Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster

2005 american deluxe, silver with maple fret board, s1 switch, perloid scratch plate, 3 single coils, locking tuners, stainless tremolo, ect....

sounds great through everything i try, awesome for blues. i use a peavey classic 30 with it and it just screams for leads, S1 switch down doesn't do much for me, I prefere the clasic sounds. There is some noise on the brige pickup but its tame. chords sound incredible even at high gain, probably due to perfect intonation and good resonance through the whole guitar, plugged or unplugged. exellent sustain.

finish is perfect or as close to as possible at this price. Action is a little high, but no buzing. I attempted to lower the bridge a tad and it buzed imediatly, they had it as low as it would go, I only had to re-adjust the trem after changing the strings to 10's. action could be lower if the neck was straiter, there is a slight bow to it wich is normal, but it may need a slight re-adjustment, i prefer flater lower action, like on a parker guitar. all is good though.

solid

no need

I have been playing off and on for 20 years, and this is the best guitar I have owened so far, If it stays true It will be the last guitar I buy of this style.

As you know, it's made of premium parts of each.

Great sounds.
Meet of Vintage and Modernity.
It makes modern sounds like Blur, Bush...
but this guitar has not lost the nuance of Fender.
Even though you couldn't find vintage sounds like Relic, Custom shop's sounds
but you can still make great sound by this guitar.

Can not find any bad conditions for this.

It's a kind of solid body guitar.

I don't know cuz don't need any customer support, so far.

It could be the best choice for you, if you wanna find a fender has modern sound and vintage sound both.

2004. Special neck plate says 50th anniversery. 22 frets. Med-jumbo? Nice sunburst. Maple neck light finish. So so locking tuners sperzels would be better. Alder body. Push in tremelo with a adjustible tension. Passive pickups samarian cobolt alien life form pickups. Actually a beautiful finish on the body.

I play the blues and the blues rock with some funk. Thirsty Blues Band. Oky doky now the straight poop. You get the regular strat sound and the higher gain strat sounds with the push down center volume knob. It is good for switching from a typical strat to a more grindy gainy strat. People compare it to a humbucker but its not quite. It is a very quiet pickup much better than the vintage noiseless fender puts out. I love to push the gain up on my amp but I find that with lower gain settings it has a more musical tone with more articulate highs and thumpy lows. I used to have a 65 strat that kind of sucked. I purchased it in 67 for 125 dollars. Naturally I sold it. Everything fender built in the 60's wasn't perfect it was just ok. I play out of generally a 50's gibson br-6 and a matchless spitfire klone made by eddiej. His amps are almost perfect. I change the tubes with cheap sovtek el84s and 12ax7wb and 12ax7wa's. It was optimized for these tubes. I mullards, amperex, and others but the cheap sovteks are perfect. It sounds like a vox with a 1/2 power switch. The guitar or any guitar and this amp makes this guitar sing any way you want. I know I've been playing since 1964. I got other amps but I probably will get rid of most of them soon.

factory setup was ok. I changed to 10's. These new dr black strings look cool and feel pretty good. I was doing some extreme vibratoing and broke the e and b pretty quick. Some one else noted this also. I have been using this for about 8 months. Finish is holding up nice. Although you can't stop scratches on the finish when you beat on the guitar hard.

Look its a great strat. It will last forever even if you beat on it. The one day I only brought this to a gig I broke 2 strings. so...I find it enjoyable to have people watch me change strings. They love the enertainment value.

for why?

My favorite feature is it's just a guitar like all guitars. Some sound good some don't. Most sound ok.I have a cheap danelectro that sounds good too.

I own a black 1998 american deluxe fat stratocaster. I bought it used. I personally like it better than the new ones. I dont need the S-1 switching plus i cant afford to buy another american deluxe even though i absolutely love them. Saying that i have made a bunch of mods which have made me very happy. The lock trem sucked. It had burrs that caused quick string breaking and it took a long time to change a string about 10 to 15 min per string with two people working on it. It did stay in tune. I bought a wilkinson hipshot replacement trem that has worked out better. It doesnt stay in tune as well but i dont pull out the whammy bar that much. I also hated the DH-1 humbucker in the bridge. It was weak sounding. It lacked punch and definition. I bought an original Seymour Duncan Parallel Axis Trembucker which is one of the best pickups ever made. It does everything. Another reason i like my american deluxe better is i prefer the sound of the vintage noiseless they used in 1998 to the new SCN pickups. I put on a push pull i use a little and i had to replace the switch to do that i also put on a tortoise pickguard insteade of the white one. I really like the sperzel tuners and the roller nut they both really help keep everything in tune.

