Fender '57 Reissue Stratocaster

This is an American Vintage 1957 Stratocaster in White Blonde with an ash body. Otherwise it has all the same features of the original EXCEPT that there is indeed a layer of urethane beneath the nitrocellulose finish and the bridge parts aren't the same as the original.

The specs are listed in detail on Fender's website, so I won't go into depth here.

There isn't really anything stand-out about the sound of this guitar.

It sounds good enough to use for practices and performances, but I just don't think it's good enough to be featured on recordings.

It has flabby lows and harsh highs and overall it's pretty thin sounding.

The fretwork on this guitar is totally mediocre. The action can go fairly low, but I don't like anything under 4/32" at the 12th fret on this.
The neck has a V-shaped back contour, 7.25" fret board radius, and small fret wire. This fit is pretty accurate, but kind of uncomfortable and unwieldy. The Custom Shop has been using 9.5" radii and 6105 fret wire on their Relic reissue models lately, so... maybe they should rethink some of these other models as well.

The finish is nice looking, but as I said earlier, there's urethane beneath the nitro, so it's not totally accurate to the original, and the fact that the back of the neck is glossed makes it kinda sticky if your hand sweats during a gig.

Quality control is lax at Fender and almost none of their guitars are ready-to-gig right out of the box.

This guitar is totally solid construction and I wouldn't worry about anything breaking... except strings. Fender "orignal syncronized tremolos" are terrible. TERRIBLE. If Fender just went back to pre-CBS bridge design, they'd make me and about a million other guitarists much happier with their products. The bridge block is wrong, and the saddles are wrong. The plate's are pretty accurate, but dated and unstable. The bridge is going to break your strings. It's that simple. Everything else is reliable as well as durable.

The customer support is lackluster.

I wish I had asked to play a Ron Kirn strat, or a D'Pergo strat, or even a Tokai or Greco strat before I bought this guitar. It's just not very good, especially for the money.

I see that they upped the price considerably on this model and that's just sad. Save your money. There are other, MUCH BETTER options in this price range.

If I had known then what I know now, I would have tried to find a Tokai Gold Star Sound in good condition and have it re-fretted, change the the electronics, change the bridge, and change the pickups probably all for less money than what I spent on this totally mediocre axe.

Mine was made in 2008, has the white blonde finish and the ash body.

The features should be known to anybody who reads this: vintage style vibrato, three-way switching with optional 5-way switch included, Kluson style Fender/Gotoh tuners, 7.25" fretboard radius, Fender 57/62 vintage pickups etc.

The body seems to be a single piece of wood and the wood shines through the finish.

I really like most of the features of this guitar. Especially the nitro finish and beautiful ash body, the vintage pickups and the purist three-way switching (I hate the 2nd and 4th positions of the 5-way switches anyway).

On such a guitar, everything has to be like it used to be in 1957, so maybe you should not complain about features like the Kluson style vintage tuners, that make restringing rather complicated, and the trussrod, that can only be accessed after taking all the strings of and removing the pickguard. But the latter "feature" can really give you pain, if you are trying to restring your guitar with a different string gauge. This is why the guitar only gets a 9 from me in this category.

Great! Simply the best Fender Stratocaster I have ever heard. Very bright, but never harsh or biting. Very clear and defined with a very fast attack and response. A fresh and "juicy" tone. Sustain is not the major strength of this guitar, of course, unlike someone else has written here, but this is not what you would expect from a Strat anyway and there is still enough sustain for things like distorted leads.

The biggest surprise for me was that this guitar sounds really great with distortion. Okay, I do not play Heavy Metal, but singing leads a la Gary Moore or Jeff Beck are absolutely no problem with this guitar.

What is more it is the first Strat I have heard that can almost compete with my Rickenbackers for jangly rhythm guitar sounds (the middle pickup is excellent for this purpose).

AND it has THAT Hank Marvin tone, everybody is looking for.

I play guitars with all kinds of different fretboard sizes, finishes and radiuses as well as different scale lengths. Nevertheless this guitar took me some getting used to. Now it feels great. But you have got to work on it.

The V-shape neck was a surprise to me as it feels much thinner in my rather small left hand than I had expected. I like it.

1-ply pickguard. Do I need to say more? There was a reason that these were later replaced with 3-ply pickguards.

And a nitro finish needs much more care than a polyurethane finish, of course. But it also sounds much better.

Aside from that, the guitar seems to be very reliable.

I am playing guitar for 26 years and work as a professional music teacher. Aside from this Strat I have a Burns Marvin and a few Rickenbacker guitars as well as two acoustic guitars and a bass guitar. The school where I work as a teacher has a Fender Highway One Strat and I have owned an American Standard Strat for a while. I am also used to various Strats or Strat-type guitars that my students bring along.

Of all these Strats that I know, the ??57 American Vintage Stratocaster with its ash body (only available with the white blonde finish) clearly is the best one for me. The sound is unique and I love the nitro finish. I will replace the tuners with Gotoh locking machine heads and maybe replace one pickup with a Kinman noiseless pickup, because a three-way switching can sometimes be noisy. On the other hand this would be a shame: the sound of the Fender vintage pickups on this guitar is just perfect!

I simply love it.

Mine is a white/blonde over ash, maple neck and fingerboard etc. Made approximately 2005/6. I don't care to remove the neck and find out the exact date - they never feel quite the same when the neck has been removed...

I think a Strat has all the features you could ever need on a guitar, and even though the parts found on this guitar are reproductions on those used in the 50's they are of top quality. Beautifully resonant wood, smooth pots and tuning keys and damn does it look good. That slight tint on the neck is beautiful, adds a nice touch of luxury.

Fantastic. Nothing short of fantastic. I agree with everyone else who has said that these are great Strats. Has every Strat sound you could want. The pickups really are superb. They sound amazing - sparkly and smooth. The bridge position can get some really awesome biting lead sounds, snappy country leads sound great. In the neck position the the sound glassy and transparent. I love single coil pickups despite the inevitable hum. In fact, the hum doesn't bother me, and when the guitar that the hum is coming from sounds this good it really doesn't matter. If when you play a slight hum bothers you then, in my opinion, you aren't playing properly!

I play mainly blues and country, with some surf inspired sounds in there. Dick Dale is my all time Guitar Hero in the category of Stratocaster, though I don't really play like him. He has great tone!

I bought mine second hand, but the set up is superb. Given the narrow frets the big test is fret edges here, and they are beautifully done.

This is the first guitar I have owned with a nitrocellulose finish and I really didn't think that it would have much of an effect on the overall feel and sound. I was WRONG! At first it had a very sticky feel to it, in fact it was so bad that I thought I had made a bad decision in buying it. This has since passed and the stickyness is now gone. I attribute this stickness to the change in climate between place of purchase and where I live. I love the feel of the nitro finish. It feels more natural and (at the risk of sounding like a douche) more organic (I hate to use this as a descriptor but it is the easiest way I can describe it!!). I am looking forwards to wearing through the finish, it's going to look even better then. Fuck taking super good care of it, that's for fairies.

The 7.25" radius fingerboard took me some getting used to, as did the vintage style thin frets. Now I love them and when I go to my other main squeeze, a G&L ASAT Classic S with a 12" radius 'board and the jumbo-est frets ever, it seems that the ASAT is missing a certain finesse that is present in the Strat. And the V-shape neck! Oh sweet Jesus.

As an American Fender I'm sure it will handle a buttload of gigs and sweaty rehearsals. My band tend to get a bit messy due to substance use (definately not abuse) so I expect that smoke and alcohol will take its toll both on the guitar and myself at some point, but until then I saw play on. My greatest concern is the tuning keys. They don't look that sturdy and I expect they will be bent up sooner or later, but a nice set of Sperzels is only $60. The vintage trem system doesn't feel as strudy as the new one but I can only imagine breaking it if one were to use it in an improper manner.

This is a truly fantastic guitar. I haven't played a Fender Custom Shop instrument, but they had better be something truly extraordinary to be better than this guitar. I think they represent superb value for money.

If you want a great vintage sound this ought to do it. Very highly recommended. I think this is my favourite guitar in my collection.

Typical vintage strat, with extra 5-way (i actually prefer 3) a crap-strap & a sweet vintage case (might not be the same tanks clapton & beck lugged around, but it's sturdy enough & way better/cooler than the standard ones). One-piece neck! It looks cool and feels better (and mabye just to me sounds better). And i just love the ashtray, although it's useless as anything but an ashtray...

I play blues, rock, psykedelic, prog. you know, hendrix, yes, all the good old guys i guess. Basicly the same as most other fender-players. Playing through some dist. pedals tubescreamer or mp blue sky or somethin'into whatever Fender Twin or Hotrod or even an old gibson amp. The pups were pretty bright sorto hank marvinish, but swaped those for some fralins and wow! I've got the white one with ash body and (I've tried the normal quite a few times and the ash body rocks it) and it sings like a bird, you can actually feel it vibrate it's amazing! Its a controlled fat sound with a hint of brightness thats really sweet & good. One of the Best!

Action from factory was crap (as always & i mean it, always) But the rod was ok, did a minor adjustment to it but it sits pretty loose seeing as its new. Hardware was standars vintage nickel stuff, dont mess with a classic! All pretty good! No flaws, and wood was very good. The neck shape on this is incredible, at least for tumb-over style playing... love it! only drawback is the machineheads, no biggie but could use a change.

Its a strat! nuff said. naturally the top layer is old nitro laquer so it will wear a little easy compared to new plastic, but no worries...

No dealings with fender support.

looks awsome! Sounds like a strat should. And yes id get a new one! I have tried a lot of guitars and a lot of strats (fenders & others) & this is the best, unless you wanna pay twice for an old looking customshop replica, or you prefer the new deluxe style guitar (but seriously who would?). Only thing: had it been another brand it could've been cheaper (but not that much).

I have the modern reissue '57. Made in the USA. 21 fret maple board, two tone sunburst, single ply pick guard. It goes on. It looks really nice, and the V-contoured neck really fits your hand well....and it really breaks in well with time.

It sounds authentic, what else could ever be said. I've tried it through lame amps, and awesome rigs and is easily tweaked to whatever you want, again this is a Strat...it's a guitar that's known for versatility. I recommend putting in the 5-way for this one though. I gave the 3-way a good run but....

I bought it new so I had it set up to my taste. The pickups are amazing. They're incredibly responsive. You really hear what you put in. One flaw with the guitar, I have a bit of splay on the saddle for the D string. But I must admit it only adds to the character of the guitar. I also replaced the string guide with a rolling one instead just to reduce friction. I have to say that before that the guitar held tune fine, but afterwards...it would take a alot to through it out. Listen I use to be a Gibson man. This guitar is well made, needs love when it needs it(and you'll give it), and breaks in really well.

I only use this guitar, I have backups but thank god I haven't had to use them! The hardware is the best you can get, they really put some effort into this model. The finish wears off with use just like 1957. Strap buttons like all strap buttons have to be worked on after a while. Incredibly dependable guitar.

I wanted to have a Strat and I tried them all(I really did). This is the one that felt the most at home in my hands, but that's a personal thing. I like that it doesn't have jumbo frets. The first year was a learning experience but it really comes alive in your hands! It has great range, I've used it for heavy stuff, psychadelic stuff, funk, punk. This is the only guitar that I've been able to do all of that with quality tone.

I have the original Fender reissue. My 57 ri was made in 1982, the first year for Fender to reissue guiitars. It is just under 7 pounds.

-alder body - nitro finish
-7.25 maple neck -nitro finish
-3 single coils
-volume, tone, tone controls
-real bone nut
-vintage style trem and tuners
-etc...
T
Its a pretty simple guitar, no unbelievable features here. Although, I give the guitar an 8 in this category because it is an accurate recreation of an original '57.

This guitar suits my style to a tee. I play fusion, blues, and a bit of classic rock (the Eagles). I play out of a Fender Blues Deluxe for shows and recordings, and a Crate V5 (5 watt tube) for at home practice. The Crate, being a low wattage amp, allows me to get to the amp's sweet spot without angering my neighbours.

The guitar has the expected hum from a single coil guitar, but it is what I am used to. I mean, when you aren't playing just turn down the volume knob.

