All user reviews of 5/5 for the Fender Standard Stratocaster [1990-2005]

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.

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

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

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 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

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

I wanted a guitar with a great sound, good touch, and wouldn't buest my wallet. I picked up the strat to try out and I knew it was meant for me. I bought this guitar at Daddy's Junky Music in Orange, CT for $315 USD (there was a weekend sale). I highly recommend them. Plus the manager is really nice to me.

The touch is very good. It has an amazing sound and a fast maple neck. Only $315! It is probably one of the best deals i have ever gotten on a guitar. It is one of thjose guitars that is easy to play. I highly recommend it as a second guitar or maybe third (this was my third guitar). Plus Craig Nicholls from The Vines uses it!

Its ALL good.....

Mexican strats used to be a lot worse than American Strats, but now the Mexican is not that much worse than the American. Just a slight change in pickups and hardware.

This would be a great guitar if you don't want to bust your wallet. It is good for all genres of music. It serves good as a main guitar, and has great FENDER quality.

In other words, BUY IT!!!

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

Well, I won this guitar at the local McFadyen Music store...but it originally costs 350 bucks. Good Price?

Well, My guitar is very cool...It has three singe coil pickups a five way pickup switch two tone knobs and one volume it has a nice clean sound to it and great action. I'd like to clear up the whole urban legend that you can't have distortion without humbuckers...thats what amps are for. Humbuckers help but you can still crank out sick riffs with a single coil. It doesn't go out of tune very easily either and the neck feels so great in your hands. THe vinatge headstock is beautiful along with the jet black finish. Love it. I one day would like to upgrade to either a Hot Rodded American Deluxe Double Fat Strat, a Fender American Deluxe Toronado, a JagStang (kurt!), a Fender Mustang, or a Fender Jaguar but im gonna play this baby until it drops first.

Of course more expensive guitars like those previously mentioned above (i.e. Mustang) have better tonal ranges and sounds but for the price this is a great guitar...I believe the true passion of music however comes from the player so..for the price this guitar is kickin!

It is like a rock a few weeks ago i was playing it and the strap came off and it slammed full force down onto a metal grating heating vent the finish was UNTOUCHED...amazing? It is good and solid. I believe this guitar is underrated too much. It has great quality


This guitar is great. I love the sound. The standard sound. It is a true electric guitar. May not be fancy but this is true music. MUSIC FROM THE SOUL.

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