Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster

All the features have been covered by 100 reviewers so I won't go into all that. Mine has gold hardware on a sunburst body, maple neck and rosewood fretboard. It came with a hard case, a cord, the owner's manual, certificate of authenticity and two hex wrenches. Beautiful guitar with all the features anyone would need,

I play blues, classic rock (60's and 70's), country and hard rock. This guitar can handle that with no problem. I run this through a Laney VC15, Orange Crush 30 (great amp), Laney LG35R and a Peavey Blazer that I had modified to a tube amp. This guitar sounds great on all my amps. I do use a crybaby wah, fuzz face, big muff and a Yngwie Malmsteen Overdrive. If I am too lazy to hook all that stuff up, I just pull out my zoom G1.u. It's no more noisy than any other single coil guitar. I put texas specials in mine for a little more punch, so it has a hum, but the hum stops when you touch the strings. Nice twang on the bridge pup, middle position good for classic rock, neck very bluesy. The in between nock out the hum, but you loose some volume there too, so I don't use them often. Great guitar, very versatile and wsorth every penny that I paid for it.

Flawless. Ready to play right out of the box. It even arrived in tune.

I think it will last forever. No one gigs without a back up.

Never dealt with them

Been playing for 40 years but all acoustic until about 10 years ago when I went electric. I have too much gear to list here. Great guitar - it's worth the money.

The listed features are ones I'm going to be focussing on. For full spec, please refer to to the website.

Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster, Maple Neck, 3-colour Rosewood, 22 Medium-Jumbo Frets.
Made in Corona California, USA
Samarium Cobalt Pickups in S-S-S Configuration with 5-way toggle.
S-1 Switching system providing alternative electronics arrangements when pressed.
Fender locking tuning-machine instead of the usual machine-head and Fender two point sychronised tremolo system (instead of the usual screw in.

String gauge came in in 0.09, but replaced it with 0.10 within minutes of it arriving at home to get more meat. This does not reflect on the guitar, but a personal preference.

Comes with strap, strap-lock, cable, Meguiar cleaning kit, a set of 3 allen keys for saddle and truss rod, manuals etc etc all in moulded hard case. In short this is the upper-class fender that receives a lot of attention, care, and case-candy from the manufacturer. The case-candy should last you a good while and get you started.

I do have one reservation. There are no spare springs. 3 came positioned in the chamber, but arguably 5 should be given away in case you have extremely heavy string-draw and need to counter-balance that draw by pulling the neck using the springs.

I have to give it a 9

I play blues, blues rock, and Classic Rock (Clapton, Dire Straits, Led Zep, Deep Purple, Hendrix to name but a few) the sound of this guitar can simulate these sounds to a limited extend. the S-1 Switch offers you this versatility and the Samarium Cobalt Noiseless does compensate the hum of a standard single coil

Played clean it does not have that much 'glassbreak' sound that is the trademark of Fenders' single coil, but it does not mean that it's inferior, just different. The sound is a lot tighter and fuller than the the Alnico pickups that are installed in the American Standard

Played Dirty, each pickup is not "Clapton-quiet" that is the trademark of "Blackie", so if what you're looking for is that "woman sound" a la Eric Clapton or Buddy guy, these aren't the pickups for it. Having said that, the crunch is lively, contrary to what some of the people have said here. Its growls are warm, full, and fat, without the incredibly annoying hum or the thin distortions that are so common in the cheaper fender pickups (not the alnico of American Standards, but rather the older Highway 1 and cheaper models.)

In terms of versatility, these pickups cater for a great range of sounds, but they do not get to the extreme sonic range. It cannot perfectly emulate any particular guitarist's sound. Like I said, if you want that woman sound a la Clapton, get the Lace Sensor.

Simply the best-feeling Stratocaster I've laid my hands on, and I've owned and tried plenty of them.

In the past I have owned a Highway-1 Strat, two American Standard, and tried plenty others. This guitar is simply superior in terms of set-up and feel, because:

1) There is no fret buzz even after I considerably lowered the action.

2) The neck relief is just perfect to my liking, that is when you depress the 1st and the last fret, the gap in the 8th fret is just wide enough for you to slide a business card. This is the appropriate amount of relief for me, and that's what it was like when it came. It was just about the right concavity when you look down the neck from the head, and up from the bridge.

3) surprisingly, the strings are not choked when I bend, especially in the upper frets. contrasted with my last American strat that had to undergo major set-up process just to get it singing without choking. obviously Fender has paid good attention to balancing the sound and the feel.

