# What's your take on Nash guitars? In particular Strats



## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Are they as good as the vintage originals? If not, how far off are they??


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I've been interested in these for while so it will be nice to hear the expert's opinions.


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## hjr2 (Sep 5, 2013)

I have a Nash T63 tele and I know it's an Allparts body and neck. Even though it's a Partscaster I love it. I'd really like to try their Strats out. I think they are at Capsule Music in Toronto.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I tried a couple in a shop and one of them was really nice. The other had the trem badly set up and it did not feel and sound as good. the Nash relicing leaves me indifferent


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## hjr2 (Sep 5, 2013)

I agree with you on their finishes. Not the best. My Tele is ugly as hell, my girlfriend says it looks like a piece of insulation. It plays and sounds great though. That's all that matters to me.


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

The colour is kind of like the Chinese Pepto- Bismol guitar on a previous thread here if play good what the hell does the colour matter.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## hjr2 (Sep 5, 2013)

fredyfreeloader said:


> The colour is kind of like the Chinese Pepto- Bismol guitar on a previous thread here if play good what the hell does the colour matter.


Yup, it's gross.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

It's a partscaster? For that kind of money anyone interested in a Tele should check out Rideski's Ad for a great Partscaster Tele. It looks great.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

at least to can keep you warm! she may feel a bit jealous given how much it "insulates" you. haha j.k. 



hjr2 said:


> I agree with you on their finishes. Not the best. My Tele is ugly as hell, my girlfriend says it looks like a piece of insulation. It plays and sounds great though. That's all that matters to me.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

hjr2 said:


> I have a Nash T63 tele and I know it's an Allparts body and neck. Even though it's a Partscaster I love it. I'd really like to try their Strats out. I think they are at Capsule Music in Toronto.


Sorry if this question is silly but at what point does a partscaster become a NASH T63...?

G.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

here's the one that I'm looking at getting. I`ve been considering getting a real 62 original or so but it`s a crap shoot as it might be blah and the future of vintage is unknown.

future of vintage market,:::É//???????any thoughts???


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

The vintage market in guitars (especially electrics) is in a downswing. If you're buying a vintage electric do it for the pleasure it will provide you as to opposed to an investment. The only vintage guitars I own I purchased either brand new (or close to it) and they are the only ones that have increased in value substantially but I would never sell them. I will leave their eventual sale to my kids.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

By the way, great looking Strat.:wave:


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

I'm a sucker for a black Strat so you had me at "here's the one"....I don't have extensive experience with vintage instruments, however, i did spend some quality time on two '60's Strats ('60 and '62) that belong to two pro players which have owned them for 30 + years. Both guitars were "OMG" moments for me and truly holy grail instruments. They did however mod their guitars - refrets, modern pickups in the '60, tuners, radius flattened etc..Essentially, the specs we see on modern S style guitars.

One thing to consider, if you are buying the Nash new and decide to sell, you will take a significant hit. You might also want to consider some of the Fender Reissue models. hope this helps.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

The best relic on any guitar I've seen was made by our own Alain (al3d). I should never have sold the one I had but you know me by now, I sell everything


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

I'll weigh in saying that I'm a little...."mehh" about the Nash stuff....in general. I've owned one that was cool (actually owned it twice) and I thought the best thing about it was the sound. the playability was good, not great, and the finish was not any where near some other builders level.
Not a fan of their finishing. Necks are too orange, relicing is sort of cheesy. They sound good though. I would put them on the lower rung of the Fender knock-offs. they are nowhere near an Underwood or a GVCG, let alone a real Fender custom shop instrument. 
I'd say they are great player's tools. They sound good and can be set up to play better than they come from the factory. And from 30ft back in a dim club, who could tell it wasn't the real thing.
Having said all that, I recently was looking at a Nash 12-string tele that I thought might be good for me. Ha !!! 

AND I agree with Dave above than Alain here on the Forum does exceptional finishing to his fender knock-offs.....in a completely different league from Nash.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I second (or I guess third) Alain's relic work. I was never a fan of the relic work that I've seen until I had the opportunity to see Alain's handiwork. It's not over the top and it's realistic. He must spend a ton of time on his guitars.


