Fender American Series Hardtail Stratocaster

'05 Corona, CA
Black w white 3-ply pickguard.
Maple "C" shape 9.5" radius neck with 22 med/jumbo frets.
Height staggered Fender/Schaller tuners, 22 med/jumbo frets.
Delta lower tone pot (takes the pot completely out of the circuit, which adjusts for bridge and middle pickups).
Bridge pickup wound hotter. All pickups have staggered (but not vintage stagger, exactly) polepieces.
Hard plastic form fit case w "Fender" in scrip sunk into it (reverse embossed).

This is my primary guitar for all duties: Jazz; Blues; Country; Pop & Showtunes; Classic R&B and Rock.
I gig it 2-5 nights/week in coffee shops, bistros, and bars, with a Roland Cube 60.
I use Fender Stainless strings 0.012" - 0.052" w a plain 0.019" G string.
It humbucks on #2 & #4 switch positions, and is fairly well shielded beyond that, though in noisy environments there is a little hum when using single coils uncombined. Fine in most places unless using high gain amp settings, but bridge and middle together sound great with high gain anyway, unlike some guitars which require bridge alone with lots of distortion.
Sounds great in all situations and pu combinations. Versatile.
Anything from Jazz to Country to "Skronk!"
I like the bridge pickup. Pretty Tele-ish.
With the heavier stainless wound string sets I can get the trebles fluffy for Jazz on the neck pickup without the bass strings getting too muddy.
Excellent "Jazz" tone on either the JC or Acoustic (or BF) settings on the Roland.
"Dyna-amp" setting works great with the bridge or bridge/middle pu selection.
"Tweed" is good for Blues on any pickup setting or combination.

I really like the body resonance with the hardtail. Very lively compared to an '03 AmSe two-point trem equipped Strat I had previously.
I don't use mechanical vibrato anyway.

Everything was/is perfect from the get-go.

The neck responds well to string gauge changes and truss rod adjustments.

Maple bolt-neck Strats are VERY durable.

The components are all good. I like the Schaller machines.

Neck is satin and feels great.

I do all my own work.

Playing guitar since 1960. Had lots of guitars and amps.
This rig has everything I need for jobs and pleasure playing.
I also have a modded MIJ Ibanez RG570 (continual work in progress) with 24 frets and slinky strings. I don't gig it.

I have progressed over the years from archtops through Telecasters to Strats, and now the AmSe Strat hardtail. I've had other hardtail Strats I didn't like as much (a CBS, and a MIM Robert Cray), and others styles and manufacturer's guitars that were close (I like G&L's too), but this guitar is so easy to get sounds on and play that I never have to think about what I'm doing: just play.
I think it has the perfect combination of features, sounds, and playability for me at this stage of things.
I've blown through a ton of decent gear in the last 30 years or so, but this seems to be the best rig for me. Very versatile, and I don't have to give up anything or make concessions or compromises in tone for one style versus another.

its an american hardtail strat 50iff anniversary in white with maple neck i got an hard case strap and all the tools i need to strip it

ive only been playing two years so i dont have much experience about wot they should sound like ive been playing a squier with an ephiphone humbucker at the bridge it has an interesting sound but this strat just sounds so nice compared to wot im used to but i suppose it will i changed the strings as soon as i got home the standard ones sounded crap so ive put daddario 10s on im playing it through a marshall avt50 have not turned it right up but it sounds good very clean very toneful sounds very tele ish with lots of gain on all in all im very impressed

ive made the action faster i did not like the factory settings the paint work and overall finish of the guitar is flawless its such a good looking guitar i cant stop looking at it and thinking wow

ive only owned for a couple of days no probs yet it feels very strong i dont think ill break it

not yet

i love this guitar i dont think ill get bored with it i think ill change the bridge pickup if was gonna do anything to it and put a 59 seymor duncun in like i say i dont have much experience but it sounds and looks great to me

Covered elsewhere. Like a strat, but without a trem, with tele-style through the body strings. It's great for what it is, but don't expect the latest piezo bridge/midi/split-coil/ethernet setup.