And believe me, fret-buzz and choking strings will get any guitar marked down a lot by me. I gave my American strat a 6 just for these reasons. These are not something you can quickly fix and get rid off. Neck relief has to be adjusted and it takes time for it to respond after some cranking down the truss rod. action has to be raised and lowered and you have to test it one by one, and again to balance between sound and feel, not to mention if you get fret buzz or string chokes you have to do it all over again. This did not happen in the new Fender.

Pickup height was slightly high, but this is personal preference. I'm not going to hold it against Fender for raising the height. At the end of the day, all it takes is a few twist with a phillips screwdriver while you're plugged to the amp. peanuts really.

One thing I don't quite like is that the neck is a bit chunky. I don't know if this is common in the later models because I a pre-model, and it was slim. But again, I am an exception rather than the majority because I have short fingers, and every extra centimetre adden to the neck counts.

To write a fair review, this is a high-end Fender product and for what you pay, you expect this kind of set-up from them. Anything less than this you should find unacceptable.

A guitar is my extended body part, and a rule of thumb is the more frequent I play it the more often I should clean it. Hardware will oxidise and rust if you sweat on it (which on any given circumstances you will, even if you don't realise it) and don't clean it. Wax and sweat deposit will buildup in the fretboard if you don't wipe it, and the finish will suffer unless you treat it properly. In other words, If you take care of it the instrument is built to last.

Strap buttons are solid no problem

I will never go without a backup to any gig.

Emailed Fender a couple of times to certify Serial numbers etc etc, they get back quite okay. I asked them for advice regarding set ups and they are surprisingly quick. Maybe that's because in the header of the email I always quote my products' serial number. But I haven't claimed warranty or that sort, so i cannot leave a fair review in this category.

I won't know how reliable they are till "stuff" happens.

Been playing for 5 years now, mostly blues, blues rock and rock.

this guitar is about right in terms of value for money. it receives the kind of care and attention worthy of Fender's high-end products, which you take for granted given its price. It does cater to a whole range of sounds. I am happy with it, but this happiness is expected, given I have been wanting this guitar for 5 years now.

I wish I had properly appreciated the extra chunkiness of the neck, coupled with my preference for gauge 0.10 strings, which means to get that fretboard maneuverability I want it will take some time. Throughout this review I compared this guitar to the American Standard and the highway 1 strat, both of which I have owned.

If this guitar was lost I would hunt it down, but at ??750, I probably won't be able to afford to replace it. Still doesn't mean I won't save up to get another one.

Finally, my advice to anyone thinking of buying this guitar is do your research before you commit. Given the price tag, it is worthwhile to reflect upon your playing style and try a couple of demos in guitar shop before parting with that much money. This guitar is great for me but that's because of my style.

SSS with S1 switch, samarium noiseless picups. See other reviews for details.

This is the reason for why i`m writing this review. Although the guitar feels like a dream, the sound is disapointing.

My nephew just got his american standard strat, and the sound from his guitar sounded MUCH better / closer to the guitar sound from bands like dire straits, pink floyd etc. The deluxe is fairly "characterless". To the defense of the deluxe I played them both through a vox pathfinder 15r, and this amp might not fit the deluxe very well, but still.., the standard did very well with this amp.

The sound of the deluxe is much closer to that of an acoustic compared to the standard. The deluxe imitates an acoustic very well if wanted. Using the S1 you get a much fatter muddier sound which i think is a usefull option.

My biggest issue is the tone-buttons. I almost always keep them both in the 8-10 range, and from forums i know most people do. Whats the point of making a 1-10 range if the only usefull range is 8-10? Poor by Fender, how about moving the range to 5-15 so that more range is usefull?

The samarium pickups are truly completely noiseless.

It`s like a dream. The satin neck is perfect, i don`t understand people who wants glossy sticky necks when you can get this. The setup was great with 009-046 strings. Only drawback is that the low E is a bit loose imo and i don`t like is the medium jumbo frets, i think they`re a bit too big.

The finish is flawed, with some poor finishing job on the body, else it`s good. Had it not been for the finish i`d give it a 10.

Everyting seems solid. Have only had it for 6 months or so, but it seems solid enough. The frets are getting a bit weared down.

In short terms:

Pros (+)
-It`s a dream to play it.
-Looks good and solid.
-Stays in tune, love the schaller tuning pegs.

