American Stratocaster Review

The beauty of the American Stratocaster guitar is in its details. This model incorporates several simple player-friendly refinements into the timeless design of the Strat guitar: hand-rolled fingerboard edges, three staggered single-coil pickups, five-way switching and two-point synchronized tremolo.

Features:	9.7
Sound:	9.4
Action:	9.5
Reliability:	9.7
Impression:	9.6
Overall rating:	9.6
Users rating:	8.6
Comments:	97

overall: 10

Featured review by: Zamboni, on september 25, 2005

Price paid: $ 948

Purchased from: Avenue Guitars

Features: My 2004 American-made Stratocaster is by far my favorite guitar. It's got 22 jumbo frets set in a rosewood fingerboard, on an alder body. It was specially made for the Stratocaster's '50th anniversary, and has a beautiful Olympic white finish. It has a floating bridge, great for up and down whammy playing, and has a single volume pot, with two tone pots. It came with a solid, form-fitted case, whammy bar, strap, cable, two allen keys, and a waxed cloth. // 10

Sound: It fits all my musical tastes perfectly. Metal, classic rock, blues, jazz, it does it all. I'm using it with a Roland Cube 30 for practice, and a Marshall stack for shows. There is hardly any noise on this guitar, a good thing for single coil pickups. These pickups sound the nicest, and have the least amount of hum I have ever heard. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar needed no work from the factory. The action, pickup poles, and bridge were all set up as near perfect as you can get. I ended up having to change the action and intonation on most of my other guitars, however I was glad that I didn't have to change anything on this one. There were no flaws on this guitar. Everything was in surprisingly good condition. // 10

Reliability & Durability: It has been through many live gigs, and has not faultered whatsoever. The hardware, strap buttons, and everything else is solid, and has not once dissapointed me. I depend on this guitar for most of my playing, and continually use it without a backup. It's always there when I need it to be. The finish is thick and has not worn at all, even after over a year and a half of playing. // 10

Impression: For my metal influences, this guitar suits me perfectly. Even when I want to break out the classic rock and blues, it's there to serve. I've been playing for over three years, and this guitar has been with me through over half of that time. If lost, I would instantly go out and buy myself the exact same guitar. To me, this guitar can do no wrong, it has been reliable, has always sounded good, and will continue to be my main guitar for years to come. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 06, 2005

Purchased from: --

Features: - Made in California, 2004.
- 22 frets, maple neck.
- Solid top.
- Dark brown Strat body.
- Floyd rose bridge.
- Volume, tone (2x), 5-way selector.
- Singlecoil pickups.
- Hard case, strap, cable, humidifiers, tremolo bar, 2 plectrums. // 10

Sound: I am incredibly lucky to have gotten this fine guitar at such a fine price. In my opinion, Stratocasters are the nicest sounding and feeling guitars of all time. I play many styles of music, from the bluesy leads of Jimmy Page and Gary Moore to the classic rock of Jimi Hendrix, From Guns N' Roses and Metallica to Foo fighters and Muse. This guitar covers them all perfect, with its treble heavy, clear, almost vocal style of this amazing guitar. Listen to Jimi Hendrix play on any of his albums. You can hear every note perfectly. If he played a Les Paul, it would be lost in its deep chasms of sustain. Also, compare the body shape to that of a Les Paul. The Les paul's sharp corners stick into while you play, and it is heavier than a grand piano (not really). Two minutes with a Strat and you're playing it likes its the only thing you've ever done. I use my Strat with a Marshall 30-watt amp and my DigiTech RP100, and it is my dream setup. My Strat, when turned up, does not lose its unique tone. It is a guitar suitable for every type of tone known to man. Just go into a guitar shop and play one. You'll see. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: I spent 20 minutes going over this guitar, and I cannot find a flaw in this guitar. Every surface is smooth, and the wood quality is superb. The pickups were installed perfectly, and there is not a thing wrong with them. The bridge is fine, as is the top. A lot of thought and effort has understandably gone into this guitar, and it is worth ever cent. There was not one flaw in its action and finish. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Though Strats are light, they are extremely durable. Though I haven't the nerve to abuse it, the finish is as hard as Kerry King's wrist muscles. The strap buttons are 100% solid, and I wouldn't shame my Strat by using another guitar as a backup, 1st class. // 10

Impression: I play all styles of music, and I think Strats are the universal guitar. Even non-Strat users like Slash have something to say ("I think Strats are the best-sounding guitars, but you have to try hard with them"). This guitar will last you through 3 lifetimes, and so will your warranty. If this guitar was stolen, I'd get a machinegun, kill every person in the country and not rest until I got it back. It's that good. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on october 10, 2005

Purchased from: Musicain

Features: My Fender Stratocaster was made in Corona, California, USA in 2005. It has 22 medium frets on a maple fretboard with a 9 inch radius and a 25. 5 scale. Solid top Strat, alder body, maple neck. Crome red finish. American standard tremelo. Passive electronics. One volume, two tone controls plus "delta tone" wich is a boost for the bridge pickup. 5-way selector Switch S/S/S pickup configuration, American Strat pickups. and Fender non-locking Schaller tuners. My guitar came with a Fender hardshell case, strap, cable, hex wrenches and a polish cloth. The only bad thing was that the case was warped so I have to return this one. // 9

Sound: My style is mostly punk/rock and some classic rock. This guitar suits my style perfectly. I am using a Marshall MG15CD with this and a Boss ME50, it sounds okay with my amp but when I get my new one (Carvin MTS3212) it will sound perfect. It's noisy b/c it has single coils but that can be fixed with a noise suppressor. The bridge pickup has a bright sound as it is but when you put on the delta tone it has a boost that give it a slightly brighter sound and more distortion. The neck pickup is great for clean and lead stuff, very rich. This guitar can do anything from blues to '80s hair metal, the singles can do alot. Lots of sounds man. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was fine. When I got it I checked it over and found nothing. The strings when new so they where stretching but I don't like Fender strings so I but on my favorite D'Addorio 10-52 and re adjusted the action and intonation but I was gonna do that anyways so it was fine. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This thing is tough, belive me. I would not go to a gig with out a backup anyways. I got one scratch on it already when one of my other guitars fell and hit it and even that was a small ding. // 10

Impression: I've been playing for 3 and a half years now. I own three guitars, (Ibanez Jem and Ibanez Talman acoustic), a Boss ME-50 and a crappy Marshall practice amp. Yes I would buy this again after I kill the person who stole it, I would have to say my favorite feature of this is the tremelo. It stays in tune for almost everything. I'm also a whammy whore so it's good. When I got it I compared it to my Jem and it blew it away in sound and tuning stability. It's perfect. I wish it had those locking tuners on the Deluxe series but I'm gonna buy them when I get that cash. // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: 1ight, on october 17, 2005

Price paid: $ 1145.5

Purchased from: Long and McQuade

Features: From the serial number I could tell that it was made in 2005, obviously in the usa since it's an American Strat. It's usual Strat 22 jumbo frets, solid alder body (I think), rosewood fretboard, black finish, floating bridge, a volume and 2 tone knobs, 5-way selector, 3 original Fender single coil pickups. With it a got a case (one of those molded ones shaped sorta like a guitar), and this kit with a bunch of stuff like the owners manual, a Fender strap, a whammy bar, a cloth, a 10ft cable, a bunch of those allen wrenchs. I also bought a black pickguard, 'cause I didn't want the Eric Clapton look, I want more of the Dave Gilmour look. // 10

Sound: This definitely suits my music styles, blues, classic rock, rock, hard rock and so on. I have a craptacular amp, and a DOD Overdrive pedal but it sounds ok thru my amp, very versatile. I love it soo much, with my friends V-Amp it gets sooo much sustain. Obviuosly ever body knows that strats are probably the most versatile electric guitars. This thing can copy any sound. From Back In Black, to Black Dog, to Another Brick In The Wall. It definitely isn't limited to bands whose guitarists use Strat, it can make most Angus Young sounds, some Jimi Page sounds, Zakk Wylde, Randy Rhoads and of course you can make all of the Hendrix sounds. All in all its sick with its own distinguishing characteristics, and the ability to copy other sounds. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: In the store the setup was ok, but the bridge wasnt perfectly flat on the body. I did that free setup thing and it paid off except I had to wait like two weeks. And they didn't really set everything up perfectly, there's some buzz on the 6th string when I press the string kinda akwardly. // 7

Reliability & Durability: Of course it can withstand live playing, it will obviously last if you take good care of it. What's there to not last, it's all high quality wood and metal and plastic. The strap buttons are ok and I would use it on a gig without a backup 'cause it's so dependable. The finish looks nice and shiny, expecially since I clean it like once a day with the Fender cloth. // 10

Impression: I play the blues, classic rock and hard rock/metal. I've been playing for 3-4 years and this guitar is definitely a good match for me. Now I need to upgrade the rest of my gear, new amp, maybe an effects processor, some pedals. If it were stolen, I'd cry my eyes out 'cause my sister bought me it, my first good electric guitar. I love everything about it, everything. I chose this guitar for its amazing versatility and good price. All in all, an amazing instrument that has to be good when so many popular and good guitarist play it. After all, the Strat is the most recognized guitar. I love it! // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 15, 2004

Price paid: $ 1512

Features: Made in 2003 in USA, Corona CA. 22 medium/jumbo frets. It has all the usual controls: volume/2 tone/5-way selector. It hasn't been customized yet so is still the same configuration as when it was bought. Maple neck, with Alder body, finished in black with white fretboard. Came with lots of accessories: Fender hard case, strap, cable, tremolo arm, lots of screws and hex keys, bumper stickers, picks, etc. // 10

Sound: I play blues/rock such as Clapton, Hendrix, and also some punk rock such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and so on. The guitar suits all these styles perfectly, it's very versatile. Sounds great when I play classic guitar songs eg the Eagles on it too! There is a bit of noise but the cable is dodgy. The guitar can make a great variety of sounds, thanks also to the amp. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was adjusted and set up very well. As I said, I haven't altered any settings at all yet! Everything is presicely set up, with little noise coming from the pickups. Finish is perfect, no chips or flaws whatsoever. Polish has a few imperfections but nothing a new coat of guitar polish wouldn't fix! // 10