The guitar sounds exactly like a vintage strat should. It is spanky and full of treble, while it growls and snarls at the same time. Every note of every chord is so well pronounced that it sounds like each note is being played by a different guitar. It has a true "bell tone". Truthfully, it only got better with time, it is almost 27 years old now. (Older than the original 57's were when this guitar was made)

When i first bought the guitar it looked gorgeous, and played great as well. Now it has a lot of wear and looks awful, but plays better by the day. It seems the older and dryer that the wood gets, the better the guitar sounds. The more the paint wears off the better the guitar resonates. The finish has completely worn off the back of the neck and it feels sooooo good. It could, however, use a refret at this point.

All of the routing was done nicely, the pickups were done beautifuly. But keep in mind that mine was made during the famous "Dan Smith years". Even the custom shop has a difficult time making them this nicely now - and for this reason my review could be biased.

My rating for this category is based on the guitar back when it was new.

This guitar will outlast the player as long as it is respected. I mean, its a Strat, there can't be a more durable guitar out there. (Well, maybe the Tele). I have played this guitar on countless shows ( I mean hundreds and hundreds of shows), and only pull out my backup due to broken strings - which are then replaced between sets. In the 26+ years I have owned this guitar I have never had it repaired, but have it set-up atleast twice a year.

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for 30+ years.

My guitars:
-1957 Fender Stratocaster reissue (made in '82)
-1989 American Standard Stratocaster (rosewood fretboard)
-1964 Tele (bought this in '79 when it was chopped liver)
-Epiphone Goldtop P90 dealio (piece of crap, always something wrong)
-newer Martin Dm-18.
-1971 Yamaha FG-180 (Red Label)

Amps and effects:
- Fender Blues Deluxe
- Crate V5
- Ibanez TS9
- 1969 Fender FuzzWah
- Big Muff
- a tonne of studio gear

I've compared this to many guitars. I have only ever heard one guitar that I have liked better, and it was a maple neck 1962 Fender Strat. A friend of mine in the 80's owned it - it was unbelievable. But, other than that guitar, nothing beets MY Strat.

If it were stolen I could not replace it as I have only ever heard one other guitar sounds this nice.

I got the 2 tone sunburst. It's beautiful. 21 vintage frets, 7.5 radius. Made in the USA. I installed the 5 way, which is a pretty good idea imo. 3 great sounding 57/62 fender pickups, i got it second hand but it came with the vintage leather strap, bridge cover, springs etc and a tremolo bar. Also came with the vintage tweed case.

I give it an 8, because it doesnt have everything a modern strat does, but if you need all that stuff buy an american standard. I give it a 9 for reproducing the 57, it loses a point for the fact that one of the finish layers is poly rather than all nitro like the real 57s.

I play blues/rock/funk mostly. It suits it great. The bridge pickup is a bit sharp and bitey, but it might just be my ultra trebly fender blues junior amp. Havent tried any effects yet. Its got the normal single coil hum..

Pretty bright sounding, full and woody too.

It is very versatile. Sounds amazing. Very vintage sound.

I dislike the biteyness of the bridge pickup, everything else seems good.

Action was AMAZING. My only gripe was the bridge was too low, but that can be easily fixed.

I'd gig without a backup with this, for sure. Just make sure you change your strings before the show. Like a day before.

Stays in tune well, strap buttons work well. Finish is great, but will wear in with playing but not in a bad way.

N/A

I've been playing around 3 years. I have an epiphone sg, this kicks its ass. I'd buy it again I reckon. I LOVE THE NECK!!!

I wish I got the vintage lead with it...

My fav strat probably.

I'd rate it a 10, because I got it 1000 dollars cheaper than the australian shop value.

ok, sunburst (and i mean the most beautiful burst i've ever seen, so mellow and smooth) 21 tiny frets, vintage fender 6 screw bridge/old trem, 1 ply guard, 3 57/62 pickups, vintage tuners, 1 piece maple neck, 2 piece alder body (2 piece body of something anyway), 3 way swtich, contoured body, nitro/poly finish, ntiro finished neck.

wierd part (i apolgise if i didn't spell wierd right, i can never remember) - ok i know for sure this is an american vintage strat, 57 reissue through various little checks i've done, however, the guitar came in the new USA standard's SKB case with all the USA standard strat's case candy, so no spare 5 way or ashtray :(, and the strap and lead are the modern type :(

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yyyeeaaaaaaaa, damn this is a awesome sounding guitar. i run it though an electro harmonix big muff PI NY (knobs at 12) into a Marshall Vintage Modern on the 1st gain stage with the mid moost NOT engaged (all knobs on usuall positions with both detail and body knobs full, EQs at around 12, presence off, reverb off, and master vol wherever depending on room/venue). i would say the inevitable that this is a treble heavy guitar, however, the natural bass thud with these pickups and treble work so well with the EH muff as to give a really even sound, i used to use only the neck pickup on strats when playing other peoples, however in the band the neck pickups looses clarity because it mixes frequency with the bassist playing high notes so i now use the bridge pickup. i left the three way in, i would have done anyway despite the fact i wasn't given a 5 way with it. you can still get the inbetween sound but i never bother. like i said i use the bridge PU.

tuning instability like a *****, but i havent replaced the original strings yet and it sounds like its only the nut so a bit of lube in there should be sorted, having said this i did a rehearsal for hours and it barely went out at all with frequent heavy vibrato use. the action was low for me (having played an un-setup gibson SG) and amazingly there's no fret buzz. gauge 10s have always been the ones for me so thats fine, the neck radius is so small and the frets so tiny compared to the SG so it took some getting used to, but by the end of the band rehearsal we were jamming tatoo'd lady for about half an hour and i was just happily soloing away getting well into it, so its not too hard to get used to.

its a strat so the guitar itself is BUILT. lol the tuners should be ok, may need replacing but we'll see. the nut annoyed me caus the strings dont slide well at all. but a bit of lubricant or even a nut change isn't a big job (just dont have any money left lol) the bridge is all good high quality metal. the knobs have a smooth turn in them (i use the volume pot to vary my sound, i dont switch channels or hit different pedals, i use the old method which sounds far smoother and organic)... i wouldn't like to gig with one guitar ever, but i will be honest i would rather gig with my Gibson SG if i had to rely on just one for a whole show because of tuning stability. but unfortunately for my SG, the strat is in danger of becoming my main guitar.

i go to a good music shop frequently who are friendly and professional and will set my guitars up for me becasue i've bought a fair bit from them. they even chucked in two packs of strings for me lol.

i've been playing for not even 3 years yet, i be 18 now and as much as i'm not up my own ****, i am better than alot of players who think they are good who have been playing for longer (modest aren't we?) i've played some awesome guitars and own two of them now. i knew everything about this guitar before i bought it, and when i finally had it i was not let down, in fact it exceeded my expectations. i was gonna buy a 62 sunburst, i went to the music shop and the chap said he had a new custom shop heavy relic 57 which he let me play, it was amazing (and i hate pre-worn guitars) and i said to him i'll have a 57 as i love the V shapped neck. i was half expecting the USA 57 to be crap compared to the custom shop heavy relic, but its every bit the guitar, and with more original specs (the heavy relic having modern apointments like a 9.5 radius and upgraded pickups etc etc)

You know what it is. At first worried about only 3 postion switch, but this is not a problem for me at this point. I like the soft V neck shape. So far the high radius neck is not a problem, but I'm not shredding any lead stuff. The small vintage frets don't appear to be an isuue. Athough a fan of locking tuners, these vintage slotted type work great and hold tune very well.

Best sounding guitar I've heard. A friend of mine who is a very accomplished professional player tried it and agreed. They nailed it w/ these pickups. Very punchy in the low end. Sure it does that Fender 'chime' thing, but can growl when played at high gains. Much more versitile than you might think. Not just a 'surf' music machine.

I'm amazed at how well it sustains. Ads for neck though body guitar maker want you to believe they have an edge here, but it doesn't seem to be the case.

First rate. Nary a speck of dust, crack, chip, etc anywhere in the finish, either painted or clear coated. Stetup nicely. This thing is a work of art.

Dunno at this point. I do worry about damaging the nitro finish. But it sure looks good and smells great. However, it's a Fender and should last a lifetime.

Lifetime warranty. They did forget to include the accessory kit, which includes the trem arm, pickup cover, but the dealer was able to get from Fender. Guess I'll have to take a point off for this oversight.

I've only been playing 3 years and still suck, but I love this guitar. It was my dream instrument. I only hope I can learn to do it justice.

I play it through both a Roland Cube 30 (sweet little amp for the money) and an Epiphone Valve Std, with a Boss DS1 for distortion.

I always wanted a Surf Green Strat.....I wasn't sure I wanted a vintage style, thinking I'd like modern features like SC pickups, S1 switching, and locking tuners.....in other words....a Deluxe. But after playing this one, I'd never switch. Beautiful and sounds great.

I've got a Carvin DC-127 and doesn't come close in sound or fit and finish.

You already know all this. If you wouldn't give it a 10, then don't buy it, it's not for you. There's plenty of other strats (or other guitars) out there.

I never realized how good it sounded until I compared it to my American strat. So nice and clear. So much so that I had to get rid of the American. It sounded dead compared to the 57. You won't get the huge, thick down and dirty SRV type tones, but that's not why you play this one. There's some pickup buzzing. That's the "vintage" part shining thru. Maybe something to do with the shielding?? But you don't buy a guitar and then complain or modify it.

Got it used and pretty beat up, but the nitro finish wears nicely.

16 years old and still going strong. I don't foresee any probs. If you doubt the durability of a well-made, high quality strat, watch Third Stone from El Mocambo.

I resisted this guitar for so long. I bought it before I really knew what was what, mainly because it looked cool and I got a good deal on it. The 7.25 radius really ticked me off after a while and I spent a ton of time looking for a good replacement neck. Then one day it just came to me. I picked it up and was just noodling around and realized how smooth playing the neck was. My fingers moved effortlessly. The one piece maple had such snap yet still wasn't too bright sounding. A light bulb went off and everything fell into place. The one ply pickguard looked so nice and simple. The shape of the body just melted into my body. I know it sounds stupid, but that's how it happened. I wanted a strat with a nice rich rosewood neck with a 9.5 radius, but instead, I was falling in love with this 57.

Alder body, white finish, gold vintage hardware, tweed case, 21 vintage frets, maple soft v neck. Mine is the 50th anniversary 57 reissue so it has a couple of added attractions like a commemorative neck plate and the gold hardware. It's beautiful.

Play it unplugged and it tells you it wants to sing baby. Plug it in and it sounds way way way strat. Cooler than cool. Lots of overtones and woody sounds. Takes me back to whe strats were strats and Gibsons were scared..

Nut needs a little tweaking, but other than that, solid as a rock.

See above.

? They could sponsor me if they want.

This is the real deal for strat players and lovers. This guitar oozes reality, oozes hipness, oozes got-it-right-the-first time. I can't thank my pal at the guitar store enough for saving this one for me. These anniversary models had a tag of 1600 dollars and they blew them out at the end of the year for a grand. What a steal! I've owned real 57 strats and this is like a trip down memory lane. You gotta try one of these on for size! This axe is a sheer joy to play.

Made in Corona, CA
This strat features a white blonde nitro satin finished alder body and a v-shaped neck. Also a special neck plate with the 50th anniverary of the 1957 strat with gold plate on all hardware. it has 21 huge frets and alnico 3 vintage pickups. one piece maple with a 7 1/4" radius V neck nitro finish. 1 ply 8 hole pickguard. Vintage tweed case and bunch of case candy.

I have too many guitars (if possible) this is just fun to play - different history felt in it.

came with a nice setup - very playable from the case

usa fender

never used it

been playing since '66 and collecting since '73
have about 89 currently mostly
mostly strats - favorites are fender subsonic with a standard tuning setup with a set of 8's, '63 gibson melody maker, '67 fender mustang bass from the band days of the 80's, peavey t-26 ash board and my itialia 12 string great guitar!

