Fender '68 Reissue Stratocaster

This Review is about my new baby, a Fender Stratocaster '68 Reissue Crafted in Japan (CIJ).
I've got it about 1 month ago from Fender Japan at the beautiful price of 670 Euros, shipping and handling included.
That's a beautiful Large Headstock Strat with 4-bolt neck plate and maple cap fingerboard.Alder body. Bridge is the classic vintage style type with unidiretional Fender Fender script on its saddles! It's perfect for that era Strat. American C.S. Strats aren't so precise! About controls, 1 volume and 2 tone (Neck and middle pickups only), just like the original vintage Strats. But, if you want, with a simple wire bridge can obtain tone modulation on bridge pickup, too.

About sound, i just can say it's beautiful and beautiful. I play blues, rock/blues and rock and love Hendrix,SRV,Robin Trower,Blackmore sound,ecc. My setup is: Vox Wah (original 1967), Fulldrive 2, Boss Ds-1 Keeley SEM Mod., E.Harmonix Small Stone Vibe Mod., E.Harmonix Holy Grail, Line 6 Echo Park --> Marshall 2554 Jubilee or Ceriatone Plexi 18W with 2x12 Greenback cabinet.
This Strat has the TONE and sound amazing! Sweet and balanced clean sound, and rich and harmonic overdriven sound, with a lot of sustain! I'm using stock Texas Special pickups, but i think with more appropriate pickups this baby could let you enter in heaven! Trust me!
Infact, even with Texas Special i give it a 10!

When guitar arrived had .09 strings and was completely detuned. I changed to .010 string, so re-doing bridge and truss rod setup.
About finish, that is so thin that seems to be nitro, but i don't think. In vintage white is divine!
This Strat has a wonderful neck, very very fast to play, the most comfortable i've never played with! As Radius is 7.25 with vintage frets i was afraid about its comfort before buying Strat, but, as it is very well done, now i dream on it!
The only thing i don't like is dots position on neck profile.
On the original Strats they were positioned more close to the maple fingerboard edge, on mine are positioned completely on neck profile. But this thing isn't important, so i don't care!
But i give a 8.

Guitar reliability is good, with this baby i feel like i have a Custom Shop Strat in my hands, a serious instrument.
Woods are beautiful, very sounding even when unplugged.
Tremolo block is steel and not a metallic league, like mexican ones!
This gives the guitar more and more sustain.
I want with me this baby for ever!

Fender Japan doesn't officially export its products, but i don't care! For any type of travel damages they change it for a new one. What do you want more?
My Strato is ok. So I don't need more warranty on it.
I thank Japan men that have created this Strat, they created the sound!

I'm a 15 years sounding Experience man. I've owned and played a lot of Instrument and Strats. I honestly say to you '68 Reissue Strat CIJ is a great guitar even compared with 2 American Reissue Strats, 1 C.S. '62 Strat, 1 C.S.'60 Relic Strat and abundantly wins with Mexican Classic 70s and lots of American Standards. If you want a '68 you only can buy a CIJ or a Custom Shop. Quality/money speaking, i prefer a CIJ. Great Vintage Vibe!!!

Vintage style Fender guitar with additional features such as a large, late-60's headstock. This one cost ??590 and was crafted in Japan in 2006. The neck is the slimmest Fender neck ive ever played on and it also has a nice flame off it. It also has the Fender "F" tuners which adds even more character to the whole thing. 21 vintage styled frets with Texas Special pickups.

I play blues, rock, jazz, fusion, progressive rock and psychedelic rock and some other stuff too. This guitar suits my style down to the ground as it gives that SRV sound when played through a good valve amp. The guitar is not really that noisy and would be nothin to fuss over. The sound is bright as expected from a strat however the texas special pickups give a slightly darker one than other fender pickups. This guitar can scream, groan and do basically anythin else you want it to. In my opinion, it is a versitile guitar as you can play many styles. It wouldnt really be suited for metal but it could take a fair hack at it. I am thinking of changing the pickups at some stage but think ill hang onto the stock ones for the mean time.

The whole set up of the guitar was next to perfect when i got mine. The finish is pristine and i actually thought it was nitrocellulous (like used on the vintage reissue USA models) but apparently its not. The thing i like most is the colour and the neck. The neck is a flammed maple one and is very slim and smooth. The vintage white colour automatically jumps out at you and reminds you of Hendrix's guitar that he purchased in '69 and used at woodstock. The guitar was set up perfectly when it arrived and was flawless as far as i could see. The only thing i would complain about would be that the guitar tends to go out of tune everytime you use the whammy bar. However, if you install your strings well, use heavier strings and break them in then this should reduce the problem.

The guitar is solid, strong and built to last. I also play a gibson sg special with two EMG pickups in it. I wouldnt use it too much at a gig because sometimes the pickups screw up in some odd way. I always use my strat without a backup and ntohing has gone wrong since i got it.

Ive been playing for about 4 years now and own a gibson SG along with my strat. I also own a Musicman RP210 and am thinking of purchasing a new valve amp. This guitar will sound immense through any quality valve amp. If the guitar doesnt sound good then id blame your amp. If this guitar was stolen i would save up and buy an original strat from the 60's. However if that failed, which it most likely would, then id definately purchase another one without a doubt. I think the thing i love most about the guitar is the signaqture "Hendrix" look and the sound along with the thin neck and colour. I chose this guitar over others because everything about it was vintage. The whole look of the guitar is incrediable and the guitar itself has lots of character.

Vintage style Fender guitar with additional features such as a large, late-60's headstock. This one cost ??590 and was crafted in Japan in 2006. The neck is the slimmest Fender neck ive ever played on and it also has a nice flame off it. It also has the Fender "F" tuners which adds even more character to the whole thing. 21 vintage styled frets with Texas Special pickups.

I play blues, rock, jazz, fusion, progressive rock and psychedelic rock and some other stuff too. This guitar suits my style down to the ground as it gives that SRV sound when played through a good valve amp. The guitar is not really that noisy and would be nothin to fuss over. The sound is bright as expected from a strat however the texas special pickups give a slightly darker one than other fender pickups. This guitar can scream, groan and do basically anythin else you want it to. In my opinion, it is a versitile guitar as you can play many styles. It wouldnt really be suited for metal but it could take a fair hack at it. I am thinking of changing the pickups at some stage but think ill hang onto the stock ones for the mean time.

The whole set up of the guitar was next to perfect when i got mine. The finish is pristine and i actually thought it was nitrocellulous (like used on the vintage reissue USA models) but apparently its not. The thing i like most is the colour and the neck. The neck is a flammed maple one and is very slim and smooth. The vintage white colour automatically jumps out at you and reminds you of Hendrix's guitar that he purchased in '69 and used at woodstock. The guitar was set up perfectly when it arrived and was flawless as far as i could see. The only thing i would complain about would be that the guitar tends to go out of tune everytime you use the whammy bar. However, if you install your strings well, use heavier strings and break them in then this should reduce the problem.

The guitar is solid, strong and built to last. I also play a gibson sg special with two EMG pickups in it. I wouldnt use it too much at a gig because sometimes the pickups screw up in some odd way. I always use my strat without a backup and ntohing has gone wrong since i got it.

Ive been playing for about 4 years now and own a gibson SG along with my strat. I also own a Musicman RP210 and am thinking of purchasing a new valve amp. This guitar will sound immense through any quality valve amp. If the guitar doesnt sound good then id blame your amp. If this guitar was stolen i would save up and buy an original strat from the 60's. However if that failed, which it most likely would, then id definately purchase another one without a doubt. I think the thing i love most about the guitar is the signaqture "Hendrix" look and the sound along with the thin neck and colour. I chose this guitar over others because everything about it was vintage. The whole look of the guitar is incrediable and the guitar itself has lots of character.

olympic white 68 reissue stratocaster crafted in japan. standard strat features. came with a pretty poxy gig bag, but hey, i didnt buy it for the free bag. mapel neck . awsome. texas special pick ups.

i play psychedelic stoner sleaze rock and it can do it all. not real happy with the texaz specs tho, they are to hot and bottom out a lot when i kick the fuzz on, so i'm gonna change em to the 69 strat pickups from fender. therye meant to be a lot cleaner sounding pick up.

had to tweak it a little but it is a spectacualr construted instrument.
i have an american vintage series 70's strat and it is easily on par, if not maybe a better built guitar, but not by much, the 70's is still an awsome guitar and is my main axe still.

built like a tank mate!

BLEH.

9.5. ITSA all good except for the pick ups. and the neck is very thin, wihich isnt bad but i'm 6ft 3in so i have reasonably large hands so i like a bit of chunk in a ne4ck. the neck on the 70's strat is a lot more to my suiting. it s a big fatty!but the guiatr plays awsomley and seems sound and solid.

Lefty 2004/2005 vintage white 68 reissue strat, gorgeous maple neck and big headstock.
Made in Japan.
Its a beauty.
you know the rest.

I don't play with effects, just a bit of gain sometimes through a Marshall JCM 500.
A really versatile range of tones, though its not made for completely mad metal distortion, but can handle anything.
I play it mostly clean and loud, just jamming and bluesy, funky, punky noodling at the moment. I've played a lot of guitars, and for the money this has a beautiful tone, stands up to a #1000 worth of American deluxe easily.
I played it in the shop, it sounded like Little Wing, I had to have it.

Plays great, the neck isn't for Vai types, but you get the real feel of the guitar instead, its got a hell of a lot of character.
The setup is good for this price range, almost flawless but for a tiny bit of fret buzz on bottom E. Not a problem.

No problems yet. This guitar is solid as a rock and built to last like a strat should.
I'd depend on it, but i like to live dangerously.

N/A
hopefully i'll never find out.

I've been playing for about 8 years, had a mexican tele lefty and switched a burns steer round to lefty not long ago. Beats playing the tele so much its untrue.
I'd have another, maybe in natural.
A decent price for a top notch, professional versatile strat, and it looks perfect.
Jimi's strat. enough said.

68' Lefty Reissue, 7.5 neck radius, Vintage white, made in 2005. I am a righty and this guitar is my "Jimi" project guitar. I had a supposed luthier (who by the way sucked) do the job of cutting a new nut, fliping the strap holder, fixing the saddles and set-up... I learned my lesson, I could have done a much better job. Since this was special project because (and B-present from my wife) I love Hendrix and haven't seen any guitar's recently that captures his Woodstock guitar. After the reaming by the luthier, I reset and re-cut the nut myself and all is good now.

Trying to keep the guitar as Hendrix would have played it I did not flip the pick-ups. The stock picks are a perfect fit for Jimi's tone. I have various tube amps and with the Digi-tech Hendrix pedal, many nights I am floating with tone. Even without any pedals, this axe has nice bite and mondo sustain. I find the stock pickups sweet.

Well, this were it took me about a week to get used to, with such a thin neck and radius. The neck at the nut a little over 40mm, very thin and tapers out towards the bridge. But once I got used to this neck, it is the fastest neck I have ever played on. I play this every day at least one hour, I've owned it since August 05. The finish on the body is Vintage White, which also has grown on me since I thought it was a pee yellow, it actually does have that vintage appeal. I only with it came in Olymipic White (Jimi's Woodstock color.)

I actually have been beating, nicking and I am very rough on this guitar. For me it adds character. Very solid feel to it.

Called about specific questions and had them answered within minutes.

I've been playing since the 70's off and on and seriously for the last 3 years, 2 to 4 hours a night. I at first though I made a big mistake trying to take on this project of a flipped strat. But now that I have everything where I want it to be, the pay-off is big in sound and just Jimi-trippin.

My 68' strat looks identical to the strat that jimi used at woodstock. The neck has a unbelivable finish. I'm never gonna sell this baby.

This is exactly what i wanted in a guitar. if your looking for the vintage jimi hendrix sound BUY THIS GUITAR!!

