KOA fender Strat?

[gcapel]

I seen this beast in musicians friend. Anybody own this jewel? I was curious where the guitar was made.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Special-Edition-Koa-Stratocaster?sku=516034

 

[mshilarious]

I thought it was gonna be a Kampgrounds of America Strat


Edit: They should paint that in translucent sea green

 

[true-eurt]

http://www.makingmusic.co.uk/beechlife4.htm


Here is the decription I found at Musician's Friend....apparently made in Korea

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--FEN265106
Product Description
Value seekers looking for maximum flash and features -- here's a Stratocaster with a Koa veneer top, Birdseye Maple neck, Seymour Duncan pickups, and a Pearl pickguard and pearl dot inlays. This marks the first non-Custom Shop Koa Strat. High-end, boutique styling on a budget!
Technical Info
Model Name: Koa Stratocaster

Model Number: 026-5106-537

Series: Special Edition Series

Body: Alder with Koa Top

Neck: Birdseye Maple, Modern “C” Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)

Fingerboard: Rosewood 9.5 in. Radius (241mm) with Pearl Dot Inlays

No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets

Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.625 in.

Hardware: Chrome

Machine Heads: Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines

Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo

Pickguard: 3-Ply Pearl (W/B/Pearl)

Pickups: Seymour Duncan APS-1N, APS-1RWRP, APS-1B, (Neck/Middle/Bridge) (APS=Alnico Pro Staggered)

Pickup Switching:
5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup

Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle/Bridge Pickups)

Colors: (537) Light Burst (Polyurethane Finish)

Strings: Fender Super Bullets 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003

Unique Features: White Plastic Parts and Pearl Pickguard, Pearl Dot Position Inlays, Seymour Duncan Pickups, Koa Top, Oversized Strap Buttons

Source: Korea

 

[therage!]

It's got decent pickup's.

That might be a little pricey for Korean made.

 

[true-eurt]

I think the priceyness of it, is due to the KOA wood....?

The first link has a nice write up about the guitars....you just have to scroll past the stuff about the Stones to read it.

 

[Light]

I think the priceyness of it, is due to the KOA wood....?

Almost certainly. The cost of koa has gone tripled in the last few years. Dempand is high, it only grows in Hawaii, and they can't cut down live trees. The only wood comes from trees which are already dead.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[true-eurt]

Almost certainly. The cost of koa has gone tripled in the last few years. Dempand is high, it only grows in Hawaii, and they can't cut down live trees. The only wood comes from trees which are already dead.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

Have you played on a guitar with this wood Light?

 

[muttley600]

What a waste of good Koa!! No disrespect to the Fender buffs but that stuff should never be used to cap a solid body, but hey I'm a wood snob. I'd be interested to know where they got it from and when because even at that price its hard to see them making much on it.

The only wood comes from trees which are already dead.

Or if your really lucky like me you bought a load of it in the 80's before it became fashionable. I have around 50 back and side sets waiting which are over 20 years old.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Koa refers to a finish that looks like that wood, I believe Limba is the actual wood being referred to. This leads me to believe theres no real Limba on that guitar at all, just a mark up because of the association with that name.

 

[mrface2112]

no, this is a real Koa veneer on top of an Alder or Basswood body. the real debate is whether this is an alder or basswood body underneath that veneer--i've seen both referred to.

I've played both the Koa strat and tele at my local axe shop. They're nice enough guitars, at least as far as the lower-priced strats/teles go. they look prettier than they sound or play, IMO.

would i buy one? probably not. i'd rather have a solid koa body (and pay a little extra for it) than a laminate on top of basswood.


cheers,
wade

 

[true-eurt]

Koa refers to a finish that looks like that wood, I believe Limba is the actual wood being referred to. This leads me to believe theres no real Limba on that guitar at all, just a mark up because of the association with that name.

This is an excerpt from the link in my earlier post...