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## Alex (Feb 11, 2006)

yes, an Underwood would be a great choice. They come up every once and while on the used market.


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

sambonee said:


> Are they as good as the vintage originals? If not, how far off are they??



Just to directly answer the OP's question. ....

No

Nash's are nowhere near a good vintage Tele or Strat.

Different planet.


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## noman (Jul 24, 2006)

I've only played one Nash strat and as Pete said, playable but there are better options imo. I own a Jeff Senn s-style and it is hands down the best relic work I've ever seen. The only one that comes close is Underwood..........


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Alex Dann said:


> yes, an Underwood would be a great choice. They come up every once and while on the used market.


I played this guitar on Sunday & it was absolutely spectacular. Big & ballsy, very easy to play. If I was in the market for a Strat I'd be on top of this like a fat kid on a Smartie.

http://www.bluehughmusic.com/gear/3...e_'58_Aged_3-Tone_Sunburst_Mint_Original_Soft


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

PK..my take on it. i played 2 in my life..one of the earlier ones..and one of the new ones. True he uses asians body and necks...(allparts)' but the rest of the hardware is mainly or used to be gotoh...The early lnes were cool...he was alone in is little shop and was doing it slowly and paying attention to every little details. Now...he's more manager then anything else. the new one i tried was more in line with a fender road worn...the relic work was not what he sed to do cor sure, now using production techniques in order to supply all his dealers...he can't be blame for it...you can't create 500 quality relic jobs a year and keep up a decent level of quality and realisme. Most of yu know i do the same stuff as he as doing when he started..but i,m keeping small. Relic work takes time...to make a proper relic, nitro is used..and to work..it needs to CURE..the longer the better basially.


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## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

I've never been a fan of relic'd guitars. I don't get it, don't understand it and never figured out how you'd resell one. Is is mint condition? Does it have scratches? WTF? To me, guitar wear must be earned, not artificially induced. There, I said it! 

I also don't like the fact that the source of the parts are not clear.


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

I never really understood the hype around Nash guitars ... I've played a few, and they were really just your run of the mill partscasters, not the amazing boutique guitars everyone seemed to claim. So far as I can tell, all he does is relic stock parts, bolt them together and then sell them at a ridiculous markup. As others have mentioned you can get far better relic jobs for less money from guys like al3d, if that's your thing.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

LydianGuitars said:


> I've never been a fan of relic'd guitars. I don't get it, don't understand it and never figured out how you'd resell one. Is is mint condition? Does it have scratches? WTF? To me, guitar wear must be earned, not artificially induced. There, I said it!
> 
> I also don't like the fact that the source of the parts are not clear.


this is not a debate on if you like or not relic, but rather about Nash. As to where the part come from..do you know where Fender, Gibson, Suhr etc etc all get their wood and hardware?...no, you don't and no one does really appart from the guy at the shop buying them. That's not really an argument.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

hjr2 said:


> I agree with you on their finishes. Not the best. My Tele is ugly as @#!*% , my girlfriend says it looks like a piece of insulation. It plays and sounds great though. That's all that matters to me.


I agree with you.......................and your girlfriend. :rockon2:


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## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

al3d said:


> this is not a debate on if you like or not relic, but rather about Nash.


> If you read the title of the OP’s thread, it states “What’s your take on Nash Guitars”. That’s a very subjective question. Nash makes relics and I commented on that. I don’t see the problem with my post and I totally respect the people that do that kind of work and guitarists that have a preference for that style of finish. Some of those guitars do look cool, I have to admit 




al3d said:


> As to where the part come from..do you know where Fender, Gibson, Suhr etc etc all get their wood and hardware?...no, you don't and no one does really appart from the guy at the shop buying them. That's not really an argument.


> There’s a huge difference between companies like Fender or Gibson having things like bridges and pickguards made for them and some guy assembling guitars from off-the shelf parts. Fender & Gibson designed their parts and in some cases outsource the actual manufacture of them: Big difference compared to simply assembling parts. I hope you can see that, but this is getting off topic. 

