60th Anniversary Standard Stratocaster Review

The limited-edition standard Series 60th Anniversary Stratocaster guitar features a distinctive Blizzard Pearl finish on its alder body, a modern C-shaped tinted maple neck, a 60th Anniversary stamped neck plate, three Tex-Mex pickups, vintage-style synchronized tremolo and a custom gig bag. A true diamond in the rough!

Features:	8.6
Sound:	8.8
Action:	8.2
Reliability:	8.8
Impression:	9.2
Overall rating:	8.7
Users rating:	8.1
Comments:	97

overall: 10

Featured review by: unregistered, on march 24, 2006

Price paid: 0

Purchased from: Sounds International

Features: This guitar, like all standard Stratocasters, has 22 medium jumbo frets and a fast action maple neck, coupled with Fender's traditional Alder wood body. In this case, it has a very nice deep C-shaped, American Strat style neck that just fits so naturally in your hand. The bridge tremolo system is nice and light, and the saddles are stlyed like a Vintage Stratocaster. This guitar is finished in a pearloid silver (Blizard Pearl). It has the standard 5-way selection for the pickups, and has 2 tone and a volume pot. A special commemorative gig bag was included. The guitar also has an engraved diamond anniversary neck plate and a little inlay on the back of the head with a similar logo. // 10

Sound: This guitar has an amazing sound. The three Tex-Mex pickups give a brilliant variety of tones for any style of music from blues to punk rock. It sounds great clean, and holds this with distortion. It gives a very nice, clear sound through my Roland Cube-60, and will probably sound even better through something like a Fender Twin Reverb. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The factory setup on this guitar is perfect. The action is smooth and light, and the pickup poles have been adjusted to give a consistent sound quality. The action with both strings and neck is absolutely brilliant, and is one of the nicest feeling guitars I have ever come across. There was a slight blemish on the finish near the truss rod, which is why I got this guitar a bit cheaper than the RRP, thoguh this doesn't show up unless you're looking for it! Overall, though, the finish is lovely, with a nice coat of laquer and a beautifully tinted vintage-look maple wood neck. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar holds tuning very well, even with use of the tremolo system. I haven't had chance to play it live yet, but I see no reason why it wouldn't stand up to a gig. The strap buttons are solid much like the rest of the guitar's build. The hardware is all of high quality, as I have come to expect from Fender, I suspect they will last me a good time yet! // 10

Impression: I play mainly punk rock, and this guitar suits me to a tee. I compared this guitar to other guitars, including Highway 1 American Stratocasters and also the standard Mexican Stratocaster in the shop, and in my opinion this is a nicer instrument, as it just feels right to me. Basically, for the price this guitar is an incredible instrument. It sounds and feels like a guitar you'd expect to be paying atleast £600 for, for only slightly more than the ordinary Mexican Strats. If it was lost of stolen, I'd try my hardest to find another, but they are quite rare and only in production this year. This fact means that future resale and collector's value will be quite high, though that is by no means the reason I chose this guitar. All in all, I think it's a great buy for the money, highly reccomended! // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: Stefan123, on december 01, 2006

Price paid: 1000

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: // 9

Sound: The sound is great but you have to get new pickups. The ones that come with the guitar are stock pickups. I recomend that Fender Vinatge Strat Noiseless Pickups. They really bring out the sound in the guitar. I use it on all settings it depends what I am playing. I usally distort the guitar but on clean it sounds perfect. The guitar has a wide varity of sounds and can have a tremlo bar attached to it. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: No flaws from the factory the finish was perfect! I replaced the pickups so I would not know if they were placed right. Yes the top was bookmatched and bridge was fine. I did not like the strings that came with the guitar I would recommend the Fender bullets ten gauge they also bring out the best sound in the guitar. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The guitar is vey durable with the hard case. Strao buttons are solid. Yes I use the guitar at a gig without a backup (but I do have backup strings). Pickguard is solid and can be replaced if it gets too beat up. The pickguard doesn't seem to scrach very little or if at all. I could trust my life with this guitar! // 9