Reliability & Durability: I haven't played it live but I cannot suspect it would trouble me. The hardware seems built to last, without a doubt. The finish is strong and complete, the strap buttons are very strong and survive if I am literally jumping around the place. I would surely depend on it, no need for any sort of backup! // 10

Impression: If I lost it, I would buy it again. Except I would buy it in America or somewhere similar, where the price would be a lot cheaper. The price I payed here in Ireland was a bit over the top. It was definitely worth it, but compared to how much the same guitar costs in other countries it was too dear. I would also like to downgrade the hardcase to a gig bag as the hardcase is very heavy to carry! // 8

overall: 10

Reviewed by: bmartinak, on august 02, 2005

Features: // 10

Sound: Is there a style of music one cannot play on a Strat? Among my biggest influences are Zappa, Eno, Fripp, Lowe, Lennon, Cash, Reinhardt, Jackson (Joe, that is) and Setzer, and they all sound right at home on the Strat. I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and an old Fender Champion 110, and the guitar sounds great through both of them (although I must admit a preference for the Hot Rod). I cannot imagine a guitar with a bigger variety of sounds, yet it always sounds like a Strat, which is why it's going on fifty-one years as one of the standard electric guitars. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was wonderfully playable off the rack, but luckily, I have a top-notch luthier in my area, and I take all my guitars to him for set-up, so I can't speak to this point with much authority. Even he, however, commented on this particular Strat's construction as being among the best he's seen. I whole-heartedly agree. // 10

Reliability & Durability: // 10

Impression: I've been playing for over thirty-five years. I have a '72 Telecaster Thinline, Washburn acoustic and an Epiphone banjo, along with the amps I mentioned previously. I loved my '88 Strat, but this one is better. It looks like the same guitar, but, somehow, it is better. It feels better, it plays better, it sounds better, it seems to stay in tune better; I can't explain it, it's just a better guitar. Not only is it the best Strat I've ever owned or played, it's the best guitar I've owned or played. I gave up my Gibson after first playing a Fender maple neck, and this Strat reminds me why ever time I pick her up. // 10

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: stonyman65, on january 26, 2006

Price paid: $ 952

Purchased from: Musicain's Friend

Features: My Strat is Chrome red with a maple neck/fretboard. 22 medium frets with a 9" inch C shape neck and a 25.5" scale. Made in september, 2005. solid top Strat alder body with a Polyurethane finish. Fender American 2 point synronised tremelo (nice, stay in tune good). 3 passive American Strat single coil pickups. 5-way switching, 1 volume, 2 tone - tone 2 has delta tone active pickup boost (really nice). H/S/H routing and Fender/Schaller American staggered tuning machines. And a Fender molded case (it was warrped so I bought a TKL case) a Fender strap and a 20" Fender cable. // 9

Sound: Like many people have proven before (Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, Vaughn to name a few) this guitar can handle anything from hard rock to the sweetest blues ever made. For me, it's more of a hard rock/punk and a little bit o' blues. I am now currently using a Carvin MTS 3200 2-12 combo amp, Dunlop cry baby wha, Boss CE-5 Chorus essemble and a Boss TU-2 tuner. The single coils are a bit noisy when on distortion, but that depends on how hard you push your amp, on clean, it's noiseless. The neck/middle pickups are very, very rich and the bridge pickup is very bright and hot. You can get any sounds out of this guitar. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was set up pretty well at the factory but I like my own touch so I set up the guitar to my specs and put on the strings I like (D'Addario 10-52s). The pickups are awesome, I took out the bridge s/c and put in a dimarzio Tone Zone humbucker (thanks to the HSH routing) to get a fatter bridge pickup. I also took out the schaller tunes and put in Sparzel locking tuners. Everything on the guitar was fine. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Yes! // 10

Impression: I love everything about this guitar, it's good for my style. If it where stolen I would kill the SOB who stole it and get it back. I've been playing for about 6 years now. I would buy it again and get the exact same thing too. I compared this too a Ibanez RG 1570 and the Strat came out on top b/c of the pure fact of versitality and the other fact that a floyed trem is just too much work. The Strat is also easilly customized too. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on july 06, 2005

Price paid: $ 1279.17

Purchased from: Nevada Music

Features: // 10

Sound: This guitar is brilliant for many styles and you can easily get many classic Strat tones. I've used it for Red Hot Chili Peppers style music, Hendrix style, Clapton style and Brian May style and various Indie styles and it sounds like a dream. I use a Marshall AVT 150 and it sounds great played through the clean channel with a little reverb through the neck pickup. The only problem is that distortion/overdrive can sound very muddy through the pickups, especially with high gain settings, getting a decent distorion pedal like the Boss MD-2 helps but the guitar is best played with a little overdrive. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got the guitar, it was an upgrade from a Strat copy that was falling to pieces, The guitar was set up perfectly, although if you wish to change the string guage (like I did as I prefer 10s to the normal guage 9s) Be prepared to make some tricky adjustments to the tremelo bridge (I had to take mine to my local repair shop after not realising this). I have found that the guitar can struggle to stay in tune, especially if you try a hendrix style dive bomb, and this can be very frustrating, but a mate of mine who owns a Mexican Strat says he doesn't have the same problem with his guitar. All in all this guitar is brilliantly set up from the factory. // 8

Reliability & Durability: This guitar just cries out to be played live, I have had no problems with it (although I've only gigged it twice) and definitly don't need to worry bout a backup. I have had a problem with the strap buttons which resulted in me playing 1/2 a song sat down! This should not be a problem though if you check them and don't abuse them like I do! The hardware is solid and strats are renowned for going decades without the need for hardware repair. The finish already has a few dents in it due to my clumsiness. You have to be fairly careful with the finish, and if you are you won't have any problems. I do feel as though this guitar will probably outlive me! // 10

Impression: This guitar can match many styles, and doesn't let me down. I have only been playing for 2 years so I guess I'm fairly inexperienced but I am not considering another guitar yet as it can do everything I need it to. My only regret is that I didn't consider an American Strat with a humbucker in the neck position, as this would enable me to play some heavier styles without the need for a distortion pedal. If it were stolen I would hunt down the criminal responsible but if that fails then I guess I would definitely buy another 1. When I was buying I compared it with an Epiphone Les Paul Custom and a Gibson Les Paul Studio and it kicked the Epiphone's ass, although the Gibson was a special guitar I felt the Strat was far better suited to my style when I bought it. I love the neck on this guitar as it is so easy to play and the general design is a thing of outstanding beauty. The only problem I have with it is it's inability to stay in tune whilst being abused. This guitar rocks! // 10

overall: 10

Reviewed by: fr0zt, on july 22, 2004

Price paid: $ 699

Purchased from: Alto Music NY

Features: Body: Alder or Poplar
Neck: Maple (Bolt-on)
Machine Heads: Fender Standard (Cast/Sealed)
Fretboard: Maple (9.5" Radius/241mm)
Number of Frets: 22
Pickups: American Standard Strat (Neck/Mid/Bridge)
Controls: Master Volume, Tone (Neck), TBX (Bridge and Mid)
Bridge/Tremolo: American Standard
Pickup Switching: 5 position Blade
Scale Length: 25.5" (648mm)
Neck Width @ Nut: 1.6875" (43mm)
Availble Colors: Black, Brown Sunburst, Pewter, Gun Metal Blue, Midnight Blue,
Midnight Wine, Frost Red, Arctic White

Comes with Hard Shell Case, strap, 10' cable, tools, cleaning rag, manual, tremolo bar, etc. // 10

Sound: I play blues, classic rock, some punk and some metal. I plug into a Line 6 Spider II series amp. Overall, this guitar is unbelievable in terms of sound. It has a rich tone that the imitations cannot achieve. On the bridge pickup with the volume knob turned all the way up gives a slight buzz, but a lot less than other guitars. I experience this much more on my old Squier guitar. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: All American Series guitars are set up at the factory in California. The guitar came perfect for my playing. The strings are nice and close to the frets. I experience fret buzz on the 3rd string, but I'll have to look up on that. I have never played a guitar that feels as good as this one. The neck feels like glass. The fretboard is made out of the highest quality rosewood. No flaws at all. I consider the fret buzz not to be a problem, since it can be easily fixed and does not get in the way of my playing. I have the Arctic White color, and it looks sharp. Looking at the other colors, they look good too. Especially the red and sunburst colors struck my eye. // 10

Reliability & Durability: If this guitar wouldn't withstand live playing, do you think Hendrix, Clapton, and Frusciante (and many more great players) would live by the American Series Stratocaster? I would use it on a gig without a backup, but since I have a backup, it's no problem. Everything is solid on the guitar. // 10

Impression: I'm impressed with the overall quality of this guitar. After playing this, my Gibson Flying V, and my Squier Strat, I'd have to say this is my favorite out of the three, not to mention that I love it over my friend's Gibson SG. It may be just a matter of taste, but in my opinion, once you play this wonderful instrument, it'll be hard to pick up anything else. Work up the extra cash for this fine guitar, if you can. If you're on a budget, I'd recommend the Standard. If you are saving your money for a Standard Strat, just wait a little extra longer like I did. Work for this guitar. You'll appreciate it as much as I do.

