Fender '62 Reissue Stratocaster

I have had my 1989 Fender Japan '62 re-issue for 10 years now and I can't imagine having any other guitar as my main unit. It plays like a dream and stays in tune better than any guitar I have ever had, and I've owned approx. 25 guitars over the course of my 26 year playing career. I installed a Seymour Duncan JB junior pickup in the bridge position to make it more versatile. The other 2 are the stock staggered pole single-coil pickups.

This thing sounds GREAT- pro-quality all the way.

The workmanship and quality-control used in the construction of this guitar is the best I have ever seen.

This guitar and all the hardware on it are tough as nails. I have literally abused this guitar(it is now a true relic) and have never had any problems whatsoever.

I wouldn't know-

This is an exact identical copy of the 1962 stratocaster- the most desirable electric guitar on the planet. It has aged well- it's 20 this year and if it weren't for the "crafted in japan" sticker on the back of the neck you would never know it wasn't a real one.
This guitar is an outstanding instrument-and that's not even close to giving it justice. I love it.

Early 90's I'm guessing 1992 or so. It was gift from my uncle that had a music store at the time. It came to me stock and it has gone through many changes since then. I changed the 3 way selector to a 5 way, routed out the bridge pickup to fit a humbucker (Seymour Duncan Distortion) and I traded the vintage nech and middle for Fender Lace Sensors (Blue in the neck and Gold in the middle) I have also since added a small toggle in the pick guard to change the phase of the humbucker and also make it into a single coil. I also changed the original mint green pick guard to a pealoid white one.

After the changes it works real well with a Laney GH50 half stack for classic rock and hard rock, but then again not much is original on this anymore

When I got it it was professionally set up so all was well and set up for my style. Over the 20+ years ive been playing it ive had to change a few tuning machines but its never let me down.

Great gigging guitar, the finish is starting to show some wear after 20+ years of banging on it but it just adds character

This is my ultimate guitar, if I lost it i dont know what I would do. Ive been playing it for so long its an extension of my playing.

I have a late 1985 3 color sunburst I bought new from a Dallas Texas music store. Fender was just making about 5 American Strats a day at the time. The salesman called me when this one came in because he was only getting one Strat a week at the time. He told me to get down there and buy it because it was the best playing and sounding one he had seen come in yet. He was right, it had that beautiful bell tone that my friends 1963 strat sounded like. I have now had this guitar for 24 years and it still plays and sounds beautiful. I have owned a 1986 62 Vintage Lake Placid blue that just never had that tone of my sunburst strat. It had a real nice rhythm tone but if just faded out in the top frets.

This is the ultimate early 70's rock guitar. I play it through two Fender Super Champs run in stereo with a ADA rack delay . You will get some hum from it but only when you are not playing , so who cares. I just always turned the volume off on the guitar when I was not playing it. It has a rich bell tone that cuts like a knife. I am a big Rory Gallagher fan and so I play alot of slide guitar on it. You can nail his tone with this guitar. There is nothing I don't like about my sunburst strat. It is the perfect electric guitar.

My 1985 Vintage 62 was set up perfect from the factory. My 86 Vintage needed the neck aligned and the last fret would catch the high E string every once in a while.

I used my 1985 Vintage on stage for 20 years and never had a problem even after knocking it off it's stand a couple times and even dragging it across a cement floor when my foot caught the guitar cord and yanked it off the stand after having a feww too many drinks. It now looks alot like the Rory Gallagher model, haha. Maybe it is now worth more money. :)

Never talked to Fender

Best electric I have owned . One of the best I have ever played. It beats my Jeff Beck Strat hands down.

2003, olympic White, mint green pick guard, 57/62 pickups, medium thick C-shaped neck, 7.5(?) radius...standard features

Well, this sounds exactly as you would expect. Low output but sweet sounding pickups. Not as twangy as a 50's type strat, more tight sound that sounds better the more you drive your amplifier. All pickups sounds great, the bridge pu not very strong but if you adjust the pu height you'll get can get perfect balance between them. Perfect for what it's supposed to be, 62 reissue, very clear balanced sound

Second hand, traded it against a Tele 52 RI, both were in mint condition. I think the olympic white is the most beautiful, even though this one has yellowened a bit (already), adds even more character. Adjusted the string height to my liking and it bends great despite the small radius

I've had no problems and I expect no problems

Been playing for a long time and had lots of guitars, lately I realized that Strats are my favorites, I have three, this is the only vintage style I have, the only one I didn't change pickups. I wanted vintage style and the they sound perfect for that. It's something about this neck shape that I love, played my friends real 62 in the seventies and I can still recall that feeling when I play this guitar.

US made in late -99. Great three tone sunburst, two piece alder body. There are two things i don't like with it. 1. The backside cutting, it's slobby and not done in the right way. 2. The bridgeplate is also sloppy and cut crocked. The wood is of good quality.

I liked the pickups on this one, very true to the original. But put on Texas specials now (they suit my style better)

Got it when it was 2 years old, and it was in mint condition. I always adjust my guitars so i don't bother about the setup. But i guess it would pass as ok.

As i said i got it in mint but now it would go as a heavy relic. I use it everyday (even take it with me to the toilet sometimes) i guess you could call it REAL LOVE! It's made like the old ones, nothing fancy.

Never been in touch with Fender.

I play in a blusey-style. Love SRV, Clapton, Knopfler etc. Been playing the guitar for about 18 years. I used to play with a Tubescreamer all of the time, but i've started to appreciate the real simple tone more and more.

My 62??vintage reissue Strat is from the first run of production in late 1982. Unlike the reissue Strats and the CS Strats of todays production it has a real extreme shaping. Its a very light one, wich has a natural relic finish now after 25 years of use. Usual slab board and tt sunburst. The neck width is a little bid smaler than now. I read that original vintage strats with such a neck were made from late 59 to early 60. So it has all the features I prefer from a Strat.

With the stock PUs it used to sound very nice but they begann to feedback at higher volumes or gain settings so I changed them with A.Y. masterwound PUs No 173 from 300. These are the best Strat PUs I??ve ever heard. Nice balance from neck to bridge pu and lovely ringing tone. With my 1972 Twin Reverb and a little help from a good OD you can get every trademarksound you know from Strats.

can??t remember the factory setup. But since I service my guitars myselve it is exactly how I like it.

I expect this Strat to be alive after the next 25 years. I??ll never sell it.

never dealt with them.

It??s everything you??d expect from a Strat

Since the technical information is available from the Fender web site and from previous HC reviews, I???ll try to focus on the features that become apparent only after you???ve played one for a while.

You can bend strings all day on this guitar. Between 1954 and 1983, all Strats had a 7.25 inch neck radius, and Clapton, Harrison, Garcia and millions of others played them without anyone complaining that the radius made string bending too hard. Now, the so-called experts insist that we need a 9.5 inch neck radius or our bends will fret out. This is hogwash, and the 62 Reissue proves them dead wrong.

It stays in tune. The tuners are quality reproductions of the original split-post Klusons. No wrapping the string over itself, no guesstimating the proper string length, no trying to cut the end when the string is wrapped around the post, no sharp ends, and no slipping, all of which helps keep it in tune. If a good Strat has tuning problems, check the entire set up, including the truss rod relief.

It has nitrocellulose lacquer over a urethane basecoat, which gives it a glossy, vintage look. The back of the neck does not get sticky, even when humidity is a factor.

The 60 cycle single coil hum is an urban legend. Fluorescent lights, cell phones, and similar appliances will sometimes produce a slight hum or hiss through this Strat. However, it can be heard only when you are plugged in and not playing, and no one should listen to what they are not playing. In other words, you can???t hear it unless you listen for it, and it disappears once you start playing.

There are a few nit-picky details that might bother collectors, but that are of no real concern. For instance, the headstock decal does not have the patent numbers like an original 62 Strat, the 12th fret position markers are a hair farther far apart than on an original, the Kluson Deluxe logo is not on the tuner covers, etc. Overall though, the authenticity is really close to a real 62 Strat on things that count.

It includes a G&G case that has bad balance, and falls on its side a lot. I replaced it.

The ???57/???62 pickups are designed to sound like the original handwound Strat pickups, and sound great. The tone is balanced between the trebles and basses, and the neck and even the middle pickup will give you that great Fender growl if you play hard. The three position switch works fine and is tight, which means that you can set it to the in between positions (positions 2 and 4) pretty easily.

I am part owner of a pre-CBS Stratocaster (June, 1960, serial number 49166) that was purchased as an investment. Tonewise, the 62 Reissue has a slight edge because the notes are clearer, and because it can get a lot punchier. The 47 year old original pickups are less distinctive, with a softer sound that is prone to early break up.

I play blues and 60s and 70s rock, but play music of all types, and it all sounds right-at-home on this Strat. I am definitely ???old school,??? and use no reverb, sound effects, or picks.

I use class A amps (like the Emery Sound Superbaby and Microbaby or the Fender tweed reproductions by Clark Amplification) because of their absolutely amazing, overdrive drenched, sounds-as-good-as-sex-feels tone, and because class A amps make the strings on good guitars incredibly responsive to playing dynamics. If you love Strats but haven???t played one though a good class A, you are not yet fully alive.

The set up on the Reissue was fine, with medium action and no buzzing. It came with 10s, which I use. I set this one up the way I like it though, as it???s easy to do with a Strat, although some guys want to pay for a pro job.

I never use tremolo, so I hardtailed it by tightening the anchor plate against the body, and adding the two extra springs that were included. There is no reason to put a piece of wood behind the trem block, although some people swear that the world will end without one. If anything, a piece of wood should go in front of the trem block to help hold the bridge up. I readjusted the string height, intonation, and truss rod according to the users manual, and adjusted the pickups somewhat lower. It sounds and plays great in tune in standard tuning, or when tuned a step down.

A Strat, especially a high end one like the 62 Reissue is a lifetime guitar.

I take care of my guitars (and amps, etc.), and wipe them down after playing, keep them in cases when I???m not playing, and will not use a guitar stand, especially one with foam rubber. I change my strings one by one to help preserve the adjustment by keeping the neck tension close to constant, and check all adjustments every few months.

The Fender Relic series with intentionally dinged up bodies, fake wear marks on the necks, man-made hardware rust, and high prices amazes me, just like the story about Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence.

I jam regularly, but rarely gig. However, I gigged a few hundred times between about 1970 and the mid-1980s and except for a few precut strings, never once brought or needed a backup.

I have never needed it. If you buy a good Strat and take care of it, you wont either.

I have played Strats for 38 of the past 40 years. Some have been good, and a few have been great. The 62 Reissue is really a great guitar. Even after critical thinking, I am unable to suggest anything that needs improvement. To sum it all up, this guitar looks great, you can play it all day without your hand getting tired, and it will sound great the whole time.

I hope my comments have been helpful. If you buy a 62 Reissue, I hope that you are as happy with it as I am with mine.

Yeah looks very nice. Vintage and all that. Looks aint everything... 4 way pickup selector included....

Very nice tone... at least as good as a marshall MG50 can make it...

Don't know if this was just my signature bad luck, but I think the neck is warped.... I get constant string buzz on the low E string and a bit on the A string.... I also get horrible fret outs when bending the high E and B strings... Ruins my playing. I play Hendrix.... Tried raising the action past my liking and still the same.... NOT what I expected from a 'well crafted' reissue that costs more than the average strat... Not done yet... I also get sqweaking sounds whenever I bend.....

So neck warped, and im stuck with it like this. Not an expert so can't fix it... Payed 1400EU for a damaged guitar. Brilliant...

I don't think I can gig with the guitar in this state. Can't bend the strings an inch without fretting out...

Havent dealt with support.

Very dissapointed with this instrument which I was once so excited about. Although I havent noticed any other owner of this guitar with the same problems as me so I guess it's just my one ffs!!!

NOT HAPPY.

mine is a 1994-5 japanese 62 'premium' strat in an aged white with rosewood figerboard obviously..the premium meaning it gets an alder body unlike the normal one which gets basswood, it recieves amerian texas special p/ups and aged white parts...pretty much your average strat and that means it is very versitile!

I play alot of different styles...blues, jazz, country etc. i play alot of dire straits and mark knopflers later music and alot of my own compositions. I also play alot of steve vais music.When i bought this i didnt really know what to expect...the only strats i have played in the past are strats with emg's...but oh wow what a beautiful sound!!!it is very bright which is to be expected. I play through a VOX AD50 and a marshall. I really do like the strat on any p/up it is very mellow on the neck and middle and really bites on the bridge p/up. but im not sure if it is meant to be like this but the bridge p/up isnt wired to the tone circuit???? ive checked all the wiring and it doesnt look like it has been tampered with so im not sure (i am a les paul man so i dont know much about the strats wiring) but none the less it isnt to hard to get around.....any downsides? well it is bright and that means vvveeerry bright...i think it is becuase the texas specials are wound more for that "hot" vintage single coil sound but on the whole it is quite a nice sounding guitar. alot of people say that american strats are the go but i dont know about that..i tend to disagree..i played 3 american standard strats, an american deluxe strat and a american highway 1 strat and i settled for this guitar because the sound was just so much better and the pickups (and i know this is not really important) seem to look much better made even though they are american pickups...it counfused the heck out of me!

this is the section that the japanese guitars really shine through. The quality is second to none..i know it says in the instructions not to glorify your instrument in this review but it is literally the best made guitar i have ever owned. i cannot find fault and i seriously do mean nothing is wrong with it...it was 12ish years old when i bought it and it was in immaculate condition!..the action was just right and there was basically no buzz..but because i bought it off a respected musician in my area i cannot judge the factory set up

so far so good..nothing is wrong with it...it is light so i havent bothered with a locking strap mechanism and though i have really worked it hard since i have bought it nothing has gone wrong with it so far..the bridge and the trem do creak a bit though....im not really concerned about it but will watch it closely...i think it could just be the springs.....i always bring backup guitars so it isnt a matter if a string breaks but that hasnt happened yet.

i havent had to worry..my guitar technition does all the repairs for me :)

I really do like this guitar...it is a solid performer...as i said earlier i played 5 american strats before this one and never even thought twice about buying this one over the american strats. Also as i said before i have played les pauls most of my playing career and my first guitar was a 78' fender telecaster(and yes i think this plays better than that as well!). I am really suprised i didnt buy strat earlier because they are versitile, comfortable and sound magnificent!...but i will have to eventually get my techy to wire up the bridge p/up to the tone circuit. i cant really think of a downside and my descison is final, i am a japanese guitar collecter for sure now. I have also just purchased a japanese orville les paul standard which for those who dont know is gibson japan (which later went to epiphobe japan then later to korea) and it surpasses my american les pauls easily...oh and i thought i might just say so this review isnt ditched for glorifing jap guitars...i am not japanese i am actually australian!! and this strat is a top guitar!

Not really much to say that has not been said. Three tone sunburst finish with a rosewood fingerboard. Three pickups, three way switch. Nitro finish. Vintage style hardware.

The instantly recognizable Fender sound is all over this guitar.

Neck Pickup is woody and full sounding, fruity and musical. Makes up for a pleasant darkish clean tone or a colossal overdriven lead sound. No wonder this is traditionally Stratocaster?s strongest position.

Bridge pickup is weaker in comparison. Clean sounds do easily become trebly and harsh if the amp is set too bright, but can be tamed with the right amp and settings. Distorted they retain definition and perform well actually. All of this is to be expected from a Stratocaster so no disappoints here. Any telecaster bridge pickup will put this to shame.

Middle pickup is a highly usable compromise between bridge and neck.

In between sounds, especially the neck and middle combination, are beautiful and add a great contrast to the other positions. A five-way switch is provided, but I preferred to keep the original three way switch and archive these sounds the old-fashioned way. Keep in mind that for gigging this could be a drag.

Comparing this guitar in the sound department with a Fender American Standard is a sensitive matter. Whether if someone will prefer the output of modern pickups is really up to personal estimation. I believe that vintage ones are true to what single coils should be

Hum is present, as it is in all single coil guitars, only in a healthy degree. The guitar handles volume and gain decently without extreme feedback.

In conclusion, sound wise this guitar does deliver what it is supposed to, a great solid vintage Stratocaster sound. Besides the pickups, what sets this guitar apart is the nitro finish; it indeed lets the wood come trough the pickups.

The guitar fit and finish was flawless. It was indeed set-up properly. Nitro finish is more delicate, but it will surely age beautifully.

This guitar will withstand abuse. Replacement parts are available. The supplied Fender cases are always extremely reliable.

I would gig without a backup without fear, even thought I could break a string, but since I have never in this guitar it does not seem as a problem.

Fender designs have been confirmed thought time as effective.

It is not a perfect guitar, but it is a really great sounding guitar. It does capture the entire feel of a sixties guitar, and mojo will grow on it as time passes.

I believe this can only be compared to a G&L guitar or something of the kind. In my personal opinion, going for a Custom Shop is sort of an overkill. Fender guitars were clever pieces of engineering back in the beginning, but they were production guitars, not pretentious or upscale.

Fender has had it heights and lows, and their production is labeled as somehow inconsistent, but after finding this guitar faith has returned to me as I was reconverted.

A great price cost relationship investment that will surely end your Stratocaster needs.

This is an update on my earlier review (see 01-04-06 below); I spoke about replacing the pickups at that time. I got a set of Pete Biltoft's Vintage Vibe SP-90s on e-Bay for $119.00. These pickups are awesome--they give a P90 tone in a Strat pickup-sized package.

The new coils added heaviness, girth, fatness and warmth to my tone without losing the wonderful Stratocaster sparkle and chime. I've used the guitar live, in the studio, and at a couple of jam sessions; the guitar just seems to come alive and kick booty even more than before.

This is the richest-sounding set of Stratocaster pickups I've ever heard.

They were beautifully made (copper shielding, cooth-covered wiring, and HEAVY) and are not noisy at all (especially considering that they are based on a P90, tone-wise). Also, the pole pieces have a slotted pan-head scfrew look, and they look GORGEOUS.

Overall, they really add to the "Custom Shop" look of my axe.

All I had to do was remove the OEM pickups, solder these into place, and let fly--little or no adjustment was needed.

I played the crap out of the guitar in a marathon multi-band/multi-artist stage show, and it performed awesomely--everyone who had heard the guitar before commented on the difference; even people who didn't know I had changed the pickups noticed.

I e-mailed and even called Pete, and he was awesome--great support, little tips and hints and even kind words about a voice-mail I sent him (playing my new pickups over the phone).

Also, his documentation/diagrams were awesome--as good as ANYTHING I've ever seen!

The only reason I'm reviewing these pickups here instead of on the pickup page is because we can't post reviews there.

made 2004, american vintage, ocean turquoise finish

this is a follow up review now that I've had the guitar for about a year and a half and heavily gigged it. This guitar is a beast. It can sound as sweet as spring and as heavy as an oncoming locomotive. It's just so aggressive. Sometimes I feel like it gains control over me and I just let it play. It has such character. I got a Gibson Les Paul since posting my last review because I've always wanted one and I have to say the strat still gets more use. My chain now goes as follows: Guitar -> Vox v2487 -> fulltone '69 -> maxon OD808 -> Fender '64 Twin Reverb reissue (with two power tubes taken out). with the twin cranked at least above 4 and the maxon on, the strat sings sweet overdriven tones. Step on the fuzz and it's like getting mowed down by a 1000 lb bumble bee. So full...so beautiful. I can't describe the sound. It's just gorgeous. What kind of sounds can it make? oh man, anything you want. this guitar is a work of art.

I've broken 4 whammy bars with this guitar so I finally got a heavy duty no frills whammy bar that's lasted me plenty longer so far. I've experimented with different string heights and string gauges, but now I keep the action at a pretty standard height so I get a bit of buzzing when unplugged but nothing when plugged in, and I use .11 ghs boomers. guitar's stayed in great shape.

the strap button for the horn has gotten a bit loose as of late, but that's really the only problem (other than the whammy bars) that I've experienced. I don't abuse my guitars but then I don't but them on a pedastal and stare at them. I USE them. They're going to get a little worn, but that gives them character, right?

never dealt with them

what an incredible guitar...buy one...if you believe in letting your guitar become a part of you, if you believe in soul and character. This isn't for metal heads.

I would cry if it were stolen

This is an American Vintage '62 Reissue I bought in December 2005. Olympic White with 57/62 vintage pickups and a tweed case. The last time I owned a strat was 1964 when I was a teenager playing surf music in Hawaii. Got rid of it to get an Epi Casino because my favorite guitar player at the time played one.

So in last 40 years I've gone through 3 Gibsons and 2 Ibanez's, always searching for that special sound, but never never really quite getting it. Well, I bought this strat on whim and it's the best thing I've ever done. THIS IS THE SOUND I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR ALL THESE YEARS.

The finish is absolutely beautiful. It's a pleasure just holdingthis guitar. I can't go but a couple of hours without picking it up. It's the bomb.

I'm playing this through a Vox Tonelab plugged into a Roland JC120, and the sound is huge. Am getting sweet, clean jazz sounds when I want, and creamy overdriven sounds when I need to. This guitar sounds great.

When I got the guitar the neck was out of alignment. The tech guy at Sweetwater talked me through a simple procedure, though, to correct it. I also took it to fender tech guy here in town to make sure I did it right.

