jtm@syteka.UUCP (Jim McCrae) (01/03/85)
Fender out of business? They've stopped making the Stratocaster,
which was being manufactured in Japan for awhile anyway and was
no longer the instrument made in the late 50's-early 60's. But
they've recently added to the Telecaster line with a bunch of
high end custom numbers. Gibson is selling all kinds of stuff
these days, with flames, checkerboards and garbage on them, and
a new line of high end Les Pauls. The cheap guitar market, under
$600, seems to be glutted right now, but there are some really
nice instruments in the vicinity of $1K. I bought a Hamer Phantom
last year, sort of a souped-up strat with one humbucking pickup,
two single coils, all made by DiMarzio, mahogany body, rosewood
fingerboard. The thing is a dream to play. The sound is in the
traditional Fender registers and the Gibson 335 family. These
guys (Hamer) and a few like Dean and Carver are going against
the high end of the Fender and Gibson line, with considerable
success. Glad to see real competition back in the guitar industry.
A really good guitar feels a lot different.
Jim McCrae {hplabs,decvax}!sytek!jtm