Fender American Vintage 62 Reissue Stratocaster

2004 american fender srtat '62 reissue
3t sunburst

I sold my american standard strat just to get an 62 reissue and it doesn't failed me. I like everything on it, no need to replace parts everthings perfect. I love the sound,I play blues, grunge and punk and this is perfect through my fender hot rod deville with ibanez ts808...I'm fully satified.
BTW I got it used with a little paint chip on the edge which I like it...

Made in the USA, 21 frets and 57/62 strat single coil pickups. 3 way selector switch but comes with the 5 way to install. I haven't installed it yet though. Pretty much has the specs of the original 62. Love the nitro finish on mine. It's olympic white with a mint green pickguard and has a nice tinted neck with NO skunk stripe on the back of the neck like the newer strats. Sexy indeed.

I've heard a lot about this strat and had wanted one for a few years but never saved up enough to get one. I'd get about $1,000 and say "hell, I'll just buy a regular american strat, why not". I almost did that this time and would have chosen the classic player 60s (mexican made). But I said NO MORE, I'm not putting this off any longer. I had to get this beautiful strat. As soon as I pulled it out of the box and held it in my lap, I almost creamed. It felt so comfortable. After plugging it into my blues Jr. (perfect match by the way) I was in heaven. This is the very first strat I've had in 4 years that is actually perfect. I never thought I'd find one. The tone is very chimey and clean and resonates well. I play anything from blues to country and rock. It's wonderful. I will not be changing these pickups. It's perfect like it is.

Don't listen to all those myths about the 7.5 radius fretboard causing you to fret out when bending notes. This doesn't even happen with me above the 12th fret(where they say it happens mostly). After reading all of the articles and people saying how the 7.5 neck frets out when doing lots of bends, I hesitated to buy this guitar until I read on MusiciansPlaza(dot)com .I'm happy to say that all of the fret out crap is FALSE. I'm a big bender and play lots of blues (Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc) and find this fretboard to be more comfortable than a 9.5 radius. No fretting out here.

The finish was flawless and I can't wait until the nitro begins to wear nicely. I've always wanted a worn out strat but you can't get a good wear with a thick poly finish like other modern strats have. Hey, this guitar stays in tune well too!

I'll gig this without a backup, no doubt. Sturdy tuners and hardware. Top quality stuff.

I don't know. Haven't needed it

I been playing for about 5 years. Blues and folk rock is my music choice. And this is PERFECT for me. Of course it won't mix well with heavy metal shredders. But if you want clean bell-like tones and a round punchy overdrive (think stevie ray vaughan or clapton) then this is your guitar. It mates well with a Blues Jr. I must Say.

A Strat... like the old ones - so very cool... so very straightforward! A sexy shaped body and long neck... like the supermodel of guitars. 3 way switching on three single coils. Two tone knobs, one volume. (5 way switch kit included to add great flavors in tone)

The sweetest sounding Strat in the Fender arsenal! I was going to upgrade a Mexican or American Strat, then played this and fell in love. Sold all my other Strats and kept this one! Rich, fluid tone. Syrupy sweet. Ballsy neck position and delicious biting bridge. My fav position is in the middle - very ballsy. Wow!

Tight neck/body pocket. No loose nonsense. Built like it should be. Made by hand, though they don't promote that because it would cut into the Custom Shop mystique. These are well build guitars. Just perfect. Flawless.

Tough as nails. A rocker that can crank out the blues. More smokey bars the better! I think this guitar will age very well thanks to the tinted neck toner, the very light body. Could survive a hurricane! (Find the story about the great Rory Gallagher Strat that sat in the rain for three days and he went on playing it!) Just fantastic!

Simply the best Strat for the money. I paid $1199 used and would have spent more. I even asked some guys at Elderly instruments about their opinions on the best non-Custom Shop Strat they liked and all three pointed to this American Vintage 62 Strat. In fact, a couple of them liked it more than the Custom Shop ones which cost twice as much! Run, don't walk, and get one of these!

USA Made Fender goodness. Alder body, 60's profile neck with rosewood fretboard. 21 vintage frets, 7.25 fretboard radius 57/62 pickups, your typical 62 strat that i'm sure everyone else has listed.

I was recently on a the search for a good strat. I tried out quite a few, an american standard, SRV, John Mayer, Deluxe, relic 62 and the recently acquired american vintage 62' reissue. The American Standard had no balls and really bad playability, it just didn't sing. The SRV was really nice and I love the 12" radius but still it had a very similar no guts tone and the texas specials were too middy. The John Mayer had a great playability but the pickups were too bright and trebly. The relic was absolutely amazing but still in comparison to the 62' reissue just a tad thinner and for that kind of money ($2500) it just wasn't worth it.

That brings me to the 62' ri. It was used which may add to the comfortable feel but this is probably the most perfect definition of what a strat should feel like. The pickups are extremely full and round with the right amount of clarity. I originally bought the guitar with the factory three way switch and debated on keeping it but because of the style I play (blues, jazz, funk, rock, country) I need those 2nd and 4th positions. There isn't any sound I can't get out of this guitar. Run it through a ts9 into a kustom 36 coupe or fender 2x12 deville and nice smooth overdrive tones just scream out of the amp. Crank the mids on the Kustom and crank the clean channel into overdrive and get some of those classic blues tones (think SRV or Albert King).

The 7.25 fretboard radius is a little different if you are used to the 9.5 radius of modern strats you might have a problem with bending but it doesn't take very long to get used to. I can run the string height lower than my american deluxe tele without any string cancelation.

It was used, and whoever did the setup did a pretty good job but I'm a tech myself and pretty picky on my setup so it doesn't really matter since it was readjusted to my specifications anyways.

This thing will take a beating and keep on going. It was meant to be played live there's no doubt about it. Its a strat and it's as dependable as can be.

I haven't needed to get in touch with fender about this guitar and probably never will but I did get in touch with them for some technical questions on a 65 DR through email and they got back to me later that day. Very pleased so far, they have always been helpful whenever needed.

I have been playing for around 11 years now and own an arsenal of guitars including a Hamer es335 style guitar that I added a bigsby and a set of SD 59's, PRS CE24, American Deluxe Telecaster, 78' Les Paul Deluxe, 79' Sonex 180, Blue Ridge BR-160, Kustom 36' Coupe and a Fender Hot Rod Deville 212. I have owned lots of different fenders and this is the most happy I have ever been with this 62 RI. If it were lost or stolen I would definitely replace it.

The only thing that would be nice would be to have a flatter radius fretboard but it would take away some of the comfortability. The tone of the pickups are the sweetest tone. The 57/62s are some of the best fender has put out, but the only bad thing is the non-hum canceling in the 2nd and 4th position but the pickguard is so well insulated that there is very little hum anyways.

Date 28th Oct 1986, Black, Original 62 re-Issue

Exellent Bulesy, Hendrix, Strat sound to kill for. If you want a Gibson "BUY ONE" Thats what I did. Play through a Carin XV112 combo & a Mesa 295 stereo unit with just the basic pedals i.e.Wah,Compression,Echo,EQ,Volume,Flange,Distortion.

