Fender American Series Stratocaster

'08 s/s/s maple neck alder body. Made in Corona. Metallic red (almost maroon under some lights).
1 string tree on headstock and stagger height tuners (seem like Schallers).

Came with nice case with decent closures, neck wrench, strap, amp cord.

Your basic ubiquitous Ford F-150 of workhorse guitars.

I play everything from straight ahead jazz to Blues, Rock, and even some Country on this through a tweed Deluxe clone or Tech 21 TM 60.

It has all the power I need but still plenty of highs when needed and chimes and is well rounded and versatile.

I appreciate it has a more modern and balanced sound than say, a '62 or '57 AV. And plays better too. The neck feels just right to me (medium C, and whatever radius it is).

The store set it up nicely, but I flattened the trem and added a spring (to four), and reset it up for 0.011" - 0.050" GHS Nickel Rockers.

No little nagging issues at all. Everything fits and lines up. The (poly) finish seems flawless to me.

I don't even think about it.

The strap buttons have a little relief area that the strap fits exactly right. They look like the same old buttons, but they've improved them.

It doesn't need a backup. Just spare tubes & strings and a wipe rag.

I don't care at all about this stuff.

I do my own work.

Expecting anything from any manufacturer is just a premeditated resentment waiting to hatch and raise your blood pressure.

50 years experience.

I've had tons of guitars. Many Strats. This is what I expect from a Strat. Basic model, but they've upgraded the tone control setup and pickups over the years, as well as the tuners, for a more modern take on an old standard. I prefer it for gigging to an American Vintage, though I do appreciate those too (more for at home).

I also keep a CS Tele Nocaster RI around (and some other guitars), but this Strat gets played a lot more.

I love that it's modular: I can rig up a pickguard with another setup (say HH), and have done that before when I had a hardtail Corona made Strat in the past, for even more versatility.

I also have liked G&L Legacy strat types too, but this one appealed to me off the rack and has become my #1 ax for playing out.

The case is almost like an old Voyager case, but much lighter. They said it's a flight case. I'd probably trust that seeing as it's a maple bolt-neck Fender guitar to begin with, but for any other guitar I'd want a REAL flight case with all that foam padding thankyou...

I just purchased a 2007 Strat alder body, maple neck, with non finish rose wood fretboard. Basic standard features. It has a thinner finish than the poly.

I had just traded in a beautiful natural ash w/ maple neck & fret board & black trim American strat for this one. I wanted a warmer more mid sound. I am running my strat through a Boss ME 50, tube works real tube, to my Fender deluxe reverb. The tone is much more balanced than my old ash strat. My middle position pickup just rings out much better. I lost a little of the chime bell tone but now have a very sweet wood tone that is still very clear. I still use the "fat" setting to bring up the mids. The noise reduction on the ME 50 cut out the hum very well in the 1,3 & 5 position, w/o loosing tone. This guitar with it's natural rose wood fret board, may end up being my new all around guitar. You can get the rock, blues tone needed and even high distortion swells come out great. My old ash was just too limited in tone options for the music I play. I wavered a bit getting a rosewood fretboard since the all maple neck was so comfortable, since the deluxe is so bright, the extra warmth of the rosewood fret board seemed to balance the tone well. I like to think of the guitar and amp as the total instrument being played.

The guitar is well fitted the only flaw is there are some slight raised grain marks if you look in the reflection of a bright light. The screws were somewhat loose as if the guitar was stored too dry. It was in the store for 2 years then the guy dropped the price down to $799. I had to remove the pick guard to get the old glue off. 1000 grit wet sand did the trick and now the pick scratches are not so noticeable with a more mat finish guard. Fender does not shield the controls and the knobs are just pressed on w/o any locking screws. Kinda cheaply constructed for a $1000 guitar. Perhaps it's a "That's the way we always did it, nobody's complaining" sort of thing.

no opinion.

no opinion

30+ years playing. I love the tone of this guitar. I tried a lot of strats made in Mexico and Highway one, but they had issues, just are not the "real deal" in sound and playability. As said before, using a very clear bright Fender DRRI amp, this one is well matched.
I shielded the inside pods that should have been shielded and only wish Fender would spend more time in the details that actually make a strat better, not in marketing schemes. The wammy bar is bent at the wrong angle so it will not fit in the case. It should have a friction clutch to keep it at the desired angle. The plastic knobs especially the pickup selector, needs to be held better. Come one, after 60 years you still have them falling off! So you have a great playing and sounding guitar made in aspects like a $100 special. Since tone is most important, I will give the guitar a high rating.

