Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster

american '05 deluxe strat 3 tone burst maple board/neck...22 frets, S1...you know it...

SCN's are great tone is wonderful

now for the first couple months i have no compliants ...but i started playing some bb king type vibrato stuff on the e high "e" and it slips right off the neck due to the heavily rolled fret/finger board edegs...this could be a problem...prior to this i found it to be a well crafted neck.

seems solid enough...it's an expensive guitar use the strap locks!

gonna be dealing with them soon...let's hope for the best

been playing it 3 months now, and had no complaints until i started noticing the high "e" slipping off the board too easily!..i have been in love with this guitar since i got it but this new problem worries me.

This is a pretty basic stratocaster. It has some very nice,practical touches though.These include sperzel locking tuners and comes schaller straplock ready.As far as cosmetic features, it's a beauty of a guitar.I'll get into the looks later.When I bought it off ebay,it came with texas special pickups already installed!What a deal.

This guitar is a tone machine,no doubt about it.Mine is one of the ashbody deluxes, which really gives it that rich tone.It is so resonant and the sustain is great.I'm a classic rock,blues,southern rock,new top 40,punk....I mess around with a little off everything and this guitar can handle it all pretty well.It's mainstay though is the classic rock/blues/tone genres.If you're wanting to play harder stuff, I wouldn't recommend it,that's just not what it's for.It's straight up vintage fender with a lil bite from the texas specials.

When I got this guitar off ebay, the action was ABSOLUTELY horrible.This doesn't reflect fender though,this reflects the intelligence of the past owner.I swear to God the strings were half an inch high.He was a really nice guy,but just didn't know how to play and didn't play it by the looks of this one.It was absolutely flawless with a beatiful blonde see thru finish with matching tortoise shell pickguard and trem cover.I've accidentally banged this a couple times(about $h!t myself)but it didn't even leave a mark.It is also the most comfortable guitar I've ever played/owned and I've played quite a few strats.The new modern neck design is the slickest/fastest of all the ones I've played.Overall the finish is beatiful and really tough,but the action when I got it will lower this score.Hopefully you won't have that problem.

The past decade or so has really brought along some negative reviews about the fender quality,and some rightfully so.This new era though is starting off right,might even please a few old geezers(dad).I haven't gigged with it yet,seeing as I'm just now putting a band together,but it stands up to all the travelling that I do and the jam sessions.From what I've seen from this guitar,it's definately capable of gigging without a problem(I think I'd always carry a backup with any guitar).Overall I'd say this section is a solid 9

Never dealt with Fender...Dunno

Overall, I'm very please with this guitar.It was my first experience with ebay and I'm not really a fan of not playing instruments before buying them but I'm glad I did.I got a heck of a deal(flawless guitar w/texas specials and hardshell case for 635 total dollars)If it was lost or stolen, I'd definately look for another one,but would play as many as possible to find that perfect one.This one is damn close and will do for many years,but the search goes on for the perfect strat....

Made in USA in 2005, 22 medium frets, 2 samarium cobalt noiseless single and 1 hum, the body is premium alder, the fretboard is maple with abalone inlays,LSR nut,S1 pickup switching system, color is candy tangerine, tuners are schaller locking, bridge is deluxe tremolo, included a beautiful leather fender strap with schaller strap-locks.. It' a strat! :D

I'm a pro player and you know everyone from rec studios to bands want to see some Fender writings on the headstock... I took the hum version because is very versatile! I plugget it on a Jcm 200 tsl 100, the sound is very good you need some weeks to experiment with every cominations of pickups/volume/tone.... She still sound fender too!
I like just everything on this axe!

The set up was fantastic (the strings were a bit old but this is shop issue), the pickups seemed ok to me and the best part: the finishes are great!
The colour is stunning, a kind of metallized orange that seems fiesta red if observed at different angles, the pickguard and back cover plate are made of a beautiful white pearl (it seems aged).
Good work Fender!

this guitar is completely reliable and the hardware is top quality.
Fender give schaller Straplocks with the guitar, that are very solid.
I won't use it without a backup because it's too risky in every case!