Well if you have ever played an earlier model 62 re-issue you will no what action is all about as they seem to be a bit more plastic today although still being a nice guitar to play but I find my 86 Model to have that edge over the later 62 re-issues. No need to talk about quality this guitar has it all,I guess thats why custom shop models are so expensive, so they can charge you for the same thing they produced years ago as pretty standard.

If this guitar was stolen I would have to find the Mother F...ker & cut his Balls Off. Owned this thing since 86 (its like having another testicle)It could not be replaced at any cost.

Since the technical information is available from the Fender web site and from previous HC reviews, I???ll try to focus on the features that become apparent only after you???ve played one for a while.

You can bend strings all day on this guitar. Between 1954 and 1983, all Strats had a 7.25 inch neck radius, and Clapton, Harrison, Garcia and millions of others played them without anyone complaining that the radius made string bending too hard. Now, the so-called experts insist that we need a 9.5 inch neck radius or our bends will fret out. This is hogwash, and the 62 Reissue proves them dead wrong.

It stays in tune. The tuners are quality reproductions of the original split-post Klusons. No wrapping the string over itself, no guesstimating the proper string length, no trying to cut the end when the string is wrapped around the post, no sharp ends, and no slipping. If a good Strat has tuning problems, check the entire set up, including the truss rod relief.

It has nitrocellulose lacquer over a urethane basecoat, which gives it a glossy, vintage look. The back of the neck does not get sticky, even when humidity is a factor.

The 60 cycle single coil hum is an urban legend. Fluorescent lights, cell phones, and similar appliances will sometimes produce a slight hum or hiss through this Strat. However, it can be heard only when you are plugged in and not playing, and no one should listen to what they are not playing. In other words, you can???t hear it unless you listen for it, and it disappears once you start playing.

There are a few nit-picky details that might bother collectors, but that are of no real concern. For instance, the headstock decal does not have the patent numbers like an original 62 Strat, the 12th fret position markers are a hair farther far apart than on an original, the Kluson Deluxe logo is not on the tuner covers, etc. Overall though, the authenticity is really close to a real 62 Strat on things that count.

It includes a G&G case that has bad balance, and falls on its side a lot. I replaced it.

The 57/62 pickups are designed to sound like the original handwound Strat pickups, and sound great. The tone is balanced between the trebles and basses, and the neck and even the middle pickup will give you that great Fender growl if you play hard. The three position switch works fine and is tight, which means that you can set it to the in between positions (positions 2 and 4) pretty easily.

I am part owner of a pre-CBS Stratocaster (June, 1960, serial number 49166) that was purchased as an investment. Tonewise, the 62 Reissue has a slight edge because the notes are clearer, and because it can get a lot punchier. The 47 year old original pickups are less distinctive, with a softer sound that is prone to early break up.

I play mostly blues, but also play rock covers, and occasionally country and gospel, and generally use a THD Univalve amp.

The set up on the Reissue was fine, with medium action and no buzzing. It came with 10s, which I use. I set this one up the way I like it though, as it???s easy to do with a Strat, although some guys want to pay for a pro job.

I never use tremolo, so I hardtailed it by tightening the anchor plate against the body, and adding the two extra springs that were included. There is no reason to put a piece of wood behind the trem block, although some people swear that the world will end without one. If anything, a piece of wood should go in front of the trem block to help hold the bridge up. I readjusted the string height, intonation, and truss rod according to the users manual, and adjusted the pickups somewhat lower. It sounds and plays great in tune in standard tuning, or when tuned a step down.

A Strat, especially a high end one like the 62 Reissue is a lifetime guitar.

I take care of my guitars (and amps, etc.), and wipe them down after playing, keep them in cases when I???m not playing, and will not use a guitar stand, especially one with foam rubber. I change my strings one by one to help preserve the adjustment by keeping the neck tension close to constant, and check all adjustments every few months.

The Fender Relic series with intentionally dinged up bodies, fake wear marks on the necks, man-made hardware rust, and high prices is a disgrace. The fact that people buy them proves that fools and their money are easily parted. Its just like Tom Sawyer whitewashing the fence.

I jam regularly, but rarely gig. However, I gigged a few hundred times between about 1970 and the mid-1980s and except for a few precut strings, never once brought or needed a backup.

I have never needed it. If you buy a good Strat and take care of it, you wont either.

I have played Strats for 38 of the past 40 years. Some have been good, and a few have been great. The 62 Reissue is really a great guitar. Even after critical thinking, I am unable to suggest anything that needs improvement. To sum it all up, this guitar looks great, you can play it all day without your hand getting tired, and it will sound great the whole time.

I hope my comments help. If you buy one, I hope that you are as happy with it as I am with mine.

Nitro finish alder body three tone sunburst
American vintage parts (pick ups. hardware)
Gotoh tuners
Brown tolex deluxe hard shell case with a great microfibe cloth and a little bottle of Maguire's mist & wipe, ash tray bridge cover, antique style strap and cable, 5 way switch kit, 2 additional spring (which I thought was a nice touch)
Maple neck with dark glossy rosewood finger board.
I give it a nine because it's everything a Strat of this stature should be.

I play mainly blues, rock and gospel. This Strat answers ALL of my musical needs tonally. The pick ups range from bright and twangy to deep thick and bold. The richness of the range is exactly what I was looking for.
I play it though a Fender Cyber-Twin head. I basically play it through all the classic amps (Twin Reverb, Super Reverb, Vibro-King, etc.). It responds very well to the majority of them.
I can easily play jazz, country, funk, rockabilly, late '60s rock, you name it. It just won't do heavy metal well. That is what pointy guitars are for, right? ;)
A lot of people will diss the pick ups because of the '60s cycle hum but I find it makes the sound more "organic" or authentic if you would.

Unless you buy your instruments in a crappy store, you almost never get the factory set up. The reason being that the intrument will most likely not keep the factory set up during transit anyway. That is what a good tech can do. I did it myself and I am happy with my work.
The three piece alder body looks really good. Nothing to "write home about" though.
As far as production Stratocasters go, THIS series (American Vintage) is the shiznit. The sunburst is very nicely done. The neck pocket was tight tight tight. The fretwork was flawless. The finish was awesome. I don't really need to pay thousands more for a Custom Shop one unless it would be made to my personal specs. That's not going to happen...
It was good to go from the start I guess is what I should say...

This guitar will withstand anything you can throw at it. You can arguably say that about any Stratocaster however. They are the working man's guitar.
I know the nitro finish will age/ding/mark/etc. faster or easier and I am perfectly fine with that. I can relic my own instruments thank you.
I never gig without a back up. Neither should you. The guitar is not the issue, the strings are.

I've dealt with Fender on a few occasions and I have nothing bad to say about their customer service.