I play rock and blues. The neck and middle pickups are good for blues while the bridge humbucker tackles anything else. I play a little surf and metal and with the simple flick of the switch and minor effects switching (distortion of vibratone on) i can easily get both sounds out of one guitar which is really nice. I really like new rock so im learning Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana and Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down and it gets a sound very close to both those songs. The vintage noiseless pickups stay quiet enough for me i have no complaints about hum. My setup constists of a Fender Dyna Touch III Stage 1600 and about 8 boss pedals delay, phase, flange, chorus, 2 distortions, overdrive, compresion sustainer and a dunlop crybaby wah

I had the guitar professionaly set up. It got the once over which i recomend you have done or do yourself it really helps espicially if you buy used guitars. Thed guitar was 5 years old when i bought it had minor dents and dings but one very large one on the top corner of the headstock. Burrs in the original bridge saddle. I bought it used so no comment.

I have played this guitar live once and it worked perfectly no problems. The everything appears it will last it has worked great the two years i have owned it and im sure it worked the five years before i owned it. I put strap locks on as an extra precaution but the strap never fell off but with a guitar this expensive i think its not smart to take chances of the strap falling off and cause serious damage. I didnt have a backup guitar when i used it live.

Dont know about this used guitars dont have warranties. Never used the customer support because i havent had any problems.

I think this is a great guitar. I would like to get another american deluxe but i cant afford to buy one. I would find the cash if this one were stolen though. If youve got the money try and find a 1998 american deluxe fat stratocaster on ebay or at guitar center you wont be disapointed.

The important differences between this model and a "typical" Strat is the S-1 switching and the locking tuners. I'm giving a less-than-perfect score because I wish this model was available as a hard tail.

With the S-1 switch, you get ten different sounds. Having ten sounds is no big deal?but this guitar has ten useful, musical sounds. With the S-1 switch up, it's normal 5-way Strat switching, but it really isn't a classic Strat sound. If you're after the classic Strat sound, there are better (and less expensive) choices. The SCN pickups have a slightly darker and (to my ears) more refined sound. The pickups sound similar to G&L's Magnetic Field pickups. I love the fact that the pickups are so quiet. With the S-1 switch down, you get sounds not available on most Strats. The difference between combining pickup in series vs. parallel can be significant. With the S-1 switch down, the sound is meatier. It's not exactly a full humbucking sound (I don't like it when Strats try to sound like Les Pauls or visa versa) but it does some tasteful things in that vast sonic territory between single coils and humbuckers.

It is put together nicely. The quality of construction on Fender guitars is dramatically better now than it was a few years ago. I have owned a couple of G&Ls in my life, and I used to tell people that G&L was a higher quality version of Fender; now I feel that situation is reversed. G&L's quality has gone down and Fender's has improved.

I haven't owned it that long, but I would be shocked if reliability is ever an issue.

I don't know. I have owned Fender guitars, amps and a bass over the years. I only contacted the company once?and that was over 30 years ago.

My first "good" guitar was a 1966 Strat (I bought it used in 1971). That was my main guitar for more than 20 years. In my opinion, this new American Deluxe Strat is hands down a better guitar than the 1966 version. Sound is, of course, subjective but I certainly like the sounds of this guitar better than the vintage one (and I love the lack of hum and buzzes). The workmanship is similar, and the hardware on this guitar (particularly the bridge assembly and tuners) is far superior to the original.

I have been playing for about 35 years. In addition to the Strat I have a couple of PRS guitars (a 1992 Custom and a 2002 Hollowbody II), a Martin OM-21 and a Larravee OM-5M. I play all of the electrics through a Bad Cat Cub amplifier.

Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups, 3 of course. Vibrato, though I never use it. Locking tuning keys which sure do make changing strings so much easier.
The S1 switch which makes worlds of difference. More on that later.
A fit and finish on the neck and frets that is nothing short of incredible.
Also, the tones are now one for the neck pickup and one for the neck and middle, which gives a wonderful range of tones.