> Look at Leo Fender when he started up G&L and his Music Man involvement. He didn’t just continue doing what he was doing before. He improved and evolved his designs. He didn’t just source stuff out. He re-designed his new guitars, from the trem, to pickups, electronics etc…
I actually approached some local companies to make some custom metal parts for me. I’m controlling the design, specs and expect a certain level of quality. That’s very different from buying an off the shelf parts. I have the know how and skill to build a guitar but I’m not a metal worker. Some level of outsourcing is expected. For example, most Spanish luthiers send their guitars off to be French polished because those finishers have the expertise and know how to do the job well. They work with them and know what to expect from them. If it makes for a better instrument, then I say go for it. Personally, I don’t see how a Nash is a better instrument than a Genuine Fender, but maybe I’m missing something. Everything he does seems to be Fender copying, stuck in the past mindest. Maybe his relic style or name appeals more to certain buyers, maybe the price point is better, customer service, IDK. It might be up to Nash to say how his guitars are nicer/better/different but I don’t see anything to that effect on his website.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Just for the record, I also hate relics. It's like a lie to me.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> Just for the record, I also hate relics. It's like a lie to me.


Since we are derailing this thread, I like relics.

Lions 1 ....... Christians 1

Cheers

Dave


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

I just like the fact that this is my first thread that peoe have actually noticed. AND that I do appreciate the input. 

I just pulled the trigger on it. Should arrive in about a week or two. 

You see, it all started off as I wanted to. Try a set if Kerry Learned pickups (made famous on TGP.NET) by his $99 custom set of Strat pickups. Well I needed HBs and didn't feel like paying for my favorite Motor City HBs at $310 per set. So I ordered some zebra PAFs for a cool $150 and thought "what the heck, I'll try a set of the $99 specials. He suggested the '64s and that was it. Total price $350 aprox for the both!!! 
So here I am with a world class sounding LP and the Strat pickups in my soldering kit!!! Argh!! 

Hence looking for a Strat. So I go from searching for a sparkle finish Strat to deciding I want to try a Nash. I found a deal at 35% of retail with case. 

Btw relic guitars don't lie, wanking guitar players lie to themselves when they want the instrument to do all the talking. I will say that regardless of the guitar I play, I make sure the music in me comes out more than the guitar itself. (If that makes any sense.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

I bought a Nash Tele several years ago and still love it, (I have a few Tele's). I tried several Tele's before settling on the Nash including some custom shop models. Very important detail, I bought this guitar because of the way it played and sounded. Not because it was relic'd, and after a while the look grew on me and now I can't tell the original dings from my own (one benefit). At the end of the day I'm going to say what each and everyone of us know. You cannot judge an entire line of guitars by sporatic evaluation. Each guitar has to stand on its own merits. Was I lucky to get a Nash that really came across for me? I don't think so. But as with any builder large or small, some less than stellar guitars come out. All I can say is I really like my Nash:

View attachment 4631


View attachment 4632


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## LydianGuitars (Apr 18, 2013)

I love those blonde Teles. Beautiful!


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Sam, I hope you enjoy your incoming Nash. 

Tarbender, that's a nice looking guitar. When relics are reasonably realistic I don't mind them. It's the bad relicing that makes the guitars look silly.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

To make up for bad relicing you just need to get a bad haircut and it balances out. A dinged up DEVO hat would do as well. 
I see mine as a light relicing job.


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## JMann (Feb 18, 2007)

A little late to be chiming in but wth...I have had this Nash Stealth Tele for 3 years approximately and is the only non Collings electric that I have kept. I bought this off Faracaster and believe this is the one he is referring to as having owned twice. I'll echo what a lot have said already. I am meh on relicing in general and less than meh on the Nash relicing. However, this guitar has something that my Collings have in spades and are the reasons I choose to keep them: dead on intonation (the earvana nut certainly helps on the Nash); an extremely smooth, fast playing neck; a great sounding bridge p/u (rio grandes iirc) and most importantly and may seem obvious to some but it is just inspiring to play. As with the Collings, once you pick up the Nash you get lost in whatever your noodling on and even my practice regimen I look forward to just to play these guitars and not have to be distracted by what one may perceive to be drawbacks with their gear. Just a pleasure to play. I'll agree with Pete also that the quality is certainly high but not immaculate like PRS's and Colling's. The sum of it's parts though, disregarding the relic job, is what makes this a great guitar for me.



