All user reviews for the Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster [2003-2010]

This is the most popular USA model guitar that Fender currently offers at the moment. The guitar features an alder body with a maple neck, your choice of a maple or rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, dot inlays, SSS configuration with a special S1 switching system, locking tuners, special neck heel, two point tremolo system, one volume, two tones and a five way switch.

UTILIZATION

The guitar is loaded with features. That said, some aren't all they're hyped up to be. The micro tilt neck is great. You can set the angle that you need, but it should really be set from the factory. You shouldn't have to mess with it, and I'm not sure why they made it like they did. I can only assume it's because of lower tolerances. The fretwork can be a bit iffy on these guitars, so be sure to pay attention that. Also, the nuts can be improperly cut at times. If you notice tuning stability issues, that could be it. The locking tuners were easily the coolest feature. They make restringing soooooo much easier.

SOUNDS

The S1 feature on this guitar is a joke. I know that Fender keeps trying to hype this thing, but they simply don't sound good once you enable the switch. It becomes too fat and muddy. If you get in there and replace the capacitor with a smaller one, you might be able to get a better sound, but I never cared enough to. Without using the switch, the SCN pickups sound really good. The pickups are very powerful, and they can do everything from classic rock to heavy metal without a problem. They might lack some of that signature single coil shimmer, but they make up for it in terms of being modern and powerful.

OVERALL OPINION

S1 switch aside, this guitar is a really good and solid guitar. It has lots of cool features at a good price. I recommend buying one used, but be sure to pay attention to things such as fretwork and the nut. They're generally minor problems that any competent luthier can fix. The biggest killer would be a neck joint gap, but they don't happen too often, thankfully.

This is one of the higher quality USA made guitars that Fender has to offer. The guitar features an alder body with a maple neck, your choice of a maple or rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, dot inlays, SSS configuration, locking tuners, special neck heel, two point tremolo system, one volume, two tones and a five way switch.

UTILIZATION

These guitars are generally put together fairly well. The edges are nice and beveled. However, the main problem that I see is that the frets aren't crowned properly. If you look at them, you might see that they're a bit flat. It's because they didn't spend enough time crowning them, and it can affect action. Also, be sure to make sure the nut isn't binding or creating any odd vibrations. Mine needed to be reshaped because it wasn't cut properly. Every time I strummed an open G, the string would vibrate inside the nut causing a buzz. After some filing, I was able to fix it.

SOUNDS

I like the way the pickups in these sound. This one has SCN pickups in it. The bridge is extremely fat and powerful. You can do everything from classic rock to heavy metal with this thing. However, the clean tone and blues tones are kinda dull sounding because it's so high output. It lacks that character that some blues guitarists look for, in my opinion. The neck sounds amazing. It's high output, so legato and all kinds of shred techniques are very easy. Clean tones sound great in positions 2 to 4. I'm a metal player, so I think the SCNs are real killer. Some may disagree as they don't sound like true singles.

OVERALL OPINION

These are some of my favorite strats to play in the store. You can get them for under a grand, they generally sound good and are put together fairly well. Just be sure to watch out for fret and nut issues that may occur. The neck joints are generally tight on these, but be sure to check them to make sure as I've seen some with gaps.

- Made in the USA

- Alder body

- Maple neck and fretboard

- 22 frets

- SCN noiseless pickups

- Deluxe chrome inlays

- locking tuners

- Tapered heel

- Compound radius fretboard

- S-1 switching


UTILIZATION

This strat is pretty much packed with features that make for easy and comfortable use.

The contoured heel provides much better access to higher frets, making the deluxe far more easy to use than any other fender. The locking tuners are a great addition; superb tuning stability without the hassle of a locking tremelo. SCN pickups are pretty much dead quiet but don't sound as sterile as other noiseless single coils. S-1 switching doubles your tonal options and is a lot easier to use than a secondary tone switch. The neck is very comfortable, and its pretty much impossible to fret out. This one uses the new fender bridge that makes intonation and setup a breeze.

I recommend the maple neck and V-neck, but that really comes down to players choice.

