All user reviews for the Fender Standard Stratocaster [1990-2005]

Mexico.
21 frets.
2tone, 1 volume.
handle end strat type.

7 parske it manqhe a 22 th fret ki maiderais good !!!
and microphones are pa asser powerful for my styl musik !!!!

USE

The neck is super nice and fast, jador, I pourtan sui rather stylish sleeve gro like the Fulani, may the exeption c a, c super !!!
c o Acute access easy, fast, PA blem has what nivo!
guitar with a very decent weight.
yes we obtien a exelente quality sound with a good amp!

SONORITS

It is suitable to my pa styl musik ki is asser HARD, the microphones are not asser of fishing, c fender fo pa tro summon in May this sound microphone dexelen matter clean (vraimen great) and blue or crunch, c perfect.
I play with a Line6 Spider II 212 150 W, a true powerhouse.
jador its clean sound, c impressive !!
ke not jnaime c kelle nest pa asser puisstante, May good I wanted meter 2 dual coils it may be fair in a line against lestetik !!!

NOTICE GLOBAL

I lai since February 2005, very good gratt.
exelentissime price quality ratio for gratt exelente quality of legend.
with lexperience, I sai pa vraimen because I do not mamuse Telmen with that scraped it fo ke I change the pickups !!!!!

Manufactured in: Mexico but my dealer from scratch prfr me fomellement affirmed that the parts and even the wood came from asia
the woods used are not those of us strat ...
properly handle and very well finished
comfortable body.
mcaniques of quality and very low-end bridge!
microphones, three single without heat!
The price asked is too lev without the Fender logo it would be 250 euros break everything!

USE

Good round, we play without problem but the original pickups empchent play anything!
If you change the pickups were a guitar not bad at all but it would be like with any strat copy it!

SONORITS

If you are looking for the crystal grain fender go your way. The spectrum is invaded by screaming mids, bass have no me.
Zero, the Mexican standard is to forget. Better to turn to the Blade for that price.

NOTICE GLOBAL

Basically, you have the Fender logo and as a fender but nothing more. Any copying it done as well, especially the nut and vibrato are forgotten because if acute and mid systematically break.
A product marketing, freelance fool as often in the low-end fender!
I prefer my jet lag and custom set of alnico micro and my blade Abilene (but the price of this Last makes it inaccessible).
If you plan to buy from Cygnus, beware the woods used are very cheap ...

Music purchased from Experiences, rue Victor Massé Paris, a store that has unfortunately closed 201-2011, snif.
I had gone to buy a Strat "Japan" because not fortunate enough to model U.S. (€ 850 at the time), but after a while Narbé (the boss) made me try the "Mexico": it was day and night, as well as hear sound playing!

I then explained Narbé between plant U.S. and Mexico there were only 80km away, the wood was exactly the same, the only difference was the equipment: the mexico there was Japanese mics and equipment a little cheap (vibrato stamped, string tensioners, mechanical, electronics ...).
Nevertheless it sounds!

19 years that I have my strat and love as the first day. Still in good condition thanks to the flight case which is certainly annoying to carry around but protects the guitar perfectly unlike a flexible house.

UTILIZATION

What about the ergonomics of strats? just perfect, it is not for nothing that this is the form of the most copied scratch 60 years: p

Maple handle end (without rosewood), very enjoyable to play. My strings are pretty close to the sleeve so small frieze light that gives its characteristic Statos, requires a bit of precision attack on the big E string for not exaggerate excessively.

on the other hand it lacks a box for the solo is a bit boring sometimes, but I do it with.

mass is not terrible, high-gain saturation on micro single coils are a lot of frying if you loose the cords. But with a volume pedal or a good noisegate / noise-suppressor it comes out anyway.

Désaccordable trend for those who use violent vibrato. I have long thought that the quality of low-end vibrato was involved, with a Floyd and a block-string at nut it would be better, but a guitarist recently told me that with a little Teflon at the nut that arrange things well ... I have not tried it yet.
That said, I do not use vibrato on notes bendées by pressing it with the flat of the hand (I do not put the stem), so I'm not bothered by it, the tuning is still quite stable even if it is not completely perfect.

