Tradition Strat Copy

Indonesian-made Tradition G12 Gold "Strat copy," probably made in 2006. 22 fret rosewood fingerboard (about 12-14" radius) on a maple "skunk-stripe" neck. 3 piece basswood body with three Tradition passive pickups (S/S/H), 5-way selector, etc. Body finish is a beautiful gloss tobacco sunburst with a tortoise pickguard and gold hardware (tuners, tremolo, etc.).

The Tradition pickups are part of what sold me on this guitar. These guitars sound wonderful! I played a number of MIM Strats and none of them really "called my name," but I played two of these and both of them were (in my opinion) far better constructed. I played them through a variety of solid-state and tube amps and loved the sound in every amp and in every playing situation (rock, blues, jazz, etc.). Since the center pickup is reverse-wound and the bridge pickup is a humbucker, this guitar is quiet in most playing settings.

This is the other thing that sold me on Tradition guitars over the MIM Strats. These guitars are very well constructed and the attention to detail is great! The necks are fast and comfortable (mine has the "T" inlays which are an added bonus!) and, after a setup by a local tech, played even better (maybe even too low!). Although the body is a three-piece you would know it from the front. The tobacco sunburst finish is different from the standard Strat sunburst and the woods have been so well matched that even close up it looks like a beautiful one-piece body. In the end it looks as if I got a custom-made guitrar worth far more than what I paid for it.

This guitar seems very well put together (tight neck joint, good tuners, etc.) and I don't think I'll have any problems gigging without a backup.

Haven't dealt with them yet, but my understanding is that they are a company founded and run by musicians and former reps for other companies, and that every design is made in order to give top quality instruments to real musicians on a budget...they nailed it!

I've been playing for over 30 years and have owned/played a variety of guitars, both foreign and domestic (even a few hand-made ones...Alembic, Veillette-Citron, etc.). If this guitar were lost or stolen I'd definitely replace it with another Tradition. It is as good, if not better, than a MIM Strat and even more economical!

Over on YouTube is a vid of this cat in his kitchen with a Tradition LP copy playin' through a friggin' GDEC makin' it wail and givin' it hell. An' this guy has got the chops to back it up - so I figure - if the day ever comes when I get the chance to try on a Tradition made git I'ma gonna buy me one.
Caught a used Tradition Strat S/S/S copy on eBay for a piddlin' $53 bucks an' got it delivered to my door via uniformed messenger for $22 more.
Nothin' fancy goin' on here, folks. Nice metal flake paint job, fretboard somewhat sharp on the ends, non-locking tuners, single coils sounded surprisingly good for a cheap China import but couldn't really dig in hot without muddyin' up.
In other words, a perfectly solid platform for modding........
If ya got the bucks to throw around in this pissant economy.......

I already had all the stuff I needed to turn this project into reality.
Had tucked away a pair of Fender Hot Alnico V neck and mid PUPs I had bought used from the folks at Reliable Fender on eBay, which, in this economy, like alot of no reserve low starting bid auctions nowadays, is being eaten up alive by big time red star eBay stores bidding the holy crap outta guitar accessories just to get 'em cheap then mark 'em up like hell in their brick and mortar shops. Kinda makes it hard for the little guy sittin' at home to buy anything at a reasonable price lessin' you want to bid against a big gun store for it an' hope for the best. Good luck.
Also had an old vintage DiMarzio staggered single coil bridge whozit somethinorother that I had stashed away for a rainy day and decided to drop that in the brew, too.
Finally, I picked up some Wilkinson locking tuners cheap awhile back and mixed them in there, too.
Then I loaded up all my goodies and the git and off to the luthier I went.......

My man Tony, the archangel of everything luthier, spent the better part of the afternoon straightening up the fretboard which he said ran like an old country road through the hills and tightening up frets which he swore rattled around like Reaper's bones.
After gutting out the pickguard and workin' over the pots, he adjusted the new PUPs, staggered the poles, installed the locking tuners and sanded the edges of the fretboard along with the reseated frets.
After putting on a new set of 10's, poppin' in a bone nut, and givin' her the once over, it was time for the test drive.
Somebody wake up LeRoy 'cause LeRoy ain't never heard no guitar what sounded like this!

