Review: 21329 Fender Stratocaster
Posted by Huw,21329 Fender Stratocaster is based on Tomoell's entry to the LEGO Ideas Music to our ears competition held last year.
The distinctively-shaped electric guitar was first manufactured in California during 1954 and has since become the instrument of choice for rock guitarists the world over, including Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly and Hank Marvin.
The 1,074-piece set is released on October 1st and will be priced at $99 /£89 / €99. In addition to the instrument, it also contains a 1960s Fender guitar amplifier, which might look like a boring square black box, but is actually so much more...
Inside the box
Parts are packaged in numbered bags, with those in 1-8 providing the pieces for the guitar. The body of the instrument can be built in either black or red, so two of the bags don't need to be opened once you've made your choice.
Bags 9-12 contain parts for the amplifier.
In addition to the actual instructions, the 173-page manual contains background information about Fender, the guitar, the designers and fan designer Tomoell.
There are two small sticker sheets. The one on the top sheet is designed to be stuck on your actual guitar rather than the model. Three of the others are for the amplifier. Most of the decorated elements on the guitar are printed.
Parts
There are quite a few interesting elements in the set, including the aforementioned printed pieces that you'll see later in the review, and this 40cm long guitar strap which is made from a similar material to minifigs capes.
The large curved piece, 65734 BRICK 1X4X3, OUTSIDE HALF BOW, NO. 1, is used in the body of the guitar, so is provided in black and red. The black one was used in the Grand Piano last year, but it's new in red in this set. It fits perfectly inside the curve of 30935 BRICK 1X1X3 1/3, W/ ARCH.
I've not come across the 1x2 curved slope before: a 1x3 version was introduced earlier in the year. Again, it comes in red and black.
Finally, the strings are new: The six of them have a single element ID: 6371713. They are light grey, about 30cm long, and are terminated in 1x1 round studs, as per the shorter black ones.
Stand
Before commencing on the guitar a folding stand for it is built which looks pretty much identical to that in the original Ideas submission.
The guitar
The core of the guitar is the same whether you choose to build the red or the black variant. All the decorated elements are printed: three 1x3 white tiles with pickup pattern, four different 2xn brown tiles for the fretboard, and a tan slope printed with the manufacturer's logo for the headstock.
At this point of the build you will need to decide if you're opting for red or black. I think most will choose red given it contrasts with the black amplifier.
Adding the strings is the most difficult and time-consuming part of the build. It's simplified by applying coloured 1x1 tiles to the ends temporarily to identify each string but even so it takes some fiddling about to get them crossing the bridge in the right order and tensioned correctly, which is done much as it is on a real guitar: by turning the 'tuning pegs' (1x1 ends of the string) slightly.
The body is completed using a variety of SNOT techniques and various curved pieces: the end result looks accurate and excellent. Overall the guitar is about 35cm long and 11cm wide.
There's a nameplate on the back, which is a sticker, and a pair of white 4x4 plates with reduced studs that hide the innards where the strings are attached. The tuning pegs on the back of the headstock are non-functioning.
A cable jack, knobs for volume and tone control, and a tremolo 'whammy bar' are all present and correct. I think the black lever is supposed to represent the slot of the pickup selector which on the real instrument is a sliding knob.
Black version
The red version looks great, and I have no intention of taking it apart at the moment, so please make do with the official picture of the black version:
Here are the parts you'll have spare if you do the same:
The amp
There's no indication on the box or official set images just how complex and interesting the amplifier, which is based on a 1960s Fender Princeton reverb, is.
Other than a row of controls and sockets at the top there's not much to see at the front, and you could be forgiven for thinking there's not a lot to it, but it's a different matter round the back.
Just like the real thing the back is open exposing the rear the speaker cone and cabling at the bottom, and power switch and sockets at the top.
The top of the cabinet can be removed to reveal a circuit board: to my knowledge this is the first time such a thing has been modelled in an official set. The components -- resistors, capacitors and so on -- are represented by various 1x1 pieces in a variety of colours and the end result looks quite convincing.
The unit pre-dates the widespread use of transistors so utilised thermionic valves for amplification. These hang down underneath the circuitry on the left. One has a red lipstick core to represent the glowing cathode. The four silver pieces hanging down on the right represent large electrolytic capacitors.
The sticker at the top reads 04062020 which presumably is a date of some significance to someone.