The warranty in Italy lasts 24 months, i had mailed the italian company that was very fast and gentle.

I've been playing from 11 years, 5 pro...
I own a lot of stuff but this guitar is the one that I like more than the others!
If it were stolen i will rebuy another one...

2005 model in candy tangerine with maple neck. I wanted the amber but could not find it in stock any where and was told I would have to wait 2 months for it. I saw the candy on line and liked it but was a little nervous when I ordered it without actually seeing it in person. I was very relieved when I saw it. It's absolutely beautiful, very unique color. The finish is exquisite and neck is one of the best I've ever put my hands around. I wanted the deluxe because of the sumarium cobalt pickups and S-1 switching. These pickups are dead silent and sound better then any single coils I've ever used. I'm now completely spoiled because of the locking tuners, I'll have a hard time using anything less from now on. The S-1 switching in combination with the SCN pickups make this one of the most versatile guitars you can buy. I honestly don't understand why anyone would want to pay 15 G's for some 40 year old beat up piece of crab when for around 1 G you can have this. These pickups sound better and are more responsive then any I've played, including the mid 60's strat that I used to own.

This guitar is suited for any type of music. I run it through a POD XT Live which I run to the effect return of Tech 21 Trademark 60. This setup sounded great with my previous strat but when I plugged this new strat in I was blown away. I couldn't believe how quiet the pickups where. The S-1 switch really makes this guitar sound like a entirely different guitar. The tones with the S-1 switch en-gauged are much thicker and rounder sounding. When disengauged you get the best strat sounds you've ever heard. The S-1 switch does not make this guitar sound like a humbucker equipped instrument, it's just provides a completely different set of tones that can certainly be used in place of a humbucker tone.

I want to emphasize the quality of the neck on this guitar. Fender has really raised the bar in this area of manufacturing. My last strat which was a 1989 American Standard that I bought new in 1990 was no where near this quality. The fret work is the best I've ever seen on a guitar and the beautiful Fender logo inlay on the headstock is magnificent and the abalone inlay really look beautiful against the maple. The finish and color on the body is absolutely beautiful as well. Mine is the candy tangerine, which, as I stated, is a very unique color and I'm very glad that I went for it. I've always owned white, black, or sunburst guitars so this is really different for me. the only thing I would have liked to see was a roller nut like they have on the HSS model or at the very least a graphite nut.

This is without a doubt the best made guitar I've ever owned. The fact that it came stock with strap locks is great. I have been switching all my guitars for the past 10 years to strap locks so this was a great added feature. I'm so pleased with this guitar that I think I'll buy the HSS model next.

Never dealt with their CS.

Let's face it, the Fender Stratocaster is the most versatile and legendary guitar in the history of music. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, SRV, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson, David Gilmore, just to name a few. All these guys have one thing in common, well besides being some of the greatest guitarist of all time that is. Of course, they all created those great tones with a Fender Stratocaster. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. And this is one of the best you can own. Forget the "vintage" crap....their not worth the money. This strat plays better, looks better, and sounds better for a hell of a lot less.

I bought this strat new last year so it had the 50th Anniversary plate on it. It has all the same features as the actual anniversary model except it has chrome hardware and a rosewood fretboard instead of gold hardware and a maple neck. It has the noiseless pickups (which are actually quiet) and the S1 switching. Although I bought mine shop damaged, the wood is beautiful and has the nice three coulour sunburst finish. It came with truss rod adjustment tool, cable, cleaning cloth and spray and a moulded case. It also has locking machine heads which work really well and locking strap buttons. The manual however was pretty crappy and cheap - just a piece of folded, photocopied paper(no marks here).Don't expect a nice coloured manual that you can be proud of.

This is my first strat and the sound through a valve amp runs from warm to bright and clean, depending on which pickup you use. The S1 switching really makes a difference and kind of emulates a humbucker in sound. With 3 pickups, a 5 way switch and the S1 switch there are plenty of sounds to choose from for all styles of music.
The neck pickup through a Mesa Boogie or 4 x 10 Fender is heaven.