Many people love to bash Fender, just because they have a Gibson. There is no question that the American Series has some of the best guitars in the industry. My musical tastes prefer this Strat over anything else. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on march 22, 2004

Purchased from: Musician's Friend

Features: The American series standard is a solid guitar. If you want something that pumps out the high ends and drops out the lows, this is your guitar. If you want that clean sound you would get from a Red Hot Chili Peppers album, this is he answer. It has 3 control switches, five way pickup selector Switch, and three singles. And once you kick in the distortion you can get some heated solos that will blow you away. The medium jumbo frets make this guitar extremely fast. The rosewood or maple neck has a smooth feel, as if you have been playing it for years. And the hardshell case provides maximum protection. // 10

Sound: The sound of this guitar is incredible. Every tone and pitch is defined and strong. I use a Marshall 250 with this guitar and it sounds great. You can change the sound around so much with this guitar if you have a good amp, and it still sounds great. Everything about this guitar sounds great, no matter what the settings. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar has a great set up, it is unbelieveable how solid this guitar is. It has a low action to it, which makes it easier to move you fingers around and press down the strings. Everything about this guitar was incredible I have no complaints, and the finish is amazing. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar can handle anything. I have never played a better guitar. Even the finish is strong, it won't wear off and extended playing, you would have to bring a sander to it to wear off the finish. I would trust this guitar with my life, and I would play this on stage anywhere. Even without a back up. If you think this guitar might not hit the lows enough to play punk music, put a single coil humbucker in the bridge and that will give you that blink 182/green day sound. It can do anything. // 10

Impression: It is perfect for the style of music I play. If this guitar was stolen, I would buy another one most definitely, I don't thgink I would be happier with anything else. I have been playing for almost 2 years now, but I am the kind of person who caught on really quick. This guitar is perfect for me, it is good enough for me and maybe even a little better. This guitar will take you places and make people drool. I'm not gonne say anything about the case being too hard to carry and prefering a gig bag because that is bs. If you want this guitar to stay in good shpae get the case and get some muscles. Don't be a pansy and carry this around with a gig bag, if you want a gig bag, get a Squire and don't play this guitar! // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 24, 2005

Price paid: $ 599

Purchased from: Drome Sound NY

Features: Having a banana yellow Strat means you better be good. This guitar is a great guitar to find yourself in. Mine's about 7 years old. It was my first serious guitar purchase. It has all that you expect from a 'real' Strat. I say real, because I had a Squier and they're just crap. This guitar has all the features you need to attempt any style. Whammy bar (definitely cool), three way Switch (find an array of tones), and just enough frets to find any note. // 10

Sound: This axe will cover almost any style. Where it came up short for me was when you want that low end. If you like that funky sound, or country twang or even some styles of rock and blues - this is your guitar. If you want meaty low end bang that you can feel on your chest, keep looking. Overall, I still keep coming back to this guitar for obvious reasons. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: The fret board is really fast, although it's all personal taste. The guitar is lighter than Gibsons and other competitors and the positioning of the knobs/switches allows you to play unconventionally quite easily, allowing unique effects. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is the guitar to take on the road or to any gig. I have a Gibson ES-137 and a one of a kind Rono Hollow body. Both have a tone that I prefer to the Fender since I like that deep full sound, but everytime I take them out of their cases I fear cracking them or scratching them. The Strat allows professional quality sound and reliability like a tank. If Jimi Hendrix played them, they had to be strong right? They are the best for taking a nocking and still sounding fantastic. I always bring mine to a gig. It's the standard for a reason. // 10

Impression: If you want a guitar you will learn to cherish than the Strat is where it's at. If you want something that has some 'umph' than keep looking, but be prepared to spend about double for anything in the same level of quality. This is the guitar you want if you are serious about playing live and don't want to bust your budget. I only learned to love mine after I had bought the Gibson and Rono, mainly because this guitar has style, it has a history, and it has it's own personality. It just sings on the solos and it practically plays itself. Go out and buy one, you'll be glad in 30 years when it's value has increased and it plays just as good if not better than the day you bought it! // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 06, 2006

Price paid: $ 1372.5

Purchased from: eBay

Features: It's a 60th Anniversary American Stratocaster, made in the USA. Features include rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium-jumbo frets, original alder body shape and a C- shaped maple neck. Three American Vintage '57 single coil pickups (middle pickup is reverse wound to cancel the hum. Comes with an American two-point synchronized tremolo. Mine also came with a hard case (which is more comfortable than my bed) a strap and a noiseless cable. Controls are master volume and two tone knobs. Unfortunately the tuners are non-locking but still great. // 10

Sound: I mainly play thrash metal, so you may think I picked the wrong guitar, but with the right amp you could sound like Metallica. I use a Randall RG75 amplifier and select the second overdrive channel (with full contour ). The guitar's natural tone is very bright and full (ideal for solos). It has limitless posibilities, with the right settings any kind of music can be achieved. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The way this guitar is put together is truly amazing. No flaws at all. The hardware, the tuning pegs, the wood and the pickup selector, all top quality. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This Strat can take just about anything. The hardware looks very reliable, the strap buttons may need some adjusting though. The finish is definately going to last IF you take GOOD care of it. Wipe it clean after every time you play. When it comes to Live playing this guitar is extremely dependable. I would use it at a gig with no backup but not just yet. It takes some time to get used to. // 9

Impression: I wouldn't say it entirely matches my style of music, but hey, nothing's perfect. If it were to get stolen the possibilities of me bying it again are 50/50. I love the quality of the sound. It's excellent. The look is a bit boring, but you've got to love that jeweled headstock. I chose this guitar over an ESP because of it's reputation. Sure wish it had humbuckers. // 9

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: jcs5234, on september 18, 2006

Price paid: $ 600

Features: American Stratocaster built in 1998, and I bought it used in 2005. 22 frets, blah blah you can read the other reviews if you want all the exact specs. The body is made of alder like almost all strats and the neck is maple with a rosewood cap. It has a Purple Metallic finish and before y'all make fun of me for buying a purple guitar it's Not about the look! It's about the feel and the sound! Has the tremolo with the two-point bridge and standard electronics. The only thing that came with this guitar was a molded case. // 10

Sound: I play blues and reggae mostly, but also dabble in hard rock (use my Gibson for that though). Hello? this is a Strat so it fits EVERY musical style. Play this thing through a pair of Fender Pro Juniors along with an Electro-Harmonix The Worm, DB-01 Crybaby From Hell, Dallas Arbiter Fuzzface, Boss BD-2 Bluesdriver, and an Electro-Harmonix Holy Grail Reverb. The guitar has single coil pickups so yes it is noisy when you stand near the tv or the amp or something. but that is with all single coils. no hum on positions 2 and 4 seeing as the middle pickup is reverse wound reverse polarized. the bridge pickup is very sharp and bright, the middle pickup is softer and not as annoying (hardly use it by itself), and the neck pickup is bell like and very sweet. I like position 2 (bridge and middle) with the tone rolled off the whole way and some creamy overdrive. This guitar can make any sound you want unless you want something that doesnt't sound anything like a guitar. I'll give it an 8 because it buzzes. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: I have no idea how well the guitar was set up at factory because I got it 7 years after it was set up. The action is nice, low enough for my taste, but if you play metal and want to shred it could be a little lower. Pickups were at the proper height and the top was fine along with the bridge. I honestly cannot find anything wrong with this guitar. I bought this guitar and it looked Brand New then and it still does and I've been playing it for a year. I kinda wish the finish would wear down a little bit but I know that will come with more time. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I have played this guitar many many times live and it is a tank. Hardware looks great and it will last, the strap buttons were strap-lock ready and very solid. I never gig without a second guitar but I use different guitars for different things. The Strat would be fine by itself, and it's not like I have another Strat sitting there in case something happens. I rely heavily on it. As I said before, this finish still looks brand new which perturbs me because I wish it would wear off a little to get a bit more resonance and my personal touch but whatever. // 10

Impression: I already listed my styles of music. This is a good match for everything that anyone can play. I've been playing for 7 years and I also own a Gibson SG Standard and an Ovation something or other that I inherited from my uncle that I use live. I have other guitars, but I don't use them as much, so I'm not gonna bother listing them. If I lost this guitar, I would buy another Strat, but I might favor an Eric Clapton Signature because I really like the active circuitry. Although I wish this had a maple neck instead of a rosewood one, I bought it based on the feel, so I'm not disappointed in it. I compared this to other stratocasters and telecasters along with other knock off versions. The main reason that I bought this guitar was the price and the fact that it just felt right. Nothing I wish that it had. In fact, I took off the tremolo arm because it got in the way so I wish it didn't have the arm at all. // 9

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: Danfender, on april 26, 2007

Price paid: $ 1220.61

Purchased from: turnkey london

Features: This is an American made Standard Stratocaster, it has 22 frets, 3 single coils, a five way Switch and more. The neck is made out of maple and on mine I have a maple fingerboard. Mine was made in early 2006 and is in black with an aged t. shell scratch plate! It looks great! // 10

Sound: I play rock/blues and this sounds great. If your amp has got a good distortion or you have a decent pedal you can get some great distortion tones. This guitar sounds really good clean and has a bright sound (not too bright though). It is such a versatile guitar waaaaaay more so than a les paul! Great for doing all those Hendrix phrases! Also the tuners are great this thing stays in tune for so long! The bridge is very good as well as the strings last a long time before they break. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: My Finish looks great in the black. The fit is good and the guitar feels good to play as the body wraps around you. It plays beautifully and was set-up really well. There hasn't been a single problem with how the guitar plays yet. The Action just right. // 9

Reliability & Durability: Reliability and durability is really impressive on this guitar. This guitar withstands Live playing very well. It isn't noisy at all. Also the strap buttons are great I haven't had my strap fall of once! The hardware looks like it is built to last. I would feel absolutely fine using this guitar without a backup. // 9

Impression: You really won't regret it, this guitar is Fender so it is built to last and I'm quite convinced by mine that it will last a good time. If you can't decide over a Strat or a les paul I strongly advise you to go for a Strat, mainly because they are just so much more versatile. If it were stolen or lost I would definitely without any hesitation buy another one. // 10

overall: 9.6

Reviewed by: MrVulf, on august 13, 2008

Price paid: $ 850

Purchased from: Sam Ash Brooklyn, NY

Features: This guitar was made in 2008. It's a new line of Strats boasting the American Standard name. Just as the name implies it was made in America, more specifically in Corona, California. It has 22 medium jumbo frets. 25.5" scale and I think is a C Shape neck although I could be wrong. It fits in my hand very well though. The body is solid Alder. There are many different color options, I got mine in Olympic White (because I'm a Hendrix fanatic). I think it's a Nitrocellulose finish which means it will yellow after a while, but I think it just makes it look cool and Vintage. 2-point American tremolo, 5-way selector and one volume and 2 tone knobs, typical Strat stuff. 3 single coil pickups. Also there is a hard shell case which basically allows you to throw your Strat down the stairs. There is also a cable and strap included. // 10