You know what your getting, If Volume is used excessively for clever semi tones with a delay or whatever, you can get some crackle, but this is because dirt/dust gets in the resister, so just get a vacuum cleaner and give it a blast, (gets the dust out)

I play rock, blues, and mellow, and it does it all, I think this guitar comes into its own when I play it lead over an acoustic or bass. I think it benefits from some sustain and compression, the compression acts as kind of EQ. (sort of) this is because sometimes you get louder string like on mine its the ???G??? string, it just plays louder, the compression really lets all the string be heard as individuals. I use a boss CS-3, with this pedal its probably the best clean guitar I???ve ever heard. Also if you can afford one of these then you can afford new strings, keep fairly new string on it, don???t let them get old and start oxidising, it doesn???t do the guitar justice and it can damage the hardware.

When I got mine the action was odd, I just changed it, it???s really easy, I think any serious player needs to change the action on a new guitar so this is no different. Be careful when lowering the action though, when the action is really low you can get some noise, which is never good.

My jack plug has come loose a couple of times, that???s it. This is a guitar that should be looked after therefore I cant comment on its ability to destroy a drum kit

never needed it. nor will you

if you can afford to buy the real thing the fine, if you cant then buy one of these, they are better in every single way than the modern day strat (which is still pretty good)

This '57 Strat is Surf Green lacquer and shiny as a new penny! Golly! The neck too. 'Cept it's aged solid maple with a 7.25 radius and real nice vintage frets, no railroad ties here. Has the famous Fender Vintage Stratocaster Pickups, and aged plastic parts (that's the knobs and pickup covers and such). Comes with the famous G&G deluxe tweed case with ORANGE fur inside. Orange. Well, that's what they had in '57. Also comes with a '57 strap, some wipe-o-clean and a nice rag, a '57 chrome bridge cover, a '57 cable, you know, all that o-re-genny stuff. Comes with a three position switch installed and a five position you can put in yourself.

The guitar is very exactly like in '57. Very.

This beauty has got some serious TONE! That's why I bought it. I use a Fender Blues Deluxe (40 watt tube) amp and the combination is just as cool as can be! That is, if you like to actually hear your guitar. Nice and clean with a little reverb (at about 150 decibels!) Ahh. It has the original type pickups (single coil) so it does get some noise from fluorescent lights and such, but not too bad. I absolutely love the sound of this guitar. It is real, uh, Strat! Yeah, that's it. What made the Fender Strat so popular is here. They did a great job of re-inventing their most popular guitar ever.

The guitar sounds very exactly like in '57. Really.

This guitar was perfectly set-up from the factory. I mean just right. You pay a little extra for that, you know. Beautifully smooth nickel-silver frets. Shiny. Whoa. Hand-rolled edges on the fretboard. Nice. Very nice. Won't be going to the guitar-guy for this one.

Fender Stratocaster: See; Rock. See; Sturdy. See; Un-breakable. See; Tough. See; Totally dependable. See; What is an electric guitar, and who did everybody else copy and why.

It has the lifetime Fender Warranty. I use a Fender dealer to settle any problems I have, and though I've had only one little one concerning something else, it was no problem.

I done been a-playin' ge-tar for nigh-on fourdy-fi year. Well, long enough anyway. I've pretty much spelled it out about this guitar, you know, after looking at a whole mess of others (Fenders, of course), and came away digging this one the most. I like the cool Surf Green color too. I mean, where you gonna find a 'Surf Green' guitar? But mainly, and I mean mainly, now I can say I have me a real live, honest to God, made in America Fender '57 re-issue Stratocaster! Where you gonna get one of these, hmm? I like it 'specially because of its simplicity and down-right accurate reproducto-ness. The word we're all looking for here is 'cool.' Never mind the incredible resale value of this particular guitar. I won' EVER sell it! You can't make me!

Made in USA, Jan '96., maple neck, alder body, 2 tone sunburst, vintage tuners and bridge, single ply pickguard, vintage style frets, 3way switch, vintage tweed case...evrything you asked from a strat!

This is a BLUES MACHINE, very rich in sound!Plugged into my '71. vox ac30 sounds unbelievable!Creamy, soft, mellow, thin, high, cutting, you name it!Also gets that crack when you hit the string, not at all like theese new fenders...

Bought used.Took me about an hour to adjust it for myself...has some cracks and dents on it, i don't mind.sohuld be nitro lacquer, but it seems not to be, i guess it's a big lie by fender benders...

Definitely great quality overall, i think it will outlast me and my grandsons too!

N/A

Guitar player for six years now.Blues all the way!I'm not planning on selling this guitar ever, this seems to be the ultimate stratocaster for me...Buy it if you can ;)

Ok, this is a review of my main axe,and it's pretty interesting. This is a 1982 VOO serial number 57 reissue that I bought from none other than Tom Murphy when he was at Gibson in 1990. It was road worn and incomplete when I got it- Tom refinned the body to a sweet 2-tone burst-the neck was so worn all over that it looked like a real 57!It only lacked pickups when I got it, the rest was there. Tom got it at the Arlington show and laid it on me for 250 bucks. The neck needed a refret and was really very small in profile.It had the "v" shape.After fitting in some dimarzio HS3 hum-cancelling single coils, I removed the neck, neck plate, and tuners, and sold them for 400 bucks to a buddy of mine. This paid for the axe and the pickups. I installed a left-handed Mighty-Mite tele neck that had a coat of sealer on it,schallers,and a generic neck plate that I bought used for 60 bucks. The profile is huge. The guitar remains in this form today and has been my main gigging tool for all these years.The vibrato is stock, but is blocked off with a length of drumstick. It has no case, but travels in a coffin with my other 4 stage guitars, so no bother.It's a marvelous unique strat that weighs 5 pounds-high marks here...

I just love it for the hard alt rock style I have. I primarily use a vox wha, ancient RAT distortion, 60's tube Echoplex,Hush noise gate/compressor, and MXR phase 100 for effects. My rig is 2 Blackface Bandmaster heads that have been modded with a master volume, an extra gain stage,and have 70 watts output each. These are each fed to 412 Ampeg cabinets from the 70's that have 4 EV SRO 12 inch speakers in each of them. Great rig that works great with single coils and has been very dependable for 15 years. The guitar has a very ballsy Strat sound and can get swampy blues to screaming high gain well. It also excels at smooth clean tones, and can get quite glassy. This strat as well as my other strats has been modded to have 1 volume, a master tone for all three pickups,and where the bottom tone is, a 3 position passive preamp that I have made for me by a tech I know.This preamp gives me Lo Impedence,+/-6 db gain,or phase reversal on the middle p/up depending on where it's set.I just love the versatility and tone of this axe! Just can't say enuff how much I love it!

I'm sure it was great, but I modded the hell out of it! I can't blame the stock neck..it was too small for my hand, but the guy I sold it too restored a late 60's Strat with it and still uses it today! Honestly,these are pretty darn nice guitars stock, and this one has been modded and taken care of by one of the best techs in Nashville,so it's always been perfect.

It will withstand horrific beatings and stay in tune while sounding incredible! It's as stout as a Mack Truck! I depend on it utterly and would be lost without it. The finish Tom put on is ass-whupped, but it's been gigged hundreds of times sice I got it together.It has spent years locked in a coffin out on the road in all kinds of weather.The strap locks are schallers I put on all my guitars.I never kick it without backup,too much could go wrong!

No warranty on a mutt like this!

Been playing close to 20 years, in one band the past 16.I have a lot vintage gear at home. I described my rig above; in addition to this modded 57 Strat reissue, I have for stage use a modded refinned 64 Jazzmaster,a stock(except for preamp mod above) 60's reissue Strat,a beat to death runover by a burning tank 68 Telecaster,and a 2003 single cut Les Paul Junior.Acoustic is a 71 Guild D25 with a Fishman Matrix preamp and a bluestick saddle transducer.I also have a 72 reissue Mex Strat with EMG's that is used by the rhythm guitarist in my band(he runs 2 late model Les Paul Classics the rest of the time)
If it were stolen or lost, there is no way to replace it. I suppose I'd have to have a copy built from parts.I love it's slapped together, beat to shit looks and it's incredible tone,as well as it's light weight. This axe along with my beloved 68 Tele and 64 Jazzmaster,are completely irreplaceable, but I'm not worried about losing them-they aren't out of my sight these days. My band hs gone on an indefinite hiatus, as we all have children,wives, homes, other careers, etc. Wev'e had a long run and a good time, but it's time to move on with life, and pass the torch on to the many fine young rockers coming along now!These relics of mine will stay in my home studio and get outed once in a while for special shows we choose to do. I'm not done by any means, just older and needing the balance in life that the road cannot yield.This guitar paid for everything I own, and for that, I can't thank it enough!

This is an 84 1957 reissue, Fullerton plant model. 2 tone sunburst, very faithful to the original 57 (I own a 58, so I can compare) Maple neck, with trem, and even ashtray. I bought this from the sleeping salespeople at a national chain music store for 1/3 of its real value. It was filthy, with a few small dings. Once TLCd at home it came alive and is UNBELIEVABLE to play. Came with the original case, hangtag, and original purchase certificate!

UNREAL! It mimics almost perfectly my 58. The 58 is ash, and this is alder so there is a slight difference. sound just jumps off the fingerboard, and it has those chimy midrange clean sounds. It also has the harmonic overtones when played up on the neck, that always drive old strat players nuts. I was stunned by the sound. I can't put the darn thing down.

Just like a 57, with the old-style finish. It has checked only slightly, but I believe it will check more over the years. It was used so I have no idea what the factory setup was. There is no swimming pool here. Correct routing. 3 way switch is not as springy as my 58 (good) and the vol/tone controls allow unlimited turning clockwise, but stop solid when returned (not like the original).

I don't know how it will hold up. It's not going to see abuse from me. It got ignored at the store and sat there for a year while people bought shiny new mexican strats. I confess I feel like I rescued it. I'll play it on stage but protect it. I always take a backup on stage anyway. Usually a G&L tele.

Never dealt with Fender

35 years playing. 53LP Goldtop; 58 Mary Kaye strat; 94 Heritage H-535; 99 G&L Asat classic; 67 Gibson Hummingbird; cheapo squier strat with DG20 pickups; 2003 carved top tele. Matchless Chieftain, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, Carvin Legacy 100 watt all tube. IT'S NEVER LEAVING. I've actually thought about trying to find a second one in case this one gets hurt. FIND ONE.

Bought 2004 beautiful white blonde finish on alder body with V maple neck made in USA.3pickups,3 sounds but you can get in between if you try.Basic but very good.

This is a great gigging guitar that does the business and sounds great.Not quite up to the sound of my 52 Tele so gets a 9.
Feels good when you play.
Sounds much better than a modern USA Strat.

This was set up well and looks well made-no problems to report.

Should stay the distance as a gigging guitar and again no problems.

I've been playing a long time and find this the best Strat sound so far.Highly recommend this for any serious guitarist.
Beats most other guitars apart from my 52 Tele which sounds amazing.

Mine is a brand new 2005 in two-toned sunburst. Fairly lightweight at about 7.5 lbs. You all know the specs so I won't bother with listing all of that. The action, fit and finish were perfect right out of the case.

This is where this guitar shines. First played unplugged, the body is very resonant, which is the first sign of a great guitar. Plugged in, HOLY MOLY!!! I think I have finally found the sound I have been looking for for the past 30 years. The redesigned 57/62 pickups are the best sounding strat pickups I have ever heard. I've played Kinman, Lindy Fralin, Fender CS 54's and Fat 50's and nothing comes close to these. I've had older model reissue strats with the older pickups and they were junk. If you own a strat, go out and buy a set of these pickups. I play this through a Victoria 20112(tweed Deluxe) with a Celestion Blue Alnico. The sound of the two together is just amazing. This might have just ended my Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Well, probably not. But it has sure slowed it down a lot.

Action, fit and finish were perfect right out of the case. I tuned it up and away we went. I have never had any guitar from Fender that had any problems

Well, it's a Fender. You can through them down a flight of stairs and they'll still be in tune.

I've never had to call Fender with any issue. If I have a question regarding a product, I have my buddy at the local music store call them. And of course he has a direct line to them.

I've been playing for over 30 years. I don't have a lot of gear as all I need is one guitar and one amp.(But I've been through a lot of them over the years). If it were stolen, I would not hesitate to buy another one.

