All user reviews for the Fender American Deluxe Fat Stratocaster HSS [1998-2003]

I bough this guitar about five years ago, and I have loved it ever since. I purchased the chrome silver edition with a black pick guard on it. The only real performing I've done with it is in the worship band at my church, but it never lets me down. Other than that, I use it to record songs in my basement and play for my own pleasure. I bought the hss edition, and I love having that bridge humbucker for a little extra bite.

I bought this guitar at a Don's Music Land store for about $1000. I had looked at a lot of guitars, but after considering all of them and playing them all, I just loved the way this one felt. It also had a great sound that suits the style of music I like to play (alternative/rock)

One of the biggest things I like about this guitar is the way the neck feels. It feels like it is already broken in, which makes it very easy to play. I've played other guitars in the same price range, but the necks weren't as comfortable to me. I also love the way it sits on my lap, because when I'm recording I prefer to play sitting down..

One of the only cons I've found is that this guitar isn't as loud when it is plugged into a PA system. The other guitar player in the worship band I'm in owns an ESP guitar, and when we both plugged ours in and set them at the same levels on the sound board, his was still way louder than mine.

The quality of construction is great. I have never had a problem with anything breaking or not working.

I love this guitar. I don't plan on ever selling it, or modifying it too much. It is an amazing guitar for a great price.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I ordered this guitar through ProSound in Litttleton, Colorado and paid $1,350 for it. The reason I purchased this guitar was that after decades of playing I just got pickier about sound quality and with the new SCN pickups and the LSR Nut and Deluxe Tremelo, and locking tuners and pickup combo, I finally found the sound I was looking for and finding Vintage sound too thin and Texas Special as too dirty as hot single coils (humbuckers preferred to the specials)

The two HOT wound single coil pickups are the perfect balance between the Vintage sound and Texas Specials and the DH-1 Humbucker is the only way to go. I bought this guitar to play CLASSIC Rock which it is ideally suited for. Also the LSR nut and Fender Deluxe Tremelo finally give a unit that doesn't go out of tune when using the tremelo. S-1 Switching gives you incredible tone options. This is the most versatile guitar I've ever owned and I love it. The sound of this guitar is totally unbelievably awesome!

Well the ONLY thing I can say is the Action on my American Deluxe Telecaster w/SCN pickups and S-1 also is a little better, but I think that's a price you pay for having the tremelo system.

I have a Three color sunburst Stratocaster that is beautiful and materials quality is topnotch the maple on the neck even has some birds-eye in it, premium wood!!! The whole construction is amazing and I must say, you get what you pay for!!

Until I bought this guitar, I was in love with my Les Paul, but not is has serious competition and each has it's place as far as sound goes, but this guitar has the crispest ringing overtones, and is just fat enough for rock but still has enough of the glassy Vintage sound, that I feel I finally found PERFECTION in an electric guitar, and two of my friends that work at Prosound and are in bands own this guitar and totally agree. This guitar is a guitar platyers dream!

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought it @ Musiciansfriend.com for $699. Saw the same thing @ guitar center although for a lot more. I ordered a surf pearl with rosewood neck. Not really in tune with vintage pallettes of colors I saw pearl and automatically assumed white...well that funky mint green came in the mail and the color has really grown on me, now I wouldn't have it any other way.

I took a chance with the rosewood neck. I had never really played on rosewood with a fender always prefering maple on fenders. It really paid off though if you want a warmer mid punch, then rosewood pays dividends. All I can say about the Texas Specials is "incredible!", best pick-up ever, hands down, the harmonic nuance, especially w/ a clean tone, are unparalleled. The Pearly Gates pickup "named after Billy Gibbons guitar...'59 Les Paul" pulls off that type of tone PRS/Les Paul robust and glimmering while still sharp as a razor. I have .014-.050s on it and that feels lighter than the .012s that are on my other strat (whichs say it all about the playability); other strat is maple neck Blue Lace & Red Lace sensors & an EMG SA mid position but I placed it in the back for neck and bridge assignments in the fourth position. As much as it hurts to say, the Fat Strat sounds better that my "Frankesteined" Strat.