Sound: The sound that comes out of this thing is amazing. The tonal possibilities are endless. The singles coil pickups are great. The neck pickup is great for a lead tone, extremely rich. The bridge pickup has that great Fender twang. This is an extremely versatile guitar. You can play all kinds of rock and blues. Even metal (with a pedal), although for metal a humbucker would be better, so you can but an H/S/S or H/H Strat. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The action on this guitar was perfect from the the box. I tried it out in the shop. The clerk tuned it up and it was ready to go. Everything was adjusted perfectly. The finish is thin however. This does allow the guitar to resonate better but at the same time the paint is more likely to chip. Also the fretboard has a nice gloss finish which gives it a great Vintage look. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar can definitely be thrown around. The paint may be thin but the body itself is extremely durable. My friend dropped his down the stairs and it plays just as good (this is not recommended however). The strap buttons seem to be good although I've only had this guitar for a little over a month now. Very dependable guitar. // 9

Impression: I love this guitar. If you like blues, lite rock, rock, hard rock, punk, grunge etc. this guitar will work well. This goes great with my Fender Blues Jr. although it's play well through solid-state amps too, if that's your thing. If this were stole I'd probably buy it again. The price is about 1k USD (I got it on sale for 850), which is not cheap but this guitar is worth every penny. The neck and body are just perfect. You can play for hours. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 04, 2009

Price paid: £ 739

Purchased from: PMT birmingham

Features: This is the new Fender american Strat. It has a maple neck, with jumbo frets and is finished in olympic white. The neck feels like it has been played and the three single coil pick ups are Standard american Fender pick ups. The tunes are like the old Fender tunes that get smaller and you work away from the nut. The case includes a Fender cable, strap, and a trem arm. // 10

Sound: WOW the sound is amasing! Now the Fender Strat was made for blues, surf, rock, country in fact anything. I did try some yngwie which really did work however if you want to sound like him you need the neck and bridge pick ups as stacked pick ups and a scalloped neck. The neck pick up is the best sound in the world. With a little gain and slap reverb you sound just like SRV, Hendrix and John Mayer. the neck pick up can cope with most styles but don't over do the OD use harldy and gain but crank the volume and you'll sound really cool. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Fender say that the back of the bridge should be 1/4 inch from the body and mine is that. every thing about this guitar shows that Fender took a lot of time and effoert designing and building these guitars. They fell just like a Strat should feel, they sound like a Strat should feel. The olympic white is slightly darker than the Squier olympic white, this gives it a worn/loved feel than makes it look even cooler when you open the supplied hard case, which I have to say is much better than the old shaped one. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Its a Fender, so it's made to get beaten up. it's made in America so you can't go wrong with build quiality. The only problem is that if a string snaps, with the bridge set and the angle the rest of the strings may go out of tune, but when you restrng the guitar make sure you stretch in the strings and they wont go out of tune. When you take the sticker off the trem arm there is a small spring that may fall out, this keeps the arm steady, so don't loose it, I suggest that you put it in the treem arm bag when you arn't playing the d=guitar or using the arm. // 10

Impression: Overall this is a must for every guitarist. Personally I think you only need two guitars to really rock, a Fender Strat and a Gibson les paul, obviously there's guitars with spicky bits that seem all cool and mean, but when you plug this into a Marshall and rip out the solo from voodoo chile or since you've been gone the guitar all makes sense. If it got stolen I would probably cry untill I got it back or I bought another one. This guitar is one of the two greatest guitars in the world and I order you to buy one. Stop buying toy spicky guitars that look mean but sound like a baked bean can with a rubber band on it and buy the guitar Hendrix, clapton, John Mayer, SRV, Eric Johnson, yngwie, richie blackmore, joe walsh infact I bet every guitarist you've heard of has owned/got or wants a Fender. // 10

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: witty fool, on july 28, 2006

Price paid: $ 0.76

Features: This guitar was made in 2005 at the Corona, CA factory. It features a non veneered Alder body with a sunburst finnish, maple neck, 22 medium-jumbo frets, 3 custom staggered alnico 5 single coil pickups, 1 volume, 2 tonem 5-way switch and 2 point synchronized tremolo with stainless saddles bridge. The guitar also came with a free Fender hardcase with stickers, cables, allen keys, truss rod adjustments wrenches and saddle height adjustment wrench, polishing cloth and guitar strap. // 10

Sound: I like to play alot of blues and rock like Eric Clapton, SRV, AC/DC, Pink Floyd etc and the Strat handles it beautifully. It doesn't stop there, this guitar is so versatile you can get alot of sounds out of it. I've played this guitar through a Marshall MG50DFX and though the amp isnt a favourite of mine this guitar still sounds excellent. I have played it through other amps and have heard it at it's best and you can't beat it's sound. The pickups are good and the guitar has a real bright, clean tone when the bridge pickup is selected and a warmer full tone when the neck is selected. This guitar's sound and versatility is incredible. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar came to me in perfect nick with out needing any thing done to it except for a loose cable input nut witch is easily fixed with a wrench. The action was nice and there were no flaws on the guitar at all. The neck was straight and smooth and it was clear that a lot of detail had been put into the guitar. Overall it came to me in perfect condition, but I had to tighten a few minor things and it was good to go. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I haven't played the guitar live, but I have No Doubt it would handle it with ease. It's a sturdy instrument that feels solid and well made. I would have no worries about playing live without a backup with this guitar. It has a durable finnish and only minor cosmetic flaws have resulted from playing it for over a year everyday (I clean it regularly though). The strap buttons are also fine. // 10

Impression: I own and Epiphone LP and this guitar is my favourite by far. It handles all styles of music I play and looks the part aswell. If anything ever happened to this guitar I would buy it again for sure. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on november 16, 2009

Price paid: € 1198

Purchased from: Keymusic

Features: My very personal Stratocaster was made in the USA (like duh!)in 2008. It has 22 jumbo frets, a rosewood fingerboard and a maple neck. It has got an alder body in a typical black finish. The bridge is a Strat-style floating bridge, which is diffirent from the older models. The guitar is equipped with one volume knob and 2 tone knobs, and ofcourse the typical 5-way selector Switch. It has 3 alnico-5 passive single coil pickups. Lastly, the guitar has stock Fender non-locking tuners. It came with a Fender hardcase, a cable, a strap, some other tools and a Fender Champion 600 all-tube amp. // 10

Sound: I play mostly blues and classic rock/metal. Sometimes also a little metal à la Metallica. I am using this guitar with the Fender Champion 600 amp that came with it togheter with Amplitube software and it sounds awesome! This guitar, togheter with the amp and the software suits my style perfectly. With some creativity you can get any sound out of this guitar, from a mellow clean tone, to a midrangy crunch to a heavy dropmid distortion! The only negative point I can find about this guitar is the noise. Due to its single coil pickups, when using only one pickup, it has a little bit of hum, not a lot but it's hearable. But apart from that, its sound is terrific! // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was setup pretty wel at the factory, and I haven't changed the setup ever since. I only experienced some rattling noise of my strings in the beginning, but I think that's normal with a Brand New set of strings. Another little flaw I've experienced where the tone knobs. Strangely enough, you can turn them in the wrong direction (when at maximum, you kan keep turning them up). It doesn't affect your tone but it is quite irritating if you do this by mistake. // 9

Reliability & Durability: I haven't tried it yet, but I'm pretty confident that it will stand a Live performance. The strap button is solid and it doesn't look like it is going to fall apart suddenly. I really think you can depend on it without any backup, but to perfectly honest, I would have no choice because I've sold my old electric guitar. I heave this guitar for 3 months now, so I could tell if the finish would wear off easily, but if it did, I wouldn't be borthered;-) // 10

Impression: As I said before, it matches my style of music perfectly. I have been playing for 3-4 years and I own a Roland Cube 60, a Fender Champion 600, amplitube software and I have owned an Epiphone Les Paul 100. Togheter with the champion amp and amplitube, this guitar is wicked, and compared to my old Epiphone, it is the holy grail!

If it was stolen, I would track the guy down, get my guitar back and would drill him anally with a cactus. // 10

overall: 9.2

Reviewed by: Ihearthetfield, on april 24, 2006

Price paid: $ 1099

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: Right here sitting in my lap is my American Stratocaster. It was made in 2005 in Corono California. It has 22 frets and has an alder body with a maple neck and fretboard. Mine has a sunburst finish that literally glows. It's gorgeous. It also has a very comfortable body and the neck is very slick and very comfortable. It has a string thru body design and it has a kind of meh tremolo that could have been a lot better. It has three single coil pickups. Single coils feed back when distorted yes. The thing is though that their great tone makes up for it. It has a five way selector Switch and a volume and two tone knobs. One for the neck and one for the middle. Tuners are regular not locking and it came with a hard case and a strap. // 9

Sound: Very nice clean. Way better clean than any Gibson. Humbuckers just can't compare to single coils in the clean department. Distorted the Strat is very bright and warm. Not great for death metal but awesome for blues and classic rock. If you want to play metal get a fat Strat and change the humbucker to a Seymour Duncan the regular Strat just isn't made for heavy metal. If the heaviest you play is Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd you should be fine. They feedback. It's annoying yes but while your actually playing a ton of the feedback goes away. It only gets annoying when your not playing. It's very versatile. It's three single coil pickups produce a multitude of sounds from clean stuff to searing blues riffs. Also the 2 and 4 spots in the switch produce the funky Fender quack. It's impossible to describe in writing you have to actually hear it. It's very cool. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The pickups were a little low so I had to raise them for better output. The action was fine and everything was clean and perfect for playing. The finish is also flawless and the sunburst totally glows. I love it. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is going to last forever. Just holding it you can tell how strong it is. Strats are the most durable hard working guitars ever. The bolt on neck is also a blessing because if you break the neck you can just replace it. If that were to ever happen on a paul, well lets just say it's finished. // 10