I bought myine on ebay new. it came in perfect condition the action was set about right. Myine came with texas specials which give out the stevie ray vaughn kind of sound. i love this guitar

Just yesterday i was putting it on the stand and the stand broke and the guitar fell and hit the wall hard. It took out a piece of drywall and when i took out the drywall from the guitar there wasnt even a scratch so i believe that this guitar will live with me for a long time.

i havent delt with them and i doubt i will because this is such a great guitar

I play through a marshall 2x50. my setup as follows: a vox wah wah, a dallas arbiter fuzz face, and a uni-vibe this guitar helps me create that vintage sound. if someone stole this guitar i would set a reward for 1000 dollars and then if i found the theif would beat the crap out of him.

Like a '68 Strat. All you really need. Mine is a well used '80s model from Japan (E-serial number). Scratched, dinged, one tuner about ripped off--but plays very well & I like these played in guitars. Just purchased from the original owner.

I had a '73 Strat once, all original, played it for years, was my only electric at that time. Was heavy, but sounded good. Never liked the natural finish, sold it off. This guitar sounds at least as good as that one. The maple neck w. original pickups is a nice sound, good contrast to my RW board '62 RI. It records very, very cleanly, I think it's maybe better for that than the others Strats I've got. It is also very quite--a real surprise. The original owner gigged a lot, may have shielded it well, haven't looked.

Not applicable. Original owner set it up very well to just plain play. Newer mid-size frets, nice.

Looks like it's already been through the ringer. Finish is, however, still intact except for neck blems from playing/banging. Very durable, like any decent strat is.

Been playing for 30 years. Mostly a flattop guy, but I like electrics so am playing around with them again. I have a '62 MIJ with Rio Grande Tallboys, and a '85 Squire with Lace Holy Grails. Those are both great guitars and great players. This guitar looks far older than them cuz it's been played, but plays out real nicely and is a bit lighter than either of 'em. Nice guitar. I won't be changing anything on it, it's good to have a "stock" Strat sound around. These MIJ strats--the good ones--are exceptional guitars for the $.

mine is a 1989/90 japan 68 reissue lefty sunburst strat with maple neck, large headstock etc...the look and feel is very authentic to the original. Superbly made and very easy to play.Standard strat features...wat more do you want.

My music influence is Jimi...and can get a similar tone although it can be noisy and trebley but thats part of its charm.

The action was ok from new (bought in 1991)although the tuning was a bit dodgy..after a trip to the doctor it was fine. all finish details were flawless.

I've had this guitar for 13 years and has never let me down..I've done a few gigs and alot of recording.However a have broken the tremelo arm and just cannot get a new one.

customer support was not great at all. after trying to get a new one I was told by fender's distributers that i should have bought an american standard! and not this one as they can't get the parts...especially left hand ones..

Overall this is the best guitar I could have got for the money, and more...it's great to play (even tho the tremelo is now useless, well made, sound great even when play it thru a crap amp! i'll never part with it cos its great.If anyone knows where i can find a new trem arm (lefty) please let me know ..........cheers

It`s a 89` Japanese made model. Brown sunburst.
Beautiful one piece maple neck with large headstock.
Startocaster classic features...we all know them.

I play rock n`roll. It suits perfect into my style since Stratocasters are the ultimate rock n`roll guitars, period.
People who changes the pickups on this guitar are the kind of people who don`t know anything about guitars... They do not desrve such an instrument. It`s all about impedance, 50`s & 60`s guitars were built that way. If you rerplace the pickups, you kill the guitar tone and concept. GROW UP! This is not a metal guitar! This is not a high output guitar..! If that`s what you want....go get an Ibanez and load it with EMG`s and be a Metallica head, I`ll feel sorry for you.

The sound is beautiful and with a good tube amp, it can take you back into a 60`s acid trip a la Woodstock era. Little bit noisy and that`s the trick...noise is part of the Fender tone, learn to live with it and yoll`be just fine, just rockin`.

I love everything on this guitar...from the paint scratches and beautiful noise to the awesome tone and versatility. I`ll give it a 9 since guitar tone isn`t perfect.

Perfect set up. At least mine is so well crafted. The action was just fine altough I set it my way. There`s no design or construction flaw on this guitar, go get one for you right away.

This guitar has suffered the must pasionate rock n`roll battles. It`s been dragged, pushed, kicked and slammed as a rock guitar should and it`s still the same. Since we`re both lefthanders, this is the only guitar I have....and I can tell you that I play with it without backup wiht my eyes closed.

I haven`t needed it yet. I hope and I know I won`t.

I`ve been playing for 10 years. My other gear consists of a 64` Fender Tremolux Head with a 65`Fender Bassman 2x12 cabinet.
There`s no effects chain, just the one and only modified TS-9/TS808 tubescreamer rockin` real hard between the guitar and the amp.
No one will try to steal this guitar because she sleeps with me and everytime we go out, I take care of both of us with my lightsaber and great force powers. My favorite feature is the neck it gives you such a great feel! A fender guitar can only be compared to non-fender guitars and I don`t now even one single fender guitar that gets close to this one. YES I`m so happy an pruod to have it and play like I play it.
Stop being a metalhead and be a grown man. Get a Strat. Ibanez and other pointy guitar brands are for teenagers

Ok, this is now a '68 'cos i made it into one. I had a creme strat body with great contours and feel. It was from a MIJ early eighties strat. Alder body, nicely aged paint job. I purchased a MIJ '68 neck from this guy in England. Wow, what a neck! Why did i not have one of these sooner?? I had been using a jimmie vaughn MIM neck with the medium frets, big "V" shape, lightly veneered finish. Used that for about 6 years. Installed some '54 strat pups with cloth wiring and paper/oil caps. Whoa. What a sound, what a combo!!! I am going to copyright my invention and sell it!!! What? I can't do that??!!...
Its got "F" neck plate and tuners, the solid maple neck is all veneered, who'd a thunk i would love this?? I LOVE IT

The sound is like glass. I play it thru a vintage club crate Class A or a Fender Blues Junior. Marvelous. I use a tone bone classic, but not too much with this guitar. I use a Vox wah and an occasional tremolo. I get this rich Fender sound. It looks alot like a Hendrix strat, except mine is not upside down. It is noisy on the regular positions, but not as much as regular strats due to wiring, copper shielding in the pick up cavities. I dislike the fact that i farted around for years before making this connection.

The body is a little beat up, in all the right places, and it is a fine body, i love it, always have. This neck is immaculate. The guy said it was in mint condition, but we all know how that word gets over used and abused. I give the neck a 10, the body a 9, the pick ups and wiring and pots a 9 and my pickguard a 6, its a 3 ply job that sucks! i need to replace that...

This guitar could withstand being used as a skateboard. I have shown up for gigs with just this guitar, but how boring is that?

Who cares, DIY

Been playing electric for 30 years. I own alot of guitars. I want to put another strat together soon. These are like LEGO guitars!!! I don't know what yet, but it is the most comfortable guitar body in the world to me! If it were lost or stolen, i would build another one! That's the fun of this type of guitar. You can always build another. I think some of these guys like Clapton and Eric Johnson are a little bit off there nut, claiming things like "i dropped the guitar and it was never quite the same again, sounded totally different" -eric johnson. Hey, maybe you got dropped on yer head, there bud! Or Clapton, " someone played Blackie and was strumming really hard on her, and it was like sacriligious that someone would do that to me" Hey, Eric, you really aren't GOD, remember??

made in 1998 in japan but bought in mid 1999
21 frets,natural finish,maple neck and fret board
3 single coils
vintage type tremolo
thin fret

i bought this because i had broken my washburn dimebag and needed a new guitar straight away so i part exchanged my washburn for this.has a very good looking grain on the body

i was only 14 when i bought this so i didnt know alot about guitars,but 2 years after i changed the bridge pick up for a seymour duncan JB junior because i needed a more powerful sound as i had started up my own metal band.the sound is bright with alot of definition.
it's great for rock and metal rythm guitar and funk and blue's when changing to the middle or neck pickup.it now sounds great.

the shop from where i bought it from didnt set up their guitars so i had to adjust the height of the strings etc,it played really well after a proper set up.no finish flaws what so ever.

it can withstand live playing,a very solid guitar.ive dropped it a couple of time's with only a few dents as a result.hardware is good quality.i added dunlop strap locks as i didnt trust the original strap buttons.i use it now as my backup guitar or if i need it for some heavy de-tuned metal.

ive been playing for 6 years now.i own my first guitar a squier strat (never used now) and a washburn 2st (modified to same specs as a 3st).i use my washburn as my main guitar now because it suits my playing style perfectly but i always have my fender near by incase its needed.i would kill any one who stole it and steal it back form them as it has alot of sentimental value to me.the only thing i dont like about it is the action is still too high and isnt good for my style of playing (shred) but still great for blues playing.

Bought it new in '93 or '94. It's a maple neck, sunburst made in Japan. I paid around $600 Canadian for it and that included a rectangular brown Tolex case. Was playing a 1991 American Standard but I sold it after I bought this.

Sounds great since I've scrapped the original pick-ups. They were way too thin and tinny sounding. It now has American Standards in the front and middle and a Duncan '54 in the back. I play it exclusively through a Fender Blues DeVille and the sound is amazing! The only effects I use are a Pro-co Rat or an Ibanez Fat Cat for distortion. This guitar has an amazing amount of "in your face" tone. I play mostly blues but would not hesitate to use this guitar for country or rock

Vey good in this category. Finish was as good as any Fender I've seen. Set-up was good except that the neck was a bit too straight. I changed to a heavier set of strings (.010-.046) right away anyway and that fixed that.

Not a single problem. I've owned several other Fenders over the years (1980 Lead 1, 1985 Japan Strat, 1991 American Standard Strat and 1996 American Standard Tele) and I never had a problem or breakdown with any of them.

Never needed it.

I've been playing for 26 years and I've owned and played many guitars. This is one I won't sell. If it were stolen or lost I would definetely get another.

This guitar was made in Japan some time in the late nineties. I bought it second-hand from Parkway Music in Clifton Park, New York for $325.00 which included a Fender deluxe gig bag. The neck is maple with a separate glued-on maple fingerboard. Much the same as my late sixties Telecaster, the neck is quite narrow at the nut, but flares out to a more normal width quickly -- sort of like a Jazz bass. The frets are the period-correct mini wire and even with the rounded neck radius, seriously steep bends do not chole out. A very nice fret job and set-up. The body is (I believe) Ash judging by the weight, although the finish is a lovely opaque vintage white - and I have heard that all but sunbursts are made of Poplar. It has a vintage style vibrato bridge which works just fine unless you're going for total dive-bombs. Tuners are slotted vintage. I prefer slotted to all others for ease of use. It is the usual Stratocaster and a very faithful reproduction of an instrument from this year (I know, I was around and playing then!)

I use this guitar through either a Hotrod DeVille or DeLuxe depending on the size of the venue with a 2X12 Marshall cabinet with the DeVille on opposite stage when in a really big place. Effects: Blues Driver, DOD Chorus, Dunlop 95Q wah, Dan Echo. I replaced the stock pickups with two Texas Specials in neck and mid and a DiMarzio SDS-1 in the bridge. With this setup I can get all the ducky sounds, the SRV thwock and a stinkin' good screaming distortion when the mood suits. The guitar has that wonderful Strat sound [ALL OF THEM] and feels great. To me, if I can't get the sound I'm looking for with this guitar, I really don't want it! The thing has the normal level of buzz when sitting next to a fluorescent fixture and feeds back VERY controllably on the SDS-1 when I roll into the 95Q a bit. Lots of fun. It also can be cajoled into a smokey jazzy kind of clean sound as well.

