Fender Artist Series Guitars

[ha2he]

Hi Charlie & Friends,

Not that I'll buy one, but I was thinking about guitar parts.
It's been bugging me for some time now, I recently saw Jeff Beck (DVD ) at Ronnie Scotts, great playing, and it got me thinking about the Artist Series of guitars from Fender, in particular the David Gilmour strat.
I have to say I don't own the book 'The Black Strat' written by Phil Taylor which I am led to believe documents the changes made to this guitar.
Likewise I am led to believe it is fitted with a Callaham bridge, yet the artist series is fitted with their ( Fender ) offering.
If anyone with the book 'The Black Strat' can confirm the Callaham bridge I'd be grateful. Assuming that is so, then surely this particular 'Artist Series' is in fact incorrect.
Not knowing too much about other 'Artist Series' guitars I wonder if any other anomalies exist within the range that others may be aware of.
Regards,
Tim.

[Charlie Hall]

Hi Tim,
I know that the Clarence White Tele didn't have the right bender mechanism or the right pickups. Fender just got the nearest they could with what they have. Clarence's bridge pickup was specially wound with 2 coils by Red Rhodes, Fender used a Texas Special Tele bridge pickup. However, Marty Stuart who now owns Clarence's Tele put in a different bridge pickup so that didn't help Fender to get it right.
Regards,
Charlie

[Len]

Hi Tim and Everyone

I have modified this post quite a bit from the original one yesterday because I didn't think that it addressed your questions properly. I'm not sure whether the following adds much either but I certainly have questions about modifications which others might like to comment on.

Firstly, I don’t have the ‘Black Strat’ book you referred to. You said, "Likewise I am led to believe it is fitted with a Callaham bridge, yet the artist series is fitted with their (Fender) offering." If you were talking mainly about the David Gilmour model, as it seems you were, then I think that this guitar appears to be a Custom Shop model. If it is, then wouldn’t David Gilmour be free to make any modifications that he sees fit, after the fact, so to speak? However, I don’t know much at all about any actual contractual arrangements with regard to Custom Shop models but I just make that suggestion for what it's worth.

Here is a link for some info about that on the story of the famous Black Strat: www.fender.com/gilmour/story.php. It refers to the book 'The Black Strat'. It doesn't give an indication about a Callaham bridge though. Perhaps someone else may know about this.

With actual Fender Signature models it would surely be a different matter [The Fender site link is: www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=guitars&subcat=artist&pg=2]. Not surprisingly, seeing it is a Custom Shop guitar, the David Gilmour signature model does not appear to be mentioned there.

I have the Jeff Beck’s ‘Live at Ronnie Scott’s’ DVD too. I like it although I’ve only heard it once. Two highlights of the DVD for me are the things Jeff does with highly-skilled slide tapping (in one of the later tracks, I think) and the bass guitar work from the young Australian girl Tal Wilkenfeld, often hailed as the new Jaco Pastorius though we probably shouldn’t put those expectations on her. She seems very good though.

The Fender site gives the specs for the Jeff Beck guitar as having an “American 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with 6 Stainless Steel Saddles.” I am sure that any modifications to his guitar would have been made by himself. However, that would somehow destroy the integrity of the model of course. I don’t know much about other Signature models except for one which I find interesting for the reasons which follow.

As well as liking the Shadows, I also like Eric Johnson and the pure tones he manages to get with his Strat. and other equipment. He also has a signature model from the Fender Artist series. Here are some details about his guitar on the following link: www.americanmusical.com/Item--i-FEN-0117700-LIST?SRC=D0401BZ0HAMS0000&utm_source=bizrate&utm_medium=feed&. I think it makes interesting reading though you may have to be a bit of a fan like me to appreciate it.

There is also a review on Eric's signature model guitar at: www.electric-guitar-review.com/2007/06/29/review-fender-eric-johnson-stratocaster/ for any interested in reading about it.

I find the following interesting about bridge and other part replacements such as those with the Callaham bridge. Apparently, Eric does not like the use of stainless steel on any of his guitars as he believes it is a poor sound conductor. Tommy Taylor, his drummer, spoke about this a couple of days ago. I would be interested to hear comments from others about this, particularly as replacement bridges and various other parts (even than those from Fender) often seem to incorporate stainless steel. Eric apparently prefers to use nickel or chrome (over something other than stainless steel) for replacement parts on his guitars.

Regards
Len