Not a damn thing, I'm an amateur when it comes to luthier shit. But the guitar came w/ 9s and I put 14s on it w/ a little clock wise turn of the truss, and adding a fourth and fifth spring to the back and tightening them slightly everything set up nicely, no change whatsoever in the perfect intonation. You can also make this thing work like a hardtail, which I recommend if you like to bend the shit out of strings like me. Just tighten the hell out of five springs in the back and presto no pull back on the tremelo. Overall I like it better like this. Intonation doesn't change on other strings no matter how many steps I bend its fellow comrades.

C'mon I practically "you know what" all over my self when I picked it up out of the case. Even though it feels like butter its tougher than nails a la no intonation change when bumping up the string guage by 5.

I would tell you to buy this guitar but I don't want all my fellow guitarist out there having as rich of a tone as me. So don't get one, it really sucks, I've changed my mind and I think it sounds like hail on a tin roof. Super thin sound, the neck feels like an arthritic Louisville Slugger. Damn it I can't do it, it is actually better than the $2-3 grand Les Pauls and PRSs that I have played. Good job Fender, now if they would just stop pawning off those damn tex-mex "caliente" pick-ups and being good...can't win them all.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar for $1220.00 at zzounds.com, it is aged cherry sunburst with a maple neck.

It sounds really bright and agressive whether your playing trough an amp or without. But especially through the amp this guitar is really hot, it responds to pick attack like nothing else. It can sound very rich and full, or really bright and whiney, and the humbucker sounds really cool when put with the middle pickup. The nut rocks and looks really trick, and its SUPER easy to restring, the tuners are awesome. Beautiful bridge and saddles, the strap locks are nice too. This guitar basically screams with quality, it is really the best guitar with the best parts. The hot noisless pickups rule, you can turn your amp all the way up and you cant even tell its on, even when you arent touching the guitar. Pop in whammy bar and abolone inlays. Great neck shape and silky smooth finish on the back of it, 22 frets, beautiful headstock with just "Fender STRATOCASTER" written in chrome on it. Simple looking and super intracate. Perfectly in tune on every note, no buzzing, fast action, oh man, i could go on for pages about how great this thing is.

ABSOLUTLY NOTHING.

solid, light guitar with BEAUTIFUL finish, seriously, spend the extra 150 for the ash body, the blue that the ash comes in looks really neat, but the aged cherry sunburst almost makes you want to put the thing in a glass case and put it in the middle of your living room, because it looks AWESOME. very loud, solid guitar

get one, save up a lot of money, and get one

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I had a Gibson Lees Paul Studio Light. It was a god Axe. Heavy, but good. Good sound and OK to play. It was My son who told ME to try a Strat. I did, I bought, and I love it. It has two single coil noiseless pickups and a Humbucker. It is a snap to play. It sounds great and It is lighter. It is so much easier to play than he Gibson. I am able to practice for as long as three hours at a time and not feel tired or ache.... I would recommend this guitar to anyone who loves music.

Everything.


I will teel you when It happens


Superior

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Purchased the instrument because I wanted a new Fender electric... I bought it at Music Unlimited in Dublin, Ca. The price tag listed at $1750.00. I paid $1200.00 U.S. dollars INCLUDING tax.

Sunburst, roserwood fingerboard, maple neck, abolone dot inlays, two noiseless single pickups, one humbucker. This guitar is very stable and you can play it very hard. I chose the Fat Strat because of the dual humbucker. It is extremely versatile if you like to play hard or soft. This guitar is made for me because I like to play hard and it stays in tune while I bend the strings beyond one octive. The guitar plays fast and it will keep you honest technically as well. You can grip chords and scales better than anything I have ever played. The pickups are sensitive which is great, and they deliver massive punch. I found after about 30 hours of playing, the rosewood became richer, and I play better and better with it each day. Excellent guitar. I'll keep it forever. I can truely abuse this guitar and it seems to respond better each time I do. I feel as though I'm always breaking it it. It's alot of fun to play and it allows you to abuse it.