Cons (-)
-Sounds a bit boring, but this might be a amp-guitar mismatch.
-My finish wasn`t what you would expect from an expensive guitar like this.
-Tone buttons are a joke.
-Mine is really heavy.

2007 model, bought brand new. Olympic Pearl White, Alder body, with a tortoise shell pick guard. Aged plastic parts, Schaller strap-locks, deluxe tremolo, Schaller locking tuners, abalone dot inlays, maple neck with silver 'Fender' logo on the headstock.

This is the S/S/S version with the Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pick-ups, and of course being a Deluxe model it has the S1 Switching system. There's also the nice addition at the joint of the neck, where as opposed to the standard models, the area where the back plate is rounded off, allowing for better high-register access.

Came included with Fender moulded case, a leather strap and 10ft lead. A huge array of features and extras, which is well worth the extra hundred you'd pay for a standard US Strat.

I'm a player who never really sticks to one style, sometimes blues, sometimes prog, sometimes jazz, rock, experimental, rockabilly, all sorts to be honest, but it's a guitar suited to all territories. One of the few occasions where it's a case of 'jack of all trades, master of all'. I've previously owned various incarnations of Strats, including an American Standard, a custom made one with P-90 pick-ups, Mexican, Japanese, Squier, and so forth. Without a shadow of a doubt this is the best sounding one I've played; I'm a big fan of single coil pick ups, but it's always been a double edged sword with them, having the wonderful clarity and bite, but at the same time having to endure with the hiss, especially when applied with overdrive. The SCN pick ups however are a godsend; they retain all the positive aspects of single-coils whilst eliminating the irritation of excess noise, which is very useful for recording applications. I used this guitar through a Marshall JVM410 Combo, and it sounds great through every channel, from clean (of course), to the heaviest overdrive (which whilst I rarely use, it still sounds fantastic).It could be said that the SCN pick ups lack that 'vintage' sound, but I honestly think it's just a case of not being used to hearing a Strat without the hiss. I've recorded myself playing, and the tone is undoubtedly Strat sounding, and beyond that thanks to the S-1 switch.

The S1 switching system also allows for huge variations in tone, as most include the usage of a 'Special capacitor'. For example, the usual bridge position includes the middle pick up with the SC, and when used with a meaty overdrive it delivers a tone similar to that of a Brian May solo. I have yet to find a bad sound from this guitar, it's the classic Strat configuration paired with modern innovation.

The guitar was perfectly set-up from out of the box. Pretty much all the guitars I've owned from new have had one or more faults with them, such as fret buzz, rattling saddles, and on a couple of occasions something with the electrics (which is a huge faux pas in my opinion, considering that most of these guitars underwent testing before leaving the factory). This however was just right, not a fault to be found, just as you'd expect from an American built guitar.

It plays perfectly from top to bottom, and the finish is absolutely gorgeous.

I plan on using this guitar live in the very near future, and I'm certain it'll withstand the test. I use various guitars when performing, including a PRS Mira for humbucker tone and my P-90 Strat tuned half a step down, but I think from now on I'll be using this as my main instrument, for both lead and rhythm work.

The hardware of course is to a very high standard, the locking tuners are very reassuring in regards to keeping tuning stable, considering that I utilise the tremolo. I've found that the locking tuners help immensely when restringing it; with Strats I've owned in the past I've found that they needs three or four tunings before it begins to stabilise.

Schaller strap locks come equipped as standard, which was a nicely added touch. Overall, it's a Strat, it's built to last and take as much you can throw at it, and still love you in return.

Haven't had to deal with them yet, but it comes with a years warranty. I've dealt with Fender in the past when I needed an amp repairing, and they were more than helpful. However, seeing as I haven't dealt with them on this occasion (and hopefully I won't have to), I'll leave this rating blank.

I've been playing for 7 years now, and as I said I've owned various Strats, amongst other guitars, including solid-bodies, and hollow-bodies. I currently also own a PRS Mira, a custom ash Strat with P-90's, and a Gretsch Country Classic. I play all of these through a Marshall JVM410C, with a few pedals including a ZVex Fuzz Factory, an EHX Small Stone Phaser and a Toadworks Lil' Leo American overdrive (for that little extra kick).

If this guitar was stolen, asides from being incredibly distraught over the loss and violation, I'd most definitely buy it again. I started out playing a Strat, and despite my foray into other brands and models, it still ultimately feels natural for me to play this. Of course this is personal opinion, but I can't recommend this guitar enough.