With a proper set-up and intonation and the aforementioned upgrades this modest Chinese import became a paint peeling, metal bending monster capable of hanging with any big name, big bucks guitar. Period.
The blend of PUPs, adjustments, tweaking, and set-up made this git a joy to play and neck movement effortless.

Who?

So here's the rub.....
Of course, none of this came cheap.........
With the set-up, the parts, the labor, the shipping, etc., my $53 dollar Strat copy set me back around a total of $250.00.
But now compare that with a USA made whatever your favorite flavor of the month is and I bet you my ol' Tradition Strat knock off will hunt with your big dog anyday.
An' I won't have a friggin' cow 'cause someone knocked over my three grand play pretty.......
'Cause ya know that's gonna eventually happen........
Someday..............

Not sure what year it was made, I bought it new late 2003. 22 frets, smokey brown finish, standard strat configuration with 3 single coil pick-ups.

I play bluesy rock and jazz with a little metal on the side. I play the guitar through a Fender Blues Jr.

The pickups on this guitar are great. Some buzzing with the use of distortion, but that is a given with single coils. The pick-ups on this guitar are almost as good sounding as the Fender Noisless single coils.

Overall this is a great sounding guitar. If you are looking for the strat sound, this guitar does it just right.

I play

I bought this guitar from a shop that sets up every guitar before it leaves the store, so I have no idea what the factory set-up was like.

No flaws in the finish or the construction of this guitar that I have noticed.

I have used this guitar for about a year now, gigging and recording with it regularly. It has been through the ringer (I am hard on my guitars!) and still holds up.

I ended up replacing the bridge after breaking off the tremelo bar while going crazy on a solo. Not really the manufactures fault, as I was putting a ton of stress on the bar. I liked the saddles on the original, so I switched them out when I replabed the bridge. Even though I am hard on the whammy bar, when my guitar is set up properly it stays in tune nicely.

The finish is cool looking, and has put up with a ton drops, scuffs and flailing. That's why I bought this guitar, so I could beat it up with little worry about replacing it.

This is my main guitar, and it has never failed me. It delivers live and in the studio.

No contact with the company yet.

I have played guitar for almost 20 years, and have owned many guitars from cheapo to top of the line. This guitar is a cheapo, but there's just something about it. I would buy another guitar from Tradition in a heartbeat. They know how to do inexpesive guitars right.

This guitar was probably a year or two old when I bought it used. Three single coils, trem. bridge, 2 tone and 1 volume knob, maple neck w/ rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, 6 in-line tuners....your basic strat set-up. Red finish.

I never actually plugged it in "as is" I actually bought this guitar as a "beater" that I wouldn't need to worry about knocking around for practice. I removed the guard and everything on it. Has a bathtub routing underneath, so it will accept just about any p/u configuration. I installed a pickguard from my Fender Mex. fat-strat, which I had replaced with an H/S/H rig. The only mod. I did was to replace the single neck coil with a S.Duncan "little 59" humbucker. There were 9 holes on the original guard & 11 on the Fender's guard, but it lined up fine, just added a few more holes to the body.
The tuners are cheasy, you may want to replace these with something more sturdy. The trem. bridge also pretty cheasy. I blocked the trem., as I never really use it anyway. Installed a set of Fender bullet strings, adjusted string height and intonation (pretty easy) and fired it up. I was amazed with the results! For less than $100 total investment, this thing sounded and played great!! (played thru a Roland VGA-5 amp)
The finish on the guitar was really nice, at par with any Fender. I actually find myself playing this sucker more than my Fender strat or Gibson Les Paul Std.!

Beautiful laquered red finish, almost like a transparent where you can see the grain of the wood throughout. Neck is straight, smooth and true.
It was obvious whoever had this guitar before didn't have a clue. Strings were hanging they were so loose and all adjustments were out of whack. I can't speak for how it actually came new from the manufacturer.

Finish is still great after 2-3 years of this guitar's life. Tuners are cheap and flimsy and should most likely be replaced. Strap butons seem solid enough. Only problem is an occasional fret-buzz on the upper E string. The body / neck seem very well made for the price. This has taken all the abuse I have thrown it's way to date.