Hope enjoy your new/relic'd Nash sambonee and look forward to a review.


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

Hum..part guitars...love that word. Let's take Fender for our main exemple. regular strat will cost you on average around 1299$+taxe. Mexican made body..most likely 2 to 4 peices, US made neck with low grade Rock Maple, standard tuners, 2 post bridge and regular electronics..AND shitty pick-ups...but that's my taste. I know a lot of doing what is now called Partcasters...i'm not a fan of the word myself since it imply simply assembling a few parts. i've made and sold a Lot of guitars so far and i only use Top grade stuff. My main supplier is Musikraft and been one of their good client, i always receive TOP stuff for bodies and necks....a LOT better then anything fender willl put on the market unless you're looking at the Custom Shop stuff. 

When a client wants a aged reliced Strat..he wants a Strat..not a Similar looking body..with a weird neck heal or stuff like that. You Can't reinvent everything that works. It,s the way it is. taking a Body or neck or both from raw unfinished wood and taking it to full finished aged instrument is more then doing a Partcaster in my eyes. The paint process, specially with Nitro is quite time consuming and the aging process is basically ART to me. i've seen a LOT of guys try it..and fail on their ass quite often. I might not Carve my necks body by hand, but so what!?...i don't know many who do that actually do good jobs and offer all the specs now available thanks to the CnC machines. That is why i can make my stuff under 2000$ easily. 

Like it or not..there is a LARGE market for aged instruments or parts, and i doubt it's going away anytime soon. There are a LOT of difference in the "partcaster" world...get a shitty MightyMight neck and body with all chiness parts and you get a 400$ strat....but then at the other end of the rainbow..you get crazy good parts and wood with real paint job and you get a guitar worthy of Fender's custom shop for 1/2 the price.


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## JeremyP (Jan 10, 2012)

I had a Nash tele, it blew, was out he door two weeks after it came in. Because the first one was so awful ( cheesey relic job, one of the worst factory set ups I have ever experienced, and ultra thin sounding, all around fail) , I have never bothered again. 

I will say though that I think I may of just gotten a dud, because I played a beautiful strat he made and it was a wonderful feeling/playing guitar. It had all the dynamics that the tele seemed to be missing...... But was still hella ugly


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Sambone. Lets have some great pics and a review once you get your Nash in. Congratulations.


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## Wileyone (Jul 23, 2011)

faracaster said:


> Just to directly answer the OP's question. ....
> 
> No
> 
> ...


That's a pretty "broad" statement. A lot of so called "vintage" Strats and Tele's were Crap. Especially the mid to late 70's ones even the late 
60's. Which in my opinion they are getting stupid money for now. Each Guitar needs to be judged on it's own merits.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

greco said:


> Since we are derailing this thread, I like relics.
> 
> Lions 1 ....... Christians 1
> 
> ...


Back atcha, Dave. :food-smiley-004:


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

When I can afford it, I will have Alain make me one of his moderately reliced monsters. The quality is top notch


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## faracaster (Mar 9, 2006)

Wileyone said:


> That's a pretty "broad" statement. A lot of so called "vintage" Strats and Tele's were Crap. Especially the mid to late 70's ones even the late
> 60's. Which in my opinion they are getting stupid money for now. Each Guitar needs to be judged on it's own merits.


I agree totally. But I think you missed the word "good" in my statement. I did not say EVERY vintage Strat or Tele.
BTW I do not consider 70's Fender product vintage (that's just because of my age). I was talking 50's-mid 60's. Just like any manufacturer, you have differences from guitar to guitar. 
The OP asked are Nash's as good as vintage Fender's....my opinion based on my experience is...NO.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Find myself still looking around for a sparkle Strat. Seems that since I got the fireburst orange Mexican and moded it to SSS with lollar dirty blondes (for $150 might I add proudly) I now have a super duper Strat for $340+$150+$20( pick guard). For $510 I reall am convinced about strats.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

And to think that I never would have come over to the Strat side if it weren't for this session. 

http://www.guitarscanada.com/showth...d-the-traynor-quarter-horse-Review&highlight=


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

I would rather spec out my own allparts neck/body than buy a relic'd Nash

I'm not a fan of relic'd guitars anyway, I think most of them look like crap


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