Mayer vs Hot Rod '60s

[telebuck]

Hi all,

I am torn between these two models.

I have had a Mayer Strat in the past and really liked it, particularly the pickups and comfortable neck.

But I'm drawn to the new AVRI Hot Rod '60s with the compound radius, and other niceties... locking tuners, strap locks, nitro finish, etc.. The necks seem to be similar on the two.

Anyone tried both and liked one significantly more than the other? How do the pickups on the Hot Rod compare to the big dippers? Is the S-1 switch worth it?

Sadly, I am not able to try these out, so thanks to anyone for their thoughts or experiences.

 

[telebuck]

And even if you havent played both... just looking for some comments on the hot rod that might help me make the leap for the Hot Rod '60s.

 

[didger]

I've got the Hot Rod 60's and adore it, but have never played a Mayer.

Re: the necks, they should be very similar. They're both 60-style thick C's. Thickness specs are -
John Mayer - .820" at the 1st fret and .940" at the 12th
AV Hot Rod 60's - .810" at the 1st and .950" at the 12th

.01" is a pretty tiny difference. The Hot Rod obviously starts a hair smaller than the Mayer than flares more to be a hair thicker. I bet it'd be hard to tell the difference unless you really focused on it.

I love the 7.25-12" compound radius on the Hot Rods. In addition to the 60s guitar, I've got the 50s Hot Rod neck on a partscaster. What's really great about them is how little I notice it! It just feels so natural. The American Deluxe 9.5-14" feels a little awkward and too flat up high to me, and I've got an SRV with the regular 12" which is OK but a little odd down low. The Hot Rods get it just right for me.

Sorry that I can't compare the pickups. Never played the dippers. I like the mix of AVRI's in the Hot Rod. It's got a very classic Strat sound. S-1 to me is a little gimmicky. It's cool that it adds some extra options, but I haven't found myself going to them.

But overall the Hot Rod is great for those of us who want a mix of vintage and modern features. The only things I wish it had were 22 frets and headstock adjusted truss rod.

One more thing - I don't know if this would be consistent in the model or if it's just mine, but it's the lightest Strat I've got. Barely over 7 pounds, I think.

 

[BadBrad]

I wish the new Hot Rods had the vintage 6-point bridge. I'm sure the 2-point bridge works fine, but I just personally prefer the classic 6-point bridges.

 

[Yogi]

I really liked the Dippers when I had them ( In fact Im negotiating a deal to buy back said guitar).

Cissy Strut ( Meters Cover) - YouTube

 

[ashcastermetal]

I wish the new Hot Rods had the vintage 6-point bridge. I'm sure the 2-point bridge works fine, but I just personally prefer the classic 6-point bridges.

I'm going to have to second that, it just looks off

"I view the strat like an acoustic instrument. It's up to you to get the sounds" Y.J.M.

 

[didger]

But it feels so right.

 

[telebuck]

Thanks Didger for the Hot Rod experiences. The compound radius distinctions are especially helpful. Its interesting that your neck is 0.81 at the 1st fret... over on the wildwood site they have three hot rods that are all between 0.84 and 0.86 at the 1st.

The rest of you are not helping. Just kidding, I appreciate the feedback. I did like the big dippers, but also like the idea of the variety offered by the hot rod.

The 2pt versus 6pt trem issue isnt that important to me, particularly if its only an aesthetic issue.

One other aesthetic thing is it seems most hot rods dont have much if any grain showing. They look very cool in their own right, but I would probably like a little grain showing.

 

[didger]

Its interesting that your neck is 0.81 at the 1st fret... over on the wildwood site they have three hot rods that are all between 0.84 and 0.86 at the 1st.

That's actually the spec from Fender I quoted above, and both my 50's and 60's Hot Rod necks match it perfectly. I'd be suspicious of the specs on a site that were that far off from what it's supposed to be on a current Strat. But who knows?

The 2pt versus 6pt trem issue isnt that important to me, particularly if its only an aesthetic issue.

There's been whole threads on this topic, but once they're set up, I for one don't ever think about or feel any difference between my 2-point and 6-point trems. I'm happy with the modern trem being part of the "Hot Rodding."

One other aesthetic thing is it seems most hot rods dont have much if any grain showing. They look very cool in their own right, but I would probably like a little grain showing.

This is true. I've got a sunburst, and there's no grain at all. On the plus side, there's also no visible seams, making it look like a 1-piece body. I actually originally wanted the olympic white as I had two bursts already, but found a bargain on the new open box Hot Rod burst, so went for it.

 

[Burgo]

What made you part with the mayer? If it wasn't due to circumstance then you're probably likely to part with it again if it just didn't 'do it' for you.

 

[telebuck]

No good reason for parting with the Mayer... had a Wildwood 10 Strat that was a little nicer and didnt need to have both. The Wildwood is gone too, again for no good reason other than trying other things.

So I'm currently stratless and want to find something nice in a more reasonable price range. Will probably go with the hot rod. Thanks again for the feedback.