Fender Duo-Sonic | Awesomesauce or fix-r-upper?

[@regularnimnule9715]

Great review JJ. I picked one of these up a few months ago and haven't touched any of my other guitars since. Quite the love affair with it. Just SO damn easy to play.

[@JamieToddBand]

My favorite modern Duo Sonic review, thank you.

[@hughjass311]

Totally agreed with this review. This duo sonic is one of the most fun guitars ive ever played. It gets a bit wirey sounding and could use more umph but overall a great guitar. If you're thinking about buying one then go for it

[@markferguson3745]

Back when I started playing, one of the most influential LP's on my approach was TH's More Songs About Buildings and Food, and it wasn't lost on me that Byrne generally relied on Duo Sonic's.Like the Jaguar, the scale and pups have a big effect on the sound,- thin, yes, but with a crazy aggressive attack, a naturally harshly funky voice that's singular. Also, has a unique overall feel,- seems to be all NECK when you're playing it, - as if the body is just lightly hanging away.Great tool for a different style of playing.

[@JRandallS]

I picked up a 90's Duo Sonic at a garage sale. I've got 11's on it and tuned down a half step. It growls. Oh mine has the brass bars on the bridge like a tele, I got the intonation very close, but have some replacements arriving. Also am installing a .22uf orange drop capacitor on the tone knob, you might want to check it out. My switch has the same problem and I'm trying to decide if I want to install a telecaster (2 pickup) switch in it, the modified one that has four positions to be able to play both in either series or parallel, so you can get a humbucker sound.

[@SO-bp2uc]

I had the HS model, and I loved the sound of the single coil in the neck. Super Chimmy, warm and sweet. They are defiantly low output and could never function as you describe. I will say this, the HS model is more versatile. The HB split coil sounds amazing with dirt. Not great clean, but I was surprised how well it sounded with dirt. They also balanced out the the middle position very well, for both the split coil/single coil and the HB/single coil. The HB/single coil in particular is really well balanced. Somehow they merge both the hb and single coil into a seamless sound, that has the shape of a Christmas tree. What I mean by that is the HB goes smoothly into the singlecoil in an almost cone shape when It comes to the frequency. Imagine a HB thickness, but with the single coil chime, but the two sounds sound merged and no separate. If you've modded a guitar with a SC/HB, you know how hard it is to get those two pickups to merge just right. They did an excellent job with the HS. Still, I feel the SS is probably better.

[@SO-bp2uc]

Forgot to say, great review! ty!

[@stackhouse22]

Really nice guitar and a great review! Can’t wait to hear it after the pickup swap! You can really get some good stuff for your money these days. Played an Ibanez RC520 lately, veeeeery nice guitar, so easy to play, so good sounding and also very affordable!

[@afuriousblackman]

Awesome review JJ. Btw instead of completely replacing the pickups to solve the treble bleed issue, I believe you would have been better off getting a resistor on your capacitor. Same effective swap, except only $5 for parts + labor!

[@MovieAudio]

My pick up switch crapped out on me as well! I sent the guitar back, got another and that was also broken. Gonna try one more time and hope it works, how easy of a fix is it? Did you do it yourself or did you pay someone to? I really want to keep this guitar cause I love the way it plays but this pick up switch is really annoying me

[@currybumjenkins5428]

@@MovieAudio It'd be similar to changing pickups but with slightly more soldering to do. You can find a wiring diagram on Seymour Duncan site. Were both your original and replacement guitar equally as good? Wondering if these are of consistent quality enough to buy online

[@MovieAudio]

@@currybumjenkins5428 I ended up sending back the second guitar and got a refund. I purchased the same guitar from GuitarGuitar and have no problems with this one! The guuitar is has no faults and is perfect to play :)

[@currybumjenkins5428]

@@MovieAudio Nice. Were all 3 equally good quality (apart from the switch)?

[@MovieAudio]

@@currybumjenkins5428 I feel like the third one has been the best by far. The first one hummed very loudly on the single coil pick up, more so than the second one. There is hardly any hum on the new one and i also got it in Surf Pearl rather than Daphne Blue, way nicer :)

[@markaochoa2017]

I tried this and the neck felt good, fret edges could’ve been rolled a bit, but the pick ups defiantly lacked. Love the ascetic, but yea electronics swap is a great idea.

[@jomyrnicoalfaro1842]

i have one ive got used upgraded with lace sensor pickups,, love the sound i can play punk rock

[@Seventeen_Seconds]

I fancied a fender bronco but couldn't afford one so ordered a surf pearl one of these instead, should be any day. Proper excited.

[@JJoftheT]

Congrats, very cool little instruments!

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I have the exact same guitar...with the same switch problem. LOL I had the pickups changed. A Duncan Custom Shop '55 Tele in the bridge and a Rickenbacker high gain single coil in the neck. They sound great both separate and together. It needed a new pick guard to fit the pick ups so I got a Tortoise shell installed and replaced the knobs with new old stock vintage 'rounded' wine red chicken heads. I got the combination of this from a 1948 vintage Revox bass. It look and the sound is dead cool!!!

[@iKarismaHD]

did u ever swapp the pickups?? im curious as to how the guitar would sound

[@mcdee56]

Short scale is also helpful with physical challenges...

[@FallGuy-68]

Great review! I just ordered the HS version, can't wait to play it.

[@skipfires]

Hey JJ... did you ever drop those other pickups in? If so, were you way pleased with the result? Or not? Cheers, in advance.

[@anthonydinning2788]

Nice vid. Getting one soon. Swapping the bridge with a SD JB Jr and a coil split. Can’t wait!!

[@Moonskycity]

King Alex Drums how does the JB Jr sound on it? Does it give it a little more kick?