Being a second-hander, I can't thank or fault the factory for anything. Parkway always does lovely set-ups on their inventory, so it was a keeper right off the rack. The pickups were replaced almost immediately, so they were good straight away as well. The fit and finish are what you'd expect from Japan -- flawless. This instrument has all the character and tactile satisfaction that the old Americans had/have with all the sparkle and attention to detail that the Japanese deliver. What a combo! The previous owner kept the instrument immaculately, they could have sold it for new. After three years, the pickguard screws have rusted where I most often touch them, but this gives it the same vintage vibe my old Tele has as well!

Hey man, it's a Fender! Cockroaches Cher's plastic surgery and these guitars will all be around after Dr. Strangelove Day. Thew finish is as thick as any epoxy job from the late sixties and will never wear. I've got Dunlop strap locks because I've dropped my share, but this thing would probably bounce if dropped -- and stay in tune. I would depend on this guitar (and do) but always play with a backup as I will on occasion break a string (and I use 11's). Beast.

Never used them, though on questions they've always been good as gold. I once worked for a manufacturer and if I can't fix it, they couldn't either. So, I guess I have no real opinion.

I own four other Strats, two Telecasters, a Les Paul, a Mockingbird, an Epiphone Lucille, a Player MDS-1, a Ramirez 1a, a Regal RC-2, a Fender Jazz Bass and a partridge in a pear tree. Been playing 32 years, BA in music. If this guitar was stolen, I'd hire the LA police dept. to massage the thief. I love this one and wish I had two.

The features have been thoroughly described. No need to repeat.

I bought this lefty back in '98. Like many others, I found the stock pickups to be weak and exceedingly trebley. I replaced all three with gold lace sensors and I've been happy with the tone ever since. I play classic rock, rockabilly and blues, and I can use this baby for any of these styles. I don't try to imitate any particular artist's tone, so I can't speak to that, but I do know that I get the strat tones I need.

This guitar was beautifully made. It has a flawless sunburst finish and the ash body has some very cool figuring. The thin frets are not ideal for me, and I will eventually have them replaced. I replaced the tuners with some Fender locking tuners and the whammy bar is now more responsive.

This guitar is rock solid. I have had no problems in four years of almost daily use. It is utterly dependable, but I always gig with at least two guitars.

I've been playing for about 15 years. I play a Les Paul, a big Samick archtop with three P-90's(I think it's a model HJS660,or something like that) which is a surprisingly playable and decent sounding instrument, a Fender Jazz Bass and a Martin acoustic.
My amp is a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a celestion vintage 30. I use a Fulltone '70 pedal, a Budda Wah, a Boss CE-2, a Morley emerald echo, and a Blackstone overdrive. I get some truly excellent sounds with this guitar and I'm glad I found a lefty. It is playable as it is, but I do prefer bigger frets. I plan on getting a fret job within a year. Once this is done, it will rate a 10.

N/A

This is an update of my review below. I got to compare this guitar directly to a nearly original '78. Apart from the 3-bolt neck and flat pole pieces, it is nearly identical in finish, appointments and similar in feel. Neck was fatter but similarly narrow at the nut, body less well-defined and fit and finish not as good as the '68RI.

Soundwise - as I suspected, the '78 had hotter pickups, but they were also less-distinct sounding, probably the missing polepieces. Interestingly, the bridge pickup on the '68 sounds fatter - the later one is wimpy. Acoustically, the heavier later one is not as resonant. You feel more like you're playing the pickups. Frets were worn out which doesn't help you feel good about is.

In other respects the '68 is nicer to play - it is a sweeter guitar, but they're definitely brothers. I'd own the '78 but I prefer the '68.

Happier than ever with my '68. Think it's a bargain and a great guitar.

Made in Japan in 1988. Purchased sometime around late '89-early '90. White finish and pickguard, maple neck. 5-way selector and vintage appointments. This guitar has had the misfortune of being my "tinker" guitar, but I've recently restored it to "stock appearance". It currently has a Fat '50s in the bridge, an actual '67 strat pickup in the middle, and a Deltatone in the neck. Looking back, I probably would've kept the stock pickups in. It did have Lace Sensors in it for a time. But overall standard Strat appointments.

I like blues, classic rock, and indie/alternative stylings mostly. I did play in a sort of punkish metal band a long time ago (right after I got this guitar), a psuedo-fusion group, a Pearl Jam wanna-be group, and the a kind of avant-garde group in the style of Shudder to Think. This guitar saw action in all of these incarnation and fit the bill great. As it is now, it's very well suited to classic rock and blues stylings, which is how I'll probably keep it.

This thing has that Strat "cluck" in spades, and sounds great overdriven. It's somewhat "honky" clean, and seems to like gain a little bit better, but I attribute this to the pickups. The stock pickups, especially the middle pickup, really sparkled on clean settings. Noisier than hell overdriven though, especially in the 1, 3, and 5 positions. Sound really tight and smooth unplugged, with a lot of snap. Overall, this thing has been very versatile no matter what pickups I've had in it...it's natural dynamics are very responsive to picking position and volume changes, and this always translated well amplified. If I could only have one guitar, I'd have to make this it, for sentimental and tonal reasons.

It was setup with somewhat high action, which I never bothered to fix, but I've gotten used to it. Everything else was adjusted very well. This honestly is one of the better made guitars I've come across. The neck pocket is tighter than a mosquitos....well, it's pretty tight, let's say that.

This guitar is solid. I've tinkered with it more times than it has deserved, but it's stayed together well. Amazingly, the only screwholes that have stripped have been the strap button holes, and thatwas definitely my doing. The pots and selector have endured numerous hours in close proximity to my soldering iron, and have ven been nicked by it accidentally a few times. Still clear as a bell.

The body is pretty well beat up, but hey, now it really looks like one of those relic strats that are so popular today. This gutar has withstood plenty of incidents I'm too embarrassed to even think about.

I would go nuts if this were stolen. So nuts that it would probably be my defense during my trial after I found they guy who stole it. I can't think of anything that I really don't like about this guitar. It's a beater, wonderfully ergonomic, has endured my adventures in amateur electronics and wishing I had a pointy, Floyd Rose equipped Ibanez.

I've been playing Teles for a while now, and this guitar has totally rekindled my Stratocaster love affair...though I doubt I'll ever get another one (unless I kind a nice sonic blue '50s reissue or something)

It's a Strat - and a very good one. Made Aug '98 according to the neck stamp. All standard, a 'nice piece of ash' to misquote and a lovely maple-slab neck with no skunkstripe. Big headstock, 4-bolt neck.

I wasn't looking for a Strat when I chanced on this. I am a sucker for natural finishes and took this one down off the rack. Found that the body was two 2-piece with an offset seam through the volume knob. Beautiful matching job - from the front it looks like one-piece and the ash flame goes like lightening spears over the top horn. This guitar is very light - matches my '69 Thinline RI which is half hollow. Neck is slightly thinner at the nut than I like, but a good 60's C-shape, not as fat as my MIM Tele.

Acoustically it rang out, but had terrible setup. I thought it had great potential and the price was right

The reviewers who complain about a thin sound obviously never heard a real 60's Strat played clean. This is it guys. Play it through an era-amp and there's no lack of tone. Play it through a buzzbox or over-filtered, poorly speakered, muffled modern amp and you'll be disappointed.

It is not as trebly as my '69 RI Tele. It sounds very much like an L-series Strat I played, and better than any stock US or other sourced Strat with stock pickups I've heard. If you play through an amp with no response you won't get much tone.

I hear lots of nasally midrangey aftermarket stuff which, well you may or may not like the sounds, but it's not classic Strat. The pickups measure just slightly less than 6Kohm through a lead, which may not tell you much about sound but is right in the correct zone, they have the correct staggered magnets and correct alnico magnet type.

SRV's sound mostly came from his hands, big strings (0.13's) and vintage-type amps, possibly also from his Tubescreamer or other pedal use. These sounds are still there (although not with the same skill level!) when I play mine through my 5E3 Tweed clone. It also sounds like Hendrix when he used cleaner settings. There is certainly treble there, but also good sweetness, clarity and note definition. The guitar is no good for shred, nor for high-gain inverted-V-eq'd sounds. If you bought it for that, sorry, no cigar. It'll do Sultans of Swing, early Clapton Strat and Purple-era Blackmore through a pedal easily.
It WON'T do Buddy Guy, so treble is not a problem! The good thing about pickups is they can be changed easily, but before jumping to the conclusion you 'must' do it, set these and the guitar up properly first.

I bought mine knowing there were defects. It had hung in a Canadian Fender dealer's shop until they went bust, and was re-imported into Australia by a chainstore who aren't a Fender dealer. Blackened and one missing string, no player wear on the frets but lots of marks from being hung up at the back. The strings were off the neck by a mile, and had been made higher on the bridge. I put an extra quarter turn in the trussrod adjuster and the neck came almost perfectly straight. Frets are nearly perfect, with the 14th fret of the high-E needing a little attention. I have .010-.052"s on it which appeared to be the guage on it and fit the nut slots. This is the first guitar I've had from new that hasn't needed nut slots recut.

I dropped the action and the intonation came right back near perfect. For a guitar with fat strings and a 25.5" scale it is very easy to fret and play, does slide and blues great.

Shredders may not like it or the vintage neck radius - pays your money and takes your choices.

Otherwise, fit and finish, esp. the neckpocket are nearly perfect - my score reflects the post-setup guitar

Everything seems fine. Tuners are good, harware is not tarnished from neglect despite it's history. Finish is even and clear. Withstands playing a 3-hour set fine.

Not applicable - bought without warranty.

I rate it very highly. The later CIJ Fenders and the Classic series stuff from Mexico is IMHO a cut above the standard US-stuff compared back-back and not far short of the US-made resissues. Both my MIM and CIJ are very well finished with the Strat getting the nod overall for detail. I'm picky and have played some fairly ordinary and mucho more expensive Strats. Like when shopping for my Tele, I look for guitars that are highly resonant acoustically and appear soundly constructed. I've really lucked onto two great guitars, one a Mexican Tele and the other a Japanese Strat. They're both great guitars with 'the vibe' at a fraction of the cost and theft/damage worry-actor of a real vintage piece. A guy with a real '69 wouldn't believe mine wasn't a refin! The '68RI is everything I wanted in a Strat - does 'the quack' and a Strat acoustic simile on the neck/middle very well. Finish, fit action and stability I rate highly and it feels very solid.

Bear in mind here in Aus we don't get much choice and RRP on my '69RI which I bought in San Francisco for $1500 Oz including hardshell case is $2200 with no case! So at that price, with a s/h rectangular hardshell case and even with defects it's a bargain and I'm sure I could get my money back. But I'm not intending to!

This was made in Japan, in early '96. I bought it used. It's got a 3-tone sunburst body with maple neck. It's got kluson tuners, vintage tremolo, thin plastic nut and very small+thin frets. 3-ply pickguard, 3 single coils, 2 tone, 1 volume.Standard strat features!

I basically bought this for the looks, but when I plugged it in and added some chorus, it was like I just stole Stevie Rays #1! The neck pickup is amazing when used clean, but the other 2 pickups suck ass! I am going to be changing the bridge to probrably a Seymour Duncan,a dn the middle will stay the same because I only use it for maybe one song for like 10 seconds. (I would rather change to EMG's, but I dont want to loose the neck pickup, and I dont want it to sound uneven with output)

The action was pretty high when I got it, but it had 8's on it so it played like butter, but when I got it home I lowered it and put on 11's/ The finish was great, the way it looked was the reason I bought it pretty much. (Im a Les Paul guy)Like I said before the frets were way too thin and there was basically no nut because it was so small. Also the bridge was a piece of sh!t. I couldnt do any dives, so I switched it, and now it plays fine. The pickup selector was better than any other I've played on a strat. Very smooth, it was definately broken in great. Plus no noise when switching! I wasn't crazy about the fret size, so I scalloped the whole neck. The scallops are really deep, so you get that big fret feel! It plays great now, and the neck never warps!!!

This is a very reliable guitar. It's built like a tank.

Never dealt with them! Im a Les Paul guy!