I've played this through a seventies Yamaha hybrid amp, and a Roland Jazz chorus with assorted pedals. In positions 2 & 4 you have 2 pickups out of phaze, which cancels out that single-coil noise. Sounds funky like that, it really quacks, but it's a bit ridiculous distorted. The neck pickup is the best neck sound I've ever heard from a strat, with plenty of trebble detail, solid mids, without a tendency to produce odd harmonics when distorted. Noise is not major compared to other strats, but it's no humbuckler. This is a very nice setting, which you can do a lot with at the amp. The birdge pickup is just too trebbly, the distorted harmonics are not pretty, though you can get away with it if you don't play complex chords. This is the only pickup setting that I can reliably get feedback from, which I can control using the tone controls. Bashing the guitar doesn't give you the classic strat spring "boing" sound, but that's no great loss.

Sustain on this guitar is very good for a Fender. Switiching pickups or tone or volume controls during a sustained note sounds stepless, very impressive.

The guitar came with a low action, 9 gage strings, and pickups strongly angled towards trebble. It all worked, but yuck. Maybe if you turned your amp up to 11 it wouldn't sound too bad, but it's pretty bland for either clean or dirty sounds. I stuck on heavier strings, raised the action, and adjusted the pickups. Glad there's no trem to adjust. Other than that, all the screws were tight, the neck was OK, the electronics worked.

I've had a few jams with this guitar, no gigs yet. With no trem to worry about it's far easier to tune than most strats. It's very simple to re-string. Solid.

Never dealt with Fender.

I've been playing 15 years (ouch), and own a Yamaha solid top acoustic, and a few keyboards. This is probably the most distinctive sounding instrument I have, the neck pickup is very versatile, the out-of-phaze settings are very "strat", and the stutain is impressive. I can't say I miss the trem.

2003 - U.S. made Fender Strat Hardtail. Black body, white p-guard, maple neck and fretboard. 1 vol and 2 tone controls - Delta-tone set-up. 3 single coils. Came with molded case and accessories.

Just the right number of frets and just the right size and shape of neck. Is a nice alternative to my American Deluxe Tele.

Simplicity is not a bad thing:)

Currently playing alot of 60s and 70s rock, including some Motown and 70s disco - nobody said I had to have good taste. Also do some basement jamming in a jazz-meets-country vibe. The 5 way switch lets me work some decent tones, alone with some use of the tone controls ... occasionally find the right combinations for some good 'Spank' with this guitar.

Use a Fender 'evil twin' combined with a Pro Co Rat and EH Small Stone - takes me from the good to the bad to the ugly. Occasionally using a Traynor YCV 40 - not bad bang for buck and decent tone options.

What do I like about the sound? It's a Strat - it's got single coils -it likes to sustain thanks to the hardtail - it verges on some Tele-esque tones. Clean or distorted, it is a clear and distinct voice. With the right amount of coaxing, it will cover a very wide range of sound requirements.

Spent a couple of hours test-driving this guitar before I laid down the cash. Was set-up fairly well - changed to a new set of 10s when I got it home. Paint looks like it will withstand some serious abuse. Really dig the way neck has been finished - don't think I'll be stripping it down yet. Cut, fit and finish was surprisingly good - have seen some really questionable Fender gear in the last couple of years. This particular guitar really caught my eye for attention to details. Was just looking at the maple neck again - it really has some nice lines/figuring to it.

Speaking of neck - the neck pocket and fit is very, very nicely snug and secure.

Have already taken this out for some jam action. Hardware is not a problem - finish is not a concern. I bought this guitar to play - not to preserve under glass.

Strap buttons are solid - won't be doing any spin-ner-ama moves a la Malmsteen or ZZ Top, but the buttons will keep this thing secure.

Use it on a gig sans backup? Well, always have been of the opinion it's better to be prepared. Probably have my Tele as a back-up.

Had some trouble with these guys back in the late 80s on a terrible piece of gear called a Fender 85 amplifier - so glad I smartened up and got hip to the tonal supremacy of tube amps.

