Welcome to Baggas.com - Paul's blog on life, medicine, faith, family, technology and much more...
For all my networking and media pages in one place, check out my NetVibes Page.
13th April 2007

Fender VG Stratocaster



Categories : Gadgets, Guitar, Personal, Travel, Video, music |

Looks like it’s a week now since I’ve posted any kind of YouTube Video on this blog (and some of you are probably saying that’s a good thing), but I’ll make up for it now. It’s not a video of the kids or scenery this time but rather a demonstration of the latest product from Fender. Now for me, as both a guitarist and a techo-gadget-geek, this new VG Stratocaster seems to be the ultimate toy – a fully fledged American strat with the discrete addition of a small Roland pickup and two small control knobs which allow you to instantly change the tone and tuning of your guitar. No additional effects or special midi cables or anything required. Check out the demo :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVgg9VlKfz8

I’ve already been wanting to get hold of a strat for quite a while now but this new product looks awesome! Time to start saving hard and praying that the exchange rate holds up and maybe, just maybe, I can check one of these babies when I hit Nashville in a couple of months. Sweet.

Take a look at Matt Van Stone’s in depth review, also this review and the Fender site for more information.

Also here’s another good demo video from the NAMM 2007 convention. The guy demonstrates how you can play all the parts to Stairway to Heaven just by flicking a switch on your guitar :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akJJ8cajMQQ

This entry was posted on Friday, April 13th, 2007 at 12:57 pm and is filed under Gadgets, Guitar, Personal, Travel, Video, music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

There are currently 26 responses to “Fender VG Stratocaster”

Why not let us know what you think by adding your own comment! Your opinion is as valid as anyone elses, so come on... let us know what you think.

  1. 1 On April 13th, 2007, Oak said:

    Awesome.. grab one for me while your there too! :)

  2. 2 On April 15th, 2007, Shaggy said:

    seems like a great idea… but i dunno, the acoustic 12 string sounds kind of….lame.
    I dont’ think you can digitally mess with sound without loosing something.

  3. 3 On April 15th, 2007, baggas said:

    Hey shaggy I agree with you about the digital thing, and the 12 string didn’t quite sound right – though I thought the alternate tuning were pretty cool and the other electric guitar modes weren’t bad. But even if all the Roland sound were total crap you’re still left with a fully fledged USA strat so it’s not such a bad thing.

  4. 4 On April 17th, 2007, SHaggy said:

    Yeah fair enough, i would like to find out how they make it go drop D, because sound isn’t ‘black and white’ it is blurred i want to know how they pick up just the E string to drop…

  5. 5 On April 18th, 2007, baggas said:

    Apparently the Roland pickup senses each string individually somehow. I’ve heard a few demos now and although the sound isn’t as “pure” as if you had manually tuned the strings yourself, it always sounds okay, never out of tune or flat.

    There’s another detailed review of it here…

  6. 6 On May 11th, 2007, Baggas’ Blog - Paul’s blog on life, medicine, faith, technology and much more… » Google stats update said:

    [...] of the referrals, and the number one page aside from the front page is still clearly my post on the Fender VG Strat, which is pleasing. Hopefully I’ll be able to post my own review of the guitar at some point [...]

  7. 7 On May 22nd, 2007, Matt Van Stone said:

    Oh man, that guy in the 2nd video is a horrible public speaker. They should have just let the guitar player speak the whole time.

    Interesting that they would choose to demo Stairway to Heaven… a song that was written and performed on a Gibson. I dont know if that is a good thing or a bad thing that Fender sounds like a Gibson hahaha.

    When he flicks the switch and starts playing White Summer Black Mountain Side I almost cried. I can remember wanting to learn that but every time I had to re-tune to DADGAD I would just lose interest.

    Thanks a lot for the links man! I like your site and have added it to my reader.

  8. 8 On May 22nd, 2007, Pascal said:

    Stairway to Heaven was recorded with 3 different guitars, among them a 12-String Martin,
    and the solo was apparently performed on a Tele. This, according to an article I recently read in
    a guitar magazine…

  9. 9 On May 29th, 2007, Big Al said:

    Can anyone determine why Fender would ignore the Eb tuning in the presets? I’m no pro player, just a guy who late in his 30’s jam’s with friends on weekends, but to me this seems like a HUGE oversight…I know I’m opening myself to attack from the ‘pure musicians’ who will say, look buddy, just stay in E, but it is pretty fun playing the early van halen in proper tune as my head remembers it and then moving on to something that is in E etc when we’re just fooling around…it seems like a natural to me..
    Baritone could easily go away for alot of guys in favor of the Eb…even if its just to figure out parts form a Cd….

    Thoughts?

  10. 10 On May 29th, 2007, baggas said:

    Big Al I also agree a half step down tuning would have been a nice feature – very useful for playing along with recordings. As I saw someone else comment somewhere, perhaps they should have put Eb in instead of Drop-D, since drop D involves only downtuning 1 string anyway.

  11. 11 On May 29th, 2007, Big Al said:

    I bet the drop D is for the Van Halenites out there (of which I’m one). Likely reaction to the Drop D Tuna craze of old…I’m totally interested in owning a VG, but I’m going to wait and see if they adjust the presets to include the Eb…

  12. 12 On June 7th, 2007, Herbie said:

    Are The batteries included?

