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MGR/TheSharkMan « Fender Deluxe Super Strat »
Published on 11/30/01 at 15:00Bought used from Ron's Music in Grand Island, Nebraska for $300.00 with no case or gig bag. I was looking for a guitar to replace one that I wasn't happy with. The Strat's reputation led me to try some out at the local shop, and I fell in love. Several months later, I had a tech replace the stock pickups with some Carvin AP-11 single-coils which greatly improved the output level and the sound.
I love the chimey, open sound of a Strat. The neck is just right, and the frets are well-dressed.
The ash body is light and resonant. Finish is a beautiful tranparent crimson, just as red as blood, and you can see the nice grain of the ash wood through it. The dark tortoise-shell pickguard sets off the color perfectly. I replaced the white knobs with black ones to match the Carvin pickups, and that looks fantastic!
Seven-way-switching allows 7 possible combinations for a wide variety of sounds. I like the neck and bridge together for leads, and all 3 pickups together for rhythm playing. There is nothing like the sound of a clean Strat, but it also sounds great through my BOSS Blues Driver.
My only complaint is the square area where the neck bolts on. Nothing you can do but get used to it, but it does press into your hand when you play high up the neck. (Doesn't seem to bother Clapton, Beck, Jimmie Vaughan, et al.)
Well, then there's the high E string's tendency to slide off the side of the fretboard when you're playing fast. Requires a slight technique adjustment to avoid doing this. (Doesn't seem to bother those guys, either...)
I don't know why some folks complain about the Mexico-built Fenders. Mine is of excellent quality. The fit and finish are flawless, and the original pups weren't that bad. (I just had an impossibly good deal to get the Carvins put in.) I've played a number of Mexi-Strats, both at guitar shops, and at friends' homes, and they've all been good. I plan to keep this guitar for a LONG time, and based on my experience I expect that it will probably outlive me.
What a fine guitar! I understand now why the Strat has been around for so long, and why so many guitarists own them. It's a great-playing, great-sounding, simple, and bullet-proof design whose price tag will not send you to the poor house.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
I love the chimey, open sound of a Strat. The neck is just right, and the frets are well-dressed.
The ash body is light and resonant. Finish is a beautiful tranparent crimson, just as red as blood, and you can see the nice grain of the ash wood through it. The dark tortoise-shell pickguard sets off the color perfectly. I replaced the white knobs with black ones to match the Carvin pickups, and that looks fantastic!
Seven-way-switching allows 7 possible combinations for a wide variety of sounds. I like the neck and bridge together for leads, and all 3 pickups together for rhythm playing. There is nothing like the sound of a clean Strat, but it also sounds great through my BOSS Blues Driver.
My only complaint is the square area where the neck bolts on. Nothing you can do but get used to it, but it does press into your hand when you play high up the neck. (Doesn't seem to bother Clapton, Beck, Jimmie Vaughan, et al.)
Well, then there's the high E string's tendency to slide off the side of the fretboard when you're playing fast. Requires a slight technique adjustment to avoid doing this. (Doesn't seem to bother those guys, either...)
I don't know why some folks complain about the Mexico-built Fenders. Mine is of excellent quality. The fit and finish are flawless, and the original pups weren't that bad. (I just had an impossibly good deal to get the Carvins put in.) I've played a number of Mexi-Strats, both at guitar shops, and at friends' homes, and they've all been good. I plan to keep this guitar for a LONG time, and based on my experience I expect that it will probably outlive me.
What a fine guitar! I understand now why the Strat has been around for so long, and why so many guitarists own them. It's a great-playing, great-sounding, simple, and bullet-proof design whose price tag will not send you to the poor house.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com