I've been playing guitar for 26 years now. I own two acoustics (Yamaha 12 string and a Taylor 410 ce), a Telecaser and another Stratocaster (Roadhouse). The American Vintage '62 is BY FAR my favorite electric guitar. I could sell the other Strat I own and wouldn't miss it at all. I simply love everything about this guitar. It truly is everything I've been looking for in a Stratocaster period. I tried many guitars in my short life, bought and sold many. But this one is a keeper. If it were stolen, I'd probably cry like a gurl 'cause I can't afford another one! If I were asked to keep only one guitar, I'd keep that one in a heart beat!

Nitro-cellulose finish, rosewood board, you know the features it's a Strat. I will say this about the thinner neck, it's more difficult to do some bending on the high E because it can slip off the bottom much easier. You have to adjust your playing to this or at least I do because I do have larger hands.

I mostly play classic rock and some alternative and blues thrown in. This guitar plays all these styles perfectly. I do a lot of direct recording into my computer with a POD. With this effect I can get just about any sound I like. I also use a Mesa Lone Star Special which sound absolutely fantastic with this guitar. There is some slight hum with the pickups but it's something I easily put up with to get that unique tone only a Strat can deliver. And baby, this guitar delivers. The sound is bright in the bridge pickup position but the signature neck tone is about as good as it gets. I still have the 3 position toggle switch in haven't decided if I'm going to change it to the 5 way. Overall I love the sound of this axe and it delivered everything I expected.

To me this is one area where this guitar truly shines. It came set up from the factory very good. I will probably get this done professionaly because I had a Tele that I thought played good until I had it set up properly and it became a totally different guitar. In a good way. The 10's that came on the guitar are good. I don't know if I would go with a lighter string on this guitar because the heavier strings definitely give a better tone. I have the Olympic White and the finish is flawless. Nice dark rosewood fingerboard with vintage frets. I also own an American Deluxe and the frets are smaller than the medium jumbos on that guitar. All the other hardware is outstanding and fit and finish is perfect. I have not played with the pickup settings at this point but from the factory they sound great.

What more can you say.... it's a Strat. There are fifty year old guitars that are still going strong. I have never owned a Strat for an extended period but I have no doubt that this guitar is built to last. It has the nitro-cellulose finish so it will wear over time. I hope to still own it and be around when this thing is vintage 2 times over. I do not gig for a living( I would like to) but if I did I'm sure this would be my main guitar. If I did gig I'm sure I would have a backup. It would probably be another Stat.

I never had to deal with Fender customer service.

I have been playing off and on for the past twenty years. I also own an American Deluxe Strat, a 97 American Tele, a PRS Artist and a PRS 20th anniversary.|I have a Mesa Lone Star Special amp. I don't own many amplifiers, but I truly love guitars. What I truly love about this guitar is how solid it feels and plays. The vintage features are awesome as well. It's a little harder to play than my Deluxe and my PRS guitars but Strats are known for that. They are tempermental guitars that require a particular touch. I think that's one of the reasons people love or hate them. I didn't compare this guitar with any others, I knew that I wanted this guitar from the moment I saw a 2 tone in the store. When I picked it up and felt that neck and saw the workmanship I knew I had to have it. If it were stolen I would be heartbroken... and I would definitely buy another.

2006 'V' serial number in Ice Metallic Blue, with Rosewood slab fret board and stunning maple neck without a skunk sripe.

Vintage Fender electronics. 3 single coils with 3 way selector.

This is a really stunning looking guitar, people always comment whenever I play out with it.

Vintage re-issue is exactly what it is, aged plastic parts, vintage tuners one punter at a show thought I'd won the lottery and purchased a closet original.

Great Fender hard shell case, Fender should use these cases with all their Stratocaster packages.

I play several different genres depending on the occasion. The thing that has kept the Strat at the top for over half a century is the guitar's versatility. This guitar will cut through the mix in any band line up.

My amp of choice is the Fender Deville 212. The marriage is one made in heaven.

In the studio I am using it throuh the Line6 Podxtlive fantastic, although the single coils can buzz a bit but that gives it all that vintage sound.

The pickups really have a great bite to them on lead solos and beautiful rhythm sounds also.

I always set my lead channel up a fair bit louder than my clean channel as these pick ups do not have a great deal of power to them.

I would not recommend this guitar to people looking for powerful metal tones.

This guitar was set up spot on when I purchased it. A year later and it has not needed any tweaking at all.

In terms of playability I have found my soulmate!!!! The action on the neck is splendid. If you want a really great playing strat go get one. You can always change the pick ups.

It's a GENUINE Fender built to last.

Cool, I called them in the USA, great guys.

I have been playing for 15 years. As well as playing 3 gigs a week on a regular basis, I have my own studio facilities and record most days. Over the years I have played some awesome guitars, even some famous axes played by our heroes (that's another story) and have to say that this example of the 62 reissue is the very best guitar I have ever played. She just sings. The finish is as good as custom shop models three times the price. Plus you are getting a Leo Fender designed model. I am a real Fender fanatic, I own a USA Clapton model and there is absolutely no comparrison. They are in the same price range but the attention to detail on the 62 is awesome compared to the Clapton.

If you want a genuine Start sound, this is one of your options. I would also recommend the 57 us vintage series re-issue stratocaster. That one having a maple fretboard and V neck.

Please visit www.myspace.com/paulcookandthescheme and you can hear this guitar.

This a 1998 American Vintage model in Fiesta Red. This is the first year for the American Vintage model as opposed to the earlier Vintage Reissue strat and there are a number of positive changes. The body contours, radius, headstock and dot spacing are much more accurate than the earlier models. The neck has a nice slim c-profile with a rosewood board and a glossy but not sticky finish. As good as any Fender neck, I've ever played.

The pickups are also different from previous Vintage Reissue models and were supposedly reverse-engineered from a 60s strat and have hand bevelled magnets. Mine came with two of the new pickups and one of the old style in the bridge. I'd say the new ones are less trebly and have more midrange and bass response. I think the old ones have more "quack' in the in between positions. Sounds just like strat. I would put in a reverse wound reverse polarity pickup in the middle, if I was inclined to change anything.

The Fiesta red finish is more like the so-called Coral Pink strats from the 60s, which were actually Fiesta Red guitars that reacted to UV light and faded to the classic tomato soup color. Fit and finish throughout is superb. The workmanship on this guitar exceeds the quality of the earlier reissues and I thought they were damn good. I wish Fender would give it up on the 3-way switch and install the five way at the factory.

This nitro finish is not as durable as poly and will wear over time. This guitar will probably survive a nuclear holocaust and be around for the next version of the Beatles, which will be made up of actual insects.

Never had to deal with them.

I've owned about 20 Fender strats including some 80s reissues as well as a pre CBS strat. I thought the 80s reissues were excellent guitars and actually resisted buying the newer version. I have to say the American Vintage exceeds the old model in almost every category. The materials, build quality, finish and overall integrity are as good as I've seen. Yes, people get all misty eyed about the 50s and 60s guitars, but in my humble opinion, the next golden age for Fender guitars is right now. If you are lusting for a vintage strat, buy one of these and get 95% of the mojo for 5% of the price.