The action was pretty good when I got it, but not as good as after I had a professional setu done. The stup cost 50 bucks, but was well worth every penny.

Plays like a dream now.

Not really sure about how long this axe will last, cause I just got it, but can tell you that it feels solid, is well built, and seems like it will last a long time. Hopefully, my grandkids will end up with it.

There was an issue with the strap button on the horn coming loose, but that was easy to fix.

Haven't needed any yet, but their support section at their website is awesome.

Overal, this is the best guitar I've ever owned, period.

ok, so here is the deal. got a call from my best friend that works in this music store. it seems that a crack head came in to the music store, and was trying to sell this 62 reissue/sunburst. well unknown to the owner of the store, my friend called me. and i gave the dude 300$. it then got shipped off to nash guitars , this was back in the day when he did send in stuff...hot relic job...then andy roth of rothstein guitars, built me a hot pick guard with two fralin hots, and a sp 43 in the bridge, also was a blender pot...well now boys and girls. i have the greatest guitar out there....the stock guitar was were weak, and many of the parts were junk....not now. hey forget about it... this guitar is tooooo coooool....

now, this guitar is great. tone for days/weeks/months ect...great relic job, looks like the real thing, it looks much older that when it was made (mid 80's).covers everything, hey the spirit of hendrix/srv live in this thing.

junk when i first got it, but now, well................its the best..

as of yet, no problems.

ya got to be kidding. nash guitars, rothstein guitars were great, but after two years i'm still waiting on an e-mail return from fender....

weak guitar to start with, but now, i have not been able to put it down, all my other guitars have just been sitting and collecting dust, nothing compairs to to this great guitar.. if it went away, you would see a pic of my guitar on every milk carton in america. then i would just have another one built just like it. the only problem is that, nash guitars do not except send in work now, too busy i guess. then play on....this is the way fender sould build em,, my guitar is better than the custon shop....

You really aren't getting this guitar for an abundance of features.

This is why I bought this guitar. The noiseless pickups with S-1 switching just can't compare. Nothing can replicate the vintage sound like this baby. I can barely hear the hum at all so I wouldn't be too concerned about it if I were you. You can always shield the guitar anyway. Nails the sound of Hendrix, Clapton, John Frusciante. I plat it through a 30 watt Marshall amp.

Guitar felt natural in my hands like an extension of my body. Naturally contours to fit your side and is very managable to play standing up. The finish is awesome and designed to fade over time. The 3 tone sunburst is gorgeous. The action was fine, but then again I had my guitar professionally set up.

Can't say too much about this. I've heard these guitars can withstand a lot though.

Have been playing four almost five years. I own an Ibanez AR250 and a Taylor 312ce but the '62 reissue surpasses them both. It is on the same level (quality wise) as my hand made classical guitar. If you buy this guitar, it will not let you down. I couldn't decide between the reissue and the new American Deluxe Strat but I'm glad I chose this one.

Early 90's 1962 American-made Reissue Stratocaster

Beautiful Fiesta Red finish (alder body?). Nice weight--not too light.

Vintage tinted maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Medium profile (not as big as some of the later reissue models, but not "fast" either). Medium-sized fretwires (good for me--I don't need the big ones like all the Vaughan-a-bes). Vintage Kluson-style tuning pegs.

Came from factory with 3-way switch installed, but I changed that to a 5-way immediately. Later I added the "Secret Weapon"; a push-pull pot on the (middle) tone knob that turns on the bridge pickup, no matter where the switch is. That way I can have all three pickups on at once or the bridge and neck together. Vintage-sounding Strat pickups.

Vintage tremolo bridge w/ashtray cover. I blocked the tremolo with a small stack of quarters on the backside (inside the tremolo cavity) for added tuning stability and sustain. I also customized the ashtray cover by attaching a small medal plate that says "CUSTOM" on it (I found the plate on the ground in a parking lot, and years later found out it was a decorative badge from the interior of a 1960's Pontiac).

Originally had 3-ply white pickguard, but I changed that to a aged white Mother-Of-Pearl (or as my bass player calls it, Mother-Of-Toilet Seat) to give it a slightly more Custom-Shop look. Also installed aged white tone knobs and tremolo cavity cover.

I changed the strap buttons to accomadate Schaller strap locks (I do this on all my electric guitars, except the Danelectro).

It came with a vintage-style tweed case, strap, cable and a few allen tools. I saved all these things along with the original 3-way switch, tone pot, pickguard, knobs, tremolo cavity cover, strap buttons and un-used tremolo arm for historical reasons.

It was a beauty when I bought it, but after my little "tweaks", many people assume it's a Fender Custom Shop. It is gorgeous to the max, and it sounds better, too--more pickup selections, added sustain, etc.

I play guitar, slide guitar, harp and vocals in a Texas Roadhouse (mix unequal amounts of blues, classic rock and Outlaw country) band called the SCREAMIN' ARMADILLOS. Someone described us as the Fabulous Thunderbirds and ZZ Top touring with Waylon Jennings.

This axe fits my style perfectly; vintage-y with a few added features. I have used this guitar as a standard (fingerstyle) instrument, a slide instrument, and with every tuning known to mankind. It has never let me down. It has a full, rich tone that can punch, roar or chime, depending on how you pick it or set the pickup configuration. It is mostly used as a slide guitar at this time, with either open D or open A tuning.

It's not noisy considering it has single-coils and I run a lot of different effects (though not all at the same time).

My setup is as follows: Boss TU2 tuner, Ibanez TS9 Tubescreamer, 70's block-logo MXR Phase 90, Jim Dunlop Crybaby wah, Jim Dunlop Jimi Hendrix JH2S Classic Fuzz, Boss DS1 Distortion, Danelectro Daddy-O, DOD 7-band EQ, Rocktron HUSH noise reducer all powered by/mounted on a Furman SPB8 pedalboard. This does sound like alot of stompboxes, but I can get any texture or sound I want/need, and since I use a variety of guitars (Fender Esquire, G&L F-100, Danelectro DC3, and this Stratocaster), and use the effects judisciously, I have a very natural, unprocessed sound.

All of this goes into a 1963 Reissue Fender Vibroverb mic'ed through the PA.

The only thing I would like is perhaps a little more punch--some Texas Specials or comparable Seymour Duncans might be in the works (maybe).

Set up just fine from the factory. I keep the action pretty low, even though I mainly use this guitar for slide nowadays. Most slide players are surprised that I keep the action this low, but I have a light left hand and a heavy right one. No picks--all flesh and fingernails, baby!

I have readjusted the pickups on multiple occasions, but overall, I keep it near the factory specs.

The finish was perfect--I have dinged it a couple of times since I bought it 12 1/2 years ago.

I have used (but not abused) this axe for 12 1/2 years. It has never left me stranded. It still looks great, and sounds awesome. I did have to re-set the strap buttons once (the ol' Superglue & toothpick trick) after about ten years.

Never dealt with them, but I have owned multiple Fenders (guitars and amps) and I like the company.

The only thing I would change would be to have a non-tremolo body/bridge, and I would like to have some wide, low fretwires (like my G&L F-100).

I love the looks, sound, and feel of this guitar.

If it were ever stolen, I would track down the VSI (Very Sorry Individual) and make him wish he/she were never born.

we all know that,so let's skip this parts
Lefthanded !
except for this!!

nitrocellulose laquer is a SHEAT, my guitar is FINISHED in a nitrocellulose laquer,but underneath this, there a EPOXY related laquer.
the nitro is just for looks only!!!
don't let nobody tell you anymore that this finish will give a great tone because the guitar can breath. IT CAN NOT. the wood is SEALED,period.

I don't trust Fender anymore. From now on,I will never ever buy a new fender again. It's a BIG SCAM.

it is a good guitar but not worth the money,I will buy trust worthy brands from now on

well for sound,it does sound good,but not great,heard better cheaper guitars in the past.
I'm using it with : DR Z Carmen Ghia,Gibson GA-5, Marschall valvestate 8040, fender blues junior.

likes: it's a good strat.

dislikes : SHEATING IN THE LAQUERS

action en set up was good, overall good quality

%$#@ THEM!!

if you want to play the blues,buy a 'vintage series' and you'll have a reason to play it.

Scam artists, but what the hell, They are Fender he.

They can tell you whatever they want.

I have been playing for 16 years, have owned some good guitars;fenders,Jackson,SD curlee,gibsons,epiphone,Steinberger, this one is ok,but nothing more.

I wished that fender told people the truth about the nitrocellulose.

I will never buy one of these again

BTW I know materials. I am a restorer of old jukeboxes and own a Chrome an nickel plating company, I am not a novice when it comes to this.

BIG SCAM

Mine is a 2005 Surf green 62 strat purchased at Americanmusical.com for US$1079. Surf green strats are in my opinion the most beaultiful guitars ever made. This one was an instrument in the dent and scratch section, but I couldn't find anything on the guitar that would resemble a dent or a scratch. The case, on the other hand, had a 2" tear on the brown tolex, but the guitar was minty. Lucky me! The regular price is 1329.
Since everybody that has played guitar in the planet earth knows the features of a strat, let me just compare the USA 62 Reissue with an American Standard Strat. The 62's finish is partly nitrocellulose, whereas Am Stds are finished with Polyurethane. Nitrocellulose interact more with the environment (it gets thinner with time, it changes the collor in the spots where your body is in constant contact with the guitar, such as the arm rest place, and the back of the body, it cracks easily with changes in temperature, etc). So, the 62 Reissue strats get prettier as they age. That does not happen with american std strats. Tuners are vintage kluson-style, instead of the cast-sealed modern tuners of am. std. strats. The radius of the neck is smaller in the 62. It means that the curvature of the fretboard is more pronounced. While am. std. strats have medium-jumbo frets, the 62 has thin, vintage-like frets. The tremolo has the 6-pivots vintage style, rather than the modern 2-pivots of the am. std. strat. Finally, all the wirings are cloth covered, to resemble the type of material used back in the 60's. The guitar comes with a 3-position pick up key, but you can also install the 5-position that comes extra. There is also the metal tremolo cover that has no utility other than serving as an ashtray. If you smoke, of course.

I own a Mesa Boogie Maverick 1x12 and a Fender Tweed Blues Deville 4x10. As far as fx, my board has a modded Ibanez TS-9, Ibanez CS-9 compressor, Voodoo Lab Micro Vibe, Danelectro Dan-Echo, Dunlop Cry Baby, Boss Blues Drive, Boss TU-2, Boss Noise Sup. NS-2, and MXR Phase 90. The 62 strat has the crispy, thin, articulate, beaultiful sound that has been enchanting generations and generations of players. It is the worlwide icon for blues, rock'n roll, jazz, and everything in between. I particularly like the combination fender strat - fender tube amp. It is candy for my ears. Is it noisy? Yes, as any vintage strat should be. God bless Ms. Leo Fender, the biggest inventor of the 20th century!

I couldn't find any visible flaw on the guitar. Action was a little too high for my taste. Nothing that a bit of tweaking here and there woudn't solve. I happen to be a left-handed player. But I love playing with right-handed strats. I do a few adjustments though. The nut has to be replaced or reversed. I also change the side of the strap button. The most significant change, however is that I remove one of the tone potentiometers, and I move the volume to its position. To avoid having an extra hole in the pickguard, I order a strat pickguard with only two holes. Warmoth does it pretty well (however they don't do the 62-hole pattern, which is slightly different from am. std. strats).

Strats are tough machines. They can stand years of heavy use.

Never needed it. Hey, if you like fender guitars, you should go the the fender museum, in Corona, CA. It is guitar heaven.

Great guitar. I own more than 20 instruments, and the 62 Reissues are my favourites. You can't go wrong with these guitars. They are very versatile tools, that will stand a lifetime.

This is most likely a 2004/05 built US model. Your standard vintage 21 fret design with three single coil pickups and vintage hardward. The neck is a C-shape witch is one of my favorite Fender necks. Mine is an Ocean Turquoise color witch is quite striking in appearance. The finish is in nitrocellulose lacquer just like the originals.The body is alder and the fretboard is rosewood of course. The case is built by the original company that made cases for Fender in 1962. Very good quality and tan color.

There is an old saying, " You get what you pay for". In the case of electric guitars, it is fitting. The tone of this thing is amazing. I have personally built several guitars using top quality parts. Aside from the obivious better Fender finish, this thing sounds as good or better that any thing that I have built. The tone is "rich". Thats the best way I can describe it. Because it has a three way switch and has the normal 60 cycle hum, I cannot give this guitar or any such guitar a ten. But I will give it a 9.9 for all other tonal qualities. It overdrive my amp with a nice full bluesy grind, It can also be nice and transparent breathing tone as well.

This is the third guitar I have purchased online from Musicians Friend. There are a lot of folks who would say, "Are You Nuts" buying a 1300.00 guitar with out playing it first. Well, all I have to say about that is that I have not had one problem with anything they have sent me. If you don't like it , send it back within the warranty. They will credit your account as long as the merchandise come back in they same as it left. NO Problemo here. They setup was dead on. The thing plays perfect. Most likely the set was from the factory because the Fender cardboard box looked as if it had never been opened.

Fenders will last for years as long as you take reasonable care of them. That goes for any musical instrument. Wipe them off and keep them in a case. A good recipe for any care. I only gig at parties now so this is primarily an expensive hobby now. But it's a fun one.

Musicians friend is fantastic. Fender can be so-so depending on the situation.

I have been playing for over forty years. I have and now own several strats over the course of years. This is definitely one if not the best. I owned a 1964 Olympic White strat that I lost in a burglary about twenty five years ago. This guitar reminds me a lot of that one. I own about 13 guitars some I have built myself and some a the regular factor models. I have played some nice Custom Shop Fender. Not one of them have anything on this one. It was expensive but not that expensive if you compare it with what the Custom Shop would charge you. The Mexico built vintage series are pretty decent. I tried a few of them before I made the choice to buy this one. But if you add the cost of a nice case and install good pickups, you can be up close to a "grand" anyway. I am counting one this to a long term investment. Vintage 1962's may be selling for over ten grand, but they are not 9000.00 better than this axe.

Mine is a '62 RI Jap that I purchased brand new in 1991 (made in May of 1991). Really cool seafoam green that's aged beautifully. 57/62 pickups, maple neck (no stripe) with a rosewood fingerboard. Body is alder. Features of a real '62 with the exception of a 5 way toggle. Has the Fender Kluson style tuners with the split top - love 'em, so easy to restring. I finally wore out the frets after 14 years of very hard use and am having med jumbos installed instead of the originals. Giving it a 10 because it has the features of a '62 other than the 5 way which I consider an upgrade. As another reviewer said, "You want features, buy a Lexus...

I'm a pro that's been playing regular gigs for almost 30 years. Done many styles but currently doing covers of everything from Zep and Hendrix to Foo Fighters and Green Day. Mostly just good hard rock. This has been my #1 for 14 years. This thing just sounds like a STRAT!! Awesome single coil vibe. Got that strat sparkle. You get your usual single coil buzz but not excessive at all. I always play this guitar and a dual humbucker (right now a Hamer USA Special FM) because in my opinion, the sounds are just not interchangable. Right tool for the right job. I've had or played almost every Fender you can imagine and I haven't played one yet that I'd trade my Jap Strat for. I've gigged with it in bars pretty regularly for over a decade and it still looks good, plays good and just doesn't go out of tune!! I once did three practices and two gigs without touching the tuners. Every time I checked it with my Boss tuner it was right on. You can use it, abuse it, crank on the whammy bar, whatever and it just keeps on going. This guitar made to play, not hang on the wall - never understood that anyway. I've played this through many amps. The highlights: '66 blackface Pro Reverb, '67 blackface Bassman, Marshall Bluesbreaker, Boogie Rocket 44 & Mark II, even went Pod Pro into power amp for awhile. Currently playing through a Carvin MTS 3200 into 4X12 Vintage 30's (One of the best sounding amps I've ever played through - cleans equal to my Pro and after you put better than stock tubes in it, the high gain channel will drag both Boogies through the street and kick both their asses at the same time) The strat sounds fantastic through all of the above.

The factory set up when I bought this was okay but needed some tweaking to get the action lower without fret buzz when bending the strings (I use 10 - 46, by the way). To be fair, there's no such thing as a perfect factory set-up IMHO. This is an amazingly well built strat that just plays beautifully. The only real flaw is that the 5 way switch needs to be cleaned regularly with tuner cleaner. Very susceptible to dust. That's the reason for the 8.

This guitar is built for the gigging pro. The harder you beat the crap out of it the better it likes it. Absolutely the most dependable instrument I've ever owned and I've owned a lot. Aside from a few chips and dings from gig abuse, the finish on this thing is so cool. As it's gotten older it's darkened a little around the outside edges and the neck has darkened considerably, just like the real deal. I can remember when made in Japan meant a piece of crap. Not any more - look at this guitar, look at Honda, Toyota, Lexus, etc... These things should be going for 2 or 3 times what they do used. Not that I care. Mine will be next to me in the coffin when they bury me. It'll probably still look a hell of a lot better than I do..

Never had to deal with Fender. I use a shop that most of the pros in San Diego go to for custom work and fixes. Never have had a warranty issue with a Fender product.

I don't really like giving 10's but I just can't help myself when it comes to this guitar. If stolen I probably wouldn't get a chance to buy another because I'd be in prison for killing then rotten S.O.B. who stole it after searching to the ends of the earth to find him. I'll post another quick review to let everyone know if I think the larger frets were a good decision. If you don't have one, find a late 80's to early 90's MIJ '62 R.I. and thank God for the idiot who let it go for $400.

2005 built, I won't bore you with what you know already!

Ice mettalic blue!!!!!

I am a semi-pro player of 15 years experience. I play Blues, Rock, Pop. I use a fender Hot Rod Deville 2x12, and normally gig without fx pedals. The '62 has the real vintage tone I crave, the pick ups are a little noisy but, it has LEO FENDER voicings. I love the sound of this axe. IMO a great guitar will sound cool without being plugged in. The alder body on this model is the best feature, the resonance is sh*# hot!!!!!! So when I play thios without amp it still accomodates every note like a good hotel accomodates her guests.

I have not needed to adjust anything!! Played gr8 straight out of the box. It was the playability that sold this honey to me in the first place.

This is built like a tank!! Like any USA strat it is designed to be gigged!!!!!!!!!

N/A

I own a USA Clapton strat, but wanted a rosewood neck strat to add a new dimension to my tonal pallet. I was keen on the vintage machineheads and bridge but not sure on the pick ups I wanted. Thankfully when I visited the store, they had a Deville 2x12 for trying out the strats and therefore I had my own amp to play through. The sounds sent shivers down my spine. I was hooked in minutes. Great playing, great sounding horny looking axe!!!

'83 sunburst 62 reissue. The coolest thing about this guitar, is that it is almost exactly as old as the guitar it copies was, when it was made. It IS an old guitar now.

had to have the pickups dipped. They were only sealed with lacquer, and they were more than a bit microphonic.

cool, cool guitar to hold. Nice weight. I'm fairly certain that it has an old school style nitrocellulose finish. The finish seems thinner and is slightly tacky to the touch, like nitrocellulose. Comfortable,slim, straight neck. It WILL need a fret job soon, though. Whole thing needs to be tweeked to my satisfaction.

Hey its a fender strat. It'll outlast ME.

really, really dig this guitar. I think it may be the closest to owning and playing a vintage Fender that I'll ever get. Unfortunately I wont be able to that until I get it refretted.

made in 2005, 21 frets, volume/2 tones, 3 way with optional 5 way, 62/62/56 pickups, alder with rosewood fret, grover tuners

I gave a 10 in features cuz anyone getting a vintage guitar already know that they dontwant a million features...just what works

Play a wide variety, but mostly due to SRV influences. Not nosiey at all becaue its well shielded. The pickups do not put out enough of an output for me so im switching to texas specials.

Although this is the most playable guitar ever....some disappointing quarks...such as a paint bubble, and under the pick gaurd it looks like something wierd is growing on a screw hole...i assume the paint was unproperly dried and the saw dust became stuck.

Awesome, built well.

Dunno.