The pick guard has a thin saran wrap layer to protect it. I really don't know what it's for, only that your supposed to unpeel it. When I did, the wrap got wedged under the tone knobs and beneath the screws. That was stupid for fender to do that because it's still there, wedged underneath the knobs and screws.

Dead solid, perfect. It's an American Fender. I was looking at it while I was at the purchase counter. It was a lot of fun paying for it. The abolone dot inlays will wink at you, believe me. All of it is constructed beautifully. Locking tuner nuts, L.S.R. roller nut to stay in tune while you smash the tremelo...it's all good Rosewood is the way to go - Beautiful and fast.

If you like Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, You'll have every sound they could ever prouduce; Amp and effects willing. If you like Angus and Malcom Young, You'll find the Gibson SG in this unit as well. Buy it and abuse it. It was built for that, believe me. Smash the strings or make them drop tears, it's all there for you.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this guitar from Mississippi Music in Gulfport, Mississippi in August 2000. I paid approx. $1000 for the guitar, including deluxe hardshell case and accessories. The guitar was brand new, still in the sealed box from Fender. I bought this guitar because of the features, playability, and because it's a USA made Strat.

This guitar is loaded with features. Solid alder body with transparent crimson finish, maple neck with skunk stripe on the back. Three Fender Vintage-Noiseless pickups (S/S/H). Schaller locking machine heads, deluxe locking tremolo, highly detailed fret and nut work, abalone dot inlays, maple neck, dual-action truss rod with micro-tilt, and aged plastic parts. LSR roller nut, Schaller strap locks, Fender deluxe leather strap, Noiseless guitar cable, deluxe hardshell case, and aged plastic parts.

The feel and playability of this guitar is just plain sweet. The finish and construction are excellent. The new neck design is very easy on the hand, and provides a very nice feel. The bridge humbucker provides a nice bite as compared to the standard single bridge pickup. There are a wealth of tones available by switching between or combo'ing pickups with the selector switch. Also, the sustain of this guitar is very nice, and it is quite audible even when not plugged in.

My main dislike is the 'aged' plastic parts. They really don't look aged, just a funky yellow/green color. IMHO, moto with black knobs would have been the ultimate.

The Fender deluxe locking tremolo took a little getting used to. The strings actually clamp into the saddles instead of running through the trem block. This means you have to cut the ends off the strings. Also, the saddles are fixed height and radiused to match the fretboard. This makes it a little more difficult to change the action, since you have to adjust the trem or neck to raise/lower the action. Also, when you restring and tighten the string clamps, it tends to loosen the saddle clamp bolts under the trem plate, which is a slight pain.

Other than that, I'm super pleased.

Construction of this guitar is top notch. Everything fits like it should with great precision. One minor issue that I found was that the poly finish on the fretboard and frets began to chip almost instantly. So, I just removed all of the finish off of the frets, which sharpened the tone as well. The LSR roller nut and locking tuners are just great. What a difference they make to provide the ability to stay in tune much longer when heavy on the trem.

This guitar is very well built and should last for quite some time.

This guitar fully embodies the reason that I love Strats. Built great, plays great, looks great, feels great, sounds great, and hey, it's just plain cool.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I had been playing a les paul studio for a while and never really got used to the neck on it. Kelley's Music in Roanoke was having Fender Day with the Reps in town giving you 10% back in cash. That was a plus. Once I played it I had to have it.

The noiseless pickups and the dh1 humbucker sound great. I tested them out in a jam with some friends and they are silent even when I'm cranked on my Marshall. It comes with everything: a cloth, whammy bar, locking strap, allen wrenches and a hardshell case that locks.

At this point I have not found any problems with it at all.

