51 replies to this topic

[Skitzo]

Soooo For my next guitar I was thinkin about getin a 62 re-issue then I saw that the 62 Hot rods just got back in stock

So.... Could anyone tell me which one is better?


/Noob/

[fenderfunk14]

hot rod, no question.

but, it all comes down to personal preference

the hot rod has a bigger neck radius (9.5 compared to 7.25) and also has medium jumbo frets (as opposed to fenders 'vintage styled' frets). To me, this translates into easier bends, and a more comfortable neck. ALSO, the hot rod has a satin finish on the back of the neck, which feels AMAZING

the hot rod also has reverse polarity pickups, so less pickup hum.

the hot is basically the reissue with some modern improvements. if you want something close to the original, get the reissue, but im always welcome to nice little upgrades

[bobbybrenes]

I was also thinking about those two options for my next guitar. I had to also buy one within my budget, and for a 62' Custom Shop stratocaster, the hot rod is the cheapest one I could find, with still a lot of great features. Also, the hot rod doesn't come beat up as the other one, and although I prefer the looks of a vintage strat, I believe that such wear should be naturally and not artificially done. Compare John's strat with the Custom shop ones and you'll notice there's always a strange kind of fake vibe in the ones that come already beat up, but that's my opinion. What you should do is play both models and see which one suits you best. That is why I haven't bought mine, since I need to travel to the US to check them both out and decide which one I prefer. Try lots of them out too, as each guitar has its own tone and feel that may or may not suit you.

[fenderfunk14]

the 62 reissues dont come reliced. at least not the ones i'm thinking of?

bobby is right though, if you can try them both out, def do so

EDIT: whoa! these guitars are both under $1500 now? brilliant!

[Manitou]

hot rod have thin skin nitro like pre cbs strats so for me hot rod > 62ri

62ri have nitro but under that thin nitro and paint u have thick polyester laquer so it wont relic like old strats.

that was one of the reasons i refinished my 62 ri to pure nitro

still i want to get hot rod coz i need 2nd guitar for half down tuning for hendrix and srv stuff

to bad new hot rods cost like 2,2k usd... .. anyway i think it worth that price becouse its best non custom shop strat

and about frets i would recomend vintage, becouse frets affect your sound and if you want that classic 60's stratocaster tone its a must. you can get vintage but i little higher ones. my luthier told me about them and they are great. comfortable with good tone.

[fenderfunk14]

Manitou, on Jan 21 2010, 07:20 PM, said:

hot rod have thin skin nitro like pre cbs strats so for me hot rod > 62ri

62ri have nitro but under that thin nitro and paint u have thick polyester laquer so it wont relic like old strats.

that was one of the reasons i refinished my 62 ri to pure nitro

still i want to get hot rod coz i need 2nd guitar for half down tuning for hendrix and srv stuff

to bad new hot rods cost like 2,2k usd... .. anyway i think it worth that price becouse its best non custom shop strat

and about frets i would recomend vintage, becouse frets affect your sound and if you want that classic 60's stratocaster sound its a must. you can get vintage but i little higher ones. my luthier told me about them and they are great. comfortable with good tone.

oh yeah i forgot that...hot rods are true nitro finished

and guitar center has the hot rods for around $1500 now...thats a steal

[Manitou]

I didnt check hot rod price last time but friend told be that on fender official website is cost 2200 usd... I saw them on ebay for 1000-1500 many times. I hope they wont raise that price. In next few years i will get one for sure. It's crazy price, but im glad that Fender make non coustom shop guitars with pure nitro.

[fenderfunk14]

yeah its great. about those vintage frets, im going to have to try a guitar with them again. last time i tried a tele with "vintage frets" and it crapped out on literally every bend. i suppose it was poorly set up, because hendrix seemed to pull of bends fine with a 7.25 radius and vintage frets.

[Manitou]

for easier bends on 7.25 and vintage frets you have to get guitar which is after good setup. Anyway I wound go for higher vintage frets. It will be more comfortable and you will save 50's 60's tone.

[Skitzo]

Next month I was ready to buy A 62 Reissue But I was browsing GC yesterday and I saw The Hot rods and they were nearly the same price as the Reissue So I was like Hmmmm Which one is better?

