Great video Tony, and a great build, Especially for the price I think all the Strats should have the tilt function, to me it’s better than putting neck shims in. As for the counterfeit strings they are the pack on the left, It’s not just Ernie Ball being counterfeited I recently got some GHS burnished nickle strings on Amazon that were counterfeit they were totally different the pack was close but the rusty strings inside and the fact that all the ball ends were different colors. Buyer beware is all I can say.
Great info about those strings.... and thanks for the post about other brands EVERYONE BEWARE! Yes I dislike shims for necks too. BTW I have had a rusty set too. Thanks for watching.
I had a japanese fender strat/tele hybrid and years later a bought a squier classic vibe tele, I tried to swap the necks and it fit like a glove, the cool thing is that the japanese neck has the truss rod on the heel like a proper vintage neck, I put vintera alnico 3 pickups last year and now I have a "proper" 50's nocaster tele for a fraction of a custom shop
Yes the STRATosphere is a great way to get certain things, although I wish theyd' have more lefty stuff. Sorry to hear about the nasty tax, BUT when I look at everything Marshall, we get got in the states for those, so theres just no escape. Cheers
Oh I know Marshall prices in the USA are very high. I guess it's really just what it is... at least overall I tend to think of it like that and just pay :). Thanks for watching.
Ernie Ball 9's come in the pink package,so I'm saying the package on the left. It makes me wonder now if ordering from eBay whether I'm getting the real thing or not. All the Chinese have to do is put them in the same color package.
Im saying the one on the right. I dont recall EBs being all that shiny and bright. The package is more of a satin look IIRC. I get all mine through shops and ive definitely suspected a few packs. If I go to a small shop to check it out in a small town Im passing through, ill usually buy some strings or picks or something. Some of them could be ordering lots off ebay or amazin to resell. Worst case, someone notices and gets their money back.
Yes it is a very sad situation, and when I discussed with Ernie Ball at the Dallas show basically they said they had no way of controlling it :( so what are the customs guys doing? In any case answer in about a week. And as always thanks for watching.
Many years ago i bought my first signature Strat an SRV with gold hardware in a tweed case for £900 that seemed a lot back then. But it was not a good idea, it set me off buying more, today i still have it along with Custom Shop ones of Eric Clapton , Mark Knopfler, Hank Marvin, Bonnie Rait and Dave Gilmour plus a luthier made Dave Gilmour of the red one he used in "Pulse" Fender only made his Black one. All are still unplayed in their cases, which is sad. As for buying them in kit form, it at least allows you to get them at more sensible prices and you could mix and match to make your own "Custom" variation. Will this one make you want another one Tony?🤔👍💓
Indeed I remember the SRV with gold on... and as you say, at that time about £900 (eye watering price :) but certainly a great guitar that likely has risen in price IMO. The other signatures will have to I believe from the books I have here (Don't know if you get those). The 'buying parts' method does save money for sure but some guys might not be bothered to do it. I did so I could show if I could get that price down from the list price really. So it is achievable. I have a few Jeff Beck necks (I think 3 in total) and have used them sometimes on the Warmoth stuff - the necks are really brilliant. And on this guitar the pickups can drive the amp which for rock often a Strat regular pickups are a little weak for that style, but these are pretty good for that. So looking at Signature Strats is a pass time, but I already have so many guitars :) (my wife is going (sorry gone) nuts) so likely guitars to buy? Well that would mean selling some to stay alive really. And the problem for me relates to tax that comes my way when I sell things. My tax rates are very high and it all becomes painful to sell them. And then there's the attachment I have to the guitars I own. I really don't want to sell any. You will know what I mean. But I did like messing about with this JB Strat and did promise myself I would get one 'one day' :) so I did and it really is a very good guitar. Having said that, watching Jeff Beck using one just shows how really brilliant he really was. Thanks for the post and for watching. BTW did you receive a notification of the video going on line?
@@tonymckenzieofficial Notification, whats that ? CZcams block them on purpose. I found your video whilst seraching for something to watch to get away from the dreaded election Re signature guitars , i think they make you try to emulate your chosen artists, but each player has their own sound. I can get close to Hank Marvin, but Justin Daish takes to another level!, he is on CZcams if you are interested. As for the rest, i have tried and tried to learn how to play slide, but it eludes me, how Bonnie Raitt does it i don't know. Mark Knofler is a plucker and not so easy to copy, i can do a passable Sultans of Swing, but it is far from perfect. The one signature guitar that i forgot was my Steve Vai Japan made Jem, now that is one guitar that i will never sell. It puts Fender Strats to shame for tuning stability, you can abuse that trem and it still returns to tune. Regarding pickups, i upgraded the Hank Marvin one to the correct Kinsman ones, Fender won't fit them for you.. The red Dave Gilmour has the correct full EMD pickguard that he used, but to my ears it sounds a bit off, i can get closer to his sound with Fenders Black one.