Impression: Just a very versatile great guitar. Looks gorgeous, has a tremolo unlike GibsonS, and has three diffrent pickups that create a huge range of sounds. It's also going to last forever considering how durable it is. Neck is awesome too and I love how all the tuners are on one side. It contours to your body perfectly also and is the most comfortable guitar to play sitting down. It sure as heck can't play death metal but it can play everything else. I can even get it about as heavy as some Metallica solos but nothing else. I am just going to replace the pickups with EMGs down the road. // 9

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: RHCP_rock, on january 17, 2006

Purchased from: Sound Control

Features: It was made in the USA. Mine has a maple wood finger board with 22 frets and rolled edeges which feels extremely good on the fingers. It has an alder wood body which is curved to fit nicely round the body. It is olympic white but is available in many other colours. The hardware is all chrome. It comes with a hardcase which is heavy but better than a broken guitar and a strap and cable. // 10

Sound: In a word the sound is amazing. But to put it in more detail this guitar is capable of most sounds apart from extreme metal. This guitar is perfect for nailing the chili peppers old funk rock style as well as sounds from Clapton, Hendrix, Knopfler, Page and well you get the idea. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: Before I bought this guitar I checked it throughly to make sure there were no problems and luckily there weren't. The action was perfect for me and there were no scratches whatsoever. The pickups were set up nicely. And I didnt have to change a thing. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar can I'm sure stand alot before it dies on me. I haven't had it long but it feels like a safe solid guitar that doesnt have tuning problems and has safe strap locks. The finish seems like it wont wear off after years of being played so I haven't had any problems yet and I don't think I will. // 10

Impression: This is a guitar that perfectly matches my playing and thats why I chose it over a Gibson and a Grestch. This is my second guitar and a great one at that. I alredy own a Boss ME-50, Marshall MG-50 DFX and a Encore electric. If it were stolen then I would immedieatly go out and buy ten more just so I could set some on fire like Hendrix. // 10

overall: 8.4

Reviewed by: gryftorsguitar, on june 22, 2004

Purchased from: Guitar Center

Features: - Made in 2003 in America
- 22 frets
- volume, H and L tone, 5-way pickup selector
- Fender noisless pickups
- maple neck and fretboard // 10

Sound: Well I have a extreamly small Fender 15g witch makes basically every setting have a low and sometimes high static interfearence, but when I use it on my neighbors Marshall or my insstructers Fender Twin Reverb it sounds increadible. I play alot more of the cleaner Clapton type stuff and when theres no static it sounds really nice. I also play some of the distorted rock and ounk when my bandmates want me to, and it works ok for that, but I think that humbuckers are better for that. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: When I got the guitar it was a beauty, nice and shiney and no flaws. The pickups and everything were just where they should be and they all worked great. // 10

Reliability & Durability: Unfourtunatly the finish I choose is known to scratch very easy. So along the top slant on the back there are alot of little marks, but if I had the money I could fix them. it also sometimes chips but I fix it myself. the hardware seems like it will last untill its replaced. The bolt thingy holding the output on came loose about 3 monthes into it, but that was easy to fix. Never had a strap fall or come undone. I do not find it a nessesity to bring a backup to a gig, but since you never know what could happen its a good idea to bring a backup toevery gig with any guitar. // 6

Impression: It fits my style music pretty good. ive ben playin maybe 3 years and I also own a old piece of crap i got for free electric and a acoustic. I would probly not buy the same guitar if it were lost because I think that I should have experiance with many diff styles of guitars. I did compare it to other guitars, such as a Les Paul or a SG and a Telecaster, but I think I chose this because I could afford it and when your new you see that the Strat is often placed with rock music so I thought it would suit all my needs perfectly. If you want one got to a store and play it a lot and compare it with other guitars and find out witch fits your style better. // 8

Reviewed by: unregistered, on february 23, 2006

Price paid: $ 1171.2

Features: Bought in '05, all standard US Strat controls, maple neck with olympic white body 22 Jumbo frets, thinking of getting some locking tuners but I don't really nead them 'cause the standard ones are great, got Fender hard case (which is of unbelievably shoddy quality as the clasps dont match up properly). // 9

Sound: What type of music canyt this guitar handle? If you can't decide whether to get a Gibson or a Strat then choose the Strat for its sheer versatility, I can play some punk music with my mate going sick on his double pedal at the drums, or simply sit on my bed at night and play some more quite stuff without it even being amped up (it still sounds unbelievably Stratocaster'ish) linked to a cry baby wah the guitar wails, linked to a big muff teh guitar spits, anything is achievable. Try the Ernie Ball Super Slinky Guitar strings, they sound and fee great. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: the guitar was setup fine, but they supply you with all the tools needed to change the action (which I did). It had no flaws and you could really tell that everything had been double checked (quite rightly so), I'm considering uprating the pickups to get an even better, more origional sound though, but the standard pickups are great (I just want to be different). // 10

Reliability & Durability: What would be the point in taking a backup guitar? The only thing which might break is the strings. // 10

Impression: Superb all round guitar, once you pick it up you really cant put it down, I've carried mine around the house with me today whilst revising for exams, and I'm typing this review with the Strat around my neck now! // 10

overall: 8

Reviewed by: sysofadown9580, on april 04, 2006

Purchased from: George's Music

Features: This guitar, a Fender American Stratocastor, was made in 1982. It has 22 frets, with a standard neck. Mohogany neck wood. Solid black finish with a white pick guard. Strat body style. Tele-syle bridge. Active electronics. One volume knob, two tone knobs. 5 pickup selections. // 7

Sound: I usually play a lot of System Of A Down (the best), Underoath, From First To Last, Hawthorne Heights, Slipknot, just a lot of heavier and a little harder stuff. The Strat is not exactly what I would pick for this style, but its great for beginners who are very dedicated. right now, I am using a Line 6 amp with mostly just distortion and a little reverb. I have tested it with chorus flange, phaser, tremelo, delay, etc. it works perfectly fine with all of them. The sound is fine but there is one problem with my model. It seems that on a clean setting, it makes a creaking sound with the fretboard. I asked a specialist and he said that the sound was supposed to be their for '60s-'70s rock, I'm still not really sure. As for the sounds it can make, it can do great harmonics, pullofs, behind-nut bends, etc. // 7

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar was all ready to play back from the factory. I can't find anything wrong with the bridge, pickups, or anything like that. It's just an over all beautiful guitar. I wish I had gotten a different coloring, but 'young and naive' I guess. // 9

Reliability & Durability: This guitar will definately last a long time, just everything about it. The strap buttons don't even turn (hint - don't get a standard Epiphone). I can definately depend on it live, practice, whatever. The finish is very thick and you can hardly tell it's there. // 9

Impression: As I said before I play rock. Love it love it love it. I play System Of A Down, Underoath, Hawthorne Heights, From First To Last, Slipknot, MCR, etc. This guitar can pretty much suit any style of play, but I would recomend it for softer rock, country, blues, definately. I have been playing for about 2 years, but I play all the time and spend a lot of time playing. I own an Epiphone, Ibanez acoustic, Line 6 amp, Peavy amp, Squier bass, Fender bass amp. I would most likely get something else if I could as I am going to get an SG for a more specialized rock sound. I can't stand that creaking sound, which dropped it a point or two. I wish it didn't have that. But if you are willing to spend good money on a good beginner's guitar like such, it's a safe bet. // 8

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: vampwizzard, on june 08, 2006

Price paid: $ 924

Purchased from: Rudy's Music NYC

Features: 2005 model, 21 frets. Made in the USA. Solid alder body, black solid finish, rosewood fretboard. Pretty normal Strat body, made in Corona California neckplate, American tremelo bridge. Deltatone electronic system, which is a treble bypass. Non locking tuners which is ok, pickups are the delta tone pickups. volume control and two tone controls. Came with hardshell case, strap, cable, like 4 allen wrenches, trem arm, extra set of strings, wipe cloth. Overall a decent deal, I was not impressed with the tremelo arm, which screws in (poorly). I give it a 9 for that. // 9

Sound: I play rock/blues and this is the single coil sound I was looking for. I play through Marshall Valve State and also through my buddy's Hot Rod Deluxe, and it punches through the mix very well. The deltatone electronics give my Strat its own distinct Strat sound. It is a little noisey, but all non-noiseless single coil pickups are. The 2 and 4 positions give a very nice Strat "Honk" which are greatly impacted while using the appropriate tone knob. Variety wise, it will do anything. That's always been a Stratocaster's selling point. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: Everything was set up well at the shop, execpt the action is a little low. Normally I would appreciate this, but there is significant string buzz. It was easily corrected though, and I find no fault in that. The fretboard rolled edges were superbly done, as was the rest of the construction. The input jack became loose, but this is anticipated on a Strat input jack. It is a design flaw. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It's a tank. Strap buttons are solid, although I will most likely upgrade to straplocks. I would gig it without a backup if I was in a pinch. Strats have a tradition of standing up to brutal beatings, but I treat mine pretty well. The finish will be intact for a while I believe. // 10

Impression: I've been playing for about 5 years now in a rock band in Orange County, NY. This was an upgrade from my Squier Strat so I could stop using my friends poorly made custom guitar. I own a Gretsch acoustic, which was my main guitar. If this was stolen I might go with an american deluxe, but I really could not beat the deal on this guitar. I love the way it sounds. It is absolutely full sounding, the pickups are amazing, and it feels and plays like a monster. My favorite feature is the deltatone electronics, it really lets me come through the mix without increased volume. The only things I hate are the tremelo arm insert and the loose input jack. Not bad though for 900 dollars. // 9

overall: 9.8

Reviewed by: guitar21@WE, on april 08, 2006

Price paid: $ 875

Purchased from: Guitar Center BUFFALO

Features: This American Stratocaster Guitar has 22 medium jumbo frets, on a maple neck. The body is alder with a 3 color sunburst finish. The bridge is an American 2-point synchronized tremolo with stainless steel saddles. Comes with the usual Fender set up with 3 pickups connected to the 5-way selector and the 2 tones and 1 volumes button. What I loved about getting this was the case and accesories that came with it. The Fender molded case just made the whole deal sweet. // 10

