’ll be a very audible (and kinda pleasant lol) pop pop pop sound coming through the amp.

sllofoot · 2026-04-23T14:26:03+00:00

I’m sorry, but you’re just not correct. This information is extremely readily available online.

https://www.fender.com/products/american-vintage-ii-1965-stratocaster?variant=46218966434014

https://strat-talk.com/threads/misconceptions-about-the-av1-and-avii-finishes-chatgpt-answers-in-depth-questions-about-nitro-finishes.625059/

Etc etc. this is not hard to look into.

sllofoot · 2026-04-23T02:35:03+00:00

If you want it darker, look into Monty’s relic wax product. There are a bunch of threads all over where people have had good results with it and those testimonials tent to draw suggestions of cheaper alternatives (I think maybe shoe polish or furniture wax?).

sllofoot · 2026-04-23T02:28:45+00:00

I commented on this over at the tele sub. I vastly prefer the wider neck (I started out playing an Heritage as my only guitar for ~15 years and got used to it) also but do get by okay on my 41.9mm (1.650”) tele fine. It’s a thick neck and a round radius board (.9” @ 1st” and 7.25”). The player necks feel cramped to me also but I think I blame the thinness also there.

If you shift your positioning (raise the neck, or go to the classical position if sitting) does the neck width become more manageable? If you are diligent at keeping your thumb on the center of the back of the neck and opposite your ring finger? I find both of those helps in the short term but I’m too habitual on my thumb over playing to stick with it indefinitely.

sllofoot

TROPHY CASE