As it was shop damaged it is hard to comment on the setup as the neck was pushed out of alignment when I got it. Apart from the marks where it had been dropped the overall finish of the body, neck and metal parts is excellent. The only problem I have is sticking of the strings in the nut. My luthier put some lead on it but this didn't fix it. I may have to consider getting a new nut made.

This guitar will last forever as far as I can tell. Everything is good quality and well finished. It is very solid.

No experience yet. Everything works perfectly except for the nut. Once again I must mention for the price I would have expected a proper hand book, particularly to explain the slightly complicated switching possibilities. After all this is a 3 thousand dollar guitar.

I have been playing almost 2 years and own two other electrics, a Squire Tele and a Cort PRS copy (to get humbuckers in my collection) and three acoustics - a Taylor 410, a Fender parlour guitar and a Tanglewood travel guitar. If my strat was stolen I would definitely buy another one the same although I would consider a maple neck for looks (I think the rosewood neck plays a bit better). I love the comfort and clean sounds; there is really nothing I dislike. I wish it had a nice tweed case then it would be perfect.

2004, Made in USA (duh...), 21 frets, your average strat config, 3 "Smaritan Cobalt Noiseless" pickup (whatever that means), 2 peice alder body, amber, beautiful grain. Standard maple/rosewood neck, abalone dots, silver-metallic fender logo (not the vintage spegetti logo). Comes with case, straplock, strap, cable, whatever. Almost makes that MIM sound like a bad deal considering the kind of hardware used here...

I played strats alot, its like I have gotten used to strats or something. I cant say much for the sound other than that its not so noisy like the cheap MIM/MIJ strats. I figured that I am probably going to replace the pickup of a MIM with Lace Sensors or something but then again I might as well buy a guitar that comes with those things, not to mention better hardware and the W00Tness of having a Made in USA strat. I like the S1 and delta whatever, the pot doesnt sound scratchy like many of the Mexican or Japanese strats, press the S1 buttom and the sound change, mess with the 5 way switch and the sound change, mess with the tone knob and the sound change. Its almost like a variax only that it has a much better W00Tness.

I wish Fender would package their strings like D'Darrio strings, because the new pack of Fender strings I opened was rusty in the bag! I realize things rust faster in Taiwan because of the constant high humidity so it is very important to package strings in a sealed bag so that it doesnt rust in its package! Other than that the guitar is set up like any other, medium jumbo frets (a feature I dont find on most strats), abalone dot which looks great, however would go better with maple fretboard because its kinda dark. The body's wood grain is so beautiful! I was thinking of Ash but then Alder guitar is cheaper, and it looks almost 3D when playing under intense light. I realize I'd probably get better wood/finish using Warmoth body but you dont get 4 bolt microtilt, contoured heel (which is a PLUS for those who wish to play higher frets), well actually you do, but you have to be careful which screw you use or else you will ruin your neck. Plus the cost of putting together a warmoth guitar that matches American Deluxe would cost as much as a Custom shop, and its resale value will really suck. The neckpocket fit doesnt seem all that good, but I can't see the difference, and I had a MIJ strat whose neck pocket fit was so tight that the neck finish was damaged just for removing the neck! Theres no neck alignment issue, everything is where they should be. The factory setup was satisifactory, however it would be nice if I could lower the action or something...

I know strats are built like cannonballs. The finish is probably polyurethane or something, and unless you are deliberately trying to damage the finish, it should be okay. I know SRV used his guitar as surfboards, and did all kind of mean things to his axe, and it still lives (and looks like a relic too). I mean, its an American deluxe strat! Just about everyone would gig with this thing. The strap lock is a big plus, that mean I would carry it by the strap like a rifle and not worry about it falling off...

Who knows? never had to call them, I wish Micro$oft were like that...

