Stratocaster Review

This guitar is just the guitar that a low budget buyer needs, it looks just like the real thing (Mexican Strat) and plays well too.

Features:	6
Sound:	8
Action:	10
Reliability:	10
Impression:	8
Overall rating:	8.4
Users rating:	6.2
Comments:	4

overall: 8.4

Reviewed by: unregistered, on june 24, 2005

Price paid: $ 189

Features: This guitar is a complete mystery, I wouldn't know where (Richwood is mostly produced in Asia) or in what year. Dito for woods used. It has 21 frets, a laminated top and a nice transparent finish. The pickups are all single coil (3 of them) with a 5-way selector. // 6

Sound: I love all kinds of music and I play a lot of different styles. My RW Strat is ideal for rock and blues, for metal it is a bit too jumpy (but with one whole step downtuned it is a lot better). I have a 30Watt Roland cube, I mostly use the digital effects the amp offers. Plus I have a chorus stomp box. The RW has a wide range of sounds, from (resonably) warm to ear popping bright. But with a sertain amount of distortion the piece of G string between the neck ending and the tuner starts vibrating resulting in a very high D, sometimes cool but mostly anoying. Can easily be fixed. // 8

Action, Fit & Finish: This is the part I am most exited about: I can't find any flaws. This guitar is a work of art. Action - perfect (for me), pickups - great. // 10

Reliability & Durability: I think the RW will survive live playing, and it has. It is a suprisingly solid and light instrument. The strap buttons look a but thin but they survived the test of time and I can now savely say I'll take this guitar onstage without a backup. A friend offered me to play his Epiphone Les Paul, but I said: 'No, I like this guitar too much! I wouldn't trade it for the world!' // 10

Impression: I have been playing for 2 years now and for the music I play with my current band it is great, although I'd rather play metal, this guitar can handle anything when played right. If it was stolen and I could buy it for the same price again I'd say yes. I love the transparent finish, it stands out on stage and looks real classy. Only thing, I wish the strings would stay in tuning when using the whammy bar, then it would have been perfect. // 8

Comments

[wangmaster]

I have one of those- I think they are amazing. Man, you have a good taste un guitars.

[OttovanZanten]

hm.. i saw 1 second handed for 200 euro's, that's to much isnt it?

[el Puerco]

This going out of tune when using the whammy bar, happens on all stratocasters, even fender. Problem is your strings move in the topnut and bridge saddles and dont come back so they stay sharp.
Solution: take some lithium grease or some other lubricant and put a little bit in your topnut slots and all other places that touch the strings (fender recomends lip balm... http://www.fender.com/support/stratocaster.php ).
Tuning will be easy, without squeeking noises and the guitar will not go out of tune so much after using the whammy.

[young_angel]

I bought one of these for €90,00.
I'm more than pleased with it.