The tuners are really nice. They have fine tuners underneath them. The guitar also stayed in tune for what I put it through on a solo duel with a friend. It even stayed in with some whammy bar bends. The nut on the guitar is wild too. It has metal brackets holding the strings and it is adjustable. It has pearl inlays on the fret board which gives it a distinct look.

This is the nicest guitar I have owned and it is alot more for your money compared to the Les Paul studio I have been playing.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I recently purchased a Fender Fat Strat Deluxe guitar from The Guitar Center in Portland Oregon. I paid $1100.00 cash for the instrument. That price included a teal green Fat Strat deluxe, hard-shell case, strap, and set of strings. I would note that this was more for less than the Musicians Friends catalog listed price.

I have played a 68 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe (Gold Top) for years. I've always been a Gibson guy. I was always interested in the Fender Strat sound but wasn't sure about the neck radius and maple neck. However, after playing the Fender Fat Strat for about a week I realized that it was very easy to play and the sounds are great. I love the variety of sounds and textures that can be achieved with the instrument.

I really can't think of anything. I'm really enjoying it at the moment. If I would have tosay anything it would be that the neck in a bolt-on. Although it doesn't seem to be a problem.

The unit is well built. Every component is solidly attached. The finish is really good.I especially like the neck finish. It is smooth and fast. I especially like the light weight as compared to the Les Paul I have. I feel that the value is there for the cost. It is a great guitar, yet very affordable. Gibson should take note. I never understood $3-4K for a Les Paul.

I would recommend the Fender Fat Strat Deluxe to anyone who wants a quality guitarthat is affordable. The variety of sounds are wonderful which is important for today'smusic. It is a very playable instrument which should meet the most demanding players needs.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Made in America
Start 22 frets 2 double 1 single noiseless pickups fender 5-way switch
a deluxe 2 point tremolo rod clipe
a mechanical locking nut ball bead profile (that's top)
handle large cargo varnish satin gloss headstock veneer with abalone INLAYS
short top finishes

UTILIZATION

The specific coating of the handle is very soft and pleasant heel profile allows one to access acute perfect (why do they not have thought of it before)
usability is further enhanced
the sound is pure strata on the first 2 pickups and the double to add the key fishing

SOUNDS

This is the essence of its strat with curves that not nothing to envy to vintage
many do not like me they noiseless seems very good because it keeps the personality of the sound stratum warming vintage type
big sound

OVERALL OPINION

I had four years before I Sparer for other desires is a great guitar
I loved the softness of the handle and touch and finesse of high-end finishes
I have another layer and another standard model is a guitar that I really enjoyed playing
I find it a shame to have a pass in the deluxe range to find a good strat recent but the price is justified by the finish.

"It's a guitar US-2003.
-The neck has 22 frets, it has two microphones and a single humbucker in the bridge position. It's a classic Fender bridge with a vintage-style vibrato.
-There are settings for volume and tone with a switch on the volume knob that activates a circuit of the selector and a microphone 5-position.

UTILIZATION

I find the great race (I had a Gibson Les Paul with a handle that I found too thick), very fast, with no rough edges, the varnish is very pleasant and the finish is excellent.
-Access to treble is very easy.
- The guitar is very balanced in both sitting and standing, the weight is correct (compared to my Les Paul I find it even slightly), the ergonomics are excellent, which is normal for a stratocaster. This is a guitar with which one can play several hours of affillée without feeling any discomfort.
- Given the configuration of the microphones and the switch mentioned above, I think the sound palette is very wide, it will sound very clear, christallin, the big sound (of course we can not type a saturation EMG) . This is the same versatility, only metal fans will find fault.

SOUNDS

I play many styles of music, blues, blues-rock, rock'n'roll and even some hard rock (AC / DC, Metallica) and I think it comes out perfectly every time .
- I use a Kustom amp with a Celestion hp connected to a built-in Korg Pandora PX1 and I can enhance the sound of my guitar.
- I prefer to play with a little distortion, to get a crunch sound or even a little fat, I love trying different combinations, and I appreciate all the aggressiveness of the humbucker that the accuracy of simple (try the combination neck pickup-central with the switch on and you will be conquered).

