Fender or Yamaha Strat Types

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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Jimmie V
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Fender or Yamaha Strat Types

Post by Jimmie V » Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:24 pm

Alaways loved the versitility of the Stratocaster so I am thinking of getting one. Narrowed it down between a Yahaha 612 or a Fender American Professional II. The Yamahas run in the $650.00 price range and the Fender is somewhat more than double that price. Just wonder if the Fender is worth the price over the Yamaha. Both seem to have very good reviews.

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Ceylon
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Re: Fender or Yamaha Strat Types

Post by Ceylon » Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:29 am

The whole discussion about getting the real thing versus getting a derivative usually always boils down to this:

If you just want a versatile instrument with great bang for the buck, the Yamaha will most likely do that for you.

If you've got any sort of emotional attachments to specifically the Fender Stratocaster or to artists who played them particularly, the Yamaha probably won't scratch the itch and you're better off paying more for what you really want.
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Embenny
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Re: Fender or Yamaha Strat Types

Post by Embenny » Sun Oct 10, 2021 6:23 am

Have you played both? They've got a different feel, look, and sound, and one will probably speak to you more when it's actually in your hands. Spec sheets never predict how you actually feel when you're playing it.

However, if you're weighing them against each other on paper, don't forget about resale. Strats sell like hot cakes if you ever need to move one on. You've also got a higher chance of finding one used locally, so you might be able to buy it at a price where you won't take a hit if you don't bond with it.

It's been a really long time since I've bought a new Fender. There are just so many on the used market, and when I buy used, I know I can get roughly the same money out of it that I put into it, which makes it feel less risky to me. Buying new means getting beat up on resale if you don't bond with it, and I've accepted that no test drive in a music store ever accurately predicts how much I'll get along with a guitar - owning it for a few weeks or months is what lets me form a real opinion on that.

So, if something exists on the local used market (like every strat ever), I'll go for that so that I don't trap myself in the thought process of, "but I'll lose so much money if I sell it!"

Guilt over losing money on resale has driven me to make many bad decisions in the past, like spending even more money trying to mod a guitar into something I like instead of admitting that something about it just isn't working for me.
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noisepunk
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Re: Fender or Yamaha Strat Types

Post by noisepunk » Sun Oct 10, 2021 7:27 am

this probably isn't helpful, but g&l would always be my top strat choice, by miles and miles...they just really nailed that design, and are still underrated enough to where you won't have to make a black-market organ sale.

between your option, i think yamaha is probably a better value– they make criminally underrated guitars and, as you've noticed, they're quite a bit more affordable than a fender.

...but i'd also endorse everything mbene085's pointed out, especially getting whatever guitar you're after into your hands, and buying used unless you really care about being the guitar's first owner, which i also get on some level.

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