Mines a 2004 in Vintage White, with a mint green scratch plate. The fret board is really dark almost black. The neck has got a lovely fat C-profile (a lot fatter than the modern shallow C-necks). I have got a 57' model and the diffence in the necks is very noticable. The 57' is a lot more V shaped. So features wise its a strat from the 60's with a fat(ish) neck, vintage tremelo etc. thats why I bought it, so it gets a 10! Its a lot heavier than my Vintage 57' reissue.

I play through Marshall JCM2000 DSL50 / 4x12 cabinet.

I'm now very happy, its gets a 10. However, I did have to play around with the pick-up set-up. The neck and middle pick-ups are a dream, however, the bridge pick-up was just to trebley. It was too extreme. The solution was easy - I lowered it! Alot. however, it took me almost a year of playing to come to this solution. Now it almost sits flush with the scratch plate - and hey bingo! What a fantastic sound. In fact I lowered all the pick-ups so that output levels are the same for all three pick-ups.

The great thing is when I play with a crunch or even a lead sound, I just need to roll the volume back to get a really nice clean sound. It is very flexible.

I play alot of blues, rock (Blackmore, Hendrix et al) I like changing the pick-up selecter in mid solo. The sound is just fabluous. From a a full rich bass (that classic strat sound) to a full bridge scream and back again.

Another thing is, is that this strat is a lot louder than my Vintage 57'. Its also heavier. The sound is completely different.

The 60's HUM is there, so depending on how you're standing / positioned in relation to your amp and how close you are to the amp will influence the hum level.

The set-up was ok, however, when fitting the five-way selector I took the chance to set-up it how I like it. I've found that plays better with a slightly higher action. I play with 10's.

Finish wise its great.

Its built like a tank - with this quality you can see how Fender built up the repretation that they've got today. Once it got played in it stays in tune well. Its like any other guitar, if you change the strings regularly and keep it clean it won't go out of tune (providing that its well set up of course!)

Very good. Mine got delivered with the wrong tremelo arm, so Fender Scandinavia pulled out all the stops to get it fixed. Great service!

Its the best strat I've ever played. I've been playing for 25 years. this guitar will do anything, from blues to shread. From metal to jazz. If you've got it in your fingers, this guitar will do it.

This ones not for sale!

Actually just to clear something up about the previous review: the slab rosewood board is actually period correct, laminated boards or veneer as most people call them only started to be used halfway throught 1962 so the first 5 or 6 months of stratocasters produced had slab board on them rather than venneer, since fender doesn't specify wether this is an earlier or later 62 reissue (which would be kind of senseless anyway) one can consider the slab board to be period correct, therefore mr T.M.Lilley no need to deduct a point for that matter... rock on ;)

2005 American Vintage '62 Stratocaster in Surf Green. 21 vintage frets, 3-way selector for 3 '57/'62-single coils, alder body, maple neck with a slab rosewood fingerboard, white (plastic?) era-incorrect dot markers. Nitrocellulose finish that feels really good + smells... that could be the brown tolex case though.

Basically it has everything one would want from a vintage strat reissue + a 5-way selector, extra tremolo springs and ashtray tremolo cover and a crappy strap. Honestly, why can't they include the deluxe vintage strap instead of this flimsy, thin, cheapo rubbish. I'll deduct a point for that. Also, as the previous reviewer pointed out, the features on this guitar are not correct for '62 (the slab board instead of the round lam, the missing patent numbers on the headstock, white dot markers instead of clay). I'll deduct another point for that.

The sound is crystal clear and bell-like through my 15-watt class A Monster El Mariachi. The clean- and breakup sounds are what this guitar really excels at.

The pick-ups are a quite weak compared to my Les Paul or Rickenbacker, but that's what they are supposed to sound like. Needs a little help from my Crowther Hotcake to drive the amp into overdrive.

The bridge pup is rather bright. If I tweak the controls on my amp to compensate for this, the neck pup will sound muddy. Something may have to be done about this. Pehaps I'll install a bass-plate or something. I'll give the pickups some time though. Maybe they'll mellow out with time. I didn't really get this guitar to rock out on the bridge pup though, I have an LP that is far superior in that department. This guitar is all about painting sonic pictures with clean and semi-clean tones on the neck-and middle pups... echo and vibrato action... you get the picture!

Great for those clean Jimi Hendrix tones too ? la Wait 'til tomorrow and Little Wing.

Off course I'd like it to be an all in one guitar and perhaps I'll do something about the bridge pup someday. At this moment I'm just enjoying it as it is. Lovely tone! I can't imagine a strat sounding better. Still, -1 for the bridge pup.

The guitar was a disaster when it arrived. The nut was cut so bad that it was impossible to get the guitar to stay in tune. Guitar players seem to expect to have a crappy nut from the factory and have it cut again without question. Why? Why can't the most expensive factory Fender Stratocaster have a decent nut? Guitars should be playable and stay in tune straight from the factory. Sort it out Fender!

Anyway, I had the nut cut, intonation set, neck straightened, 5 springs installed etc. Now it plays the way I like it! Pup-, action- and fret-wise the guitar was OK from the factory. A solid guitar in every aspect.

Ok, I've had this guitar for a month or so. Haven't played a gig with it yet. My Jap strats took real beating though and they withstood it well. Hope this one stands up to that standard too. I have a good feeling it will!!

I owned 2 Jap strats prior to this guitar but one burnt and the other was just otherwise unplayable due to fretwear and the fact that I once installed Lace sensors on it and don't like the sound of them anymore. I have a Les Paul and a Rickenbacker 620 but I was missing the strat sound badly. I also needed a guitar with a nice tremolo for some Shadows-type stuff.

Fender have a lot of strats. I ended up with this easily though. I like the vintage look, vintage frets, a thin neck on a strat and a small radius on the fretboard. What I don't like are special switching systems, active electronics and other special tone-sculpting knobs.

After eliminating the possibilities, I was left with either a Mexican Classic-series strat, ordering a '68 strat from Ishibashi, Japan, or the AV'57/'62RI. I really wanted an American strat because I'd never had one. Easy! I'm really happy with the guitar!

A strat is something you can easily grab and strum about at home. A Les Paul is a bit cumbersome and heavy and the Rickenbacker isn't well-enough contoured to be played on the sofa while watching the TV without it beginning to eat in to your ribs;) Strats rule on this front!

Ok, the guitar had problems with the setup, the pups had their own quirks and the features weren't quite period correct but I love the guitar. Good partners tend to disagree on some matters and so do my strat and I, such as tuning! It keeps the whole thing interesting!

2005 Fender AV62 with nitrocellulose 3color sunburst, 21 thin vintage frets and 3 way switch for the vintage spec single coil pickups. Since about 1998 or so Fender has been using revoiced, beveled pickups on the AV62. This guitar is all about vintage vibe so it's features are pretty accurate to a 1960 Stratocaster. That's right I said "1960 Stratocaster", but I'll get to that later. Tuners are klusun style and the neck is Indian rosewood. The case for the AV62 is brown tolex with leather end pieces and gold interior. If the clerk hands you a tweed case just give him your best gear snob look and say, with a raised eyebrow and french accent, "My good man, the tweed case is for the maple neck AV57 and is quite inappropriate for this instrument. Please, bring me the brown tolex case." Case comes with strap, polish cloth,5way switch, hex wrench,and extra springs for the tremelo. I rate this a 9 only because there are not a ton of features. But the AV62 is everything that you will need in a guitar.