Pedals
Finally, a small pedal unit is constructed that is 'plugged in' to the amp using a long piece of pneumatic tube. A second piece is provided to plug the guitar into the amp as well. Both use lipstick pieces as plugs which fit into the holes in the middle of Technic pins.
Verdict
The guitar is excellent, and a miniature masterpiece of SNOT techniques. I wasn't expecting much from the amp, but its internals surprised and delighted me. A lot of effort went into creating realistic-looking circuitry and electronic components, so it's perhaps a shame that most of the time they'll be hidden away.
The set is certain to delight guitar players, in particular Stratocaster owners, or aspiring owners, but I suspect some will question whether including the amp and additional black pieces for the guitar was the right decision.
It seems like the design team were told 'make a $100 set' rather than 'make a model of a guitar' so what could have been an equally good display model of just the instrument for, say, $40, has been inflated by $10 for the extra black pieces and $50 for the amplifier. If you were hoping for something more affordable, you may therefore be disappointed.
Having said that, the amp does look great inside and out and complements the guitar perfectly, so perhaps it was the right decision after all.
The set will be available at LEGO.com from 1st October priced at £89 / $99 / €99.
Thanks to LEGO for providing the set for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
199 likes
94 comments on this article
Sick, and easily convertible into a superior Kramer Baretta with some slight redesigns!
The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal?
£89.99 for UK users on the Lego website :)
@Kamiccolo said:
"The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal? "
It's because the studs on the wedging plate are gonna be stressed by the studs of the wedged plate.
Tiles don't have studs so there shouldn't be any theorical stress on the tile.
I like this! It's pretty compact and looks cool! I might buy this on sale.
Who will be the first spoiled, entitled adult baby to whine about how TLG should have released a different set than this one?
As a guitarist I appreciate the design, but this will be an easy pass as I don't really collect display sets. Stoked that this is available for those that enjoy it though :)
As a guitarist and Strat owner, this is a "must have" for me, however, as has been mentioned in the reveal article comments, there are a few issues with the model. The headstock isn't right and the cable jack socket is far too close to the tremelo and isn't angled, which is an important detail. I do appreciate how difficult that would be to achieve in Lego though!
Edited to add: Oh, it's up for £89.99 on UK Lego.com, not £99, so a bit cheaper.
This looks classy and compact, and one doesn't need to be a guitarist to appreciate it unlike the unwieldy Grand Piano. It is enough to have some remote fondness of rock&roll to be able to accept this on a display shelf. I think it is a winner.
@Kamiccolo said:
"The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal? "
This used to be done in Lego sets a lot more frequently - particularly with older sets. It’s not something I’ve seen a Lego designer use recently though
So no carrying case?
The amp is very nicely detailed. Really helps to make a good looking display piece.
This is like the deluxe edition of the Mega Construx one that came out in April (?) for $50-.
This Lego one is all brick built though.
Mega had a large long molded piece for the neck, head stock and pick guard.
The guitar stand is much nicer here and you get the great detailed amp and pedal.
Mega had a nice display box which acts as a miniature guitar case, and came with a real Fender guitar pick. Also no Fender strap like Lego has here.
They look pretty close in size. Mega says there's is 1/4th scale.
I'm not a guitar player (indeed no kind of musician) and yet I'm very much interested in this. Looks great and I think the amp is a nice addition.
I'm wondering how hard it would be to convert to a Precision Bass. The printed fret tiles are probably the biggest barrier. Lengthening the neck is easy enough, but how do you represent the modified fret spacing?
@minecraft_lego_mom said:
"So no carrying case?"
This comment made me laugh so much harder than it had any right to, LOLL (laughing out loud, literally) :)
No separate castle to house the guitar in?
I love it. And I'm a drummer :P
Would have liked some nicer colours though. The dark red from the original submission for example, or teal.
The amplifier is just awesome.
This set do look nice, but after watching that promo video, where the guy builds'it and display it on a shelf near to a real guitar, I have only one question - Why? Like, if I would be into electric guitars, and have a real, expensive one at home, I wouldn't pay $100 for a small plastic replica)
I for one am stoked that Lego included the black pieces! It sounds as if its the "other option" of the two colors and wont contrast as nicely with the amp, but its the more iconic color and I much prefer it. So in light of Legos dubious choices recently, Id call it a refreshing win! Nice job Lego, I mean it this time!