I just bought this to get something different. I'll be using this for when I record. Just for clean though.

Bought in '97, Japanese reissue of '68 Strat
Standard Strat s/s/s 5-way 1 vol 2 tone
vintage style trem, tuners, frets
maple neck, Gorgeous Natural finish (just varnished, no paint anywhere). Very slim u neck, very narrow at nut, heavily laquered maple board. Large pre-cbs headstock with slotted tuners

Originally the pickups were pretty weak. From a sound prespective they were tinny and did not have a heavy, bassy aspect to them no matter what switch positions were used. From a quality prespective, the stock electronics in this guitar are garbage. The neck pickup started to act as a microphone...when I would tap on the pickguard with a pick it would make a tapping sound through the amp. Very bad. I swapped out all 3 original pickups for Fender Texas Specials (yes I am a big SRV fan) and they are great! They have a much wider range of sound including a warm deep bass when switched to the neck pick up...very nice. I would recommend Texas Specials to anyone seeking the Vaughan brothers sound. Also replaced stock switch which failed after a few short months of playinig with an American Standard switch. Hard to believe that you can feel such a big quality difference in something as simple as a switch.

Setup from the factory was good, but the action was a little high. I was told that the action could not be set as low as I wanted because of the shape of the neck would result in "fretting out" when bending high notes...but I found a great guitar tech who set it up beautifully. The action is now very low and neck is very fast. Electronics aside, the quality of the guitar is quite good. My natuaral finish example had a few small quality issues with the wood, and of course you can see where the body pieces were joined if you look hard enough, but this doesn't detract from the overall look of the guitar. I think that the combo of the fat pre-cbs (Hendix-eque) headstock and the all natural finish make this an amazingly sexy looking guitar. I do wish that the neck was a little wider at the nut as I do have large hands, but that is what you get with a 60's style strat neck. The neck is perfect for players with small hands.

It is a Strat...you really have to try hard to break it....and if you do break it, you can easily fix it. However the factory electronics are terrible and I would not trust it live until they were replaced with someting of a higher quality (not just the pickups...switch, jack, everything must go and be replaced with better stuff before you take it onstage). Also, I have been through two whammy bars...sheared them right off in the trem block...but I don't think this reflects poorly on the guitar...I think it reflects poorly on my playing style ;P

Never dealt with Fender, just go to the local guitar shop.

Playing for 5 years and this is my only electric (I swapped my Mexican Tele and an old Ibanez Roadstar for it). I just bought a Fender Stratacoustic. I am definitly loyal to Fender. I love their instruments, but just like any brand, the less you pay, the less you get. The beauty of the 68 reissue is you get a great looking and playing guitar for way less than the cost of an actual vintage. However, if you are serious about your sound of if you want to gig it, be ready to do some work on it (mainly electronics).

This is just a small update on my MIJ strat so far I have not had the cash for a refret/bone nut done. But I did replace the tremolo block and top plate with a vintage repro block and plate from Bill Callaham. Mr Callaham is in Virginia U.S.A. and is producing replacement strat blocks that fit the American and Japanese Strats these blocks are made from steel as were the originals . The difference this makes in sound and sustain has to be heard to be belived, the block that was on the strat was an inferior metal alloy mix, when I took it off I tied some string on it hung it up and tapped it with a metal ruler it was dead. I did the same with Bill`s replacement block and it rang out, so think how the one on your guitar is deadening your tone and sustain. When fitted and played the difference is stunning, the tone and sustain are much better. My guitar now sings and I would recommend this upgrade to anyone no BS. I said I bought this guitar to upgrade it and this small replacement is one of the best you can do, I am a player who wants a great tone before any electrical enhancement,pedals etc, and this does it to the bone. Collectors if that rocks your boat fair enough leave your guitar as it is . But players if you want to give your strat that extra edge try this upgrade. I live in the U.K and Bill sent my block after receiving the payment on the Monday and I got it on the Friday same week, great stuff great service. Bill also sells 6 replacement screws for the top plate , I have these as well but they are longer than the screws on the guitar already so to fit them I would have to lengthen the screw holes, apparently vintage Strat screws used to go into the tremolo spring cavity right through the body, but I have not fitted these yet , still thinking. Tonequest have got this trem block as there top upgrade on the strat they modified. Try out www.Callahamguitars.com/ . No I don`t work for or have anything to do with the company , but I do know that there are lots of players out there looking to get a great tone . Be interested if any of you do the upgrade on what you think. Next is the bone nut and re-fret as many have said the frets are not very good and I agree so they need to be sorted, I don`t know if they are just a cheap alternative to keep costs down or a reproduction of the originals.

For this upgrade

Bought in '91, Japanese reissue of '68 Strat
Standard Strat s/s/s 5-way 1 vol 2 tone
vintage style trem, tuners, frets
maple neck, 3 tone sunburst
plastic hardshell case

The neck pickup yielded great Hendrixesque tone through Chandler Tube Driver, Dunlop Wah and 71 Twin Reverb, but the bridge and middle (which I rarely use alone) were tinny and harsh. So, I went ahead and routed a nice big hole in the bridge for a Seymour Duncan vintage-style P-90 and that addded all the chunk I could ever want. Probably the best thing about reissues - cheap enough to cut up without remorse.

Set up nicely, low action. Under pickguard was surprisingly well done. The 3-tone finish chipped off kind of easily though but I guess I'm a bit rough on guitars to begin with.

Again, the finish. Looked good but flaked off. For a while it was my only guitar and held up nicely to energetic stage usage. The neck finish stood up well though.

never dealt with Fender

This was my first electric, and I bought it because it was the only left handed guitar I could find at the time. If it got lost, stolen, or whatever, I guess I would look for another one, and make the same P-90 mod too.

Made in Japan. I looked on the official Fender website, which told me it was made between 1997/98. Apparantly a reissue of the 1968 model.
The neck is a 21 fret, 2 piece maple affair, with a very slim 'C' shape and narrow nut, with chunky late 60's/early 70's headstock.
The slimness of the neck makes it a dream to play, ideal for the Hendrix-style thumb on the low E string (especially for those not blessed with hands the size of Jimi's), although this won't be to everyones taste.
Also, the frets are of a particularly narrow gauge. Whether this is a reissue thing, or just cost cutting I don't know, but this has caused alarming wear in the more frequntly used positions. However, it would only be fair to say that I play with a very heavy left hand, so this needn't neccesarily be problem for the more nimble figered player.
The body is 3 piece, real wood (which I can see through the 3-colour sunburst finish), of unknown origin. Most likely alder or ash, although I read that Basswood is more commonly used in the Far East, as it is more readily available, but sounds similar.
Electrics are standard Strat', Pickups S/S/S, 5-way selector, 1 volume, 2 tone, standard tremelo.
The tuners look nicely retro', and respond very well.

Sound-wise, this guitar is one of the best I've played, only surpassed by some genuine Vintage Strats' I've had the fortune to play previously. However, it won't be for everyone, as it is INCREDIBLY trebly - even for a Strat'.
Having read other reviews posted for this guitar, there seems to be a debate concernig the pickups, with many people disliking and replacing them. Untill I read this, I had given very little thought to this, accepting the trebly sound for what it is. However, having given the matter some thought, there could be some scope for replacing them - the bridge pickup especially.
For me, this is not essential, as I play through a Valve amp (the bass channel of an old Selmer), and use heavier gauge strings for a fatter bottom end. However, anyone who wants a really bassy sound should perhaps give this guitar a miss, unless they're prepared to fork out for new pickups.
Despite this, the general tone produced by this guitar is particularly rich. I think the acid test for any electric guitar, is how it sounds acoustically (ie. unamplified), and this really is a fine example. No problems with sustain, and a deep, full tone make it the envy of all my friends (even the ones who play Gibsons).

The setup of this guitar was impeccable. The trem' was set to 'float' perfectly (a quality not often seen on Strats'), the action was almost ridiculously low, and the intonation was perfect.
Whether this level of quality reflects all guitars in this range, i don't know. I know some shops set guitars up themselves, whereas some just sling then striaght on the shelves. Perhaps the quality of setup depends more on where you buy, than on what.

Impossible to say. No more of less durable than any other quality guitar I have played, but certainly does'nt feel like its going to break.
Actually, on second thoughts, I have in tha past been rather rough with this guitar, the tremelo unit in particular, has taken quite a hammering, and nothing has broken yet. In fact, I've never even so much as broken a string, which is quite unusual.

Never needed any.

Although I am by no means an expert in the field, I'll stick my neck out and say this is the closest you'll come to a 60's Strat', without forking out several thousand pounds for a real one.
On top of that, although vintage giutars may offer the tones of our dreams, they may not be in pristine condition, and come with no garauntee whatsoever. I believe Fender themselves offer a limited lifetime warranty on all of their products (whilst still with the origonal owner), but dont quote me on that - check the Fender website www.fender.com for more details.

Reissue of '68 (or thereabouts) Strat, 21 tiny frets, sunburst finish on 3-piece ash body, 3sc p/u's, very slim u neck, narrow at nut, heavily laquered maple board. Big old Hendrix headstock with slotted Kluson tuners. How do you rate this - it's a Strat. Look at my car, it has wheels!!

I play all kinds, I have phases of all sorts. I play a Marshall JCM900 (the high-gain job) with a Metal Zone and a Crybaby, and I have the sound I want after years of looking!! It is super-twangy, a lot of people here have replaced their pickups but I kind of like it. It really does have some treble, messing about the other day with the neck/middle setting I found an amazing Buddy Guy tone, really organy. The neck pickup is excellent as well, it does all the usual Strat noises with a frightening amount of clarity. It can be prone to microphonic sqealing, tho'.

Came from the shop absolutely spot on, no problem at all. Finish is excellent 12 years on, and I've played and played with the setup and I think I've probably got it back to how it was from the shop, hahaha!!!

Built like a tank, and will last like one. Mine's covered in dings and dents, I'm not one of those obsessive types who thinks about what it will be worth in 40 year's time!! The only point I would make concerns the neck. I replaced it last year (through choice!!) with a Warmoth compound-radius rosewood board job. The frets on the original just got worn out, and they were tiny to begin with. Got some locking Schallers as well, helps the tuning no end!!

N/A, the staff at the shop it came from were excellent (I don't know if the shop is still there, if it is then go and have a look).

I've been playing about 13 years, in and out of bands, nothing serious, I just love playing!! I also have a Custom Shop Anniversary w/ Texas Specials, and an HM Floyd Strat, an old ADA MP1 and various other bits and bats showing up my teenage 'widdle rock' phase but I keep coming back to this. If it was nicked, I wouldn't go out of my way to replace it, I couldn't. They're all different, you have to get a good one, and just go with what feels best. I'd cry, though, hahaha, this was my first guitar and I love it!!

I love the U shaped neck. I have smaller hands and this neck really is comfortable. The small nut was a bit of getting used to. But now I love the feel. It was put together pretty well and it is light, a big plus! The electronics and tuning pegs were poor.
nice looking guitar with the cool big headstock

Out of the box the pickups sounded bad (I mean not good)
twangy and thin. the switch was cheap and failed after little use. I do use the switch a lot granted.
I changed the pickups twice. The first time was lace sensors blue in the bridge and silver in the neck/middle a high quallity switch and it sounded great.
Dont use the gold or the red laces. The silver are great. Clean and snappy.
The blue lace is nice and warm but still with a little snap.

It now has Seymour Duncan little 59ers in all positions. Nice but I like the laces better.

Factory pick ups were too twangy for the smooth rock style I play.

Action was good and the finish is nice.
The tuning pegs were cheap, and sloppy. I replaced them with Gotoh klusion style replacements. Much better.

I have used this guitar in many bars and recording sessions. Now that I've changed the pegs and pickups I love it.

????