Have checked out the web-site ... it's a bit busy, but nice to look at.

Been playing for close to 20 years - have owned a bunch of guitars, many of them will never come close to this guitar, and maybe one or two which will always exceed this guitar. Currently have an American Deluxe Tele - nice axe, a Godin LG with godin's humbuckers - ok, a mid-80s G&L ASAT - love it like nothing else, and my amps as mentioned above.

Compared this against G&L Legacy and S-500. Also looked at a 52 RI Tele. Liked the fact this was a hardtail STRAT - it has the comfort and look I love, combined with TONES APLENTY.

If it were stolen? Don't even want to guess at how uptight I'd be.
Buy another? Sure - am a little on the picky side (pun not intended), so I would be shopping very carefully to replace this.

Overall? gave it a 9 in all categories, cause that's what it's worth to me. It is a wonderful guitar, makes me happy and eased a good case of guitar-itis ...

This is a decent guitar - it's a Strat. Like the song says, "... it's in the way that you use it."

White 2002 American Strat Hardtail, Delta Tone pickups, maple neck, hardshell case and strap. I was taken back by its beauty. Pictures dont do it justice. Small and light. 5 way pickup selector is very nice and feels very solid.

Fender has the best clean so it gets a 10. I cant use a lot of distortion with this guitar-it is not made for distortion. I use minimal distortion when i want to use any distortion on this guitar. This guitar is for rippin up Sultans Of Swing, etc. The bass notes are very pronounced and room filling. Treble notes are clear as a bell. Tone from hell indeed...and it gets a 10 for performing the type of sound this guitar is made for-Shimmering clarity with lots of character. Nothing short of GLASS. Good job Fender.

This guitar was set up wonderfully. Every string was approximately 1/4 of a step flat when i got it. I havent messed with string level or anything. I was very scared because I've read reviews stating you shouldnt order from Musicians Friend. I took the gamble and won and its my wish that everyone gets a product in the shape that mine arrived in fresh from the factory. Thank you Fender/Musicians Friend!I didnt give out a 10 because the 9 gauge strings that Fender equipped it with sucked. Hurt my fingers and too thin, put GHS 10's on.

This guitar is built like a tank, yet extremely light compared to my old Kramer. I trust it.

I've been playing a year and I own a Kramer with EMG 81 and 85, which is what I use for massive levels of cruchy distortion that this guitar doesn't do, 5 Boss pedals, a Marshall 15watt amp. This guitar takes me places I could have never gone to with my other guitar.

I suggest going through Musicians Friend and getting one. Dont buy it off the rack in the store like people have said in other reviews and get scammed. It goes through inspections and if you get a bad one send it back.

Maple neck, Hot Rod Red finish (which is a nice Candy Apple Red), Shaller strap locks (which I like), hardshell case. It came strung with .009s which I thought sounded too thin. I replaced them with .010s but now the low E doesn't quite fit into the nut slot; I'll have to file it down. I also replaced the cheesy looking bridge saddles with Graph Techs and they look much better. I plan to leave everything else stock. I like using all 5 p/u settings for different sounds.

Plays and sounds great esp. for blues. Clean sounds are excellent. I never liked single coils in the past (I played an SG for years) but these new Fenders sound very good.

Like another reveiwer said the bass side of the p/u's are lower than the treble side but they sound balanced right out of the box. Finish looks very nice. The neck is good too with some nice figuring. No problems to report here.

Arrived in one piece from Musician's Friend. I haven't contacted Fender.

Musician's Friend is fine, no problems.

For $699 and free shipping this is a great deal and a fine guitar. Other than the thin strings and crappy looking bridge saddles I'm very happy. This is my first Strat and I'd buy another happily.

"Z" serial# (2001?), 22 frets (that extra fret is a god-send), 4-piece alder body (surf green), satin finish maple fretboard (9.5" radius), mine came stock w/ texas special PU's (rare w/ hardtail) - has the white pearloid pickguard

I am a bit of a shredder, but I dont like heavy metal guitars (especially black ones -yuk) and have finally aquired a distaste for tremolos. The "Texas Specials" sound a hell of allot better than the vintage-style pups that came on my "70s Classic" Strat.