Sure it won't suit everyone; of course it's the wrong cup of tea for metal players, and perhaps even those who prefer humbuckers or Les Paul type guitars (but I would suggest they try one of these before they turn their nose up at the deceivingly classic Strat configuration). I even know people who can't stand bolt-on necks, but all guitars have an ergonomic curb, and I generally think people who can't get around this are severely limiting themselves.

Overall, I love this guitar, and can happily go as far as to say it's the best guitar I have ever played (and this is a very bold statement coming from myself). I've played guitars that include top-end PRS Custom's, Gibson, Prestige Ibanez, Gretsch, and whilst they are indeed fantastic guitars in their own right, I was always disappointed in what they had to offer considering their high price tags. With this guitar, it was the first time that I felt that I hadn't paid ENOUGH for it! Fantastic construction, amazing sound, a huge variety in tone, playability that demands fingerboard athletics, looks that would bring any guitar aficionado to their knees, and more than enough added accessories (it even came with a Fender polishing kit!).

In my opinion, this is one of the best guitars Fender makes today, simply magnificent.

2007 American Deluxe Strat. 22 fret rosewood fingerboard. It has the noiseless pickups (S/S/S) and S-1 switching system. 2 point tremolo and Schaller locking tuners. Came with strap, cord, strap locks, Meguliar's care kit and hardshell case.

I play mainly blues, jazz and classic/southern rock. The guitar will get most any sound to fit these styles relatively easy, with the exception of a fat jazz sound. Dialing that in takes a fair amount of fiddling with the tone and volume control and the room seems to play a factor in this also. The S-1 system provides many different tonal options. For example, if you set the pickup control between the neck and middle pickups, roll the tone back to about 4, engage the S-1 switch and add a fuzz pedal, you will get a good Clapton "woman" sound. If you roll the tone back a bit further, it sounds quite a bit like a P-90. Think the opening riff to COC's "Albatross".
This guitar doesn't really have a traditional Strat sound. It's a little darker sounding than most others I've played. It gets about 90% of the way there, but if you want the classic sparkling chiming clean Strat sound, spend an extra $200-$500 and buy a 50's reissue or an EJ signature.
Overall, a very good guitar. I like the fact that I can get thicker sounds than I can out of any other Strat that I own.

Set-up was excellent from the factory. No issues whatsoever.

This seems like a very well made guitar. I don't tend to be as rough on my gear as I used to be but the hardware seems like it will last a long time.
I would never gig without at least 2 guitars for backup. Lots of things can go wrong in the course of a 5-6 hour evening.

Never had to deal with Fender.

I've been playing for more than 20 years. I own an EC Strat, a mongrel Strat that I pieced together,a Fender Highway One Tele, an Epiphone Les Paul w/ EMGs, Washburn Idol, Dean FBD ML, Gibson SG, Gibson Firebird Studio, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Taylor Acoustic, and a Washburn Acoustic.
I'm very happy with this one. If it were stolen, I would buy another if I could find one that was built as well as this one is. I love the fact that I can manipulate the controls and get close to the sound of an SG or Firebird.
I didn't really compare it to anything when I bought it. I went into the store to buy some more picks and walked out with this.

My Strat is a 2005 American deluxe ash Strat with a soft V neck. Absolutely beautiful!

The body is Ash which adds to the finish's appeal as it has a nice grain patern that shows up very well through the finish. My strat is in a "Sienna Sunburst" finish, which is similar to the cherry sunburst you might see on other guitars. The gloss coat on the body is nice and thick and realy shines through.

The neck is the main reason I bought this guitar, it is a "Soft V" which feels just as thick as the standard Deluxe but in my opinion contours to your hand a little better. The matt finish makes playability so much easier adding extra smoothness to the movements you make. The headstock is a thick gloss finish with the deluxe silver logo.

There are 22 frets on a maple fretboard, inlayed with lovely abolone instead of the usual plastic. The nut is bone and all frets are of the jumbo variety, the fretboard is also well finished with nicely rolled edges.


The guitar comes setup with some nice hardware. The machine heads are of the locking variety; just slot in the string tighten the thumbscrew and tune. The bridge is a two point synchronized trem which has nice smooth saddles that are very comfy to rest you hand on. I have tightened the claw screws in the back of the trem so that it makes it a little more stable (I don't use the trem)

The pickups are SCN's. Everybody should know how a strat is setup, and isn't everybodies first guitar a strat or strat replica?

