Fender '57 Reissue Stratocaster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The customer support is lackluster.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I simply love it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No dealings with fender support.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-alder body - nitro finish
-7.25 maple neck -nitro finish
-3 single coils
-volume, tone, tone controls
-real bone nut
-vintage style trem and tuners
-etc...
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Its a pretty simple guitar, no unbelievable features here. Although, I give the guitar an 8 in this category because it is an accurate recreation of an original '57.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing for 30+ years.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pretty bright sounding, full and woody too.

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

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

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

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

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

N/A

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

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

My fav strat probably.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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