This is perfect. That’s all I can say right now. As an owner of the squier version of this guitar, I have to get it!
Wow, they really went all out with that amp. Don’t think the price is too bad either.
Headstock aside this is super impressive and at least relatively affordable. I’m afraid to ask, but do people think this will scale well with the piano?
Hmmm, can it be rebuilt left-handed...?
Or just played upside-down, Hendrix-style!
It looked impressive until I saw the image of the guy building it (official Lego images, not shown on this site). With a person to give it a sense of scale, it looks tiny.
@morvit said:
"No separate castle to house the guitar in?"
Not Castle, Space. Extra black pieces are included to make a Blacktron version :~P
@Macropod said:
"Who will be the first spoiled, entitled adult baby to whine about how TLG should have released a different set than this one?
As a guitarist I appreciate the design, but this will be an easy pass as I don't really collect display sets. Stoked that this is available for those that enjoy it though :)"
I will be the first to point out your pathetic attempt at signalling your false moral superiority by belittling anyone who has a different opinion than yours.
@woosterlegos said:
"It looked impressive until I saw the image of the guy building it (official Lego images, not shown on this site). With a person to give it a sense of scale, it looks tiny. "
I think it's roughly 1:3 scale to the real thing
Looks absolutely great! If my house was not full already I would have 'pick'ed this one up.
This should be most triumphant!
;-)
@gabri_ves said:
" @Kamiccolo said:
"The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal? "
It's because the studs on the wedging plate are gonna be stressed by the studs of the wedged plate.
Tiles don't have studs so there shouldn't be any theorical stress on the tile."
It seems that they wouldn't be stressed if they were not fully pressed down. That's not illegal then, I guess? Just a bit hard to make it clear from instructions.
And as for "which might look like a boring square black box, but is actually so much more..."
this had me laughing so hard as I had to think of another famous quote...
"This is so much more than a bag" :-))
The only question worth answering is does the amplifier go up to eleven?
Being a musician myself, playing bass guitar mainly and a bit of guitar on Fender instruments and amplifier, I can tell that both Lego guitar and ampli are surprisingly good, accurate, filled with excellent details. And one can imagine easily to add a bit of other colors to the body, thus making a more personalised guitar. Excellent set IMO.
@Murdoch17 said:
"The only question worth answering is does the amplifier go up to eleven?"
You beat me to it. I was going to say I'm only going to buy the set if it does.
I appreciate the amount of detail put into the amp. Very cool.
I'm a bit confused about that Ideas competition - this wasn't one of the four winners, none of which have been released as an official set - so how come this became one?
@Interstellarpig said:
" @Kamiccolo said:
"The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal? "
This used to be done in Lego sets a lot more frequently - particularly with older sets. It’s not something I’ve seen a Lego designer use recently though"
Wedging tiles or panels between studs is not illegal and is done in quite a few sets recently: Tiles in 10273: Haunted House, 21161: The Crafting Box 3.0, 21046: Empire State Building and 21309: NASA Apollo Saturn V, panels in both football stadiums 10272 and 10284 as well as 75827: Firehouse Headquarters.
Strat before a Tele? come on Lego!
The question I'm asking is can I turn it into a Les Paul? A 1969 custom cherry sunburst! Nice review btw!
"At this point of the build you will need to decide if you're opting for red or black. I think most will choose red given it contrasts with the black amplifier."
I will be choosing the black option, because I have a black Fender sitting next to my desk at this very moment!
@MrClassic said:
"I'm a bit confused about that Ideas competition - this wasn't one of the four winners, none of which have been released as an official set - so how come this became one?"
The judging for a potential set was independent of the fan vote for the other prizes. This is quite common for these sort of Ideas competitions.
Lego! Please stop releasing sets that I need! It hurts my wallet!
It's a shame that the colour swap is a significant rebuild. If that was a 5-10 minute job, I could see tje value, but as is the value of that gimmick is complicated.
I love the amp though. And overall, I do like it, I just wished that they had fully realised that final gimmick by making it an easy swap.
"It seems like the design team were told 'make a $100 set' rather than 'make a model of a guitar' so what could have been an equally good display model of just the instrument for, say, $40, has been inflated by $10 for the extra black pieces and $50 for the amplifier. If you were hoping for something more affordable, you may therefore be disappointed.
Having said that, the amp does look great inside and out and complements the guitar perfectly, so perhaps it was the right decision after all."
