drewfx1
In addition to the 2 point vs. 6 hole trem (which for some reason Mike prefers the wrong one of ) and the neck radius, the # of frets are different - the reissues have 21 frets and the standards have 22.

:-)

mixmkr
actually I had a typo... and it's 7.25 and the more modern C shape neck is 9.5".  

Duly noted!!!
 
My memory failed me.
 
:-)

I love Strats. I have two right now, an 1995 Am Std, and an Am Deluxe about 5 years old.
 
My opinion is with most guitars, particularly guitars with bolt on necks like the Strat... you never know until you play it. They are like Levi jeans, they can be all over the board. Never buy a Stratocaster online, you need to go to several stores and play as many as you can. Play them unplugged. You can change pickups but if the neck feels good, the wood resonates and has a good tone unplugged, it likely will when you plug it in. Of course you want to play it plugged in too, and in a good amp with little to no distortion.
Sometimes a guitar will call to you from the wall... I cannot explain that. If you like the way it looks, IMO, you will play better. There are so many intangibles when it comes to a guitar, but I would never buy a nice guitar without holding it, unless it is a really high end guitar like a Shur or a CS Les Paul, or CS Strat... though with a Strat, I would go with a Shur or Tom Anderson before a Fender.
Just my 2 cent, for what it's worth.
 
I think I have told this before so I'll tell an attenuated version. When MARS was in business I spent a good but of time there. One rainy day I spent most of the day there. I played every Les Paul and every LP type guitar they had, Bluesbirds, everything... I took the best sounding of the TOTL CS Gibson LPs back to one of the rooms they had set up for trying out guitars and amps. I kept the best of the best of the high end back there and took one after another back to compare with it. I would NEVER have believed what I found... the guitar that sounded most like the very expensive Gibson CS LP was an 99 dollar bolt neck Epiphone LP-100. Really... so, you need to play them, listen to them, feel them, catch their vibe.
 
I'd forget everything else and decide hands on. That is the only way you will really know. Finishes, pickups, neck profiles all mean a little but they can still have the best finish, best pups, and best neck/fretboard and be a dud. They can be a Squire and be an absolute gem... not usually but you have to see them, hold them, and play them to really know anything about them... unless they are a Shur or Anderson perhaps a few others. Some builders don't let any dogs out the door.
 
J
 

krsongs
If you play well, and apply it well in to your recordings and live gigs, no one will know the difference. 

This is true... guitarists obsess about tone and it does matter to how well you play... but 99.9% of the audience just hears a "guitar"... but if you really love your tone, you will play better, IMO.
 
J

thx guys... I believe it is spelled Suhr as well.  They're nice guitars.  I have my doubts about the $100 Epi.  Most Epi's in that price range were kinda dog-ish to me. Felt "Chinese" for a lack of better words.
 
I too love Strats and have several.  I was interested in learning more about identifying them, since there are so many models nowadays, and can't disagree about playing one before making it part of the herd...unless it's at that "impulse" price...which many GOOD guitars are nowadays.  Mexi Strats are a great example.

oh....note my avatar too, btw... although I don't have a blue one!  :-)
 

mixmkr
thx guys... I believe it is spelled Suhr as well.  They're nice guitars.  I have my doubts about the $100 Epi.  Most Epi's in that price range were kinda dog-ish to me. Felt "Chinese" for a lack of better words.
 
I too love Strats and have several.  I was interested in learning more about identifying them, since there are so many models nowadays, and can't disagree about playing one before making it part of the herd...unless it's at that "impulse" price...which many GOOD guitars are nowadays.  Mexi Strats are a great example.

Yes, it is Suhr. I have doubts about 100 Epis too... it is just what happened on one day with one wall of guitars, but it did happen. I didn't buy the Epi though, lol.
 
J