I've been looking forward to this. Your vids are really interesting and helpful and I've made a number of buying decisions based on them. I'm looking for a 'Super Strat' with a versatile bridge humbucker. I don't really care what brand as long as it plays well. If you ever cover this subject I'd be grateful but I know you're not a reviewer as such. Anyway, thanks Tony for a great view and I wish you health and happiness.
Great to know you trust my opinion. I am a reviewer of sorts, but more than not by a long way I buy the actual gear and I always tell it as I see it. I can be wrong of course, but usually my experience with anything I buy could well be that of other guys. So I always try and be completely honest. Some might not like that (often fanboys) but I have always tried to show the stuff others never do. I have made many Warmoth guitars have you seen them? Here's a link: czcams.com/play/PLD38427759E821683.html and there is enough to keep you watching for weeks :) some great stuff... so whatever brand, those videos will help you. Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficialYou're a star Tony. Honest, intelligent and a massive source of knowledge. Keep up the good stuff and know how much I appreciate it.
They might be or not :) I'll post answer in about a week or so :) on this video. Yes I think it came out pretty well and certainly is a rock guitar, but watching JB he was awesome with his... thanks for watching.
Probably the one on the left is fake if its “thinner”….genuine ernie ball strings come with each string individually wrapped in a paper sleeve…but I could be mistaken!!
Pack on the left is bogus. I've been working (for a really long time) in the printing industry, specifically ink and I use those exact strings. Scrutinizing a pack in front of me never really noticed quite how nice the EB packaging actually is. That said I probably wouldn't have noticed it just from the package. there are some dead giveaways of the fake ones.
Great info... and thanks for posting it - I'm sure loads of guys end up with the dodgy ones hence I included the comparision. from my end I'll post it on there in about a week... thanks for watching.
bolo...............i buy the 4 pack from amazon canada..............23.99 they come in clear plastic ............in the pink box........????????............also i got almost the same guitar from warmoth....maple neck fat 58 lp feel....$2200.00 perfect my spec.......what i wanted...........
Really. I have to say I have not seen those. I did also just buy two 12 set boxes from Ernie Ball at the Dallas guitar show and I did discuss the question of the counterfeit strings. Ernie Ball certainly is aware of them but like they said, there is little they can do. It's pretty say and I don't like to see that sort of thing going on. I'm not saying ALL Amazon strings are not genuine, but the ones I received some while back certainly were not real. Thanks for the info about that and anyone else take note. Thanks for watching too...
I get it of course and have completed a number of Warmoth Strats. They are good... but this one at this price is good too. At $2295 or so it would be rather less good. Thanks for watching.
Great video Tony, and a great build, Especially for the price I think all the Strats should have the tilt function, to me it’s better than putting neck shims in. As for the counterfeit strings they are the pack on the left, It’s not just Ernie Ball being counterfeited I recently got some GHS burnished nickle strings on Amazon that were counterfeit they were totally different the pack was close but the rusty strings inside and the fact that all the ball ends were different colors. Buyer beware is all I can say.
Great info about those strings.... and thanks for the post about other brands EVERYONE BEWARE! Yes I dislike shims for necks too. BTW I have had a rusty set too. Thanks for watching.
Thanks, Tony, for another great video. Beautiful guitar! Jeff would certainly be happy to see your work, and hear you two play so well !!!
Oh I don't know about the playing... we're no Jeff Beck types... he was awesome... we're just a lot less :) Thanks for watching.
Jeff.....rules!!!
A Jeff Beck strat for 1000 bucks under retail…I would have never thought it possible…well done Tony👍
It is, a bit of messing about I guess... but this was a genuine thing I did. The Strat is great... great pickups too. Thanks for watching.
I had a japanese fender strat/tele hybrid and years later a bought a squier classic vibe tele, I tried to swap the necks and it fit like a glove, the cool thing is that the japanese neck has the truss rod on the heel like a proper vintage neck, I put vintera alnico 3 pickups last year and now I have a "proper" 50's nocaster tele for a fraction of a custom shop
Well I get it for sure... and some of the necks are very good for sure. It is entirely possible to create the results for less. Thanks for watching.