[@anthonydinning2788]

It is Awesome. It gives a real creamy tone when you have it on full Humbucker. It has an immense output and gives a nice kick. It really takes the OCD well and gives a very creamy driven sound. Also great for high gain. You can also pull squealies at the drop of a hat....... For me it is really easy to play. I haven't had any probs with the switch or pups at all. I love the neck sound and the pots are nice and sensitive which I like. Especially when you role the tone back a bit. A cracking guitar for the price :-)

[@Moonskycity]

King Alex Drums thanks! Sounds sweet

[@fedestrat2caster]

Hi! I have a question, please. When you use the guitar in standing position, hanging on a strap: Does the neck dives? I mean if the neck tend to down to the floor, as in some SG's type guitar. Thank you!

[@JJoftheT]

Federico Stratocaster No it's pretty well balanced.

[@jessebarrera159]

Great and honest review.

[@Jrj777-v5p]

Great review. Thanks, i have a 96 and love it. Same toggle issue too

[@DAVET0NE]

Love your reviews JJ!

[@JJoftheT]

Dave Tone Thanks! 🙏🏻

[@Leejon1]

I have an original from '59... yup

[@adenval7]

great vid, thanks for taking the time!

[@HugoIvanEstrada]

I'll be waiting for a second video with the upgrade set up :D

[@anthonydinning2788]

Awesomesauce!!! Fantastic. Just got one and put a JB Jr in the bridge with a split :-) AWESOME

[@VictorianRecords]

The toggle switches on these suck. Mine goes in and out, just haven't had time to replace it yet. I've got the one with the humbucker. Other than the switch issue, it is a really fun guitar.

[@ridgebringger6520]

VictorianRecords same issue here👋🏼

[@tjjr1062]

Same story with my switch.

[@jimmytwotimes1]

Same happened to mine, anyone know where to get a replacement? Preferably one that’s built a little better.

[@SO-bp2uc]

I had the HS model and had the same issue. I never took the pickgaurd off, but it was my suspicion that it was grounding out somehow.

[@SuzanneNuttall]

You had me at "What's up, guys and girls?" Very cool and informative video! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheNocturnalEvil]

I think you should put a Kinman Grunge-Tang set on that guitar. They have a nice fat tone.

[@Fmcanto30]

Great Video! I need your help. I’m between the Duo Sonic HS and The Standard Telecaster. I have a band and we play a lot of songs with Distortion and Fuzz

[@JJoftheT]

Felipe Canto I'd to for the HS version for sure

[@analienundercover8207]

i want to start learning electric guitar bc i have acoustic guitar which is hard to bend even half step at least for my hands…i like this guitar but i don't know if it's possible to do crazy bends like 2 steps or vibratos on this or nah…is it easier to play these than a normal strat?is really possible to bend on these like 1.5 or 2 steps?

[@douglasmalm7171]

awsin awesome Bending 1.5 steps is definitely possible! Haven't tried 2 tho.

[@NapalmBBQ]

The temptation to put JB Jrs in it would be overwhelming.

[@JJoftheT]

Rob Copeland Agreed, but I have bad experiences with the Little 59 in an Esquire not being properly wax-potted which resulted in squeel at bar volumes.

[@DennisdeLange]

nice guitar! nice and very clear review too man! kudoz..... liked and subscribed from this video on! :)

[@lafemmeparallel]

Great review!

[@freddyc.d2536]

What song is? 7:16

[@paulbeckwith5981]

Great review JJ I like the short scales too! Whats the song at 4:20 its doing my head in trying to remember!

[@SPIKESBIKES50]

Funk 49 James Gang

[@nicholashewett979]

Yeah. Usually played on a tele, but the great thing about the duo Sonic is the ability to have a great cross between strat and tele tones.

[@promospray]

Sonic Youth played duo-sonic/mustang a lot (in the 80-90's)

[@ES295]

Great reason to play something else.

[@benox345]

I read somewhere that the tone control is wired in 50's Gibson style, i.e. the tone pot is connected to the output of the volume pot, not the input. This is why you get volume drop when adjusting tone, I think. Might be worth changing this to the normal way if it is causing you an issue.

[@JJoftheT]

345ox Interesting, thanks! 🙏🏻

[@benox345]

JJ Tanis Rocks found it in this review: "The pots are decent quality 500k no-name import, w/ .022 uF poly cap, and they are wired in the 50s wiring (tone pot parallel to output, not input), which is interesting. So the volume pot stays bright as you turn it down, but the tone pot cuts volume as you turn it down. Lot of vintage Les Paul dudes swear by this wiring, and it's interesting to see it in a factory Fender." www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=103466

[@antoinewojcik2270]

What song is it around 4:20 (eh, nice) ? Cheers

[@JJoftheT]

Antoine Wojcik "Funk #49" by James Gang

[@antoinewojcik2270]

Thank you !

[@williamneer3127]

sweet Peter Green licks brother.

[@BrianAndersonPhotography]

I put graphite saddles on mine and 11s....the 11s play like 10s because of the shorter scale length......

[@josuegutierrez1534]

necesito ayuda tengo una guitarra fender duo sonic mn310435 y quiero saber algo de ella plis

[@richarddaradar6173]

This or the mustang ss ?

[@JJoftheT]

Richard Daradar Mustangs usually have a wonky vibrato system, but I like the hardtail SS models. A little heavier though.

[@christenkettler7903]

Can someone tell me what the last song is he plays?

[@mustechalley]

"Albatross" by Fleetwood Mac

[@calebproductions5970]

Wow cool

[@tylercarlos4333]

Song at 6:25

[@jamboponce4990]

COBAIN played a DUO SONIC ????

[@aronkovacs1386]

Jambo Ponce Among others.

[@sebastianpandule6298]

Suena horrible... Y dice que suena bien... Sobre gustos... no hay nada escrito.