I guess I gotta go down there and Play both of em And see which One Seems Better

[fenderfunk14]

i think you'll love the hod rods. the neck is really the selling point. feels amazing, to me at least.

also check the tone at all switch positions, i think you'll see the hum is noticeabely less on the hot rod

and you can't deny the awesomeness of a true nitro finish. just imagine how badass your guitar will look AND sound in 2 years

[Skitzo]

Thanks For the Advice FF , It's Raining like Crazy here as soon as it stops I'm gonna Run Down to GC and See how this sounds

[bobbybrenes]

fenderfunk14, on Jan 21 2010, 05:13 PM, said:

the 62 reissues dont come reliced. at least not the ones i'm thinking of?

bobby is right though, if you can try them both out, def do so

EDIT: whoa! these guitars are both under $1500 now? brilliant!

Oh yeah my bad, just checked them both out. I was thinking of the Custom Shop Heavy Relic ones. Still, it's too bad the finish on the 62' reissue isn't thin-skin nitro, if it was I would definitely lean more towards that one instead of the Hot Rod 62'. I still have to try them both out though.

Something I noticed. On the Hot Rod 62' one tone knob comes wired to the bridge pickup instead of the middle one. I don't really mind since I almost always use the neck pickup and if I use any of the other one I just max out the tone. Still do any of you know if all the guitars come like that or if you can order them to change it or something?

[fenderfunk14]

i'm not sure if all of them come wired like that, i never really mess with my tone knobs so i wouldnt know.

if you wanted it fixed you could just re solder the pickup leads

skitzo, did you try them out yet?

[Skitzo]

Not yet :/ My only ride to Guitar center is My cousin and she hates driving in the rain And We're getting HEAVY ass rain This whole week :/

[bobbybrenes]

I just read a review here claiming that the finish on the 62' reissue is an old-school nitro finish. Does anyone have a link claiming that it has a polyutherane finish underneath the nitro finish? Because if what that review states is true I would definitely go for the 62' reissue because it has a slimmer neck.

[Manitou]

i refinished my 62ri so i know what im talking about. Only 62ri ThinSkin series, CS, and HotRods have nitro thin skin.

check out specs on fender website. you can see differece between Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish and Thin-Skin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

[bobbybrenes]

Manitou, on Jan 24 2010, 07:46 AM, said:

i refinished my 62ri so i know what im talking about. Only 62ri ThinSkin series, CS, and HotRods have nitro thin skin.

check out specs on fender website. you can see differece between Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish and Thin-Skin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

Still, isn't the reissue pure Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish? I don't really mind that much if it's a Thin-Skin, although it would be much better. But is it completely Nitrocellulose or does it have polyutherane underneath it?

[fenderfunk14]

bobbybrenes, on Jan 24 2010, 08:44 PM, said:

Manitou, on Jan 24 2010, 07:46 AM, said:

i refinished my 62ri so i know what im talking about. Only 62ri ThinSkin series, CS, and HotRods have nitro thin skin.

check out specs on fender website. you can see differece between Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish and Thin-Skin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

Still, isn't the reissue pure Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish? I don't really mind that much if it's a Thin-Skin, although it would be much better. But is it completely Nitrocellulose or does it have polyutherane underneath it?

Ive talked to a few guys who have stripped highway one strats that have the "nitrocellulose lacquer finish" only to find poly underneath. Id imagine the reissue is the same. Unless it says "thin skin" its going to have a layer of poly under it.

[bobbybrenes]

fenderfunk14, on Jan 24 2010, 08:12 PM, said:

bobbybrenes, on Jan 24 2010, 08:44 PM, said:

Manitou, on Jan 24 2010, 07:46 AM, said:

i refinished my 62ri so i know what im talking about. Only 62ri ThinSkin series, CS, and HotRods have nitro thin skin.

check out specs on fender website. you can see differece between Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish and Thin-Skin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish

Still, isn't the reissue pure Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish? I don't really mind that much if it's a Thin-Skin, although it would be much better. But is it completely Nitrocellulose or does it have polyutherane underneath it?

Ive talked to a few guys who have stripped highway one strats that have the "nitrocellulose lacquer finish" only to find poly underneath. Id imagine the reissue is the same. Unless it says "thin skin" its going to have a layer of poly under it.

I would love to have one of the 62' stratocaster reissue thin-skin limited edition, but I heard they also put in the medium jumbo frets instead of the vintage ones and the neck is a bit bigger. I would love to have one with the specs of the 62' reissue but with thin-skin nitrocellulose lacquer finish. Fender should really put up the option of choosing the frets you want, and the type of finish that suits you (thin-skin, nitrocellulose with polyutherane underneath or polyutherane) Still, I don't see that happening in the near future.

EDIT:

Quote

i refinished my 62ri so i know what im talking about. Only 62ri ThinSkin series, CS, and HotRods have nitro thin skin.

How much did it cost you to refinish it? Do you have any pictures before and after it being refinished so that we could see the differences?