The Sound. I listen to everything from country to rock, pop and blues. My playing is blues influenced by the styles of Albert King,Clapton, Hendrix and Keith Richards so this guitar fits my
sound. I play through a Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue and I find that this is a perfect match...bell like tone with the amp volume under 4 and a touch of roadhouse growl with the amp and guitar volumes pushed. What do ya wanna play? Jazz, blues,rockabilly, country, funk, rock...this is the guitar to cover all styles, except for apocalyptic speed thrash metal. It's possible to get a nice overdive with this combination but I don't think you will get a speed metal crunch. Fender says that the pickups are reverse engineered from an original 1963 strat pickup and I think they got about as close as you can get to a perfect vintage sounding pickup. These are vintage bell like, if you've got the chops you can get both a Sultans of Swing like sparkle and a Little Wing like reasonance. If you're thinking of changing pickups, well go ahead, but here's what I've found out. I've owned at least 8 stratocasters and all of them were either American Series, Custom Shop Time Machine or American Deluxe so I've heard and used a variety of Fender pickups. I've also tried the Fat 50's, Custom Shop 54, Texas Special, and Seymour Duncan Antiquity II's in my American Vintage 62. My favorite pickups have been the Custom Shop 54s, because of their balanced tone and ability to adapt to different amps, music styles and pick or fingerstlye playing. What I've found is that the 57/62 pickups that come stock on this guitar are slightly warmer sounding than the Custom Shop 54 pickups. The 57/62 pickups have a sustained clarity during lead playing and are balanced with a slight warm bell like ring when playing chords. Both the 57/62 and the Custom Shop 54's use a .1 capacitor for the tone pot so I think this may account for the warm sound even though "technically" the tone pot should not affect the pickup when the pot is on 10. Also the 57/62 are modeled after a later time period than the Custom Shop 54's so that gives the 57/62 a slightly different sound. I'm not a scientist but I know what I hear and I think that the Custom Shop 54's are a bit louder than the 57/62. However, the preception of loud may be attributed to the greater vocal range of the Custom Shop 54. Anyway, the point is that in my opinion the Custom Shop 54 pickups are hands down the sweetest, most vocal and lyrical pickups that I have tried. In comparison, the 57/62 pickups are very, very close in terms of pick response, tonal versitlilty and lyrical vocal quality to what I hear in the Custom Shop 54's. I'm talking RCH close. If you don't know what a RCH measurement is, then ask your Dad. The sound of the 57/62 pickups are smooth and chimey in the neck and middle while the bridge is almost telecaster like twangy but without being shrill or icepick. A good upgrade is to add a tone control mod for you bridge pickup, it's a simple mod that your local guitar store can do in less than an hour. The tone control modification allows you to use the second tone knob to roll back some of the brigthness of the bridge pickup. So before you spend hard earned money on new pickups get a cd that best captures the tone that you're looking for...Sit down with a tasty beverage and listen. Now take a screwdriver and adjust your pickup heights untill you dial in the sound that you want. It won't be dead on balls exact to the cd, but it will be close enough that your own indivdual sound will shine through. Want to get in the range of Stevie Ray? Well, the AV62 and a tube screamer will get you there. Forget the Texas Specials for a while and go up to a heavier set of strings. 10s are good...work your way up to 11s if you can! The big strings will provide more beef to your tone and are a lot cheaper than new pickups. Got the attitude and the metaphyscial ability to sing while playing simultaneous lead and dance floor but

This is my third American Vintage 62 and over the years I have bought, borrowed, tried out or played many other AV62 and AV57 Stratocasters and AV52 Telecasters. With one exception, and I mean ONE exception, each guitar has been consistent in quality fit and finish. The one exception needed a professional setup for the action and that brought the guitar up to professional level. By now everyone should understand that a factory setup is a just a baseline standard that should fit most players but realistically can not fit every individual. You may have to have the action adjusted to fit your playing style but what you receive out of the box should be within a set tolerance. I've found the overwhelming majority of the American Vintage line guitars to be in tune, plug and play status out of the box. The nut and frets on this guitar are well cut and the frets are polished and smooth edged. Under the pikguard you'll find black bottomed pickups wound to vintage specs of about 5.6k resistence complete with cloth wiring and precise solder joints. Surgical tubing is used for the pickup screw adjusters, wire springs weren't used until the late 60's. The pickups and tone pots are mounted to the pickguard under an aluminum shield that covers the full area of the pickguard and acts as a shield against hum. The Indian rosewood fretboard is slab style, slightly rounded on the shoulder edges and has a robust chocolately coloring. The nitrocellulose finish looks terrific and will age nicely. Remember, nitrocellulose is a thin finish so the AV62 will show wear more quickly than a poly finished American Standard or American Series. Still, I like the nito look as it will allow the guitar to age like a vintage strat would. By the way, most strats are now and have always been 2 or 3 piece bodies, the difference is how well joined and reasonant the pieces are. Yes, there are exceptions, there are always execptions, but for the most part a Strat is going to be a 2 or 3 piece Alder wood body. The attention to detail is evident in this guitar and I think that despite it's 1962 moniker, the American Vintage 62 Stratocaster may actually be a closer reproduction of a 1960 vintage strat. Case in point, true 1962 stratocasters have two patent numbers on the headstock decal but the AV62 has no patent numbers on the headstock which is like a 1960 strat. Also, the yellow target style sunburst like the one found on the Time Machine Custom Shop 60 is more likely to to be found on a later period strat. Yes, there are exceptions but for the most part a true 1960 Stratocaster would have a 3 color Sunburst with a translucent yellow in the center. Meaning you would be able to clearly see the grain of the wood through the yellow portion of the sunburst, just like on the AV62.
Finally, Dan Smith a Fender employee who helped launch the AV series has been quoted as saying that the AV62 was modeled after the neck and body of two guitars...a 1961 Stratocaster and a 1960 Stratocaster. So there you have it, not a very scientific dissertion but those are some of my reasons for thinking that the AV62 is actually closer in many respects to a 1960 stratocaster rather than a 1962. The comparisons and speculating are all in fun because the real goal is having an reliable instrument that is made of quality components and that will challange you to become a better player. In my opinion the AV62 is a high quality instrument that is consistent in fit and finish. Action is typically set to facory specs, playable out the box and readliy adjustable to individual playing style.

This guitar is sturdy, reasonant and suited for professional use. The frets are thin vintage stlye but as long as you stick with nicklewound strings you should be fine. Strap buttons are vintage syle but well fitted. The nitro finish is going to scratch, dent and probably get a little richer in color, but that's what as vintage style strat is supposed to do! I have gigged with this guitar and other guitars of the American Vintage series and will continue to do so because they hold up to professional level performance. Within reason, you will not have to worry about this guitar. Just don't spill beer in the jack cavity or do a botched pickup change and expect the instrument to work well. It'll take a whipping but don't subject it to any abuse or hostile climate worse than you could take yourself.