Firstly id like to say, Try out plenty of Strats at your local store as they all sound different and they all feel different, This could be the difference between you getting a great guitar or an ok guitar.

This USA Strat wa made in 2008, Its a 3 tone sunburst body with maple neck and 22 frets. My model has the standard pickup configuration SSS and a 5 way pickup selector swith with 2 tone controls and 1 volume control. The neck is beautiful, Its a modern 'C' shape with rolled fret edges for a great played in feel. All the hardware is very well made and built to last, the 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo is the best of both worlds, Vintage style saddles with the modern bridge. The USA Standard comes with all the regular case accessories, Fender woven strap, Fender cable, allen keys, case keys, polish cloth, manual and fender tags. I would like to add that the new hard case supplied with the new Fender Strandard series are outstanding!! Built to last and will protect your guitar perfectly.

My music style consists of everything, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Rock, Metal, Shred, Country and the guitar delivers without fail for every one of them. I use a couple of amps with this guitar, A Line 6 Spider 2 Stack and a Fender Blues Deluxe and it performs awesome on both. There is no noisy pickups when not playing and the instrument doesnt feedback at all when you dont want it to. You can get any sound out of the Strat (providing you get a good one) Full, Bright, Heavy, Dark. I have to say there is not a thing i dislike about my new Strat, I have owned many fender guitars and this is by far the best, It will deliver eberything you need. My personal favourite feature with this axe is the ability to roll off the tone on the bridge pickup which on previous models this wasnt a feature.

The setup was great from the factory but when i bought it i had the tech at the store give it the once over and it feels the same as when i played it in the store before he got his hands on it so i guess Fender got it rite the first time. The pickups were as they should be on a Strat, Well balanced to accommodate the sounds you require.

The guitar will 100% withstand live playing, studio playing or home playing. The hardware will last for sure and over the years it should go a little rusty for that vintage look (im talking over 12 years as thats how long it took for my other strat to age) The finish is slightly thinner on the new models but i think it will withstand lots of playing but if you take it on the road and use it day in day out dont expect the finish to last forever. Strap buttons are solid but they didnt come with strap locks like the older models did, I would gig with this guitar without a backup but i wouldnt advise it.

Never had to deal with the company, Still in perfect working order.

I have been playing for 8 years now and in that time i have owned many Fender Stratocasters and a couple of Fender Telecasters and this guitar rocks harder and better than any of them. I own a few other guitars including Kramer super strats, Mexican Fender Strats, Jap fender Strats and an Ovation acoustic and the USA strat has just became my favourite and it will be until i find something as good or better. As i stated before i love the ability to roll off the tone on the bridge pickup and i love the 3 tone sunburst finish, I played around 8 Strats the past few weeks before choosing this one and the reasons i chose it are simple, It sounded better than the others i played, It felt better than the others i played and the sunburst was beautiful compared to a couple of the others.

2003 American Series Strat. Butterscotch Blonde. Three single coils, alder body, std tuners, 22 frets, hard case. All std specs (22nd fret is unique to this series i think but is functionally irrelevant.) Im giving a 9 because you get a strat for its strat like qualities. Can't beat the real thing.

The sound suits myself and our band just great. The strat single coil sound cuts through 4 piece mix easily at moderate volumes. The people who complain of harshness are likely playing this guitar at high volumes that are more suited to crappy guitars or dull pickups. Or theyre playing in their homes and not with bands. Aka wanking.

I use this normally with my SF Twin Reverb but have plugged it into SF Musicmaster Bass and HR Deluxe. It has sounded great and uniform across all of them. The Twin is most chimey - thats what eq knobs are for. Dial it in.

The sound is basically rich and bright. I own MIJ Squiers and this one is way more nuanced. The MIJ pickups are bright but not rich and dynamic. The spectrum this produces is lovely. Deep lows, bell highs. The AmSe strat sounds best clean and all pickup configurations are great. I prefer settings 1, 3, 5 for the single coil sound but they are definitely a little noisy compared to 2, 4 and any HB guitar. . .