Impression: I play punk rock and pop punk and it really make the power choards sound great! I have been playing for about 3. If this guitar was stolen I would kill the dude that did it. Great guitar difintly get it! I would difinty get it over the Gibson SG, it mabey more money but it has a better sound and better quaility. // 10

overall: 8.2

Reviewed by: Arkery, on march 05, 2008

Price paid: 350

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: This is a Fender (Mexican made) 60th Anniversary Standard Strat, I grabbed this beauty in a dark red metallic color. It comes with a Standard gig bag, it's pretty flimsy, but it gets the job done. It has 22 frets, and has the basic Fender tuners. It comes equipped with 3 single coil pickups, 2 tones 1 volume, and a 5-way selector. // 8

Sound: I normally play Blues, and it suites it amazingly. It has a very full sound however it does make a hum, but I got over it. I run it through a Line 6 Spider III with various pedals, and it can nail just about any tone except for death metal. The harmonics on this baby ring as if it was born to just throw them out, especially when cranked. One of the best things about this guitar is the 5-way selector, mixed with the right set ups, this sound can really get bright, or when cranked with distortion, she has great ability to chug thoughs palm mutes. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got my guitar, the action wasn't what I wanted, ten minutes and I had it set up great. The pickups were adjusted perfectly to suite my style of play. The only real problem was that the pick guard wasn't screwed on properly and that the input jack was a little loose, once more a vary easy fix. I am greatly satisfied with this guitar, because once I got this thing set up right, it matched my American Strat in both speed and playability. // 7

Reliability & Durability: I've dinged thing guitar, dropped it, the works, and she still plays like the first day I got her. This guitar was built to last, and it probably will last me quite a while before I need to buy replacement parts/pieces. This guitar due to the hum is deffinately not made to play at gigs, however if my American Strat broke, I could depend on this to finish the job. // 8

Impression: Basically this guitar suites my style perfectly, and with a little tweaking, it can fit just about any style of play with general ease. I've been playing for 10 years now, and I own many guitars, including a '72 Strat, that I play all the time. And even though this guitar isn't the sound of my American Strat, or Les Paul. It's still a great buy. For the price I really couldn't find much better. I do wish it came with an optional hardshell case, however. I think this guitar can deffinately be used as a starting guitar, or for an experienced player, all in all, good deal. // 9

overall: 7.8

Reviewed by: FrozenSheep, on march 28, 2007

Price paid: 395

Purchased from: Tom Lee

Features: This is a Mexican made Strat features a Diamond on the head stock. Though the description above said pearl finish, I happen to have one in olympic white [very sexy color]. It has a maple neck, Standard pick ups and an alder body. It has a 5-way selector and comes with a gig bag and a whammy bar. // 8

Sound: I play a lot of Classic Roock, blues, funk and, metal and this guitar seems to satisfy most of my needs with the help of my Zoom G2 effects pedal. I run this through a Fender frontman and it was a warm sound on the neck pick up and a twangy sound on the bridge. It handels well with distortions. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar didin't come with any flaws exept that I wanted the bridge to be a whammy bar instead of a tremelo bar, and the tuning pegs are a bit loose. The only thing you need to add to this guitar is some locking tuning pegs and your ready to go. You might have to adjust the pick ups to your prefernces but that takes about 10 secounds. // 7

Reliability & Durability: The straps are solid and the hardware seems to be ok for now (no faults yet). The finish is very beautyful but not indistructable (meaning don't scracht it). I would defently use it for a gig. I did come with a crack on the paint job near the neck but I didin't return it cause of the fact it'll take em a while to get another one and I don't wanna wait that long. // 8

Impression: If you can't afford an american Strat just pick this up with some locking tuning pegs and you have your Strat. Any classic rock, blues, or funk player out there should be satisfyed with the sound. It handels good with distortion but if your a metal head, save up for an Epiphone or a Gibson. // 8

overall: 8.4

Reviewed by: mustaineisbetr, on july 04, 2006

Price paid: 0

Purchased from: Music World

Features: The only significant detail that is noticable to this guitar, is the little circle logo on the back of the headstock. I purchased mine in a left handed Electron Blue. It is a very nice looking guitar. It comes with a 3 ply pick gurad and comes in several different colors, like black, chrome, brown sunburst, midnight wine, and arctic white, coming in either rosewood or a maple neck. Comfort-contoured alder body, three single-coil pickups and standard synchronized tremolo. It has a 5-way pickup selector, with a gold Switch. 21 Medium Jumbo frets, Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines. Comes with a Standard Fender Gig Bag. // 8