This month marks the release of the hottest new Fender Guitars; the Koa Telecaster and KOA Stratocaster. Specification wise these Guitars stand out a mile. With a Koa veneer top, Birdseye Maple neck, Seymour Duncan pickups, and a pearl finish to the fret inlays and scratchplate the Koa Tele and Strat sound (and play) like velvet for a price tag of just £599 (R.R.P). Despite having very similar specifications the two guitars sound very different, the Stratocaster delivers that classic Strat sound, just as the Tele delivers its own unique sound.

 

[therage!]

Have you played on a guitar with this wood Light?

I'm not Light but I've got an all Koa Taylor acoustic that is incredible!

The low end (which for me many Taylors I've played have a lack of) on it is amazing. Even the top is Koa.

As far as that Koa strat goes I'd have save up $200 more and get a USA made strat. But that's just me.

 

[true-eurt]

I'm not Light but I've got an all Koa Taylor acoustic that is incredible!

The low end (which for me many Taylors I've played have a lack of) on it is amazing. Even the top is Koa.

As far as that Koa strat goes I'd have save up $200 more and get a USA made strat. But that's just me.

I was just curious about the wood. I don't know a lot about the woods that go into making guitars and the different effects different woods have on tones and such.

I am saving up for a Strat kit. I thought it would be good 'hands on' exprerience, to actually put one togather and what better way to customize one for myself, doing it how I want, giving it my own personal sig...hopefully the sig not being some big screw-up!!

 

[Light]

Have you played on a guitar with this wood Light?

Many times many, but only on acoustics. It is my dad's favorite wood for acoustics, and one of my favorites. The best I can discribe is it has the best aspects of both rosewood and mahogany. The strong fundimental of mahogany, and some of the bell-like harmonics you find in really nice rosewoods. Also, it is hands down the prettiest looking wood in the world, when you find a heavily figured piece.

As for electrics, I've never made one. I want to, but with the price of koa for a top on one of my guitars, I need to have a customer for the guitar before I can do it.

What a waste of good Koa!! No disrespect to the Fender buffs but that stuff should never be used to cap a solid body, but hey I'm a wood snob. I'd be interested to know where they got it from and when because even at that price its hard to see them making much on it.

Well, if you look at the picture I saw, it is a very plain piece of koa, with straight grain and no figure. Not the show piece kind of stuff we all love so much. I wouldn't be surprised if the sawyer is practically giving that stuff away. It's like the problem Alied Lutherie had with their Brazilian rosewood stump wood. They would sell out of the really nice stuff in a day or two, but then they would be stuck with piles upon piles of the lower grades that no one would buy. This is probably a similar thing. Fender got a deal on a bunch of very plain Jane koa, and is making a feature out of it. One can hardly blame them. It probably still cost them plenty.

Oh, and any piece I would use as a top on one of my electrics wouldn't work for a acoustic anyway. To narrow, and not long enough. You MIGHT be able to get a couple of parlor backs, but I doubt it. I suppose you could get a size 4 or 2 out of it, but not many people are going to buy a new guitar based on a pre-war Martin (pre-CIVIL war, that is).

Or if your really lucky like me you bought a load of it in the 80's before it became fashionable. I have around 50 back and side sets waiting which are over 20 years old.

Oh, we have lots of Koa, some of it going back to the 70's, but 50 sets wouldn't last dad more than 5 years. He is kind of known for his koa guitars, and does so love the stuff. New koa is not QUITE as expensive as Brazilian, but it is getting close (we have some of that which has been around since the seventies too, along with a few German Spruce tops that would make your socks roll up and down they are so nice).

Koa, however, is one of the few short supply woods I'm not too worried about. They have been growing it on some Hawaian plantations for about 20 years now, and while it will be at LEAST 30 years before it is ready to harvest and use, it will be around. The supply will always be limited, and it's going to be expensive, but it will be around. That's fine with me though, because in the end we just make more money off of it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[Light]

Koa refers to a finish that looks like that wood, I believe Limba is the actual wood being referred to. This leads me to believe theres no real Limba on that guitar at all, just a mark up because of the association with that name.