Awesome guitar with a few building quarks

The guitar is a U.S. model. it was build in 1982.
sunburst, 21 frets, rosewood fretboard, white pickgard, spaghetti style logo. the neck has been refinished by the previous owner in a professional way. it also got new frets. the neck is pretty slim, not medium C like other 62 reissues that i had the occasion to play. seems to be original anyway.

main desciption: warm and direct, i would say. compared to other strats (1990 U.S. fat strat, 1990 mex strat, 1995 u.s. standard strat) it is smoother without being weaker in sound. where other strats do a "daing" this one does a "dang". very nice attack. playing chords, the guitar emits a well balanced sound that won't get on your nerves. due to its accuracy in sound, the strat does a good job for the more edgy parts of my music and i love it as a crunchy rhythm guitar.

my favourite amp is a 130W musicman hd212 which i think matches perfectly with the 62' reissue. i do not like to plug effects between the amp and the guitar, but for live performances i use a rat pedal and an ibanez bass chorus pedal. works fine with the strat.

the guitar was built in the early 80ies. i was told this was a time when the fender quality was increasing. the pickup settings have a very characteristic sound. i would say, more than on other strats. on the early 62' reissues, every setting sounds like the very essence of what it is supposed to be. e.g.: the bridge pickup is incredible. give it a little crunch on a fender twin. this will be the day when you realize what "crunch" really is (that's how it went with me).

it's shurely not a 70's strat which will provide you a more agressive tone and a little more sustain. the 62's sound is more compact, warm, neutral. the guitar will nicely follow the way of your playing. you can get edgy and cranky tones out of it, too.

i bought it used, so i had to do some resetting. no big deal though. finish is the original nitro lacquer. this 20-year-old guitar looks really vintage: vertical cracks in the finish (though not apparent to the eye), some places where the finish has vanished, etc. doesn't change the sound. still got it's shine.
it's a light weight (alder body). Kluson style tuners work fine, even better than the schaller tuners on my other guitars.

it's a fender stratocaster. very reliable. on stage, i use it without a backup, leaving other strats at home. when i break a string, i prefer waiting and let someone put a new string on. it's worth waiting.

never had to deal with them

i've been playing for 15 years and music is my living. if this guitar was stolen, i would track down the thief by all means. this guitar is a sort of personality. the sound is not that much spectacular compared to 70's reissues or american strats. but it's simply beautiful. every 62' reissue sounds slightly different, though. of course they are all within a typical range of sound (direct, warm, well balanced). You'll have to compare if you want to find the perfect one. i did.

2004 or 05 American made. Vintage strat features. I will comment only on the quality of the components because we all know the features by heart. Very comfortable vintage neck shape with a thick, good quality rosewood fingerboard, extremely resonant body (I like to play it accoustically and just groove on the sound), and a nice sunburst finish. Hardware feels solid, and the tuners are especially nice. Pickups sound sweet, incredibly deep and warm with a great three-dimensional shimmer. Comes with some doofy vintage accesories which are kind of fun, a very handy 5-way switch to convert to modern specs (I have actually found that I like the 3-way) and a totally cool brown tolex case.
A ten for delivering everything that someone wanting a vintage strat wants.

I play blues, jazz, funk, some rock and punk. I went to the music store convinced that I wanted an American Deluxe. I played them and liked them a lot, but when I played this guitar, the diference was dramatic. The DLX was louder, with no hum, had more midrange and sustain, and the S-1 switch made a bunch of nice modern sounds. BUT. The 62 RI had a life, clarity, and resonance that the DLX was unable to match. The DLX is nowhere near as dynamic or complex, and does not have the same sense of 3-dimensionality (if that is indeed a word) as the '62 RI. I finally understand why people are so nuts on vintage strats: The 62 has a beatiful voice. It is not very loud, it hums like Glenn Gould, it doesn't have enough grunt to support a really saturated tone, but it sounds sexy, like a whisper in your ear versus the high-gain shouting in your face sound.
Neck pickup is warm and full, with more articulation as you dig in. It also does good jazz tone, especially together with the middle. Middle pickup is clear and ringing, great for combined rhythm/lead. Bridge pickup is bright and shimmery,and gives authentic quack with the middle pickup.

Fit and finish is nice. Guitar plays well, wood is really good, hardware inspires confidence. Not a cheap guitar, but feels like it is worth it.

I haven't had it for 43 years yet. I will get back to you. The guitars that it is based upon are still in service. It will be interesting to see if the reissues have the same longevity.

No idea.

I have been playing for 15 years. I love the way this guitar responds to my playing. The dynamics are amazing: with a moderately distorted amp, you can clean up the tone just by lightening your attack. With a clean tone, you can sharpen the sound by picking harder.
If you want a vintage strat and can't get a real vintage one (or even if you can), this is your guitar.
If it were lost, I would buy another. I am going to buy another anyway, and I have no intention of losing this one.

January, 1983 USA '62 RI Stratocaster. Purchased from original owner. RW board, sunburst, standard RI features. This early version has a very slight "C" contour neck, very fast playing. Vintage frets, 7.25" radius. This guitar differs from original as follows: the owner had it shielded (including pickups) when new at Garruthers, also added a mid-boost, which is run off the bridge pickup tone control. Other controls work standard.

I have Strats with Lace Holy Grails, Rio Grande Vintage Tallboys and MIJ pickups. This guitar is different--a very meaty & thick tone, rich rich rich, about the nicest "non-jangly" Strat tone I've got. They are also very powerful pickups, seem pretty high output. It looses a bit of the sparkle with the pickups shielded, but I don't mind that because I only want that on occasion, and I can bring enough back with amp controls to suit me. It is very quiet (not that I care), and just flatly sounds great. The mid-boost does thicken up the sound well, and is good for overdrive and wah, but I may take it out as it does require a 9V. I play it through a Music Man RD112 50, also a Pro Jr., usually straight in but also have a TS-9, Vox 847, Crybaby original, etc.

The original owner is a pro player, he had this thing set up so well that it forced me to tear apart two of my other Strats to get them right! It is very low action (.010 came with it) and very, very fast. No fretting out anywhere, just a superb playing guitar. The body wood is beautiful, nicer grain than my MIJ or CIJ sunburst RI models. The maple neck has some birdseye to it. A beauty. Frets are played down some but dressed very well so no issues there. A bit of scratch in the mid-boost control only, I can clean it up or replace it.

It is a Fender Stratocaster, it will take anything. Nitro finish, but who cares if it wears? Everything solid.

Never talked to 'em. Strats are darned easy to work on.

Playing guitar since 1970, mostly acoustic. Started electric guitar in about 1982, no longer gig much at all but play with guys in garage settings, also record on my computer. I love all my Strats but this is my sweetheart. I'd try to get another one if it were stolen, but they are all different. I love everything about it except the mid-boost may be jettisoned.

This guitar was bought late in 2004 at a vintage guitar store. The guitar is really for my daughter who is just learning to play. It is in excellant condition with only a couple of very minor scratches on the body. It was made in 1989 by Fender in Japan. It is a 1962 Reissue Model, and is vintage sunburst with white and chrome hardware. The neck was refretted by Mr. Jimmy Foster and the frets are larger than the original frets. Jimmy did a fantastic job as usual. (You should check out his Foster guitars!) The fingerboard is a solid slab of Rosewood, and the body I believe is Basswood since it is a bit lighter than my Alder bodied American Standard Stratocaster. It has all of the basic features that a 1962 Strat would have, including the old Kluson styled tuning machines. These seem to work and keep the guitar in tune fairly well. The guitar is pure vintage by design and has all of the standard Stratocaster features. It does not have the Walnut stripe on the back side of the neck. Just solid Maple. The tremelo block is a lighter weight metal than an American made Strat bridge would have but I can't really detect any major loss of tone or sustain. If it is there it could be made up with effects or at the amp. This guitar came with a rectangular plastic molded Fender case. Nothing fancy but it does allow safe storage and transport of the axe. I wish the body was made of Alder, and that the hardware was slightly higher in quality, but for half the cost of an American guitar I really can't complain. It just feels a bit cheaper than my American Standard, but you have to consider the cost to be fair. A really great guitar especially if you are on a tight budget or just learning. Wish my first guitar was this nice.

The guitar sounds great. Very much like my American Standard. I use Fender tube amps and this guitar produces a quality sound that is classic Stratocaster. I think that the pickups are not as refined as an American Strat but they are still usable and would not have to be replaced. Classic stratocaster best describes this guitar.

The guitar was in fantastic condition but felt greasy to the touch. I took it home and cleaned and polished the entire instrument. I removed one tremelo spring to allow the bridge to float and funtion again. After putting on some new Ernie Ball .009s, I performed a complete set up. The guitar looked, played, and sounded even better than at the store. Great finish, great neck profile, and the action and new fret job make the guitar feel fantastic. This is an easy guitar to play at any position on the neck.

It is a Stratocaster. It is slightly lighter but you could leave it out for young kids to play with and would only have to retune it for the gig. As indestructable as a guitar can get, except for the new metal electrics that slowly corrode. This is a 1989 guitar. It must have been played to be refretted. It has held up very well and looks brand new other that the maple has yellowed to give it that 1962 look.

Never had a problem with my two Fender amps, my American Standard, and doubt I will experience anything else from this guitar. Fender builds quality equipment for the dollar. I don't see how this guitar would really need a warranty. It is a Stratocaster. What could go wrong with it? I did order a manual for my 1986 Deluxe Reverb II amp. They sent it to me and it was just a poor Xerox copy of the original. Cost me $5.00. I guess I will base my rating on that experience.

I have been playing for 32 years. I feel that this is a fantastic guitar for the money. It is probably better than the Mexican Strats, although Fender now may be making them out of better materials. I would buy another one of these Japanese strats again. Especially the 1962 Reissue Model. Very cool. I only wish it were made of Alder and that the pickups and bridge were slightly higher in quality. It just doesn't have the feel of an American guitar. Still a very good value and nothing to be ashamed of. I found info on the web about Japanese Stratocasters. I feel good about my purchase. You could upgrade the bridge, pickups, pots, and wiring. Doing so would make the guitar even better. As is it will perform and sounds great. Most people would never even realize it is a Japanese Strat. I can feel the difference more than hear the difference. Great guitar, great neck, looks old like a 62 vintage Strat. Don't hesitate if the price is below $400.00. Unless you can find one made in the U.S. for that price.

'62 Reissue Strat made in 2001 at the Corona, CA factory.
Candy Apple Red in nitro with 21 fret rosewood slab fretboard and period correct dot spacing over a maple neck. 3-way toggle switch with volume/tone/tone controls. Stock Fender '57/'62 pickups with beveled and staggered AlNiCo magnets. Mint green guard 3-ply. Vintage tremolo bridge with stamped saddles. Kluson style tuners. Came with period correct brown tolex case with standard accessories.
Has all the features of a real '62 with the exception of the fingerboard dot material. The ones on this guitar appear to be nylon and not the "clay" dots of the originals. There are also no patent numbers on the headstock decal. '62s had 2 patent numbers. I guess it was cheaper for Fender to use the same decal as the '57. Otherwise, it is a good representation of the real deal, but points off for detail.

I play blues, classic and southern rock. I run line in to a '65 Super Reverb Reissue and occasionally a Custom Shop Bassbreaker. This guitar sounds very good played through tubes and isn't as noisy as my '57 reissue - probably due to more shielding under the pickguard. There is still some hum, but it's to be expected with single coils and not that bad really. The sound is rich and balanced with a good vintage vibe. I was considering replacing the pickups, but decided to keep these. The Neck and Middle pickups are warm and full with plenty of output. The bridge has a good bite and sparkle without sounding tinny. It can cover the blues and classic rock spectrum well, however, it doesn't stack up as well to the Custom Shop pickups like Texas Specials or Fat 50's.

Here is where I have some issues.
The setup was ok. I had to make some minor saddle adjustments for intonation and there is a dead spot at the 15-16th fret on the high E when you throw on a full bend. I can't seem to get rid of it. The trem bar won't screw in properly and gets very tight like the hole is not threaded properly. It won't screw in far enough and makes it too high to use effectively. The Kluson style tuning keys are a little misaligned when you look down the line at them. A problem I've noticed on a few strats.
The body finish is very nice with no issues at all. The CAR (one of Leo's favorites) color with nitro finish is well done and keeps a shine. The neck is the same with the exception of the rosewood fretboard. It's not finished very smooth and there is a lot of grain pitting that your fingers notice when bending strings.

I play at home and don't gig this guitar, but I think it would stand up to live playing. However, I would definitely have a spare in case that bridge gave me some more problems. That trem bar issue really bothers me. I bought a replacement bridge and it had the same problem with the trem bar that came with it.
The finish is solid. I have no concers there.
The strap buttons are solid as well.

I have not dealt with Fender on this guitar. I bought it from a dealer where it hung on the wall for a couple of years and was never bought so I got a deal on it. I haven't checked on the warranty, but plan to do so with the bridge issue.

I've been playing about 5 years seriously now. I own 3 other Strats - a '57 Reissue with David Gilmour EMG's and two '65 Custom Shop Strats.
I play through Fender and Marshall tube amps and use no pedals at this time.
Looking back, I probably should have ponied up for a Custom Shop '60 NOS instead. The workmanship on this guitar was not that great and I would have expected more from Fender on their famed '62 Reissue.
I like the sound, looks and finish. I don't like the fretboard and bridge problems.
Overall a good guitar, but check it out carefully.

2004, ocean turquoise, mint pickguard, aged pickups, knobs, and tremolo arm. 21 frets on a really dark rosewood fretboard on a stained maple neck. It came with a three way switch for that "vintage appeal" I suppose, but I didn't like it so much, so I had the five way put in. It came with a brown tolex hard case, which was a nice touch, plus a crappy ashtray tremolo cover and leather strap. It came with 10's on it I think, but a swapped those for some 12's. The tone is so much better.

I bought this guitar for that coveted "strat sound". My setup is as follows: Strat (or schecter C-1 elite)- dunlop crybaby- ibanez ts-9 - maxon od-808 - digitech digidelay - fender '64 twin reverb RI. With the amp cranked, the neck pickup on, and the Maxon on, this guitar absolutely nails that sweet SRV tone. I love it. the "out of phase" sounds are great as well. The bridge pickup however, does lack some of the bassy punch I'd like; it just sounds too thin. Of course, with the vintage pickups, this thing is pretty noisy. I say deal with it. The tone is so much better on these than those worthless "noise-cancelling" stacked single coils that fender puts on all their new guitars. Plus, after putting on 12's, this thing has such a punchy, cutting, deep throated tone that just sounds incredible. This thing just cuts right through for a great lead tone, while at the same time providing a wonderful rhythm sound.

This guitar came with a bit of a warped neck (to be expected). Unfortunately, Fender in trying to keep with the "vintage appeal", has the truss rod adjustment located at the heel of the neck rather than at the headstock. They make a slight indentation hinting that one might be able to reach the rod, but you really need to unscrew the neck to get to it. That's a real PIA, so I had a guitar tech drill out a little more room so now I can reach the rod with the neck in and the strings on. The action was a little high as well, but no biggy. Also, the spring they put in the tremolo arm socket to keep the arm from moving around falls out very easily. I would prefer a pop-in or a spring that didn't fall out. Other than that, the guitar was in great shape, the maple in the neck has incredible grain and the metallic color of the body is just magnificent.

So far, in the 3 months that I've owned the guitar, I've had only one real problem: A few nights ago, when playing with my band and doing some whammy bar tricks, the bar snapped! Unfortunately, it snapped inside the tremolo, so I have no way of getting it out. Kind of dissappointing. Other than that, no problem. These guitars are built to last, and it shows.

Haven't had to deal with them

I've been playing for about 4 years now, and this is definitely my favorite and best piece of gear. I love electric blues, and the SRV tone is by far my favorite. I like the guitar because, while I can truly get that SRV tone, I get also get some original tones as well...this is an incredibly versatile guitar. (although you're not going to achieve super saturated nu metal distortion, but you wouldn't really expect that from a strat, now would you?) If this guitar were lost or stolen, I'd cry, because I'm a teenager without a steady job, and I don't and would not have enough money to buy a new one. This guitar is perfect for me and I love it. It's perfect if you have a tube amplifier you can crank, or just a nice transparent sounding overdrive.

1986/87 built Jap 62 re-issue strat. Sunburst, nicely aged controls. Kulson tuners. The body is either alder or basswood- think it may be basswood, as it's lighter than my Jap standard strat, which is definitely alder. SSS, 5-way etc. Absolute eye-candy. THE best neck I've ever found on any strat ever, with it's nicely aged lacquer appearance to the thin-ish profile.

I was surprised by how much brighter it was than my other Jap strat. So I swapped pick-ups with the (ceramic) neck pick-up from the other strat (I know...ceramic...but one man's trash...) much warmer. (When I first got it it almost sounded clangy- tele-ish). Now it's fine. Good sustain. Usual noise on 1,3,5 but nothing excessive. Good all round guitar. 8 because the pick-up swap.

S/H so I don't know about new, but the guy before was using it for slide and he was using 11s and the bridge was sitting about 1 cm off the body (from insufficient trem springs). But the guitar in general...work of art!!! Two small nicks. You have to look REAL hard to see the joins in the timber. The laquer on the neck is to die for.

Rock'n'roll has a long history of treating Fenders in ways they were never meant to be used. But they still carry on. I think every component will last (except maybe my solder joins from swapping pickup- and I can't Fender down for that.......)

Hmmm...A big, fat, multinational company who explot poor in Korea and and Indonesia. Want a US strat? $1000+extras. I guess im saying that ir's not Leo working out of a garden shed. It's a monster.

It's got good tomes, eye-candy, excellent playabilty.

This one was made about '90 a USA model. SN V045XXX. Sunburst with a white pickguard 3 '57/'62 Pups and the 5 way switch installed (I like that). I got all the original paper work, and hardware goodies, 3 way switch, ashtray, trem arm and the tweed case, I would rather have the brown toltex case but tweed is nice. This thing looks like it walked out the closet after 30 years. You can read all the other post for more, you know the guitar, right.

Sound is pure Strat, what you would expect. I played through my '76 Twin Reverb about 3 hours, changed the strings from 10-46 to 9-42 and adjusted the intonenation, !!!! what an improvenment in sound, stays in tune better when playing up the neck and got rid of most of the false harmonic notes, someone didn't know crap about intonenation. Played it though by Blues Jr. "nice".

After changing strings and setting up the action and intonenation it plays much better and feels great, my hand never got tired like it does on my SG, but that's another story. Several scraches in the back of the guitar body and one flaw in the finish looks like the finish didn't quite cover a small knot looking thing. One dent in the upper cutaway on the back about 1/2 the sizs or a dime, a few small scraches on the front. Some oxidizing on some of the nickle plated parts and the chrome input jack. I guess this thing has been played before, it has some good vibes.

Should last for ever, and gain in value.

Forget it.

I started playing in 1960, My first band was a garage Surf and Folk Music trio. We played crapy import guitars and Sears amps. Since then I've owned several Fender, Guild, Gibson and a bunch of other insturments and still do. I mostly use Fender amps but have been known to use everything. This guitar replaces my last Strat which I sold for way to little money. But I like this one much better. If I lost this guitar I would try to find another one nuff said.

japanese made 62 reissue. beautiful white with off green pickguard creamy knobs. rosewood board. standard options. this was one of my first guitars back in the 90's. it is exactly what it is. if you are considering buying one of these, DO IT! when i was young and played the rock music, my hand used to hit the volume knob and turn the guitar down sometimes. i replaced the plastic knob with an old tele knob. bingo. the feel of metal is great. i dont know who needs #'s to tell how loud you're playing, not i.

a little unballenced volume between pickups, my own fault for not having it adjusted for 8 years. pretty solid tone. jimi hendrix to the talking heads with the flip of a switch.

best action i've ever felt on a pre cbs strat. when i go into guitar shops and play new fenders it feels like adultery. can i get an amen? they feel wonky, big frets, locking nuts.. bah! this guitar is so low and so smooth.
and the finish on the neck i love. very smooth, like a gibson, as opposed to the more sandy feeling of newer finishes. for some reason i hate that. the guitar came with a ding in the finish. now it has many more dings. i would never buy an 'aged' strat. takes all the fun out of getting loaded and dropping it...

survived highschool pixies cover band, college space freak rock band, art school, whipped cream and professional gigging. the electronics are a little dirty, but wouldn't you be? this axe may very well outlive me. i am going to have the stock electronics and pups replaced with something fancy, texas, vintage who knows.
then i will play it for another decade. these japanese strats are rare. i believe they were never intended for the us market. i'm writing this review because for the money, i believe there is no better stratty.

never had to.

i have an old rickenbacker 330, and a newer gibson es335. between those and this baby thats alot of tone. if this was stolen i would be sadder than that time i got kicked out of a semi famous band, or the time i was dumped by a beautiful cowgirl. god bless leo fender and the japanese. this guitar makes me want to drink sake and play buddy holly songs. i understand that "Superficial, glowing reviews will not get published" but i just gotta shout about it. so there.

Made in 2004 in the USA. Alder body and is painted a beautiful olympic white. Mint green pickguard and aged pickup covers and knobs. Maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Very cool looking giutar. Comes with a brown deluxe hardshell case that includes a strap, signal cord, extra tremolo springs, extra 5 way pickup selector switch, polishing cloth. You can check it out at www.fender.com

Sounds like a Fender Strat. I love the stock pickups. I use a Mesa Road King and it matches up well with Strats.

I pretty much use the factory setup but i dont use tremolo so I had the floating bridge laid down on the body. Everything works like a gem on it. No flaws .

I have several American Fender Strats and teles, all reissues and have never had an issue with them. The working mans guitars !I always hear people going on about how great the Japanese versions of this guitar is so great. I had one and didnt care for it. Cheap parts.

I've only called them once and they answered all my questions

Ive been playing for 35 years and love these American reissues. I've never had a problem with any of them. I own two 62 strats, two 57 strats, a 52 tele, and a 62 tele custom. All Sweeeeeet !