Sound: I have used it on a full size Peavey PA system. It gives that signature Strat sound, with all the versatility of any other guitar. On the bridge pickup, it gives a thick tele-style sound. It sounds great with all different kind of effects, and can play any style of music that you desire. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: I bought it from the store, it has great action, havent had to mess with it, and the strings had a fine sound, even though they were the stock Fender Super Bullet stings. I had to adjust the middle and neck pick up after purchasing, but it only takes 15 seconds with a screwdriver. The only problem that I had, I have with all my guitars is that the input jack becomes loose from removing cables, and rattles sometimes. It will cut out if not tightned. // 7

Reliability & Durability: Everything seems very solid, it can take the abuse of the whammy bar, and still sound great and stay in tune. I think I will have this guitar, and pass it down to my kid, becuase I think with the right TLC, this guitar can last. // 9

Impression: I play alot of classic rock, and some metal, even with the effects the guitar can follow, and still sound right for what I play. I like this guitar and I would love to have another, just with a floyd rose tremelo instead. If you are going to buy a Strat, invest in a floyd rose tremelo. // 9

Comments

[speedballer88]

I like the diamond on the headstock

[blitzballer1]

i like the finish. looks good.

[Irenic Retral]

Does it come with different pickups?

[juicemane86]

that guitar look Sweet!!!! wish i had the loot to comp me 1 of those!!!

[satchboogie_123]

wow, look good.

[hoobariffer87]

1: Standards have 21 frets.
2: Pearloid is a pickguard option - not a finish option.

Otherwise, not bad.

[Guitarist_Ash]

I WANT ONE! Need LOTS of cash thlough...

[wangmaster]

my strat has 21 frets. wish i could trade it for oneof those badboys!

[guitarocker]

this guitar is soooo sweet! i totally wish i could afford one! Fender's are the best guitar as far as i'm concerned, i've never come across a better guitar as far as sound, playability, and dependability goes.

[Slash_HuDsOn]

cost?

[zerohero]

looks f***ing bad ass wish i had one

[roryo]

This may be a really stupid thing to say but I am really confused. 60th anniversary strat? I thought they were first made in 1954?

^ Good point lol.

It may just be the anniversary of Fender guitars.

[KManLink]

roryo wrote:

This may be a really stupid thing to say but I am really confused. 60th anniversary strat? I thought they were first made in 1954?

i did a paper on this subject actually...
1946 was the year Leo Fender founded the Fender Electric Instruments Company, not the year the strat was invented. the tele was made in '48, and the strat in '54.

[Hendrix_101090]

my strat is better

[denyinu247]

^ since they both played fenders...

[HmTownHero1007]

oh yeah and the guitar looks badass

[Darkflame]

i don't like fender but this one looks good...

drop-dead666

*comment deleted. go away.

[Mark Wylie]

ok what would be a better use of my money getting a epiphone custom or some fender like the one above

[mercedesisbenz]

whatever happened to the 50th anniversary that came out last year.... didnt they kinda jump 10 years or is this a different anniversary?

[Hendrixrulz74]

nah. mine is so much better.that one is such a pile of Sh*t. i'm not impressed crap like that should be burned

[GN'R1368]

just buy a good strat if your gonna get 1

[ace_lester]

nyc guitar..i havent tried an electric guitar yet because im just a beginner and i started on an acoustic..sigh.. >,

[GATLIN]

same as any other strat.....definetly a tribute

[Shadow Clad]

Im a fan of Fender gear, and the strat is a great guitar. But this one is god like. If I had the cash I'd buy 10 of 'em!

[Chris26875]

mmm im sure this would taste supurb with an oporto freshly grilled chicken burger yumm

[Fender_00]

This Guitar is Awsome. Fenders Rule!!!!

[Fender_00]

10 out of 10 for sure!!!

[Bacio]

It's just like every other stratocaster.

[selloutpunx]

not a big fan of the color, that and i only play hard tails.

[boyan89]

this guitar does look sweet

[ArcherTheVMan]

i love fenders (as i do gibsons) but only thing thats any different with that guitar from an american series or custom strat is that diamond in the headstock.

