Post by grayn on Aug 2, 2015 6:15:15 GMT
I've fairly recently acquired 2 solid bodied electric guitars.
A Music Man Albert Lee (70th anniv.) and a Fender Sergio Vallin Signature.
Although they are by no means, similar in design or price, they were both bought ostensibly, to play instrumental surf music.
Both have similarities to the Fender Stratocaster.
The Albert Lee, in that it has a very similar pickup and control layout.
The Sergio Vallin, in that it has an offset strat body, with a strat style neck and headstock.
The Albert's body design is unique to the model, although is does remind me of some obscure guitars, from the 60s.
Anybody remember Fenton Weil?
I have set the guitars up very similarly.
The tremolos are set with the bridge fairly low, only giving minimal pitch change upwards.
I find it gives more stability that way.
Whilst being able to perform all the trem effects, one needs for surf.
Both use 3 internal springs.
Both tremolos work very well but there's no doubting the Albert is smoother and more responsive.
Both guitars have been set up with almost identical, string "action" height.
For surf music, you do a lot of double picking and dig in quite a bit.
So, super low action is not the best here.
Both these guitars cope very well with low action.
But with the higher action I use, although set up almost identically (with Elixir 10s), the Sergio feels very slightly stiffer and the Albert slightly more relaxed and speedy.
But for surf, the Sergio's stiffer, more solid feel is actually, the better.
I can't fully explain why they do feel different and it's not a huge difference.
But it's enough to notice and give the Fender, the slight surfing edge.
Tone wise, the Albert has a very vibrant, strat sound.
The custom wound Dimarzios have a nice little snarl to them, too.
The Sergio, with it's HSS pickups and unusual selector wiring, has a thicker sound.
I mainly use the middle pickup alone, on the Albert.
And the bridge HB and neck S/C together, on the Sergio.
In comparison, the Albert sings more, with lot's of vibrant, single-coil sustain.
The Sergio is a little thicker and dirtier and although not the same, it kind of reminds me of a Jazzmaster.
Both work well for surf, with either seeming to suit different tunes, better.
So overall, how do they compare?
The Albert costs twice as much as the Sergio.
And this is validated in the quality of build, design, woods and hardware.
I'm not saying the Albert is twice as good, in all those departments.
But it is a better quality guitar, in all those areas.
In the looks department, I really like the quirky elements of the Fender.
Although Sergio Vallin is known for playing Latin rock, his signature model, with it's offset body, Jag style plate, under the bridge and unusual knob control plate, really does have a surfin' look, to my eyes.
The 70th anniversary Albert, by using all natural wood and a tort pick guard, has softened the angular design of the model.
Most other Alberts have single colour finishes and many have a metallic and/or sparkle effect.
I guess those finishes could be thought of as being more surfy and a little futuristic.
But I really like the natural wood look, on this anniversary model.
For feel, the Sergio is the heavier guitar.
Not by a huge margin, though.
It's neck is wider, at the nut.
And this really adds to the comfort, I think.
I really like the Sergio's fretboard, too.
Very positive feeling and accurate.
It almost feels like ebony, though it is rosewood.
As I said before, the Albert has a smoother, more relaxed feel.
Rather unusually, the fretboard has a gloss finish.
I've only come across this before, on Rickenbackers.
But actually, it is very nice to play.
You can just imagine Mr Lee whizzing around this neck, with his country rock picking.
I guess, for versatility, the HSS pickup combination, on the Fender, has got to have a wider range of tones.
The Albert is tonally, like a very high end strat.
I've owned a couple of US Deluxe strats and played few custom shop Fenders.
In my view, the Albert out does all of them.
Both guitars have "vintage" trems, that can be adjusted to accomodate most tastes, apart from the huge dive-bombing, in some metal axes.
Both have locking tuners, to aid stability and speed up string changing.
For overall quality, as I've said, the Albert wins, hands down.
For versatility, you have to say, the Sergio wins.
As a guitar for surf?
I'd have say, they are pretty much equal.
If you're a surfin' strat player, go for the Albert.
If you prefer the Jazzmaster, go for the Sergio.
Jag players? Try both.
If I could only keep one, it'd be the Albert.