I have owned Les Pauls, American Strats and Teles. This is my favorite because of the feel of the guitar. The electroninc are not good, After replacing them with higher quality parts, this guitar is fantastic. Sounds great (now) ,lightweight, and is sturdy. I would like to buy a vintage white one if I could find one.

It was made around 1994, because it's got a "50 years of fender"-decal on the back of the headstock. Got 21 frets. Got solid body, the wood is either a very light ash or, for this value, I think it's this "basswood-thing". Got the standard controls, tuners, bridge, etc.
The pickups are really something to wonder about...
They sound this way in 1968 ???
The finish is the reason why I bought this guitar:
Sunburst body and maple neck with big headstock, very very beautiful!
also I have to mention that the grain patterns of the body wood look good, you don't see where they put the body pieces together (3 Pieces)
The paint job is very well done.
On neck also, got vintage frets on it, na ja...
The neck suits perfectly for my hand, the U-shaped, narrow at the nut is what makes this guitar totally different to all the others, it's somekind of Jazz Bass-shape for Strat...superb action

The pu's sound funky, funky, funky...
and nothing else!
No way to get anything more "heavy" out of this guitar.
The pu's are just too weak (and noisy).
I like to play real straight, just the guitar and the amp (Fender, Marshall). For clean sounds adding a little bit chorus, for hard ones more volume...
So to get more variety out of it, I'm going to change the pu's

First I wanted to give it back to the store.
At home you take a closer look to it, you know...
and the neck was not accurately in the neck pocket,
but I was able to fix it easily (thank god!)
I changed the saddles for modern ones, they don't peek your palm.
The rest was fine

I've been using this guitar a lot, but only the clean sound, because I got a refinished 79 Strat to play the heavy parts, and I never got a problem...
(knock on wood...)
Anyway nobody ever walks on stage without backup...

The only contact to Fender:
sometimes visit the webside, and ask for a catalog...
(with all this nice guitar pictures in it... I love it!)

I'm playing guitar for 10 years now.
The perfect Guitar for ME would be a combination of the ones I got:
the neck and beauty of the 68 (and the weight!)
the big frets and the sound of the ref. 79
the hardtail of the 90 deluxe tele...(ok, sounds silly)

Made in Japan, late 80s methinks. According to 'Stratocaster' book, it's a remake of the 1968 model. Tricolor sunburst ash body, maple fingerboard cap on maple neck. Twenty-one thin frets, large headstock, two string guides. Standard S/S/S pickup config with 5-way selector. Staggered polepieces (oddly, the rhythm pickup is staggered different). Standard vibrato, tuners and truss rod (non bullet). Came with gig bag. Interestingly, the body is a lot more contoured than my 70s American made strat; it's also a tad lighter in weight. I don't know how to rate the features but I got exactly what I wanted; no more, no less (except for the fact that I didn't get a hard case.)

The tone is light and t(w)angy, especially through my silver face Twin. The output is lower than my 70s American made hardtail rosewood strat with flush polepieces: it barely pushes my Boss SD-1 Overdrive into overdrive. The usual amount of noise. I like the sound, but wouldn't mind a tad more output.

Had to readjust middle pickup, as it seemed hotter than the other two. Otherwise, OK.

Strap button at base of the body is loose and may need to be reset. Otherwise, seems fine and dependable

This is one of the few guitars I've played that felt right upon first play; more so than my Les Paul Custom, my long sold away '63 Strat, etc.. It's tone is thinner and more wirely metallic than other Strats I've owned- is this a reproduction of the '68' sound? It sort of sounds like the tone on JH's 'All Along The Watchtower.' On the 'Strat' list it has been recommended that I upgrade the pickups and innards. Anyone else out there know much about these Japanese made Fenders?

Made in '96, I bought it in '97. Made In Japan.
21 Frets
Solid 3 peice ash body, natural finish
Vintage Style Strat Trem.
Three Vintage Style Strat single coils.
U shaped Neck, very thin at the nut.
____________________________________

Everything you'd expect from a reissue strat. (great wood & Construction and some cheap electronics)

Only modification was replaceing pickups. Rio Grande Muy Grande in the bridge and a pair of Rio Grande Halfbreeds in the neck and middle.

One gripe on construcion: The neck at the nut is very thin. It takes some getting used to. Few of my friends like to play this thing below the 5th fret for this reason. But, I've adapted to it.

I play a mixture of '60s psychadellic music, jam rock, blues, Jazz wannabe stuff. I prefer old-school tones. So single coils and simple controls do it for me.

Using this guitar with various amps through the last 4 years has been a joy, currently through a Stinger (now made by Blues Pearl) Texas Tornado. Have used it through a Crate Vintage Club 50 watt with great results too. It seems to like a clean amp cranked to breakup.

It's tone was too bright until I changed pickups. Having a Maple board and Ash body added to this. By putting a Rio Grande in the Bridge position gave it some more "Tele" like tones but with less highs and an ample supply of mids (I like this).

Great guitar for Blues, Rock, and the occasional dip into jazz. With the stock pickups or more vintage style p'ups it would also tackle Country or rockabilly too.

No dislikes in the tone zone......

I set it up to my taste.
Original p'ups are now in my MIM standard.
Decent wood.

Super Solid Construction (IMHO), Japanese Made Fenders are fantastic starting points for a killer personalized instrument. Replace the p'ups and anything else you find a bit weak, and you've got a winner.

I got what I paid for, and got a heck of a good deal too.

This guitar HAS survived over 40 gigs and hundreds of hours worth of practice. Lots of dings, scratches and dents. Beer stained too (that was a gig to remember!). Dropped and stayed in tune. I've giged without a backup and it survived (except that one time I broke a string and had to change it MID SONG!!!!).

Reliable. Loyal as a dog. And I've put it to the test.

Please! I've done all the work myself.........

This guitar was bought to be my #2. It sat in the #2 spot in my arsenal for years. It has, however, in the last year become my #1 choice for tone and versatility. It's a wonderful instrument. I've carved out a relationship with this ax.
My other two main guitars are a heavily modified MIJ '69 Thinline RI and a MIM Standard (with my '68 RIs former p'ups). The '69 Thinline RI is still my #1, but I've been favoring the '68 Strat for sometime, because it's earned it........

1989 Japanese '68' re-issue. 21 vintage (read teny tiny) frets, Alder body, Maple neck with Maple fingerboard. standard controls and pickup configuration. The bridge pickup was very weak, and there was a lack of tone overall in the other pickups, not bad, but not great. The best part of the guitar is the thin 'U' neck shape, clean and fast as lightining.

I just recently started playing again after a very long layoff, and this Strat is as close as i could get without breaking the bank. I'm playing thru a Boss compressor, an Ibanez re-issue tubescreamer(modded), and a Dunlop Crybaby into a Crate vintage club 6212. This setup is excellent for blues, or vintage '70's rock. I'm real happy with the sounds I can get from this setup, and when I can afford it, the only changes I plan to make is some lessons on theory.

Since I bought this axe used I can't rreally say much about the factory setup, but this guitar was easy to setup to my tastes and intonation was excellent. I did change the tuners to vintage Kluson's because the previous owner had put on a set of Schallers. All the rest of the hardware was original and is quite good.

It's a Strat, what else do you need to say. If you get stuck out in the middle of the lake you can use it to paddle in, then plug in and play all night.

never used the,

I made a few changes, I put in a set of '54' custom shop pickups(outstanding) shielded the pickup cavity and pickguard. I absolutely love the tone this guitar capable of, and there are many possibilities in there. I can't really say anything bad about this axe, the Japanese got it right on this one.

1998 model Japanese Fender 1968 reissue (even thought the oversize headstock and "transistion" logo would suggest closer to a 1967) Strat, Olympic white.
First off, I had no intention of buying a new guitar. I happened across this while checking out a new amp. It was the closest Strat to me, so I grabbed it. Well, I bought the guitar and didn't buy the amp. I've owned a few late 1960's Strats. I parted with 'em years ago :( I certainly can't find any for what I used to pay for them anymore, $400-$500, but lemme tell ya, this is the closest thing to the gen-u-ine article as far as fit, sound and feel as any reish is going to come.

Stock pickups were a bit weak for my tastes. So the first thing to go was the bridge pickup which I replaced with a Duncan Antiquity. Still saving up the $$$ to invest in the mid/neck, but the neck pickup is passable. Sounds totally Hendrix/Stevie in the neck pos, especially with my Dunlop wah.

This is where this baby shines. I normally hate poly finishes, but this one is much lighter and has a much better feel than the American Standards' plastic coating. Upon popping off the pickguard, it exposed a gorgeous "old school" Fender routing scheme for the pickups and the switch. No "swimming pool" here, but 3 separate routes for the pickups and a nice tight route for the 5-way switch. Although I've had the neck refinished (stripped and tung-oiled) the high-gloss poly that the neck originally had was equally as beautiful. The tiny, stock vintage frets were just that. Stock, tiny and vintage style. These had to go. Thanks to Denny Rauen for a superb job at fretting this baby with 6100's (http://www.rauenguitars.com) This is a keeper strat.

Made Japan 1999, (look in neck cutaway and on neck to date, you`ve got to take the neck off for this ). Transparent finish, Ash body, not basswood as some have said,( I looked on the internet for info on grain patterns etc of Basswood and Ash also checked lots of pictures of the grain, sad I know but I like to know what I`ve got). Maple neck usual strat features.

The stock pickups did not do this guitar justice, also I bought this guitar to "upgrade" it, Tonequest report recommends Jap re-issues for upgrading to get a good quality, not break the bank, Strat. So I put in Custom Shop Fat 50`s pickups, also changed the pots to American made 250k ones as well as .10 ceramic caps . This guitar now sounds like a vintage strat, great bell like chimes with nice bass and all tones between. Listen to Hendrix Woodstock version of Red House ,I can get these tones down to a T. If you change pickups look at the pots and caps as well they help the overall tone. When I picked up my guitar after the pickups etc were fitted the the shop assistant did not want to give it back he said it sounded brilliant. I play through a fender 112 deluxe plus amp with crybaby wah , also soon to get an Ibanez tube screamer Ts9/808mod. I (try to) play Hendrix ,SRV, Cream, Blues and am trying Jazz, guitar works with all these styles.

Guitar set up o.k. Joint at neck to body could be tighter. Overall finish and quality very good,neck is dream to play, except the frets ,I prefer larger frets. So that is the next job for this guitar a refret with yet to be decided size fretwire. At the same time I will have a bone nut cut, why?, because the imitation bone nut used is crap. It is made of plastic or nylon or some such material . The trouble is it deadens the tone, bone however is porus so sound travels through it and does not get stopped dead in it`s tracks as with the imitation one. As I said I bought this guitar to "upgrade" it. It gets an 8 because of the frets/nut. 10+ when finished.

I put straplocks on , why take a chance on dropping it for the sake of #15-00 and ten minutes work changing the buttons. Finish seems good ,I play it every day without problem , not gigging yet one day hopefully. I`ve spent money on this guitar to get it how I want it as I could not afford #1200 for a Strat in one lump sum and it`s a good base to work from. These guitars are also becoming sought after in the original form , but I`m not a collector , I wanted vintage tone and playability without a big outlay in one go.

Haven`t tried not intending to.

Playing 18 months. Also have a Gibson SG , but I prefer the Strat if I had bought it first I wouldn`t have bought the Gibson.I checked the reviews on the web before I bought it and would buy again for the same reasons. If you upgrade the guitar you get a more personal instrument than the "off the production line" models. Without the pickup change this guitar is passable, with the pickup change it`s got that extra bite, when the fret and bone nut,(saving the cash at present), are done it will be a killer. It won`t get lost, how could anyone loose a guitar ?, if it was stolen I would kill to get it back and then I would kill again because it was stolen in the first place. Thieves of all kinds are scum!!

Made in 98, purchased in 99. Crafted in Japan. Ash body with maple neck. Paid $414.00 without case from indoor storm. I'm a beginner and I thought it would be great to have a stratocaster with the old style large head stock. My advise to all you beginners...Don't by a musical instrument without playing it. I found that the neck was too small for me. Plus other things I wasn't happy about.