This is a Jap 62 reissue I bought new in 1990-one of the first ones I had seen. It has an alder body,rosewood board and standard vintage-type hardware and electronics. I use a refinnned, refretted, changed pickups VOO series 57 reissue as a main axe. I had been using a TERRIBLE 77 hardtail strat as a backup and got the Jap 62 to replace it. This 62 has a real sweet black/yellow/red sunburst that looks opaque-the grain doesn't show! This axe unlike my other strats has always remained stock,except I always block the trem with a length of broken-off drumstick!(sounds superior and is a butt-cheap, easy to reverse mod)I gotta say it looks way cooler under the lights than the 57's 2-tone burst(altho the 57 is WAY cool, heheh)Anyway I give it a 9 as it ain't got TONS of features and is a stock strat.

It does everything well for what I do-heavy alternative rock-I us this particular guitar for LEAD heavy tunes because it has such a great neck and those jap pickups are very well balanced-I use this the 57 reissue, a beat late 60's tele and a 65 jazzmaster thru a Crybaby wha into a 60's tube echoplex, an early ProCo Rat into two blackface Fender bandmaster heads and two ampeg 412 cabs loaded with EV SRO 12 inch speakers-I can get every sound you ever heard with my rig and believe me, people are always asking about my tone from such a simple rig. I also use Gibson Gretsch and Rick guitars from my collection to record,but live the Fender axes are able to get all their sounds well enough. This 62 strat has been my main strat since the first gig I used it on-it is FREAKISHLY good sounding and playing!

this particular guitar was perfect right off the wall-all I did was vhave it set up with heavier strings than the factory supplied(11-52)This axe isn't nearly as pretty as some I've seen, in particular the neck-the board is light colored rosewood, and the maple looks like hell with some ugly mineral marks and horrible looking grain(think cheap paneling) but DAMN it plays great!

I actually have thrown this guitar across the stage and....no damage-it has been handled by fools drunks and degenerates, left in the cold, abused mistreated and kept without a case and nothing hurts it. My stage axes lead a wild life (as do I!) and this one begs for more! It's more durable finish wise than my other laquer painted fenders(the Jap ones have some thick poly-type finish) and has aged well-The color is still bright and all looks good-I never gig w/out backup-but wheras my other axes get tucked into a rolling storage coffin at the end of the night, this one accompanies me wherever I go at all times. Most my jamming and recording go down on this 62 cuz it is there at all times-it"s a KILLER!

never needed em to support me, although the store I got it from backs up all they sell

Been playing now for 18 years and I'd buy this guitar again. I buy either used modded player pieces or nice import versions of classic fenders like this 62. Just bought a 72 reissue and a 60's reissue MIM so I guess I'd sure buy again-These axes are cheap, sound good, look hip as the old ones(to the crowd anyway) and give great reliability-I got a few "snob guitars" that were just "used" when I bought 'em years ago, and frankly these Import Fenders are cool as any of them. High dollar dudes that can't play for shit pay to come see my band kick it on these cheapos! WooHoo!

one of the first japanese '62 reissue's, serial number sn002937. classic strat body, D-shape neck and those old style tuners. mine is 3 tone sunburst.

i love it.... i'm a blues player. stevie ray, buddy guy etc. this guitar is fantastic for blues, it's got the true srv tone. I play 0.12 and sometimes get a bit concerned about the tuners but they have been working fine till now on. As said in other reviews, the greatest thing about this guitar is the neck. it's a huge difference... read HUGE difference between this D-shaped neck and the standart C-shape.
My effects come from a boss me-50... wich I,ve bought a month ago and am very pleased with... (nice tubescreamer mod.)
The amp I use is well known for it's sound, roland jazzchorus jc77.
that's my nice little setup... large enough for my needs.

for the money i've payd i don't have the right to complain about anything... 400euro incl case. for a 1986 fender that has lain in it's case for 17 years... brand new

it's a copy from the original... same building specs (apart from the 5 way switch).. this guitar has earned respect on it's reability...

no experiences

if you can get your hands on one of these beauties... don't ever let go... ghehe.

US-made tobacco/red sunburst '62 reissue Strat, bought new in about '96. Alder body, original neck was maple. Unlike some others, mine was very nicely made, well routed, all parts signed and dated by the techs, etc etc.

I bought this things for the sound, wanting a blues/classic git for a blues band I was in. I've never played with anything more than an Ibanez reissue TS with the original parts retrofit done, a Univibe, and a Fender ProSonic combo with a Marshall Power Brake (so I can heat up the output tubes.)

After buying the git and gigging with it for a while, I wanted more (sound, better action, etc.)

So, I had it retrofitted with a custom Warmoth neck (vintage radius, narrow, huge fretwire), Van Zandt Vintage Plus PU's, a five-position switch, and then a full shielding and setup.

After all that, this is by far the best blues git I've ever played. When I was in the band people used to hang around searching for "whatever it is" I was getting my tone from. I could never convince people it was mostly the git and ProSonic, with just a touch of the TS & 'vibe thrown in to "wet down" the signal.

I had not complaints, mine was perfectly made and fitted.

Not a single problem.

Never needed them

I've been playing most my life off-and-on. My several year stint in a weekend warrior band showed me that I really didn't want to take this all *too* seriously, just not the life for me.

I love this guitar, and along with my Taylor 815C and my Guild BluesBird, will be one I will own for life.

This instrument is a Fender Japan '62 reissue model # ST62-70TX in Fiesta Red made in 2000 0r 2001 and is a faithful rendition of an early 60's Strat. This model is not sold through dealers outside
Japan and is destined for the Japanese market only. It is a very
high-quality guitar indeed, and easily matches the very pricey USA
version of the same guitar.Alder-not basswood- body, slab RW fretboard with narrow vintage-style frets. Urethane finish (nitro-cellulose on USA guitars).
I bought this from its previous owner in the UK (thank you, Dale..)
who'd had its circuitry modified to engager all three Texas Special
pickups (US-made and factory-fitted for these guitars)by rolling off
the second tone control. It was shielded with copper foil in the UK
and given a pro set-up. It comes with a gig-bag but I got a Gator
hardshell case with it!)Electronics are passive. Colour is Fiesta Red,
now discontinued on this series in Japan.Maple neck has a tasty vintage tint to it and the Fiesta Red finish is drop-dead gorgeous!
the fingerboard is dark rosewood. The overall finish resembles that
of my early 80's Squier P-Bass- beautiful and robust.

As I use it to play country, it twangs! The Texas Specials have a powerful output and vintage sound-the quintessential Strat. Positions
2 and 4 give a hum-free hollow,yet powerful honk which I like. I compared it to a 2001 American Series Strat,at a range of similar amp and guitar settings,and found that output from the ST was higher,
and sound a little more mellow. Nothing between them,however in build quality, but as imported to the UK the Japanese pots and wire are inferior to the US instrument's. Bridge is of vintage -style with
Fender-stamped saddles.As stats already, the modification done in the
UK increases the tonal possibilities of what purports to be a reedition of an early 60's Strat.Played through my '76 Twin Reverb,
through a BOSS ME-50, it sounds GREAT!

As stated, it had had a pro set-up prior to my acquiring it. I changed to 10's and raised slightly yhe action to suit my style of playing.Neck relief, nut, 'vintage-style' Kluson pegs, 'mint'green
pickguard,'aged' parts combumed with the red finish make for a striking effect.

This is one superbly built guitar, which, because of its upgraded circuitry will outlive me! I am well aware of best Japanese quality-
I have a number of CIJ basses and early Squiers. Based on a lot of gigging experience, I wouldn't ever bring a backup to a gig.
Remember here that both US and Japanese '62s are meant to give you
detailing features,general vibe and sound of a real 42-year old strat.
Neither is the real thing. To import one of these (this was exported to a private individual in the UK by Ishibashi (visit Fender Japan Web Shop)will set you back a fraction of the cost of an essentially
identical US guitar. Add USA-made pots -inexpensive- and you have one grat guitar. These models are superior in every way to the MIM Classic series and to Japanese Strats sold through US and European dealers.In Japan they cost about 56,000 Yen (?420, or c.US$500)and as such, importing one and allowing for customs,etc, still leaves you with a GREAT cool-looking,well-built and great-sounding instrument.
We just don't get to see many of these in the 'west'!Because of the pots, I'll give this an '8'!

No dealings with them. I know a good tech......

I have a selection of other instruments,guitarts and basses as I gig both. I like this guitar a lot and will not part with it. It's highly unusual to source somethgig aof this quality for such a low price...

Hey, plug it into a TUBE AMP, crank it, and PLAY! You want features, go to BLOCKBUSTER!

Sounds like a strat.....nuff said!

I suppose some of you might have gotten one that wasnt all that, but hey...youre supposed to try the thing first right? Anyone who buys a guitar blind through the mail (ebay), or such gets no guarentee...right? If you run across a good one youll know it! Mine is a gloss black "97" The only mod Ive done is to put a bone nut in, (like my real "62" has.) The damn thing plays better than the old one! (although the fingerboard isnt as wide....

I play the dog-shit out of this thing, and its going strong.

Mike at the custom shop is cool, but if youre not into waiting...forget it!

Playing since 1967. Played with 4 major bands, now semi-retired. (Too bad we never made the fuckin money these cheesey ass wanna-bes make today!) Listen, you can knit pick any guitar made, what most of these kids forget is its who's playing that guitar!!! Never expect an axe to play itself, and then bitch and moan about it cause it doesnt! This axe is the most coppied piece in guitar history!!! (yes, outselling Les Pauls from day ONE!) Again, NUFF SAID!

Mine's a 1986 Jap Strat. Paid $300 for it in pretty bad shape. Passive w/ 3 single coils, body is alder. I actually bought it cause of the neck, perfect! Made the guitar look very old, the rose wood board looks almost like ebony, not from dirt either. The tuners are the old slotted type w/ 2 clip type retainers. Stays in tune great(I currently have 9's on it), and I bend them alot. The finish was a black spray can type, lousy job. Had the usual Fender type bridge. Got a nice Fender case with it. The guitar didn't look to nice but the tone was there and the neck was perfect. $300 later, now it's my #1

The sound was why I bought it. Even with the stock pick-ups it sounded real laid back and bluezy. I put a DiMarzio HS3 in the neck and middle and a S.D. Classic Stack in the bridge, took out the bridge and swapped it w/ a Wilkinson Satin bridge with tremelo, upgraded the pots from 250 to 500 and replaced the stock 5-way. Now this baby sings! Stock I'd give it a 6 now a 10.

The guitar was set up well when I bought it, the owner before me played out often and kept the neck and intonation perfect. I have $600 total into it and would put it up against any high end guitar(gotta have a good amp though). These Jap guitars are really meant to last and be played, and bang for the buck is outstanding. In fact I just bought another with VanZandts and I can't put it down. It sounds nicer than the other.

Like I said these are meant to be played, not hung on a wall or kept in its case cause its too nice or cost big bucks. I've never broke a string(even with excessive alchol consumption) and playing it very hard. Use it with out a back up? Definatley, it's that dependable. I did put strap locks on it though as I do with every guitar I own. The cost verses what could happen if it drops is a no brainer.

Who needs it. It's a Fender.

Been playing 30+ years. Have a Brian Moore C90P,Fender Custom Shop Classic Player Strat, Fender 93 Strat Plus, 2 of these Jap Strats, 81 Silverburst LP Custom, Peavy EVH Wolfgang, Custom made Roscoe Explorer, Alverez-Yari DY 85A, Ovation Country Artist and a 64 Silvertone Amp-in-case. Guess what gets played daily, yep, the 2 Jap strats, they just have that tone. The next one I buy is getting Screamin' Demons or EMG's. I can't say anything negative about the Jap re-issues.

Jan 83 Fullerton made V00 sunburst '62 RI tremelo 3-way sticky switch grainy alder body & maple neck w/slab rose board unlacquered tweed case

the stock RI pickups are pathetic...microphonic,weak,dull bass,stiff treble,poorly made...put in Duncan SSL Vint Stagger...similar to 60's strat output and tone,much better 3-way switch sticks in-between like real old ones did,no need for 5-way

for those of you who believe these early reissues are something special,remember to look them over closely...the workmanship on this one is unbelievable! the trem cavity is way off center,the neck pocket is so deep it needed two shims to level,the fingerboard was wider than the neck,which was shaved too thin on the sides resulting in a sort of V shape,made worse by the fingerboard overhang...terrible feel,had to rework it..only since it turned 20 has the neck stabilized to where constant radical truss rod adjustment is needed less often...the slightest change in humidity would warp it...this is not the rock maple like the originals

despite the above,I have been able to compensate for these faults and use it continually for 7 years..have broken trem arms a dozen times,neither AllParts or Fender are any good...Fender won't sell just the block,you have to buy the whole bridge assembly for 150! C'mon now...heard Callaham makes good replacements,haven't tried one..so I've got the AllParts junk in there now...it does stay in tune because I setup the trem the way it's supposed to be...doesn't break strings,never needed a backup

as I said,Fender is ridiculous about parts,although much better than in the past...got the so-called exact vintage replacement screws for bridge saddles...had to buy two sets 'cause they weren't matched correctly ...too many short,not enough long!ASSHOLES.Why should I have to buy the whole bridge ASSembly if all that's needed is the block?Think your cheap foreign laborers are the only ones that can turn a screwdriver?Leo Fender would never have allowed the poor quality and user UNfriendly marketing to go on...he sought out musicians to better meet THEIR needs...this company could do a lot better

playing 30 years; just got this to have a strat,was using Jag and Jazzmstr at the time,got sick of those rattletrap treble makers and can't afford to pay some crooked hoarder 5 to 10 grand for what always was a 250 dollar,mass produced factory-line utility guitar...this one was overpriced,I bought in to the horseshit story he gave me about how these were like the originals from the same factory...well,don't YOU believe it...as a result of this experience,I'd probably build a strat,since Fender's current line of reissues is inconsistent and inaccurate as ever since '65,I wouldn't buy anything I know of that they make...green wood,cheap hardware,crappy pickups,uneven workmanship...WHO NEEDS IT? If you're deluded enough to think that the right strat will turn you into Jimi or Stevie or whoever you wanna be,make a pile in the stock market and go make some jaded,gambling addicted guitar hoarding millionaire richer,just like all the no-talent non-playing yuppies did in the 90's

This is one of the aforementioned Japanese strats.
21 fret, standard control layout of virtually all strats.
I've modded it a little... well a lot. I never was introduced to the original pickups (it was used), but I needed a little more juice than the pickups in it, so I got a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquities, new pots and 5-way and, well, I was more than happy. It quickly took over as my #1.
Neck was maple with the skunk stripe down the back. The most amazingly wonderful neck shape. Never played a strat like it. Classic strat body.
Tuners are the old fashioned "Kluson-style" tuners, but they have held tune very well.

I play blues primarily, but delve into all sorts of music when it suits me. I love the SRV sound, Clapton, and of course the old greats that they found their tone from.
I use an MXR Double shot, a Tube Screamer, a EH Holy Grail Reverb, Marshall Supervibe chorus, Big Muff Pi (for fits of occasional madness), and a Dunlop crybaby through a 1953 Gibson GA-30. It's a beautiful combo, especially with the seymours.

It was already set up for 10s, and when I met it at the local shop, it just had a neck that was made for my hand. I had to have demo'd that guitar for a couple of hours just because I couldn't stop. Took it home that day, and have loved it ever since. It has the perfect finish for me - sunburst with real wear and tear. The neck finish looks loved. The finish is worn completely off the edges of the fingerboard, making a scallop of unfinished wood at the most commonly used frets = perfectly broken in. The finish has nicks and chips, but they add character. This thing ages just like it should. I don't like the Sherman Tank finish of some guitars these days. I like the old look.

I can depend on it. In it's original condition, I wouldn't have been so confident in the electronics. Little pots that got scratchy, and a cheap, cranky 3-way selector. There is a reason that they switched to 5 ways. As far as the construction of the instrument, it is solid and has taked some abuse, so yeah, I trust it. I have my concerns about the tuners over the long haul, especially since it is getting harder to find the correct post size. The electronics give it a dip in this category, as did the saddles. I've replaced them with string savers because I kept losing G's in a heavy bend.

Never needed to. It's old. I don't have a warranty.

I've been playing for 12 years, and own 4 other guitars at this point: including a Paul, another (much less loved) strat, my classical, and a Martin steel string. Most of my gear was listed earlier. I've admittedly replaced a large chunk of the electronics with much higher grade stuff, but it had the best base to build from I could imagine for 300 bucks used.

I've got a 1986 japanese fender '62 reissue.

you all know the details and stuff about this guitar is guess..

2 months ago I found this guitar on the internet, the guy I bought it from thought it was a 1997 made, I asked for the serial number and checked it's age on the net and it was a 1986!! So i bought this thing for 400 euro. I really don't know how it's possible but the guitar looks brand new no damages on the paint work or anything.
And another good thing was that's is the 3 tone sunburst version wich are made of alder (like the us reuissue's).

Oh.. and I got a case with it... ghaha

a lot of people have comments on the sound. well the guitar is called
a 1962 reissue so what you can hope for is sound close to the real
thing. And it does that beautifully.

it's no taxas special.

I don't know if all reissue's sound like mine but I dont have anything to complain about.

the guitar sounds even great unplugged.


I really pity all you guys who have spent about 700 dollars more on a guitar that is equal to mine.
i don't know if all the reissue's sound like mine maybe the tone has
changed after 17 years (for the better anyway).

again......Whahahahaha

No flaws.
I got a suberb fender for 400 euro. And often get questions if it's a
fender custom shop guitar.

now after 17 years it has no signs of aging. yeah maybe in the tone but i've talked about that already.

nope

this is a 62 reissue fender strat, in SUNBURST
Purty
comes with a 3 and 5 way switch

Well, i think its the best sounding guitar i've played.
I have had so many guitars and still do.
i have alwways liked the FENDER VINTAGE TONE, but never could get it
i bot amps and guitars trying to achieve the fender tone, but no luck.
then one day, i was playen some SRV licks. this saleman comes over and says "want to hear a real SRV guitar ?" hmmm yeah baby bring it on
hands me the 62 strat, i was shocked !. I have had two SRV signature strats and kept selling them, because they don't sound vintage enuff.
I think FENDER screwed up big time !! the SRV signature shood have the 62 pickups in it. the texazs special just don't have the tone.

i had to adjust the guitarr to my liking's
i don't think FENDER did a great job
the guitar comes with small frets, which are ok
but i prefer frets larger like on the american standard
the finish on the guitar is NICE

don't know

don't know

i've been playing for 12 years or so,,,,,,,,,,
if this guitar was ever stolen i wood buy another
what dew i love about this guitar ???
well, the VINTAGE fender tone ! i play through a Fender hot rod 4-10, and i can get some great tones !! the amp is quite versatile !
but, the guitar sounds better through a fender TWIN and sound best with a Vibro KIng, my opinion
I have had so many guitars, man o man what a SICKO
and i still have a BUNCH man o man
but, when u sit down and jam with a certain guitar/amp setup
and can't stop playing, you know u have something SWEET !!!
i think the hot rod does a good job, but i think the guitar was meant to be with a more vintage amp, ike the VK or Twin

Bought new back in the mid 80's. V series American made. Black painted alder body, rosewood slab fretboard and thin vintage style frets.

Excellent predictable strat sound. Just the right pickup output to overdrive lower wattage Fender amps at stage volume. The frets were accurate enough from the factory and needed only normal maintenance.
The tone controls are not first rate so pot/cap mods may be necessary if you need good performance from them. As with most strats, the shielding was inadequate. Not difficult to fix and it helps tons.
All in all, this does sound just like a strat should and is a fine ax for blues, jazz and R&R. Serious overdrivers are sure to want higher output pickups and less resonant bodies, but to me, that would ruin the rich tone these guits produce.

This ax has survived almost 20 years of hard use and travel. This is one beat up guitar and it still plays great. The bridge pieces become unadjustable because of crud and rust in short order and need replacing if you have to change settings, but it's a strat.

Very glad Fender is making these again. I hated the big ugly head stocks of the late 60's and 70's. The body contours are back to the old style as well. This is a great guitar. nuff said

1962 reissue stratocaster usa made. 3 sunburst color. vintage pick-ups with 3 position selecte switch, 21 frets, rosewood fretboard, vintage tremolo, vintage tuners.

This guitar is made for blues and vintage rock. That's it. If you want a little more versatility, then buy a standard or another strat with more features but the sound is vintage and needs to be played with a vintage amp(a fender if it's possible). A little bit noisey, but perhaps that's it's beauty because it's a vintage type of instrument.

The action was good. The pick-ups were alright. Not flaws at all. The paint job is very good. A very stunning strat.

This guitar was made for live playing at loud volumes. Very well built and it needs to be played with force and soul. It's a very dependable guitarand yes I have used without backups.

Never deal with the store. I made the repairments myself.

It's a great guitar if you like the bluesy vintage sound of a strat. If you want versatility the buy another strat. This guitar must be used with a tube amp, and better yet if it doesn't have master volumes or a very fancy amp. The classic strat, the classic sound.