Probably because of the string-thru body bridge and tight neck pocket, this thing really chimes (extremely resonant for a Strat).

It was factory set-up perfect: low action, NO buzzing. PUs sound well adjusted. The neck pocket is so tight and exact, they must have used a computerised router/robot. Everything else is very firmly assembled, too (just like a quality new product should be)

What I don't like most is that the finish around the nut is starting to chip away - partly because the nut isn't quite as wide as the fretboard. This area is starting to get a little dirty and is annoying the shit out of me. There is also a tiny paint(?)crack at one of the body's neck-pocket corners. Plus, a bent pot post is causing the volume knob to rub against the pickguard. Lastly, one of the pickguard screws was drilled in at an angle and never corrected (maybe the previous ownwer did all of this shit).

Even though Strats have a solid reputation and mine has "Strap Locks", this guitar is extremely light weight, the finish thin and the neck actually feels sorta fragile. I would recommend keeping one like this at home or in the studio.

great web-site is all I know.

Despite all the bad things I've said, I love this guitar. It's gorgeous (looks like candy -wanna eat it), and being a stock hardtail/texas special, it's a rarity. Huge and welcome departure from my lumbering MIM "70s Classic" Strat. Can't imagine having any other Strat than this one.

I've always loved the original Srat look (I've owned three variations over the years), but with age and wisdom I'm slowly starting to lean toward guitars that have the non-trem, arch-top/wood mounted PUs, and set neck construction (probably, no more Strats for me...unless I can find a decent set-neck/stop tail Showmaster FMT for under $700 bucks -yeah, rightee)

Made in USA, 2001. Three piece alder body, three color sunburst. Rosewood fretboard. I bought this guitar used in mint condition. The guitar feels very good, comfortable neck, good fretwork, relatively good nut (had to lower slots on 3 out of 6 strings). Surprisingly, there is absolutely no gap whatsoever on either side of the neck pocket. I was looking for a hardtail for a long time, and I'm very happy with it, compared to trem strats I've had in the past.

The stock Delta Tone pickups sound very good. Not very noisy, good tone. The guitar sounds better to me than trem strats. Good acoustic tone... Despite the fact that I like how the stock pups sound, I changed them out for a set of EMG SAs. This is why... The staggered polepieces Fender is now using were causing an unacceptable amount of string pull. Even with the pups set flush with the pick-guard, it was impossible for me to achieve consistent intonation. So, I sprung for the EMGs, which have almost no string pull, more balanced string to string out put level, high output, no noise, and luckily I like the way they sound too. The EMgs don't have the same 2+4 position quack that the Fenders have, but I don't really use those positions much anyhow. Beware the staggered pole pups!!!!Fortunately I paid around half the amount that this guitar would have cost new retail. So dishing out $250CAN (roughly $140US) for new pups didn't bother me much. Rating is for stock pups. Rating with EMGs 9

It was used, so it was tweaked, probably better than factory. ( I've tried brand new US Fenders and they're playable, but not fantastic.)
I tweaked it after I got familiar with the feel and personality of the guitar. The neck is nearly straight with 0.008" relief .(it's a delicate balancing act getting a great strat set up, mine took me a week of anxious fiddling). The action is just a hair above 4/64 on the bass side, and just a hair under 4/64 on the treble side. No freaking buzzing at all. (10-46 strings, standard tuning BTW.)If I had this setup with the stock pups, it would be buzzing like mad.
All parts are of very good quality, Grain matching on body was well done. Finish is perfect. No poking frets. Great neck pocket. Good tuners, but I'm getting a set of Fender/Schaller locking tuners, simply for ease of string change, and hopefully improved tuning stability. Tuning is fine as-is, but could always be better! Oh yeah, these new staggered tuners, don't expect to get too much string on there! They fit enough winds for all the strings except the D (and G if you use a wound G). Just personal taste though. Rating is for what a factory Fender would be. Rating for how I've got it now 9

This is my only electric, because I only need one. The reason I'm putting the locking tuners on is so that I can change strings quickly in case of a string break during a show. Everything on this guitar is good quality. Comes with straplocks. Definitely a cool guitar.