The thicker pack on the left is the counterfeit strings.
Maybe ... ;-) more later... Thanks for watching
Yes the STRATosphere is a great way to get certain things, although I wish theyd' have more lefty stuff.
Sorry to hear about the nasty tax, BUT when I look at everything Marshall, we get got in the states for those, so theres just no escape. Cheers
Oh I know Marshall prices in the USA are very high. I guess it's really just what it is... at least overall I tend to think of it like that and just pay :). Thanks for watching.
I haven't played ernies in years, but I'd say the left one, Tony.
Maybe... answer posted in about a week...
I was named after Jeff Beck.
Dad was a player and Jeff Beck-crazy in 1969.
:) That's not so bad... :) and thanks for watching.
Ernie Ball 9's come in the pink package,so I'm saying the package on the left. It makes me wonder now if ordering from eBay whether I'm getting the real thing or not. All the Chinese have to do is put them in the same color package.
Im saying the one on the right. I dont recall EBs being all that shiny and bright. The package is more of a satin look IIRC. I get all mine through shops and ive definitely suspected a few packs.
If I go to a small shop to check it out in a small town Im passing through, ill usually buy some strings or picks or something. Some of them could be ordering lots off ebay or amazin to resell. Worst case, someone notices and gets their money back.
Yes it is a very sad situation, and when I discussed with Ernie Ball at the Dallas show basically they said they had no way of controlling it :( so what are the customs guys doing? In any case answer in about a week. And as always thanks for watching.
Many years ago i bought my first signature Strat an SRV with gold hardware in a tweed case for £900
that seemed a lot back then.
But it was not a good idea, it set me off buying more, today i still have it along with Custom Shop ones
of Eric Clapton , Mark Knopfler, Hank Marvin, Bonnie Rait and Dave Gilmour plus a luthier made Dave Gilmour
of the red one he used in "Pulse" Fender only made his Black one.
All are still unplayed in their cases, which is sad.
As for buying them in kit form, it at least allows you to get them at more sensible prices and you could
mix and match to make your own "Custom" variation.
Will this one make you want another one Tony?🤔👍💓
Indeed I remember the SRV with gold on... and as you say, at that time about £900 (eye watering price :) but certainly a great guitar that likely has risen in price IMO. The other signatures will have to I believe from the books I have here (Don't know if you get those). The 'buying parts' method does save money for sure but some guys might not be bothered to do it. I did so I could show if I could get that price down from the list price really. So it is achievable. I have a few Jeff Beck necks (I think 3 in total) and have used them sometimes on the Warmoth stuff - the necks are really brilliant. And on this guitar the pickups can drive the amp which for rock often a Strat regular pickups are a little weak for that style, but these are pretty good for that. So looking at Signature Strats is a pass time, but I already have so many guitars :) (my wife is going (sorry gone) nuts) so likely guitars to buy? Well that would mean selling some to stay alive really.
And the problem for me relates to tax that comes my way when I sell things. My tax rates are very high and it all becomes painful to sell them. And then there's the attachment I have to the guitars I own. I really don't want to sell any. You will know what I mean.
But I did like messing about with this JB Strat and did promise myself I would get one 'one day' :) so I did and it really is a very good guitar. Having said that, watching Jeff Beck using one just shows how really brilliant he really was. Thanks for the post and for watching. BTW did you receive a notification of the video going on line?
@@tonymckenzieofficial Notification, whats that ? CZcams block them on purpose.
I found your video whilst seraching for something to watch to get away from the dreaded election
Re signature guitars , i think they make you try to emulate your chosen artists, but each player has their own sound.
I can get close to Hank Marvin, but Justin Daish takes to another level!, he is on CZcams if you are interested.
As for the rest, i have tried and tried to learn how to play slide, but it eludes me, how Bonnie Raitt does it i don't know.
Mark Knofler is a plucker and not so easy to copy, i can do a passable Sultans of Swing, but it is far from perfect.
The one signature guitar that i forgot was my Steve Vai Japan made Jem, now that is one guitar that i will never sell.
It puts Fender Strats to shame for tuning stability, you can abuse that trem and it still returns to tune.
Regarding pickups, i upgraded the Hank Marvin one to the correct Kinsman ones, Fender won't fit them for you..
The red Dave Gilmour has the correct full EMD pickguard that he used, but to my ears it sounds a bit off, i can get
closer to his sound with Fenders Black one.
The jagged perforated edges on the top and bottom of the packaging identifies the fakes.
Maybe good info ;-) and I will be putting the answer on there in about a week! Thanks for the post... and for watching too.