Sound: This guitar is perfect for my style of music which is mainly classic rock, but it branches off into other catagories like metal and punk. The range of sounds is beautiful from this guitar. My set up is a 60 watt Peavey, with wah, phaser and a distortion (all used at differnt times) and I find that this guitar does a good job with a variety of sounds. This guitar very quiet with a great all around sound. I find it best for playing classic rock. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: This guitar, was ready to play as soon as I got it from Guitar Center. Everythign was set up fine, I didn't need to adjust anythign on it. The only flaw I found was a slight dink on the top of the neck near the tuners. Other than that, I love how it was set up, even to wonderful strings being on it. // 10

Reliability & Durability: This guitar is meant to be played live. Being a Fender, I have faith that it will last me a life time. Everythign about this guitar is steady. // 10

Impression: My overall impression of this guitar is that it is a perfect fit for me. I love to play classic rock and my favorite is Jimi Hendrix. Naturally, I find that the Strat works best with his style. I have been playing for 4 years and finally got enough money to buy the nice guitar, and it's wonderful. If this was lost or stolen, I would find and hunt down the person who stole it and make sure I had my precious Strat back in my hands. I love everything about this guitar. After playing with a squire Strat for 3 years, all the flaws I found with the cheaper squire, I find that the American Stratocaster takes care of. I strongly recommend looking into getting one if you save up and are serious about playing. // 10

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 09, 2006

Price paid: $ 900

Purchased from: Indonesia!

Features: Made in USA Fender American Stratocaster in black with maple neck. Has a 5-way selector with 2 tone and 1 volume controls. 3 Fender Strat single coil pickups. Came with a generous helping of accessories, including a Fender deluxe hard case, a cable, a whammy bar for the tremolo, and bunch of funny stickers, and all. Very well furnished. // 10

Sound: Sound is amazing, even through the somewhat crummy Peavey Blazer 158 40watt amp that I run it through. My music style is christian, rock and a little blues, and this sounds amazing, especially clean with blues. I have no idea why many people bash this guitar as being not so suited for distortion and even metal, as when I run this with my Boss Metal Zone distortion this distorted tones are fantastic, and biting, making leads sound amazing. I intend, though, to put in a Seymour Duncan hot rail at the bridge just to add a little more sustain, but for personal preference rather than essentiality. A fantastic sounding guitar, truly versatile and well worth the cash. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: This was setup in california, and is great, apart from slight fret buzz on the 6th string, which I guess I will check again. Pickups were perfectly adjusted and the fretboard feels brilliantly smooth. It would be a 10, but 9 only due to the fret buzz. // 9

Reliability & Durability: It will definitely withstand live playing. I am overly energetic when playing and this thing works perfectly. Even better, it is not very heavy, suiting my shoulders better! The strap buttons are huge, they should not fail me in a gig. I am sure I can depend on it, but I do not use guitars in gigs without backups, just a policy of mine. The finish has not worn off even through hard playing, although since it is black it shows everything, my fault as I chose the color. // 10

Impression: This guitar is a great, versatile match for my style of music. I have no regrets at all! If it were stolen, I would sit around and pout for abit, then go out and buy the exact same guitar. To all those Who are considering this guitar, go get it! // 10

Comments

I love Strats

[anty]

1512

you honestly paid that price, it costs at most £700 brand new for an american strat. Even if it was in euros thats stil in the thousands region (sterling) for your guitar. You got ripped off

[PlugOfDoom]

I paid $950 and it was worth every penny. It's the best "bang for your buck" I think. Gibsons are awesome, but heavy and not exactly affordable if you want a nice new one.

[mosh_it_up]

doesnt look that special

[mysteryguitar]

I got mine like crap, paid eighty dollars for it, fixed it up for 250, and now its worth like 1400 or somethin.. anyway, its good as hell

[richabanana]

I love my strat

[wingedgopher]

a classic

[Jvw1989]

how much should i play for a purple strat?

[Jvw1989]

pay*

[TOB00]

prpl? wat in the heck is wrong with u? go with sunburst dweebo

[ACDC_ROCKS]

purple... dweeb, go with black or burst!

[hippie_punk]

Too many damn people love strats... what can I say it's the first guitar I got, but I should have just gone with an ibanez or gibson. Terrible sound with distortion on. It's fine if you really gotta have a guitar like hendrix. It's terrble for the stuff I play (Tool, The Casualties, Fugazi). I paid like 500 bucks for this thing, when my 200 doller Ibanez sounds way better. It's not even the best thing fender makes, Jaquars and Mustangs sound way better. When you grow up, get a better guitar.

[guitarsolo_17]

yeah one of the reviews says somthin about jimi, actually he just used a standard, if he had used an american.....great fun, DEATH TO LES PAULS

[Mahoru]

I hate Strats. I don't like they're style and their sound doesn't fit at all with anything I've played. Gibson and Ibanez are a lot better by far.

[mattyyy]

Gibsons don't have tremolos? Since when?

[Strat_Monkey]

yeah one of the reviews says somthin about jimi, actually he just used a standard, if he had used an american.....great fun, DEATH TO LES PAULS

The only Strats made back then were made in Fullerton, California. They didn't call them American Stratocasters for the simple reason that there were no other Stratocasters.

[Icebolt]

i think strats suck, fender standards sound alright, but true strats are terrible with distort, my first guitar was strat so i CAN talk, they suck. Ibanez and gibson rock!

[Swamplord]

hippie_punk wrote:

Too many damn people love strats... what can I say it's the first guitar I got, but I should have just gone with an ibanez or gibson. Terrible sound with distortion on. It's fine if you really gotta have a guitar like hendrix. It's terrble for the stuff I play (Tool, The Casualties, Fugazi). I paid like 500 bucks for this thing, when my 200 doller Ibanez sounds way better. It's not even the best thing fender makes, Jaquars and Mustangs sound way better. When you grow up, get a better guitar.

Icebolt wrote:

i think strats suck, fender standards sound alright, but true strats are terrible with distort, my first guitar was strat so i CAN talk, they suck. Ibanez and gibson rock!

You both say that strats sound terrible with distortion. I have a strat and you can get any sound you want out of a fender (or any guitar for that matter) if you have the right sort of pedal you dweebs.

And for god's sake... gibson, ibanez, fender. They are all crafted pieces of wood. What determines the quality of the guitar is: The quality of wood used to craft the guitar. What determines the sound coming out of the amp is: The type and quality of pickup used.
Its like Nike and Adidas all over again.

[realic]

What determines the sound coming out of the amp is: The type and quality of pickup used.

and how well you play

[Night Revolver]

guitarsolo_17 wrote:

yeah one of the reviews says somthin about jimi, actually he just used a standard, if he had used an american.....great fun, DEATH TO LES PAULS

Back then there was no mexican Fenders.

[guitardude1039]

ACDC_ROCKS wrote:

purple... dweeb, go with black or burst!

Black an sunburst are definatly the coolest colors..

[guitardude1039]

Swamplord wrote:
You both say that strats sound terrible with distortion. I have a strat and you can get any sound you want out of a fender (or any guitar for that matter) if you have the right sort of pedal you dweebs.

And for god's sake... gibson, ibanez, fender. They are all crafted pieces of wood. What determines the quality of the guitar is: The quality of wood used to craft the guitar. What determines the sound coming out of the amp is: The type and quality of pickup used.
Its like Nike and Adidas all over again.

You got them there XD.

[guitardude1039]

Jvw1989 wrote:

how much should i play for a purple strat?

Dude, there was a guy that wrote a review here. ->"jcs5234" mentioning his purple strat... Was that you?

[straternator_1]

Mahoru wrote:

I hate Strats. I don't like they're style and their sound doesn't fit at all with anything I've played. Gibson and Ibanez are a lot better by far.

i hate people like you. if you are just looking at this page to bag strats, why bother? just P.O (i dont wanna swear lol). strats and les pauls are both LEGENDARY guitars. NEITHER should be bagged!

[Karol1701]

I have Les Paul and Strat... No comments... Strats 4ever

[Der Bomber]

Love the strats, but what is the real difference between an american- and a standard strat (besides the location of "birth")?

[travman_401]

^^^ Quality mainly. People can fight and fight about there being no difference. There wrong, although there may not be a huge difference in the sound. There IS a difference in craftmanship. The neck is bertter and the guitar overall will last MUCH longer. I know from expierience.

[Der Bomber]

Thanks, is it worth to buy a standard or are they similar with the squiers?

[Der Bomber]

Thanks, but is it worth getting a standard strat or is that like a Squier that costs more?

[Der Bomber]

^^sorry for posting twice

[travman_401]

any squier

[travman_401]

**** it didnt post it right. I typed in "any squier (leftarrowleftarrowleftar
row) fender standard". I guess the arrows messed it up. ANYWAY get the standard dont get any squires you wont be happy with them.

[travman_401]

who else thinks UG should put a ****ing "delete comment" up?

[timo1]

Gibsons don't have tremolos? Since when?

bigsby and mastero

[Mahoru]

straternator_1 wrote:

Mahoru wrote:

I hate Strats. I don't like they're style and their sound doesn't fit at all with anything I've played. Gibson and Ibanez are a lot better by far.


i hate people like you. if you are just looking at this page to bag strats, why bother? just P.O (i dont wanna swear lol). strats and les pauls are both LEGENDARY guitars. NEITHER should be bagged!

Well, last week I tried this Strat on my local shop, w/o anything in mind, and I have to say I've changed my mind. My only experience with Strats was with a Standard MIM, and I didn't like it at all. But man, I loved this one (it was a candy cola with rosewood). It sounded and felt great, everything in a total different way of the Les Pauls I'm used to. So let me change my comment:

"I love Strats. I love everything on them (if they're good quality, like this one). They can cover all styles, and this may sound strange, said by a Les Paul lover, but it's what I realized: go and try a good American Strat (not Mexican!), without anything in mind (what you have played before, which guitar does your idol use, what style do you use to play before...); they may not be for everyone, but at least, try them them TWICE, as I did! xDD"

[frusciante_fan!]