American-made '57 Strat re-issue, made in 1992, 2-tone sunburst with maple fretboard, 21 frets, vintage-style tuners. I think these originally came with a 3-way pickup switch, but the previous owner converted this to a 5-way. I bought this one used. No case was included, but they did throw in a heavily padded gig bag. Not as good as a hardshell case, but it'll do.

I play mostly country and classic rock, and this guitar is perfect for both. I also have a 2001 American Series Strat, and it sounds great too, but this is a different animal. These have different pickups than the regular American Standards/Series. This guitar has a very warm, vintage sound. I can't describe it, really, it just sings. The "in-between" settings aren't as strong as on my new American Series Strat, but they still sound great. This guitar sounds good, no matter what I play. I don't notice any excessive hum, but I can hear my pick hit the pickups on this guitar. My new Strat doesn't do this, so I can only assume it goes with the whole vintage sound thing. I absolutely love this sound!

Others have mentioned that the older re-issues have a C-shaped neck, but I'm almost positive that this one is a V-shape. The V-shape is so much more comfortable, it's not even funny. I like the vintage tint on the neck and fretboard, and I love the vintage tuners. String changing is so much easier, and the guitar stays in tune much better than my American Series Strat. They should put the vintage ones on all Strats. The 2-tone sunburst looks great, even after 13 years. There are the usual belt-buckle scratches and one ding on the end of the body by the strap button, but everything else is fine. I'll give it a 9, because of the scratches and ding.

As with my American Series Strat, I know I can depend on it. Strats and Teles are bulletproof. I'll probably switch between this and my American Series Strat for gigging. I'll bring the other Strat as a backup, just because a string may break, or something like that.

Never dealt with them.

I've been playing for 20 years. I really just got into Strats last year. Before that, it was all Rickenbackers and Gretsches. Don't get me wrong I still love my other guitars, but if I had to pick one type of guitar to play for the rest of my life, it would be a Strat. My American Series Strat is the 3-tone sunburst with a rosewood neck. I can't say I like this one better than my other Strat, it's just different. I do think the reissue Strats are Fender's best kept secret, though. If you like the vintage Strat sound, this is your ticket. Even at $1300 new, they're still a good buy.

It's a stock 57 reissue strat, what can I say. Made in 1982-1983 Japan. So we're going to consider a guitar that is over 20 years old at this point. At the time I bought it new in 1989, it was considered 2nd rate, or even junk compared to a new American-made strat, but now I understand they are quite desirable.

Exremely light-weight guitar, lightest strat I've ever seen, I suspect it is not an alder body, but rather basswood, as I've heard that some Japanese strats intended for US market were made this way to cut costs. The probable basswood body is why I give features an 8 rating.

It came with 5-way switch installed however.

Have used with Crate, Fender, Marshall amps.
Presently use with Fender Roc Pro 1000 amp, and also a Berenger V-AMP 2 effects box.

I have tried out all manner of strats (except more 57 reissues, cause I haven't seen any) and none of them feel or sound like mine. The classic pups, and the 7-1/4 rad C neck are unique.

Sounds better now than when I bought it 15 years ago. I wasn't really completely happy with the sound the first few years I had it...I think partly it was the amp and effects I had at the time.

I play blues and can get all the sounds I want out of it. It gets better all the time.

The neck pup is a wonderful hollow bell sound that goes to a beautiful raspy sound with distortion
The center pup, which I used to hate, has mellowed, and I like it for classic rock tunes.
The center and bridge pup combo gives a classic clunky sound clean, always has.

There's some hum but turn down the vol knob between songs, right?

I wish the guitar had more sustain, the notes seem to die too soon, but compression helps add sustain! This is probably because of the basswood body. Going up to 5 strings on the tremelo, or blocking it might help in this regard. I haven't done either.

I can't recall what the setup was like when new, I was a kid and just happy to have a strat.

The bridge routing is a little off, and there's a gap on one side of the neck, the little E will fall off if you don't string it right, but minor deal.

I set the guitar up with 1/8 inch string height from nut to body, and have filed the frets a few times to elimate scalloping, may consider a refret some day, but not yet.

Finish is basic nitrocellulose black. No body finish flaws, excepting scratches and dents from use, neck is holding up well. The edges of the neck have no finish...all worn off from playing, and the lacquer is breaking down between frets, no raw wood there yet.

Have replaced string saddles twice, with vintage style parts. I always use a little 3-in-1 oil on the saddles and the string tee to keep the strings limber, and let them float a bit.

Still

I have used it on many gigs with no backup...it's the only guitar I own period. It has held up really well, except the tone knobs no longer affect sound when turned.

The guitar has been dropped on its end, which left a huge asphalt pavement dent above the rear strap button. The damage sustained is further indication that the body is basswood. Its been knocked into things, fallen over, and generally suffered careless handling, but it keeps on going.

If anything the guitar has gotten better with every passing year and scratch, dent, ding, and bump on it.

Have no idea about customer support...never needed it.

I would like to get another one that is in less-played condition, in the event this guitar gives out...which is not likely. And with prices such as they are, I can't afford another one. If I was w/o a guitar, I would not even consider anything but either this or the Clapton strat (9-1/2 radius though)...I'd like to put a 25db boost circuit in this guitar! I love the 7-1/4 in radius of the 57 reissue strat.

This one is an '05 USA made, 21 fret, ash body because it has a see-thru Mary-Kaye Blonde finish; $150 US extra, but worth it. S/S/S/ pickups but you knew that. as a matter of course, you all about this guitar already, so I won't waste your time. Old school features for an old school guitar.

I've only had it for a few hours, and have only played it for about an hour, because it came from Wisconsin where it is very cold right now, so I put it back in the case to acclimate over night.
I play everything; it suits my styles very well. That is why strat's are so popular, they are indestructible and can do anything but maybe flamenco. As for amps, I use a variety from a kick-ass super reverb with Webers to a Vibrolux reverb to a Rectoverb 50 to a dual rectifier 412 to a JTM 45 to a '58 Tweed twin. I have many effects pedals but really don't use them because they aren't really needed. The sound of this axe is snappier than a regular Alder body. Almost Tele-ish, but with a more versatile sound palette. The 57/62 standard pickups are adequate, but I think Fralins are on the horizon for this one. I like everything about this strat, even though it's a crude instrument, it does everything it should.

In this category, Fender has come a long way. I have played for nearky thirty years now and have almost that many guitars. I have four strats and my real '57 doesn't play as well as this guy. The attention to detail is excellant, wire routing is pristine, finish is gorgeous and neck is flawless. i'm picky as hell but I feel like I really got a good one here. Love the soft V-neck too! Although the nut isn't as good as my'93 '57 R.I., it's still a very nearly perfect guitar.

C'mon; these guitars will outlast all of their non-Hendrix/Woodstock/Townshend owners. This stuff is generational. I've promised my collection to my teenage son and I'm sure his kids will have these Fenders long after guitar-driven music is a distant memory. The thing is, they just keep getting better with age as the wood and finish cures. I wish I did.

Never used them for support but they're always there for my nit-picky ass questions.

I've played a long time and own almost everything. Then again, do we really own anything? If stolen, I would hope to get another winner like this one.... and I'd papercut the thieve's eyes. This guitar is the best there is for what it does. Sure you can buy an Anderson or Grosh and the like, but why? I used to do that but I found that the drunk in the audience at the club wants to hussle the chick next to him and really could give a shit if your tone is "Holy Grail" or not. All those classic amps going to waste...

Update on an earlier review I made:

I've now owned it for about 4 years. A few mods:
* Re-installed 3-pos switch, rewired it like a tele (master volume and switch acts on the outer pups, the middle one uses the middle pot as volume so I can mix it in any combination, master tone)

* Graphite saddles to cut back on string-expenses.
They were installed at the same time as I did the wiring mod, dunno what caused the most tonal changes but it does sound a bit different.

It's still a strat and it's still very versatile. Even more so now.

The sound got a bit less bright after those mods, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I simply add a bit tremble on the amp-side if I want to compensate. The 7 pickup combinations are all great, the "all 3 at once" is fat and overwhelming, the "bridge+neck" sounds bigger than the 2nd pos out of phase (more tele-ish perhaps?).You all know the stock sounds, these two additional ones are great too.

It's still noisy, maybe even a bit more now with my poor soldering skills, but I'm gonna have it re-soldered to stock 5-pos. setup and add a miniswitch for the neck pup instead. Gives me all 7 sounds with less hassle.

It is now very well played in, I've adjusted everything to my taste as well. The 7.5 inch radius does mean that you need a bit higher action than on modern guitars, but I like to really "dig in" so I need high action anyway. I do keep the neck fairly straight so that I get a touch of fret-buzz when I hit it hard, adds a nice personality to the sound. The feel more than compensates for the disadvantages of radius and small frets, I still recommmend it.

I always bring a backup to gigs, but after installing the graphite saddles it hasn't broken a single string.

The finish has cracked a bit on the fretboard, exposing a hard and bright white polyester undercoat. Doesn't look good at all, but I can't feel it when I play.

The pickguard has also warped a bit, but that might have to do with my bad habit of sticking plectrums underneath it.

Overall: it doesn't look better with age, but it can still withstand a nuclear assault. Really solid construction and quality hardware.

The shop I bought it from had removed the small key that adjusts saddle height, so I e-mailed the scandinavian Fender importer and asked for one. It was in my mailbox 2 days later, free of charge.

This is the only guitar I've kept for this long. I've sort of grown more and more attached to it. Get one!

This is a follow up review of my 2001 aztec gold us '57 reissue. I've had it a few years now and just want to update my previous review. I havn't done anything to the guitar, no mods, not even installed the 5 way switch, don't need to, for position 2 and 4 you can just lodge it in between the settings on the switch. Isn't that what they used to do anyway before they invented the 5way switch?!

I still think that this guitar is THE strat to get. I think it has more character than the standard series, the 57 is just the basic strat, and it gets those classic strat sounds. Since getting this strat I have started using the bridge/middle and the bridge pickups selections a lot more, I used to find them to bright on other strats but they sound decent on this, obviously they can get a bit bright but as long as you play low down the neck it just sounds great, I find them excellent for playing with ur fingers, no pick, its a really organic kind of expirience. The neck pickup is still great and even a gorilla playing this guitar whilst wearing boxing gloves could get a great tone out of it. Ive even been using the middle pick-up on its own, how often do people bother with that, i think it sounds kinda decent. Overall it is a great strat that sounds like all the strat tones and sounds you have in ur head or uve heard on cd.

The guitar is now a good three or four years old, the nickel parts have dulled, personaly i quite like how it looks like now, i wouldn't say this was a defect, just the passage of time. Also the finish is starting to wear a little in places, mostly on where my right arm rests on the body, this isn't really a flaw, it is just what happens with nitro finishes, and as more years pass it will get even thiner and dry out, really letting the wood vibrate and resonate, I cant wait!

One thing that has happened is the pickgaurd seems to have warped a little bit on the top by the neck pickup, there is a good 2-3mm gap between the bottom of the pickgaurd and the body, it is a defect i suppose but it dosn;t really bother me, it makes a handy plectrum holder, it is probably keeping them there that has made the problem worst so its probably my fault.

All in all the guitar still looks absolutly beautiful! I'm giving it a 7 cos it dosn;t look exaxctly like it did brand new, it shows a few small signs of age, but these are all purely cosmetic. To me this dosn;t detract to how the guitar looks at all, infact i think it makes it look quite cool, but I know there are some people who don't like this kind of thing happening to their guitars.

I loved it when I got this guitar and I still love it now, it is starting to show signs of wear but then I have played it alot, i liked it so much, and ive played it hard, a few gigs here and there too.

The only downside with the guitar is that it constantly distracts me from uni and studying, I'm supposed to be revising now and I've only stopped playing the thing to write this cos my fingers actually hurt I've been putting of revising that long! I guess I should move it out of my study.

That is a 2001 '57 brand new sunburst stratocaster and when i said brand new it is brand new I open the carton box .with all case candy ... vintage gray wire ,vintage strap, polish cloth, ashtray bridge cover,5 way switching,tweed case.It the most simply guitar it is really easy to use.