In the "real world," you wouldn't own a Stratocaster without an amp, so it makes perfect sense to bundle the models together.
@Arnoldos said:
" @Macropod said:
"Who will be the first spoiled, entitled adult baby to whine about how TLG should have released a different set than this one?
As a guitarist I appreciate the design, but this will be an easy pass as I don't really collect display sets. Stoked that this is available for those that enjoy it though :)"
I will be the first to point out your pathetic attempt at signalling your false moral superiority by belittling anyone who has a different opinion than yours."
@Arnoldos Ohhhh, ya beat me to it! We found our White Knight for TLG.
However, AS A BASSIST, I'm absolutely INFURIATED and OFFENDED that LEGO didn't release an American Fender Jazz Bass FIRST. COME ONNN LEGO...NOBODY CALLED ME TO APPROVE THIS. WTF???? Those prima donna lead guitar players always need the spotlight, always the frontman. Pfffffffft, whatever, this is totally stupid cuz it's not a bass. What can I throw at my computer now?
The strings are just brilliant, I'm really curious as to how they are attached inside the guitar. (According to New Elementary they're not a new part, just a re-colour, but not just light grey - the fabric has a silvery gleam!)
@woosterlegos said:
"It looked impressive until I saw the image of the guy building it (official Lego images, not shown on this site). With a person to give it a sense of scale, it looks tiny. "
For once the promo photos really serve a purpose - when I read the review I wanted something to compare it to with regards to scale, and now looking at those photos I like it even more, it's so cute!
@DoonsterBuildsLego said:
" @MrClassic said:
"I'm a bit confused about that Ideas competition - this wasn't one of the four winners, none of which have been released as an official set - so how come this became one?"
The judging for a potential set was independent of the fan vote for the other prizes. This is quite common for these sort of Ideas competitions."
I see, thanks. Just found the Ideas blog post announcing it, almost a year ago: https://ideas.lego.com/s/bp:07c2ec485e9d462f83a153ba50cd869f
My middle son plays guitar and has a couple of Stratocasters so this is definitely interesting to see. I think the design is spot on but I think the guitar should be larger than the amp. I don't think the $100 price tag is too much but I think a better option would have been to make a larger $100 guitar set and a separate $50 amp set with this amp. Regardless of what I think, this is pretty cool.
I might buy this for the Reverb amp alone! It looks fantastic. The Strat...meh, I'll just smash it like Kurt Cobain =oD
@crazywitchdoctor said:
"This set do look nice, but after watching that promo video, where the guy builds'it and display it on a shelf near to a real guitar, I have only one question - Why? Like, if I would be into electric guitars, and have a real, expensive one at home, I wouldn't pay $100 for a small plastic replica) "
I feel like you unwittingly answered your own question there...
@lowlead said:
"I might buy this for the Reverb amp alone! It looks fantastic. The Strat...meh, I'll just smash it like Kurt Cobain =oD"
Nah, set yours on fire like Jimmy Hendrix!
@lowlead said:
" @Arnoldos said:
" @Macropod said:
"Who will be the first spoiled, entitled adult baby to whine about how TLG should have released a different set than this one?
As a guitarist I appreciate the design, but this will be an easy pass as I don't really collect display sets. Stoked that this is available for those that enjoy it though :)"
I will be the first to point out your pathetic attempt at signalling your false moral superiority by belittling anyone who has a different opinion than yours."
@Arnoldos Ohhhh, ya beat me to it! We found our White Knight for TLG.
However, AS A BASSIST, I'm absolutely INFURIATED and OFFENDED that LEGO didn't release an American Fender Jazz Bass FIRST. COME ONNN LEGO...NOBODY CALLED ME TO APPROVE THIS. WTF???? Those prima donna lead guitar players always need the spotlight, always the frontman. Pfffffffft, whatever, this is totally stupid cuz it's not a bass. What can I throw at my computer now?"
In seriousness, the Fender electric bass is a more significant innovation to the history of popular music. Even though it's less visually iconic, it's arguably the more worthy instrument to be immortalized in Lego. Of course, bass players are less successful as a class and therefore not a reliable consumer segment. Is there a respected manufacturer of toys made of cheap cardboard out there who can serve us?
^^Imma call Flea and Wooten. They'll set this straight.
Another LEGO instrument with no playability... The circuit board is a nice touch however.
how does it scale to an actual guitar?
