FNGD!

[zagatron1]

Well....got a whale of a deal! FNGD....FREE New (to me) Guitar Day. The item? A one each Vintage Blonde with black pickguard, 2005 Indo Squire '51 guitar! First time I ever touched one of these interesting axes. Now comes the question......do I just flip it, or do the upgrade dance?

[robert]

Keep it and play it!

I think it sounds great stock. Could try some different pickups, but really, it sounds great out with no mods.

[DetroitBlues]

Keep it, uncommon to find used because they are unique and people love them.

[zagatron1]

Well, it does have some weight to it and it doesn't feel cheap. I gigged with it Friday the way I got it and it felt good in my hands. What can I say....... y'all talked me into it. I do happen to have a Suhr V60 pickup to put in the neck position. The original one is a weak ceramic. I happen to have an extra case, and I can take the "plastic" nut out and put in a Tusq one. It's a 2005 Vintage Blonde that's yellowed a bit, but that gives it character. I like that sort of stuff.  It looks like this one here - http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.penmachine.com/musicpages/musicimages/squier_51-butter.jpg&imgrefurl=http://uniqueguitar.blogspot.com/2011/03/squier-51-guitar.html&h=341&w=1024&sz=32&tbnid=6T45wjQ7HvP7NM:&tbnh=45&tbnw=136&zoom=1&usg=__QpH6nS8ffMpF7yjHZc3CZHoj14w=&docid=4_PoBMsQuu57CM&sa=X&ei=XcpIUsC7NPP84APw_oCIAg&ved=0CF0Q9QEwAg

[reb]

congrats, zag! i think you got a player.

[creekster52]

Congrats Zag! I always regretted not buying one of those. They were blowing those out at a ridiculously low price toward the end. I'm sure there will be a re-issue at some point...with a higher price tag no doubt.

[zagatron1]

Congrats Zag! I always regretted not buying one of those. They were blowing those out at a ridiculously low price toward the end. I'm sure there will be a re-issue at some point...with a higher price tag no doubt.

Thanks guys! Oh, about the re-issue and higher price point thing.......three words "you know it"!
You know Fenders' got to throw their hat in the ring - http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN0266002

[robert]

Well, the '51 has returned! It will cost more than the original though.

See http://www.fender.com/en-CA/squier/series/vintage-modified/squier-51-maple-fingerboard-2-color-sunburst/


The Squier '51 returns in a hot new Vintage Modified model that delivers all the great style and features of the original value-priced screamer of the mid 2000s. All the ’51s enormous tonal versatility is back, with a powerful SH pickup configuration, rotary pickup selector, push-pull coil tap and more.

Features include a basswood body, satin-finish maple neck with "C"-shaped profile, 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets, single-coil Stratocaster neck pickup and hot humbucking bridge pickup, knurled "chrome dome" master volume control knob that also functions as a push-pull bridge pickup coil-selector switch (full humbucking or inner coil only for single-coil bridge pickup tone), knurled "chrome dome" three-position rotary pickup selector switch (in place of a tone control knob), single-ply white pickguard (black pickguard on Vintage Blonde model) and six-saddle hard-tail bridge. Available in Two-Color Sunburst, Candy Apple Red and Vintage Blonde.

[creekster52]

Here is the official Fender vid. Anyone seen any U.S. prices yet? European (UK) price is about $365...yikes! I did see one on the proaudiostar.com website for $180. Quite a change from the $99 blowout a few years ago.

http://youtu.be/188_1rRv0ZE

[zagatron1]

I've heard Fender's "Pawn Shop" version of the '51 and I must say I'm not impressed. I'm really not impressed with Fender anymore. Call me "Old Fashioned", but I can't help it. They took a dive years ago. I never realized they threw in the towel back in the day and decided to let Japanese companies represent. Yes, the Japanese can make good guitars, but Fender still let us down. America is a sellout! I own a '61 Fullerton, California Fender Stratocaster! The real deal! I can't be mad at them though. Gibson did the same thing. All of those companies I grew up with are now nothing but faded memories. Anyone remember Standel? Those amps were excellent in their own right. I'm 61 by the way. Things were a tad simple back then. Sorry guys, I got carried away. Just for the record, I want to find out where the Fender version of the '51 is made. I mean considering the $850 (USD) price tag an' all.

[DetroitBlues]

Buy Heritages instead of Gibsons and Warmoths instead of Fenders I guess.  But there is an unmistakable charm to seeing that familiar brand name on the headstock that many can't give up.