???

I've had many guitars over the last few years.I would always find some annoying flaw that I couldn't live with. When i got this one I knew it was for me. I've promised myself that I'd never sell it, under any circumstance. If I had to replace it, I would be screwed.

Stock 2002 Stratocaster black with a maple neck. Just Beautuful. My setup is My Strat to a Marshall Bluesbreaker II pedal to a Dunlop crybaby to my tweed Fender blues DeVille (4x10) Amplifier.

Great for clean sound. Its a fender, there the best in the clean industry. It gives me sound similar to clapton/derek and the dominos and Buddy Guy. its great i love it.

action is the best! Finish is awesome!

I love not having to tune it all the time!

I havent needit it yet

Amazing.. if you have a heart of stone you wont like it. Fantastic Value

2001 USA Strat Hardtail...two tone sunburst, maple neck..everything is standard stock Fender, except stock P/U's replaced with Fender Texas Specials (big, big mistake) Came with a molded hardshell case..(not sure why Fender doesn't give you the Tolex case with an American guitar)..straplocks, strap, and instrument cable included in the deal.
I've seen other complaints on here for the finish and quality of Fender instruments, but I've got no complaints with that..it is a beautiful guitar, and feels great to play...the neck is finished nicely...not sure about the set up from the factory, I always let Tulsa Guitar & Electric do that, they are the BEST. It is the first Strat that I've really liked, always played a Tele before...

right away, I replaced the stock pickups with Fender Texas Specials..and that was a big, big mistake. The origional sound of the stock pickups were actually better, cleaner..and although weak, compared to my Tele with Seymour Duncan humbuckers, the tone was much better. I will probably replace the Texas Specials with something else..not sure what yet..any ideas? I run my guitars thru an Analogman upgraded overdrive, and a Boss digital delay into a Fender HotRod Deville 212. This guitar is so much lighter than either my Tele or G&L Asat Deluxe, that I want to like it, but the sound just isn't as strong. Like all five position Strats, stock at least, there is some pretty strong hum in positions 1, 3, and 5...however, I do like the 5 position sound, and use the 1 position for 'chicken picken' or rockabilly some...I do a lot of blues, though, and prefer a stronger pickup sound..

again, I always have my guitar pro set up at Tulsa Guitar and Electric..they are outstanding...the finish ..I have no complaints..the guitar really looks nice, Fender did an excellent job with the finish, I found no flaws.

Fenders will last forever...everything is pretty sound on this guitar...I always have a backup, though, even if I could depend on it..ya never can tell what's gonna happen at a gig..best to have two of everything!

I had one of these on back order from Musicians Friend for $600 several months ago..and, like an idiot, cancelled that order when they said it would be several months..so now I feel that I paid too much for it...I always try to buy from a local music store, but lately, that particular local store is loosing their customer service 'touch' I've bought a ton of stuff from this store, but I still feel like they don't treat me, or other customers very well...I would not feel badly about buying this guitar from Musician's Friend next time...

I've had a lot of guitars, I know ...we all have...I have searched for a Strat that I could love as much as my Tele's..this is the best one I've played..but, I would not feel bad about trading this one in on something else..something I can not say about my Tele's...I have a Mexican hotrodded Tele, and a G&L Asat Deluxe, and would never part with either one of them...if this guitar were lost or stolen, I'd take the insurance and buy a Tele Deluxe, with the contoured back..MMMM, which is what I should have bought to begin with. If you have a Tele Deluxe that you'd like to trade..my email is listed!

2001 American series Strat, Black finish, Rosewood fretboard hardtail bridge.
Gave it a 5 in "Features" because I, like most people, "mod" their guitars at some point. In this case I changed the pickguard to accomodate a DiMarzio Super Distortion at the bridge. I may change the single coils eventually, although they are working out o.k. at this point. I also replaced the bridge saddles with Graph-Techs, American standard style saddles don't fair to well after a couple of years.