Though I'd really miss the Sergio.
A Music Man Albert Lee (70th anniv.) and a Fender Sergio Vallin Signature.
Although they are by no means, similar in design or price, they were both bought ostensibly, to play instrumental surf music.
Both have similarities to the Fender Stratocaster.
The Albert Lee, in that it has a very similar pickup and control layout.
The Sergio Vallin, in that it has an offset strat body, with a strat style neck and headstock.
The Albert's body design is unique to the model, although is does remind me of some obscure guitars, from the 60s.
Anybody remember Fenton Weil?
I have set the guitars up very similarly.
The tremolos are set with the bridge fairly low, only giving minimal pitch change upwards.
I find it gives more stability that way.
Whilst being able to perform all the trem effects, one needs for surf.
Both use 3 internal springs.
Both tremolos work very well but there's no doubting the Albert is smoother and more responsive.
Both guitars have been set up with almost identical, string "action" height.
For surf music, you do a lot of double picking and dig in quite a bit.
So, super low action is not the best here.
Both these guitars cope very well with low action.
But with the higher action I use, although set up almost identically (with Elixir 10s), the Sergio feels very slightly stiffer and the Albert slightly more relaxed and speedy.
But for surf, the Sergio's stiffer, more solid feel is actually, the better.
I can't fully explain why they do feel different and it's not a huge difference.
But it's enough to notice and give the Fender, the slight surfing edge.
Tone wise, the Albert has a very vibrant, strat sound.
The custom wound Dimarzios have a nice little snarl to them, too.
The Sergio, with it's HSS pickups and unusual selector wiring, has a thicker sound.
I mainly use the middle pickup alone, on the Albert.
And the bridge HB and neck S/C together, on the Sergio.
In comparison, the Albert sings more, with lot's of vibrant, single-coil sustain.
The Sergio is a little thicker and dirtier and although not the same, it kind of reminds me of a Jazzmaster.
Both work well for surf, with either seeming to suit different tunes, better.
So overall, how do they compare?
The Albert costs twice as much as the Sergio.
And this is validated in the quality of build, design, woods and hardware.
I'm not saying the Albert is twice as good, in all those departments.
But it is a better quality guitar, in all those areas.
In the looks department, I really like the quirky elements of the Fender.
Although Sergio Vallin is known for playing Latin rock, his signature model, with it's offset body, Jag style plate, under the bridge and unusual knob control plate, really does have a surfin' look, to my eyes.
The 70th anniversary Albert, by using all natural wood and a tort pick guard, has softened the angular design of the model.
Most other Alberts have single colour finishes and many have a metallic and/or sparkle effect.
I guess those finishes could be thought of as being more surfy and a little futuristic.
But I really like the natural wood look, on this anniversary model.
For feel, the Sergio is the heavier guitar.
Not by a huge margin, though.
It's neck is wider, at the nut.
And this really adds to the comfort, I think.
I really like the Sergio's fretboard, too.
Very positive feeling and accurate.
It almost feels like ebony, though it is rosewood.
As I said before, the Albert has a smoother, more relaxed feel.
Rather unusually, the fretboard has a gloss finish.
I've only come across this before, on Rickenbackers.
But actually, it is very nice to play.
You can just imagine Mr Lee whizzing around this neck, with his country rock picking.
I guess, for versatility, the HSS pickup combination, on the Fender, has got to have a wider range of tones.
The Albert is tonally, like a very high end strat.
I've owned a couple of US Deluxe strats and played few custom shop Fenders.
In my view, the Albert out does all of them.
Both guitars have "vintage" trems, that can be adjusted to accomodate most tastes, apart from the huge dive-bombing, in some metal axes.
Both have locking tuners, to aid stability and speed up string changing.
For overall quality, as I've said, the Albert wins, hands down.
For versatility, you have to say, the Sergio wins.
As a guitar for surf?
I'd have say, they are pretty much equal.
If you're a surfin' strat player, go for the Albert.
If you prefer the Jazzmaster, go for the Sergio.
Jag players? Try both.
If I could only keep one, it'd be the Albert.
Though I'd really miss the Sergio.
Jo whoever he is.