SOUNDS

I'm a fan of 70s rock bands (Hendrix, Led Zep ...)
This strat has a pretty colorful, so not great for someone who wants to make clear its metal with super accurate and ultra-sharp saturation, but perfect for me who likes it more when "slime" a little.

I have a small Fender combo Champ25 makes me a good clear sound typical Fender (but the saturation channel sucks)
I also assembled another combo amp "home" based preamp Lag Spitfire lamp 2x75W + 2 + Amcron HP 12 '
and some pedals
- SansAmp GT2
- Boss Fender 65 Deluxe
What that obtain different grain which are still typed overdrive and go very well with the guitar. I think the Japanese are very good microphones, there will be better but surely bcp bcp for more expensive, but I like them as they are, with their qualities and defects: p

OVERALL OPINION

Apart from my first classical guitar, this is my only guitar and I play it for 19 years now. some frets are quite worn, but after so long it is logical that it suffers a little wear. I recently made set, but within a year or two I'm good for a refrettage.


If I were to buy another guitar, it would probably still strat bcp but more upscale, with better electronics and a handle with more boxes to climb higher in the high ... but it would not be the same either budget (1500-2000 € I think).

I'm not as good as the recent stato mexico, so no opinion on the matter, but if you find a model of the early 90s, know that this is a very good guitar that was ultimately not much inferior to its counterpart "american standard" of the time while being much cheaper.

So I've waited 14 years to give my opinion that's how I am someone who "refines" his views lol
This is a 1996 black Strat Mex with a rosewood fingerboard and 21 frets: y'en like that of thousands. At the time the body was made of poplar and quality manufacturing have been rather disappointing in those years, they say ...

I decided to write this review for those who wonder how an average strat deemed crossed time ...

Observation: it is entirely original. The frets of the time was described as medium jumbos. Unless they are finer than any medium jumbos that I've seen since ...

UTILIZATION

It is a good strat. Same body shape, even round (access to acute, radius ...) as much. A standard profile neck rather thin and very playable: The comfort of a standard Strat.

The only thing I find unfortunate about the Strat is the radius too rounded for my taste. It makes the game faster in the high (from 15) more tedious.

I paid for the guitar strings very close to the button (without bzz) and dropped the microphone, the sound came out warmer, rounder.

SOUNDS

I bought it at the time because I really wanted a Strat in reference to my guitar heroes (Hendrix, Clapton, Hendrix, and Hendrix lol).

At the time I did not care a lot for it to come from Mexico or Timbuktu ...
New, it rang with a high enough level out, slamming cold and Pluto. The magnets are ceramic pickups, this is very different from American Standard Alnico of the time (and today for that matter). The sound has more presence, more cold, more powerful but also in saturation.
Today, I can not say that it was enhanced (it means nothing), they changed the sound seems warmer and more compressed, but the output level always seems more important than standard Alnico. Saturation is relatively powerful for a single. These are microphones correct.

I play a Fender superfield at home, but I try just about anything from other people and it provides perfectly its role of strat. This is typed.
Already empty it resonates very well, which surprises her world.
People tell me I'm lucky to have fallen "on a good number" but I do not believe it. In my opinion they are all alike ...
I like the three microphones, although the acute could yell louder. The latter on a tube amp and distortion to big win is not garish. Cons by a transistor amp (I had a Marshall 8240), it lacks bass. It's clean.

OVERALL OPINION

I play for 14 years, almost every day. She made the road and even aircraft. She has lived (this is not the strat sleeping in his box hidden under the bed). Brief. The following opinion is not that of a collector but for one player.

The maple neck is now yellow / orange / pink (it's my eyes that say so), and became shiny satin varnish to keep playing. It is always right, I had to edit by changing its curvature of pulling strings ... normal.