This strat for me is not a shreded metal machine but that is what I wanted a vintage sound for playin' oldie (buddy holly). It sound like a vintage strat ...fully noisy when playing in the front of my computer.
I add the 5 way a year later when I understand I could not do the SRV tone in cold shot and many other song .

the factory set up is very look like a crap ... highly curved neck it take me 3 or 4 full turn of trusts rod adjustement screw. Floting tremolo with 3 springs is really bad it eat the sound of the guitar I reset with 5 springs .the strings are set too high ... after 3 years of playing I found in the finish a wood dust and the body where selected with the worst wood i seen the top of the guitar have a carved hole is not high but is there and the wood look like be scraped by a bear . The finish of the neck wear under and on the side of the neck start to show wear.

Fender exist for more than fifty years I think that is ok but for the case is another thing the case lactche spring broke after 10 month of use .

For the case waranty repair thats take more than 6 months to have another case and the music store dont pass me another case to put it in :S that is very bad

I been playing for 4 years and that is my main axe I loved it and if it is stole i re-buy again or i buy '52 r-i telecaster or a Sdr les paul maybe ?? not I re-buy a strat :) but I turn for a custom shop this time .If fender listen that I want pat. pendind saddle with right string guide placement.
for all its a great guitar for is price

1994 American Vintage '57 Reissue Strat Bought it used.

-21 frets
-4 Bolt on Maple neck, maple fretboard (the neck is not stock, but I believe it's still a Fender replacement neck for the RI's).
-alder body with NO SWIMMING POOL ROUTE! Nice s/s/s route, no cut corners.
-3 Fender custom shop passive single coil pickups (s/s/s)
-5 way slotted selector
-1 vol, 2 tones (I've modded this aspect though)
-turquoise green with finish that is naturally starting to relic... very good looking.
-vintage style tremolo bridge. No cover. These saddles need a special wrench to adjust them. The local tech gave me one for free.
-locking schaller tuners
-25.5" scale with standard vintage fender frets (medium sized.)

It's a strat, and it does everything it's supposed to do. Don't expect a metal-monster out of this, even through a high gain amp. Extremely quiet considering it's s/s/s. The bridge pickup has great bite, and the rhythm pickups are pristine and clear. Every sound a Strat is supposed to be able to make, this makes.

I play in a band with many influences (Soundgarden, Mars Volta, Primus, Jethro Tull, Mr. Bungle, etc), so I crank this. It's good for most of what I need, but I plan to get an H/H guitar to do what this can't.

When you buy a Strat, you're not supposed to expect heaviness to come out of it. It's a great sounding instrument.

Well, I got it used, and the setup was shoddy. Strings needed replacing. The bridge was pretty dirty, but I cleaned it a bit. Everything else is straight. It's used, so you can't expect much.

This guitar sounds best with 11's. Put 5 springs in the tremolo and tighten it down so that you can't divebomb, but still can use a vibrato.

I've played many a show without a backup on this guitar, and nothing bad has happened. Stays in tune even with the whammy used.

I need toothpicks for my strap button screw on the top horn, but it's a small issue. Nothing big here.

n/a

I've been playing for 6 years. I've owned this, a Squier Strat, and an Epiphone G-400.

I asked about everything with this guitar (product of research). On the description at the store, they said the neck was replaced with an Am. Standard neck. I pointed out that it couldn't be, as Am Standards have 22 frets, this had 21. Because of this, they knocked the price off from $550 to $400 for me. I had them open up the guitar so that I could see the routing pattern, everything. Top marks for the sellers also. I recommend them highly (ask for Dave Swick, the guy with the mohawk).

I made some changes to the guitar to suit my needs: I took out one tone knob and made the other one a master tone. In place of the old tone knob, I installed a kill-switch. Eventually I want to put a preamp booster in, but that's later on.

Considering I got this guitar for $400, I can't be happier. The locking tuners are godsends as well. I don't think I'm ever going to play live with a guitar that doesn't have these anymore. They keep you in tune even if you bend a note almost to the point of breaking the string.

2004, 21 frets,2 tone nitro cellulose finish. vintage frets, medium size V neck. Includes tweed case & 50's strap, cord, &ashtray bridge cove with 5 way switch. Beautiful finish & tinting on neck.

I play blues almost exclusively ( gotta get the old rock out of my system periodically). I play this through 2 Fender Bassbreaker amps. These are the custom shop version of the Bassman. The level of 60 cycle hum is amazingly low. I was quite suprised especially after having Joe Barden pup's in my Strat that I traded in on this one. The Joe Bardens are dead quiet. The sound is rich & full with a healthy balance & the right amount of brightness. Just like the Fenders of my younger days( when we could buy the real deal cheap). Classic vintage sound. Good job on the pickups Fender!

Guitar was set up perfectly which is suprising from the Fender factory & because I'm so picky about a perfect setup. I do all my own work & the set up was just as I would have done. Very little fretting out considering the 7.25 neck radius.

All vintage dependable hardware. Only ever had one problem with a Fender in 41 years. Had one pickup quit once. Not bad for the many, many Fenders that I.ve had over the years.

If you get John on the phone your in lick. He is a veteran & knows his stuff. The younger guys are helpful as well but have'nt lived the history of Fender. Never had to have a repair as the pick up was out of warranty & did it myself.

Been playing 41 years. Have Custom Historic Les Pauls, Custom Historic ES 335's. & this Strat. Traded a Custom Shop Classic Player Strat in on this. The quality of this guitar matches the '56 relic Fender Custom shop guitars. Played many of those & was able to do a side by side comparison on this one. The only difference I noted was that even though the neck profiles were indentical the '56 was slightly larger which I prefer but for half the price this neck is big enough for me. I believe the Vintage Series guitars (played a '52 Tele while there) are being made as faithful reproduction. I am 100% satisfied with this purchase. Would like to have two of these.

My babe is a mean green rock-machine and is bog standard except for a 5 position switch. It was born in Corona, Feb 7th 2002 so it's the newer version with the slight "V" neck and, like the reviewer pointed out below, has the little black dots in the right place at the 12th fret :-)
I have two of these, the other is a black 2000 issue and this new surf green babe differs in two ways from the black one. First, the pickups are way more powerful with a more full sound than the black one and secondly, the frets must have been dressed in such a way that the neck radius is flatter because I have the action set at 1.5 mm at the 12th fret and can bend the top E and B strings forever without it choking out. The black one has to be set at 2 mm and only just allows me to bend up one full tone. Green Strats!
Like the reviewer "Steve" said below, the Kluson tuners are the best non-locking locking tuners on the planet and like "Steve", I usually ditch locking tuners and retro fit Klusons on all my Strats, they are so light and never ever slip.

This one is real nice - - bell sounds, chimes, quack and twang all rolled up in one. I play it through a Keeley TS-9 tubescreamer, a Keeley Compressor and a Fender Vibrolux amp and with Keeley's pedals, well it's tone heaven. If you haven't played a Strat through a Keeley pedal then you're in for a treat.
Like all Vintage Reissues, you do get a bit of 60 cycle hum but not enough to be a bother. You just have to roll back the volume between songs and all's well with the world. There's no way I'd ever consider ripping out the pups and changing them for noiseless ones. It's like tearing the heart out of your mother! Even though the new fender SCM pups are just amazing, I buy 57s to be 57s, simple as that. I have a Deluxe Strat with the new SCMs and S-1 switch which I just love but you know, it's a different vibe to the 57 Reissue.
The one thing you have to be careful with is setting up the tremolo so that the outside screws are just level with the block and the inner 4 sitting a fraction above it. Once set up this way and with the help of a little glob of vaseline in the nut slots and under the string retainer, the guitar stays in tune all night.

fender always set the action a bit high because it reduces the chance of string buss etc and helps their instruments sel themselves so you always have to do a bit of tweaking. As mentioned above, this particular green girl tolerates a much lower action than her black sister so I guess its just a case of you get what you get!
I don't go searcxhing for like imperfections of finish, I mean, who cares. It's all about the vibe the guitar gives you and how it speaks to you and your audience.

keeley pedals and Fender Strats are immortal. I've never has any problems with Fender guiatrs, ever.

Never needed it

I've been playin for over 20 years and love all guitars. I have Les Pauls, Fenders, Guild and Gretsch and they all have their own vibe but if I ever get marooned on a desert island, I'd want a little 57 Reissue with me because they do two things really well, they sound beautiful and they make you smile.
Thanks Fender.

I picked this guitar up used in the mid 90's. It probably was a year or two old at that time. Pretty much an exact copy of the real thing right down to the 3 way switch. (I had intended to buy a Custom Classic Strat but it was gone when I came back with the cash.) Workmanship on it is very good and the weight and feel is very comfortable. A Strat is a beautiful thing!!! The neck aged very nicely over the years with some minor finish checking, spider web effect from adjusting to the climate. Looks real sweet.

I first bought this guitar because of the feel and the weight. I had been playing an Ibanez ES 335 style guitar which sounded great but was real heavy and quite uncomfortable to play the entire night. The stock fender pick ups sounded a little brittle with my setup so after a lot of research I finally swapped then for a set of Van Zandts. Can't say enough about those pickups!!! And, if you haven't heard a Strat with Van Zandts then you haven't heard a Strat!!! The Van Zandts have taken the brittle edge of the sound of this guitar and given it a nice warm round tone. Had George Ellison of Acme Guitar Works wire up a pick up assembly for it on a Mint Green 57 Strat Pickguard from Warmoth. I'm giving the sound of the guitar with the Van Zandts a 10 only because the scale doesn't go any higher.

After about 10 years of playing had the guitar refretted by the 12th Fret in Toronto Ontario. I had been playing at a resort south of the Bahamas and the humid climate and the salt water blowing in the background had taken it's toll on the guitar over the years. Went with a slightly bigger fret and the radius was flattened. Made the guitar a lot more playable. Ok so the guitar is no longer a stock 57 re issue but it has evolved into something that is extremely playable and if you ever check out original Strats you can see that they tend to evolve in the same manner.

The Guitar has servered me faithfully for over 10 years. Aside from the standard wear and tear that a guitar goes through it has never let me down. I have finally got it to the point where I'm real satisfied with the sound and feel of the guitar.

I have emailed Fender a few times on issues unrelated to this guitar. I typically have a guitar repairman look at my stuff so it seldom becomes an issue for Customer Support. My experience with but Fender and Gibson for that matter has been very positive.

I have been playing for over 30 years. My style is based primarily in the blues and R & B area with a setup that is pretty basic. Guitar to a Tube Screamer Mesa Boogie Mark I bit of Reverb... I have grown quite attached to this guitar and although there are times when you just need the sound of a Hum Bucker this is the guitar I play the most. If someone stole this guitar I'd be quited pissed!!! It's taken a long time to get it to the point where it plays this well. I might start looking for a backup so I have a spare but buying yet another guitar means I'll have to hear a whole bunch more nastiness from my wife about "how many Guitars do you really need" Come to think of it I wouldn't mind if someone got the idea to steal her I could live with that;-)... I would miss the guitar though if someone stole it. And if we forget about Political Correctness for a second you could always find another wife but another guitar that plays really good and sounds so sweet is much harder to find.

Mine is a 1998 American '57 Stratocaster Reissue. I believe this was the last year for the 'C' shaped neck, I understand the newer models have the 'V' neck. Another difference is that my pickups are of the non-beveled variety. I believe they sound the same as the beveled ones. Lastly, I have installed the five-way P/U switch (comes included).

Aside from that, my instrument is stock, see below for many fine similes of what that means.

On this instrument I play blues, classic rock and surf. Because I began playing in the era of Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes and Joe Satriani, I have a soft spot for metal. I would sooner put a saddle on my cocker spaniel and enter the Kentucky Derby, than I would attempt to belt out Eruption on this chap.

I originally purchased this guitar with the intention of substituting the original pickups with Texas Specials. Until I purchased this guitar, my Hot-Rodded Texas Special/Pearly Gates American Strat was my instrument of choice. It's now a tie. It depends on my mood. (Two totally different instruments.)

Somebody below mentioned "Shine on you crazy diamond" - that's a great description of the neck position sound. Forgive me if I have this backwards, but, if that is position 1, then position 2 makes for a great "Sultans of Swing". Position 3, I have not use for position 3. Position 4 makes for a great Dick Dale sound (that, assuming that Dick Dale were actually playing my guitar), or even "Mary Had a Little Lamb (SRV)". Position 5 (see position 3).