Bought second hand. No warranty in effect. Have never dealt with any customer service.

Just remember, I can't say how it played new out of the box. The original pickups were small and I would imagine somewhat on the weak side of the spectrum. If you are looking for a great guitar to play around with and try out some mods, this really fits the bill and makes an excellent starting platform. Can easily be made into a great guitar for next to nothing!

22 fret, volume 2 tones. the voluem knob conked out on me...see below. 5-way selector. the tuners seem...cheap. thin neck.

well, the pickups are kinda noisy at times. I think it sounds fine, but when comparing it to someone's strat, I could tell it seemed a little toyish. With a ds-1, I think it has a nice sound distorted. I'm not sure if it's the strings, but it can be a bit twangy as someone else mentiond.

action seems fine to me, everything seems fine in that dept. other than the tuners. they just look weird and crappy.

this thing has taken a beating from me...i hit it on things all the time. the tail has a few dents/chips...but other than that, seems to hold up well. the strap always comes off, so i'm probably going to replace the strap holder things w/ locking ones. The major problem that i've had is the fact that the connection inside is...messed up. I'm no guitar know it all, but a friend told me that something is blocking a connection inside. when i turn the volume knob, the sound will die out and it'll crackle...i have to turn it some to get it back. i think if i had that fixed and some better strap locks, it'd be fine to play with.

never dealt with...i don't even know how to get up with the company. never had it repaired or anything. don't think i had a warranty.

I've played 2 years. I own small practice amp (Peavey Rage 158), a boss ds-1 distortion pedal, and an oscar schmidt acoustic. I'd get something different if it was stolen, simply b/c I'd like to advance in my equipment quality. I love the thin neck.

i dont know the year it was made but i got it in 2000 for christmas
it has 22 frets its a solid body, w/volume two tone switches and a five way slector, the pickup config is three single.passive electrics,its an alder body w/indian rose wood.the finish is translucent red the wood looks like its cheatah spotted
its a stratcopy AKa my crap strat. it has string through bridge. the tuners are junk.the neck has regular frets. and the pos didnt come with diddley squat.

it suits me cuz it can sound like any thing. its a heavy beast of a twanger.its kind of noisy all over the settings but only if im too close to the ea 300 epi 25 watt amp i use. its got a rich but twangy kurdt cobain sound. i like every thing except how heavy the bizitch is

the action was crappy that of many crap strats. but it was easy to set up to my style. i had to lower and drop acouple of the pickups but it was an easy task to accomplish.not a flaw, shotty wiring though. the screws have oxidized a bit but that comes with use and age. i left the finish alone but i covered the pick guard up w/lots of pimped out stickers like curious george and clifford and K-Mart stickers.

yee haww this guitar will stand up to any thing except for when i dropped the nasty bizitch and took a horrific chunk out of the fret board.oh no no no never ever gig w/out a back up or two cuz you could go jimmy and kurdt style and smash the thing like a hallows eve pumkin

well the warranty was voided the day i tried the shove the thing up.......well never mind about that. its pretty good if you dont screw w/ anything

ive been playin fer well almost a year and a half and im the best this side north of the mississippi rio.id could possiby buy it again but im poor and us white folk cant afford twangers every time they get boosted.i love the fact that it is very easily played and i hate that it isnt left handed,southpaws rule the wurld. R.I.P KuRdT y Jimmi.i wish it had come w/ a purple cuddly dino named B@RN#y

Typical copy of a vintage strat made recently in China. Typical strat design/specs/features. I bought it for parts because it had the features I wanted. 22 fret neck rather than 21. Real wood body with a nice quilted pattern on top. 3 single coil pickups with a 5 position switch. The 2 tone controls on this one were wired to the neck and middle pickups respectively, the bridge pickup was not wired to the tone controls. I was looking for an inexpensive strat copy and that's what I got.

The pickups are low output (5k ohm)like some of the vintage strats, so I guess the Chinese were trying to duplicate the sound? It sounds OK to me, even though I much prefer pickups with closer to 10k ohms and higher output. It had some nice tones with each of the pickups individually, but the inbetween sounds were rather anemic. The volume and tone controls had some decent range, and surprisingly, the rig was quiet and had no 60 cycle hum unless you stood too close to the amp. No surprises, just your typical strat sounds/tones.

