Ok 1 take the guitar back to the dealer and contact Fender directly about these problems. 2 never buy an electric guitar without plugging it in right? 3 it’s looking like it’s either a fake or you will need to replace the gear that’s failing. Lollar, Arcane and Fralin are top notch pups. 4 Basswood in a Fender just sounds wrong it could unhinge all fix attempts so check this is genuine and demand a refund or change over, best of luck.
Put the original Pickguard back on it, and SELL! SELL! SELL! It’s CV Check time again, and people will have holes burning in their pockets.
about the case - I think it’s fair. They’d just raise the price if you got a hard case. In face I think one of the main price hikes between a performer and professional is the nicer case. If you gig it’s important but if you’re playing at home I’d much rather forgo the case and save the money
Get a setup. Get used to the tuners, I have never had locking tuners but I hate changing strings so I'm sure I'd like them. You have a humbucker in the bridge, that should be able to rock, if you any overdrive pedals or if you can crank your amp loud enough. Or trade it in for an American Standard from 2012-2018. I love mine, its an SSS and with a fuzz pedal you can get a metal sound from it easily, especially through a Marshall or something.
Wait, stock Strats are supposed to be perfect? Mod everything. You like the neck. Everything else can easily be improved. BTW, TORTOISE SHELL was the correct answer for pick guard color. If you said "MINT", you get partial credit. Someone probably dropped the guitar and bent the tuner head. Swap it out. Sweet talk your local tech. He/she probably has one or two lying around. I put locking tuners on all mine but lots of folks have the free time to wind extra string and like the vintage look If you want to sell it, get it back to stock and get rid of it. If you want to play it, mod it.
Buy one of the Limited Edition Strats or Teles at Adorama. They are $519 with free shipping. https://www.adorama.com/fe014457100...1WER0X4UkEy1D3W5wluRI0&utm_source=rflaid62905 https://www.adorama.com/fe014457000...1WER0X4UkEy1Dye5wluRI0&utm_source=rflaid62905
you sound like that dude in China that married some woman that had extensive plastic surgery. Everything was cool until the first baby. It was so ugly the guy sued and got a divorce.
I'm a Fender guy but, I've never liked the American Performer. To me it's a step down from the MIM Fenders. The American Professional series, and the American Originals are great guitars. As for basswood, I've never heard of an American Fender being made of basswood. You'll probably take a bath but, if it was me, I'd sell it and opt for a better model.
I love the honey burst color but that huge headstock is an eyesore. I own an American Original in Olympic White that I took a chance on as I liked everything else about the guitar but the headstock has never grown on me. NC
Don't give up on your fender just yet. You should take off the pickguard and re-rout the pickup cavities for Gibson Burstbuckers or Classic 57s. You can then replace the entire neck with a Warmoth 24 3/4" Gibson-scale neck. You can also pay extra to have a bound neck, like what's on most Gibsons. You should also replace the poorly wired electronics with hand-wired, American-made components. You can also plek the fingerboard. I'm sorry about the finish. Perhaps you can find a Les Paul body, you know the ones that are carved out of a solid piece of mahogany, and topped with a solid piece of maple, and put that on your new neck. Better yet, sell the American Performer Strat and buy a Gibson. There really is a tipping point where the number of fixes exceeds the value of the guitar. New tuners, new pickups, new body finish = deal breaker. I have a top-of-the-line Telecaster and Stratocaster, but leave them on their stands. My Gibson Midtown Custom, 335, and 339 get all the attention. We all like what we like, there is no right or wrong. You can't argue whether the color blue is prettier than the color green. Many people like Fenders. I like Gibsons.......PERIOD!
Slightly off-piste here, but be careful what you wish for regarding guitar cases. I have had two Strats arrive in hard cases, one in a rexine-covered wood ( i.e. chipboard) case that was shattered-guitar fine, though. The second, more worrying, was in a brand new Gator hard shell case that had shattered. Again, guitar fine, but the plastic of the case was so brittle, I could break it between two fingers! Appalling in a case costing so much. I contacted the UK importer, and after much arm-wresting they sent me a replacement soft case that was, and remains, superb. So i'll take a decently padded soft case over most hard cases short of a custom-made flightcase with aluminium frame.
Ya know, this thread is hilarious! First, give the poor OP @Proliferant a break for being bored to death in this lockdown and simply wanting to share a bit of his frustration, along with hoping to get some tips that may help him out. Next, what really makes it funny is the large number of responses from folks who have not been able to be bothered with actually reading the thread, before responding. I realize that everyone is just SO BUSY that they can't take the time to be informed before speaking up......, but c'mon! Lighten Up Folks! Gene
I find this to be a better solution to a regular tuner, where no matter how you cut them, there's a little "needle" sticking out waiting to pierce your finger when you least expect it. The only trouble with vintage-style tuners is that when a string breaks close to the nut, the shorter part of it may disappear only to be found years later behind a curtain
Yes, American Performers have 2 string trees. The Classicgear tuners (vintage looks, modern mounting/ratio) tuners do not have staggered height posts. The guitar in my avatar photo is an American Performer Mustang - and it has 2 string trees.
