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MGR/Billy « Fender Classic 50s Strat »
Published on 11/24/11 at 15:00It is very hard to keep up with Fender's Stratocasters, because it is probably the most duplicated model and Fender releases dozens of different models of the Stratocaster each year. This is the new Classic 50s series. It is made in Mexico, but think Baja series where the quality falls somewhere between MIM and MIA.
The guitar sells for $699 with a gigbag. I tried it out at my local music shop through a Fender Twin Reverb Reissue for about an hour.
The tint of the maple neck and yellowed pickup covers, knobs and switch tip are not tacky or cheesy like the Roadworn stuff. That is just my opinion, but this proves Fender can make a classy reproduction of a vintage guitar without making it look like it got ran over by a truck.
$699 felt just a little steep. If it had been priced $599, I would have probably brought the guitar up to the front of the store and pulled out the plastic!
The maple neck is V-shaped. The body is either alder or poplar depending on the finish. The tremelo is the standard vintage style. I think it is what is on the MIM Standards Strats. The finish was a cool Daphne Blue with is similar to baby or sky blue with just a hint of green to it. The pickguard is era correct being a 1 ply white guard instead of the 3-ply WBW.
Overall the Classic 50s Strat is very 'stratty' Purists will not be let down. The V neck gives it that old strat feel and the pickups aren't overly high output giving it the classic tone you would expect.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
The guitar sells for $699 with a gigbag. I tried it out at my local music shop through a Fender Twin Reverb Reissue for about an hour.
The tint of the maple neck and yellowed pickup covers, knobs and switch tip are not tacky or cheesy like the Roadworn stuff. That is just my opinion, but this proves Fender can make a classy reproduction of a vintage guitar without making it look like it got ran over by a truck.
$699 felt just a little steep. If it had been priced $599, I would have probably brought the guitar up to the front of the store and pulled out the plastic!
The maple neck is V-shaped. The body is either alder or poplar depending on the finish. The tremelo is the standard vintage style. I think it is what is on the MIM Standards Strats. The finish was a cool Daphne Blue with is similar to baby or sky blue with just a hint of green to it. The pickguard is era correct being a 1 ply white guard instead of the 3-ply WBW.
Overall the Classic 50s Strat is very 'stratty' Purists will not be let down. The V neck gives it that old strat feel and the pickups aren't overly high output giving it the classic tone you would expect.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com