I played for a few years, my skill aint that good because I have been busy and had a time where I hadnt touched a guitar for almost a year. I was going to buy a cheaper highway 1 but the finish looks a bit cheap and its so easy to damage them. I am not looking for a relic anyways. Plus I do not like the wood grain on the highway, it just looks like trash or something. If it were stolen I would be really pissed because that thing is expensive as hell. I had MIM, MIJ, MII (Indonesia), whatever. You can't compare this with anything like MIM or MIJ, even the so called "American" pickups on MIJ or MIM is not American. Plus the MIM/MIJ has a nasty habit of using die-cast zinc trem block which hurts sustain. I wish I had a sunburst finish on this thing, but they were out of sunburst, plus they were charging more for sunburst anyways. Like I said, the wood grain is beautiful, even American Standard doesnt have this kind of woodgrain, in fact the standard grain looks so plain I thought it was basswood unless I knew that guitar is a MIA. Plus its only 100US dollars more than the standard, so its a go.

Mine is a 2005 model in 3 tone sunburst with a maple board, and an alder body. It has the 3 SCN pickups.

In a day and age where it seems we pay more for less; this axe has been a pleasant surprise. The pickups are extremely quite, and it kicks out all the great Fender tones that they are known for.

The constuction of this guitar is what most surprised me. I'd heard a few horror stories about modern dat Fenders Q/C, so I was on the lookout for such. This thing is really nice.

NIt fits the bill here in all catagories.

No idea

I've been playing for 43 years, and have been primarily a Gibson man. I bought a new Strat in the earlt 70's and someone clipped it from me. I had an early 60's Tele that I let slip away out of ignorance, and the fact that I was starting a family. I own 2 Les Pauls, and a Martin HD-28, all of which are great guitars, but I wanted another Fender Strat to add to the mix. I bought it with rather low expectations site unseen, and it equals the quality of my other axes. Like I said; I bought it unseen, so I didn't go on a search and play numerous AM Deluxes till I found a good one, so I can't speak as to the consistant quality of the guitars; but if this is any indication, and you are looking for a nice Strat; this is it. I am the kind of person where I don't talk up a product just to justify my purchase of it; when I've bought a dog, I hang my head and admit it, but this one has exceeded my expectations.

-Mine was made in 2004 in USA ( Duh ! )
-It's made of quality wood and selected parts.
-It has 3 SNC fender single coil pickup's
-Montego Black
-Locking tuners
-Vintage style fender bridge
-Incl Case
-Push pull button


I like the classic stuff of a strat , with the deluxe you have some extra futures tought

I play much styles... From Clean new wave pieces to metal. It fit's my style very fine , it has very beautifull clean , a very good crunch and it can manage with high gain to. With the push/pull you can select between a creamy full sound or the tipical sharp single coil sound. I like the " pushed " modus for fat clean and heavy leads the " pull" position is good voor a sharp cutting crunch. I use an Fender stage 1600 and it's quite enough , not noisy. A bit of a hum in high gain mode tought ...

With this guitar you can play allmost all styles. It'll always have a typical sound that only this guitar has. Very beautyfull imho.

I bought it seconds hand , so I dont know how it came out of the factory. Now it plays just fine. Fast and easy.

The wood is very beatyfull , no flaws how so ever...

No problems so far

haven't dealt with them yet.

No need to hesitate !

2005, American Deluxe Strat, 3-tone sunburst finish, maple fretboard/neck, S-1 switching, SCN Noiseless pickups, Alder body, pop-in Tremolo arm, locking tuners ... came with case, instructions, free polish sample, strap, lead, etc ...

More than enough features!

This is one great instrument! Perfectly suited to blues, rock, pop, jazz and everything in between ... the new S-1 switching makes this guitar more suitable jazz than any previous strat ever made; you get some very full, lush sounds with the switching activated ... someone somewhere mentioned that the new switch can create very cool Albert Collins-ish tones, and that is certainly true. Switch off, you get gorgeous clear Strat tone ... the first time I played 'Lenny' using neck/middle pickups on this thing I nearly ejaculated ... beautiful tone ... and that's only with a Marshall AVT100; imagine it when I get a proper valve amp! The pickups are dead quiet, even on high overdrive ... the new Bill Lawrence design is far superior to the older noiseless pickups by Fender ... incidently, this guitar handles distortion very well, much better than most single-coils ...

