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King Loudness « An ash version of the USA Strat »
Published on 08/13/11 at 19:02The USA Strat has had many different versions made over the years. This is a slight departure from the main model in that it features an ash body and is finished in a striking see through finish called Sienna Sunburst which really is eye catching and fits the ash grain really well.
Since 1986 they have been built right in California right where they should be. The Sienna Sunburst finish like I mentioned is a really striking finish overall. This particular model has a maple neck and fretboard (my personal favourite) and is equipped with three single coils. The guitar features an ash body (for different tonal effects), a maple neck with 22 frets, sealed Fender tuners, a 2 point pivot Fender tremolo, and American Standard Fender pickups/electronics. Basically, it's what a typical Strat looks like, but in the modern age. Fender has slowly been refining the Strat since redesigning it in the 1980s and at this point they're just turning out some truly awesome guitars.
UTILIZATION
There have only been a few different things done to change and enhance the guitar since its (re)introduction in 1986. What is presented here and what is for sale now is basically the perfect path from vintage to modern. These guitars have a great weight to them. The ash ones are sometimes heavier (as this one is) but the alder ones are excellent light to medium weight instruments that fits on the body well overall. Regardless of the body wood, the contouring and feel of these guitars is very good and it feels very real. Upper fret access is what it is on these guitars... it's been good enough for many players over the years.
Getting a good tone out of these guitars is not difficult because of the awesome pickups used. The newer model USA pickups being put in these guitars are really something else... the pure Strat tone is there in spades. Everything from the jangly top end of cleans to the bright and raunchy undertones of a driven rock and roll machine is backed by that unmistakable Fender sound.
SOUNDS
I've tried many variations of the American Standard Strat over the years using different Fender, Marshall and Mesa Boogie amplifiers. The older ones tend to lack a certain crispiness that makes a Strat as good as it is. However, the newer ones have some sort of pixie dust mojo thing going on... very cool! Starting with the clean tones, I was really stoked about how the glassy textures and sparkle that marks a good Strat was very present in these newer American Standard guitars. The clean sounds were some of the most enjoyable I've tried in a while. Plugged into a good Fender amp, I was able to dial in some awesome tones ranging all the way from the '50s into the modern day, all without missing a single beat. The ash guitar is definitely brighter than the alder bodied ones I've tried overall and it sounds a little more like a '50s Strat (brighter and jangly) compared to the thicker and heavier sound of the alder ones.
The overdrive tones are really cool as well. I was able to dial in some great Eric Johnson esque tone summits that were certainly the highlight of my testing experience. The guitar handled whatever gain levels I threw at it and responded with a delightful Stratty "snap" that was eerily enjoyable. The ash body has a really unique quality that works really well with overdrive and has more of an honest quality... it's brighter and a bit thinner with a more scooped midrange, but it sits so well with gain that it balances out quite nicely. It's not quite as smooth/refined sounding as the American Deluxes, but it makes up for it with a more honest and sincerely killer tone that is most certainly a killer Strat.
OVERALL OPINION
The Fender American Standard Strat is definitely a force to be reckoned with. They're about $1,200 new for the ash model (about $200 more). They also come with a sweet TSA approved flight case too. Definitely a wise one to try if you want a slightly different sounding Strat. It's a bit like comparing a '50s Strat to a '60s one, it can be hard but if you know what you want you'll make the right choice. Either way you can't go wrong. These guitars are super consistent and all sound/feel awesome.
Since 1986 they have been built right in California right where they should be. The Sienna Sunburst finish like I mentioned is a really striking finish overall. This particular model has a maple neck and fretboard (my personal favourite) and is equipped with three single coils. The guitar features an ash body (for different tonal effects), a maple neck with 22 frets, sealed Fender tuners, a 2 point pivot Fender tremolo, and American Standard Fender pickups/electronics. Basically, it's what a typical Strat looks like, but in the modern age. Fender has slowly been refining the Strat since redesigning it in the 1980s and at this point they're just turning out some truly awesome guitars.
UTILIZATION
There have only been a few different things done to change and enhance the guitar since its (re)introduction in 1986. What is presented here and what is for sale now is basically the perfect path from vintage to modern. These guitars have a great weight to them. The ash ones are sometimes heavier (as this one is) but the alder ones are excellent light to medium weight instruments that fits on the body well overall. Regardless of the body wood, the contouring and feel of these guitars is very good and it feels very real. Upper fret access is what it is on these guitars... it's been good enough for many players over the years.
Getting a good tone out of these guitars is not difficult because of the awesome pickups used. The newer model USA pickups being put in these guitars are really something else... the pure Strat tone is there in spades. Everything from the jangly top end of cleans to the bright and raunchy undertones of a driven rock and roll machine is backed by that unmistakable Fender sound.
SOUNDS
I've tried many variations of the American Standard Strat over the years using different Fender, Marshall and Mesa Boogie amplifiers. The older ones tend to lack a certain crispiness that makes a Strat as good as it is. However, the newer ones have some sort of pixie dust mojo thing going on... very cool! Starting with the clean tones, I was really stoked about how the glassy textures and sparkle that marks a good Strat was very present in these newer American Standard guitars. The clean sounds were some of the most enjoyable I've tried in a while. Plugged into a good Fender amp, I was able to dial in some awesome tones ranging all the way from the '50s into the modern day, all without missing a single beat. The ash guitar is definitely brighter than the alder bodied ones I've tried overall and it sounds a little more like a '50s Strat (brighter and jangly) compared to the thicker and heavier sound of the alder ones.
The overdrive tones are really cool as well. I was able to dial in some great Eric Johnson esque tone summits that were certainly the highlight of my testing experience. The guitar handled whatever gain levels I threw at it and responded with a delightful Stratty "snap" that was eerily enjoyable. The ash body has a really unique quality that works really well with overdrive and has more of an honest quality... it's brighter and a bit thinner with a more scooped midrange, but it sits so well with gain that it balances out quite nicely. It's not quite as smooth/refined sounding as the American Deluxes, but it makes up for it with a more honest and sincerely killer tone that is most certainly a killer Strat.
OVERALL OPINION
The Fender American Standard Strat is definitely a force to be reckoned with. They're about $1,200 new for the ash model (about $200 more). They also come with a sweet TSA approved flight case too. Definitely a wise one to try if you want a slightly different sounding Strat. It's a bit like comparing a '50s Strat to a '60s one, it can be hard but if you know what you want you'll make the right choice. Either way you can't go wrong. These guitars are super consistent and all sound/feel awesome.