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Hatsubai « The industry standard »
Published on 09/17/11 at 18:15This is the standard strat that everybody looks at today. While some people tend to gravitate towards the Mexican strats due to their price, I find that the American Standard series is a bit more consistent in terms of overall tone and build quality than the other ones out there. The guitar features an alder body, a maple neck, 22 frets, dot inlays, two point tremolo, SSS configuration, one volume, two tones and a five way switch.
UTILIZATION
There were a few issues, but it was nothing too major. The biggest issue on this guitar was that the fret ends were a bit sharp. Some quick work with a modified triangle file helped fix that issue. The frets themselves were a touch flat, but it was nothing that really affected anything. The guitar was the perfect weight, and it didn't have any finish flaws at all. There were also no neck joint gaps that some of the other lower quality guitars can sometimes have. Overall, it's pretty much on par for what you'd find from Fender during this point in time.
SOUNDS
The guitar had some pretty solid pickups in it. The bridge itself had some good output, although it was a touch bright. Thankfully, there's a tone knob on this that you can adjust to help cut down on that. The middle pickup itself is something I never use. It's just not something I find that musical. However, the in-between positions were great for those funky and clean tones. That's where the middle pickup really shines. The neck pickup was great for those blues lines, but it didn't exactly have the power I was looking for. I generally prefer hotter pickups, so it's no real surprise there.
OVERALL OPINION
The guitar is solid, and if you search your local craigslist, you can get some really good deals on these guitars. Quite a few people sell these at killer prices on the used market, and that's where i recommend buying. You'll get a great deal if you hold off with your money and choose the right one that really speaks to you.
UTILIZATION
There were a few issues, but it was nothing too major. The biggest issue on this guitar was that the fret ends were a bit sharp. Some quick work with a modified triangle file helped fix that issue. The frets themselves were a touch flat, but it was nothing that really affected anything. The guitar was the perfect weight, and it didn't have any finish flaws at all. There were also no neck joint gaps that some of the other lower quality guitars can sometimes have. Overall, it's pretty much on par for what you'd find from Fender during this point in time.
SOUNDS
The guitar had some pretty solid pickups in it. The bridge itself had some good output, although it was a touch bright. Thankfully, there's a tone knob on this that you can adjust to help cut down on that. The middle pickup itself is something I never use. It's just not something I find that musical. However, the in-between positions were great for those funky and clean tones. That's where the middle pickup really shines. The neck pickup was great for those blues lines, but it didn't exactly have the power I was looking for. I generally prefer hotter pickups, so it's no real surprise there.
OVERALL OPINION
The guitar is solid, and if you search your local craigslist, you can get some really good deals on these guitars. Quite a few people sell these at killer prices on the used market, and that's where i recommend buying. You'll get a great deal if you hold off with your money and choose the right one that really speaks to you.