Nice to know that there's more people out there that appreciate the tone and quality of Fender reissues. Mine is a tricolor tobacco sunburst finish, bought brand new in 1989. Rosewood fingerboard, all standard strat hardware, so no details are needed. Made in Japan, but who cares. I tried out over 15 American made ones (current and reissues) before I settled on this one. The feel and sound of this guitar when I picked it up and played it was liking finding the holy grail. This guitar retailed for $1200 CDN (just like the American made ones) and I ended up getting it for $600! I used my first paycheque to buy this thing. Best investment I ever made.

I first heard Eric Johnson when he put out his "Tones" LP (yes, vinyl) in '88(?). The LP cover had Eric (spikey hair and all) playing a tricolor sunburst strat (which is an actual 1962 strat that eventually got stolen). After seeing and hearing this guy, I had to have one. This guitar is all strat sound to hell and back. I've played this thing through many types of amps that I have owned through the years. This one is definitely the cream of the crop in my guitar collection. Pickups are made exactly as they had in the actual '62 - sound is AWESOME!

Perfect fit and finish when I bought it. Got an actual Fender hardshell case to go with it (got to protect the investment!) I've set it up with 10s to my playing style - classic rock and roll (Pink Floyd, Led Zep, etc) and progressive guitar (Satch, Vai, Johnson, etc). Very low action. The neck is very thin - reminds me of the thinline Ibanez necks on the Gem series. My telecaster and Les Paul definitely have chunky necks. I baby this thing. No cracks, major pings or dents. The acrylic white pickguard and pickup covers have turned a nice ivory color after 14 years - starting to get that vintage look! I can't imagine what this thing will look like 20 years from now.

Guitar is reliable. I don't play music for a living - just jam and have fun collecting and playing, so I can't say how this thing will stand up to the daily grind. Only complaint is a scratchy selector switch that got worse after a couple of years of playing. Ended up replacing it myself for $12. No other problems.

Comeon...who needs to talk to Fender other than for warranty issues? This things take care of themselves.

Nothing beats a Fender strat for classic strat rock and roll sound. Nuff Said!

Re-issure '62 strat with:
*three single coil pickups
*three way tone switch with two tone knobs
*tobacco sunbrust finish (i think thats what it's called)
*rosewood fretboard with 21 frets
*vintage style tuners
*faded vintage pickup covers, knobs and pick guard
*bridge with whammy bar
*i'm not sure what the wood the body is

I didn't buy this guitar for the features. I bought it for the tone. You want features buy a prs, a parker fly, or a friggin lexus.

This guitar sounds so sweet. I can get such a good sound out of this thing with almost no effort for both rythm and lead. Although I play more lead, a good rhytm sound is important to me. I played a prs custom 24 before i got this but now it just sits in its case. The prs may be pretty, but compared to the strat sound and tone, it doesnt even come close. The strat sound is just too classic. One cool thing i found out by accident months after i bought it was that, even though it only has a three position tone switch, i can get five different tones out of it. I'm sure alot of people new this already but is was happily supprised! There is a certain point in between each toggle position where i can get that really cool glassy tone that you normally only get with a five position toggle. It's kinda hard to find, especially on th fly, but i'm pretty good at getting it now.

I played about 10 different strats before picking this one out. Some of them were more expensive but none of them felt as nice as this one. I havent adjusted anything since i bought it. The action suits me perfectly, it looks great with the sunburst, it feels solid, and you can see the overall build quality is good, especially when compared to your basic generic strat. There is only a little bit of buzz from the pick ups but nothing I cant live with. I gave it a nine just because it isn't up to par with my prs.(but, then again, it's not really trying to be is it?)

This guitar is about as relaible as it gets. I've been playing it live for about two years now and have had no real problems with it. And that's saying something since i dont take what you would call super special care of it. I dont polish it that often, even after gigs and the finish is holding up fine. I almost never break strings on it even though I bend pretty enthusiastically sometimes. Haven't had any electrical problems yet. I locked the bridge so it never goes out of tune and I often tempt fate by not bringing a back up. (ok,sometimes i just forget to bring one).

My only gripe is with the vintage style tuners. I left it for a week and when I came back the B and little E string tuners were slipping and ultimately cutting the strings when I tried to re-string it. It wasn't hard (or expensive) to fix, but the fact that it was so unexplainable makes me a little nervous. Besids that they are just a pain in the ass to restring. I may just end up getting new tuners altogether.

Haven't had to deal with them yet.

I've been playing for seven years now and I own alot of guitars, Including a prs custom 24, an origional '51 no-caster, and a few others not worth mentioning. The only one I play every day is this strat.
I play though a mesa dual rectifier head with a mesa 2 12 cab but am going to sell it and get a tech 21. Some tube amp die hards are probably shaking their heads about that but I havent been able to get a good blusey tone out of the mesa. What tone I do have comes from my strat and a toneworks effects box. Mostly from the strat.
I have only one regret about buying this guitar and hate only two things about it. I wish I had made guitar center throw in a hard case, or at least cut the price on one. I hate the vintge style tuners and I hate the bridge/whammy bar. It felt so cheesey after my perfect prs bridge/whammy bar so I just locked the bridge. Other than that I love this guitar. If it were lost or stolen would probably buy another one.

My 62 Fender Reissue Strat is a USA made, in Sherwood Green. I love the color, not to bright or flashy, but a classic color. Has aged parts, pickguard, pickup covers, vintage tuners, etc.... Has the regular vintage Fender trem, which actually stays in tune much to my surprize. Has 21 frets, standard vintage as always. Came with a vintage looking tweed case.

It has the typical strat sound. With three Fender single coil pickups, it has that classic single coil 60 cycle hum, famous for strats. I really dont care for that to much, so Im probably going to put some Dimarzio, or SD type single coils in that will eliminate the hum. Not much variety, but what do you want in a classic strat. A strat is pretty much a bare bone guitar, and sometimes that makes it all the more desirable...

The guitar played great in the store, but my salesman tweeked it for me, and now it plays great. The frets are small, and I like that very much. It had a couple of very minor dings on it, but nothing major. You dont notice them unless you really look for them. But, Its a strat, a workhorse guitar. I really dont care if it gets scared up and banged up. I think strats need to look old and used. It ads to the overall vintage, played, old shoe, worn in vibe....

Well, its a strat, and strats have always been, and will always be workhorse guitars, tride and true. I hope it will last, and age gracefully. I would depend on it for any occasion...

No have not dealt with Fender....

I have been playing for about 20 years now. I have owned strats and other guitars before, but, I really like this strat. I will be keeping this one. I play blues thru a Matchless 35 Clubman Head, connected to a Mesa/Boogie 2/12 vertical cab loaded with Celestian Vintage 30 speakers. I always think of a strat as a blues guitar for some reason. I love the blues, so the strat fits my style of playing. If it was stolen from me, I dont know what I would do....

Made in october 96, all original, surf green. features covered well here. I give it a 10 because it offers the features sought after by those purchasing it. If you want a gtr that has a graphite double truss rod, jumbo frets, sperzel locking tuners and crafted with wind-fallen wood from the joshua tree, well, look elsewhere.

This new aquisition suits my blues oriented stuff just fine. I play it through a princeton reverb II (with celestion blue alnico speaker) and a Fender Vibro King. Haven't actually played it though the VK as of this writing. So far, gtr to an ibinez tube screamer, delay and into amp. Yeah, it's noisier than my am std strat with Lindy Fralins. The output is considerably lower than the lindy's, but not in a bad way. I dig playing rhythm on this guitar - the small vintage frets are the cool thing for me. It just sounds and plays like a strat, ya know??

I've done as much tweaking to this thing as I care to - ripped off the grungy little 9's and put on 11's. Setup tremelo to float (I have my Am Std flat)and adjusted the truss rod (the more contemporary access to truss rod was a fine invention). I think it needs a hair more adjusting, maybe some fret dressing - I'll get a pro to do it. It plays well, I love the feel of the neck. The weight is somewhat less than my AM Std and well balanced. I love the surf green. I've always wanted a green guitar. Overall, this guitar plays real good and maintains tuning perfectly. I was surprised by this, considering I bought the guitar, worked on it, and next day gigged exclusively with it.

We'll see...I hope that it ages well, quickly and get that craggy look to it naturally. I've abused the hell out of my AM STD and, well, you just can't mess up that damn poly finish. This '62 already has a few minor scars, so I think it'll "relic" just fine...

no dealings

I've been playing since 1970. I own a 90's American Standard Strat with Lindy Fralin pickups, an Am STD Tele with Fralins, a new Gibson ES-135, a Carvin TL-60T, a cheapie Martin acoustic and a new MIM Jazz bass. I play my gits through a Princeton Reverb II at small clubs and a Vibro King at larger venues. As stated above, I've always want a green guitar and thirty-some years later I think I got the right one. I would replace this guitar if it was taken away from me, maybe consider a '57 reissue. I grew up with maple fretboards and don't have a single one now in my collection, but just recently realized I've converted. I really like the vintage vibe thing: the tuners, the small frets, neck radius, tremelo, body weight, etc. IF I ever change anything, which isn't likely, it'd be swapping the pickups to the Lindy's, as I feel they offer everything a guitar needs. As I've stated in other posts, strats create the magic by offering some resistance to the player. It's not a perfect instrument - tons of other guitars play "easier". It's the effort, the struggle, that makes the Fender magic occur.

Mine was crafted somewhat between 1997-98 in Japan.
- 21 frets
- sunburst alder body, bolt-on maple neck with rosewood fretboard
- thin frets
- 3 single coil "vintage" pickups
- beige pot hats
- five-position pickup selector switch (the original '62 strat has 3 pos)
- Kludson-style vintage tuners
- white-black-white -scratchplate

This baby looks cute. The finish is nice, despite the body is made of two pieces of wood, the pieces are well chosen - it looks made of only one piece.

I paid 325euros (about $320USD, I think), and I got a gigbag, set of strings and a strap with it. In my opinion - when compared to the typical price level in Finland, it was dirt-cheap.

In a nutshell, I like the brightness and freshness in the sound of this one but I dislike the fret rattle and the high band feedback.

I play this-and-that, mostly brit-pop/new wave -based music. I really like more LesPauls, and Telecasters with humbuckers, but being "just a normal strat", I like this one.
I have used a Marshall Valvestate VS65R with it, homemade Big Muff Pi, Ibanez MS-10 and Boss HF-2.. It is not too noisy. The pickups are quite weak. The sound is rich and bright. You simply can't have dark and heavy tone out of it, which is just fine for me. If you put the amp to the max and play less than three meters away from the amp, there will be annoying high frequency narrow band feedback noise, which certainly does not sound good and is useless as an effect. Also the frets rattle a bit if you pick the strings with power. Maybe if I'd change the pickups, it would help a lot. Also, checking the neck wouldn't be too bad idea. Though, I after tested a new mexican standard Strat, and I noticed that the rattle problem was the same with it, maybe even a bit worse.

I bought my strat used, so I can't really tell what it was like when first bought. When I bought the guitar, the pickups were adjusted too low, so the sound was even thinner than now. Also the bridge springs (3 of those) were stretched, and the bridge was almost in 45 degrees angle and you could bend the strings almost by only blowing to the bridge. I replaced those with five DiMarzio springs and now it's great.

I trust this guitar. It keeps in tune, it has not failed me any time.. Only bad things are the neck and the pickups, but probably the both will do the trick very well after a bit of fixing.

As I have mentioned before, I bought it used so no warranty.. I've never dealt with Fender, so I really cannot say anything about that.

I have played guitar about 12 years. Though, my interest in playing guitar has been near zero before past two years. I own also an acoustic Landola, which is finnish crafted.
If this guitar were stolen, it wouldn't be a tremendous loss. I know this Strat is far from perfect, but for me it is pretty good. I chose this one because I was looking for a fairly good guitar for reasonable price and I got what I wanted. It is not the best I've played, but when compared the price and quality, the rating really should be 9, but otherwise it is 8.
I think this guitar is a diamond - it just needs a little bit cutting..

I don't think I have to list all the features, it's your basic Strat. Made in the USA and I have had it about two years now. Three color sunburst (nitro cellulose finish) w/rosewood neck and aged hardware. I really wanted a Rory Gallagher Custom Shop Relic but didn't have 5K for a guitar. So, I figure I'll play the hell out of this just like Rory did his until it looks like a piece of crap. If you aren't familiar with Rory, you should be, check out his BBC sessions CD for starters. The guitar came with a tweed case, ashtray bridge cover (which I will never use) and all the little vintage goodies. I don't know what to give this for features as it has everything I wanted in a Strat, but since nothing is perfect, I'll give it a 9.

It sounds great, that's about all I can say. I play it through a Fender Blues Jr (the loudest 15 watts known to man) and my only effects are a Small Clone chorus and an Ibanez Tube Screamer. To be honest, I can get pretty much the same sound w/o the TS when I crank the Blues Jr. With the TS, it sounds good, but it sounds like an effect. Without the TS and the amp pushed and the guitar dimed, it sounds more pure and sweet. I also have a 50's Classic Strat, which sounds damn near as good, but this guitar has a resonance that should get better with age. Unplugged, it just rings. The alder body is the only real diff between this and my 50's, though the 50's is available with an alder body if you go for a burst. I wanted the surf green w/maple neck, since I have the burst on the 62. I play mostly roots stuff and this guitar just shines for me. There is a reason these things are played by the likes of Rory Gallagher, Buddy Guy, Hendrix, Clapton...

Hmmm, the set-up was okay, but the bridge buzzed a bit, so I had to screw with that. It did have a few minor finish flaws, but I bought it as a blem, so that doesn't really count. I like the vintage frets and they were finished nicely. As I said, I got it as a blem on sale, but I went over it pretty good and the only real "flaws" were on the finish in the back, but nothing to even bitch about. Plus I wanted the nitro cellulose finish so I could do my own Rory relic job on it, I want it to look old. My only real complaint I had (and this seems to be a bit common) was the feel of the finish on the back of the neck. After playing it felt sticky, like some little kid was touching it with sticky hands. So I did the old wet sand on it and that seemed to take care of the problem. Otherwise, everything was cool. It's just a beautiful guitar.

I don't really do a lot of live playing, but this thing should outlast me. It just feels really solid and in the two years I have had it, there have been no problems at all. Guys all over the world are checking out pawnshops looking for old Strats, so yeah, I think it will last. I am sure I could gig w/o a backup, but i would have one anyway, just in case.

No experience with Fender in this area.

I used to play drums (still do at practice if our drummer is late), so guitar is my second instrument, which gives me a built in reason for sucking. I did get to learn a bit about guitars over the years too, and I just know what I like to hear. In addition to the 62 sunburst, I have a surf green 50's Classic Strat, a black 50's Classic Tele, a black Rickenbacker 320, an Epiphone EB-O bass, a Fender Blues Jr amp and a little Ampeg BA-110 bass amp. The Fender Mexican Classics are also beautiful guitars and anyone that tells you otherwise is a few pickles short of a full barrel. Would I buy another one of these? Yeah, in a heartbeat. I would like to have one of the Custom Shop relics, but for the price diff, I could get quite a few other goodies. I just like the overall vintage vibe of this guitar, it's my Rory guitar. It looks great, sounds great, and feels great to play. I suppose my favorite features would be the vintage pups and the nitro cellulose finish. There just aren't too many things in this world that are 50 years old, that are still the same and as good as ever. And since your chances of finding a real 62 are about as good as me being named the next pope, you have to go with the next best thing.

This is a US '62 Reissue Strat. Built in 1994. Sunburst nitro-cellulose finish. Mods include a different cap on the mid pickup tone knob to turn it into more of a freq control than tone control, Seymour Duncan Li'l '59 humbucker in the bridge, tortoiseshell pickguard and strap-locks. All else is standard - rosewood fretboard, lacquered neck, hole-thru-peg tuners, 57/62 pickups in the mid and neck positions etc. No rating for this category, since it's not how many features a guitar has, but how good the features are.

I play in an alt pop-rock band, but have been in a hard-rock cover band and a blues band whilst I've had this guitar. I play through a Marshall 30th Anniversary head and 1960 Classic 4x12. The humbucker in the bridge really sounds great on overdrive settings but is too boorish for clean tones. I've played some heavy stuff using the HB, and the guitar performs well. The standard single-coils are awesome for clean, particularly the mid. Compared to Texas Specials they have a much more shimmery, defined tone, and with a touch of drive, that front pickup is pure Texas heaven. On greater levels of overdrive they can be a bit noisy. In summary, I can get great classic Strat sounds, and can cover modern alternative sounds with the humbucker very well.

From the factory, set-up was bad, but that was because the neck was screwed up (see below). After replacement, the action was superb. Despite the severe radius and the relatively low action, I don't have any problems with strings choking on bends further up the neck. The nitro-cellulose finish is wonderful, and after owning it for 7 years, it's starting to look like it really has been played for 30 years. You just don't get poly finishes to age as gracefully. Electronics were perfect, and easy to work on. Bridge was easy to set up. Nothing has ever failed structurally or mechanically. I've toured as a guitar tech with bands who use Gibson and PRS and I can say this: Fenders are really superbly crafted these days and put Gibson to an absolute shame. Only PRS seem to maintain the high level of consistency in the sub $2000 bracket.

From the factory the truss rod had failed. I had to get a new neck. See below for how that went. Since then, I've had to replace the volume control once. That's the only problem I've had. My other '62 reissue seems to have a problem with the neck too - maybe needs shimming. The finish isn't as durable as a poly finish, so if you like your guitars to stay shiny and new-looking, you should probably get it refinished. I rarely break strings (I keep the saddles sanded and smooth). It has seen 6 years of lessons (me teaching), rehearsals and shows (probably 150 shows and 1000 rehearsals), 4 years of a music degree course and has been dropped, rained on, thrown around in trailers, cars, and vans, flown to Europe etc. It has hung in there and continues to give 100% top service. It's BULLETPROOF.

When the neck first needed replacing, it took about 3 months. That is completely unacceptable in my book. I haven't dealt with Fender on any other issues.

I've been playing for 10 years, have a music degree, am in a serious band and I teach. If this guitar got stolen or lost I would be DISTRAUGHT. It's the common thread in my professional career. I don't use a second guitar (unless I break a string live). It's called The Guv'nor, it's mine, you can't have it, but you can get one like it. NOW!

Mid Eighties Jap reissue ('62)Stratocaster
21 small frets, solid top, 1 volume, 2 tone, three single, all stock.
body is solid, I believe it is alder, but cannot recall what the japs were made from, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, black finish,all stock tuners etc. Thin neck, one of the best I have felt for thin neck strats, except my other '62 crimson burst,foto flame.
came w/hardshell case.(not orig. Fender USA)wang bar.\
Every thing I wanted and needed.

This strat is perfect for me, I play regularly in the club scenes in Iowa (no joke) through mid 60's super w/ Boss DS-1, Ibanez TS9-DX, Dunlop Hendrix wah(30 bucks!!) Dunlop Uni-Vibe, and 80's model Ibanez flanger.
Usual strat noise, cancelled on 2 and 4, but sweet, bought it, brought it home, plugged it in, and compared to my others, it sparkled with tone
sounds come from me. I can make it whine,cry, sing,scream,growl,roar whinny, squawk, anything.

action needed adjusted, it was bought used, whoever had it did not know either how to use it, or just did'nt, no fret wear, no dings or scratches, but pickups were extremely high, I adjusted them myself other than the above, all factory.

this guitar has survived me so far, I love it to death, but am rough on my guitars. it seems slightly more fragile than the others as far as the finish is concerned, but she will not go out of tune, if I did not get so caught up in my music and bend untill the strings snap, this would be the only one I would use, but it has hung in better than my other five strats so I bring a backup, but rarely use it.

PAWN SHOP

I have played music for three years, almost all guitar. I own four Startocasters besides this, two Mexi. one white, N6 one crimson burstN5 one Squire(hey it was free!) and one 62' reissue foto flame crimson burst (first series) all original $105!!! (another pawn shop!)
this guitar will not go out of my sight. I can't sllep without a guitar, this is always the one I go to.

1987 MIJ, basswood body, maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, 21 frets, basic strat electrics & hardware, I mean, I think we all know what a strat's like. BTW, is left-handed.

Neck & middle p/up's give a classic strat tone. Bridge p/up couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, and has been replaced with a Duncan JB jr. Played thru a SD 84/50 combo, is able to produce a nice blues and classic rock tone, and now, thanks to the new p/up, can handle things when I want to get a little "hardcore".

Factory setup was spot on!!!:). Action was spot on(I learnt to play on some crappy guitars, and prefer the action a bit high). Got $200 off the price coz it had a ding on the top edge, other than that, the poly finish has held up remarkably well, despite years of abuse at my hands, lol. My only complaint is that, at the time, left handers had to subscribe to the Henry Ford school of colour, ie: any colour you want, as long as it's black. Don't get me wrong, it looks damn good in black, but a choice would have been nice. 2 points off for this.

This guitar is a tank! I mean, you coudn't stop it with an axe. have owned from new, and it still all original, except for the bridge p/up. I have swung it by the trem arm, and not only is it still in one piece, but it stays in tune. I have, and will use this without a backup. If I could, I would give it a 12 in this category, but for now, a ten will have to do.

Have never dealt with them.