SOUNDS

The deluxe sounds magnificent. Great classic stat sounds. A little bit of natural reverb from the block and springs. Between the 3 pickups and S1 switching you can get pretty much any sound out of this guitar. The SCN pickups makes for noiseless playing, and still have a lot of character about them. Warm and mellow for the most part. Really depends what amp you are running it through, I've had superb success with vintage fender amps, in particular Twins, Bassmans, Princetons, Super Reverbs..Also some newer stuff like the Super-Sonic.
Suited for pretty much any style of music, though I would get an HSS pickup configuration if you're into heavier music.

OVERALL OPINION

This is the ultimate players Strat. Packed with usable features, reasonably priced, yet plays, looks, and sounds great. Short of the custom shop, this is the very best Strat you can buy, and I found it to be miles ahead of the American Standards.

Highly recommended.

Guitar Made in Corona California (left after the store ..)
Good body construction with both ends centered in alder, natural finish, nice effect.
C-profile maple neck with pearl style benchmarks and rosewood fingerboard, 22 frets, radius 9.5
Vibrato two anchors and mechanical locking Sperzel that hold very well agree.
This guitar is from 2006 it has the switch S1 set up by Fender since 2004. Two tone and volume pots

Micro are Fender SCN (very good microphones)


UTILIZATION

The neck is thin and very pleasant to play with good access to a super sharp ... The required agreement is very good mechanics Spertzel really work and allow all sorts of bends and vibrato use (thank you Spertzel)
Access potentiometers at stake is the natural position switch 5 is also well placed and easy to use ...
The weight of the guitar is reasonable about 3.5 kilos

SOUNDS

Plugged into a VOX AC 30 CC1, sounds are very "Fenderiens" but not for the purists of the brand ...!!!
It's a wide opportunity to scratch sound levels, but with the foil stratum characteristics in clear (not as a one piece maple neck ...) as well as in its bluesy crunch but without great personality .. . a guitar goes everywhere (no, not the dwarf ... pfff ...) ... very versatile, but not really engaging ...
Has less sustain than the tremolo model 21 boxes vintage 6-point mounting (I even downright plated vibrato to the body to sustain the win ...)
A downside to the switch (which supposedly acts as a double coils intermediate position on the selector 5 positions) ... there, I do not know if Fender wanted to play the Gibson ... well, we've failed! some may find it useful because it sounds not too bad despite all, but it's not the humbucker ...!

OVERALL OPINION

I bought used in 2008 for 1000 euros ... It was like new, hardly ever used and I use it regularly, but we still speak of a Fender Stratocaster USA .... 2006 ... So I'll let my pride aside (it's still the my guitar .... Tsss) and try to be as objective as possible and then I think we are far from the roots with this model ....
Do not expect to have the sound of a 54 or a 62 ....
On the other hand, I think Fender makes fun of some customers recently: My vibrato is placed slightly askew! This poses a problem for setting the compensation and of course, nothing can be done ...... Frankly, for a guitar of this range is pitiful ... I also have a problem with the neck pickup which loses 80% of its power at times ... no break in the circuit, the problem comes from the microphone itself ...!!!
Should not be too toy with the screw handle also ... Fragile
But that's all ... Start! When I see that dismantle the handles and pulls larigot find it odd that their guitar no longer holds the agreement ... that's with 4 thread messed up ...
For all these reasons I would put 4 of 10 because it is very average all this ...
Fender plays and with his reputation, can also be seen on the Jackson U.S. since the takeover by Fender, that manufacturing is weak. (Although happy owners of pre-Fender Jackson USA ... like me ... hey hey hey)
If I REFERRED choice? ... not without some doubt, it sounds good, it's not the problem, she has no personality and I have a lot of fuck with, but I think the year of manufacture has much to do ... Even if I use it very often (I have no fear of damaging the one ...) I think replacing it with a Start of custom shop, where they still know how to make real Stratocaster guitar, not for supermarket ...

Start U.S.
22 fettres
the rest is a stratum, which is all
only other diffrence with the Strat standard microphones SNA

UTILIZATION

mapple Channel V profile with "magical" for my small fingers
Ergonomics: it stratum, there's nothing to say is not for nothing that this guitar is the copy in the world nickel

SOUNDS

full of music styles, except on trash and stuff can be too extreme.


OVERALL OPINION

I play strat long, this one is just below the level of a custom shop.
His only default: simple three microphones (strata, what), lack of PCHE to send the pure.