Back to my original comment though, I originally bought this guitar (used)in order to modify it. After playing it through my Fender Hot Rod Deville 4x10, I will change nothing. Let me say that again. I will change nothing. I don't even use pedals with this ax. I absolutely adore the clean glass-like sound of this instrument. While the Texas Specials may be more SRVish or Knopleressent, attempting those same licks with this axe will bring a big old smile to your face.

Yes, it can be noisy, but, that is part of its charm. Work with it. Noise is your friend. Embrace the noise! (If you don't like the noise, there are plenty of other great options from the folks in Corona.)

I started playing guitar 20 years ago and, back then, I would have hated this guitar - for the same reasons why I now love it. Turn up the volume on your amp and every little nuance of your playing can be heard, moreso than any guitar I've played. It breaths. It will make a good guitarist sound brilliant, and a bad one sound, well, bad.

I bought this ax with the intention of bolting on a '62 neck from the Fender Factory. When I brought this guitar home and really started playing it, I quickly realized that the original neck would remain. The action on this guitar is fantastic! I play it with 10's, which, I believe are factory spec. I have NEVER had a guitar with such close action and no fret buzz. I recently played a custom shop '56 and actually prefer the action on my guitar.

As for the finish. A used strat, to me, is kind of like a pair of jeans. It just seems to look better the more you use it. I'm not one to nit-pick, though, I must say that, for being five years old when I bought it (the guitar, not me) it looked pretty good.

I heard lots of whoeey about Nitro Cellulose versus Polyerathane. I've heard the Nitro (which this is) sounds better than the Poly. Really? In a SOLID body guitar? I'd be hard pressed to see someone substantiate that claim. (Most will disagree with me, and, I not a professional player.) What I do know is that the Nitro tends to age in a bit more organic way (more pleasingly to me lets just say.)

No corners appear to have been cut in the crafting of this fine instrument. It feels to me like a custom shop guitar. Wood looks well matched and cloth pick up wires are a nice touch!

The gents in Corona, CA did a very nice job on this guitar. Not only does everything work well, but, everything works well together.

Like I said, I bought this guitar five years old and the set up and sound were spot on. That should speak volumes. I doubt this guitar will depreciate much (what with folks paying extra for 'relics' these days). But it doesn't matter because I have no plans to sell it.

I've already said enough. I really like the 'C' shaped neck, though, I believe the newer 'V' shape is more historically accurate. If the guitar were stolen, I'd probably seek out a pre'98 'C' shaped neck version. That's just my personal preference.

I love everything about the guitar with the exception of the nitro finish on the neck. I don't dislike it enough to swap it out, but, I've gotten used to the feel of the satin-necks. Again, that is just preference. I would sooner put Sweet & Low in my Dom than I would change out anything on this ax.

Standard Strat Features. USA made. 21 frets. 3 S/S/S config. Alder body with maple neck, Nitro finish.
It's from 1986 or 87. not sure if they've changed the guitar sense.
Mine came with the following: Tweed Case, Tremelo spring, 5 way seltcor switch, Manual whammy bar. Almost everything I was luky to get it!

I play Stevie Ray Vuaghan stuff and jazz. It's and ablsolute dream on almost any thing. my setup is usaly guitar Blues Driver and a Vox Cabridge 30 reverb. I have a Peavey and it dosen't sound as through it, but it's beutiful when played through the VOX or any tube amp. It some times buzzes(I'm used to Humbuckers)if you put your fingers on the string it stops most of it. that migth be a Single coil thing. Sounds are awesome like I said, if I get it set just right it can do Jazz, but when needed It can do country just as well, and it sounds good for almost anything, but not the best a metal though. a wonderfull sounding piece at that.

I bought it used so I don't know about the set-up.
Pickups are fine sound good to me.
2 piece book match body, a very nice fit. I think when I bought mine the nut had cracked (I bought it used) but other than that it's an awesome piece that playes like a dream and feels like one too!

I play at my Church on Wednesdays and goto Blues jams some, and this thing will certainly stand gigging! The hardware is fine the tuners are awesome, I've had it stay in tune for 3 days and not loose tune! We're talking quality you can count on! The only problem I've had is the nut, and that was most likely from old age. A dependable piece. Gig with out a backup? I don't have another good guitar. Only fear would be breaking a string, and once you get the trick down you can get string on easily.

Life time waranty it says in the manual non transfeable though :( . from what I've heard though Fender Customer support is a joke.

I've been playing guitar for bout' a year. I took Clasical for 6 but never did realy like it. I'm no pro but I have many friends who agree with me onn this guitar it is awesome, and some have played professionley for have 30 years. I have compared it too an American Deluxe Fat Strat and Stevie Ray Vaughan Siganture. The Deluxe can't stand up too it in my eyes, but the Stevie Ray is better in some ways, the 57' is better for me in many ways than the other two. If it were stolen I'd track the bugga down and get it back! buying a new one? Maybe but once you have your #1 you just aint gonna' give'er up! overall an excellent guitar, this is my first USA Strat and absolutley NOT the last!!!! Overall the 57' ressue is and excellent guitar

Mine is a true to the flag, American 57 Reissue built in July 2002. It's black as black can get with a nice medium weight alder body and that oh so gorgeous mample neck. The awesome thing about this guitar is that the dudes at Fender have now placed the black dot markers on the 12 fret in the 'right' place, in other words, they're wider apart and smack in the middle of the 5th and 2nd strings. I know it's only a small point but to me, being a persnickity character, it makes all the difference and really puts the stamp on this being a true 57 Reissue. The guitar comes with a three position switch (they also include a 5 position switch) that thankfully has a nice feel to it so it's very easy to detent into the middle positions. I was thinking about changing to the 5 position switch but I decided, just this once, to leave this puppy totally standard and play it like a real 57. Al the complaints about the noise, small frets, weak pickups blah blah blah is just ridiculous. If you're not happy with what it is, then don't buy it. Pretty simple. Just a quick word about the Kluson tuners. They rawk! I actually replace the locking tuners on my other Strats with these Klusons because they are in fact, the best locking tuners on the planet. Once you put the sting down the hole and wrap it around two or three turns, that's it - - locked and loaded (and they weigh nothing which means the guitar is lighter and better balanced. My guiat came with the fender tweed case which I immediately sold and replaced with lite weight fitted case. The tweed case is just too heavy for my liking.

We all know how beautiful a Strat sounds so what more is there to say. I've played lots of 57 Reissues and for the most part, they're all fairly close in sound. The amazing thing is that 9's are actually too lite on these guiatrs. I use 9 - 42's on all my Strats but for some reason, they seem to wobble all over the place on this baby so as an experiment, I put a set of 10's on and hey presto, more spank and a little more tension to the point where it now feels exactly like my other Strats with 9's. Funny world.
Now girls and boys, here's a little secret about Strats. Everybody says the bridge pickup is too bright and only good for causing people's ears to bleed. Very true. However, all you need to do is take the tone wire form the middle pup to the bridge pup and set it somewhere between 6 - 7 and forget it. This takes the ice pick out of the sound and the bridge pickup just comes to life and sounds much fatter with a very round tone that still grabs all the harmonics that seemn to lurk in 57 Reissues. I have made this mod to all my older Strats but as mentioned before, I'm leaving this baby 'as is'. Another thing to remember is that if you want to get a really cool bell sound from the front pup, you gotta pick the strings very aggressively between the front pup and end of the neck - that's the sweet spot!
I guess we all like the 'shlang' of a Strat on settings 2 and 4 and this guitar is quite exeptional in bringing out every note of a chord. BTW, another hint - go try a Digitech 'Bad Monkey' Overdrive pedal. They're so cheap but so amazing - just like a Tubescreamer but with separate bass and treble so you can dial in a totally fat, chunky sound that suits el Strato so well. These pedals are the best.
A quick word on the noise and hum you get form the guitar. It's not so bad really but one thing to note - if the hum is real bad it's a sure sign of bad wiring so always check to make sure the wiring where you're playing is safe. This hum is like an alarm so take note - Strats can save your life!

Action? Well, it's got a 7 1/4 radius so no matter what, you're gonna have to raise the action a little bit to stop it choking out. Mine was spot on when it came out of the box and has remained so ever since. Good job Fender! All pups are powerful (in Strat terms)and full of spank and twang yet when blasting though my Fender amp with full on distortion, they growl and moan and totally rock - the harmonics are forever getting in with the mix of the sound, so often, you'r playing notes with relevant harmonics flying all around so it sound slike two or three guitars playing at once. My other Strats don't do this at all! The finish is perecto, some small blemished from the frickin Tweed case but not to worry, they get battle scarred from playing anyhow.

I never, ever use a backup - in all my 40 years of playing in some of the worst dives on the planet, my Strat has never once caused any problems whatsoever. I've never even broken a string! True! I change strings every three gigs and put new top E and B's on every night before I play so I guess this is 'preventative' maintenance. The only slight problem that pops up every now and then is the volume control knob tends to slip around the shaft so you either have to replace it or oh so gently, insert a flat blade screw driver into the split shaft and gently widen it just a smidge - be careful 'cause you can easily snap one side off.

Never has to contact Fender. If I break something I'll pay for it. I own six Strats and every one of them as been a joy with zero problems.

I've been playing for over 40 years so there's nothing new under the sun for this old rocker. I've owned a few 57 reissues one of which was stolen in between sets - I owned it for 16 years so now some young punk is playing a nice surf green 57 Reissue - good luck to him or her - hope they love it as much as i did. For my other Strats, I tend to mix and match necks, bodies and pups to get the right blend for each guitar, however, I would never change anything on a 57 Reissue because it is a just that, a 57 Reissue and meant to stay that way.
Personally, I think a 57 Reissue is something you get and treasure all your life - don't pull its guts out and shove different pups in it, just love it the way it is. If you want a modded Strat, go buy some cheap Mexican Strat and have fun experimenting with that. 57 Reissue strats have a way of gracefully aging and believe me, they do get better with age.
Go get one and live in peace!

My Strat was made in 1993 in Japan. It has a great 2-color sunburst finish, and a nice vintage colored maple neck. 1 volume pot, and two tone pots. its a little different then alot of strats, the top tone pot is wired to the neck pickup, while the bottom tone pot is wired to both the middle and the bridge pickup. pretty much a your normal stratocaster, easy to use, not a ton of features, great guitar. It is a hardtail(string-thru-body) which i love about it. A STRAT THAT STAYS IN TUNE!!!!! I was told that there were only a few of the hardtails made like this one, so i guess its kinda rare which is cool. It even says "synchronized tremolo" on the headstock but its a factory original hardtail, SOMEONE SCREWED UP! haha, i like that fact though.

This guitar has two stock pickups and one Seymour Duncan pickup in the bridge(unknown model, but im pretty sure it is the vintage one). I play alot of Rory Gallagher, Jimmy Page(my two idols), Clapton, Knopfler, and Rolling Stones. I am happy witht eh sound but i think it could be much better, thats why im only giving it an 8. I am going to upgrade my pickups to Bareknuckle Irish Tour pickups to get more of that Rory tone.

Great neck, love the V-neck. fast and a great feeling fretboard. the action is a little high, but i like it like that. The finish is amazing looking, even though it has a few dents in it now from me. It actually looks like its 45 years old. The only thing that i dont like aobut it right now, besides the pickups(i like them but not enough to keep em) is that the saddles are all rusty, im going to have them changed out soon.

This guitar will let me beat the hell out of it and still keep working. Its my workhorse guitar and I love it. I got it so i wouldnt have to worry about it, not so it would end up being my favourite guitar, but it has gotten close. Everything is solid, nothings wrong. Seems like it will last forever, if thats possible!

never dealt with Fender

I have been playing 2 years. Its a great guitar, I dont think its possible to replace this guitar, its amazing, and will be even better when i get the new pickups in it. I have a Fender '52 Reissue Telecaster, Epiphone Elite Les Paul Standard Plus(with upgrades), Danelectro 3021, and then this guitar. I play all these guitars through a Fulltone Fulldrive 2, Fulltone Clyde Wah, Electro Harmonix Wiggler, and Electro Harmonix Big Muff. These are all plugged into a 1975 Fender Deluxe Reverb. Sounds amazing, I cant wait for the new pickups to be put in, but Im entirely satisfied with this guitar right now. I just wanted a different sound from it. I could be perfectly happy with the pickups now, but id be even happier with the new ones.