The varnish of the body is big guy, I do not get to come to the end despite my neglect, it holds well. It is striped across, does not shine everywhere, it chips more or less deep, but it STILL stuck (!) Timber.
The frets, worn, were replaced by real medium jumbos.
Electronics are always original, the switch is fully operational despite my determination, and its potos.
The pickguard is scratched, it has not turned yellow or greenish, it's just ... dirty.
Hardware is oxidized, the MECAS take the shock and the vibrato (which I added springs) ...
The only stuff I had to catch up on this guitar is the nut (bone) that exceeded the "bottom" of the handle, I just sanded for arraser, and two bridges that I sanded because they hurt me farted finished my string (low E and D).

Important to note: the poplar is very correct in sound, BUT it is not in time for the hardware. This wood is no longer possible to screw anything in the same place after a while, which is annoying for fastening straps, but not irremediable. The wood is too soft.

This is a very good guitar, with small defects. The sound is perfectly typed Strat, crystalline and slamming. It's just different from his other strats. I played a few U.S.: vacuum it sounds like, what changes is the little details in the finishing, the original pickups, plus a box on the handle, the "briefcase" and the logo of the handle ... this is for everyone to see if the price difference is justified. (Note: the buttons Rosewood U.S. are often more "beautiful"-darker and more united with less veining. I have not heard any noise difference flagrant vacuum, ear on the upper body, it seems rather aesthetic ...).

I bought my AM strat at a place called Falcettis music. Great store. Its a 60 year anniversary additon for what thats worth. I was looking to update an inexpensive squier that I started with. I spec'ed out every available strat on the fender web sight for features and dimensions I wanted. I also wanted and American made strat for obvious reasons. The quality of our products far exceeds that of imports. American troops are fighting to keep us free the least we can do is fight a little back home to keep a few more jobs in this country. (sorry I got on a little patriotic rant there)

The biggest thing for me was a comfortable neck and fret board. Many of the strats out there have small nut width. The AM strat has a 1.687 " width. Big diference in room for the fingers. Also has a satin neck, nice and smooth, not sticky feeling. I chose maple board. Just seems to glide nicer. This guitar as others mentioned holds tuning very well. It has that strat sound I prefer to many others. The factory set up on mine was great for me. Strings not too high ect. This guitar is such a pleasure to play. It was worth the $799 all day long. Came with a great case and lots of extra goodies.

You know I honestly cant think of anything I dont like about this guitar. Other than its hard to put down even after 3 or 4 hours of practice.

Great fit and finish. Attension to detail. Simple and direct style and design. Coming from a machinist that should tell you something.

If your looking to get a good player check this guitar out. If you like it, buy and get playin.......life is short.

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

I play in a rock band.

i bought this guitar about 2 1/2 years ago at sam ash music for aaround $380. I needed a good guitar for all purposes and this did the trick.

its got a great sound which can be distrubuted 5 ways over its 3 tex mex pickups. this makes for very interchangeble sounds. the guitar can be used for rythm or lead and sounds great both ways. the neck is set very nicely and is solid maple. it has a beautiful finish on it that seams to be very thick yet doesnt weigh down the guitar. It comes in both lefty and righty (im a lefty) and like 5 different colors.

MY only real problem with this instrument is that its vibrato is very easy to move do to the whammy bar attachment. This means that if u change the strings you better not nead to play the guitar for at least 2 hours because it will just keep coming out of tune. it goes from looking like this \ to like this __ and then back again for a long time. other than that this is a great guitar.

Its got a really nice finish and isnt really heavy. i like the feal the neck like i said is really nice with the maple and its very sturdy over all.

The bottom line is that this guitar is versitile, great, and almost as good as and american strat.if ur planning on buying a squier i would strongly urge u to spend an extra 100 and buy this guitar. its infinatly better.

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

I got this guitar at Sam Ash and paid about $350 for it. Ive had a BC Rich warlock bronze series, and wanted a good upgrade. I knew Fender made great guitars and wanted some sorta strat but something not too expensive.