@BelgianBricker said:
"how does it scale to an actual guitar?"
Roughly 1:3 by my back-of-the-envelope math.
This looks superb! The amp is definitely an essential part of the set, which I think would have looked incomplete without it.
I wonder how many will get 2, to display red and black together (the same as people got 2 Porsches to display both versions.... clever move Lego!)
The only real downside is that there's so much good stuff being released on Oct 1st I'll be broke! Oh well, EDF and British Gas will have to wait!
Your know at first I wasn't fond of the visible studs on the pick guard but now I realise you can add just a few extra pieces and make it burn like Jimmy Hendrix's
@Wrecknbuild said:
" @gabri_ves said:
" @Kamiccolo said:
"The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal? "
It's because the studs on the wedging plate are gonna be stressed by the studs of the wedged plate.
Tiles don't have studs so there shouldn't be any theorical stress on the tile."
It seems that they wouldn't be stressed if they were not fully pressed down. That's not illegal then, I guess? Just a bit hard to make it clear from instructions."
*Tiles* can legally be wedged between studs, but *plates* can't - apparently tiles are very slightly less high than plates. See this link:
https://ramblingbrick.com/2017/07/29/stressed-by-the-elements-saturn-v-tiles-plates-and-the-legality-of-connections/
Given that the pickups alone are printouts of single coils then no I don't think so but that shouldn't stop you from trying :)
The Mega Construx version is just the guitar (and the same size of guitar, no larger), for half the price, so it's a nearly perfect comparison of the differences between Lego and Mega. The Mega version has the white flashing on the front of the guitar as a single specialized mold, also one of the other controls, also the top of the guitar with the tuning pegs ... whereas for Lego it's all brick built. I am really impressed by how well this thing is built, and how much it eschews specialized parts. Seriously, Lego is the best. (Except for light-on-dark printing. And color consistency. And sticker/part color matching....)
The most important thing is, can you play the "Omm" song on it?
:-)
@lowlead said:
"Those prima donna lead guitar players always need the spotlight, always the frontman. Pfffffffft, whatever"
I imagine Tina Weymouth would agree.
@BelgianBricker said:
"how does it scale to an actual guitar?"
The Minor Pentatonic Scale.
@AcademyofDrX said:
" @BelgianBricker said:
"how does it scale to an actual guitar?"
Roughly 1:3 by my back-of-the-envelope math."
Then it is an easy pass for me. It would look rediculous amongst my guitar collection...
Very nice. I see some illegal technics used for the tiles (transistors). That's all good in my book.
@ineedabrick said:
"Very nice. I see some illegal technics used for the tiles (transistors). That's all good in my book."
Several posts before mention the legal vs illegal. Basically, tiles aren’t illegal because the lack of studs does not cause any stress. Plates would be though because the studs on the plate would technically cause stress.
Legal vs illegal connections are always interesting to me, in that it would be hard for a non lego fan or just a casual builder to understand it or know what it even means.
I'll be getting this set. My brother has a Hank Marvin signature guitar, so expect that he'll get one too. One day I might try to build my Gibson SG - if Lego release worn cherry red bricks! Might try to convert the amp to look like my Marshall AVT100 too and make a stack.
So many guitars could be added to this line. Brian May's Red Special with a minifig to go with it would be the perfect follow up.
The inclusion of the sticker for your guitar is a great addition too - even though I don't do stickers, other than on my guitar case.
Now we need the rest of the band!
i think Lego have nailed this. And the addition of the amp is perfect - they both go hand in hand. Great job
Nice. Though they could of dropped the additional black variation , as surely majority will build in red and the other one will remain unbuilt and forgotten about.
Price is $159.99 in AUD and a tad inflated over the regions prices, so here's hoping for discounts down the line.
I wish there was an option to make it a Precision- or Jazz-bass too...
Would it be possible to make it in a sunburst color using the black parts it came with and adding brown?
I will be making a replica of my Boss GT-1 effects processor to go with this!
Love it! I understand your point about the extra expense of adding the amplifier but for most adult buyers the amp will likely be a positive addition. I suspect they did their marketing research on this one. And they’ve done a really nice job on designing it too!
As a long-time guitarist and Strat player, I absolutely love this thing. I thought the competition entry on Ideas was clever but it transitions so well to an official set.