I am fairly happy with the tone of this guitar, as mentioned above I changed the bridge pickup to an h-bucker. (I have always replaced the bridge pickup in my Strats) This guitar is a bit brighter than any tremolo equipped Strats I have owned, almost a Tele-ish snarl to it, kind of cool. I play through 50 & 100 watt Marshall Jubilee heads and 4x12's with 75 watt Celestions. I use it in a cover band and can cover alot of different material with its current set-up. I have been gigging with it for about 8-9 months.

I think the quality of this guitar is very good, nice frets, new neck radius is nice, tight neck pocket...(they aren't all this way!) but the finish has alot to be desired. I ordered this guitar and it came out of the box with some very noticeable flaws. You can see the lamination line where the 2 halves of the body are glued together (it is slight, and it is a Black guitar...more noticeable I guess), I have seen much cheaper guitars that don't have this problem). There is also a very noticeable flaw in the paint by the output jack, it appears that there is something under the paint. Action isn't much of an issue as I set up my own guitars (usually .10's sometimes .11's) Fenders' ads say "Better sounding" "Better playing" guitars, this may be true... too bad they don't include "Better looking" guitars. My advice, don't order a guitar, buy one off of the rack, that way you know EXACTLY what you are getting. (I have a '98 Lonestar with similar issues) Hey Fender, ya wanna repaint my Strats???

Reliability/durability is high, I have had few problems with Fenders' reliability in the past, I don't expect to have any in the near future. Would I play without a back-up? NEVER!, I play about 100 gigs per year, indoors and out, you should always have back-up gear.

Never dealt with them, just hope that they are heeding these reviews!!!

I have been playing 19 years and have used just about everything at one point or another. I think it is a good guitar, I did make some changes to it, so I can't give it a 10, not to mention the paint isn't too hot... But it seems to be reliable and plays and sounds like I had anticipated. If it were stolen I would replace it, I love Strats, although I wouldn't order one again. Buy 'em off the rack!

2001 Model. Beautiful 3 color sunburst alder body and maple neck. Basic, no-frills, quality guitar.

Bought the guitar to get the classic sounds and the guitar certainly delivered some excellent sounds. It also delivered some really annoying noise. Some folks might say "no duh, it's a Strat" but I say in this day and age, Fender should be able to produce (or get their hands on) good sounding noiseless single coil style pickups.
I have since installed Kinman A-vn Blues pickups. At this point, I couldn't be happier with the sound of this guitar. Pre-pickup change 8. Post pickup change 10.

This particular unit that I purchased was the most resonant Strat, and the only hardtail model of the Srats that resided at my local music store. I think that the hardtail bridge is a contributing factor. The guitar has really nice sustain.

The action was set up for 9's when I first bought the guitar. The music store set it up perfectly with the 10's that I use. I have received several compliments on the low action and lack of fret buzz. The finish is nearly perfect, with a few, barely noticeable blemishes where the stain sunk into the wood grain.
The neck and fretwork on this guitar is top notch. The rolled edges of the neck give the guitar a broken-in, smooth feel.

A couple of the tuning keys and one of the tone knobs were loose and needed tightening.

Built like a tank. I do not gig so with care, this thing should outlast me.

N/A

Overall, I am very happy with the Strat but wish Fender could provide quality noiseless pickups in all of their American series guitars. I needed to spend another $285 dollars for the Kinman pickups (which are awesome!). I have been playing guitar for about 30 years and this is the best built guitar I have ever owned. Very versatile!

2001 American Series Hardtail. I've been wishing for a strat (a real strat, not a copy or mexican made) for a few years and finally got one. I have no need for tremeloes with their springs and tuning problems, so I went with a hardtail. The only drawback is that it only comes in 4 different colors. Sunburst always looks good so thats what I went with. Typical strat features: alder body, maple fingerboard, 3 pickups, 5 way selector, delta tone controls on the bridge and middle pickups (with the control on 10, it bypasses the tone control).