[Zuka]

Fenders are my favorite brand, an this stratocaster is another great guitar. Fender is not over rated, by the way. Most people should know that even though Gibson & Epiphone Les Pauls are great guitars, they are the ones being over rated.

[Zuka]

^Epiphone is part of Gibson (Duh) in case some didnt know.

[Metalology]

I've tried some Strats and they're pretty cool. But, I dont like the volume knob right beside the strings, it's quite annoying. I prefer the Tele.

[GlamSpam]

Irenic Retral wrote:

Does it come with different pickups?

It wouldnt really be a 60th Anniversary Guitar with a different pickup set up.

[zerohero]

I think it looks pretty sweet but I rather have a SRV replica.

[munit]

im not trying to make anyone mad but it just looks like a normal strat with a 22nd fret and a tremelo. strats seem to be nice, but im more of a super strat than a regular strat guy and even more so a les paul guy than strat, its not that i have anything against strats, just personal prefernce that fits my style of playing better.

[Metalupyour...]

The guitar is around $500, and not that pricey if you ask me

[pigglesworth]

This guitar has only 21 Frets, the Amerrmican Series 60th Aniversary has 22 Frets (unless Fender's website and the picture at the top off this page are both wrong). It would also be made in Mexico, so calling the normal Standard Strat a Mexican Strat is kind of misrepresentative.

[W4T3V3R]

How come everyones like "oh i have no money to get one boo hoo" Doesnt anyone have a job? Or are you all bums. Great guitar, i will put an order in straight away in my local Music shop.

[smashngrab1991]

^
Not bums, but mostly 15 years old.

[The Curse]

My mexican strat has a great sound so i bet that strat sounds sik i think fender is a great brand all around and its not overated

[Fender_00]

if anything gibsons are overrated i you are nuts to say fender is overrated..

[GuitarPro92]

Cool I want one of those too!

[NiK-117]

im quite new at guitar, only about 7 months now. im a humbucker lover and have only owned a crap 70quid single coil guitar, could someone please reassure me that single are good pick ups on better guitars, for example, the strat. BTW Nice strat, im a gibson fan, never been interested, but i love the colour

[NiK-117]

smashngrab, im the 15 year old with no job, its crap, i have a 150quid schecterblackhawk and that is goin to have to last me till i get a job.

[washburn guy]

i wanna touch it

[yorkshireterror]

Stop complaining about price... Seriously. Some one said its 500ish? I Got an Epiphone G-400(Custom), when I was 13, and paid for it myself. It's 500 bucks. If your even just 15, you should be able to get a job, and pay for it. We dont feel sorry for you...

[TheGuitarDreams]

It looks like a regular Fender strat....with a shiny paint job....shiiiiny...Fender's Rock.
Gibson's are slightly better.

Top Three

1. Gibson
2. Fender
3. Ibanez

[sloehand]

I have a $500.00 Godin lg and it kicks ass. Much better than a $500.00 strat or any other brand for that matter

[AudioslaveRick]

I bought both my guitars, Fender Tornado GT, and Schecter C-10+ with my own money. Im a bus boy and make 100 a night busing for 5 hours. Not that hard to get a little cash. This guitar probally plays just like any higher end fender strats. Its just a collectors peice and numthing for fender to make money on. If i had the money id personally get a PRS. But now your talking in the thousands.

[atticus_08]

I own this strat also. I actually bought it yesterday, and it's down right amazing. If it doesn't fit your style of play don't flame the guitar. Fender makes terrific guitars, so does gibsons and many other companies. Perhaps that's why we have choices in life because everyone has personal preference. This guitar plays like a high priced strat and it does rock.

[guitarsolo_17]

k yeah did someone say diamond in the headstock , uh srry tahts only american 60th
and who's sayin gibson is better.....this guitar isnt american its not near as premium as an american

[guitarsolo_17]

ok yeah this vs a great les paul this wins.....i dont hate gibson ...

[stevenlogan]

i just bought a standard strat for 300? online at this german website. they sent me a 60th anniversary strat instead. free of charge.

[stevenlogan]

oh my god im freaking out...