I like the look of the guitar and the whammy bar. It has a good feel to it and its built to last. Awesome construction and is very sturdy.

Them dang single coil pickups are god frikin' noisy, except when your using 2 pickups at a time on the selector, then its fine. I replaced the strings with Dean Markleys blue steel strings and they sound so much better than those crapy wires it comes with. And on my warlock, i could play solos and bend the strings way further and faster than on this fretboard. They are both rosewood but the strats feels sticky and slow.Maybe it could also the size frets that causes this prob. It also needs 24 frets! And more sustain.

Built to last forever, very sturdy, strong, great tuners, that kick ass fender quality.

A good guitar, a little expensive for what you get, still sounds a lot better than the warlock,Has a warm clean tone to it. Its also the last Fender I will own, but its still only a standard. A little disapointed in Fender, i would expected better.

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

I purchased my Stratocaster at New York Music in Boardman, Ohio for $329 + tax. It was a good deal considering it was a sunburst finish and those usually go for around $350 and since I'm a poor man with no income I decided to go for something I could afford.

This guitar has great action on the neck, which by the way is smaller than Gibson's neck and would work better for small hands, and it also has some great sound.
This Mexican Made Strat can also take a beating. I've had place people wouldn't even dream of putting something over $20 dollars in, most of the time it wasn't supposed to be there, but nevertheless it was and it came out without a scratch.

I have a few complaints a few cautions as to getting this guitar. First, I would like to say this is a great guitar and all complaints are probably because I don't take the time to diagnose the problem.

(1) The washer around my hookup keeps coming lose, but that can be fixed by getting some washer sealant and tightening it up.

(2) The high E string doesn't come out all that great, I'm guessing it was to do with the amount of space between the pickups and string wich I need to adjust.

(Caution For all of you players that like to use alternative tunings, you must keep the tremelo in place to do so. The floating bridge on the Fender just pulls in futher if you tune down your strings. Although it does go into dropped D nicely without the tremelo.

This guitar was very nicely constructed and is realativly thin all the way around, meaning the body and neck are thin, but firm.
It can take a beating and is a very nice work horse on stage and the standard pickups work nicely also.

For anyone looking to first break into the mid-range guitar this is your guitar. Although some aspects of the guitar seem to make it look not as good, don't let it fool you because this is one nice axe. It's a great work horse and player and it's never let me down for 3 years.

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

In a Florida Music Shop, I started playing the guitar and I always wanted a Fender Strat. I tryed to find a good Strat and the Squires weren´t good enough. I paid about $300.00 and it is really worth that much.

Great Sound, great assembly quality, Fender badges everywhere

That is not valued as good as the american one, only for the mexican made emblem.

As I said, it´s great construction quality, no doubt about it!

If you are a guitar lover and you don´t have a lot of money, don´t be ashamed to buy a Mexican Strat, Is as good as the American, but they don´t know! JA!

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

I bought the strat at Guitar Center. I pain $439 for it new. I really like the feel of it. The neck feels fast and easy to play. I traded in an Ibanez which I had bought there also.

This guitar is very easy to play. I set it up myself, so everything is how I like it. I have large hands, and the strings are far enough apart to make me sound better.

My only problem is I prefer the Les Paul sound. Which is why I play that a lot more than the Strat. I play Rock and metal mostly. I new that when I bought it. But, I just ordered a fat strat pickguard and pickups. So hopefully I can play the strat a little more.

The construction is great. I compared mine with an American Strat. And I just couldn't convince myself the minor differnces were worth the cost. It feels solid.

I love the way this guitar feels, and hopefully the sound will be better real soon. Either way it was money well spent. I want to learn some SRV any way. And you gotta have a Strat to play that.

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

I purchased the "Mexican Standard Stratocaster Maple Neck - Brown Sunburst Finish", w/gig bag and free shipping for $384 from 8thstreet.com.