Im looking to buy an american strat and i live in Australia and i was wondering what is the stardard price in Aus dollars.

[Frankie Sparks]

I like strats, they're really nice, but I wouldn't really reccomend one if you play alot of metal. With a strat you can't divebomb or squeal without it knocking it a bit out of tune. If you're an all around player, yea a Gibson or Strat is the best choice. For metal I reccomend a Jackson or an ESP. By the way Jacksons are made by fender, Jackson sold out. So it wouldn't really be that much of a difference if your worried about that.

P.S., You can't squeal at all with a strat, it doesn't have the right tremolo. That one guy is wrong, it DOES NOT have a floyd rose. You have to get one cut into your guitar, which cost about 400 bucks.

[Buckethead5]

"It fits all my musical tastes perfectly. Metal" that's the biggest piece of crap i've ever heard

[rrp6119]

Strats are really good. I've owned one for about 2 years now, after owning three other guitars previously, and I couldn't be more happy with it. I have the American deluxe strat, so it sounds great with distortion on. I saw people complaining about the pickups, so why don't you get a better amp? You could also change pickups too, it's not really that complicated. It's a little pricey, but stock pickups usually aren't that great. The ones on my strat sound great, so I didn't have to change them. I think as you get more experience, your tastes change. I'm slowly leaning towards a telecaster. I like Les Pauls too, but I don't like the flawed design of the head, which always messes up the tuning on the g string. I'd prefer a Les Paul for rhythm guitar, and to look cool, but I'd personally choose the strat overall.

[God's Guitarist]

clearly you do not buy a strat to play metal its annoying when ppl bag them and then say yeh i love my ibanez with heavy dist. and to frusciante fan - i got mine (american std, made california) for 2000, which was reduced from 2700 at the time (2 yrs ago-ish). now in WA i've seen them retailing for 2k. obviously import costs hurt us over here

[Razza999]

American Strats cost too much, when your on a budget i got a Tanglewood Nervana plays well when doing Heavy metal, rock, blues anything. Yeah its not exactly an american start and quality written all over it but for only £139 with 10watt amp and other accesories, THE best for a newbie like me. I first didn't like the Strats but i would love to have an original! I'm now a firm fan of Tanglewood's range.

[mattyp90]

Mahoru :
straternator_1 wrote:

Mahoru wrote:

I hate Strats. I don't like they're style and their sound doesn't fit at all with anything I've played. Gibson and Ibanez are a lot better by far.


i hate people like you. if you are just looking at this page to bag strats, why bother? just P.O (i dont wanna swear lol). strats and les pauls are both LEGENDARY guitars. NEITHER should be bagged!


Well, last week I tried this Strat on my local shop, w/o anything in mind, and I have to say I've changed my mind. My only experience with Strats was with a Standard MIM, and I didn't like it at all. But man, I loved this one (it was a candy cola with rosewood). It sounded and felt great, everything in a total different way of the Les Pauls I'm used to. So let me change my comment:

"I love Strats. I love everything on them (if they're good quality, like this one). They can cover all styles, and this may sound strange, said by a Les Paul lover, but it's what I realized: go and try a good American Strat (not Mexican!), without anything in mind (what you have played before, which guitar does your idol use, what style do you use to play before...); they may not be for everyone, but at least, try them them TWICE, as I did! xDD"

Why can't more people be like this.

[ArcherTheVMan]

mattyp90 wrote:

Mahoru :
straternator_1 wrote:

Mahoru wrote:

I hate Strats. I don't like they're style and their sound doesn't fit at all with anything I've played. Gibson and Ibanez are a lot better by far.


i hate people like you. if you are just looking at this page to bag strats, why bother? just P.O (i dont wanna swear lol). strats and les pauls are both LEGENDARY guitars. NEITHER should be bagged!


Well, last week I tried this Strat on my local shop, w/o anything in mind, and I have to say I've changed my mind. My only experience with Strats was with a Standard MIM, and I didn't like it at all. But man, I loved this one (it was a candy cola with rosewood). It sounded and felt great, everything in a total different way of the Les Pauls I'm used to. So let me change my comment:

"I love Strats. I love everything on them (if they're good quality, like this one). They can cover all styles, and this may sound strange, said by a Les Paul lover, but it's what I realized: go and try a good American Strat (not Mexican!), without anything in mind (what you have played before, which guitar does your idol use, what style do you use to play before...); they may not be for everyone, but at least, try them them TWICE, as I did! xDD"


Why can't more people be like this.

trying one with noiseless pickups would help probably help convince a lot of people too (i find thats the thing most of them complain about).

[nicodimus]

In my opinion, mexican fender strats sound better than the American, and are a damn site cheaper too

[humpacow6]

it always comes down to taste, it really dosen't matter what has better what

[Gibson_Rocker13]

travman_401 wrote:

^^^ Quality mainly. People can fight and fight about there being no difference. There wrong, although there may not be a huge difference in the sound. There IS a difference in craftmanship. The neck is bertter and the guitar overall will last MUCH longer. I know from expierience.

i love how you say that becasue all of the strat necks are made in the USA i belive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster

second point under current models

[Dattt]

Gibson_Rocker13 wrote: i love how you say that becasue all of the strat necks are made in the USA i belive

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster

second point under current models

so if wikipedia said you were gay, you would believe it?

[Sly Stone]

You can use strats for metal just look at iron maiden they use strats and shred as good as any other, im not into that type of music but i thought i'd put ppl straight about strats not being able to be used for metal

[KX36]

wiki's a bad reference, i saw an article the other day that had "the guitar's bridge" replaced with "the guitar's a**hole"

american strats have "hand rollered" necks, which is basically wearing them down a bit so they feel aged... or something, i don't have one

personally, i've never played a 20 year old guitar, but ageing guitars comes from "sweet spots" appearing as a result of vibrational wear on the wood.. not just rolling the edges of the fingerboard.

american strats are generally higher built quality + setup than a standard mex, i don't know if the materials are better too.

[seijo_hxc]

Sly Stone wrote:

You can use strats for metal just look at iron maiden they use strats and shred as good as any other, im not into that type of music but i thought i'd put ppl straight about strats not being able to be used for metal

Do they use S-S-S strats or humbuckers? I'm buying a new guitar and my doubt is between this Am Strat or the HSS American Strat. What do you think about it, is it worth to have a humbucker in a Strat? Thanks
PD: I'm not doing metal on a Strat, I just want a very versatile guitar

[Koeniewoonie]

I love the stratocaster!!!

[yo-shiuan]

i got one o these
its SCHWEET!!!

[dgme92]

yo-shiuan wrote:

i got one o these
its SCHWEET!!!

hmmm.... i spell it "shweet"

yeah stratocasters are pretty sexy alright!!

[SnowMan1]

i love the sound that comes out of it, but it is so damn ugly.

[will-loves-zep]

white strats are best! they hardlty get dirty, well they don't look it

[Uncle Gibson]

Please somebody tell me, can you play rock (AC-DC) on Stratocaster?

[jv_music]

Uncle Gibson wrote:

Please somebody tell me, can you play rock (AC-DC) on Stratocaster?

LOL you can play anything on any guitar. But if you want the actual tone from angus young than check out an sg or something with humbuckers.

[Ali-b912]

i dont think of single coils as noisy, i think of it as free fuzz distortion.

[AJCreary]

I have a Strat and a Gibson Les Paul... I would rate the strat a 7 as opposed to my Gibson being a 9...

Why?

Well, the strat doesn't play very diverse sounds. Everything sounds pretty much the same. And it has a kinda fuzzy distortion, to be honest. I think the Strat sells so well because of its fame. Plus, the shape of the neck gave me carpel tunnel. The Les Paul, overall, is a MUCH better guitar. The neck is a much better shape for my wrist, and it has such a great sound.

So basically, if you're going to spend that much money on a guitar, pay a little more and get a Les Paul Studio. TRUST ME.

[JoelTheShredder]

**** this and get an ibanez

[Fambi]

AJCreary wrote:

I have a Strat and a Gibson Les Paul... I would rate the strat a 7 as opposed to my Gibson being a 9...

Why?

Well, the strat doesn't play very diverse sounds. Everything sounds pretty much the same. And it has a kinda fuzzy distortion, to be honest. I think the Strat sells so well because of its fame. Plus, the shape of the neck gave me carpel tunnel. The Les Paul, overall, is a MUCH better guitar. The neck is a much better shape for my wrist, and it has such a great sound.

So basically, if you're going to spend that much money on a guitar, pay a little more and get a Les Paul Studio. TRUST ME.

Sorry mate. Les Paul Studios don't cut it for me. American Strats are the best bang for your (overpriced) buck. By far.

JoelTheShredder wrote:

**** this and get an ibanez

And that depends on what kind of music you enjoy to play. Ibanezes are only good for metal, in my opinion.
I went to Allans with my mates one day to have a look at some stuff. I played an Ibanez, American Strat, American Tele and a Les Paul in succession. The Strat was the winner, no doubt. The Tele has a nicer neck but I hate the way Teles look so I would definitely buy an American Strat

[mxh]

Who the hell gets an american strat as their first guitar?!?!? Is your mommy a hooker?

[mothola]

Who the hell gets an american strat as their first guitar?!?!? Is your mommy a hooker?
POSTED: 02/04/2008 - 09:22 pm

10-4 on that. Thats the world we live in now.

[netwizard90]

well well. i love strats too. but i was diappointed when i played this guitar. i went to a store to buy a new electric (a cheap one). i choosed a vintage brand guitar (the v6) and i wanted a fender to compare it. the vintag guitar which i own now costs 350 dollars and the fender costs 1000!!! and when i played the fender i was like. wtf...this guitar aint worth a thousand dollars. the sound of the vintage is great too, its solid, and everything works. except that one tonepoti is a bit strange. you only hear differences from 1-3 the rest is all the same. but why pay 1000 dollars if ypu can have a great guitar for 300?????