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for about two months, I sold my Gibson Les Paul to look for other sounds and I do not want to leave on Fender, I still tried in a music store on Crate amp, j ' I tried two other guitars and then I chose the Fender for ease of play and the extraordinary versatility sound (which does not mean, far from it, lack of personality).
I do not regret my choice and I do not count time spent on it, sometimes I play 4 hours without stopping without seeing the time: this must be it have fun playing a unique instrument

The fat strat is the standard strat that people tend to go to when they want something with lots of versatility. The humbucker in the bridge is what makes this guitar a fat strat, and I find they are a bit better than normal strats. This guitar has an alder body with a maple neck, a rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, two point tremolo, HSS configuration, one volume, two tones and a five way switch.

UTILIZATION

The guitar was put together fairly nicely. There were no issues with the frets, although they could have gotten a bit more attention as they were slightly oxidized. The guitar wasn't played for awhile, hence why that occurred. The neck joint had a slight gap in it, but I've seen much worse before. The nut was nicely cut, and it had no issues with the 9s that were on this. I'm not a huge fan of the radius, but that's the shredder in me jumping out.

SOUNDS

This guitar had some different pickups in it from stock. In the bridge was a Duncan JB, and the neck and two SSL5s. The Duncan JB in the bridge is great for nearly any genre you can think of. I've used it on everything from blues to fusion to brutal metal without any issues what so ever. It's scary how versatile it is, although it can sometimes be a bit bright. The SSL5s in the neck and middle are super powerful, but they match up with the JB quite nicely. If you're looking for that crazy fat SRV tone, these are your pickups.

OVERALL OPINION

This is another one of the HSS models, and it delivers in spades. I like using the HSS strats in the studios as it means I don't have to bring as many guitars with me. The aftermarket pickups in this really brought it to life, and if you have the spare cash, I would recommend replacing them like they were in this guitar.

Fender is a great American classic guitar. They have been building guitars for more than half a century. 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. They have been played all over the world from beginner learning guitar players to the best professionals in the world. The Fender Stratocaster is easily the most recognized guitar and one for the most versatile guitars in the world.

UTILIZATION

Body Select Alder
Neck Maple, Modern “C” Shape, Satin Urethane Finish
Fingerboard Maple or Rosewood, Compound Radius 9.5” – 14”
Scale Length 25.5" (648 mm)
No. of Frets 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
Width @ Nut 1.6875" (43 mm)
Machine Heads

Fender® Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Locking Tuning Machines
Pickups:

1 Fender Atomic™ Humbucking Pickup (Bridge); 2 New Noiseless™ N3 Strat® Pickups (Neck/Middle)
Pickup Switching

5-Position Blade and 2-Position Push/Push S-1™ (See Switching Function diagram for details); “Passing Lane” Switch - instantly routes your signal from any pickup position to the bridge position with the tone circuit bypassed.
Controls

Master Volume (with S-1™ Switch), Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. No-Load Tone Control (Middle and Bridge Pickups)
Pickguard 3-Ply Mint Green On 3 color sunburst
Bridge Fender Deluxe 2 Point Synchronized Tremolo
Unique Features

Compound Radius Fretboard, New Noiseless™ N3 Strat® Pickups (Neck/Mid), Atomic Humbucking Pickup (bridge), Reconfigured S-1 Switching, Locking Tuning Machines, Contoured Heel

SOUNDS


The tone from this guitar is very good. This guitar is one fine classic instrument. It can get beefy with the humbuckers and lighten it up for some single coil action. This is an extremely versatile guitar with the 5 way selector and humbucking and single coil operation. You will still need to replace all of these pickups in this guitar as they are garbage. I suggest using Seymour Duncans as I have found good use of those pickups in all my guitars. They aren't boutique but they sound just as good in my opinion.