[JacksMyHero]

holy crap... stevenlogan's a lucky bastard

[Andy_strat]

lol wow stevenlogan mate u did well for yourself didnt you, lucky person.

[chomieMan59]

i have never really felt the urge to buy a stratocaster, mostly because everyone else in my town has one. Excuse me for not being in the mainstream. But if I ever wanted a strat, this is what I would buy. And you guys need to get jobs, I'm 15 and mowing lawns i reel in a good 120 a week, and 180 every snow storm shoveling driveways. Get some freakin jobs.

[stevenlogan]

yeah i lucked out. i said i would sue them, if they didn't seem me something soon. it had been a couple of weeks and they kept saying that they'd already shipped it. ****ing bastards.

[Tapmaster923]

I could just replace the pickups on my squire and paint it, couldn't I? I've done it before, copying Eddie Van Halen...I'd just need some sexy silver paint, and 60th anniversarry hardware...

[GNR'n'A7X]

Fender is totally fu*ked up. I love their guitars, though... I mean, Fender's guitars are fu*kin' great but are priced so damn high. Like the this model, who the fu*k can afford this? For someone looking for an amazing guitar with a great price check out Schecter (the C-1 Hellraiser FR is a dream and it's only $800 new).

[realic]

GNR'n'A7X wrote:

Fender is totally fu*ked up. I love their guitars, though... I mean, Fender's guitars are fu*kin' great but are priced so damn high. Like the this model, who the fu*k can afford this? For someone looking for an amazing guitar with a great price check out Schecter (the C-1 Hellraiser FR is a dream and it's only $800 new).

pali really dont get u...u say this is priced too high...then u recomend a guitar 300$ more....????

[SirLanceLot]

bI just bought the Mexican Silver 60th anniversary Strat, and it has KILLER tone !!! Must be the TexMex pickups. I own 2 other American Strats, a 65 and an 87, and this Mexican Strat kicks both their butts. Everything about the Strat sound is magnified on this guitar. Killer Mayer, Stevie Ray, Eric Johnson tone.
The only negative thing about this Mexican Strat is the neck is thicker than my American Strats. I wrap my thumb around a neck a lot to play the low E string, so neck thickness is a big deal with me. (so don't buy the Epiphone SG, the neck is waaaaay too thick, it's a broomstick, but the finish is immaculate, unlike my American SG where Gibson even forgot to paint parts of the body! Unbelievable)
The pickups are a lot hotter on the Mexican Strat. Seems like everything special about the Strat sound is magnified 10x on this guitar.
The maple neck is darker than my American necks. Go figure, it is a Mexican after all.....hummm Maybe Fender has a sense of humor.
la

[This_Kidd]

Hey SirLanceLot, why don't you write a proper review for it?

[SirLanceLot]

Hey This_Kidd,
I don't work for Guitar Magazine, so I probably don't have the literary skills to write a professional review. I can't play proper, I play with attitude. So, kick ass pretty much says it all. That's my review and I'm sticking to it.

I will add one thing, the finish on this guitar is immaculate. It's the sparkly finish style like on my 65 candy apple red Strat, and not just a solid color. On my 65 I wore thru all the layers where you rest your right arm when you play. You can see it has a clear finish, then red, gold, white(probably primer), and finally the wood. I'm guessing the 60th Silver anniversary guitar has similar layers.
It has the same bridge style as my 65, but the machine heads are a newie design, I prefer the old tuners.
There's probably a bunch of other things to say about this guitar, but.....
la

[This_Kidd]

Hey, I just bought this guitar, and I bloody love it! It is perfect. It does any style well, I can even get a good metal tone from it, but it excels in blues & classic rock. Absolutely love it.

I love the finish too, the neck looks fantastic and the body finish is great. It's a very pearly colour, shiny and it changes colour in different lights, looks astounding.

[SirLanceLot]

I forgot to mention the great sustain this guitar has. I don't know if it's because of the slightly thicker neck, or maybe the bridge or nut, but it seems to have a lot more sustain than my other Strats. And..... it stays in tune! At least a lot better than my other Strats. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with this Strat. Don't ponder over whether it was made in Mexico or the US.