I got the guitar used so it was dinged up a bit when I received it. The original finish appeared to be very nice, a nice gloss finish over the quilted top and the wood grain back. The neck was decently smooth and the frets were finished enough so that there were no snags, etc. Rosewood fretboard with vintage thin frets. The neck pocket was routed out large enough to fit the neck plus some 1/64" shims all around, ie, not too tight. Also, they never bothered to clean all the sawdust and wood chips out of the neck pocket before assembly. That is pretty typical of 90% of the guitars I've had, and that includes some big-name, big-bucks guitars. The hardware finish seemed to be pretty decent. I don't know how old this guitar is and it's history, but there was no evidence of oxidation anywhere on any of the metal parts. The electronics again were solid and silent. I tweaked the neck rod to get the relief I wanted.

The guitar would stand up to live playing except for one thing, it just will not stay in tune. And that's before you use the whammy bar!! The tuners are difficult to turn, and they don't keep the guitar in tune. Actuating the whammy bar puts you into unknown territory, the pitch slips in all directions on the different strings; some go higher, some go lower. And that's after I went over everthing to make sure it was all aligned, cleaned, etc, etc. That loose neck pocket doesn't do anything for tone or sustain, but alot of those vintage strats suffer from the same malady, and nobody complains about paying $$$$$ for them.

Allegedly, these guitars have a warranty from the factory.

I've been playing about 37 years. I have owned alot of guitars and amps over the years. I bought this and a few other cheapo guitars to steal some parts off and assemble some other guitars? (Reading this statement helps me understand why my wife looks at me like I don't belong on this planet sometimes.) I can't complain about what I got for the price. The only really bad things about this guitar are the tuners and the trem tail and the loose neck pocket. The rest seems OK: decent electronics, nice wood body and a nice playing 22 fret neck. The prices for individual parts are ridiculously astromonical and this is a good way to get parts, so I am happy. I would buy another to get parts. On the other side of the coin, a new set of tuners and a trem-blocking job would make this guitar just fine for people who like the sound from low-output single coil pickups.

The store where I teach (Great Southern Music, Cartersville, GA) sells these, so I have had the opportunity to play several of them. It's a basic strat-type thing...get info from the other reviews. I was amazed by this guitar though. For the price, you really can't beat it, especially with some of those flamed finishes. It's a great looking and sounding guitar. I constantly recommend them to my students. These guitars have a tone and feel comparable to my '73 Fender Strat. Highly recommended for beginners and even experienced players.

Made 2001 in China; has standrd strat setup of 3 single coils, 5 way selector switch, two tone and one volume.
Rosewood fretboard on a maple neck with ash body. Fretwork is very clean and done well. Strat cut style body, with metallic sky blue paint - very clean. Standard tremelo.

Sound was very clean and jazzy on light strings, but has some excessive string buzz when I put on .013-.052 GHS/Dean Markleys. Action and intonation are tricky - but a good luthier can fix. I get some hum from the pickups at times, so I am not sure if the coils need some work or should be upgraded. Still has a clean sound.

Was set-up perfect from store. I played it side by side with a 60's sunburst Fender going for $9,000 and the comparison showed no real difference (as set up with light strings).

Guitar can hang with any long term playing. Bottom line is - it is an exact knock off of a 70's strat. Excellent homework done on all mechanicals. I would however work on the internal electronics, to get better pickups, and make sure everything is well insulated.
Depending on the location, the unwanted hum would not go over well.
(I like limited pedals into a mid power amp for natural overdrive - wah wah only and maybe a tube screamer).

Never dealt with them. Store gave me a limited lifetime warranty on the guitar (neck, body, etc.).
They really need a website and some marketing people - though it is nice having this very inexpensive guitar that less people have run across. 10 for warranty - less 4 for lack of website and info on the brand.