I was not much of a strat fan, though I had a few in the 60's and 70's, not even bothering to get another until the late 90's and even then not using it if I had another choice.
This one is different. This guitar can do any sound I want with class and in it's own domain. I am not a death metal player so I can not testify to that.
The single coils, used as normal Strat pickups, are capable of everything from "spank" to "woman tone". The way the tone controls are wired makes them very usable in comparision to previous strats. This guitar can sing with acoustics or it can easily cut through any mix.
She sings. I guess that is the best way of saying it. The S1 switch adds a lot of depth and width to the tones of the guitar, depending on your amp type and settings. But even then it is still a sweet sound.
My own tone is a nice full one, but still with the raspy whispers and sparkles that begin the single coil sounds. This guitar has them both.
Does it sound like a humbucker with the S1 on? Not really. It is as full as many humbuckers but still has the transparency and the raspiness of singles. Far more like a P90 that can be softer or as strong as you could wish for.
Does it sound like a Strat? Yep. It sounds like the strats I had back in the early days. Guts and yet finesse. A whisper with a wail.
I play country, folk, rock, and some jazz even into fantasy and neo classical. This one guitar can lend a natively pure tone to anything I do.

The action and frets on this guitar are of a quality and capacity I have never seen on a guitar of any make. Even the Paul Reed Smith does not exceed what was done on this guitar. PRS is incredible, no doubt. I guess I am saying this is the same.
The finish is flawless as is the build. Every joint is perfect, and the way they rout it to fit your body makes this a guitar that feels more like you are part of it.
Many think Fenders are not really all that well built. Well, in this case you get what you pay for.

I can not see anything breaking this guitar. After all it is a Strat even if it is truly a work of art as far as build and engineering. The hardware is top of the line.
The finish is so pretty though I do wish I could make it look a little older.
I would carry this guitar anywhere. And yes, I would use it on the big dude going after the lead singer and I bet it wouldn't even detune.

Never needed them. Don't think I will need them now. Will not give an opinion on something I know nothing about.

This is, I do believe, the finest guitar I have ever owned. The neck and fretwork make it a true joy to play. I don't even need a compressor.
Having played since 1964 and having been in lots of bands I have owned so many. Each time a new fad came along I would change my guitar to meet it. No more. This guitar can do anything I could wish to do in music. Never said that before.
It feels like my old 60's 335's or my 62 tele. It feels like the SG that had the finish totally worn off or my Melody Maker that had actually had the wood worn into by the years of playing.
It feels like a 50 year old guitar that was played, loved, and well cared for. It sounds just that good also.
If anything happened to it I would surely buy another just like it right away. There is no doubt about that.
Being redundant, this is the best and most versatile guitar I have ever owned.

The only thing really new-ish regarding the features on the this otherwise standard layout Strat is the inclusion of the S-1 switching and the Samarium Cobalt noise-cancelling pickups. The American deluxe Strat also comes with the locking tuners--always a plus for Strats with "tremolo". The S-1 really expands the possibilities of pickup configurations with both series and parallel switching. The guitar came with standard shaped molded Fender case and accessories like the leather/nylon strap, polishing kit, etc. This guitar is the rosewood fingerboard model with the American Deluxe feature of mother-of-pearl position markers. I give this category a "9" rating because the pickups are WONDERFUL sounding and the S-1 switching is, in my, opinion a versatile feature.

I've always tended towards the single-coil sound and this guitar has it and a whole lot more. The S-1 allows for more bottom end akin to humbuckers and as a result pushes the Strat through the mix in a band situation. As much as I've always dug the Fender single coil clarity and brightness, it can get lost in the mix when up against bass, drums, and other guitars. I play through either a Vox AD50VT modeling amp or a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, with just a bit of overdrive and echo/delay, otherwise nothing else is need for my type playing style and musical interests. I play a variety of pop, surf, rockabilly, using a combo of pick and fingerpicking techniques. For me, this latest incarnation of the Strat, and the 8th I've owned since 1979, is the tops!

The guitar was really pretty well set-up. The action was just a little high and I switched the guitar strings to D'Addario 10-46's as soon as I came home from the music store with it. There are a lot of factors involved in set-ups and the Strat is probably more complex than most so a little tweaking is always necessary between the factory to the end-user! Fit and finish were 99.9% perfect. the .1% I attribute to a slight bump/mold mark on the volume knob that slightly abraided the pickguard when rotated. For that I received a 10% discount from my retailer and fixed in few seconds with a utility knife. Really, the guitar was made very well and the fretwork was fantastic. This is not always the case with Fender quality control. My last Strat, a 2004 American Series was a little rough in places around the fret ends.