[Magnet07]

i love this guitar

[M4jorpiz]

i bought an american strat cause every one else i know play sg's or les paul's

[Goldy93]

i think the look of the guitars are just so boring but the sound is brilliant

[phillyguitar]

some guy said he bought this guitar for $1000? Isn't this the anneversary edition of the lower Strat model thats $400, so in other words this guitar really shouldn't be priced over $600?

CHecked/Deleted.

[wigers will die]

always loved the strat.. if i get one ill probably get a jimi hendrix singature

[E V H 5150]

The only thing that this has on my Peavey is that it has tremolo.

[scarfacesuit]

i do love the feel of a real stratocaster. this looks like a really cool guitar.

[RHCPfan01]

did anyone notice the fellow who said to get a strat with a floyd rose?
fender doesnt make a guitar w. a double locking trem
and the only strat style guitars i have seen with a FR are customs(like my own) and FR brand

[the.spine.surfs]

The advantage of haing a Made in America guitar is that you're supporting our economy, and you get really great set up. However, if you have any personal preferances about how your guitar should feel, then you'll play with the action and replace the nut and adjust your own pu's anyway. But really, go America and all that.

[RHCPfan01]

plus america guitars are simply the best

[fire within]

nice guitar, but if i had to get one of the 60th aniversary nes, it would be the american tele por strat, the one that is about £1000 and is in sunburst

[fire within]

RHCPfan01, fender do make a floyd rose equiped strat that is not a custom model

http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=1134700306

that if i am not mistaken is a standard strat with a locking trem

Checked

[Cobalt Blue]

hmmm I had heard most of the newer Strats sound like shit compared to the classics, and use a lot less wood which kills the tone... I guess I was misinformed

[-Rock-N'-Roll-]

Rather have another gibson :P

[lilguitarist36]

TheGuitarDreams wrote:

It looks like a regular Fender strat....with a shiny paint job....shiiiiny...Fender's Rock.
Gibson's are slightly better.

Top Three

1. Gibson
2. Fender
3. Ibanez

_____

who has heard of cort guitars? anyone? i wanna say somethin and this is true. you can search this up, and a friend of mine who is a pro guitarist, and is in the music industry, told me this. there are those guitar brands that everyone claims are the best(gibson, fender, ibanez, ect.). cort guitars builds all three of those brands and more. you can believe me or not on this. companies like ibanez, have a contract production with cort guitars. so cort builds the guitars, stamps the name on the headstock, and sends it out to the brand they are building it for, and that company sells them. Cort builds guitars for the largest known brands. i never believed it at first, but its true. you can even look it up on google.com or ask.com. there was this ibanez bass guitar i saw once, and it is the exact same as a Cort Action Bass. you cant find this out much anywhere else but also, the fender stratocaster guitar came from an old Cort model. im dead serious. but you can believe what you want to believe.

[KetchupLad14]

I have the American one, this is the American Standard. I tried both,, the one i got is a lot nicer. It's got 3 color suburst and came with an awesome hardshell case.

[quimson]

is this one made in mexico?

[davec_24]

I think some people are getting confused about what this guitar actually is... The second two reviews seem to be about generic Mexican Strats made in 2006, not the specific 2006 Diamond (60th) Anniversary Standard Strat, as per the first review and also the picture. The latter has a tinted varnish on the neck, is finished in Blizzard Pearl Metallic, and also has non-stock (Tex-Mex) pickups. It is, however, 21 frets not 22, as are most other Mexican Fenders.

I've played 3 of these guitars and they've all been nothing short of amazing, matching up to most US Strats, for half the price. Sure, you get one less fret and the little features like staggered-height tuners are missing, but it's half the cash!

[MidEvilDeath]

i got this guitar, it is mexican. However this is like the best mexican strat you can buy, it sounds amazing, the tex mex pickups are perfect for the guitar. its got a solid alder body, i believe. It really is a great guitar.

[peteblue]

i

[peteblue]

i bought a american 60th anna. for 2500.00 australian should have bought an american delux instead just sounds to clean

[Blue Cape Guy]

I have one of those. It's a Squier Strat. And It's magic blue.

[telemetal]

^^^ *facepalm*
Squires=Shit
Fenders=Awesomeness
They may have the same body, but other wise they're a world apart

[metalonastrat]

100000 times better than BC Rich.