'94 Fender '57 Re-Issue Stratocaster, Made In Japan.
21 vintage frets.
Black, pretty thin layer of finish.
Standard strat set-up(volume, tone x2 etc...)
3 Fender Custom Shop Texas Special single coils(stock pickups). These are HOT!!!!
Maple neck, alder body(I think)
Vintage trem.
Fender vintage tuner(can't remember what they're called).
In a words: A standard, good 'ol stratocaster. You either hate it or love it.

I play pop, rock, metal, funk, and nowadays - country(I'm a kind of Jeff Beck, Brent Mason, Steve Hackett, Roine Stolt, Dave Navarro kinda guy). It covers these genres great, exept metal, where it sucks. But who buys a strat for metal?
I use a '85 Marshall JCM 800 with a 1922 2x12 cab, 2 channel. At the, really satisfide with my setup. Great for my style.
With full gain it gets noisy, but compared to other strats I've played(and I've played many), its actually pretty quiet.

Even though I bought it from an eBay-salesman, it was pretty nice on the setup. Cant complain.

I've used it live 3 times I think. It sure delivers the goods.
Would you use it on a gig without a backup? NO!!!! I you're serious about your playing, you should never enter a stage without an backup, even if its just for one song.

Been playing for 12 years(classic for 8), concider myself semi-pro(I study music). Have owned several strats, from Japan Squier(amazing quality), to USA Standard, but the bottom line is that I muck prefer Fender Japan than Fender USA, exept the expensive vintage series. IMO, the japanese Fenders are much more faithful to the original.

American Vintage '57 Stratocaster in aztec gold. Typical features, updated with 5-way-switch.
Has all features you'ld expect from a vintage style Strat. Comes with case, strap, additional switch.

Sounds very good. I also habe a AV '62 Strat. Both sound quite different. The '57 sounds "fresher", has a lot of bite on the bridge pickup, wamrth in neck position and quackiness in the in betwen sounds. Soundwise I like it a little better than the '62.

Vintage style neck with 7,25" radius and small frets. I am used to that kind of neck and like it.- No problems with bendings.
The neck shape (kind of V) is GREAT in my opinion. For me it is more comfortable than the shape of the '62 neck (round C).
The quality of workmanship and parts is very good. Nice finish.

no problems here. Time-proofed design and quality.

I play for more than 25 years. Have 10 electric guitars (Fenders, Gibsons, PRS...).
Would get a new one if it was stolen. Right now it is my favourite guitar together with my AV '52 Tele.

American made 57 AVS. This is true to the 57's and sounds as good or better in my opinion. If you need humbuckers or raunchy sounds then don't buy this or give it a bad review. I could even go for a 2 way selector-I never use the middle position.

It doesn't really fit my style for the band I'm playing in now. I need humbuckers even though I'm more at home on a strat. I will probably sell this and buy a used cheaper strat so I can switch out the pu's. I can't butcher this guitar-I have gone to a shop and bought a single coil humbucker and just couldn't put it in. It sounds exactly like it should.

The pickups are noisy-they should be. Hardware is nice and no scratchy pots or switch. I don't like the V neck even though it's nice for "thumbing" some tricky bar chords.

It stays in tune very well. It will last, but I writing this knowing I need to sell it. I hope someone out there gets this one and gigs with it regularly.

They should have better phone support. They make a ton of money and we deserve better.

I am very fortunate to have been able to pick up a Victoria amp which really makes me realize that my amp is the most important part of any electric guitar set up. I can make a Danelectro reissue sound great through my amp and this guitar sounds just great. I have owned a 62 reissue and a tele 62 both american. The tele was the best american guitar I have ever owned. The strat is great, but a little lifeless when compared to other guitars, but it's true to it's name. I wasn't blown away by the pickups, but they sound good. You can't go wrong by picking this up. Don't go buy a vintage guitar-they sounded great in the 50's because they were new at the time. Guitar Center is going around and buying up so many vintage guitars and setting them at rediculously high prices. Don't contribute to what they're doing. I look at their vintage wall here in L.A. and I just feel like they have a bunch of caged animals. For us working class it's hard to afford the reissue, but it's the most you should ever spend on a Fender. If you want to have the aged look of the vintage guitars then get off your ass and start playing a new one.

This is a 57 stratocaster reissue, that IS the feature!

3 Way switch, I bought it used so I didn't get a 5 way, though I was debating on having it updated some say it helps cut out the buzzing when you use the middle and neck pickup together.

Stock tremelo which is so solid that you can bend one note a whole step and the other strings don't drop a noticeable amount. (YAY!)

I played this guitar then played a 1960 Stratocaster (might have been a reissue?) and a 50th anniversary edition Stratocaster, and the 57 reissue had a noticeably warmer tone, with regards to the middle and neck pickups.

I played it on a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, and I was so impressed I bought the amp as well.

I see people saying they didn't like the sound and they yanked out the pickups. That makes me cringe, for the love of god, if you find yourself wanting a hot humbucker DONT bastardize this beauty, buy something else lol!

This guitar sounds nearly identical to the guitar Gilmour used for "Shine on you crazy diamond".

Great strumming sound, doesn't get too muddy.

Action is great, pickups great, bridge great!

The ONLY thing I would nitpick is the holes in the tremelo spring guard on the back doesn't match with the holes in the tremelo so in oder to change strings I actually have to take off the spring guard.

Seems sturdy, only had it for 3 hours. :)

I've been playing abou 20 years, I have a custom Ibanez JS 5 with a custom paint job by his sister Carol. It's a great guitar but after 10 years I really found myself wanting as different sound, and I was looking for something different and found this in a shop. Wish you were here came on the radio in the back ground and I felt like I was in the twilight zone, figured it was a sign. ;)

I would have payed $1500 for this guitar if they has asked it.

Sunburst "crafted in Japan" model. This was made for the Japanese market, never intended for release in the U.S. I bought it from "GuitarGai" who specializes in Japanese made guitars that are avaiable only in Japan. You can find his goods and the story of Japanese Fender guitars on Ebay and his website, "guitargai.com." The Japanese guitars that are sold commercially in the U.S. have been "dumbed down" with basswood instead of alder or ash, and less expensive pickups. The ones intended for release in Japan have Alder or ash bodies and American pickups, such as Texas Specials, which is what this one has. Guitars like this are a challenge to find, and even though the Japanese ones available in the U.S. are very nice, this is the way to go.

I have to say, this has got it. Perfect pure Strat tone. Simply amazing.

The guitar was used, so I'm not sure about the factory set-up. I'm not sure if the "GuitarGai" sets them up himself, but this one was very close to right on. I like mine set at Fender specs. The relief was on the money, string height great, intonation a little off, pickups a little off. Like I said, very close.
The finish is stunning, beautiful and flawless. Frets are great, no swimming pool body, very high quality. A few slightly loose screws and the pots are a little on the cheap side. I'm not sure why the Japanese don't go all the way with the pots and selector switch. Everything else, including the pickups, are right there. It's somewhat mystifying. I will say though, that in the end, it doesn't really matter, because it works and sounds great.

Ever seen Stevie Ray, work over his Strat on "live at El Macambo?" 'nuff said.

No warranty. Used. Don't need it. GuitarGai answered questions via email pretty fast. He didn't exagerate. I got exactly what he said and nothing less.

This is the 7th Strat I've owned, 3 Americans, 1 Custom shop, 2 cheap copies, and this one. This one comes out on top. It's about equal to the custom shop, but it's got a better vibe, a little better sound, same quality build and it just looks better. Is this as good as a Fender Custom Shop model? Probablly.

This is an American Vintage '57 Reissue (no, there are no Mexican '57 RIs, they are 50's Classics.) This has everything a Strat should have. The only change I see this guitar needs is maybe putting in the 5 way switch. Everything on this guitar is top notch.

Sound is a traditional Strat sound, you've heard it many times. Great clean, great overdriven. Extremely versatile, can get full-rich sounds, bright and jangly, just about anything. Surf, rock 'n roll, classic rock, even real metal ala Purple, early Priest. Why ruin by replacing the pickups, particularly humbuckers? Just kills the sound. The pickups are great and do what they are supposed to, sound like a vintage strat. If you want a high output high gain sound, then why are you buying single coils to begin with? It has the hum, but easy to live with because the guitar sounds great. The only thing I've heard that is noiseless and sounds good are Kinmans.

The finish was perfect, everything was properly done, the frets were finished very nicely. Stock setups are genereic and designed for evryone to play it ok, once you do a setup that is personal, then it gets really good. The guitar playes like a dream, I love the V neck, the 7.25" radius is so natural, the action is 3/64" at the 17th fret, it sounds great unplugged. These are well made guitars.

Very dependale, reliable, whatever you want to call it. This has nitro finish, so it will wear with playing and time, which is expected. Stays in tune very well, strings last a long time without breaking, and sounds great.

Great guitar, at a good price. From Buddy Holly to Ritchie Blackmore. This is the best of Fenders production line, along with the AV '62 RI. The guitar is great as is, the pickups are not weak, they are vintage strat pickups. I feel those who butcher these guitars by putting in humbuckers don't appreciate these guitars for what they are. There are plenty of strats made with modern features and 'buckers, please buy those and spare the hack job on these. Like I said, the only thing this can use is a 5 way switch for those who like the 2 & 4 positions, mine is stock. Even with the 3 way switch, you can get the in between sounds, that just shows the perfection in the design.

Made in Japan in 1995 (=> 21 frets)
Black Color
3 single pickups , vibrato & strato usual stuff.
The neck is excellent (++++) . It's possible to play very fast on such this neck.

I use it with a Peavey Prowler amp.
It is OK for Rock/Blues.
I like positions 2 & 4.

I bought it second hand for 470 Euros in Paris.
I just cleaned it with polish & Lemon oil (for the neck ;-)

I will use it on stage very soon.
Tuners do not move (even on bends)
It also own a nice Gibson Nighthawk that have more powerfull pickups.

Never use it

If you can fin a japanese strat (or other), I recommand you to buy it.
Don't listen to people who tell that only USA made guitars are OK.
With such this guitar, you can play Live in Clubs & do excellent recordings.
You can find Japanese new strat over the net if you search.
They are still built but not exported !!!!

I have the mexican version of the '57 strat, I believe it was made in 2001, pickups are s/s/s with a 5 way switch. It is surf green with a maple neck and smallish frets. It has the vintage stamped tuners and a vintage tremelo.

I play everything from tom petty to AC/DC, the pickups are too brite for AC/DC but are great for clean sounds. I don't find it noisy unless I am near flouresent lights or a TV. You could cut glass with the sounds this thing makes thru my '72 gibson solid state amp.

The string buzz and the bucking of the pickguard drove me nuts until I added another screw above the middle pick-up and adjusted the action. I fell in love with this guitar and it's 1/3 tennis ball sized round neck and curved fret board. Stays tuned for days and days. The weather/humidty is about the only thing that will change tuning slightly.

This guitar will outlast me

I've had this guitar about 3 years and after trying many others I could not find a comparable replacement for what I paid.

Actually I'm just writing this review to try and explain Mr. Sony my point of view about the 57 fender reissue... It never ceases to amaze me how someone with 15 years of playing, gigging and gear experience could make such remarks about this particular piece of gear.
You don't by gear based simply on looks, you buy then because they sound good, at most, because they sound and look good, but never based "just" on the looks of it.
The neck is to fat? Well it's a 57 reissue, was it supposed to be "modern thin", what about the pickup issue! Why didn't they use noiseless? Is it so strange the fact that fender did not use noiseless pickups with a 57 reissue, please refresh my memory but since this is a reissue and I do not believe they had noiseless pickups back in 57, learn to live with the static man...
After reading your review I can't help but to feel sorry for you. I mean, you just spent 1200 euros on a guitar, that doesn't seem to live up to your standards, I believe you should stop and ask yourself wether that was a smart move... Maybe you need something like a standard model.
The only real flaw I can see with the reissues is the fact that the finish doesn't seem to be 100% nitrocellulose lacquer, which is not such a bad thing, if you think of it (even though I prefer instruments finished in oil, or 100% nitro).
So to sum it up, I believe fender has done a wonderful job with these vintage reissue series, these are truely great guitars, but you have to be logical about what you buy, and you have to know what you're buying...
In this case you bought a 57 reissue stratocaster, there is no complaining about low output pickups, static noise, fat necks or any other characteristics inherent to a reissue, you simply have to know what you're buying before you actually shell out 1200 euros for a guitar...

keep rockin...