[netwizard90]

well well. i love strats too. but i was diappointed when i played this guitar. i went to a store to buy a new electric (a cheap one). i choosed a vintage brand guitar (the v6) and i wanted a fender to compare it. the vintag guitar which i own now costs 350 dollars and the fender costs 1000!!! and when i played the fender i was like. wtf...this guitar aint worth a thousand dollars. the sound of the vintage is great too, its solid, and everything works. except that one tonepoti is a bit strange. you only hear differences from 1-3 the rest is all the same. but why pay 1000 dollars if ypu can have a great guitar for 300?????

[richgray5]

theres great strats and not so great ones. I have played ones that felt like a kids toy. My strat looks, and feels like a high quality guitar. I bought mine in 94, and its my main guitar. you can play anything on it....anything. The most easily moddable guitar around as long as the cavity is routed. I would never pay a grand for one, even for a classic, that kind of stuff is overrated

[ACDCrocker01]

Strats are great. Mines even better because i have one humbucker at the bridge instea of the regular 3 singles. It works great with pretty much any type of music. It also sounds great with my Vox AD30VT amp. It's also worth the price (mine was 1,150). It's highly durable and I don't have any scratches what so ever on it. The 2 minor downfalls are the plastic on the pickguard since it's so hard to take off and some gets stuck under the tone and volume buttons and also mine was brand new so the neck smelt kind of funny :P.

[Vikash78]

it is worth paying extra for the amercican version?

[Vikash78]

or does the standard stratocaster still sound awesome and close in quality to the american version

[KCW1229]

is it better to get a HSS or a SSS

[EC_AL_JH_GH]

Not that I hate Strats or anything, but I will remind everyone that talks about Hendrix's use of Strats that he did in fact use 2 Gibson Flying Vs, A three pickup SG and a ES-335 near the end of his life.

[rocketman1010]

EC_AL_JH_GH wrote:

Not that I hate Strats or anything, but I will remind everyone that talks about Hendrix's use of Strats that he did in fact use 2 Gibson Flying Vs, A three pickup SG and a ES-335 near the end of his life.

Dude, tons of AMAZING guitarist have used gibsons exclusively, tons fenders, and most just play both. They are two really great guitars, nobody can say they aren't. I think we can all agree, however, as regular people that fender gives you the best bang for your buck.

By the way I wouldn't play an ibanez if you payed me. Not that they aren't played by some of the greatest players in the world, because they are. I just HATE the sound they give off.

Plus Steve Vai used one in the guitar duel on "Crossroads" and he was a dick in that movie.

P.S. Steve Vai rules. But the Karate kid rules more. In the movie I mean.

[dayvbayb]

is vintage white a common colour, i want a vintage white strat

[SupermanIsDead]

rocketman1010 wrote:

EC_AL_JH_GH wrote:

Not that I hate Strats or anything, but I will remind everyone that talks about Hendrix's use of Strats that he did in fact use 2 Gibson Flying Vs, A three pickup SG and a ES-335 near the end of his life.

Dude, tons of AMAZING guitarist have used gibsons exclusively, tons fenders, and most just play both. They are two really great guitars, nobody can say they aren't. I think we can all agree, however, as regular people that fender gives you the best bang for your buck.

By the way I wouldn't play an ibanez if you payed me. Not that they aren't played by some of the greatest players in the world, because they are. I just HATE the sound they give off.

Plus Steve Vai used one in the guitar duel on "Crossroads" and he was a dick in that movie.

P.S. Steve Vai rules. But the Karate kid rules more. In the movie I mean.

man, don't watch movie too much will you, you don't use a scene in a movie as a reference to choose a guitar. steve was the dick, not ibanez. besides, steve's ibanez sounds whole lot better in that duel. while that karate kid's fender sounds like dying cat screaming for help. a crap.
playing metal with fender?? what a joke.

[JuanesLaNegra]

look boys....those of you supportin the les paul over the fender....i respect that.....its just that...both instruments are great at their own place.....now gibsons are bout 1 % better....but for one one grand more too....and a fender....thats been played by clapton, malmsteen, hendrix,cobain, jeff beck so you know...fender aint shit/....

[HeavyReverb]

dayvbayb wrote:

is vintage white a common colour, i want a vintage white strat

Its easy enough to find but i'd rather get an olympic white and let it fade

[raafaello]

Nice stratocaster.

[Azdak]

someday i hope to own a strat, i like them but for the cost of them you can get a far better guitar with schecter. have a schecter c-1 classic, it has to be one of the best guitars i've ever played

[KCW1229]

is their a review about the american standard stratocaster yet?

[TimBFMV]

In the near future I will be buying a strat or a tele, probably a strat though. The perfect specs i am looking for are
Maple Neck
3 Coils
3 Colour sunburst
Alder or Mahogany Body
Graphtech Saddles in the bridge
graphtech nut
the strings i use on it would be Ernie Titanium coated 11's
but I dont know what type of strat to get, i play blues, metal, rock, alternative, classic rock, fingerpicking, the bands i play are things like Metallica, Nirvana (not smells like teen spirit, more advanced songs), pink floyd, and alot of other stuff, Im stuck.

[Bonorly]

Why does every other person say "if it were stolen/i lost it" during their review? Just makes you sounds really stupid.

[GuitarShredder+]

Buckethead5 wrote:

"It fits all my musical tastes perfectly. Metal" that's the biggest piece of crap i've ever heard

How is that crap? Metallica. "METAL"lica's lead guitarist uses Strats. I think that's proof that they can play metal worth something

[GuitarShredder+]

Bonorly wrote:

Why does every other person say "if it were stolen/i lost it" during their review? Just makes you sounds really stupid.

So did that comment. "Just makes you 'sounds' really stupid." hahaha great

[I_Fij]

"It fits all my musical tastes perfectly. Metal" that's the biggest piece of crap i've ever heard

You ever hear of a li'l band called Iron Maiden? Dave murray, their lead guitarist uses Fender strats on damn near everything. granted he had rose tremolos grafted into all of them , but it's still a fender doing metal.

ANY solid body guitar can be used for metal if you crank the overdrive , with a good distortion pedal and (occasionally, though i hate people that do this) roll the mids back.

[axejam123]

For anyone asking if the mexican strats are good enough, they are. I own an olympic white mexican strat with a maple fretboard (it is SO nice lookin) and it's awesome. I played mine and an american strat and decided that the american wasnt good enough to merit the extra 400 bucks or so. Its been a few months, and im perfectly happy. I also put a seymour duncan hot rails in the bridge, and it SCREAMS. you get hendrix style fuzz, and then i can slap the 5-way switch and start playing killswitch engage. its ridiculous.

[BillR87]

Strats are the guitar godfather! If anyone doesnt like them then go away please this space is for the people who appreciate this mean axe cmon it has jimis approval!!!

[Gsus Saves]

...I bought this guitar for $260 brand new...

[kurtshapedbox]

The idiocy in a few of these comments is overwhelming...

[stratomaster 94]

i herd you dont get as good distort with single coil pickups

[Amroth]

I really can't see the reason for arguing about whether or not the Strat's better than the Les Paul. They're really two very different guitars suited for different styles. I think everyone should be able to see that both of these guitars are highly worthy additions to any collection.

[speedfreak_808]

guitardude1039 wrote:

ACDC_ROCKS wrote:

purple... dweeb, go with black or burst!

Black an sunburst are definatly the coolest colors..

White!!!

[speedfreak_808]

frusciante_fan! wrote:

Im looking to buy an american strat and i live in Australia and i was wondering what is the stardard price in Aus dollars.

They're about $1500-2000+ depending on the finish and where you go.

[speedfreak_808]

seijo_hxc wrote:

Sly Stone wrote:

You can use strats for metal just look at iron maiden they use strats and shred as good as any other, im not into that type of music but i thought i'd put ppl straight about strats not being able to be used for metal

Do they use S-S-S strats or humbuckers? I'm buying a new guitar and my doubt is between this Am Strat or the HSS American Strat. What do you think about it, is it worth to have a humbucker in a Strat? Thanks
PD: I'm not doing metal on a Strat, I just want a very versatile guitar

If you want to know if it will work for you go and play one. Personally I don't like humbuckers in a strat but thats just me. go play one and find out.

[speedfreak_808]

KCW1229 wrote:

is it better to get a HSS or a SSS

Depends what you're into. Personally I think a strat should be all singles like it was designed to be but thats only me being a perfectionist

[speedfreak_808]

Amroth wrote:

I really can't see the reason for arguing about whether or not the Strat's better than the Les Paul. They're really two very different guitars suited for different styles. I think everyone should be able to see that both of these guitars are highly worthy additions to any collection.

Finally someone who talks sense.

[LJHarris]

I really can't see the reason for arguing about whether or not the Strat's better than the Les Paul. They're really two very different guitars suited for different styles. I think everyone should be able to see that both of these guitars are highly worthy additions to any collection.

Finally someone who talks sense.

[Shredy_Mc_shred]

SupermanIsDead wrote:

rocketman1010 wrote:

EC_AL_JH_GH wrote:

Not that I hate Strats or anything, but I will remind everyone that talks about Hendrix's use of Strats that he did in fact use 2 Gibson Flying Vs, A three pickup SG and a ES-335 near the end of his life.

Dude, tons of AMAZING guitarist have used gibsons exclusively, tons fenders, and most just play both. They are two really great guitars, nobody can say they aren't. I think we can all agree, however, as regular people that fender gives you the best bang for your buck.

By the way I wouldn't play an ibanez if you payed me. Not that they aren't played by some of the greatest players in the world, because they are. I just HATE the sound they give off.

Plus Steve Vai used one in the guitar duel on "Crossroads" and he was a dick in that movie.

P.S. Steve Vai rules. But the Karate kid rules more. In the movie I mean.

man, don't watch movie too much will you, you don't use a scene in a movie as a reference to choose a guitar. steve was the dick, not ibanez. besides, steve's ibanez sounds whole lot better in that duel. while that karate kid's fender sounds like dying cat screaming for help. a crap.
playing metal with fender?? what a joke.

I know the guitar wasnt out when you posted "Metal with fender?? what a joke" but Jim Root's sig guitar is a fender.