I play in a 1950's rock band. We do several of Buddy Holly's songs and will do more in the future. This guitar is nearly identical to the last one he played at Clear Lake, IA. I had the privilege of seeing his guitar at the Buddy Holly Museum in Lubbock, TX.

It adds some realism to our performances.


I like the looks of the guitar. It has the classic strat appearance. The sound is exactly what I desired. Since I played rock in the 50's, I had a definite sound in mind. This guitar, in combo with a Fender amp, fits the bill nicely.

Maybe I haven't played it long enough, but I haven't found any negatives at this time. Hopefully, I simply got a great guitar for an even greater price.


It is an extremely solidly built guitar. The finish is very durable, also. The neck, in my opinion, is superior to the American strats that I played.

I wanted a guitar that would be durable and have the sound for 50's rock. I got everything that I wanted and more.

I have always been told to buy the best guitar you can afford. The idea is, this will get you a guitar that will play easier and sound better.

Well, this guitar does both. It will be good for the beginner and for the gigging musician.

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

Well I made the purchase at HSK music in Kirkcaldy,Scotland,In February (2004). It caught my eye when I entered the store it had a beautiful 2-tone sunburst finish. I just had to have it. I'm a big John Frusciante fan and noticed he plays a strat,vintage but still a strat. I can't really let this one out my sight It's my favourite guitar. I paid £330

I used to have a black Squier strat and it had a thin neck but this strat has a more chunky type neck which I like and a smaller headstock. I use d'addario 10s which work really well. The finish is one of the things I like most about it you can't beat sunburst.

Just a minor thing the pickup arent bad I'm thinking of putting original 1962 pickups on I admire the vintage tone alot.

Well with this guitar your definately getting value for your money they are different to squier strats, so if you have the money buy one its worth it.

This has been the best guitar I've owned and played. It's a good starter guitar if your looking for something decent with quality or if you have advanced its good all round I'm not letting it go I love it.

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

I got my Mexican made Fender Strat at a local guitar store used. Nothing has ben altered on it. I traded a guitar for this my Fender Strat. The price on my Fender was $280.00. I traded an Ibanez for it. I was gonna resale it when I bought it but when I got it home n played it for about an hour I fell in love with it.

The sound is amazing for my Fender Strat. Even though its a Mexican version. The action is also great. It is a beautiful guitar also, all around its one of the best ive gotten. It stays in tune really well. It handles great.

I love it all.

It has three pickups, two tone nobes and a Volume nobe. Regular Strat Body. White pickguard. Dote inlay. Regular Tuning Keys. Beautiful Finish. Not to heavy, Not to light. Great sound.

I love this guitar. It is a good deal for about any price.

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

I bought this of the net for £399.I never use 2 like strats before but i needed a second guitar and now i like it even more than my other guitar.

I like the finish i thinks its really kool.I like the neck aswell and the pickups arent bad atol.

Nothing really.Its a brilliant guitar.

Its a well built instrument that i could imagine could take a few bumps.I havent dropped it myself yet but i proably will on stage or sumfin.

Its a good guitar for lods of styles ,not the best 4 heavy metal but other music its perfect 4.

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

I bought this guitar in Music Ground down tottenham court road in London which is jst a road full of guitar shops.I paid just under £400 fo this guitar (wot a bargain)

I love this guitar because you can play absolutely any styles on it, with overdrive you get a really powerful sound and on clean you get a great free smooth sound.
The tone is awesome aswell, it really makes a diffence when uve played other guitars andbeen disapointed in the limited ranges of tones

Um... well not much atall, one of my volume knobs came off after a couple of days, and the plastic sealing on the guitar is a bastard to get off

The guitar is REALLY comfortable to play, the neck is easy on ure freting hand and the body kind of sits nicely on you.

Overall, an amazing guitar, it may not be a usa but for its price i guarantee you wont be disapointed

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

I did not aquire this unit, and wouldn't accept it if it was given to me. Well, I guess I could sell it to someone of limited mental capacity for an exhorbitant price.