Go ahead and try to break one of these. Sure, you can dent it, scratch, light it on fire, etc. but I only travel with Fenders. Gibson's are like delicate flowers, Fenders are reinforced concrete! The only reason I bring a backup to gigs is for string breakage, which is not something I've dealt with for several years.

No personal experiences regarding this.

I been playing since 1977, gigging regularly since 1984, and have owned about 15 Fenders, and probably the same amount of Gibsons, and several other guitars. I have owned a Japanese-made Squier Telecaster since 1984, and that's been the mother of all of 'em. After buying and selling over 50 guitars in my life so far, I'm trying to settle on just a couple to live with the rest of my life. I think I've found a good companion in this American Deluxe. If it were lost or stolen, I would immediately replace it with another. The price is a little on the high side but the fit, finish, and features make it the guitar of choice over the standard American Strats.

2003 Fender American Deluxe Strat in Candy Tangerine. General product features have been described in great detail below. I intend to give the more sublime review.

After reviewing the posting board on this guitar... I trolled Ebay for quite a while to exact model: solid alder with rosewood neck, locking tuners, trem and non switching system. I specifically wanted the tangerine color as I think this is a spectacular color for a strat.

I have - literally - owned hundreds of guitars and due to serious GAS issues. I am a very harsh critic of guitars and want them to be super players with superior acoustic properties. After loving them, I send them on their way. As I mature (ahem) I have changed my point of view on this and begun holding on to the real keepers... I wish I could get some of my best ones back but they have become ultra collectible. That said, this one is staying with me till the end. However, no guitar ever gets a 10 (except for one 89 PRS and one '68 Les Paul... that were beyond magical) that are in my past... sad but true.

As many of you know, Fender products are real hit and miss. You need to play 25 strats to find a real good one. This one just kills.

I play rock, blues and Jazz. Been playing for 20 years. I run my guitars through tube amps, though for this guitar I primarily use a blonde tolex USA Fender blues jr. that is a total killer (these are going to become super collectible... one day)

Though, I am able to dial these sounds in easily. The noiseless picks-ups are quite an improvement over the lace sensors. The bite and articulation as you attack the strings is much more harmonic and reveals your playing abilities - both good and bad - more than most guitars. I stay in the neck and 2 & 4 for most of the stuff but the biting no load quality is there too. I can't get the classic Clapton "woman tone" like I can with another of my USA strats with the tone rolled all the way off so it gets a 9 instead of a 10.

Fender guitars always need to be set up. Find a good guitar shop or luthier and have them dial you in. A great set up with good intonation will help you in your playing more than 6 months of lessons. Of course its cheaper to learn to do this yourself, but it is an affordable luxury that keeps good people employed...

The finish is perfect, the frets are beautifully finished, and overall build quality is superb. However, the nut is slightly long on the bass side of the neck though 99.9% of players would say I am being too critical and it fits the guitar fine. I am just being candid.

Because of these comments I will not rate.

Good question on the durablity issue. It seems very well built. Time will tell. The drop in trem bar stays in place easily and I wonder if this will be the case some ten plus years from now. The thing stays in tune no matter how hard I use the trem bar. I am not a locking nut fan so I am used to my strats going right out of tune with anything more than a small amount of trem shake. Guitars age and this part of their charm... don't be afraid to play them or to buy them with scratches... this always makes me laugh about people and their PRS'... I mean... if you want a guitar you don't really dig into and play... then what's the point? Still, this will save you tons of dough in buying used off Ebay on the best guitars...

It is gig worthy, but you always take a back up instrument and amp if its a pro gig. If not, befriend the other band's guitar player and beg for mercy!

No opinion.

Become educated about your gear, get it set up properly, and especially don't believe the hype about guitars in general... especially here on Harmony Central. It is the rare guitar that rates a 9.5 and most guitars never do... hence the check 25 of a mass produced item like this strat and you might find the gem that rates this high. Always play an electric without plugging in first as acoustic properties of any guitar are essential foundations of good tone. Learn to enjoy thin, medium, and thick necks as they all influence tone. Keep an open mind. Everything else can be dialed in.