Now I said my Strat is fitted with SCN's, however I bought the guitar fitted with EMG's, which were rubbish so I promptly sold them and had the original SCN's fitted again.

But because the original electronics were not included and Fender do not sell aftermarket S-1 switches, I had the guitar wired up without the S-1 (personally I'm not a fan of the S-1 scooped sound anyway).

The sound I now get from this is amazing, Some people say they are lifeless like EMG's, They are not they are full of character and have a rich sound clean or distorted.

If noisless is good enough for Clapton it's good enough for the rest of us. Right!

The other complaint I hear is that the Bridge pickup is too hot and over the top with treble. Now the Ash does add a little warmth to the sound but the bridge has a distinct treble side to it, and they were made like this for a reason, technology updates and so do the sounds. So if you don't like it go buy a 50's reissue!

The pickups are well ballanced, and are slightly hot but not over the top, you can roll back the volume knob just slightly and it adds a little softness to the sound. The best comparrison for these pickups are the 69's on my Jap reissue, just hotter and louder.

Absolutely no complaints here. Everyone has their own prefered setups, so you can't expect every guitar straight out of the box to be just the way you wanted it to be.

This came with 9's so I promptly replaced them with 10's and adjusted the sadles for intonation and to raise the string height just a touch.

The only thing I noticed was that the frets had some varnish buit up on them, this came off as I played it though. Note: this is only a feature of maple fretboards as rosewood fretboards aren't varnished!

I was so excited about buying this guitar as it is one that you can tell will last a lifetime and age beautifully. I'm a big fan of the aged look guitars. With a thin finish on the neck and being a maple fretboard, it should start to show signs of ageing in a few years, the rosewood would look newer longer but who cares. The finish on the body is durable and will last a long time.

The hardware is all very solid, and looks great, It won't age quite like the original stamped hardware but seems to have a thick chrome that will last longer than the stamped ones.

Never dealt with them.

For a premium priced guitar it delivers what it has to offer well. It has some great features (minus the S-1)and sounds that are easily textured to your needs. If you have read reviews about SCN pickups and are concerened about having to replace them, I would strongly encourage you to try them before having futher doubts. They are great sounding pickups that will give you an amazing array of tones.

I now only own two guitars, one is my Strat and the other is an Australian Boutique guitar called a "Belman" which is similar to a PRS or double cut Les Paul. This guitar gives me my rock tones and my Strat is a great all rounder capable of huge tones and excellent playablity.

Rating 10... Buy It!!!

Features have been covered. It's made in USA (a plus, economically speaking). The finish is Tobacco Burst; the pick-ups are SCN (i.e., Bill Lawrence design) with the S-1 switch. Mine is an Ash body and a Rosewood fingerboard... a good looking combination of color. All the basic Strat features, except for the S-1 switch, the pop-in trem-bar and the Schaller locking tuners.

Sound is exceptionally clear. Some have complained that the pickups don't capture that classic Stratocaster sound... I have no complaints in this department. The S-1 switch is an interesting add-on, if you tweek your amp and play with pickup selections, this switch adds a lot of functionality to an otherwise standard 5-way, on/odd/on/odd/on pickup selection (refering to the muted sound of two pickups in series at positions 2 and 4). I'm playing through a Blues Jr. amp and find the guitar to be "sparkly," as described in other reviews. Cranked up and loud, it can be dirty like a blues guitar should be. Virtually no feedback through Bill's pickups (I've installed his pickups in Strat clones with similar results - they're simply amazing! Good on Fender for their choice in designer).

The guitar is beautiful. The Ash body has wonderful grain, and it isn't obscurred by this Tobacco burst... the amber hugh really lets the grain shine through. At a glance, the body appears to be one solid piece of wood. My only complaint is a small dent near the upper bout strap lock, as though someone applied some wrench pressure and contacted the wood. Otherwise, the overall finish is very nicely done. Aged pickguard and knobs are a nice touch as well. The neck on this guitar is very smooth. I compare it (favorably) to my Epiphone Sheraton, which has a glass-smooth action. The strings were a tad high and I'll have those dropped when I put another set on. Otherwise, the playability is extraordinary. I'd give it a 10 if it weren't for the dent near the upper strap lock.