I have used Fender authorized repair services before and have been treated in a professional manner each time. Just keep your receipt.

I've been playing for about 10 years now and I keep my gear pretty basic...AV62 Stratocaster for jukejoint blues-rockin' and a Martin 00028ec acoustic for chillin'. There's a Tube screamer and a vox wah pedal around here somewhere and I use a PODxt for recording in cakewalk Home Studio. I would buy this guitar again because it is consistent in quaility, versitile and as close to a vintage stratocaster that I am willing to pay money for. Cost is relative, even a Squire can be expensive jump depending on your commitments to college, mortage or heaven forbid...alimony. It's good to know that for the most part I can consistently buy an AV series and get the sound, quality and durabilty that I expect. I don't have any compalints about this guitar and I would recommend it. Compared to other guitars like my friend's 58 Les Paul and American Series Stratocaser, the AV62 has a thinner neck but it's not a bother for me since I have medium sized hands. In comparison to the Les Paul the pickups of the AV62 are lower output pickups, but man they are soulful! Again I suggest that you use the pickup height adjustment screws to dial in your sound..it works. If rosewood necks aren't your style then try the AV57, which has a larger maple neck. Either way, the American Vintage series is a solid buy that I recommend.

USA 62 reissue in Olympic White - 2004 model. Features? It's a Strat. It won't drive a midi computerised processed whatnot but why buy one if that is what you want. It is THE guitar. Buy something else if you want the guitar to play for you and serve you drinks at the same time.

Certain accessories are quite pointless. I suppose you could use the lead if you ever needed to restrain a burgular.

Nice case.

The sound from this guitar is very very good. It is exactly what a strat should be. You really do not need to fit the 5 way selector as the fitted three way switch can access all the 'in between' twin pick-up modes easily. The real revelation of this guitar is the bridge pickup sound - it has a really fat sound. I have to say I really was overjoyed with the sound. The stock pickups are excellent and I would normally always immediatley change to aftermarket pickups (which I have done for just about every other guitar I have owned). The bridge pickup on my old jap 62 reissue was unusable due to a laughably thin sound. The neck pickup has the right contrast from the bridge pickup sound - warm but with the necessary bite especially when digging in. Even the middle pickup sound is very usuable. The inbetween sounds are absolutely superb best I've heard on any strat I have played. The guitar really does benefit from heavier strings; certainly no lighter than 10's. A higher action also helps achieve a purer fatter tone as we all know that the fingerboard radius of strats can cause fretting out and they can suffer from buzzing with a low action. The pickups are not overly noisy and certainly do not merit changing because of noise. Don't adjust them too close to the strings - yes they are relatively low output but they really do allow fantastic clarity when using an overdriven sound. The guitar is very versatile although most of the sounds are quite recognizable, you'll know its a strat. Great for blues,rock and everyhting in between. Not an obvious choice for heavy metal or whatever it is called these days. Sounds excellent with a variety of amps but I certainly don't subcribe to the a good guitar/amp will make anyone sound good theory - it won't you'll still have to learn how to play the thing and alot of players find strats difficult compared to modern guitars.

Fabulous finish. A great looking instrument. The neck really excels on this guitar - yes I understand the criticism of the slight overspill of coloured lacquer onto the fret marker dots but this is a very minor flaw and overall the neck is fabulously finished. Mine has a slight flaming on the headstock which looks great. You cannot beat these old style tuners and the tuners are far superior to those on the cheaper reissue models. The neck is super comfortable but this really is down to personal preference. I have always preferred a strat neck and play in the blues 'three fingered style' with thumb over the fingerboard. I cannot stand flat, ironing board wide, fingerboards which are dreadfully uncomfortable - but again it depends on your playing style. My only worry regarding the finish of the guitar is how the coloured lacquer will age. Will the maple look too dark after many years wear? any thoughts anyone? My only real criticism of the guitar is the finish of plastic tremelo spring cover which looks like something made during a junior school home economics project. But most of us will take it off and lose it anyway. Had mine setup at the shop before purchase although this was a waste of time as I had to adjust it to my taste anyway. Most guitars techs think everybody wants the lowest action and only three springs in the tremelo block! Great fretwork however.

It's a strat - you could beat off a hoard of marauding monsters with it and still get home in time for supper with hot butterred eggs and lashing of strawberry jam. I mean play a gig.

Beware of using steel strings on it. Those vintage frets will wear in no time.

N/A

Have been playing for around 25 years and really do think this is one the best guitars around. I'm just not interested in any of the modern guitars. You can't beat a decent strat or a les paul. Real vintage prices have gone crazy recently. It's funny how the fashions change - you could by an old marshall and a seventies strat (mostly terrible guitars) for a piece of string and a murray mint in the 80's now they are worth a fortune. This guitar does therefore represent a good buy especially when compared to frightening vintage prices and what you can now pay for some new instruments. Overall an excellent working guitar. You really only need to look at the wealth of guitar greats who use a strat to understand the value of these instruments. Would certainly have to buy another if lost. There really is currently no other choice.

Basic 1995 American Vintage '62 Strat, Black with rosewood board, 21 frets, '57-62' pickups

I'm primarily a blues player. Not much on effects except for a Dunlop original Cry Baby occasionally. I pretty much plug straight in to a Peavey Delta Blues. Doesn't appear to be exceptionally noisy, but I keep the gain down. The 57'-62' pups really deliver the vintage sound I was after and I haven't even put the 5 way switch in yet.

This one had been sitting in the shop for several years, so the tech had to do a thorough set up and spray the pots and switch. He would have to break it down anyway since there is no way to tell the date of manufacture with certanty unless you remove the neck and find the date stamps.

This guitar can take some punishment. I think that's a pretty well established fact.The hardware is solid. Bridges will rust if not taken care of and the finish will wear. Finish wear can be a good thing. Strats are as dependable a guitar as you will find, but always take the backup.

If you buy from a reputable dealer, you won't ever have to deal with them.

I've been playing off & on for 35 yrs. It's more of a hobby now. Currently own a '97 Big Apple Strat and a 2000 American Series. I didn't really want this guitar but it sounded too good. I'll probably keep it a year or two and trade it for something else. I think the American Series is hard to beat for playability. The AV62's with their neck radius and skinny frets make it a little tougher doing those two step bends.

Mine is an Olympic White,Alder body, maple neck,rosewood fingerboard aged pickup covers,switchtip, tremolo tip. Mint green pickguard. American made in 2004. Nice "C" shaped neck.Comes with a strap, signal cable,extra tremolo springs , and 5 way pickup selector switch if you want to update the 3 way switch that comes installed at the factory. I have another 62 reissue made in 1984 that I bought new that same year. It has a thinner neck. I actually prefer the neck on the new onw but they are both fantastic instruments.This is a beautiful guitar. Nice contrast between the white body, mint green pickguard, and rosewood fingerboard.

It has the legendary Fender sound. I play through a Mesa Road King and the amp just loves Strats !The strat is a very responsive guitar to your touch.