I give another 9 b/c of the 40 some guitars I have owned this is in the top 3 for sound.

People always complain here but I dont think guitars should be played right out of the box. Shipping and other handling can knock things around, plus how does the mfr know how you like your setup and tone?

I do my setup and this guitar came to me used so even better. I dont buy new guitars if I can avoid it. The frets are good and thick, the action can get real low and the saddles are great. I was a purist for vintage saddles but I prefer these now - better tone and no broken strings yet.

Finish is good, almost too good. The guitar does look a little plastic b.c of it but Im presuming all newer guitars do. There are tricks for taking out the sheen but I will let time run its course.

Some criticisms though:
1.) Almost all the screws were loose when I got this. The previous owner said he hardly played it and never took it out of the house. I believe it. So the neckplate, Tuning Pegs, Pickguard, backplate screws all had to be tightened up and Im puzzled why such little torque at the Corona Factory. I have a theory which I will describe later. . .

2.) Frets, they were sharp at the ends. It wasnt fatal, but I run my fingers down the fretboard edge of all my guitars and this one was the roughest! Imagine, a USA strat with sharp frets! Again I have a theory as to what happened here. My other guitars for references are:

USA Gibson MM RI (refin)
USA Ovation Viper 1970s (for sale)
USA Fender Mustang 1970s (Lace pups)
MIM Fender Tele Deluxe (upgraded pots)
MIJ Squier Strat SQ series (rewire)
Misc. Strat home built (MIJ Fender neck)

The Gibson had a rough neck and frets but I worked on that and fixed the problem. All other guitars have amazing smooth necks. Most surprising: the 1980s MIJ necks are waaay smother than the AmSe I am writing about. Luckily, I can work on these things and did, but you dont expect this from any USA made guitar much less Fender.

Now, my theories. 1.) The loose screws: maybe fender knows their guitars are sold and resold and the first owner is making money back on the resale. Maybe they skimp on setup and dressing at the factory to pass that cost and responsibility on the first owner since the company never sees the resale monies. 2.) The sharp fret ends: The AmSe has a smooth rolled fretboard. In other words, before frets are attached, the neck is sanded down to a rounded edge (all guitars should be). So, if frets are measured std at the plant, but if these necks are sanded down more than their brothers, you are talking about frets that are 1mm or more too long. They need to remeasure the fret wire keeping in mind the rolled neck shape and use special cuts for this shape. I filed down the ends myself. I worried it would kill the finish on the neck but as long as you use a small light file and dont overdo it this works just fine. I used a simple CVS fine metal nail file! Ive read this is a common problem but do the job and you wont be sorry.

I give a six because while not fatal youd expect better precision in Corona.

Totally reliable. It feels like a tank and maybe its psychological about the USA label but I would trust this more than my others. Then again, strings break on the best of instruments.

I give a 9.

Never experienced it.

I like this guitar a lot. Love the 70s complexion, the return to vintage body contour, the bitey nuanced pickups. Even the cheap stock case is lovable - minimalist but sturdy.

I do question the wisdom of changing names from American Std to American Series and back. It was complicated trying to figure out what this was and its actual value. A lot of these are listed on ebay as American Stds but Fender discontinued those from 2001-2008. Then again, no one calls these American Series. Some call them American Stratocaster.

One other issue. I see the pickups listed as "3 std Strat Single Coils" but I have a hard time learning what this means. Theres on info on the Fender page as far as I saw and "Std." isnt exactly a scientific term. Id like to know are these ceramic or Alnico. I believe they are ceramic b/c I tested their conductivity. But I dont know...

It's a standard american strat. If you don't know the features, look it up.

I HATE the stock pickups! WAY too trebley and bright. I have to roll off the tone and volume in order to get a decent sound. Even with the tone rolled all the way off, I still don't get an acceptable sound. The low e string also tends to fart out if you pick too hard. It's not my amp either, because I have other guitars and this is the only one that does this. It sounds nice clean, but the only dirt box it seems to like is a big muff. Overall, I expected SO much more from fender. I've been told that the quality of their products has gone down over the years. I tend to agree.