2004/5 w/50th neck plate. Guitar is already well described in the other reviews here. Mine is the candy tangerine with rosewood, which dazzle and sparkele made me pull it off the shelf to check it out one day even while not in the market for yet another guitar. I was so astounded with the tone and quality I bought it on the spot.

Locking tuners, strap locks, included form fitting case, strap, cord, lifetime warranty. Basicially everything but a stand and amp!

This guitar re-invents the Stratocaster. The SCN pickups ELIMINATE the NASTY HUM while still delivering the absoulte classic sound of the Stratocaster we all know and love. In the past 30 years I have probably seriously played 30 strats and owned several of my own. This by far is the best with respect to tone. It is extremely balanced and full not too bright or dark and never harsh. While the SCN pickups are not quite as capable of that top edge of crystal sizzle super-treble sound that some of the vintage pickups can put out, they more than make up for it with their noise canceling and superior balance. This is a fabulous guitar for recording, the best Strat ever in my opinion.

I can do without the S1 settings - I have other guitars with humbuckers that do a better job in that direction.

.009 strings are weak and very inadequate in my opinion - Of course I imagine they sell a lot of these to guys who don't play daily - and its easily fixed.

This guitar sounds absolutely beautiful played directly into my tube amps with no effects whatsoever. Including Matchless Chieftain and a re-tubed Blues Deluxe. Can't wait to try it on the 18watt I have on order.

Flawless action fit and finish out of the box (on the 9s - annoying that it doesn't come set up for 10s). Extremely impressive for the price. Fender is blowing Gibson away these days in this department. I don't know how they can even sell this level of quality at this price.

I have not had it long enough for it to break. I would expect it to be as bulletproof as any American Strat which means only replacing some pots and switches and jacks in several years of hard use. Its certainly no wimpy lightweight guitar.

Lifetime warranty. I doubt I'll need it but I like the fact that Fender has that much confidence in the product.

I have been playing 35+ years. I have several guitars including some exotic $$$ customs. I had given up for the most part on crappy production guitars, but Fender has changed my mind with this guitar. I don't see anything near this level of quality in this price range from any other manufacturer at the moment.

Although this is not the ultimate guitar, it might be the ultimate Strat, which to me is an essential tool. If I could only keep one guitar, this would probably be the one, because of its incredible versatility, reliable performance and tone, and classic good looks.

This is a Stratocaster - a 22 fret, bolt on neck guitar. It is what it is, but as an essential tool, this might be the best ever with the new pickups. This guitar is a bit heavy for a long night. The ash body would have been nice - but they don't make it in this cool color.

I prefer my Jet (exotic handmade) in absolute terms but it can't quite nail the Strat tone (sometimes you want that), and this is more of a working man's guitar than the Jet which is almost a museum piece or work of art (kind of a Ferrari you don't drive every day).

So in short, this Strat is the ultimate daily driver. I love it.

Would I buy another - YES!! And that's part of the beauty, as a mass produced guitar I can get one quickly if needed so I don't have to be paranoid about it either.

Bought it early 2005, so I'd believe it was made in 2004

it has more than enough features for what I was looking for. I went to the store, saw it, played it and right then I knew I would not be able to leave the store without it.

Comes with a hard case by fender, strap, straplock, cable, cleaning kit

full secs can be seen on fender.com

it's just perfect ... I play mainly Blues, and this guitar is perfect for it.

Right now I don't have an amp, I have a M-Audio Firewire 410 and I use "GuitarRig" on my computer ... with ... headphones! my bad ...

only a 9 since I'll have to adjust the neck only 6 weeks after buring it (wood works a lot during the winter)

Does the hardware seem like it will last?

Is the finish good enough to last, or does it seem thin and easy to wear off with lots of playing? should be good to last long enough!

Are the strap buttons solid? yup! and straplocks comes with it

Can you depend on it? Would you use it on a gig without a backup? Well, you never know what could happen ... I would never bring only 1 guitar

haven't encountered any problem ...

How long have you been playing? 12 years


What other gear do you own? G&L Tribute S500 Premium, 2 Takamines & an Oscar Smidth by Washburn


If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? oh hell yeah!


Anything else you'd like to share? The fretboard and the neck are incredible!