I didnt change the setup much from what was done at the factory. I dont use tremolo so I had the floating tremolo laid down on the body.The guitar was manafactured very well at the factory.

I have several fender strats and teles. I've never had an issue with any of them.

Ive only called them once and they answered all my questions.

Ive been playing for 35 years and I love this guitar. I play lots of dates and these guitars stand up to the test. The working mans guitar !

My strat was shipped in from america in 2002 as i am a cheapskate and can't be bothered to pay english prices. All in all the guitar came out at about #600 which ain't bad.
the 21 vintage frets play nicely, but don't like massive bends which is annoying for blues artists, and also, the neck could have been more accurate to vintage guitars of the time as they were thicker than todays reissues. Fender could bung on the SRV strat neck and that would probably be a could compromise.
the finish is olympic white laquer and seems nice to look at. What i would suggest is to change the shitty green pick guard for an even cooler look.

pickups sounded awful when i first got it- too much treble, but now they have smoothed out nicely, except for the bridge, but i'll come onto that later. i run mine through a marshall avt 100 combo, and it sounds damn good, this guitar is suited to most styles (bar metal) but if you want a decent distortion, lower the pickups or they will feedback too much and do not produce a decent "true" tone. As for the bridge, this is crap. The sound is far too thin for a bridge pickup, and even with 10's for strings, it doesn't give a decent enough grunt, so i hope to put a seymour duncan ssl 3 for more punch. The pickups are quite noisy, but to be honest, SRV, Hendrix and others didn't complain when they gigged, so my advise is- just deal with it, and if you must, get noiseless pickups. I would recommend that you use 10's or higher gauges of string, as it don't sound very good with light strings, and will leave you dissappointed and 6 pounds out of pocket.

The guitar came with a lovely dent in it (thankyou fender) but it isn't visible to anyone but me when i'm playing it. Also, the bridge screwthread was dodgy, so vibrato use is pretty much crap (thankyou fender), but still, i'm a slowhand fan and so have clampped down the thing anyway. other than those flaws, the guitar works well, and once i clampped down the floating vibrato, it stays in tune very well.

The guitar still works after 2 years, and the pickups sound very good, so if you are worried about the tinny sound when you first buy, don't worry, as in a year they will sound nice and smooth. If impatient, buy some SSL 1's, and thatll be just as good (if not better) than waiting.
The finish is still sturdy, and has begun to darken nicely, and i can see this guitar lasting for a few more years yet.

haven't delt with them, but apparently the guitar shop assistant is a very nice chap.

this guitar is a damn good one, and better still, it will be amongst a few vintage reissues in years to come that will still work, as the originals will inevitably fall apart, and will be upgraded so much that they will no longer be original, so this will be as good as you get to the real thing in around 20 years time, and if it was stolen, i'd claim the insurance and buy another one because it is so good, and if you havent got the cash to buy an original, get a vintage reissue, and you will be merry.- but i'd still change the bridge pup as it is shit.

1986 Fender Stratocaster '62 reissue, American made in vintage white
rosewood neck (finger board) dot markers, traditional appointments
kluson tuners, complete with vintage style tweed case, case products including a cord, bridge cover, tremelo arm, five way switch (to upgrade from traditional 3 way switch) and fender guitar strap.
small traditional headstock, chrome hardware. Very cool looking strat.

A Fender Stratocaster is the ultimate guitar for me. I play Blues, and 60's infulenced pop music...but can play country flavored stuff. The tone is all I need, I can play nice and mellow with a strat in the neck position, yet jangle up the tone in the out of phase position between the bridge and middle pick up. The American '62 reissues have not disappointed me with regard to their sound. I have owned several of them over the years, (all from the mid to late 1980's), and have found them to be what I had expected from the sound of a fender strat....but of course, as compared to a vintage 1966 I used to play, the tone is not even close. But unless you are in the position to compare the reissues to the real thing, you'll never know the difference. Some players feel the reissues sound weaker, (changing to Seymore Duncan Antiquity strat pick-ups should do the trick). I have a vintage 1962 Start, and the Duncans are nearly duplicates as far as the tone. Now the Jap reissue strats of the late 1980's and mid 1990's sound awful. The cheap poplar bodies, and crappy pick-ups will never live up to my expectations, so if you can't afford a custom shop strat, buy a USA vintage reissue. They'll do just fine! I play straight through any tube fender amp I can find. I have a 60's princeton reverb, and the only effects I use are from the amp. Just alittle reverb or tremelo once in a while. I love Tom Verlaine, and his playing style...so I have fun messing around with fender amps.

I have always hated the necks on these guitars. They are way too thin for my liking, and I have since sold/traded off all of my '62 reissues for that reason. Lately, I have been buying some of the custom shop strats, which typically have a thicker, FATTER neck...usually with figured wood...and better sounding pick-ups. I am much more comfortable playing these guitars. Actually, the Jap reissues I had mentioned earlier, have nice fat necks, and play so much better than the USA reissues. I will argue that they are finished, and stay in tune just as good as any USA reissue, the down side is those shitty (plinkitty plink) sounding pick-ups. I had considered putting a Jap reissue strat neck on an American reissue body....this would have solved the problem for me, but I bought a custom shop instead. You can purchase my old '86 1962 reissue from www.andysguitars.com. The other pet peave I've had with these guitars is the FAKE looking white plastic dots on the finger board. I don't think fender really did a good job paying attention to detail when creating those reissues prior to the custom shop getting involved.

Fender gutars are the most durable guitars you can ever expect to own. I saw an interview with some musician who played a telecaster, and a strat. He was asked..."why do you play fender guitars" His responce..... "because you can hammer a nail into the side of a barn with them, and then go play a gig".

Never had to get support from fender. All you need is a schematic sheet, and the right tools. Anybody can work on a fender guitar.

Overall, the USA '62 starts are good guitars. I would have kept mine if the necks were Fatter, but otherwise, a good solid performing instrument.

Bought 2nd hand in 2004, made according to the neck and body stamps in April 1999
I won't bore you with the features, they should be quite familiar by now.
Whatever it's history, I bought it with no visible signs of wear, and all accessories still sealed in the original packaging.
It's a suburst, with an almost black rosewood fingerboard. I'd tried another '62 reissue whilst looking for an amplifier and been most impressed with the general feel of the thing; tried in vain to locate a sunburst example (Fender seem to be going through a bit of a hiatus in the UK at the moment (April 2004)), so when I saw this one, I grabbed it. Fortunately it's an excellent example, I've seen others with fingerboards which can only be described as "donkey brown" in colour, and they vary somewhat in feel. This one's gorgeous.
It's a Strat, so "10 - tons of features" seems an odd rating, however it's an excellent Strat, so it gets 10 regardless.

From what I've had a chance to run it through (Mesa Boogie, Peavy), it seems to hit all the right strat noises. It's not too noisy unless you put it very close to a gainy amp, and a few minutes with a soldering iron gets you the (included) five-way selector switch and the lovely out-of-phase tones, which let's be honest, make all the difference.
I really don't know why Fender don't fit this by default and leave the 3-way for any retro nuts. Unless they are guessing that people buy these, rather expensive, guitars as collectors items. That would be a great pity, because it plays a lot better than my 94 American Standard Strat, and that's a pretty decent guitar as well.