Left. I'm a life-long EBSS user. The genuine packaging is pink and shiny.
Thanks for the post... answer posted in about a week... currently there is a mix of answers... and thanks for watching.
I've been looking forward to this. Your vids are really interesting and helpful and I've made a number of buying decisions based on them. I'm looking for a 'Super Strat' with a versatile bridge humbucker. I don't really care what brand as long as it plays well. If you ever cover this subject I'd be grateful but I know you're not a reviewer as such. Anyway, thanks Tony for a great view and I wish you health and happiness.
Great to know you trust my opinion. I am a reviewer of sorts, but more than not by a long way I buy the actual gear and I always tell it as I see it. I can be wrong of course, but usually my experience with anything I buy could well be that of other guys. So I always try and be completely honest. Some might not like that (often fanboys) but I have always tried to show the stuff others never do. I have made many Warmoth guitars have you seen them? Here's a link: czcams.com/play/PLD38427759E821683.html and there is enough to keep you watching for weeks :) some great stuff... so whatever brand, those videos will help you. Thanks for watching.
@@tonymckenzieofficialYou're a star Tony. Honest, intelligent and a massive source of knowledge. Keep up the good stuff and know how much I appreciate it.
The one on the left is counterfeit Tony.
Maybe... or not, I'll post the answer and pin it in a week or so... thanks for watching too.
Leave it alone Tony they are scamming
Really? I have bought from them for years - all good - just opinion based on experience. Thanks for watching.
Fabulous guitar and great saving Tony, sounds good too. I suspect the genuine Ernie Balls are on the right!
They might be or not :) I'll post answer in about a week or so :) on this video. Yes I think it came out pretty well and certainly is a rock guitar, but watching JB he was awesome with his... thanks for watching.
Great video hope your doing well i love your videos very informative... 🤟
Thanks - and glad you like them... hard work to make. Thanks for watching.
Tony your the best. Stay safe and well and keep Rocking. Bass Player from Munster Indiana.
Is it cold in Indiana? I never made it to that part of the USA... and thanks...
That looks really good, I'd be well chuffed with that 👍
Exactly, and I could not buy one used for the money. Thanks for watching.
Nice job - revelatory ! Thanks :-)
Glad you liked it! and thanks for watching.
I would say, the left one looks counterfeit. But I‘m not shure.
And there lies the problem... answer in about a week... thanks for watching.
Probably the one on the left is fake if its “thinner”….genuine ernie ball strings come with each string individually wrapped in a paper sleeve…but I could be mistaken!!
Both packs inside look the same... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
So cool. It's a beaut!
Hey trust you're doing OK... Absolutely worth the effort :) and thanks for watching.
Left
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Right
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Pack on the left is bogus. I've been working (for a really long time) in the printing industry, specifically ink and I use those exact strings. Scrutinizing a pack in front of me never really noticed quite how nice the EB packaging actually is. That said I probably wouldn't have noticed it just from the package. there are some dead giveaways of the fake ones.
Great info... and thanks for posting it - I'm sure loads of guys end up with the dodgy ones hence I included the comparision. from my end I'll post it on there in about a week... thanks for watching.
Left yes I can tell
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
bolo...............i buy the 4 pack from amazon canada..............23.99 they come in clear plastic ............in the pink box........????????............also i got almost the same guitar from warmoth....maple neck fat 58 lp feel....$2200.00 perfect my spec.......what i wanted...........
Really. I have to say I have not seen those. I did also just buy two 12 set boxes from Ernie Ball at the Dallas guitar show and I did discuss the question of the counterfeit strings. Ernie Ball certainly is aware of them but like they said, there is little they can do. It's pretty say and I don't like to see that sort of thing going on. I'm not saying ALL Amazon strings are not genuine, but the ones I received some while back certainly were not real. Thanks for the info about that and anyone else take note. Thanks for watching too...
I rather build a Warmoth.
I get it of course and have completed a number of Warmoth Strats. They are good... but this one at this price is good too. At $2295 or so it would be rather less good. Thanks for watching.
Left one is counterfeit. The color looks off to me.
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Left is wrong
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Retailers like Amazon should be held liable for peddling counterfeit goods.
This has got to stop.
Agreed - Amazon does not care though... Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
I would say the ones on the right are fake
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Counterfeit, haven't got a clue 🤷
Maybe... One of the packs certainly is - I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Left is bogus
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
left
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Left
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Left
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...
Left
Maybe... I'll post answer in about a week! Thanks...