I have played acoustic off and on (more off than on - probably 2 years worth). Electric for less than a year now - but I have been playing other instruments for much longer.
THis is a perfect guitar for someone entering this scene. Just in case it ends up being a sideline hobby or a decoration - you haven't spent too much. I would definitely buy again - and a friend already wants one as well.
I would keep this as a second guitar for the lighter/jazzier tunes I like without messing with tuning it all day. The next step up is the real McCoy - a vintage Strat and then maybe my own Lucille!
Hope this helps someone.

not sure where it was made in; 21 frets; 2 tones & 1 volume; S/S/S pickups; maple neck, i think; start style; thin neck, one of the things that makes it so nice; came with gig bag, amp strap cable, tools, and an extra st of strings

great guitar for any musical preference, i've only tried a distortion pedal and it sounds pretty good, pickups make a slight buzzing sound, but not very noticeable, overall it gives out a nice sound which is usually vey clear

the guitars I were looking at only came in red, black, and an aqua, and i liked the red the best, nice smooth finish, there were only a few scratches, they were minor ones on the pick guard, i have heard complaints about a strap that always falls off, but I haven't had any problems yet

i've bumped it a few time by accident, to my surprise there were no scratches or chips, the guitar seems very well made,

i don't know about a warranty, never needed any customer service, but they don't have a web-site, and that is something that they should have, for many reasons

this is my first electric guitar, and it seems like you get more than what you payed for, i shopped around for a long time and this guitar was the best value, mine came with an anp, gig bag, cable, extra strings, and a strap; if something tragic would happen to it i would purchase another one, i also looked at a squier and an ibanez, but my final decision was the tradition; i wish that i would have started out with an electric because it is so much more fun;

This is a modify to my earlier submission about the strat. It was my first guitar, i thought it wasnt all that good, but it is. It has all the same features of a strat, 5 way slector and all.The only thing i dont like are the pickups are a little noisy at times.

I play heavy rock so its not as good as humbuckers but it does fine with a good disortion. I use a Laney 60 watt combo and im getting a zoom 505, just for practice. It gets a little noisy on lead on clean channell, just need a noise gate. It has a bright sound, i can play a lot of bands.

Its all nice, except the guy at the store scrached the finish.

Seems very nice. I would diffently use a backup, anything can happen. I can really depend on it, but the strap still falls off, ill get loking straps.

I havent delt with them. I didnt get enough info about it. They dont have a website either. No warranty that i know of.

I have played for about a year or longer. I also own a laney 60 watt combo. Im getting a zoom 505, see how that sounds. I would probably just go buy a fender strat instead, and extra 30 bucks right? Or buy an Ibez, but if i only had 240 i would go and buy it again. I love the finish, real nice. I love the nice smooth neck too. I wasnt too smart and just bought this with no knowledge of guitars, but it came out great. I widh it had a humbucker like a fat strat.

Not sure it was made, probably made in Japan. Standard 21 frets just like a Fender strat, just chaep gear on it. Volume, 2 tones, % way switch. Pick up configuration is S/S/S Single coil pickups, real cheap, get others if you buy it. Blue top with a jelly deign in side. Strat style body, easier neck to use thinner. Same tremelo as a regular standard strat. Came with gig bag, strap, and many picks.

Its a clear sound, but hums a little. Use a Fender Princton Chorus and it sounds preatty good through that. Its a nice lead when you put the first tone to 1 and the 2nd to 10 and switch the swicth to the far left. When you push it all the way to the right it is a nice rythem. Its just a regular guitar really with good clear sound I just dont like the buzzing from the pickups, which Im gonna replace.

The guitar was just fine when i got it just the tremelo springs were real tight. Oh yeah and the strap they gave me keeps falling off!

It can withsatnd a lot, I ve hit it accidently a lot and nothin happended real strong. The strap buttons are good and its dependeble. I wouldnt use it in a gig if i had another guitar, this is a good beginners guitar.

They were real good when I asked them about a problem with it and they fixxed it up real fast, real good service. Didnt tell me about a warranty.

Ive only been playing for 5 months but I have also played a Epiphone Les and fender strat, which are beter then this. I dont have any gear , but im planning to get a Ibanez 7 string. I love the neck its easy to run your hane over it nd its thin. I wis it came with humbuckers like the ones in a Single coil casing.