I like the blues. A stratocaster is the guitar played by my favorite artists. But this one is lacking. The stock pickups strink! Look a the other review for this guitar. Everyone changes them...

No major flaws, but the G string had some buzzing.

OK

I was playing this through my Johnson JT-50. I took the guitar and amp back to the place I purchased the amp from because I wasn't thrilled with the amp. The salesperson plugged in an american made stratocaster and the amp sounded great. I was considering replacing the pickups, but since I wasn't too thrilled with the thin neck and buzzing string, I traded the 68 strat for a Godin SD. Now I love my Johnson amp and I'm very happy with the Godin SD.

The features have already been adequately described by many others.

I'm currently using a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe 1-12. I get great tone now that I have replaced the exceedingly crappy factory pickups with some excellent Vintage Noiseless Strat pickups. Paired with an Ibanez TS7 and a Dunlop GCB-95 Crybaby, this guitar SCREAMS!!! I would also recommend replacing the tuners. I got a set of Fender locking tuners, and the whammy bar
is far more responsive now, plus it stays in tune.

Pickups and tuners aside, the quality is great. The three color burst is beautiful, as is the grain.

This guitar is solid. I would not hesitate to gig with this baby without a backup.

Overall, I love this guitar. I bought it because it was the best guitar for the money that I could find. Being left-handed, it is difficult to find decent instruments. I got lucky!

I ordered my 68' reissue directly from Fender in 1996. This Japanese
made strat is very nice, with a beautiful ash body in a 3 color burst.
True to the original, the 68' has 21 narrow vintage frets on a 2 pc.
round-lam maple board. Fender hardly makes any of these costly 2 pc.
maple necks any more, I think the only other one that features it is the 69' Custom Shop model. The body has a thick, nitro-cellulose finish and the neck is totally laquered. The narrow, 7.5" radius
vintage neck is really sweet and very effortless to play, especially
up in the higher registers. Stock single coils are OK, but really
don't do this axe justice. I replaced them with Texas Specials. Pick
guard discolored quickly and I swapped it for a Tortoise Shell model,
which doesn't show wear and tear like the white ones. Also chopped my
whammy bar in half so it fits in my hand while I palm mute. Other than
that, it's pure strat. I've never really played a bad strat, but this
particular MIJ 68' reissue is a real gem.I

I like to play a lot of different types of music and the 68'pretty
much covers everything with style to spare. The extra mid range of the
Texas Specials compliment the brightness of the 2-pc. maple neck and
ash body. A pair of custom shop 54' PUPs would also be a good choice.
Tone is a subjective thing, but I play the 68' through a Fender Hot
Rod DeVille 4x10 and a Mesa Subway Blues 1x10. It's hard to beat the
strat/4x10 combo in my opinion.

The factory set-up used .09's which aren't my cup of tea. I put .10's
on, lowered the action a little bit, reintonated and it was right there. The wood quality is nothing short of amazing, considering this
is a Japanese reissue. The overall fit and finish far exceed many
costlier Fenders I've looked at. It makes financial sense for Fender
to produce in Mexico rather than Japan, which is unfortunate. The
Japanese models are of exceptionally high quality. If you have one,
hang on to it.

I take care of my guitars, so I haven't had any real problems other
than replacing my strap buttons with Schaller's so I won't accidently
drop it and have a real problem. Strats can be a little tempramental
from time to time, and this one is no exception. The narrow, U-shaped
neck and vintage floating trem seem to be especially sensitive to
even slight temperature changes. It's not a big problem, but tuning
stability can be frustrating sometimes, especially after trem dips.
This is an old story with vintage style strats though. You learn to live with it.

The only time I delt with Fender customer service was when I received
a set of Custom Shop 54'strat PUPs which didn't work (what a hassle).
I sent them back and they promptly shipped me a set of Texas Specials!
Oh well. I just installed the TS's and called it good.

I've been playing electric and acoustic guitar since the early 70's.
I also own a 1997-Japanese 72'Tele Thinline Reissue, 1998-American Standard Tele with Joe Barden PUPs and a 1999 Carvin DC127.
If my 68 was stolen or lost, I would be bummed. I may be in the minority here, but I think the Japanese really nailed the Fender
reissues. Tora Tora Tora!

this is a 1996 model re issue, made in Japan(good thing). Its an ash body, with a solid maple neck (glossy finish) with 21 vintage frets. It has all the typical features of any strats. All hardware is vintage. Excellent quality. Japanese Fenders are Fenders best kept secrets, followed by Mexican-made products...They're both cheaper in $$$ and if you hot-rod them with better pick ups they are a steal price-wise. American fenders are nice but the factory pick ups (Texas specials excluded!!) suck... they just don't have it in my opinion.

This original pick ups were decent, however the bridge pick up was alittle thin so naturally I replaced it. I selected a Dimarzio FS-1 pick up (this is the one Edge from U2 uses) and I couldn't be happier...lots of mid range boost, highs are kept in check, lows are not muddy at all! I seriously recommend this pick up to those who want a true workhorse in their strat. The other two pick ups are just fine. They do the trick for me. The ash body along witha maple neck makes this guitar the brightest thing I ever heard!! It just rings! It competes with any other strat out there. Don't let the vintage frets fool you, they're good enough to play any style of music you want, besides its all in your style anyways...

Lets face it, everybody has their own style and set up, so if your retarded, you would leave the factory set up and not touch a thing. Always tweak your guitar to your liking, and maintain the thing!! the worst thing is to get an awesome guitar and not take care of it...Buff your baby, buff it often!! I'm happy with my own set up but my set up doesn't speak for everyone so I can't rate this category fairly, but my set rocks for me.

this guitar is durable...hasn't let me down at all...like I said before if you take care of your axes, there shouldn't be any problems!!

Haven't needed them.

There aren't too many out there so if you see one, I recommend a test run...This guitar may not be for everyone, but its definitley more than a one trick pony...Its well built, and suits my musical needs to a tee...it might suit yours too, so give it a shot.

made in 99, white, put in Fat 50's w/ green guard. Other than that, all stock. All the damn features I need.

What can I say, sounds like a Strat. Running through a screaming silicon Fuzzface w/ a Vox wah into an old Deluxe Reverb. Sound is in the head, hands & ears. I can get whatever I want & then some.

Had to raise action, set up bridge for whammy, and reintonate a little bit. But thats w/ any guitar. Finish seems a little too thick.

This quitar is tough as nails. I've dropped it and it stays in tune. I can whammy hard and IF it goes out, I can yank my bar back to bring it right back in. This guitar smokes any American Strat I have ever owned, including a piece of crap Custom Shop American Classic. It's always good to have a back-up, but if I had to I wouldn't think twice about gigging w/ this guitar alone. Oh yeah, serious fret wear up to about the 6th fret after only 6 months. But I do play alot. Frets aren't that great anyway but for the price I'm thrilled w/ this axe.

Had to deal w/ Fender on the issue of bad pick-ups. I even bought some Fat 54's new & ohmed them out in the parking lot and one was dead. Alot of their pick-ups seem to go bad. Called Fender and gave them Hell! But I will say Bob Willocks saved me from forever being mad at the "new" Fender. Very supportive.

If this guitar was stolen I'd probably start crying. This is the only new Strat I would own. They are hard to find anyway. I have always wanted one and finally got one last year right before they quit making it. And they replaced it w/ a 3 bolt 70's reissue? What the hell are those guys at Fender thinking. Talk about idiots! They are completely missing the point. I will probably never buy a new Fender anything again. I'm saving for a vintage strat. And yes I'm going to play the shit out of it and gig w/ it. What do you think Leo made 'em for, to look at? Collectors suck. They serve no point but to drive the prices up on great guitars and most of the time they don't even play. They just think they are a player. You know if your a player. If Fender still made great guitars at good prices maybe I wounld't feel so strongly about this.

Mine is a 1997 Japanese reissue of the classic '68 Strat. Solid, Swamp Ash body, natural finish, large headstock, U shaped maple on maple neck, 3 single coil (crappy stock)pickups, you know..your typical strat. Unfortunately came without a gig bag, but what can you expect for so much guitar at so low a price. The tuners look great (I'm really into the vintage look & sound) and are mechanically sound. The bridge looks 30 years old, so for my preferences that is good, and the sustain is great as is the intonation. All in all, this guitar was just what I was looking for.

This guitar is probably as versatile as they come. I usually play it through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, & it sounds fantastic. On occasion I'll run it through my Korg Pandora effects box to satisfy the distortion addict in me. The original pickups were, well, feces! They were weak, noisy, and not what should have been put on what is otherwise an awesome guitar. This sound problem was quickly solved within 24 hours of my purchase by replacing the pickups with gold lace sensors. For those of you unfamiliar with these pickups...GO AND GET SOME!!! You will not get a better, more versatile, clean & clear sound anywhere!!! They are perfect on this guitar for any style of music. There is nothing I now dislike about this guitar, besides the fact that it is probably better than me. The sound on this Strat went from a 6 to a 10 with the addition of the sensors.

I couldn't find any problems worth mentioning pertaining to the setup, the action was, & still is great. The factory pickups...well...to be quite honest...just didn't jiggle my toggle. The pickup selector on my guitar was very quiet, and is just fine the way it is. With my minor sensor modification, the rating went from a 7 to a 10.

This guitar is a workhorse from A-Z. It is as reliable as they come, stays in tune exceptionally well (but that may be because I've NEVER used the whammy bar..I think they're unnecessary)& sounds fantastic. The only problem I've had was the damned strap button on the neck side. Just recently I noticed it was loose, & after further investigation I saw that the thread wasn't biting or holding its place. This was fixed quite easily by using a slightly thicker screw, & I've had no problems since. One thing I did do was add a little piece of felt between the body & the strap button to prevent scratching my baby.

Fender were very helpful with information about thhis guitar prior to my purchase...yet I don't understand why they don't have an 800 number. After the strap screw came loose...I dealt with Sam Ash & not Fender.

I've been playing for just about two years now. I also own a Washburn Gregg Allman signature EA-27 acoustic-electric which is not getting as much attention as it used to since the purchase of my "68 reissue Strat. It took me a long time to find this guitar at the right price & with the grain that caught my eye, so if it were stolen or lost...I'd be pissed as hell....& go look for another. I love the sound now with the gold lace sensors..much MUCH better than the stocks. This is in my opinion the best looking Strat on the market. The American Standard comes in the natural finish, but looks LAME compared to this one because of the headstock. My last Strat was an American Standard sunburst finish, was more expensive, & definitely did not sound or feel any better tham this one. What is for certain is that it didn't look as good, or warrant the price tag difference. Besides the minor problem with the strap pin...this guitar is a winner!!!

natural finish, 3 single coils, white pickguard, oversize headstock. cheap tuners but they seem to work just fine. you know, a standard strat . Made in Japan

stock pickups are noisy and way too trebly. I play this guitar through a peavey bandit with a danelectro daddy o pedal. I can usually get the sound i want by messing around with it, but i plan to change the pickups as soon as possible. pickup selector is also noisy

this guitar came beautifully setup. The natural finish is flawless. bridge is fine. a fantastic looking insturment.

i have been using this guitar for about three months and it has seemed to hold up fine. The cheap tuners keep it in tune through all kinds of weather and the finish has held up fine. no complaints at all. I think its a good idea to always have a backup.

never dealt with them

this is my third electric guitar. I have been playing for about three years and this is my favorite ive owned. If it were lost or stolen i would definately replace it. i would reccommend a pickup change however.

this one here is prolly one of the first run.... they were first put out in '88. and the neck date was wrote in pencil June '88. Made in Japan of course.... some literature say the body was ash and other say basswood. I'm not quite sure myself. Standard strat accoutrements... S-S-S, vintage style tremelo, 5-way switch, volume and 2 tone knobs. This one is a lefty and the finish is vintage white.... maple neck with 21 vintage size frets and kluson style tuners. All in all.... basic standard stuff for a Strat. Dig that oversized headstock :)

Beautiful sounds this thing can make..... i have it strung for right handed playing. Basically I was looking for a budget version of the Hendrix Tribute Strat..... I just can't see paying a thousand bucks. Stock pickups are rather noisy though.... although they sound much better than the stock crap in Mexican and Korean made Fenders. Mind you.... the mexican ones are a great deal if you can find one cheap..... but if you're after a good sound, gotta get rid of 'em right away! Anyways.... I digress. To my ears, it has a bit more fuller sound than on a stock right handed Strat. And with the bridge PU angled the opposite way, it does indeed change the sound.... creamier highs and twangier lows. I play a lot of Hendrix and Trower and various other classic rock/blues stuff. I run this thru a Vox wah, germanium Fuzz Face, silicon Fuzz Face, Dunlop Uni-Vibe, Ibanez Soundtank TubeScreamer, and out into a Peavey Classic 20. Sometimes sounding a bit shrill, but i accredit that to the amp.... as it has a rep of being trebly..... prolly running that into an extension cab would tame the treble a bit. Only thing I can say that I dislike.... with the controls being on top, they sometimes dig into my forearm. But that I can always adapt to by finding a different place to rest my arm. And about the controls.... I'm still not quite used to 'em being for a lefty... having to turn them the opposite direction.