Nope, it refers to koa wood, a member of the Acacia family which grows only in Hawaii.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[muttley600]

Well, if you look at the picture I saw, it is a very plain piece of koa, with straight grain and no figure. Not the show piece kind of stuff we all love so much. I wouldn't be surprised if the sawyer is practically giving that stuff away. It's like the problem Alied Lutherie had with their Brazilian rosewood stump wood. They would sell out of the really nice stuff in a day or two, but then they would be stuck with piles upon piles of the lower grades that no one would buy. This is probably a similar thing. Fender got a deal on a bunch of very plain Jane koa, and is making a feature out of it. One can hardly blame them. It probably still cost them plenty.

True but even the plain and crown cut is sought after by cabinet makers so the price still remains high. I only make with Koa to order and a few years ago it was in vogue. Demand has dropped off in the last few years as far as I'm concerned. Narrow stock is still good for three piece backs and can look great and I've sold some narrow or flawed stock to a few mandolin makers I know. Have we sorted out if this is saw cut or veneer? If its veneer then it puts it in a different light. Koa Veneer is still in wide supply, at least here and in Italy.

German Spruce or European Spruce because very very little of it has ever come from Germany at least the good stuff is falling off the shelves here I have enough for a lifetime at present rates I'm over in Austria, Italy and Germany at least twice a year buying more tho Good top grade Archtop stock is what I'm always after as well as good tight flamed Maple. Another thing you guys seem to get that we don't is good quilted stuff.

If there is any Limba on those strats or teles as suggested I'd chuck em on the fire now.

 

[Light]

saw cut or veneer? If its veneer then it puts it in a different light. Koa Veneer is still in wide supply, at least here and in Italy.

It's a veneer.

Another thing you guys seem to get that we don't is good quilted stuff.

Well, for flat top backs & sides, we get some quilted maple from a place called Pacific Rim Tonewoods (also our primary Sitka and Engleman provider) which is just flat out astounding. Easily the best looking maple I've ever seen. It's Easter Bigleaf Maple, so if your looking for Hard Maple this isn't it, but I find the bigleaf is much preferable to the Hard Maple. The bigleaf is much softer (though still plenty hard), and has a much genteler sound. I usually find those old Gibson and Guild maple guitar (which were made with Eastern Hard Maple) to have an unpleasant harshness in the high end. Bigleaf doesn't have that. It has a nice, bright, but smooth high end, and a much better overall ballance. Plus, the amount of quilt avalible in bigleaf can be MUCH higher than in Hard Maple, and there just is more high figure bigleaf to be had. I don't think they have any for archtops, but you could give them a call and find out.


Pacific Rim Tonewoods, Inc.
420 16th St.
Bellingham, WA 98225
206-826-6041, fax: 206-826-6046





Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[muttley600]

Thanks for that Light. I'll drop them a line. I did speak to a load of US suppliers a while ago. Can't remember if they were one of them. The big problem for me shipping from the US its expensive but I have in the past when I've seen something I must have, you know how that works!!! I'm still nervous about shipping large quantities unseen. Even if I trust the pics and samples. But for quilt I think I'm gonna have to. If you come across anyone that has decent quilt archtop sets I sure would be happy to hear about it.

I'm happy to use Big Leaf Maple and have had some good sets from Canada in the past. Most maple I use is archtop sets and the best I usually find in these parts is from Bosnia. It became very scarce a few years back for obvious reasons so I started to look farther afield. The eastern European stuff is great, good tight fine figure and hard as stone. The timber of choice for most violin and Cello makers still. I've seen some good sycamore recently as well but it's still stabalising in my shop so havent used it yet. From what I've been told it works much the same as Big Leaf but we shall see.

So if the the strats in question are veneer why on earth did they use something so plain??? Its not hard to find decent figured Koa veneer in big wide flitches. I dont buy much veneer but I do see a lot on my travels!!