Not much. It has the standard feel of a Fender which is good (but it's just as good on a Squier Affinity). It has the vintage look of a Fender which is good (Affinity). It has the Fender name on it. Oooooh. Aaaaaaah. Yeah right. It will take a beating which is what I wanted to give it.

What's there to like? It's a piece of trash. I was thinking of upgrading from my Greg Bennett series Formula 2, but this thing was like ten giant leaps backwords.

It's made of Alder and Maple which is great, but It's got vintage tuning keys (pre-F type). It's got a single pivot tremolo. Those two factors together mean horrid tuning stability. I dive bombed several of these things one time and they all went way out of tune, and the pickups sounded like chickens clucking. I actually liked the sound of all of the Squiers better.

If you're just determined to get this guitar, go ahead and waste your money, but you can get the same guitar with a little warmer sound out of the Squier Affinity. If you want a good Fender guitar, go with the Squier Standard or the Fender American series. With both those lines you get better tuning keys and a two point fulcrum tremolo. The American line has better sound than the Squier standard by a long shot, but the Squier sounds good, and for those wondering, I tried the limited finish alder bodied standards right next to the normal agathis bodies and got the exact same sound except for the maple neck models in the normal ones. It had about twice the output, but had a little harder feel and wasn't quite as warm. Maple necks normally feel sticky until you break them in, but this had a smooth feel to it. Have fun.

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

This is the first guitar I ever bought and I purchased it four and a half years ago at Steve's Music Store in Montreal for $399 Canadian or about $275 US at the time.

The playability when I bought the guitar was poor but after I had it tuned up the playability has been excellent. The action is low and there is little to no fret-buzz. The durability has been surprinsingly good for a Mexican made guitar, so far nothing has broken.

Although nothing has broken, there were some defects in the manufaturing process, such as the neck was slighly crooked when it was put on. I had a store fix this. The pickups do not line up with the strings. The fretwire on the neck sticks out on the bottom a tiny bit, so when you run your hand down the side of the neck you feel the fretwire. The whammy bar or trem bar had to be put flush against the body otherwise the guitar constantly comes out of tune (I have abandoned the bar completely). Lastly the pickups are horrid. They sound very empty, tinny and cold, a far cry from the noiseless or Tex-Mex which have a really warm feel. I have replaced two of the pickups with Seymour Duncan little '59er pickups and I am going to get a Tex Mex single coil.

As mentioned above there were some problems in the construction of the guitar but the durability of the instrument has been solid overall.

I have since played many American Strats, Epiphones, and Gibsons. The Mexican Strat is better made than the comparable Epiphones (Les Paul Standard). Two of my friends own Epiphone Les Pauls and have encoutered many parts breaking on them, which I haven't with the Fender. My strat has superior playability to the Epis as well. However, the guitar does not compete at all with American Strats. They now are listed at more than $500 US (compared with $427 when I purchased mine) so the value has decreased. Overall the guitar was a good purchase and represents pretty good value for what I paid. So relative to the value I am rating it 4 out of 5. If you have the money go american, cause there is a world of difference.

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

I got this toy at Hix Bros. For about $349.99 to be exact. There were so many Strats to pick from. I had to pick a maple neck because Maple necked Strats look awesome. I picked the Cherry Red Satin finished Strat.

The price of this Strat is nice! I like the 5-way pickup selector which many guitars only have 4. This helps a lot! I like these Mexican Strats alot better than the American because the Americans are a lot more $$$ and they are like the same to the mexican exept the American has pearl dot inlays, a kind of better pickguard, and better stock strings. This guitar is awesome for beginner-amatuers like me.

That plastic wrap on the the pickguard and on the back, you have take it off write away or else it will become a part of your guitar and that leads to having to get a new pickguard.

This guitar is built like a tank(Go Fender). I also treat my guitar better than I treat myself so this guitar will have a long life(Go Fender). Like I said it is built like a tank and it is also lightweight.