I have been playing for 19 years. Have played and/or owned a Jackson Dinky, Vantage V, 1982 US strat(not a patch on the Jap for quality or sound), Suzuki Les Paul, and currently, a Sammick 335 dot copy, and I keep coming back to this one. It does it all, and has endured the last 15 years better than I have. If anything happened to it, I wouldn't hesitate to replace it. It's not perfect(nothing ever is), but for me, it comes pretty close.

This is a 1962 reissue made in Japan. I got this off of Ebay. It's a brand new guitar. This guitar's finish is gold of some sort. Not Shoreline Gold but some form of gold. Maybe Firemist Gold but I'm not certain. It's a Poly finish. Body is alder. Fretboard is rosewood. Pickguard is mint green. Pickups are Texas Specials. The body is that nice contoured body and has three pickup routes in it rather than the Am Std Strat which has a big route to fit up to three humbuckers. Also the Am Std body is bulkier. This is much more comfortable. Standard "vintage" trem & "vintage" Gotoh tuners. The neck is C shaped. The guy who sold it to me said that the neck reminds him very much of his vintage 1963 Strat. I've never played a vintage '63 or any vintage '60s Strat so I can't go from experience but he says the neck is like it so I take his word for it. The neck is the classic vintage-like 21 I give this a max score (10) because it has all the features that a Stratocaster should.

This sound is it. I think the combination of Texas Specials and the nice natural acoustics of the alder body make this a great tone monster when plugged in. You can go from classic surf to blues aka SRV, to Hendrix, to Dire Straits to Brit Pop and pop rock. Very versatile. Ironic thing is that I didn't like Texas Specials prior to this guitar. I've tried the SRV Strat and other Strats with Tex Specials in them and thought they were harsh pickups. But in this guitar it sounds great. Maybe I just got a special set of Tx Specials or the fine wood makes them sound great. Very nice. I have a set of Custom '54s in another Strat and I'd like to install them in this one to hear how they sound in this guitar. My other Strat is a 1987 Squier (Japan) Strat made of basswood. Wonder how each guitar would sound if I swapped pickups. The rating in this category won't receive the max even though I love the tone of it might even sound better with some Fralin pickups or my Fender Custom '54 pickups and such. So I'll leave this at one less than max points allowed.

This was setup great. I'm not sure if the guy in Japan who sold it to me set it up himself or it came from the shop where he bought it set up. I bought it from a GI stationed in Japan who likes to buy and sell guitars, play guitars and own guitars. He bought it on sale from a shop in Japan and resold it to me. It is new. The finish on this is flawless. The string hight was set perfectly. So was the neck and the bridge and intonation. Someone did something right. I didn't have to do a thing to get this guitar up to par. Out of the box it was great. Flawless neck and fretboard as well. Beautiful colored guitar.

This guitar was made solidly. Hardware is excellent. Buttons are on tight. I can depend on this one. It's built to last.

I have yet dealt with Fender Japan, Fender America, or the guy who sold it to me. So I can't really give this one a number. I can say that the guy who sold it to me is a nice guy who is honest and deliver's fast. I think he send the item via military post office or something so it got here fast. Only about 4 days from Japan to my home in suburban Los Angeles.

Here is the low down. There are many different "reissue" Strats out in the world. There are the American made reissues, Japanese made, and now made in Mexico. The American made ones are the most expensive. The only diff I can tell between mine and an American made one is that the finish on mine is Poly and the American made would be made of Nitro. I like mine fine and like mine more than American reissues and I don't notice a diff in Nitro and Poly so mine is great. There are the Japanese made RI's that were sold in the US up to a couple of years ago when the Mexican made ones started here. Don't get the Japanese made RIs that they sold a few years ago here mixed up with the ST62-70TX that I have. Mine is made of alder wood, has Tex Special pickups and the like. The Jap Strats sold in the US had basswood body, cheap pickups and cheap pots in them. The hardware on the other Jap Strats might be cheaper than mine too. Everything about the ST62-70TX is top notch. It's a diff guitar than those sold here in the past. If you go to www.ishibashi.co.jp you can see many of these different reissues being sold. You can buy them from Japan. Shipping might cost some but it's worth it. Shipping on this was like $50.00 I think. Still a lot less than the Am reissues, and cost about the same as the Mexican reissue or Japanese reissues sold here. These normally go for 56,000 Japanese Yen which based on the exchange rate now is about $420.00 US. I bought mine for more off Ebay before knowing to buy from Ishibashi Japan. I don't mind because mine is very nice and an American GI made a few bucks and he serves our country and deserves it. The Mexican reissues are nice but made of Poplar wood not Alder like mine and the pickups are so-so. Bottom line is get yourself a ST62-70TX if you can. If you want one with maple fretboard then get an ST57-70TX. Same as mine but a 1950s model. I might do that also soon. These are in limited colors but they might have a color you like. At the Ishibashi site they might only list black, white, red and sunburst but ask if they have other special colors because often they do. One last thing in another review a guy said that the pots had to be replaced on his but on mine they are fine. This guitar deservves the max points available. Great guitar for great price = Value = 10 out of 10.

Japanese 62 reissue - crimson burst fotoflame.

1 volume 2 tone controls, whammy bar.
Alder body, maple neck with a rosewood slab, classic fender strat head.

Played clean through vox ac30, beautiful rich sound, best turned up full for those blues solos.

A very vesatile guitar

Bought second hand, no major dings or flaws, well impressed with the quality

Played live regularly, withstands abuse well, solid design and construction, very durable.

Never dealt, but reputable support

Been playing fifteen years, would replace again, running this along side my american reissue, if the american one got lost I would replace it with another Japanese, the quality is awesome, in fact better than the american double !

Like "HANGMAN" from New Zealand, I have the same EXACT guitar he does. Black '62 reissue strat w/ mint green pick guard, and Texas Special PU's. I purchased mine in 1997 while I was stationed in Japan. All features are exactly what Hangman listed on his. I do not think he left anything out.

Sound is absolutely awesome, and get's better with age. The only thing is the pots do need to be changed out. I havent done so yet, but is most definetely an easy, and inexpensive fix. Would go 10 on this, but for the sake of the pots, and pots only, she gets a 9.
Soon she'll be a 10!

Compared to both my American Strats (California Strats) which are another excellent instruement, this strat does indeed have a thicker neck. However, I have no problems navigating up, and down the neck, and I have small hands. Some say a thicker neck promotes better sustain. My ear is not that trained yet, but I believe it. As far as finish, I have picked up several American '62 reissue strats. I can not see where the Japanese cut any corners on finish whatsoever compared to their American counterparts. Finish on these are immaculate.

This guitar is a TANK!!! Enough said.

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing on, and off for 10 yrs. I have narrowed my guitar inventory down to just a few. This is one that will not leave my hands along with one of my california strats w/ texas specials as well. Yes I really like it that much, and I have my rottweiler who sleeps next to it every night. Seriously if it were lost, or stolen I would be seriously bummed for it was my first Strat, and has more sentimental value to me, than $$$ value. She is a keeper, and should be a keeper for any others of you out there who are lucky enough to have one of these.

This review concerns a new Jap 62 Strat Reissue (ST62-70TX) I have recently purchased. I have waited a few days for the initial "euphoria" to wear off.
I purchased this Strat mail order from Fender Japan (via Ishibashi Music Corp), as the cost of similar guitars here in New Zealand is extreme (US Reissues $4000...!!!!)
I have to say that I do not normally buy guitars without first playing them, so I did this with some reluctance, but the advantage of buying a new guitar with the features I required as opposed to buying "off the shelf" & taking what they have, sold me (theres not much variety here in NZ, & sunbursts are the norm).
Anyhoo...here goes...
This guitar is BLACK! & features an alder body (with nice acoustic resonance) & a nicely figured maple neck with Rosewood fretboard.
This model comes standard with aged plastic bits & the cool mint green pickguard. I was also sold on the fact that this guitar also comes standard with "US Texas Special" p/ups (which I wanted)
It also has the standard "vintage" trem & "vintage" Gotoh tuners
The Jap Strats have a "C" shaped neck as opposed to the "V" shaped neck of the US Reisuue models & I must say that I find these necks extremely playable. It appears to be finished in an "aged" polyurethane, which seems to be very slick although I havent played it under sweat inducing lights as yet (if I have any problems with "sticking" to the neck, I will sand it with 1500 grit wet & dry).
The neck duplicates the 21 frets & scale length of "vintage Strats although I feel the radius is larger than the stated "vintage" radius
It seems like a really good compromise between the "vintage" radius & the flatter radius of modern "heavy metal type necks.
I give this guitar a 9 where I have, because I believe "10" is an "ideal"

This guitar sounds awesome !. The combination of Texas Specials & Rosewood fretboard with the Alder body really sings.
Acoustically this guitar is LOUD & very bright (new GHS Boomer mediums)
Mesa Boogie Subway Blues Amp
This amp had the attenuatuion dial on the back which enabled power tube saturation at low volumes.
I played through this amp with no effects, & was able to dial in mosts sounds by messing with the tone & volume controls on the guitar
Nice boxy Gibson Jazz sounds (a la T Bone Walker) on 1, 2 & 3, with a cool "woman tone" being achieved by rolling off the tone & cranking the guitars volume pot. SRV not really available from this amp without a Tubescreamer, but a fairly decent Hendrix facsimile available with everything cranked on the bridge pickup. "Little Wing" came out all by itself at clean settings, & by rolling on the volume I found "Clapton"
Marshall JTM45 (I would sacrifice my left testicle for this amp!)
Gave me f...ing chills.
I played this amp in the sticks, & therefore was able to crank it
Guitar..Compressor..Hot Cake(set for clean gain)..Morley Wah..Ratshit TS9 (set for lead distortion)
I set this amp on the verge of breakup (6-7) & used the Hot Cake to control the tube saturation & used the TS9 for a kind of Fuzz tone (cause it was a bad TS9) (I was playing on my friends deck overlooking a deep valley & was getting this really cool echo!)
With all the pedals off I could get really cool clean tones (a la Jimmy Vaughan..the master of touch & tone) & by rolling on the guitars volume pot, I could get everything from ZZ Top to Hendrix
Summary
Typical Strat...Lots of tone available
The only thing this guitar wont do (because of the combination of Texas Specials & Rosewood fingerboard) is supply that reaaly twangy Tele sound.
This is more of the "smokey" blues...blues/rock sound with nice bottom & mids with "subtle" tops
Typical "hum" when played through a cranked amp although not unbearable
This guitar must have a base plate on the bridge p/up (although I havent checked as yet) as it sounds less "shrieky" than your average Strat
Less "quacky" at 2 & 4 than other Strats I have played

This guitar was set up with GHS Boomer mediums & a floating trem as requested.
The strings sit high on the nut which is cool for "whammy freaks", and the pickups seem well adjusted for the amps I have played through thus far
The action was set up as per the common "low as possible with rattling" mojo which will be altered next time I change strings but I have been able to play open chords & single notes up to the 20th fret without buzzing & the intonation is good.
The frets (apart from being too small for my liking) are finished as well as I have seen on any of your so called "boutique" guitars (polished as well!), & the neck pocket is tighter than any previous Strat I have owned.
Unfortunately for Fender US, I would have to say that this Jap Strat absolutely smokes its US equivalent & in fact from the info I have gained from playing & talking to other Jap Strat owners & comparing their quality to the US equivalent, I can honestly say that most Jap Strats I have seen would be comparable to US Custom Shop Strats in quality & playability.
Now that Fender Japan are using US p/ups,the only gripe I have is that there volume pots go from clean to mud between 7-8, but these are cheap to replace even here in NZ
I would urge anyone considering buying a new Strat to at least look at the Jap (or Mex) models...Made in US does not guarantee that it is better than anywhere else(except Indonesia...avoid like the plague)

Appears as solid as all other Strats I have owned (ie ROCK SOLID)
Urethane (?) finish only time will tell whether I sand the neck back or not
Strap buttons are only as good as the strap they are holding
Stays in tune as well if not better than other trem Strats I have owned although I will probably replace saddles with Graphtec to improve sustain & durability of strings & may go for a bone nut next time I replace the strings
I would probably add a maple fingerboard (57 Reissue with Fralins) Strat in my lineup to increase my tonal flexibility although I have no qualms about gigging with this guitar alone

Standard warranty
Warranty redeemable in New Zealand
Generally repair guitars myself or use a tech (I will get the frets replaced with jumbos when I can afford it)

I have been playing for 28 years, & this is the best Strat I have owned including a late model US Standard & a 70s Strat
To steal this you would need to get past my dog...if lost I would replace it with the same model although perhaps an early 80s model
I really dig the neck & Texas Specials... this guitar plays & sounds like a custom shop special
No comparison to US equivalent...Take note Fender US
For the "smokey..fat" Blues..Blues/Rock tones buy this
For cleaner tones check out Fender Japs Web site...they have have a maple neck 57 Reissue with US 50s reissue p/ups...a Clapton clone with Fender lace p/ups..& the SRV model...all for 1/4 the price
Best kept secret on the planet!

USA 1962 Reissue Sherwood Forest Green
Paid 970. something for it

It was made I think 1999 I or 2000 I never really looked when i bought it.

It has 21 frets. Solid Body, 3 way selector, volume, tone, tone, it came ash tray, strap, whammy bar, cloth, deluxe fender tweed case( supposed to be brown) some books and inspector card all that stuff keys for the lock. 50's Case is made of tweed, and 60's is brown and has 0range carpet on the inside. So i am thinking buying a 50's and then a brown case or maybe just a case. So shit will be right. The body is made of alder the neck is maple with rosewood fretboard. The finish is stained the hole neck and headstock. Three Vintage Single Coil Pickups. Aged Hardware, Synchronized Tremelo. It is a good Guitar I think I would rate the guitar a 10 it is worth it i got a 5 way switch with it but i wouldn't change it it would be worth more money not touched. I play mine but i don't want to change things. I think next I am looking for somet other Strat maybe with Texas Special Pickups or Lace Sensors. I looking for two humbucker strat.

Well the case was the wrong color when i bought it from the store.

It wouldn't be that good for Metal stuff like slipknot

I have princeton chrous amp with reverb overdrive and chorus on it. The amp has two ten's with 25 x 2 rms, two individual amps, and two imputs, two button footswitch. i have a danelectro fab tone pedal.

Three tone wish I had balls enough to put 5 way switch or 7 in.

Not enough sounds to play around with

The guitar had not flaws all the shit was tight on it. Perfect for a brand new guitar. Guitar wasn't set up worth a shit my friend said. I always get him to work on mine. He said the neck to tight on it from factory. The bridge needed work done to it aligning it. But it was worth getting it done

It doesn't go out of tune to easy
If it does once in a while it goes usually a little stronger then the string is set for just a tad

Never got strap locks
the case buttons are cheap on all fender cases

I think its like 3 year warranty

Brand new,features of a 62 strat

I am a blues-rock player and it fits me perfect. Everywhere I play I get complimants on my sound. There isn't any thing more I can could ask from it.

I always get things set up by a tech because I use 12guage strings and like a very stiff tremolo. The neck is detailed perfect and somehow mine has figured maple. I don't know if I got lucky but mines done to perfection.

Its brand new but I think its built well. I might put strap locks on it.

I own an american strat with emg pickups, but this blows it away.
I tried every guitar in the stores nothing compares. This guitar just has that sound and feel to it that makes it perfect for my style. The only guitars I can think of that I would rather have are maybe, a original 62 or 57, or a custom shop. Save up your money and forget about the american strats. And please don't buy this guitar if you play metal.

Came with brown tolex case, vintage strap, ash tray, 5-way switch, and allen wrench (that didn't fit the saddle adjusters!!!!)

A little noisier than my modern strats (have an HM and a strat plus with lace sensors) but about the same as my real '59! Great clicky sound....very Ren and Stimpy. Cuts like a knife.

Lower horn is is sanded a bit too much so the pickguard has a gap when screwed down tight, but barely noticeable...I had one before that had a huge gap in the neck pocket where you could slide a heavy gauge pick! I set it up myself, so it's perfect for me.

I have just started using it out. I alweays carry a backup guitar in case a string breaks in the middle of a song.

American made, 1999 model. 21 frets, rosewood neck 7.25" radius, alder body, 3-way switch (installed 5-way), standard volume/tone/tone. Vintage bridge and tuners. Its a classic strat - what do you want?

Mine was sherwood green with vintage mint green pickguard. In a moment of confused inspiration - I had it painted black and put a single-ply white pickguard on it. I love black guitars and wanted to make it 'my own' - I'll save the money next time.

I play a range of music - pop, rock and blues but prefer the blues hands down. The guitar's sound - like all strats - is extremely versatile and lends itself well to cover band work. I found the stock vintage pickups a little thin so I replaced them with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot - this baby smokes!! All the fat - classic sounds with some deep character in the neck position (attention blues lovers). The guitar itself resonates acoustically which helps when amplified - Nice sustain for a strat - even relatively clean.

I am playing through a Marshall JCM 2000 TSL (2X12). I generally use only the clean channel. Really brings out the punch in this guitar. I've been playing for 20 years and grew up in the 70s - thus my Marshall preference. I've used a number of fender amps - good blues amps - I just really love the way a strat sounds through a Marshall.

Nothing I don't like about the guitar and I am PICK-E. If you are into Van Halen or any metal - serious humbucker guitar - don't choose this one.

I have always had to tweek strats - it is part of owning a strat. I prefer my action a little higher - helps with the tone. The '62 has a great neck and small frets - makes for fast, smooth play. If you like to play on railroad ties - don't get the '62. I do a lot of bending in my playing though and I have no problem with the smaller frets. I use 10's with a high-e 12.

I found the finish on the back of the neck a little sticky - so I took some extremely fine sand paper to it and now its smooth and fast - perfect. No flaws to speak of - these guitars are beautifully made and stand up well to constant play. Players put off by the smaller neck size relative to some Gibson necks - might check out the Japanese made models...also a great ax.

I'm using this regularly and have no complaints. Strats are tough, tough, tough and the '62 is no exception. Stays in tune beautifully - although I'm not a big whammy guy. I have played/owned Gibsons, Epiphone, Music Man, Yamaha - and I always come back to my '62 within days. If only I could do it all over!!! I have no fear of gigging with this guitar alone.

n/a - wouldn't want to find out though.

This is my only electric. A recent career change is going to force me to stick to the one electric rule - however, this thing fits my needs and tastes so well that I really don't want to play anything else - and what I haven't owned, I have regular access to.

Pure 10 baby.

bought this bad boy at a local music store while it was on consignment. i didnt know it was a 62' and neither did the previous owner. found out when i had a conversion done to flip it lefty. boy was i stoked!. the guitar was originally a dark green, but somewhere down the line was lightly sanded down to a cool faded light green. its rosewood on maple with klusons. came with a free cigarette burn on the head stock. body appers to be alder or basswood, but certainly not ash, in that the wood grain is smaller in pattern. light weight and quite resonant. didnt like the stock(?) pickups, so i swapper in a set of texas specials i got pretty cheap. big improvement!. also had some tricky rewiring done to the tone controls that gives me complete use of both treble and bass response. swapped out all the plastic for mint green fender pick-guard, p/u covers, knobs, and back cover as well. really really looks like an old one now!.

as i mention before, i didnt care for the pickups that were in it, and i do like the texas specials quite a bit in this guitar. nails the the classic "strat-on-steriods" sound very well. i play blue/rock and can cover many styles and sounds with this set-up. playing thru my bassman, pushed by a couple of pedals, it really is versitile. dont care for the small frets though, and i think ill re-fret to jumbo's being that i prefer them and have few bucks in this guitar.

faded paint, mint parts, and ciggy burns?= COOL COOL COOL!!!. will play even better after the fret job.

just got it all together and has played perfectly. should be tuff as nails, like all the strats ive owned.

no warranty here, and expect to never have to call fender.

been playing for a long time and this is one of those great deals that falls into your lap from time to time. it would be hard to replace this baby if lost, for anywhere near the $350 or so that i have in it. its solid, versitile, sounds great, and looks killer. what can you say?.

japan 1996
21 frets
solid top
1 volume 2 tone 5 way selector
S/S/S
fender single coil pickups, passive
maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, alder body,
olympic white finish
fender tremolo bridge,old style saddles
non locking traditional style tuners
nice thin neck good frets
case and tools included

it is versatile for all styles, but I like it for grunge and
hendrix-style blues

this guitar was extremely well made,
but it was very poorly adjusted action and I had to fix that
apart from that it was great

this guitar is a good tried and tested live machine,
I would y=use no other live

the company was a bit stone faced, but quite helpful.
it has never needed repair

This is a 1983 USA model 1962 reissue Stratocaster. It has the standard Strat setup for controls, although I replaced the original 3-way pickup selector switch with a 5-way. It has the 3 color sunburst finish that has aged beautifully, and has proved nearly impervious to sweat, beer, water or anything else that might get splashed, dumped or sprayed on it during a gig. It has been my main guitar for nearly 18 years.

In 1998, I had the frets replaced and added the Clapton style active electronics. All this was done by Ken Nash in New London, CT. WHAT A TRANSFORMATION!!! With all of the tonal possibilities of this axe, I don't need to play with a backup. This guitar can handle all styles of music, from country to metal. I play through a Line 6 Flextone, and the combination of the two is excellent. The original pickups were a little thin to play really heavy stuff,(Metallica, Megadeath, etc.) but were great for more generic rock and Top Forty tunes.