2001 or 2002 USA same specs as the rest. ALder 2 tone sunburst. Nitrocellulose finish. v shaped neck, da-da-da-da-da... what it is is a strat - no extra features besides the face that Fender lets us have a taste of how they were originally made. Came with tweed case and all the other vintage goodies.

I have always wanted a '57 but lacked the $. It doesn't particularily fit my style as my main axe, but it is what it is - a legendary beautiful guitar with the best clean sound there is, period. It is noisy, but hey, thats single coils - but what a nice shaped sound they give. Not as loud as other stock SC strats. Everyone says the bridge pickup is trash. Maybe their amp is trash. If you want a guitar to put humbuckers in, buy a MIM strat and modify away and save your self some $. Eric Johnson gets a wicked sound out of his (original '57). BTW, it resonates unplugged better than most guitars, which is always good. Not the best axe for metal, but great for classic rock, jazz, country, BLUES, etc.

I got a deal on mine because the finish had a couple little blems. DO NOT HANG THESE ON STRING SWINGS OR PUT ON STANDS FOR LONG PERIODS! The synthetic rubber of stands interacts with the nitor and marrs it up. Be careful! Everything elese is great. Thes are not bookmatched, just pretty wood. V neck is awesome. I love the small frets and sometimes I hate them. Depends on what lick/style you're trying to do.

Strats are THE workhorse guitar of all time (along with Les Pauls, but you have to baby those somewhat). Jeff Beck said he threw his strat up in the air 15ft. and he missed it and it smashed onto the stage. He picked it up and it was still in tune with nothing wrong with it. That's a tank! Don't do that with a Gibson product though! Finish is meant to wear off like the old ones. Comes with the territory. Hey, people pay an extra $500 or more nowadays to have a "relic" look. I never gig without a backup.

I have only dealt with a Fender dealer and all was good.

Playing 21 years (since 9). If stolen, I may purchase one again if I could get another deal like this. I don't plan to play it too much as I have a MIJ strat modified to my likings. I own 2 other strats, A Marshall JCM 800 rig, Fender Precision bass, Martin D-16GT, and a Washburn J28SCEDL Jumbo acoustic electric.

I think mine was a 2002 version of the Fender 57 USA reissue. Sunburst and 22 Maple frets that looks like marble, and feels like marble too.

I play mostly blues based rock. Problem i have is that the stock pups seems not strong enough. the bridge pickup is not too good for harmonics and stuffs. the neck pickup is great though. AND WHATS WITH THE BUZZ? Strange why fender used these pickups when they have noiseless ones.
i have experimented on different amps, I am using a fender blues deville, and some effects...but most of the time i have to get the volume of the amp really high to be heard in the mix(over the bass and drums).
Maybe i need to play it more often,but right now, its just a back up to my Gibson Les Paul.

From the store, it had a very light gauge strings(.08's). I used .10's and when i changed the strings the first time, the action was really high, it took me some time to get the proper action.
but on the physical side, this guitar is a beauty....its just too beautiful to be played in...when i initially bought it, i just looked at it admired it like a showroom guitar...

I do not like the neck so much because it is too fat for me, this is actually the 2nd thing i dont like from this guitar next to the pickups...but its brand new, might need some getting used to.

who knows? but Fenders usually last longer than life itself.

Fender has Cust Support?

ive been playing music for the past 15 years now and gigging for half that time.i think i have reasonble experience when it comes to guitar gears and stuffs. but it still amazes me to see and hear great guitars..the reason i got this guitar in the first place is that it just looks so sweet,the fretboard is amazingly beautiful and smooth. Too bad the neck is too fat, its not a fast neck like the Standards, or the clapton and blackmore series...

Basic strat SSS setup, American Made re-issue
vintage sytle guard and knobs
V neck
very nice guitar
got used with some buckle rash on the back

Had a beautiful full strat - clean/blues/classic rock sound
NOT suited for metal, hey buy a metal guitar (I've got 5 of them)
nice big open sound, great neck PU sound, nice 'quacky' bridge/middle combo
all around, it does what it's designed for

OK, so it was used and had buckle rash on the back, that aside

This is a very nice strat, I've had a few
The aged look of the neck is great as is the feel
I CAN play super fast runs on it, but try not to

An all around sweet axe

My stepdaughter is using this to learn on as it's the only electric I have without a floating trem
It's built solid so I have no concerns

I absolutely recommend it if you can get it used.
There is nothing so special about ti that I would advise paying the $1200+ new price
I would buy another at $650 if I NEEDED another guitar.

1999 us 57reissue, surf green. It's a strat It hase all the features it needs. To me there is nothing better than a nice vintage strat(even reissue) into a nice tube amp.

For my musical it's beautiful. I think it's funny some the reviews that sayed they didn't like them. That's it's not good for metal or punk, well no Sh#t! Play it with some soul through a nice warm tube amp and it can't get any better to me.

Even the originals,(I have a few a 56, 63, and a 72) are inconsistant. I recommend trying a few out to pick your favorite. I tend to like the heavier weight ones for some reason they just sound better to me. All I've tried are sweet, but some just fit me more than others.

This guitar, not on purpose, has been through hell and back. Off stages,down stares and countless other things. It now looks like one of those custom shop relics. But the thing is just as strong as it ever was. I picked it up after falling down a flight of concrete stairs and it was still in tune!

never have dealt with fender.

If I came across any guitar in this price range with this kind of vibe, I'd be all over it. Thats why my girlfriend keeps me away from the store.

1957 re issue 1987 manufactured made in usa
bought new in 1987. stock single coils never been worked on sunburst paid
$850 in 1987 came with twweed case

when new 1st thru 5 years it sounded kind of tinny. after playing many many countless hours and getting older it sounds soooooo swweet did i say it sounded sweet.is it noisy you bet. i think the hum should be recorded just from strats would make a nice cd, though cause it seems the more they hum the better they sound.bridge pickup is trash but so were the originals. with a tube head it sounds just fine though. you must set it up for thicker strings but thast is no big deal.

built like a brick shi-- house. the finish is cracked now every one wants to buy it. frets are worn down but that only enhances sound. back of neck is worn. when these strats age (be patient) they get a truly best sound. i think they are still number 1 for sounds including my areas local guitar boutique maker prs. a strat does it all hands down thank you very much

screws have rust who cares i do not. as dependable as my old chevy truck.finish is identical to a real 576. for someone who vares for sounds not looks buy an 80's usa reissue you will pay as much now as then but i think they are as close to the holy grail for a guitar can ben

huh

been plyin 35 years all kinda stuff old school guy slow but steady. if it was stolen i would find another one,

Purchased new in July of 2000 from musicians friend for $1159. Made in USA (no Mexican Crap thank you very much) 21 frets, maple neck, alder body.

The stock pickups were horrible. All three were trash in my opinion. This is a great guitar... with a little work. I put a seymour duncan little '59 in the bridge and also put a ssl-5 and a quarter pound in. This fully unlocked the potential of this guitar.
With a humbucker in the bridge you can get the distortion you need for more aggressive music. I play everything from miles davis and joe pass to Slayer and this covers almost the entire musical spectrum. Strats are the most versatile of all guitars and of course i bought this for the clean tone. If you want a metal tone get something else, unless you're Iron Maiden!. I play my slayer, metallica, megadeth, entombed ect. on my flying V, not this. The tone you get from the neck pickup is outstanding. I can really nail little wing with this guitar. I'm giving out a 6 for the tone category just because of the original stock pickups.

This guitar was setup good, although I raised the action and put 13's on to get an even better tone. You should always play a guitar first before you buy it. The '57 reissue models have very sticky necks. Don't fret though, you'll get used to it and eventually in time the wood sets in and the neck becomes very smooth.

Very durable. It took me 3 and a half years to finally get around to writing this review, but over time my tremelo bar has started to rust and some of the screws have rusted as well. I never really polish my guitars so i'm sure that is the reason. But who cares about a little rust, it's only cosmetics.

never had to deal with fender.

Been playing about 5 years. I have a truckload of effects, a '62 reissue fender strat (USA), a gibson '67 flying V reissue, a marshall tsl 100 jcm 2000 amp and blah blah blah. This '57 strat is great and i would definitely buy another if i had to replace this one. If you have any more questions about this guitar you can email me, ladies don't be shy, i'll email you my picture if you live in the Albany, NY area and we can make beautiful music together.

New in 2003. American Vintage 57 Strat. 21 Vintage Style Frets. Alder Original Contour body (fits like a glove). 3 New American Vintage Strat Single-Coil Pickups, Vol,Tone,Tone. Fender/Gotoh? Vintage Style Tuning Machines, One piece Maple neck 7.25? Radius. American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo with ?Ash Tray? Bridge Cover. I immediately changed the 3 way switch to a 5 way witch that came with the guitar. Came with a tweed case loaded with goodies. Basically loaded with the original features.

I play Rock on this bad boy, and Rock it does! I have it plugged in to a little 30 Marshall DFX amp. It has that original crisp 50's style sound, and with the 5 way switch upgraded. You can get that 60's Eric Clapton sound too. I haven't found any dislikes yet. I'm still in awe over the work of art. I have a Gibson, and I wasn't used to the A/C hum that Strats produce. But I had already read about it, so I got used to it real quick.

The guitar was set up nice from the factory. The manual did warn about a bunch of factors that could alter the setup before arrival to its final owner, but mine came in great. Everything flawless.

Come on this is a Strat... A guitar for the rocking masses. All the vintage hardware is Sweet! I wouldn't think twice about needing a backup for this one. The body has a lacquer finish instead of polyurethane, and the finish was excellent. The neck had the nitro finish which is also excellent.

Limited Lifetime Warranty. This was a funny one. After reading the warranty. Fender basically warranties the body and neck for life, but nothing attached to them. So if the body crack, or the neck cracks. It's covered. Everything else had a shorter warranty.

I play a Gibson ES-335, and I bought this guitar for my wife. She was absolutely ecstatic. She rocked out on it right away. I got a chance to play it later, and I was very impressed. We've both been playing 25 years. If we lost it I would have to get another immediately. It is everything that I hoped it would be. I can't afford a 64' or earlier Strat. And this one is truly a faithful representation of the original. I can't say enough about the low cost and great vintage sound this guitar has.

This is just a standard reissue jap strat, so the features are somewhat lacking. However, if you are looking for that straight strat sound with no messing about and with a not so hefty prive tag, then this guitar is as good as it gets.

I play a fusion of jazz, rock and blues, so this guitar suits me down to the ground. It sounds like a strat should sound. Clean and jangly but when used with some valve overdrive (i use a JCM 800 with two 4x12's) it really opens up especially at the bridge. When using a clean sound, I suggest that the 2nd and 4th pickup positions as they are nice and fluidic. The only negitive point is that as the pickups are factory standard, when not used out of phase, they can be quite noisy, but are bearable!!!!

I simply cannot complain, the set up was spot on, the finish was prestine and there was not one flaw in the finish.

I love jap strats (hence why i got one) and i would say that this strat would stand up to anything that gigging and studio work would throw at it
The tuning pegs are stong and it has never let me down as yet. (fingers crossed eh!!!!)

N/A

I have been playing for 14 years and own a les paul black beauty custom and a '52 reissue US tele, so this strat is price wise the bottom of the pile, but when purchasing it, i tried a plethora of us strats and various other models, and i have to say that this is one of if not the most comfortable strat i have played. OK its features are basic and it doesnt have the monetry value or the poser status of a yankee job, but all that said and done, its sound and playability really blew me away and i would advise anyone who is looking for a good priced stat to try out one of these (if they come your way!!!) as with any guitar, its down to the individual of what you like and what you dont, but like i said, this guitar is well worth a look, I would most definatly be vexed is this was stolen, and would definatly buy another!