This guitar is top of the line for people that can't afford American or such Strats. If you treat it good it will treat you awesome. Thanks for reading this, I hope it helped you!

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

I bought this Olympic White Strat (a 1996 model)from the drummer at my church. I paid $200.00 with a non-fender HSC.

I absolutely love this axe. I have five guitars and a bass; I've been in music for over 35 years and this insturment is excellent. The finish on the body is perfect and the flame maple/rosewood neck is flawlessly finished and straight. Fit and intonation perfect as well. I have read some reviews about American vs. MIM or MIJ Fenders and honestly, I can't tell the difference. My only problem? Read on....

My only minor dislike was the electrics. I said was. I replaced the scratchy pots, switch, and shrill 1996 pups with a complete SRV Texas special unit purchased on e-bay for 100.00. Some would have been just fine with the originals, but some of us are old fussy farts, soooo.

Construction is as good or better than some of the American standards or Robert Cray models(see above). It's a dream to play and sounds awesome; user friendly for sure.

Don't be afraid of the MIMs. I do recommend you go to a music store and play a few USA's, MIJ's, and MIM's. Make an informed choice. Money is hard for some of us to come by so don't be pressured to buy a model just because of where it is assembled.
After 26 years in the U.S. Navy I am just as pro American as anyone, but I want to keep as many greenbacks in my own pocket as I can. The MIM is A-1. Go for it!

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

I purchased this guitar from guitar center for $309.00 after playing alot of other guitars; Jackson, Ibanez, Charvel, Gibson, Epiphone, American Strats, and ESP. I spent four hours total trying them all. IMPORTANT: Plug into a good clean amp to evaluate the sound. I used a Fender Deluxe Vintage Re-Issue combo and could not believe how much better the Mexican Strat sounded compared to a Squier (expected I suppose) but also how it sounded as good as the American version.

Excellent sound and playability, this guitar lives up to the Stratocastor name. I have never been more inspired or sounded better. Individual notes ring clear when playing chords, overtones are rich, five way switch really does provide an amazing variety of tonal change (many guitars that seem to sound pretty much the same regardless of settings). In twenty years of playing I have never played a guitar for so many hours consecutively as I have with this guitar. Other guitars in my past (including a Les Paul) would wear my hands out and I would start missing notes on chords and hang it up to let my fretting hand rest, not so with this one, after six hours I still feel fresh and fret every note accurately. Let me mention the sound again, it is just right - plain and simple - forget fiddling with your amp to find that ellusive tone - you need the right guitar to start with - and this is it.

Typical single coil buzz and hum.

Very well made - fit and finish are top rate. The paintwork is flawless, the crome is perfect, the knobs feel solid, the five way switch does not click or pop, the neck is smooth, the frets are all dressed nicely, not a buzz anywhere.

If you are looking for a quality guitar then look no further, this a a guitar that even a pro would appreciate. An American Strat typically has slightly higher quality but differences in production guitars lead to some of the Mexican models outperforming some of the American models. Try everything on the shelves, forget about looks and focus on sound.

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

Schmitt Music of Omaha, NE for aprox $440.
It came down to an issue of what guitar could I buy for $400ish. I choose this guitar over the others because of it's extreme playablitiy, enjoyable tone, and the Fender name.

My favorite trait of the strat has to be it's insane playablity. Having about a year of guitar playing (all acoustic) under my belt at the time of purchase this guitar wasgreat. The neck is smooth and you feel as if you can play anything with style and vibe.
Strats are very comfortable to play and hold onto in general.
The sounds you can get out of this guitar are great. It's a strat, isn't it? It definitely sounds like one. Whether you like to play rock, blues, jazz, this guitar will let you do what you need.
The sunburst is beautiful and the guitar is very solid and sharp looking all over.

The fact that it's single coils may turn of some because of the hum, but that is to all single-coils, not the strat specificially, and if it's a big deal then you can simply get noiseless pickups or humbucklers.
I don't like the tremolo a whole lot. I prefer the Ibanez ones to the strat's. The strat feels to "false" almost, kinda like it's not really meant even to be used.