I only wish they had gone as far as including a set of fret-printed tan tiles for a maple fingerboard option alongside the brown ones (should really have been dark brown) representing the rosewood fingerboard. I’m sure they’re not cheap pieces to make but it would have increased the permutations for the guitar details even further. Yes would hope that one of the more enterprising custom piece producers spots this potential market…
The Stratocaster is a very tricky shape to make from bricks. Really, there are far too many interacting curves so I think what they have achieved is a very creditable attempt. I’ll be interested to see what mods appear over the next few months as people try to create more accurate headstock shapes and a more accurate recessed jack socket on the front.
I know I would be tempted to try doing both of those things — only I’ve been banned from getting one…! (Mostly because I think my wife and kids have pegged this as an easy score for a Christmas present!)
Do you get these sets early because you review them?
@RenoFam said:
"Do you get these sets early because you review them?"
Yes, Brickset is part of the LEGO Ambassador Network (LAN) so gets sets in advance to review them.
@Henry_D said:
"Lego is just shooting in a sky these days trying to get into adult market, by releasing those shelfwarmers out of nowhere.
Instead of getting people what they r interested in, they release ultra niche product wich is worse than those stadiums."
Um, read the comment section. Sure there’s been some negative comments, but this set has been almost overwhelmingly positive in people’s response to it. I do get where you’re coming from. There are a lot of adult aimed sets. And maybe they don’t sell out instantly like some sets with massive appeal, but they offer different groups of people LEGO sets that they can enjoy and display. That’s they beauty of LEGO. It’s not just for people who are embedded in the community, it’s supposed to include new people.
When I saw the headline, I was very much hoping for a real electric guitar, made out of LEGO. Oh well. Something for a MOC project then...
I will be interested to find out what other colors the guitar body can be made from, where all the right parts are available in a particular color in the aftermarket. Which for now appears to be none owing to the rarity of part 65734.
^ you are right, it could not be made in any other colours.
@NickF22 said:
"
*Tiles* can legally be wedged between studs, but *plates* can't - apparently tiles are very slightly less high than plates. See this link:
https://ramblingbrick.com/2017/07/29/stressed-by-the-elements-saturn-v-tiles-plates-and-the-legality-of-connections/
"
Thanks for the clarification!
The 65734 BRICK 1X4X3, OUTSIDE HALF BOW is actually a very old part
TLG made a prototype more than 22 years ago (I reckon at the same time they made the 6060 Arch 1 x 6 x 3 1/3 Curved Top in 1992)
I know as I used to own one of these ;)
@Henry_D said:
"Lego is just shooting in a sky these days trying to get into adult market, by releasing those shelfwarmers out of nowhere.
Instead of getting people what they r interested in, they release ultra niche product wich is worse than those stadiums."
Yeeeeeeeeaah, gonna need some evidence for that statement. Shelf warmer? Don't think so. It might look like it because of if constantly being restocked, but my local toy shop has a wait-list for a lot of this stuff. Some of it moves faster than others for sure, but a lot of it stays in production for much longer than regular stuff - if it goes out of stock on Lego's own site repeatedly, it is NOT a shelf warmer. Me and a few other Star Wars fans have really wanted a new TIE Interceptor and Bomber for ages, but it just doesn't happen - is it annoying? Sure. But does that mean that Lego, an incredibly successful toy company, doesn't know what it's doing? Not even close.
So I'm sorry, but if you're really, really in a hurry for your classic-space-pirate-monorail, you're gonna have to make it yourself...which isn't a big deal because, you know....Lego.
@legoDad42 said:
"The amp is very nicely detailed. Really helps to make a good looking display piece.
This is like the deluxe edition of the Mega Construx one that came out in April (?) for $50-.
This Lego one is all brick built though.
Mega had a large long molded piece for the neck, head stock and pick guard.
The guitar stand is much nicer here and you get the great detailed amp and pedal.
Mega had a nice display box which acts as a miniature guitar case, and came with a real Fender guitar pick. Also no Fender strap like Lego has here.
They look pretty close in size. Mega says there's is 1/4th scale."
I'll definitely be buying 21329 when it is released. Ordered the off-brand one yesterday from Amazon, since it appears to be closer to the original thanks to custom parts, especially the input jack.
@Arnoldos said:
" @Macropod said:
"Who will be the first spoiled, entitled adult baby to whine about how TLG should have released a different set than this one?