The stock setup sucked! It almost refused to stay in tune, so i use the tremolo bar sparingly on this guitar. The action was way too high. It's like they hired a team of monkeys to set up their strats?!

If I had known, I would NEVER have bought this guitar. I'm pretty sure if I bring it in for a decent set up and replace the pickups, I'll be happy with it, but still....

n/a

I'm very dissapointed in fender. I think their commitment to saving/making money has overridden their commitment to quality. What a shame.

2007 USA stratocaster ,22 frets, 2 point tremolo, s-s-s pickups, white in color with maple neck, medium jumbo frets, came with hardshell case.

Awesome guitar. 70's rock all the way (BTO,Joe Walsh,Ritchie Blackmore,etc.) Can cover a lot of other styles too. Nice full sound and screams on the lead channel. Front pickup sounds sweet as can be. You get a little bit of buzzing noise when you're near the amp or computer on certain settings but that's normal for single coils. Beats those noiseless pickups hands down in the deluxe when it comes to the "classic strat sound". I know because I had an american deuxe ash strat. This guitar is the real deal. The alder body adds to a great sound overall.

I bought it used so I can't say how the original set up was. When I got it I put 9's back on it and set it to factory specs and it feels fantastic. Strats are easy to adjust and Fender tells you how to do it if you don't know. The finish was good with no noticable problems and it stays in tune well. Frets were done properly and the neck has a comfortable feel to it. Very fast neck.

I bought it with a badly stripped out strap button on the bottom. I put a small wall anchor in it screwed it back in and problem solved. This is my 3rd strat. They're very dependable. Electronics are good. It's a very solid guitar. Tuners are tight. Stands up to endless hours of playing.

I've only dealt with them as far as e-mail questions and they always respond the same day.

Been playing 28 years. I'd bought other types of Fender Strats before and wish I'd have bought this model to begin with. It's a great change from my epiphone elitist les paul and my G&l asat classic tribute tele. It's a pleasure to have all 3. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if it were stolen. This is the first strat I've had that stays in tune when I use the whammy bar. This guitar sounds fantastic through my Blues Jr. amp and the g-dec. You can rip on this guitar. End of story.

Update to a review I made way back in 2000 when I bought the guitar. My guitar is a USA made American Series 2000 model. 22 frets, S/S/S pickups, maple fretboard, and otherwise standard features for the model.

So now that I've owned/played this guitar for several years, I can give a more honest review. I'm still running it through a Fender Champ 30. Sound is still amazing to me with the stock pickups. I've never been disappointed...classic strat sound. If I had to pick one complaint, it would be how the 1st/2nd strings sound through the pickups...a little weak, but not bad at all. I've been able to play nearly every kind of style music with this guitar except for anything very hard...which would be quite a feat for any single coil setup.

I've made a few slight adjustments over the years to pickup height, string height, etc. but overall, it's always been pretty well set up from the factory. Just minor tweaks to suit me. I've still to this day not found a flaw as it came from the factory.

It's been going strong for 8 years now, and I've not had a single problem with it at all. Tuners still work like they are new, pickups sound great...overall, everything is as top-notch as it was on day 1.

The finish has only the normal wear from being used for 8 years. It hasn't worn through anywhere, and the only scratches I've gotten are in the normal areas on the back of the body.

One of the strap knobs tends to come loose once in a while, but that isn't too big of a deal. Overall, still a very dependable guitar.

never had a problem with this guitar in over 8 years, so unsure on the customer support.

Great guitar, great sound, very durable. Would buy one again in a heartbeat.

2006, alder body, maple neck, delta tone, 2 point floating tremolo, Black Gilmour style. A birthday present from a wealthy brother, so I haven't parted with my hard earned cash and I suppose this is an unbiased review.

I have been playing for 25 years and have had a number of Fender teles and strats (both USA and Japanese) Gibson LP and SG, which I still own and use. spent a long time in the past looking for a good strat without spending ??1000's on a vintage model. Been using a Tokai all that time..... its such a good guitar.