Very solid construction. It may be made in good old Mexico, but it's very high quality worksmanship and I would not be ashamed of putting out a product of this standard.

If you want a guitar to start learning the electric on, go with the strat. Maby feel around first, and see if the hum is going to be an issue, but frankly you're not going to get a better guitar in the $350-$450 range in my humble opinion.
**thumbs up**

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

Where: Guitar Center, Rt. 22, Springfield, NJ
How much: $349


I have been in the market for a Strat for about a year. Every so often I would go to a store and play 3 or 4, everything from Squiers to the Artist and Custom series. It was all about the feel and the sound, and I have to say that I have been consistently impressed with Mexican Strats with maple necks, even though I am a rosewood fingerboard fan. Yesterday I saw a beautiful burgundy wine w/maple neck Strat and picked it up and wow -- what a feel! And sure enough, it was a Mexi. The American Strats are $500 more (minimum!) and the necks don't seem to have as good a feel. The Americans have slightly better quality pickups but I plan to replace the bridge pickup anyway with a stacked humbucker w/coil tap. And here's the bonus: the tremolo system, which is the standard floating brige type (no locking, no microtuners, no fancy saddles, nothing!) actually stays in tune, even with serious dive bombs. I had given up on standard Strat tremolos about 20 years ago but short of shaking the axe by the tremolo arm alone I cannot get it to go out of tune.


Excellent. Beautiful burgundy wine color, no blemishes. Neck is true and smooth. Tuning hardware is precise and smooth.

Focus on the feel and the sound and you will be pleasantly surprised with the Mexican Strat.


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

I Always played an acoustic guitar, but dreamed of A Fender Strat. So, I nailed a
used one on Ebay for $290.00. The genuine
Strap, Gigbag, Tools and Tremelo Bar were included.

It arrived in Pristine shape(Being it was 7 years old). Fender.com had an instruction manual available for me to take care of the instrument and adjust properly(Downloadable through Acrobat Reader, along with parts and
pickguard wiring diagrams)

Exremely comfortable to hold and to play.
From clean Rock-a-Billy, Blues, to Screaming
Jimi Hendix Licks, this Mexican Strat will
do just as well as the American Counterpart.

Practicing with this instrument will help me develop playing skills in no time

I'm using a beatup Crete amp, but saving for a Cyber Twin Head.

Like most used instraments it needed work:

The pickups needed replacement(Bill Lawrence L-250's), along with medium Nickel Bullet Strings. With the help of the Fender Manual, the Pickup Diagram, and plenty of patience, I was able to bring the Guitar back to life.

Other than the needed replacement of the Pickups and Strings, the construction and quality is in excellent shape. The tremelo assembly assures that the strings will maintain their pitch. With proper care, this guitar will last a lifetime.

There is nothing greater that buying a new instrument, providing that you can afford it. But with work and patience, you can buy
a used instrument, put some work into it
and get the same gratification. If you can't do it yourself, Fender.com can recommend an authorized repair shop.

Look at Garage Sales, Flea Markets, and Online Auctions. Good Luck



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

I knew I wanted a Strat. I knew the sound and, of course, the reputation. I got it at Guitar Center in Cleveland, Ohio for $399. It was only the guitar, no extras.

I like the sound a lot. I also like that it's easy to find parts and there are a lot of companies that make aftermarket parts so you can upgrade things on it or change the colors of things.

I didn't like the stainless steel strings that came on it. They are kind of rough on the maple neck. Other than that it's really just about what I expected from Fender. A good, solid instrument.

Well, like I said, good and solid. I wouldn't expect less from Fender.

Bottom line is that I am glad I got it. It's my first Strat and I'm very happy with it. It's another one that will stay in the family for a long time. I can easily 'hot rod' it if I want, or leave it like it is and know that it will be consistant. I will never be searching for pieces or parts. I now own a classic instrument.

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