I felt the hardtail would give more tone and more sustain. Upon plugging it in (directly into the clean channel of a Mesa Boogie Studio 22), it sure sounds like a good strat should. Neck pickup on the throaty side, middle pickup has that nice midrange honk, bridge pickup is bright but not brittle or thin. Positions 2 and 4 have plenty of quack but I don't use these as much as positions 1,3, and 5. I probably use the middle pickup more than most strat players. In summary, I feel that the new American Series has a very good sound but not a "great" sound or "the" sound. The stock pickups are good and are in fact much better than a Fender American Standard Tele I had a few years back. It seems Fender tried to mix a vintage design with a contemporary pickup of slightly more output (bear in mind however, that these are not "hot" pickups). Would more than adequately handle most types of music except metal. Will probably replace the pickups sometime in the future with Fender Texas Specials or Harmonic Design Pickups as I prefer a hotter pickup with more midrange response.

Heres where I have some issues with Fender. Once I bought the guitar, I raced home, plugged it in, and AAAHHH. It sounded terrible. Bright, brittle, and thin. The reason? Slinky strings, very low action, and pickups raised close to the strings. What a horrible setup. I immediatly lowered the pickups, strung it with 11's, and raised the action (I like high action). What a difference! Fender, at least use 10's on your guitars and don't keep the pickups close to the strings. The finish is near flawless, the controls worked fine, and there are no flaws that I can see. The low score is mostly for the set up.

Fenders can probably survive a fall down a flight of stairs. I have no qualms about the reliablity of the guitar or anything breaking. It stays in tune.

Never dealt directly with Fender.

I'm forty and have been playing for 22 years. I used to play in bands but only play as a hobby now. Occasionally jam and play in church. It's astounding that for around $800 Fender can supply a professional well made instrument. In my situation, a strat is the guitar to own. I may get some sort of epiphone in the future as a second guitar, perhaps a hollowbody or humbucker guitar. If lost or destroyed, would definitely buy another one. As stated earlier, I would prefer hotter pickups, but it is still a great guitar.

Well its a strat so you know the basic features: 3 single coil Delta-tone pickups, 5 way switch etc. Mine is a 3 tone sunburst (3 piece alder) with a rosewood neck and parchment pickguard, knobs etc. Mine is VERY light and resonant. The hardtail is unique to this model, which is why I had to special order it. The wood is beautiful on this guitar and the poly finish is very nice. The best thing about these new american series strats is the neck finish, which is an unfinished satiny feel... this, along with the great tone, is what sold me on this guitar. It came with Fender/Schaller sealed tuners, which I immediatly replaced with Fender/Schaller Chrome Locking tuners, which make string changes easier and increase tuning stability. I ordered mine with a deluxe tweed case with red poodle interior, very very nice... adds to the aura of the guitar. I give it an 8 because its a stripped down strat... that what I wanted and thats what it is designed to be.

The sound out of the box is very good and the Delta tones sound pretty darn good. Much better that the old stock American Standard pickups Fender has used in the past, but that just be me. I replaced these pickups with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots immediately after receiving the guitar, and it made a world of difference. I won't rehash the Fralin lover speil here (check the other reviews on this site), but they are a great match for this guitar. It really quacks in positions 2/4 and has a great single coil tone at 1, 3, 5. I like the warmth of the alder/rosewood combo which is slightly ofset by the brightness of the Fralins. A great combo overall. In my experience some pickups just mate well with certain guitars, and the Fralins match up well with this one. I can't quite tell if the hardtail contributes to increased sustain, but I would suspect that it does slightly. it is VERY nice to do two-string bends and not have the second string go out of tune. Tel like in a way! I run this guitar through a Fender Cyber Twin using mainly presets from www.patchwizard.com to simulate a 65 BF Pro Reverb and a Bassman (among others). It really mates up well with this amp and I can get some great strat tones out of it. Tonally, there's not much I don't like about the guitar...except for the standard SC noise. With the Fralins, the tonal variety on this guitar is astounding.