These Fenders were designed to be production run guitars (bolt together, take apart, bolt back together). I don't forsee any problems in the design or construction. Strap locks are nice but a bit klunky, will probably replace those with standard buttons so I can move straps between guitars more easily. Everything looks solid; anticipate no problems.

No experience. However, I will put in a plug for Musician's Friend... I'd asked for over-night shipping and over-night turned into 8 days (long story... too many variables to discuss). To their credit, MF not only refunded me $137.00 in shipping for the late delivery, but also gave me a $100.00 store credit for my trouble (hence the Blues Jr amp!!!). My hat's off to the way they handled my discontentment at the time, and I remain a loyal customer.

Been playing off-n-on for 30 years (more off than on); have never spent this kind of moola on a guitar. Own an Epiphone Sheraton II, a Peavey Detonator JX, and a home-made number (resembles an SG/LesPaul, chambered mahogany body with maple top, Warmoth neck). This is truely a top-of-the-line guitar, in my opinion. My Epiphone is nice, but the pickups on this thing really make it stand out - the sound is increadible. Stolen? If they beat me to the door, I guess they own it - I'd file an insurance claim and replace it tomorrow! I looked long and hard at the Strat options before settling on this, and the deciding factors were "Made in USA" and the Bill Lawrence Pickups. Again, never had a truely nice, top-of-the-line guitar before. Read many reviews that said the Deluxe line was equal to the Custom Shop offerings, without the "custom" features, so I think I did well overall. I'd say it was well worth the price paid. I wish it came with a classic rectangle case, but the "Chinese-made" tupper-ware number was very sturdy. Outsourcing is part of the global economy... get used to it!

This one is the lastest model: 3x Sam.Cobalt noiseless single coils with S1 switching, deluxe trem; rosewood fretboard on maple neck, select(as opposed to unselected I suppose?) alder body. To my mind, this particular guitar has the pleasing combo of "olympic" pearl white and a faux tortoiseshell guard. The neck was made in 2006, whilst the assembly took place(in Mexico! The cheek!)this year(2007)
I remember having a Plus Deluxe in the 90s(as they were called in the UK): I note, then, that nowadays we have lost the Wilkinson roller nut: though I gather the Fender LSR is superior, this is only included in the HSS as far as Deluxes go. We've also got Fender Schaller locking tuners: I think the earlier ones had Sperzels. Gone too are the old Fender Lace blue, silver and red combo: we've gone through the recent incarnation of Noiseless before the present S-C Noiseless..and I gather a whole lot warmer they are too. There is an opinion that the old Laces were sterile-sounding: I'd agree with this, though I'd add that the old bodies did have an ash "cap", which may have added extra toppiness. I say this because when I put Virtual Vintages in the old one, it still sounded a bit devoid of warmth.
Also absent is the tremsetter, installed as standard in the older Plus Deluxes: the good news is that what with the Schallers, we should be stable enough...and be able to get a Jeff Beck warble for a whole lot less cash. This is of course now dependent on the nut: I'm glad to say the overall height of the nut is spot on here, but there's a tad of catching on the G on this present Deluxe which adds a little bit of an overtone. A bit of pencil lead and we should be good to go.
One other "feature": out of the box, the neck looks lovely...sort of played in and shiny. Oddly, though, this is some kind of temporary addition...I think it seems like silicon: the neck gets claggy(nice word!) upon first playing, and has an annoying squeak in the palm. This soon goes with playing and is not as unpleasant as the months of yuk a Gibson owner has to put up with on a new guitar!
One of the features that attracted me also was price: I picked this up for an excellent UK price of ??800: I thought long and hard, eventually deciding that this is as good as is gets without going Custom Shop. I was attracted overall by the actual absence of what I consider to be unnecessary bits: tremsetter/LSR(I never trust these to not add warble to open strings); the body/neck wood would, I thought, work well to restrain the pickups from too much soullessness. The finish of the board, body and frets was very good: I felt confident...AND I do like the recessed heel: nice touch, and practical too.