My two favorite wood combos are the Alder with Maple and the Alder with Maple and Ebony fret board. This fortunately has the first which is the best wood combination out there. I understand the need and desire for exotic woods and the allure for how beautiful they are, but when it just to straight players guitars needing to rock then there really isn't anything more simple and better than an Alder body and a Maple neck....perhaps a one piece alder body.


OVERALL OPINION

You can pic these guitars up new for right at around $850, which is even less than the three single hums. This is a great price for an American made Fender Stratocatser HSS guitar. You get a wealth of versatility with this pickup setup. The added humbucker is a plus to this guitar and adds a great amount of depth tot he versatility.

This guitar is one of the Ash variants that Fender offers in an HSS format. The guitar features an ash body with a maple neck, your choice of a maple or rosewood fretboard, 22 frets, dot inlays, HSS configuration, locking tuners, special neck heel, two point tremolo system, one volume, two tones and a five way switch.

UTILIZATION

This guitar has some issues with the fretwork, but the nut was cut correctly. They were sticking out of the sides, so they had to be filed down. The frets also needed a good level and recrown. Fretwork is the #1 killer on these guitars, so be sure to pay attention to that. If there's some oxidation on them, don't worry about that. It'll come off with some steel wool without much of an issue. The bridges on these are pretty nice. They stay in tune and sound pretty good.

SOUNDS

This guitar had Fender Lace Sensor pickups in it. I can't remember if it came like this stock, but that's what this one had. I think it was similar to what the Jeff Beck guitar had. The bridge was interesting. It worked decently for rhythm tones and lead tones, but I found it wasn't for me. It just had something about it that I wasn't digging. Maybe it was the ash. The neck and middle pickups worked out nicely for cleans and leads. They were hot enough to do some legato work, but they remained clear enough for clean tones.

OVERALL OPINION

This one had Lace Sensors in it configured in the way Jeff Beck ran his guitar. Because of that, I don't think it sounded quite as good as it might have. Aside from the frets that needed some work, the guitar was a solid player. Be sure you like ash, however. It can be a love/hate wood because of the high end.

This is an American made electric guitar, with a standard Fender bridge and a maple C-shaped neck (the standard neck for Stratocasters). There are 21 frets, a humbucking pickup in the bridge position, and two single-coil pickups in the center and neck positions. It has a five-way toggle for selecting pickups. There is a knob for volume, a knob for tones when having one pickup selected, and a knob for tones when splitting the signal between two pickup.

UTILIZATION

This is a pretty easy guitar to play, as are most Strats. The sounds that you can get out of this guy vary from pickup to pickup, but it's not too tough to find the sound you want. It's not too heavy (although heavier than most Strats), and it's easy to lug around. Everything on this guitar is stable.

SOUNDS

I wasn't anticipating much from this guitar, because I was skeptical about what a humbucker would sound like on a Strat. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The bridge single-coil pickup on many Strats can be extremely bright, and is often grating to the ears when used with heavy distortion. This proved to be a great Strat for rocking out, as the humbucker kills much of the excess noise, and rolls off some of the brightness. While I think it might have rolled off a little bit too much of the brightness (especially for a Strat), I'm still happy with the sound I get. In some ways, it makes the Stratocaster more versatile than it would be with the normal configuration. This setup is good for rock songs that get by more on tone and attitude than raw power. With a good distortion pedal you can really get a great midrangey sound that cuts through noise and cymbals. I really like the neck pickup sound as well, it has a nice, thick tone reminiscent of blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughn and Buddy Guy. I think that the middle pickup on this guitar is unspectacular, but it's never been my favorite on any other guitar anyway. This guitar is pretty good for my style of music, which is classic rock-style rock and blues-rock.

OVERALL OPINION

I liked this guitar a lot, it's very useful in live settings and it provides a great rocking or bluesy clean tone. For me, that goes a long way. I don't think it's the perfect guitar for recording, none of the sounds are perfect (though they are close). It's not the most expensive Strat out there, but I don't think it's too overpriced. There are certainly inferior ones that go for more. I'd say that this one is worth checking out if you have any doubts about getting a Strat.