Fender is a great American classic guitar. They have been building guitars for over 50+ years now. They are just as an American icon as John Wayne or Elvis Presley. These guitars are to commemorate the years that Fender has been manufacturing the Strats. These guitars have been played by almost every musician in the world at one time or another. Fender has a reputation of soul and quality when it comes to there equipment. They have a great deal of respect by the brightest and the best in the business. There isn't much different with these guitars as the normal American made ones that you buy from just about any guitar shop. They have a commemorative back plate that shows the 50th Anny emblem. That is really the only difference. This is a great guitar but nothing special or new in any way or even a throw back.

UTILIZATION

Spec's
MODEL NAME 50th Anniversary American Stratocaster
MODEL NUMBER 010-2004-(803)
SERIES American Series
(703) 2-Color Sunburst,
(Polyurethane Finish)
BODY Ash
NECK Maple, Modern “C” Shape,
(Satin Polyurethane Finish)
MACHINE HEADS Fender/Schaller Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
FINGERBOARD Maple, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
NO. OF FRETS 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
PICKUPS 3 New Custom Shop Vintage 1954 Single-Coil Stratocaster Pickups with Parchment Covers
CONTROLS Master Volume,
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. New “Delta Tone”
(“Delta Tone” system includes high output bridge pickup and special No-Load tone control for Middle and Bridge Pickups)
BRIDGE American 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Stainless Steel Saddles
PICKUP SWITCHING 5-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3. Middle Pickup
Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5. Neck Pickup
HARDWARE Chrome
STRINGS Fender Super Bullet 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003
CASE Vintage Tweed Case Crushed Gold Interior and Red Embroidered Commemorative Anniversary Patch Sewn in the Top of the Lining of the Case
PICKGUARD 1-Ply Beveled Parchment Vinyl
SCALE LENGTH 25.5” (648 mm)
WIDTH AT NUT 1.6875” (43 mm)
UNIQUE FEATURES Special Commemorative 50th Anniversary Neck Plate,
“Parchment” Knobs and Pickup Covers,
Original Headstock Shape,
Original Body Shape with “Original Contour Body” Decal on Headstock,
Rolled Fingerboard Edges,
H/S/H Pickup Routing
ACCESSORIES Vintage Tweed Case Crushed Gold Interior and Red Embroidered Commemorative Anniversary Patch Sewn in the Top of the Lining of the Case

SOUNDS

I love the look of the three tone sunburst Fender Strat. This guitar has a nice body paint on it that is pretty much the same as any other sunburst. These guitars do not change from any other Fender Stratocaster that anyone has ever played. This guitar will work in any environment. If you have played one American Fender Stratocaster than you know exactly how one sounds. The tone of this guitar is exquisite. They sound good with Fender amps and they sound goo with Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers as well as they sound with any Marshall. They sound just flat out amazing to me. There isn't too much variation of tone between Strats. They either sound like a Stratocatser or they sound like a Telecatser. You can definitely hear the difference. Something to be said about the original and you can get boutique all you want but the Fender Strat is still a staple in rock music. So the 50th Anny is a cool way to remember the first original rock guitar master.

OVERALL OPINION

These guitars were during a limited run. You can still find them pretty easily. I think they cost about the same as the regular standard Fender Strats. Either way they are a cool pickup and maybe worth more money later on down the road. If you can score one then I would suggest picking it up. They are great guitars and have a fantastic soul to them. Te 50th Anny neck plate on the back is a cool feature as well.