My requirements were simply that this guitar be good. Just that. That the money I paid for it would reflect a decent level of knowledge and commitment in the maker of it. I remember being very brassed off after paying out for a Gibson that was supposed to be the "standard" benchmark of excellence, then finding the nut was tripe and the frets unfinished.
Basically, I need this start to be silent, as I'm recording. I want the switching to work. If the pups then sound so, so stratty..well, that's a bonus given that we've got stacked buckers.
For these purposes I used as my reference-point a Fender Japan 68 RI strat in maple and ash; my amp is an Engl Vintage Sovereign 100W.
I'll add that I also set the Deluxe's pickups low: very low: maybe an eighth out of the body. I believe this really lets the pups breathe on this model: if any of you are getting tinny noises or stratitis, drop those pups and rejoice.
I was instantly pleased: I could actually hear the wood, rather than the pickups, if you know what I mean: resonant low-mids, warm textured yet full tops. A definite alder-body/rosewood necked strat. As I'd lowered the pickups, they were the same perceived output as the gorgeously-toned 68RI: I know I've got a bit of "hotness" in reserve, should I wish it, too. The loveliest thing was the release of that middle pickup: rather than this just being a means of mixing it up to reduce noise as of old, I now have a quacky, ballsy middle pup that has a voice of its own.
That"real" nut, along with these distinctly superior pickups, have fully unlocked what always should have been a high-end strat: well done Fender(and I rarely use those words in the same sentence).
Pots are fine: smooth and helpful, non-muddy: so much better than the Japan Strat here..and mercifully without that totally useless and misleading TBX of the older Plus Deluxe. Ah, to be able to record in 24-bit, go to clean just by rolling off the volume and letting the capacitor work: lovely: I feel I can actually RELY on this instrument.
So far so good: if the S1 gives me a couple of usable sounds, I'll be happy enough: Depress the push-push pot with some anxiety(a few 2005 models seem to have had defective switching..needing the pain of a return to a Fender dealer(no, they don't sell them to us!): very nice. In fact, if you take time to try several combos of vol rolloff and tone rolloff, there are some absolutely gorgeous sounds here. There is noticeably a full-mid bucker sound in there and a host of FX that would negate the need to scroll through several EQ presets, for example. The perfect icing would be to have a setting for combining just neck and bridge(why have they left this out?)..but a small gripe really.
By this time, the tone configurations had left my Japan strat behind..and these work all the way up and down the neck rather than mudding-out at the dusty end.
One other thing: there are many, many other tones in there to be had just from varying pick attack and placement: digging in at the bridge, then thumbing around the neck..voila: 2 diffent voicings.
With the alder body and rosewood board these are 1st-class pups: I could imagine an ash bodied maple-necked model, with pickups 2mm under the strings, rendering the player quite distraught.
I've heard that "vintage" tones are not to be had with S-C noiseless pups: well, I'd almost disagree; Jeff Beck is easily there, as is Robert Cray; Knopfler(heck ,with a wah as tone modulator, Carlos turns up too)...thing is, I was into Rory Gallagher and even Roy Buchanan territory too..and without adjusting amp settings at all. Explore the vol/tone side, young Skywalker..
I forgot to say: this guitar has good, full acoustic resonance too: something the older Plus Deluxe did not have(IMO and experience). I'm sure, for those retrofitters out there, any decent aftermarketters would do fine: Fralins, Wizard Tweed Tones, BKP Irish Tours, Bill Lawrence, etc;

Signs are that this guitar has been built with some degree of pride: frets are well-finished and set. Trem springs needed a turn slacker to get the bridge right; action, though too high for me, was arguably fine, as was intonation. Neck curvature was about right: it might need a quarter-turn straighter but the neck itself is straight(unwarped)..and gone is that alarming "S" profile that could happen at the dusty end on a rosewood-on-maple neck(the woods contracting at different rates).
The nut, as I said earlier, is at the correct overall height but has a bit of a "groink" on the G. Tuners seem stable, trem responsive.
Pots are fine, though one tone pot is a tad stiff; mercifully, the S1 switching works(day one!).
I believe the pots are 250s: I notice with alarm that Fender recommend 1Meg pots: I couldn't think of a more sure way to totally knacker your sound, to be honest. 250s are just right.

Yep, excellent for recording and live work if only for the ease of use around lighting circuits! The array of workable tones complements this, as do the pots. I do like the continued inclusion of straplocks..the included strap is of good quality too!(in fact, the "case candy" is pretty good, to be honest. The finish and colour is hardwearing(why anyone would pay loads more for something that's made up to look battered, sounds buzzy, then worries about wear and tear..is beyond me)
If the S1 continues to function(no reason to think it won't) then we have a regular high-end working guitar here.