Factory set up was lousy. Several trips to the music store got it right. Noise is still a problem at some gigs, but not as bad as in the late 80's, due to improvements in amp circuit design and lighting cord sheilding.

This guitar is absolutely indestructable. I've dropped it, stepped on it and generally abused it for nearly 18 years, and it STILL stays in tune, the whammy works great, and the case still is together.

1999 model year - seems correct in every way - slab board, aged-looking lacquer, nice sunburst, vintage bridge, 3-way pickup switch (but usable in the in-between positions easily enough). A great classic look - this guitar draws the most attention of the 8 I own.

Great vintage sound - for awhile I had both this and a modern Strat with Texas specials, which are nice pickups also, but a bit hotter. I like the sound with the rosewood fingerboard on this guitar better than the maple which I had on the modern US Strat. Great neck pickup sounds for blues, and the in-between sounds are great also. Bridge pickup w/Marshall doesn't quite get to the Keith Richards "Start me Up" sound, but not too far off for a Strat. Pickups are not very strong, definitely in the classic style, but can be boosted with a number of overdrive/distortion pedals to make up for this.

The finish was very well applied, no problems, and the wood grain is nice to look at. The only problem I've had is that the neck needed a lot of adjustment - a good setup by a professional solved the problems, but this shouldn't happen in a higher-end Fender model. You may well also need to get a good setup, even on a brand new guitar. Do it - it's worth it, as otherwise this guitar is great. I have now sold off my modern US Strat - this is the one I like.

solidly built like Strats always have been - I think the setup on the neck will last well.

This one was made in '99, and has the new American Vintage pickups. Otherwise - rosewood board, vintage hardware.

I work in a guitar shop, so I've played a few of these '62 reissues, and they sound like cheap junk. New, improved pickups - my ass. I played it through a Fender HR Deluxe, Marshall DSL 50 and a Vox AC30 and I couldn't believe how tinny and void of tone these things are. I thought I was playing a lemmon, but they all sounded the same.

It looked great - very vintage. Tinted neck, sherwood metallic (green) finish - aesthetically, everything looked flawless. The action was just okay - pretty tough to bend when it's set so low. Everything else seemed to be put together well.

Seemed solid.

Complete shit. Reissue, whatever. If '60s strats sounded like this then Fender would've closed up shop back then.

Y2K Sherwood green vintage 62 re-issue strat.

bright sounding, played thru a Vibrolux reverb

Nice neck joint, good body finnish, Tacky amature job of finnishing the neck. Aged lacquer all over the position markers. Very heavy handed

As durable as any 62 re-issue

Dont Bother

Since I own a real 62 strat (sonic Blue)i had to try this guitar to
see if it was close to the original. Not even close! Slab fretboard?
NOT! Vintage hardware? Yes but Fenders always used this hardware and its the same. My bitch is that is joke of a fret board isnt close an to the rosewood 2 x 4 on the original and the necks way to slim. Almost bought the Jeff Beck, but lace sensors? ugh. Finaly bought the
SRV...big slab board...I know Pao Ferro but it is thick and the necks a real 62 vintage piece of lumber. And threw away that silly assed pick guard. Fender should supply another without the logo.

2000 model year tri-tone sunburst Stratocaster, 21 frets, made in Corona CA. It came with the usual goodies, cord, strap, astray, shine
cloth, 5-way selector switch. I left the 3-way selector switch in
to keep it original, besides if I want 2 and 4 positions I just do it
the old way. The body is a fantastic 2 piece Alder body, finished with
Nitro laquer. The guitar came with a tweed case that I exchanged for
a brown Fender tolex case.

This guitar gives me all the Strat tones that I have longed for. I have played, and owned lots of Fender Stratocasters, but none of them
had the right tone or vibe. I play instrumental Surf, Blues, Rockabilly, Jazz, and a little Country, and you can get all those tones from just this one guitar. The pickups are very sweet sounding,
especially the neck pickup.

The guitar was'nt setup well, but I had my guitar tech go over it
and make the needed adjustments. I play 11's with fairly high action
so a professional setup was needed. Everything on the guitar is great,
the neck is straight, there was no finish flaws, my only complaint
was that there was a little yellow overspray on the side dot fret markers. Other than that this guitar is built like a tank, and will
definately out last me!

The finish is Nitro laquer, so it will wear over time, but it wear
with me, and I will create my own relic. The strap buttons are solid
and never had ant problems with the vintage buttons on any of my guitars. I can depend on this thing with my life, never had a problem,
and usually gig without a back up. I play with 11 guage string and
don't slam away on the thing, so I have never broken a string on the
guitar yet.

Only had to deal with Fender one time. They take awhile with parts
but they do stand by their warranties.

I have been playing for 7 years. I own a MIM standard Strat, Fender
hot rod Deville 2-12 combo amp, and a Fender Deluxe Reverb RI amp.
If lost or stolen I would not hesitate to buy another one. The thing
I love the most about this guitar is the tone and playability, plus
the vintage vibe it gives off. This guitar is the closest you can
possibly get to a real 62 Strat. If you are into 50' and 60's music
like Dick Dale, Buddy Guy, Gene Vincent, The Ventures, or SRV, and
Hendrix buy this thing you will not be disappointed!

2000 USA made 62 Reissue Stratocaster in 3 color sunburst with rosewood fretboard. 57/62 reissue pickups with aged plastic parts and what they call mint green pickguard (it looks off white to me and gives the guitar a great vintage look). 7.25" neck radius. Old style tuners and bridge. Beautiful tweed case with a plush red lining. Came with bridge cover, strap, allen wrench, cord and a 5 way switch as a replacement for the standard 3 way. I have left the 3 way in, when i want positions 2 and 4 I move the switch between settings, just like I did back in the 70's.

I play modern rock, classic rock and blues. This guitar sounds great for everything. All pickup configurations are useful. The guitar is very responsive to the guitarist, if you play hard it sounds hard. Play easy and it sounds smooth. I have tried it through a Super Reverb and it sounds just like what I envision a strat to sound like, clean, bright and glassy., Through a Marshall JTM 622 and it has a great classic rock sound. Through a Boogie Subway Blues it really shines, you can get just about all of the various rock/blues tones you could ever want by adjusting the volume and midrange of the amp. Not a Metal sound though, perhaps a humbucker in the bridge through a Marshall or high gain Boogie would do the trick. I have owned various strats and have changed pickups on all of them, this guy I will leave alone. I love the whole vibe of the guitar and the tone I get out of this guitar makes me not want to put it down. For pure strat tone this is the one.

This guitar was setup by Jimmy mack at Richmond Music in SI. He did a great job. The action is a perfect balance that allows the notes to ring out while making it comfortable to play. I think the pickup height was adjusted just right to get the best possible sounds out of them.

The nitro-cellular paint makes this guitar prone to scratches and dings but it is the price you pay for tone. Look at it this way over time you are creating your own relic strat.

Never had to call Fender about any of my guitars or amps.

I have owned a Mexican Strat, Strat Plus, G&L Legacy, US Standard Strat and a Clapton Strat and all have paled in comparison to this guitar. I wish I had bought this one first so i wouldn't have had to buy and trade all the others. If you're a strat fan and love the music of SRV, Hendrix, Clapton, Floyd , U2, etc. you will not be disappointed with this instrument. This guitar is very hard to put down, you will want to play it all the time. You will get up early for work to play, you will stay up late to play, you will practice. Get a tube amp, plug in and enjoy!

Mine is a 1999 Vintage 62 reissue Strat in sherwood green metalic made at the corona cali shop. Alder body, 21 frets, 7.25 neck rad, nitro-cell neck finish, replaced 3way with 5way, reissue single coils in all 3 positions. It's basically straight from the factory with the exception of the switch replacement. Came with tweed HSC, cable, cloth and the little ashtray dealie.

I absolutely love this guitar. I have been playing strats, and liked them enough until I played this one at the shop. Realized the difference in the action and the sound quality, I was sold immediately. I play stuff like Radiohead, Bush, alternative pop and guitar driven punk mostly. This one fits the bill just fine. The sound is very full in the mid and base regions, and bright and resonant in the higher areas when pushing it, especially with effects. It came with 10s, which is my defacto, and the sound was still better than the humbucking fats I've played. Despite the single coils, the sound is quiet on the reissue pickups. If you like the sound a strat makes, this is the model to buy, no questions.

This guitar was set up right. Although the unit I purchased had a bit of a low spot in the neck around the 11 fret, Fender did the replacement with the shop before I picked it up. The new neck was perfect and the coloring of the rosewood fingerboard was even nicer, with slight flaming on the neck itself. The new neck fit perfectly, with help from the cert. dealer install guy. Otherwise, this was a real nice unit. I would give it a 10 if the neck were right from the factory.

This is a solid performer. I would definately say it will stand up with time. The nitro-cell will wear, but the sound one gets from it as oposed to the heavier varns is worth it. The rest of the guitar is ready for gigs, and if I had no other choice, I would gig w/o a back up certainly.

I am only giving Fender a 9 here, even though they did the neck replacement without question, because it wasn't me that had to do the legwork for the neck. Being a new ax, they were required to replace. I am not sure if the support would be different or not if it were just me. There is a limited lifetime on the unit.

I use this and my Fender Jag through a Line6 AX212. I have been playing for 2-3 years but haven't quit my day job. If it were stolen, I would find the guy and kick his ass. The green pickguard looks like crap on the other colors, but on the green guitar it looks almost off white and is acceptable. I looked at the other non-custom shop Strats, but after playing about 8, this one stood out well above the others. The sound is much better than the 57 reissue, which was a close second choice until I heard this one. There is no other Strat being made now that I would buy instead of this unit. The neck radius and tone alone make it "the guitar" to buy under a K.

My model is a 98 "62" reissue made in the usa it's a 21 fret alder blues machine it has a rose wood fret board and it's olympic white.What a great contrast of colors. The pick ups are sweet they sound quite tubular.....man. the neck is so smooth it feels like you're playing an instrument made buy angels

the sound is very sensitive to the touch it resonates every nuance your fingers produce but it sounds like crap if your sloppy

this model has the good vintage finish that means its built to last. It'll out last me

I've never seen a strat that has been to worn to be played

they've been quite informitive so far

This is a really nice intrument for blues and assorted rock the craftsmanship is impeccable the fret work is outstanding that is why I selected this model instead of the AM Standard

Everyone Knows the typical features of the Strat! Mine is Lake Placid Blue with Rosewood board... I Love the look.

This is a made in Mexico (Baja) Strat, which is just down the street from me, I live between the Fender Corona and Baja plants..... I have owned several '60's Strats and know what one should sound and feel like..... This one was set up by the factory great! The action is nice the tremelo works better than my originals, strings stay in tune and I haven't oiled, graphited or greased it yet... the sound is truly Stratocaster... It is Super musical..... I play thru a few different Fender Black Face tube amps,a Carvin Vintage 50,and a Peavey Classic 30. They all sound Super good with this guitar.

Action, Fit & Finish.. Great! It is beautiful. I am really surprised and shocked. I picked it up and started playing.. it was Fine!

It's a Strat..... You could shovel snow with it to get out of the driveway on your way to the gig.......beat it against a wall to knock the snow off and go in and play......

Not sure........

I've been playing since '68 and owned many guitars, too many to list but all Top brands and styles and including amps/effects..... It is great to get a guitar in this day and age that is like the original without paying thousands of dollars....... I really need to buy a '50's model now before the price goes up.... People are gonna find out about these and make them more valuable. I'm am really pleased that these are available and we don't need to go to the Orient for the quality, sound and price......

Judging from the serial number, I believe mine to be a '97 usa reissue. Of course, all reissues are the same in the way of features. The only possible change is the 3-way/5-way pickup switch. I choose to stay with the 3 way. It sucks when the buzz sets in but the tone and the vintage feel is worth it. I can't stand the "in between" sound so I made it to where I have no choice. The color is Shoreline Gold. I have yet to see another one in this color. I don't think there has been one night at a gig or jam that someone didn't come to me and ask me about the color. It is an absolute gorgeous guitar. The rosewood is really good but not great. It is really hard to find great rosewood anymore. At least it isn't as streaky as some Am Std I have seen. If you play a strat you play it because what it is. Features aren't an issue. The vintage tuners and vintage bridge are perfect. I also really like the vintage radius on the neck. Yes, newer necks are easier to play but if you get used to the vintage necks I believe it gives you more feel and puts you more in tune with the neck. Great Job

I can't say enough about the sound. I play it through a '64 blackface deluxe and it is heaven. These are the best stock pickups I have ever heard. I won't give it a 10 because they still aren't as good as Van Zant's or original strats. I play blues and if you want the classic fender/texas blues tone this guitar is it. It also has great country tones..Vince Gill would be proud. I have yet to find anything I dislike about this guitar.

I raised the action a little because it was too low. I play 11's and I truly believe that these guitars were made for this gauge. It really gives you just the right fight with a nice firm string. 12 or 13 are a little much and the sustain goes way down as you increase the string gauge. The frets are vintage and would be fine except they wear so easy. when it finally needs a refret I may install jumbo's just to get more life out of them. The finish was great on the body. There was a tiny bit of overspray from the back of the neck yellowing. I give it a 10 simply because of the shoreline gold color. It is truly beautiful.

you could fight your way out of any bar room brawl and still nail a 4 hour gig. Trust me this guitar will outlast me...

who cares

Considering what I payed for it, I couldn't imagine a better guitar. I will give it an overall of "9" because only a real '62 is a 10. If you don't want to break the bank and you need a wonderful Fender guitar this is it......

1996 US Made, '62 Reissue Stratocaster. Black with white pickguard and rosewood fretboard. Three AlNiCo (Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt) staggered-pole pickups, three-way (installed from factory) and five-way (included, installed now) pickup selectors. Volume and two tone controls. Vintage tremelo, reissue Kluson tuners, 21 frets. Narrowly spaced 12th fret markers. Plastic dots. No skunk stripe. Spaghetti Logo, artificially aged (yellowed) nitrocellulose lacquer on neck, black niro cellulose lacquer on body. 11-screw pickguard. Rated a nine because it plays smoother than a gravy sandwich but the 12th fret markers are wrong and the yellowed neck is kind of corny.

Absolutely fantastic. Everything about the sound is everything you want in the classic start sound. Neckpickup alone nice and fat, neck and mid a mid-rangey quack, middle alone ballsy but clear, mid and bridge sound like Mark Knopfler using a throat box to imitate Daffy Duck (in a good way). Bridge alone crisp and trebly (anyone looking for anything else needs another guitar).
The vintage pickups are beautifully flexible for those looking for a wide range of classic Strat tones. They are what they are. No competition for the heat of a humbucker, but not supposed to be. Slightly noisy, but what do you expect? You lose the noise, you lose the bite.

Beautiful feel. The nitrocellulose lacquer has a slightly gripping, thick feel like no other finish I know, and will wear down in time giving it a unique character and a "map" as to the way I play. Action a little off from the store, but had been there for three years. Two small blemishes that look like they were injection repaired at the factory, but no big deal. The lacquer on this one has already begun sinking into the grain of the wood so that if you hold it at an angle, you can see slight grooves in the body. Pickup covers and knobs not artificially yellowed like the Jap or Mexican versions. Pickguard white, not green (thankfully). Don't know about the tremolo, since I keep it screwed to the body with no arm and all five springs installed. Everytime I pick this beauty up I fall in love again. Frets are perfect. Everything tight as a drum. Give it a nine for the two small flaws.

The finish is fragile, but I like the patina that the nitrocellulose takes on as you play it over the course of years. Hardware is bulletproof. Tuners are silky smooth. I wouldn't trade a thing. This guitar will last forever and look and feel better every day.

N/A

Except for a true '62, there's not another in the world for me. If it were stolen I'd put up posters, take out ads, shoot photos for milk boxes and kill the guy if I caught him. I would probably have to go to the custom shop for the same type of finish (in the grain). Favorite feature is undoubtedly the neck, or the pickups, or the body or the bridge. Smoother than greased butter on a hot glass plate.

OK here we go! Sunburst finish over 2-piece alder body, finished in nitro-cellulose lacquer (more on this later), which really gives a rich look to the guitar. Maple neck with rosewood fretboard, 21 frets and 3 american vintage single coils. Bear in mind the fretboard radius is 7.25", a vintage spec which lends itself to a high action and those who use their thumbs rather than ultra-modern speed players. The vintage tremelo on my guitar stays in tune admirable contrary to other opinions, and I don't have it set flush to the body. Accessories include ashtray cover 2 extra tremelo springs, a cheap guitar lead, vintage leather strap, and a 5-way switch. As far as modern strats go this guitar isn't loaded with features, but the authenticity is right on, and more than makes up for sticking to its roots with the sound it creates

Leo fender got it right first time round, and that is why strats remain virtually unchanged over the coarse of 40 years. The '62 being modeled after a vintage strat gives the sort of sound you could expect from that era. On a clean channel, the neck and middle pickups exel in producing a gorgeous fat, yet clear sound that responds well to an individual's playing style. The treble pickup I find a bit thin on a clean channel, but going into overdrive, or distorted sounds, the back pickup is just waiting to scream out a blues solo, and is reminiscent of many a Hendrix tone, if you have the ability. The neck pickup I like to use for blues licks in the style of SRV, and this can be easily managed by increasing the middle frequencies on your amp. Rolling off the volume using the guitar controls cleans things up a bit, and you've always got that extra ounch when you needed. Don't be fooled however, a strat is not a Les Paul, and for those heavy rock sounds buy a different guitar. With the '62 however, if you have the technique you will be rewarded with a beautiful response, but it won't play for you.

Coming from the top of the line production guitars, the '62 was well set up and easily playable, but because I enjoy a high action, with heavier guage strings (11's) I had to make considerable adjustments. Very tight fitting neck aids sustain, particularly important with a floating tremelo. The finish is in nitro cellulose lacquer, this allows the tone of the wood to come through more clearly, and gives a beautiful shine, particlularly in the sunburst finnish, it is however more brittle then most guitar finnishes and very prone to dents and scratches. With time the finish will thin out but hopefully resulting in improved tone.

It's a strat, therefore built like a tank. It will get scratched up but will improve with age (SRV'S No 1?) the finish will get dinged up, and some components will rust, but take care and it will last forever. As for live use, the only worry is if you break a string

Fender have answered all my emails quickly with answers I needed, but this is the only contact I have had with the company.

Compared to other strats such as the am standard, and roadhouse, '62 had better build quality, and soundwise, held its own against custom shop guitars. I play through a 30 watt Marshall valve amp, and I believe you need valves to bring out the best in this guitar, giving it that almost organic feel to it. It won't play for you, but as you improve technically so will the guitar (figuratively)

This baby's U.S. made with the 3-tone sunburst finish option. Funny, as I recall sunburst was the standard and solid colors (blond, black, etc.) was what would set you back extra. Anyway, the burst is done beautifully and lets the ash grain show through. You can see where the two pieces join on the body -- I think it's pretty cool. Ya'll know the drill by now: Built to "exact" specs, Indian rosewood fretboard, vintage nickel hardware (tremolo and machines), "aged" plastic knobs and tremolo bar tip, hand beveled pickups, and 3-position PU selector switch. Comes with a tweed case (raises the coolness factor a notch!), 5-position PU switch, ye 'ol ashtray bridge cover, junky vintage leather strap and cord (the kind with the short knurled metal plugs). Two words: The Strat!

See above: The Strat! THE stratty quacky (albeit noisy) sound. I play all kinds of geetar wanking: Metal, rock, electric blues, fake-book jazz, etc. This is THE electric blues guitar. Period. Rhythm PU through a Blues Jr=SRV's Let's Dance solo. That sound! Like wine glasses clinking. Bridge PU has that classic twangy (almost too much) quacky sound. Yes, hell yes, it's noisy. Hey, it's a reiss with all those idiosyncrasies. Get a Fulltone or Jeckyll & Hyde overdrive stomp box a tube amp and you're there dude! Obviously this baby won't sound like a PRS or an LP. It's not supposed to -- it's a Strat!

All those same quircks are built-in true to spec. Buzzes on the low E around the 12th fret (remember Wayne's World?). Wank on the whammy too much and you here the machines click and the high E and B go out of tune. I love it! It was set up a little high on the action. But those good old bridge saddles are individually adjustable. Don't get me wrong, I love the original Floyd Rose but the adjustable string are the bomb! Nicely finished, no flaws that I can tell. Good job Fender and Musician's Friend! Oh yeah, what's the best way to peel off that protective plastic on the pickguard around the knobs?!? I give it a 9 because, just like the original, the PU selector switch tip falls off if you're heavy-handed.

Seems to be built pretty solid. Finish looks well done but I'd cry if I scratched it with an errant allen wrench. I remember my '76 piece-o-junk strap button pulling out. Hope that doesn't happen to this lovely piece of art. Had it only a week so time will tell...

Never dealt with 'em. Heard good and bad (mostly bad). Gotta take 'em to an authorized dealer to get work done on 'em. I know a couple guys who work at different local stores who are authorized dealers. They'd probably tell me to hit the road if I told 'em I bought it mail order. I would!