When I first opened the case, the guitar looked as if it hadn't been played for years. Strings were rusty and 2 were missing; lotsa dust and grime and such also. When I had the nut reversed in order to string it right handed and I finally plugged in, I noticed the tone control for the neck pickup wasn't working properly. Luckily having a spare set of strings, i popped off the pickguard to have a peek. Turned out to be a loose solder joint on the tone pot. Being fairly useful with a soldering iron, I had no trouble fixing that. After all, this is an 11 year old guitar. And also, the neck had a bit of an overbow..... again prolly another thing from not being played in so long. One more thing that kinda bugs me.... the neck joint isn't very tight. On the treble side (now the bass side since it's strung righty) it's tight; but on the treble/bass side, I can slide in about 2 or 3 business cards. Other than that, it was in very very good condition. Only one ding above the pickguard and the frets had virtually no wear on them from what I could spot.

Not sure yet as to whether it would stand playing out.... since I don't yet have a band :/ But as it is, I believe it'll stand hours of me playing on it. I of course wouldn't gig without a backup.... I mean having a spare is always good in case you pop a string while playing or whatever may happen. About the finish... again there was only one lil ding on it from what I seen.... and it being 11 years old, I think it'll stand up for many more years to come.

Seeing as how it's 11 years old, whatever warranty it ever had expired long ago. I've yet to deal with Fender for anything.... so i'll get back to you on this.

I've been playing for 6 years.... and unless I suddenly win the lottery and can buy the real deal Hendrix Tribute, this is the pinnacle for me. Now... that ain't to say this is the ONLY Strat I would ever own. Variety is the spice of life, donchaknow. But for what I like to play and am inspired by, and the tone I'm trying to get, this gets me a LOT closer. If this were ever lost or stolen, I'd be crying in my beer for months.... cuz the '68 reissue is no more.... having been replaced by the mexican made '70s reissue. One thing I particularly love about it is the left-handed tremelo. For me, whenever I used a standard one, my hand would almost always somehow mute the strings whenever I would dive or wiggle it. With the bar being on top, I no longer have that problem. All in all, 360 bucks well spent. Heck, it even came with a hardshell case :)

MADE IN JAPAN, SUNBURST, U-SHAPED MAPLE NECK, SMALL WIRE FRETS. IM NOT SURE ABOUT TYPE OF PICKUPS. LARGE HEADSTOCK LOOKS NICE. THE PLASTIC PEG WINDERS NEED TO BE REPLACED. SYNCHRONIZED TREMOLO. THE GUITAR LOOKS GOOD AND PLAYS WELL THE NECK IS FAST. I PLAY LEFT HANDED AND I GOT THE STRAT PACK SET UP WITH THE GUITAR FOR JUST THE PRICE OF THE GUITAR, SOMETIMES IT IS NICE TO BE A SOUTH PAW.

THE FACTORY PICKUPS SUCKED, AND THE SWITCH MADE A LOT OF NOISE. I REPLACED ALL THE ELECTRONICS WITH DIMARZIO VIRTUAL VINTAGE,BLUES AND HEAVY BLUE AT BRIDGE. NOW ITS QUIET AND HAS A GREAT BLUES TONE. I USE A FENDER DELTA BLUES AMP (30 WATT WITH THE 15" SPEAKER, TUBE COMBO) THE SOUND IS TRUE BLUES. THE PICKUP CHANGE I THINK IS MANDATORY WITH THIS GUITAR NO MATTER WHAT YOU PLAY. OTHER THAN THAT IT IS A WELL BUILT STRAT, ITS SOLID, FAST ACTION, STAYS IN TUNE, THE TREMOLO WORKS GREAT, AND ITS GOT THAT HISTORIC LOOK.

THE FACTORY SET UP WORKED WELL, THE PICK UP SELECTOR WAS VERY NOISY AND THE INPUT WAS LOOSE. AFTER REPLACING THE GUTS I SET IT UP AND ITS A JOY. THE QUILITY ON THE CRAFTMANSHIP SHINES, I JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE SORRY ELECTRONICS.

IT WILL TAKE LIVE PLAYING, NEVER GIG WITHOUT BACKUP ITS JUST A BAD IDEA. IVE HAD IT OVER A YEAR NOW AND THE FINISH STILL LOOKS FRESH. THE PEGS WILL BE REPLACED AND THATS IT. THE VALUE OF THE GUITAR GOES UP WITH ANY UPGRADES SO ITS WORTH THE MONEY, JUST EXPECT A FEW UPGRADES BEFORE GIGING WITH IT.

NEVER DELT WITH THEM.

IVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 4 YEARS AND THIS WAS MY FIRST ELECTRIC. A FRIEND OF MINE WITH 15+ YEARS HELPED ME PICK IT OUT. I EXPECTED TO REPLACE THE ITEMS I LISTED AND WAS NOT BOTHERED BY THIS, BECAUSE THE PRICE OF THE SAME GUITAR I HAVE NOW WAS A LOT MORE THAN THE UPGRADES COST ME. PLUS I GOT A FREE STRAT PACK, AND THE LITTLE PRACTICE AMP SAVES ME FROM MOVING MY FENDER BACK AND FORTH FROM PRACTICE. I WOULD BY IT ALL OVER IF I HAD TO.

It's a early 90's 3 tone sunburst, large headstock Strat built in Japan. Maple neck, two tone one volume, well you know the rest. Bought is used without any accessories.

I tried every kind of strat I could get my hands on. The Japanees models had the right sound for me. I really like the tone of the pickups even though they are a little weak and noisy. I can't decide if I want to change them to duncans or not. My friend has a Photo Flame Japanees Strat, and the pickups are much different. Not bad, but they don't quite have the funky mid's that the reissue has. The pickups are very bright especially at loud volumes. You need to roll off the tone control at times. This is a great blues guitar. Played through my Fender Princeton amp it's amazing. I generally use pickup position s 2 and 4 for blues, and it's just beautiful. It also works well for 80's Pop through my johnson on a Marshall setting. If you use this guitar for high volume and distortion, you will want to invest in a noise gate!! Obviously not designed for Hard Rock / Metal, but with the right amp and enough drive, it will do in a pinch.

I bought mine used, so there are a couple of chips. I don't know what kind of treatment it had before, but It seems to have held up well. I don't know if it was set up by the factory, or if the previous owner tweaked it, but it plays great. Very good action for a Fender. The bridge has started to rust. (you would think that they could put a little more chrome on the damn thing). The pickup selector switch is noisy, and will soon be replaced, probably, pots, and maybe pickups too? Overall quality is very good for this price guitar. It feels much more delicate than my Gibsons, but this is a good thing as it affects my playing and tone.

As I said before the guitar feels a bit delicate, but I think that has more to do with it's light weight and thin neck than actual construction. I compared it to new American Strats, and couldn't see a huge difference. The neck joint is tight, and it stays in tune better than my LesPaul. The hardware is starting to rust, so that might be a future upgrade. The tuners are stiff and sticky, but they do hold tune. The finish is probably a poly--something that will outlast all of us, but won't crack like my G&L's finish. All my guitars have Schaller strap locks. You only have to see a guy drop a new that day $3000.00 Jackson and watch the headstock break off and hang there like a severed limb once to become a believer! Get some NOW! I don't gig much anymore, but the nature of my music demands more than one style guitar anyway.

Never dealt with Fender support.

I've been playing for 20 years. I currently own a 97 Les Paul Classic, 81 Gibson Custom shop Explorer, PS-4 Jackson, Yari DY-71, G&L F100-1, and the Strat. I play through a Johnson Millennium, and a Fender Princeton. If it grew feet, I would be torn between another 68, and a George Fullerton signature G&L. I wish that Fender could build a guitar with something close to the quality of a G&L, but that's dreaming. I play mostly Metal / Hard Rock, but have been playing more blues the older I get. I can pick up this guitar grab the Princeton and go sit out on the deck in the sunshine and blow an entire day. Nuff said.

MADE IN 1998.JAPANESE.21 FRETS.THREE SINGLE COILS.5WAY SWITCH.MAPLE NECK AND FRETBOARD.ASH BODY WITH OLYMPIC WHITE FINISH.

IF YOUR GOING TO BUY THIS GUITAR YOU HAVE TO SCRAP THE STOCK PICKUPS AND PUT IN SOMETHING GOOD. I TRIED CUSTOM SHOP 54 SINGLE COILS AND THEY SOUND SPARKLY WITH GOOD BITE AND DEFINITION.CLASSIC STRAT SOUND.

YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE A SHOP DO THE SETUP. BUT AFTER THAT,YOU WILL HAVE ONE OF THE BEST PLAYING/FEELING GUITARS AROUND.MY GUITAR BUDDIES ALL LOVE IT.NO FLAWS.NECK POCKET CUT PERFECT.SOMETHING YOU WANT TO CHECK ON LOWER END GUITARS.

SOLID,VERY HEAVY MASS.UNBELEIVABLY WELL BUILT.JAPANESE MANUFACTURING ALWAYS AMAZES ME.HOW DO THEY DO IT?

NEVER HAD TO.DONT WANT TO.

BEEN PLAYING FOR 15 YEARS AND STARTING TO BUILD MY COLLECTION.LARGE HEADSTOCK AND QUALITY SEWED IT UP FOR ME.YOU CANT GO WRONG,JUST PUT IN SOME DECENT PICKUPS AND YOU HAVE A WINNER.

My guitar was made 1998 in Japan. It's got the u-shape neck, x-tra large headstock, maple fingerboard, vintage tuners/tremolo, three ply pickguard and an ash body. Everything on the guitar is stock and that's the way I like it!

I like this guitar because it gives me variety. I play everything from blues to country and it ets me pretty close to the tone I need for each style. However, this guitar seems to sound better with clean tones. When used with distortion, it's not a very heavy or fat sound. It gives me all I need though so I like it. I play rhis guitar through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe.

I haven't changed anything on the guitar or had anything re-adjusted so I can't complain in this category.

This guitar seems pretty solid with the neck solidly intact. I would gig and jam with it without a backup for sure.

N/A

I LOVE THIS GUITAR! This is my first electric guitar and I think it was a great choice.

standard 60's vintage strat stuff...Big headstock, transition logo, very thin maple neck, thin wire frets. Bought when first issued in late '89.