I have been using a 1980 Tokai springy sound since new (yes I'm old!) which has had several upgrades (Kinman woodstock pups fitted) and a couple of re-frets in its time, due to regular gigging. In comparison to the Fender American Series, there is no comparison. The Tokai absolutely blows it out of the water for both tone and playability. and in comparison to friends older 1980's strats it really falls short. the thing desperately needs a decent set of pups.

The finish is reasonably ok (I have seen better) though I'm not keen on the satin lacquer that fender now use on their necks. In terms of set up, it was playable right out of the box, but the modern floating tremolo bridge gives a string spacing of 2 1/16", which seems to cramp the fretboard compared to the vintage bridge (2 3/16" string spacing). Also the body contour is not as deep as the Tokai or earlier strats so it doesn't fit as snugly as it should.

Appears to be reasonably solid all round, but this axe will probably be a back-up for my trusty Tokai when gigging!!. I use an SG a lot though so we'll see....

Not had to deal with them

This is an ok guitar in terms of quality, but in terms of price its pretty poor value. It seems that you pay a lot of ??????'s for that Fender logo. Most of us mere mortals probably can't afford the stupid money that 50's and 60's vintage strats command these day, so if you want a decent Fender strat then I would either buy a custom shop model or an early to mid 1980's model, either USA or Japanese. Avoid late 1970's Fender strats at all cost, they are probably the worst guitars Fender made. There are others too, such as the Tokai models. If this was my money, I would not have bought it. Hopefully it will get stolen then I can replace it with another vintage Tokai or a Fender custom shop job!

2006 model, butterscotch blonde with black PG, maple board, locking tuners, standard 2-point trem. The quintessential Strat with no bells & whistles other than Delta-tone and the modern saddles. G & G black hardshell case.

Out of a tube amp, this thing sounds exactly like you think it will. Lots of quack on 2 & 4, sharp edge on the bridge, mellow roundness on the neck, solid midrange in the middle position. Blues, rock, slide, surf, whatever. The Stratocaster covers it all, just as it's been doing for the last 60 years.

Bought mine used, so it had been set up and broken in. Amazing. The rolled fretboard edges and the frets themselves are like butter. The trem floats at factory spec of just under 1/8" gap at the rear with four springs and .10-guage strings. An absolute marvel of ergonomic comfort while playing, both seated and standing. Neck pocket is tight. Nut is cut precisely. Mine is an honest-to-gosh 2-piece body with a stunning wood grain showing under the translucent butterscotch. Stunning to look at, sensuous to hold, it's as perfect a guitar as I've ever owned.

Solid. Stays in tune. Silent switches and pots. Smooth tremolo action.

n/a

Like everyone else, I suffer from GAS every now and then, and I find myself at the local guitar stores checking out other guitars. I have yet to find one that I like anywhere near as much as this Stratocaster, so it remains my one and only electric. It can sound like anything I want it to - from the clean, bell-like tones of Explosions in the Sky, to crushing rock leads, to gritty, greasy blues licks, this is the most versatile instrument ever. I've owned two Teles, many Gibsons, a Godin, a Yamaha, an Ibanez, two Epiphones, you name it. "Discovering" the Stratocaster was like someone taking a blindfold off. I'm a Strat man forever.

This Satin Finish Strat has a gorgeous 'Sienna Sunburst' translucent treatment. Everything is the same as a normal American series strat except for the ash wood upgrade to the body, the 3 dual-coil ceramic Noiseless Pickups (same as is used on the Jeff Beck Signature Strat), parchment knobs and pickup covers, original headstock shape, original body shape with original contour body decal on the headstock.

After carefully setting this guitar up with my preferred DR Blues strings, and tweaking the bridge and tremolo settings to accommodate, the guitar really shined in a big way -- probably the exquisite excellence of those Jeff Beck noiseless pickups reverbing through the solid ash body.

The guitar was set up well from the factory for a more common choice of strings. Everything about the guitar was excellently built. It is solid and tight with no flaws. I didn't expect to be as completely satisfied.

There guitar seems to be exceedingly sturdy.

My first Strat was a 1974 USA Blond Natural. I've always thought nothing could top that model, until I found this Limited Edition American Series Ash Strat with the Jeff Beck noiseless pickups. And it is extremely beautiful, yet with subtly tasteful appointments. I'm going to do everything I can to protect this puppy!