Buy it for the sound and the classic look! It's not a Wolfie so she won't play itself -- you gotta make it work. And for goodness sake put at least 10s on her to make those notes ring!

This is 1999 '62 reissue made in america. It only really differs from the originals in these ways (as far as I know): decal; pickguard vinyl not nitro (this is good), but still "green guard" in color; fretboard is Indian rather than Brazilian rosewood (I don't know how much this matters: it's nice, dark rosewood); pickups are machine not scatter wound. There are other small differences. I bought this because I like the generic, factory asthetic of Stratocasters, not to mention the sound. I think Strats are one of the pinnacles of twentieth century industrial design, along with the VW Beetle, AK-47, and Maglite. I don't think you should have to buy a reissue to get the features of this guitar: nitro finish, light weight, deep contours, nickle hardware, etc. The "pre-yellowed" neck finish is just plain dumb. How yellow will it be ten years from now?

I've played this guitar through a '70s Princeton and a 130 watt music man head with an ampeg bass cabinet. I can only compare it to my main guitar, a "spare parts" strat with a '79 neck and WD body. But it's hard to really know since my '79 has heavy strings and the '99 still has the factory strings. The '79 is more naturally resonant, but it's also muddier (too much tone). The '99 is clear. It sounds good, especially through a really cranked high watt amp. It's a good solid sound. I am going to put heavier strings and a set of Fralins on it, then it will really rock.

The action was very nice. The finish is "Sherwood Green", a better name might be "House-fly Green". I screwed up the perfect finish pretty fast with my belt buckle. Whatever, I don't want any sacred cows in my stable. The only flaw I could find was that the "pre-yellow" spray had been sprayed over the side dots. You can see the spray pattern speckles of the "pre-yellow". It's a really pretty, really well made guitar.

It's dependable. Would I gig without a backup? It >is< my backup.

It has a serial number and a warranty, but you can't talk to the guy who built it.

Good enough is better than perfect. Rock on.

1962 USA Born and Bred Ash Body - Clay markers - rosewood neck Sunburst 2 color all original with brown case with red satin interior. Frets are rather fat..

Wonderful guitar for rock, blues or country. Sounds best in something with a little reverb. I use several Fender amps and an Ampeg Gemini II. Only one pickup at a time unless you jam the switch between the selections.. These two jam spots are the best - nice Dire Stait sound between the bridge and the middle pickup. Not a great guitar for jazz and cant sustain like a Gibson Les Paul

action is great after 37 years. Never goes out of tune. I use medium weigth strings (12+) for better surf sound.. Nothing has ever broken. there are dings..no rust..etc..

Absolutely reliable.. Never take a backup ...

never needed any.

I own 20 or 30 guitars..mostly from the 50's and 60's.. Gretsches, Gibsons..Love them all but this is the Best! It is so consistent. Always sounds and feels the same...If it was stolen, I would have to spend $10,000 and buy another one... I have been playing for 30 years but am not a professional..

1993 model in Ocean Turquoise, which is sort of a darker version of te new Sherwood Green ones, but with a bit more blue. Beautiful color for this model. Mine was bought used with a few dings on the finish, but believe me, they only add to the charm. Huge plus: thin nitrocellulose finish (more about this later). I'm giving this guitar high marks in features because it is excactly what it's supposed to be, a good old early-60's Strat, and I didn't have to change a thing, except for a 5-way for the 3-way switch. This is the kind of guitar that will get better with age. I bought mine well used, and it felt great. I use .011's and had the guitar set up for them with the bridge flush on the body, and this guitar flies.

First of all, I've owned and parted with just about all the low- to mid-priced Fender Strats on the market, from the Tex-Mex, to the Jap reissues, and even a few American Standards. Never kept any of them and I was growing pretty despondent with all the available/affordable new models out there. I just happened to come by this one at a local store, and I bought it on the spot. The stock pickups are just fine, very accurate and responsive. No need to replace them with anything, ESPECIALLY Texas Specials. The Nitro finish over the alder body really lets the guitar resonate, unlike the thick, plastic-like poly finishes on newer models. No huge universal route like the Am. Std.. This is THE strat to get, and this is coming from someone who's tried'em all. It is the best Strat available from Fender, short of their multi-four-figure Custom Shop Models. I could go on and on about the tone, but for those who know Strats and haven't really tried one of these, get ready to be reborn.

Everything works like a swiss watch. Stays in tune, no strange buzzing. This is a very svelt instrument.

I have no doubt that this guitar will last longer than me. It really does get better with age and use.

For years I had said to myself that I was not going to buy another Strat unless it was a really good one. No more waiting. I'd definitely get another one, but I'd probably look for a used one that had been played.

Ben's review below and others pretty well detail the features (21 nickle-silver vintage frets, rosewood slab fretboard, nitro finish, etc). Mine is the newer version of one of these and Fender has corrected a few little details regarding body contours, headstock shape, 12th fret dot spacing, and neck shape. They've also redone the pickups and actually bevel the magnets by hand. I didn't recall the originals having this feature but it's a nice touch.
Mine is also the wonderful Sherwood Green nitro finish and it is stunning. I was originally interested in a Candy Apple Red finish until I saw this color.
I was curious as to the body routing because the American Standard has the big "swimming pool" rout which is not the way these were once made. I removed a few pickguard screws to peek and was pleased to see three precise pickup routs instead of the universal one.
Fender really has a wonderful guitar with this model! I give it a 10 because it is so close to right (it would be nice to see the patent numbers on the headstock though).

The new pickups are really nice. I A/B'd this guitar with my Jimmie Vaughan on my Flextone using the many preset sounds accessed with the floorboard. The '62 sounds just like I remembered the originals. I've owned Strats from this era when they were just used guitars and I think Fender really nailed the sound. The pups are remarkably quiet, considering. The previous owner had the 5-way switch installed and had 10's put on the guitar. The tones were anywhere from quacky on the bridge pup to really round and mellow on the neck. Not tons of output but plenty enough and, I think, accurate to the originals. Overdrive settings were really cool. The JV Strat with it's Tex-Mex pups is a lot more raw sounding than the '62. They compliment each other well.

I bought this used from a H/C ad so I don't know how well the factory did things but I haven't needed to do anything to it yet but add two more springs to the tremolo to compensate for the heavier strings than Fender uses these days.
The previous owner had described this guitar as mint and really well put together (but they ALL say that). This time, I was pleasantly surprised. This guitar is as good as many Custom Shop production models I've seen and played and better than a few. The finish, frets, neck, everything is 100%. Even the neck has a nice subtle flame. And I was impressed with what comes out of Mexico!

Only caveat here is that the nitro finish will not be as durable as the poly finishes Fender uses on most of their guitars. That's OK, it's the correct type of finish for this era guitar and is expertly applied.

I've always had nice dealings with Fender in this regard but it's always been for info not problems.

This guitar was a fabulous deal. The guy hadn't gotten much response from his ads here (he wasn't online so it was a long distance phone call for most folks). I'd offered this price a few weeks earlier but he held out for awhile and finally agreed to the above price shipped. The guitar was complete with all the usual goodies and even the original Fender shipping carton and extra strings. Just wasn't his cup of tea. He was a real class act in this transaction - even agreed to a 48 hour inspection period which I didn't end up needing.
I've been playing over 35 years and have wanted another strat like some of the ones I used to own. I have a very nice JV Tex-Mex Strat which is a close approximation of a 50's era guitar but I'd really wanted a better guitar without the custom shop price. This '62 fit the bill.
This is a guitar for purists. The neck is the traditional finish and radius. The pickups are not reverse wound (I believe) and don't have the output of Texas Specials or even the AS pups. I play mostly blues and jazz and this guitar works for both (not to mention anything by Brian Wilson). Totally cool vibe from this guitar, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

American made update of the '62 Re-issue. Vintage pickups/Rosewood slab fingerboardw/clay dots/Alder body/Vintage tuners and trem/"C" shape neck/Sherwood Green Metallic Finish/3-Way switch(Comes w/a 5-way in the case)

This is a proper Strat! From the time you take it out of the case you'll notice that it has an extremely resonant sound even w/no amplifacation. As I play mainly Jazz and Blues replaced the standard .009's w/ .011's . Sound's exactly like a 60's Strat should - Some typical single wound PU noise but not too much. Suprisingly good bottom end. Bridge pickup is typically bright but not too thin as on alot of recent Strats. This guitar has exactly the sound I was seeking. Played 3 or 4 custom shop instrements and this one was on par w/ the best of them (N.O.S. Strat was also superb and had a similar resonant sound) It's a great foil for my regular Jazz Box (Ibanez Pat Metheny PM 100, a great guitar by the way for you jazzers)

Never thought I'd rate any factory Fender this high but the fit and finish is flawless. Frets are nicely finished neck fits very snuggly in it's joint. Neck has a beautiful aged patina.The Sherwood Green Metallic color is stunning. Did have to do some considerable set up to accomodate the .011's but not a problem. Best thing is this guitar stays in tune from day one. Do recommend tightening the trem springs from the start.

It's a Strat - It will wear forever - Would feel secure with no back-up if I had to. Have a feeling the nitro-cellulose coating on the finish could wear down pretty fast - but it's well worth the more resonant sound that you get.

Standard Fender Warranty - No experience w/ Fenders customer service

Overall I am very happy with this one. Would'nt hesitate to replace it if I had to. Really the next best thing to an early to mid '60's original.I have been playing for over 30 years and have had every thing from 50's Tele's ,'59 L.P. Special, 70's Tele Custom and Rick solid bodys. This is one guitar that does exactly what is is supposed to - what else can you ask?

I purchased a used Candy Apple Red (nicks, scratches, blemishes, et al) 1962 Japanese Reissue Stratocaster from Cambridge Music for about $450. A great value when compared against too many options that Fender puts out on the market. I always look for the discolored headstock, this is the first sign of a reissue. It is a exact recreation of the Strat's best and my favorite era. It has a rosewood slab finger board and white pickguard, whammy bar, and I put in a set of Texas Special pickups. My wife bought me a tweed hard case and harmonica case for my most recent birthday. It turns out the harp box is a great way to carry accessories.

The replacement Texas Specials are a must for all blues Strat players. I also recommend having your guitars "SET UP" by a professional guitar tech. This cost me about $25 per guitar and makes each guitar more playable. Almost like getting a car tuned up.
I love this guitar so much and want to get a Lake Placid Blue Strat but put in a different set of pickups to give me a different sound.

Since having the guitar "Set Up" it has amazing action. I have always played Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys 10-46 with medium action for a little slide but a lot of vibrato.
The finish is nicked up a bit and has a gouge just above the bridge that looks like a dog took a bite out of the body. It gives the guitar more character.

This is one of the most durable guitars ever built and ranks up there behind the Telecaster as the workman's axe. You could pound nails with these guys and play it without going out of tune.

Never used them.

I have been playing for over 22 years. I own assorted mixing gear, drum machines, drums, etc. as well as an Epiphone Dot 335, Epiphone Acoustic, and a Squire Musicmaster Bass. I play through a Peavey Classic 30 with Celestion Vintage 30s in the combo and extension cabinets. I have a wah-wah pedal, Danelctro tuner, Daddy-O Overdrive and Dan-Echo pedals on my SKG Pedalboard.
If my Strat were stoken I would search high and low to find another. Besides I am still in search of a Lake Placid Blue 62' Reissue to sit along side my growing collection.

This is a reissue model of the 1962 Fender Stratocaster. It has vintage reproductions of the gotoh tuners found on the originals. The finish on this example is shorline gold (nitro-cellouse like originals) and the finish is outstanding. Three vintage wound single coil pickups plus a 3 way switch (comes with 5 way also) compliment the 1 volume and 2 tone knobs. The vintage bridge was set up well from the factory. In fact, the entire guitar was ready to play and had a worn feel out of the case. The "C" neck is comfortable, smooth and fast. The frets were *very* well dressed. Body is aldler with 3 ply pickguard. The only detail that is not the same as the originals is the spacing of the 12th fret markers. . . they are too close on the reissues. I believe that on the new reissues, this detail is corrected

This guitar sounds like a good Strat should. I played a few of these as well as original '55-'64 Strats and I must say that these vintage reissues are right in the ballpark. Mine had a little more snap in the low end and the sound is not as open as my other Strat. This Strat is better for distortion. As a matter of fact, when I bought my guitar, there was a guy playing an original 1963 Fender 3-tone through a Fender Showman. Hanging up on the wall was a '62 relic, and look and soundwise I could not tell the difference. I was reall shocked. This guy switched between guitars and If I didn't keep track, I would los the original. Although mine is NOT a relic, If you WANT an original this is the closest you will ever find.

Action came very good, Finish excellent. Fit was Por due to loose 3 way switch and other screws loose. This could be a result of temperature changes etc. The 3 ply pickguard had an annoying "bow" on the upper edge near the front pick-up. All of these problems were fixed by myself in 5 minutes.

Bulletproof. Although the finish will chip given time and this is a desirable effect of the nitro finish. This guitar will stans the test of time much like the originals.

I got a super deal on the guitar. In fast, I got it with the tweed case for $855. I see these used for this price. A great guitar to add to any collection.

1982 USA made; Alder body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard; Vintage tremolo; 3x 60s Vintage single coil staggered pole pickups; 2x Tone, 1 Volume, 3-Way pickup selector; thin frets; vintage 3 tone, SB, Nitro-Cel finish; vintage Kluson tuners; contoured body. Came with all the fixins: cheap vintage cord, cheap vintage strap, 5-way switch, cheap polishing cloth, manual, warranty, certificate of authenticity. No case but I bought a Fenton? for $45, brown tolex case with orange/red fuzzy inside. Way Cool!

This is The blues/rock guitar; however, I can play anything with it: country, jazz, pop, metal, even folk! I play this through a '57 Champ or a '61 Bassman with '65 Reverb Tank and '70s TS9 (mod to 801 specs). It can be a little noisy when cranked but thats part of the vibe rather than part of the problem (eg, pickups tend to loose sensitivity with loss of noise). It can be twangy, the neck pu can get a good clean, wooden jazz tone. It got a hunka hunka dongin bass and more mids than bright. You can crank this baby and get a screamin, sonic distorted tone. Not fat. Great string poppin sounds. It's got a resonant unplugged sound. Your fingers are in control, you just need to know how to get there. The bridge pu is effective but irritatingly weak.

This nitro-cel, 3 tone sunburst finish, with beautifully bookmatched alder, with contoured body is the sexiest lookin and playin Fender I have found. OOOOoooh Mama, cannt touch this. Basically, great set-up with minimal adjustment. Perfectly tight and straight neck to body fit. tuners, knobs, selector, tremolo all perfect. Slight flaw on pickguard that was covered by warranty. The bridge pu is weak.

Solid MF guitar. The hardware will not tolerate my sweat; therefore, I have got to clean it Every time I play. Definitely would use it without backup.

Warranty work was quick and Gary Brawer got approval on the spot (via telephone)and did a perfect job.

I love this guitar. I love to just pick it up and check it out. When I play it unplugged it resonates baby and plays like body extension. When I plug it in, I always have a great time playing anything. I wish I was more talented. The only problems are the bridge pu and the beauty of the paint job and wood grain. I cannot take it anywhere for fear of minor dings or worse. Replace the bridge pu with a Lindy Fralin or SD hot rail, as appropriate to your style.

This is a U.S. made 1982 manufactured model. Obviously there were people working for Fender then who remembered 1962 very well, and were happy to jump at the chance to make better guitars than the standard CBS-era axes. It has the original everything, tuners, pickups (after 15 years they are just about right), etc. The neck and headstock are finished in an amber color, very nice, the body is the '60s era sunburst. The body is two pieces, but matched VERY nicely, you have to really look to see the joint. The body is alder, the neck maple with a slab rosewood fretboard, standard strat scale and little frets. Regular vintage tremelo, three-position switch. It came with a nice tweed case and a good owner's manual, except for the printing date it looked just like an early '60s owner's manual. I have played lots and lots of strats, used to own a 1964, and this is as exact a copy as can be imagined. It also of course has the thin c-shaped neck strats used from 1959-1966.

I play music in general, and work with a wide variety of genres and genre-less musicians (maybe we just burned out enough brain cells long ago that we can't keep our minds on three chords or a "style" of music for more than a few minutes at a time;-)?), and I can get whatever I need out of this guitar, no sweat. Because of the thinner neck it has a more fluid style than my thick-necked strat or my other guitars, and the rosewood fretboard gives it a darker flavor, but despite its somewhat bass-y sound I can get plenty of treble, especially in the bridge pickup. The pickups sound just like early '60s strat pickups, a little hotter and more two-dimensional than the '50s era. A nice, rounded, full sound. Drive it as hot as you want if you know how, and back off for a smooth clean sound. A dream to play. I usually use Marshall tube amps, different effects for different things. Compatible with everything.

I bought this guitar used, and the setup was a little different from the Fender factory setup... Closer to the fretboard, intonation a little sharp, kind of like the previous owner played country music. I fixed all that. Like the early '60s strats I've played and owned it took me a little adjusting to get the pickups the way I liked them, quite a lot of adjusting in fact. The body and neck finishing have aged BEAUTIFULLY, it is one of the best looking guitars I've ever owned (including a one-piece "bearclaw" spruce top acoustic I've had for 20 years). Probably the best looking three-color sunburst strat I've ever seen. The pickups adjustment screws are starting to rust, but the guitar is 15 years old.

Well, I need to think about new screws for the pickup height adjustment, and I'm planning on new bridge saddles later this year or next (probably go to composite or graphite), but aside from that there's nothing to think of replacing or repairing. The frets are the standard 1960s type strat frets, ie, kind of small, but the guitar wasn't played enough before I got it to wear them at all. Aside from the already mentioned screws, it is immaculate, and I have played it LOTS since I got it. I don't have to gig without a backup, but I have with no reservations. The finish is in great shape, etc.

It's a Fender. Any work done on it will be by myself or with one or another pro luthiers or guitar techs I know.

I've been playing guitar since 1964, I've played hundreds of guitars, owned at least a dozen, used a few dozen more regularly over the years, this is a great guitar. It was made the old strat way, no three-or-four piece body, no veneer of good wood on top of crap, individual routs for the pickups, etc. I used to own a 1964 strat, and if there is any functional difference between that guitar and this one I don't know what it might be. If it were stolen I couldn't replace it, but I'd look for another early reissue model. I am thinking of getting a U.S. made '57 reissue, but I promise if I do it'll be an early 1980's, not a new one. The Japanese new ones are great, but the new American made models are crap in comparison with this guitar.

This is one of the very first (V00201 serial number) reissue Strats: it has a rosewood neck and the neck is very THIN from front to back. I suspect it is nitrocellulose lacquer. Over time the finish has become very thin and chipped easily when I dropped a cassette on it while recording. The tuners are Kluson-type, non-locking; they work fine. It had a 7 and 1/2 inch radius neck which I realized early on caused fretting-out, just like they say in the Warmoth catalog. I had Roger Sadowsky (NYC) put on new frets and reradius the fretboard in 1984 and it plays much better. It also subtly changed the sound for the better, making it sustain more: individual notes go "bong" instead of "doink". (That looks more ridiculous on the screen than it's intended to, but it's the best I can do...) Standard Strat-type electronics, alder body, three singlecoil pickups with three-color sunburst, done very well. It came with a tweed case with gorgeous orange plush lining. Our dear departed first cat Maggie ripped the end of the case up with her claws: beware cat-owners of tweed cases used as claw-sharpeners by cats who don't no from vintage...Also had cheapo Fender monogrammed strap. Purchased December 1982 from Sam Ash III himself in Sam Ash in White Plains, NY.

Sound is very vintagey: reminiscent of Robert Cray albums. Rich inbetween 2 and 4 positions. Has more lows by far than my 1995 American Standard Strat. In fact, I'd say it is too bassy with .010s on it but comes alive with .009s. Mildly noisy. I play it through a 1997 Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and a 1995 Peavey Classic 30. It could play the inbetween "quacky" 2 and 4 positions by balancing the original 3-way switch between the "officially-sanctioned" positions, but I put a 5-way switch on it. Very suitable for Hendrix tunes. The 5 individual sounds are more different from each other than on my American Standard guitar. Love it. Would call the sounds complex.

It's too long ago to comment on the factory setup. No remembered flaws. We'll give it a nine.

Very "reliable". I suspect the nitrocellulose finish is integral to the sound: it is mildly fragile, at least after 15 and 1/2 years.

No comment on this; Fender has changed too much since 1982 for any remembered information in this category to help anyone in 1998.

This is the second Strat of my career, and it was a step up from the heavy, ash blond instrument I bought in September 1980 used from Rudy's Music Stop on 48th Street in Manhattan. (The salesman who waited on me was the dark-haired guitar player later invited to join Dire Straits by Mark Knopfler: can't retrieve his name from memory, but the 80s guitar mags mentioned him: he's in one of the 1986 videos.) Been playing since ? 1969. This is my baby, ever since I saw the tweed case coming up the conveyor from Sam Ash's basement. I'd buy another one if I could. They go for $850 to $950 used now.