I'm unsure what "limited lifetime"warranty actually is. I've heard 2 recent reports in the UK of the S1 switch(vol push-push)breaking: each tome it's been a pilaver, as the guitar had to be picked up and taken to a Fender dealer, then Head Office authorisation needed to get a pot out to the dealer. Other than that, I've found some online support can be a bit misleading: some diagrams will refer to models' previous incarnations rather than present ones...many a modder has ended up putting in wrong pots(for instance), so be wary and wise.

I took a chance here, buying unseen, as it were. For both recording and live purposes I need consistency: I have to "warm up" my Gibson LP Standard for 20 mins before it is stable enough to record a whole track with; I have to retune my Yamaha SG2000 a few times before its Bare Knuckle Mules shine; my Fender Japan 68RI is gorgeous as long as I use positions 2 and 4; my PRS Custom 24 is a very nice one-trick pony.
They all do very well through both a POD XT and Engl Sovereign: what I do like about the Deluxe is that I can get a whole panoply of different sounds without changing amp models or positioning myself away from lights and e.m. sources. In fact, just having the wah as tone shaper, I've got a whole lotta tone and whole lot less noise floor. I love the middle pickup: a whole new pickup with its own voice, IMO; the switching means I don't have to change guitars as often; I can step away from the usual confinements if humbucker or single coil, in favour of what tone works where.
I was initially miffed that I have no LSR or tremsetter till I remembered that I wouldn't want them anyway! It's alder-rosewood combo is the perfect offset to my main lead recorder/gigger(the Fender Japan): what with the price, I believe I've got something that holds its own with many a Custom Shop model along with being an excellently- valuable instrument in its own right. Miles, miles better than my former Lace-sensored Plus Deluxe without a doubt.

Ash body, maple neck, abalone dot inlays, locking tuners, vintage noisless pickups and a tremelo.

The vintage noiseless pickups suck. They are the wimpiest I've ever heard, sounds like Eric Johnson's limp wristed tone. I think the ash body makes it even worse. Might be a good tone for a smooth jazz player, if your into that. I ordered it and decided to keep it thinking someday I would replace the bridge if not all pickups, but I just sold it a month ago instead.

I have to give it a one because of the fret work. I bought this 6 years ago when I was eighteen and didn't fully realize that it's not normal to have glue all over almost every fret. Durp! The jap strat I bought years before this one was ten times better in the quality control department. It had a maple neck and the frets were at least nicely worked on the sides. Intonation was fine when I got it and I was able to get the action where I wanted it without to much adjustment. I just can't get past the glue, total b_______t for a $1200(at the time) guitar. The grain in the wood was excellent, lots of definition.

It seemed solid enough but the tremelo compromises tuning stability, of coarse. I blocked it off and the tuning heads seemed to always hold well. Fender's input jacks always suck but everything else was fairly durable. I probably put over 1000 hours on it before I sold it.

I would assume it sucks, being such a massive corporation.

The lack of tone and the excess fret glue crawling up each fret make this a real lemon. The 3rd and last fender I'll ever buy. Everyone knows it's mass produced junk. Chinese slave labor isn't known for it's sound construction and tight tolerances. This might have been assembled by illegal aliens in California but the hardware is manufactured in China. I dumped this s__t heap on someone who doesn't even play for $600. By the way, Fender amps suck too, but you probably already know that!

Features are excellent - really beautiful finishes, and a superbly crafted instrument. It is a shame that this can't be carried into the whole USA range, at least in terms of the unusual colours. This has the noiseless pickups, and the S-1 switching system. Has locking tuners, which I don't think are really necessary, and some nice little finishes here and there. I tried the SSS version.

Here is the problem. Although it sounded fine, I played it alongside a normal American Series Strat (which I eventually bought), and it didn't sound as good. Although it was noiseless, the pickups were just somehow a bit deader, or lacking that sharpness that stratocaster single coils can produce. It was close, but for the extra money you would probably expect something a bit superior. The S-1 switching did produce some really interesting tones, but I don't think it offers anything more exciting than a HSS strat would give (especially one with a coil tap). In this sense, it felt like the guitar was trying to do too much. I think guitars should sound good in a basic, clean sense, and then let the amp do the rest of the work. The quality of the basic pickup sound is essential. I think you probably need Alnico rather than Cobalt.

Action was excellent, set up very good. No flaws.

Overall a very dependable guitar I would imagine. I didn't actually buy it in the end though. I worried about the S-1 system breaking though.

N/A

Overall, a decent guitar with some flashy options on it, but probably not worth the extra money. Go for the basic strat, USA if you can afford one, or Mex/Squier if not.