  13. 13 On November 8th, 2007, Mad Stratter said:

    the addition of a half-step down tuning is the only thing that could have made me salivate any more than I already am.

    Yes, the idea an electronic imitation on an acoustic guitar is laughable, but to be able to switch from Strat to Tele at the flip of a switch… that, I would give a testicle for.

  14. 14 On November 8th, 2007, baggas said:

    MadStratter : Yeh I agree the half step tuning would have been another great addition.
    Some of the acoustic models are surprisingly good, and the Tele and Humbucking modes very useful indeed.

    And Herbie : batteries are included, but the VG does chew through them fairly quickly

  15. 15 On November 9th, 2007, Mad Stratter said:

    Oh, I almost forgot about the humbuckers. It’s like a fusion of my Fat Strat w/ my single-coils.

  16. 16 On November 9th, 2007, Mad Stratter said:

    …not to mention 35 other guitars. Simply genius.

  17. 17 On December 23rd, 2007, Peter B said:

    Had a vg for two weeks now. It has already been back to the dealers as the set up was bad with really wierd strings[ranging from a 7 first string to a 40 6th string] and bad action. I got it back today and it is much better but by no means perfect. There is however another big problem. As soon as I got back I plugged in the strat with new batteries but within two minutes the blue battery light began to flash and the effects died. I changed the battery—-same thing within two minutes. I changed my amp and put new batteries in but the same thing happened. I’m well pissed off, Has anybody else had a problem?

  18. 18 On December 23rd, 2007, baggas said:

    Hey Peter. The setup and original strings on mine were fine. I did find that it used up a lot of batteries when I was using energizer alkaline batteries like the ones it came with. But I’d still get at least 3 hours or so of playing time out of each set. Now I’ve switched to recharchables (2500mAH NIMH) and they last 2 or 3 times as long.

  19. 19 On January 2nd, 2008, Eli the Iceman said:

    Any one experience a problem w/ the Roland device emitting two notes it the DADGAD tuning on the 1st & 2nd string? Just picked up my guitar on Dec. 28th, plugged it in and the A & open B sound at the same time as well as the D and open E while in the D modal setting.
    Sounds pretty bad … that major second. I called the dealer (Guitar Center) and I have to wait until he can contact the Fender rep for a resolution; he says he hasn’t heard of this before.

  20. 20 On January 31st, 2008, Eli the Iceman said:

    Well, I figured out the problem w/ the major second interval being emitted when playing in modal tunings/modeled tuning w/ the VG Strat.
    Seems you will get this when playing through an amp at a low volume, which what I was doing when playing at home … as not to disturb the missus.
    I went to 2 different local stores and tried VG Strats there and those guitars exhibited this same “feature”. Of course, I use this term in jest. I guess you have to play at a certain volume level in order to NOT hear the major second.
    I would think, though, that someone would have heard this, either at Fender or elsewhere, and would have reported it. When I contacted Fender directly on two occasions, no one there had heard of the problem. I called a store in PA (Fender-authorized repair center) and they had not heard of this either, although, when I pointed this out to the sales personnel at the music stores that I visited, they did hear it.

  21. 21 On March 16th, 2008, scotty said:

    i was lazy and left some dead AA batts in the guitar for a few weeks and now i’ve got acid gunk on the terminals of the battery holder that i think is killing my whole modeling function. anybody have any suggestions to rectify? i can’t find anybody selling just that part individually.

  22. 22 On May 3rd, 2008, Ed said:

    I purchaed a VG from the USA. Live in Australia.Problem arose the other night ,when I switched to Roland,the G string went dead as a do-do.Tried differant configurations, still the same …. G dead…..Has any body had this problem? and what did you do to fix it?

  23. 23 On June 29th, 2008, Buskerbuoy said:

    Buy it from here dude and you won’t have to freight it back to the States if you have to use the warranty.

  24. 24 On April 14th, 2009, Steve Lovett said:

    Paul I bought a VG from my local music shop today and as a fellow gadget geek I find it sensational. It encourages me as a relatively inexperienced guitar player to step outside the square. I took it to my lesson tonight and my teacher gave me his Les Paul and wouldn’t put the VG down. I think at half the price of a Gibson Darkfire (if you can get one) they are great value and would recommend to anyone to buy one from a reputable music shop. The setup on mine is almost perfect. If you are ever in Orange NSW check out Landers Music Store where I buy all my gear from. Ben Lander runs an exceptional business.

  25. 25 On April 14th, 2009, Baggas said:

    Steve – great to hear from another Aussie VG user. I agree it is a good instrument for a newer guitarist to encourage thinking outside the box, and also to consider which tone to play when and develop an ear for tone.

    Gibson Darkfire look awesome but who can afford $7000 or whatever they are going for? And if I were going to spend that much on a guitar I’d want a real special custom model Les Paul rather than an early edition techno gadget guitar. VG may not have all the same features but it is pitched at a much better price point (though still probably too expensive for most)

  26. 26 On July 3rd, 2009, steve said:

    I’m getting weird harmonic sounds on some of the tunings when played up the neck. Anyone else? Any fixes? Got ZERO response from fender on this…

Leave a Reply