I am blues hound so this guitar suits me well. Sound is a little thin at low volumes due to the weak pickups but fattens up nicely at higher volumes. Neck and middle pickups sound awesome. Bridge is way too bright. Played through a Music Man 50, this combo will set you well on the way to terminal tinnitus....

Just as good as the vintage stuff....Guitar setup was perfect for my playing style. Even took the guitar apart to see the wiring which was very clean. Body is just the right weight for comfortable playing.

This is where I had a problem. Although the electronics are neatly packaged, the switches are prone to noise which is annoying at high volumes. Also, the jack plus is always loose which is another problem.

Overall, I love this guitar for its fast neck, great blues tone and fantastic looks. The only change I am going to make is the addition of a mother of toilet seat pick guard for looks and a contact restor injection system to quiet the controls!....I also have two Fender Tellies which are both ok...One is the standard which the controls and switches suck doo!!! the second is a Photo Flame I bought used which has a great wwwwiiiiiiiddddeeee neck and looks cool from a distance. Modelled after the 59 it is a really cool axe!

1997 Natural Ash body, 3 SC pickups, 7.5" radius neck, maple neck with added maple fretboard thus no "skunk stripe", standard fender tremolo, two string trees on lower 4 strings, large headstock, 60's "transistion" logo, w/b/w 11 screw pickguard, skinny "vintage" frets, and I believe "C" shape neck, not too thin, not a baseball bat, nitrocellulose varnish on neck, body, and fretboard

Pickups were very weak, noisy, and squealed at medium and high volumes. Sound was sweet, but squealing made pickup unusable. Replaced with a set of Texas specials, now it sounds perfect. Low rating for original pickups, 10 for the Texas specials which I think are the best Fender SC pickups ever produced.

Setup on this guitar ordered from me from Sam Ash was dead nuts right out of the box. However since I hate whammy bars, I tightened the claws and added 2 extra springs to make a flush mounted "hard tail" bridge. Fretwork was perfect, the nut was perfect. Like strats I remember as a kis from the late 60's/early 70's, the E & B strings would get caught in the string tree. Replacing the trees with Amer Standard string trees solved this problem. The finish was dead perfect. Action was perfect, intonation was perfect.

This guitar NEVER leaves my house and is only used for studio work. Other than the 5 way pickup switch and the little "crafted in Japan" on the neck near the body, this guitar is pretty much exactly like the real thing back in the late 60's. It really should be called a '66 strat reissue though.

Always had great luck with Fender for my 30 years of playing.

I love this guitar. I bought it over all the American Standards. It is constructed as good if not better than a custom shop Fender. Only problem is the wimpy squealing pickups and the lower string tree which you can hear the little "ting" in a quiet room when ya bend notes. Exactly like my first Fender my father bought me in '67!!!! BUY THIS GUITAR!!!!!

This is a '97 model re-issue of a 1968 Fender Startocaster. It was made in Japan and has 21 smallish frets which yield a "spidery" feel to it. Needless to say it has two tones (The mid tone I re-fitted with a TBX and re-wired it to the bridge pickup) and one master volume control. It came stock with 3 alnico vintage stagger single coil pickups (which I hated and replaced with DiMarzio HS-3s - like all my other guitars). The body's a very very grainy ash (gorgeous to behold) and the neck's maple with a maple 7.25" radius fretboard (Which I scalloped quite deeply due to my playing style). I got it for $695 Canadian + 15% taxes (blood money from our corrupt greedy excuse for a government). It gets an 8 because it is well constructed and the changes that I made are simply par for any course.

This guitar suits my style of music ideally (neo-classical). It is being currently run through a Digitech GSP2101 into a Marshall. The guitar has no noise due to the pickup replacement and is capable of many sounds. It's great for everything from an obnoxious SRV sound to a silken Yngwie Malmsteen distortion. The pickups have incredible definition - every note of a 60 or 70 note run played at over 160 bpm is heard perfectly and the TBX on the bridge eliminates that glassy brittle single coil sound and gives it some definate balls. WHat I could live without on this guitar is the round radius as it is really hard to play sweep hammer combinations involving more than two strings due to the height difference. I also am not particularly fond of how short the frets are... they are narrow which I like but there isn't enough height. I like to play with at least 4mm between the strings and the 12th fret and this makes it more difficult to play rapidly. The scalloping really helps (It is NOT stock) I give it a 10 for sound because it sounds exactly as I want it to.

The construction of the body was amazing - far better than any of the US strats I've played (damned unions!) but the setup left something to be desired. They had the action down far too low the truss too tight (causing buzz) and the trem screwed in so tight that it didn't float. As I said it was built perfectly but a blind epileptic cripple must have set it up. It gets a 7 because action in itself is minor. IMHO if it is reversible then it can't be too serious and the construction was immaculate.

This guitar's fine live and I depend on it. Only a mad man would go on stage without a backup but if someone made me do it at gun point I'd be confident that this guitar'd be fine.

The warranty was one year and the Fender people suck. I broke the vibrato bar off which they replaced free of charge but it took a bit. These guys really could not give a shit about Joe Average unless he has a $1500 + guitar (which I'd only consider spending on a neck thru BC Rich) They get 4 because they at least DID fulfill the warranty and they DO know what they're talking about.

I've been playing about a decade. When I purchased this guitar I compared it to similarly priced Ibanez and Jackson guitars (which blew goats - goddam shredder guitars make it too easy). I chose this one because it had the best construction and the most versatility of the bunch. Also I'm a rabid traditionalist and '68 I feel was a damned good year for Fender and I'd feel really guilty to scallop an original. If it were stolen or lost I'd be mighty pissed off and would follow my ears to the plebian wringing quarter tones out of it because they don't know how to play a scalloped neck and then kill them. I'd probably get the same guitar or maybe a Blackmore or Malmsteen strat to replace it. If I had the money. Personally I wish that Fender would have offered different frets or fret radius but as they say... My favourite feature about this guitar is its price. It's a great deal and there's no guilt to be felt when you cut into it.

Mine is a '98 model, 3-tone sunburst. These are made in Japan. The other reviews explained its features well. Quickly, it has a basswood body (tho I've heard some say ash?), awesome U-shaped glossy maple neck, large-style headstock, etc.

Great sound. What can i say? Sounds like a strat? :) As most will tell you, the pickups are a tad weak. Especially the bridge one, in my opinion. Very bright and biting.. too much for my tastes. I put in a Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Heavy Blues pickup in the bridge (stacked humbucker with single coil sound) and I like it a lot. I really like the other pickups, tho. The middle p/u is reverse wound so positions 2/4 are hum cancelling (tho position 2 isn't anymore since I put in the Dimarzio as it's a stacked humbucker). The selector switch is a tad crackly. I use this guitar with a hotrodded (by Tim Swartz) '77 Marshall Mark II head into a JCM800 "1936"-style 2x12 cab (75 watt Celestions). Great rig. Very versatile.. and the strat has its own versatility.. so I'm good :) I like a strat's position one for distortion with my Marshall's preamp up or with my old Big Muff pedal. 2-4 are awesome when playing clean and are thick with distortion. I tend to like the bridge pickup more on a Gibson LP or Epiphone Sheraton for clean sounds tho, when compared to the strat's biting sound. I don't own either but have played both a lot. Love that Sheraton II.

Sent to me extremely well set-up. Intonation and the action were all adjusted wonderfully. Same with the pickups' height. Awesome 3-tone sunburst finish.. the wood grain is very nice.. it sorta forms a "v" shape under the bridge.. very nice. The neck is gorgeously glossy in a rich color. The headstock appears to have a minute black spec laquered under it.. unbelievably tiny, tho. My only complaint about this guitar was the gallons of glue slop around the sides of the frets and the nut. It came off very easily but left many of the frets very dull. I shined them up with 0000 steel wool which brought them almost completely back to life. My rating for the category is for the finish and the setup.

It's assembled/built very well.. much better than my Mexican strat was.. tho that was a nice guitar, too. Wonderful player, the U-neck is a dream to play. I'd gig with it without a backup any day.

Fender has almost always been nice to me on the telephone. Tho the fine folks at Gibson's customer suuport have always been even better.

If anything happened to this I'd absolutely buy one again! For only $414 from Indoor Storm (best price I've found) this can't be beat. Sounds much fuller than the Mexi strat I had. The neck is awesome and comfortable to play. It's thin, but not too thin. I'll eventually replace all the other pickups with Virutal Vintages, I think. But even in stock condition, a super guitar.

Good value, I din't wanna dish out G's for a 74 strat (if I could find one). 21 frets, glossy maple neck, alnico pickups, large headstock, vintage tremolo and tuners, vintage white...frets are tiny, and chances are I might change the neck (much too radiused for my liking, but that's just me. Any suggestions?)

I like it alot, the only thing I would say is the tiny frets and radiused fretboard, but then agian, that's just me. For 700 CDN, it's well worth it. Sounds ok through solid state, even better through tube (I play Uli Roth, Blackmore et al)

Nothing to complain about here, love the color!

Yes yes and yes.

I've been playing at an excellent rate for about 3 years. I have a garbage solid state practice amp, might get a PEAVEY classic 30 (no supertremolo's yet :) the only thing I would adjust is the neck, but that's another 200, still better than getting a used one for thousands of dollars. saved me time as well, It's my baby:)

It was made in 1984 in Japan, it is made of ash which is nice and light and the neck and fretboard are beautiful polished maple.Large headstock.

I play Mudhoney etc and it suits me perfectly. Like my Jaguar it also sounds great clean and with metal music. Say what you like humbuckers are good for some music but im strictly into the Fender sound.

Action is great. Cos i got it second hand and it was from 84' the fret board is pretty beaten(not too bad though) The only thing wrong with the finish was that some loser had bought this guitar(its left handed) and tried to pull a Hendrix, hence puting one of the strap holders at the other end leaving a hole for me! Anyway its un-noticable now and no real harm was done cos the finish holds up well.

Fuck I beat this guitar and it loves it. It stays in tune and always feels great.

Over all I love this guitar only slightly less than my Jaguar. This is because the strat isnt short scale and I have small hands. It is strong, looks great and sounds better. I would buy another one in an instant. Still waiting on the Twin Reverb but for now the Marshall will do.

Made in 1997 or 96 not sure in Japan. 21 fres. Solid body, 2 tone, and Volume controls. 5-way selector. Pickups standard lower priced strat ones 3 single coil Body and neck both ash i think. Finish see-through. Body style? Duh strat. Floyd Rose tremlo(sp). Tuners locking brand- ? Neck scale? medium frets. Came with gig bag and cable.

It suits my style fine. I'm just an intermediate guitarist don't play any shows or gigs. I do like hendrix/SRV type music and it works fine. All i have for an amp is a little peavey rage i do use a danelctreco daddy-o pedal it sounds good. If using just the neck or bridge pickup i get a little buzz. I don't the pickups that much i plan on replacing them w/ lace sensors or texas specials.

The action and ecverything on this gitar is fine.The pickups aren't great sounding but they were set up right. Bridge is fine. The nut has some problems though. Whenever i bend the g string i hear it creak and squeak i'm probaly going to replace it with a bone nut.

I haven;t played it live so i don't know how good it works then. Every thing except the afore metioned seems durable. Finish is lasting good. So are the strap buttons. It is dependable but the tone and volume knobs kept falling of so i put some paper around the inside of the knobs. and now they work fine. Itt is pretty durable because it has fallen of off something it was leaning against a good many times.

Haven't dealt with the company. It is under a warranty but i forgot to send tyhe card in but if you do i think it is a 1 maybe 3 year warrantyy

I have been playing for 2 years i first owned an acoustic and i really like this guitar. With new pickups it would be great i really like the neck it is super fast. If it were stolen i would probaly get a more expensive one maybe a Strat plus or a buddy guy or ec strat. I love the neck and hate the pickups. It was a whole lot better then the similar priced tew-mex ones and my cousin recommend this one to me. For the money this is a great guitar. Remember to look at a bunch like this because some were great but others were less desireable.