It is difficult for me to comment here because I bought the guitar from Music One Workshop where a Gold-level setup is included, so the nut was recut and the frets were polished with a complete setup for 10-46 strings before I got it. It was set up very well but needed a tad more relief. The action is VERY VERY low (like less than 2/64th of an inch) and the neck is VERY fast because of this and the finish. It took a couple of days or the new neck feel to begin to fade and is breaking in nicely now. The fretwork on this baby is clearly superior to the stock strats I have seen and owned in the past. The rounded fretboard edges are very well done. The pickups were adjusted well (before I removed them). Overall, EXCELLENT but probably due to the work of Larry at Music One (great guy).

its a strat... its the mother of durable guitars. Properly cared for, it should last me a lifetime (but I tend not to keep guitars that long). It seems very well built and I don't expect problems.

Don't know, hopefully won't have to find out. From my experience with Fender employees at the FDP I feel it shouldn't be a problem though.

I;ve been playing for over 10 years and am a confessed "Fender Man" I have owned many strats and teles, and this one is a keeper. Some guitars just feel right, this one does. I like this guitar so much that I am ordering another within the week... a natural ash maple neck to complement this one. The new one will have Van Zandt Blues in it. Together, these two guitars should make a great strat pair. Fender is really turning out some great guitars out there in Ca, both Custom Shop and not. The American Series is an unbelievable deal... 710 for this guitar is a steal. I can't say enough good things about Larry at music one too. He is easy to communicate with, does great setup, gets nice quality guitars in, packs/ships well, and has fair prices. I will be ordering my second AmSe from him also. If my decision to by a second one of these guitars doesn't show how I feel then nothing does!!! I do think it is a fantastic value, but I have yet to find a 10 guitar... maybe someday!

Very light and resonant 3-piece ash body, 3-tone sunburst poly finish, maple neck, Delta-tone pickups with staggered poliepieces, staggered tuners. Pretty simple guitar.

I play blues, rock, funk, etc. and this strat sounds the way a strat should at all times. Great clean sound on the neck and mid settings, with plenty of bite at the bridge pickup. Each of the three pickups has a very disctinct voice clean and overdriven. Plenty of control with the volume and tone knobs.

The 60 Hz hum can be really bad depending on how I face the amp or what the ambient conditions are (TV's, lights, etc.) I often switch to the in-between positions between songs in live settings.

The hardtail body sustains very well and makes the thing feel alive.

For a production guitar, I'm impressed. It'll buzz and fret out if I set the action too low, but that happens on most guitars. Holds tune and intonation well.

I'm not really sure I wreck this thing if I tried.

Never dealt with Fender.

This is my second strat. The first is a '96 American Standard with a pair of humbuckers--a good rock guitar, but it doesn't sound like a true strat. This one does.

The usual Strat features but with a hardtail bridge

Strummed one of them for a few minutes, sounded like a Strat to me.

Caution this isn't pretty. I had been looking for a hardtail for over a year with no luck so I finally ordered one from Musician's Friend. DO NOT EVER DO THIS. Long story short, I went thru 3 Strats, all with major problems, before I said enough I want my money back.

Strat #1: improperly seated frets, finish chipped at nut, gash in fretboard

Strat #2: terrible nut work, finish chipped and cracked at nut, crooked string tree, stripped lower strap button screw hole, huge gap in neck pocket

Strat #3: finish chipped on back of neck

Srats 1 and 2 arrived in the factory sealed box. Srat #3 came in a previously opened box.

Fender has some really serious quality problems. How anything this bad was able to leave the factory is beyond me. I am not exagerating in my description of these guitars, they were terrible. The American Series is supposed to be their high quality product, their ads make claim to "highly detailed fret and nut work," none was apparent on my guitars. Just a mess.

Please understand I am a lifelong Fender user. I love (loved) their products but I don't know if I will ever trust them again.

Previous products have been great. These lasted one day in my possesion before I sent them back

Fender didn't seem to care about their crappy workmanship. Got company boilerplate about how high quality their instruments are and a plea to "stick with " them. Not with products like these I won't.