As a guitarist I appreciate the design, but this will be an easy pass as I don't really collect display sets. Stoked that this is available for those that enjoy it though :)"
I will be the first to point out your pathetic attempt at signalling your false moral superiority by belittling anyone who has a different opinion than yours."
Sorry, but I don't really feel qualified to engage in an internet slapfight about which LEGO sets should or should not be released, for the following reasons:
- I actually have friends and a life outside of being an AFOL
- I don't have a background in market research or business management
- I don't live in a fantasy world where I expect the universe to conform to my every wish and then go on to throw a hissy fit when things don't live up to my unrealistic expectations
Also, I'm not even a virgin! We can talk about something else though. How's the weather there? Too warm for the season here, but I figure you might as well enjoy what you can about global warming. Too bad for the penguins though :/
@Mr_Cross said:
"The question I'm asking is can I turn it into a Les Paul? A 1969 custom cherry sunburst! Nice review btw!"
Dude, it's Lego. You can turn it into a London bus, if your heart desires!
@Nytmare said:
"I will be interested to find out what other colors the guitar body can be made from, where all the right parts are available in a particular color in the aftermarket. Which for now appears to be none owing to the rarity of part 65734."
It would be interesting to see if Lego releases "color packs" down the line, to - for example - build a yellow or teal one.
@Smullie_1138 said:
" @Nytmare said:
"I will be interested to find out what other colors the guitar body can be made from, where all the right parts are available in a particular color in the aftermarket. Which for now appears to be none owing to the rarity of part 65734."
It would be interesting to see if Lego releases "color packs" down the line, to - for example - build a yellow or teal one."
A cool yellow one would look like the buttercream color! I would love a teal one!
@Kamiccolo:
If you put a plate between studs “on grid”, the studs on the vertical plate land on the studs on the horizontal plate and prevent it from being fully seated until you move it about half a stud to either side. Tiles are also just a tiny bit thinner than plates, so even a plate with no studs along the edge will have an stressed connection.
@gorf43:
When viewed from above, Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, adjacent to Universal Studios, looks like the red version.
@Koend1999:
No “Stairway to Heaven”!
@ForestMenOfEndor:
I have four red fenders out in my parking space!
Also, many people do own fully electric guitars without any amp to accompany them. If you win a signed guitar to hang on your wall, the amp isn’t included, and you’re unlikely to rush out and buy one for a guitar that you’ll probably never want to attempt to play. Graphic art designs are another instance where maybe you’re a huge fan of Property X, and you see that they’re releasing a limited edition guitar with artwork of your favorite character. If you have enough money to shrug off the cost, you might buy that to hang in your wall as well.
@Koend1999:
Telecaster, sure. Les Paul is a Gibson, though, right? That’s a different licensing contract, and an open Fender contract might pose an issue there.
@ggfile:
The only functional stringed musical instruments I’m aware of are a harpsichord and a mountain dulcimer. Pianos and guitars require too much tension on the strings to be feasible without adding non-LEGO components to tension them against/with.
@Macropod:
Careful, there. Internet standard is “Pictures, or it didn’t happen.” Don’t set yourself up for something you can’t prove without a major ToS violation.
Minifigure selection sux
Also did they seriously not give us decent interior spaces?
Hard pass
Shame the amp doesn't have numbers which go up to 11, that would have had serious muso's really excited and been a lovely touch of Lego humour.
Well, this Lego and Fender collector thinks it's awful. If you gave it to me for free I'd part it out.
Mega Construx recently released a limited edition Fender Stratocaster set (official license). And they did a beter job then Lego.
@Murdoch17 said:
"The only question worth answering is does the amplifier go up to eleven?"
Check out the movie rating (carefully):
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088258/
@HoodedOne:
Yeah, but they only achieved that by molding key elements rather than figuring out how to brickbuild them. If you want hyper-realism more than you actually want to build it, there’s a 7pc kit that looks, and even sounds, exactly like a Fender Strat, which is produced by some company named Fender. You’ll have to buy the amp kit separately. And the patch cord accessory pack.
@Interstellarpig said:
" @Kamiccolo said:
"The implied electronics are a fun detail, though now I'm wondering if wedging tiles between studs isn't an illegal building technique is there any reason why wedging a plate between studs is considered illegal? "
This used to be done in Lego sets a lot more frequently - particularly with older sets. It’s not something I’ve seen a Lego designer use recently though
" They do that in the Saturn v.
Now we need someone to mod this into a P-bass that I can build for my dad.