I didn't see the guitar out of the factory, so I couldn't comment on that ... Paul at Soundworks set it all up for free (anyone in the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, I strongly suggest visiting Soundworks for guitar gear, especially Fender products) ... played and felt magnificent out of the case, the neck is the smoothest I have ever layed hands on, (that includes American series and some Artist strats, too) frets etc. all perfect ... sunburst finish is gorgeous, and will only get better with age ... no bookmark even remotely evident in the grain ... the only inconvenience with this guitar (and it is a very mild inconvience) is getting the plastic film off the scratchplate; but if you undo a few screws it all comes off just fine, except for a tiny little bit hidden underneath the knobs ... the pop-in tremolo arm is a very nice little bonus, along with the locking tuners and abalone inlays ...

Overall - super action, excellent fit, and beatiful finish.

This guitar is built very well ... Fenders are notoriously difficult to break (it took Jimi 10 minutes before he inflicted any serious damage upon his Strat at Monterey; Rory Gallagher only used one electric guitar throughout his whole career, a 1963 Strat; SRV's famous axe took a fair bit of abuse too; so yeah, quite solid these guitars) ... I've been reliably informed that Fender quality control etc. has picked up drastically over the past 2 or 3 years ... oh, I forgot to mention that this guitar has straplocks, which work very well ...

I have a lifetime warranty at Soundworks, where they will do all adjustments and stuff for free ... but I've only had this thing a few weeks, so ...

I've been playing nearly 7 years, and have always adored the Strat sound and legacy ... just look at the guys who have used the Strat over the years - Hendrix, Clapton, Knopfler, Gilmore, Gallagher, Stevie Ray & Jimmiy Vaughan, Robin Trower, Eric Johnson, Ritchie Blackmore, Joe Walsh ... the list goes on and on and on and on ... this things feels, looks and sounds awesome in every way ... I can not wait to get me a proper tube/valve amp and try this baby out with a Tubescreamer or summat ... *drools* ... I will keep this thing for the rest of my life, barring some unfortunate incident ... if it were stolen, I'd track the thief and congratulate him on his choice, before requesting that he return it ... all in all, this is the best axe that is made by Fender, (except for the Custom Shops perhaps, hehehe ...)

2005 American Deluxe Stratocaster, Rosewood fretboard, sunburst. 22 Jumbo frets, 2 point American tremolo, Schaller Locking Tuners, High quality and Great Sounding Noiseless Pickups w/ S1 Switching, Straplocks, American String Trees, Hard Shell Case... Everything you could want, including quality that you can literally feel from across the room.

This is the best Stratocaster you can buy, and it sounds like it. The pickups/S1/wiring is far superior to anything Fender has come up with in the past. Using the S1 gives the guitar a deeper, fuller sound than your traditional strat. The pickups are noiseless, which makes for a clean, clear sound. The body and neck are extremely solid and much heavier sounding than, say, a Mexican. The guitar screams "solid."

Everything on this guitar is perfect. The nut, the neck, every fret, every tuner, every saddle, the thick finish ... perfect. I've had 4 Mexicans and one Standard American before this and I must say, this is a totally different guitar. I had no idea. It makes most other Fenders look and feel like toys.

Only had it for 6 months, but I can't possibly see anything going wrong with this guitar. It feels and looks bullet proof.

I hear it's not too good, but never tried.

If I could only have one guitar for the rest of my life (let's hope that's not the case), this would be the one. The tone is more versatile than any strat before it due to the advanced wiring and S1 switching. The hardware is the best that any strat has to offer, the body is (not too) heavy, the neck is perfect and the details have been attended to very carefully. When you stop and truly take inventory of this guitar, it's a steal at a thousand bucks. It will last a lifetime and be the best guitar you'll ever own.