Don't know about the factory setting. Someone had adjusted the pickups in a somewhat eccentric fashion, but as I said, it's history is a mystery to me. I took it apart, put in the 5-way switch and adjusted the neck for heavier (0011 - 0053) strings and tweaked the action as per the instructions.
Thus fiddled with, the tighter radius and slightly faster neck than the '94 mentioned above make this the perfect instrument for shuffles, chords and fast runs. I've played it so much since getting it that my hands hurt, and I play a lot of guitar!

Again, It's a Strat, and a premium one at that. I imagine that my grandchildren, should they be so inclined, will get a lifetime's use out of it.
The nitrocelluose finish will wear, but that adds to the charm.

Nope.

I've been playing for 26 years, and have always been rather fons of Strats, even in the 70's-80's when they were a bit of a mixed bag.
I bought a new one in '94 and have been delighted with it, even though the slightly larger neck makes it a bit of a fight for someone with relatively small hands. This one in comparison plays like a dream.
It has the best neck I've ever played on a Fender guitar, and flatters my playing to a most agreeable degree.
If it was stolen, I'd get another one like a shot.
Here in the UK, there is rather a large price difference between the '62 vintage reissue ( about #1250) and the U.S. standard (about #690) strat, but really, there is no doubt; you should save up for twice as long. You won't regret it. Again "10 - fantastic value" is a bizzare rating for such an expensive instrument, but considering what a genuine '62 strat in perfect condition would cost, perhaps it is fantastic value. It's the best Fender instrument I've ever played.

1962 Fiesta Red (Nitro finished) reissue Fender Stratocaster made in 1997. The look, feel, sound, and finish of this guitar are just about flawless. Go to Fender.com for all of the technical info. on the guitar.

I've been a Blues player all my life - and, it's always been the Stratocaster that has been the guitar, to help me to find my "voice" when playing Blues leads or rhythms....To me, a Fender and a Gibson, feel like completely different instruments. I could never get a Gibson to "light-up" in my hands - The Stratocaster is so much more Soulful and Funky, I guess that's why I've never put one down for the last 30 years, and it perfectly fits the style of music I am drawn to.

The '57/'62 pickups have that classic vintage Fender shimmer which I love, and of course, have the classic/frowned upon 60-cycle hum as well. I use all of the positions, however, the Neck and Neck/Middle are my favorites. In my opinion, the very best of a Stratocaster shines through with songs like "Lenny" and "Riviera Paradise". (Neck-Neck/Middle position - The Heart and Soul of the Strat) The Bridge is just too bright and sharp for my taste.

There is nothing that I "dislike" about the guitar, however, the '62 C-shape neck is a bit harder to play than the newer 9.5 radius necks, and I would prefer if the edges had been "rolled" for the comfort factor. Also, the vintage size frets are just too small - the medium-jumbos are perfect for my style - Blues, with a lot 1 and 2 step bends.

This '62 reissue came through like something from the Fender Custom Shop. The Fiesta Red finish in Nitro. Lacquer is Flawless and Stunning. (especially, with the white pearl pickguard added) The vintage amber tinted neck just adds to the Vintage Vibe of an authentic '62.

It's a Stratocaster - Just about Bombproof...

I've had a contact at Fender that I occasionally e-mail. I've been dealing with him since '97, and he has returned every one of my concerns with great detail, and has been a pleasure to deal with. Thanks John W.!

How long have you been playing? On and Off for 30 years!

What other gear do you own? Original '67 Fender Blackface Super, Original '64 Fender Champ, '97 Fender Blues Jr., '97 Olympic White Lone-Star, Vintage Vox Wah, Tubescreamer TS-9.

Is there something you wish you had asked before buying this guitar?
NO - I knew what I wanted.

If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else? YES, I would replace it with a Custom Shop Fiesta Red 60's reissue.

What do you love about it? Its Curves, Feel, Balance, Looks and Mostly - the Neck/Middle Position.

What do you hate? 60-cycle hum

What is your favorite feature? Everything - It's PERFECT!

Did you compare it to other guitars? I've had close to 50 Stratocasters over the years, and this one, another '62 reissue in Candy Apple Red, and the 1st year American Standard in Olympic White w/rosewood were my favorites.

Why did you choose this one? Because Fiesta Red is the coolest Fender color ever, and I Love the 60's circa Stratocasters!

Anything else you'd like to share? A Great guitar and Great gear are an inspiration to play, however, I feel that the gear is only 10% of the formula - the real Tone comes from the player himself... His/her feel for the instrument, their attack, their left hand/right hand technique, and most importantly - their energy with the instrument. Ph.4:13!

62 vintage reissue, black, 2003 model

All the hoop-la over the new 57/62 pickups is just that...they sound ok, but Ive heard better. I'm not one to screw around with a stock piece, and usually I dont, but I had a brainfart the other day, and went with it for shits and giggles...GLAD I DID! Took the guts from a Jimmy Vaughn strat (yes, Mexican), and attached them to the 11 hole pickguard or the 62. The Tex-Mex pickups are probobly the BEST stock Fender pickups made at this time! (GO FIGURE, the're American made, along with the rest of the guts). Having a tone control for the bridge pickup produces a sound I've NEVER heard on a strat before, (and I've been a strat freak for 33 years!) The neck of the Vaughn model is to DIE for, and makes my Fender custom shop strats look bad! ( Yes! you read right!) So I bolted the maple v-neck on the 62 as well. When Fender gets a hold of this, We'll all be paying alot more I'm sure! (Rat Bastards!)

Perfect in EVERY way (NOW)

Its a strat, Nuff Said!

Not bad, if you dont mind waiting 6 months.

Playing for over 30 years, too many guitars to list, suffice to say, Ive gone through some money in all those years! Currently own 41 guitars, vintage and new. This little axe has it all, and breaks my heart at the same time. (look at the money I wasted!) Who knew? I wish someone out there had tried this before me, it would have saved me alot of bucks!

bought new for 1109.

Has all that were discussed. my only gripe is with the action. the guitars I tried in the store played great and the one I ordered (3 color) feels like it's fighting back when I try to bend or slide around the neck (familiar with the sticky neck too). had it set up right away to lower the action to help this , needed a neck adjust from weather also), but still fights and now it may be too low and below the 12 fret it buzzes as I fret.

Anyone have this problem ? recommendations. I'm thinking of thinner strings an the vintage may be too 'iron' like.

sounds great. now noise.

again my gripe is with the action. any help?

seems solid.

not used

great but fighting with the action/ bending

Hallo there, I'm from Italy, so...excuse me for my bad english! Well...I've bought this guitar about ten years ago and I've found it very good. It's american vintage 62 Stratocaster I've played not for so many time 'cause I've preferred my Gibson Les Paul Artisan for blues. But now I'm playing rock in a band, so I think this is PERFECT!

Oh...the sound is fantastic...U can play it in a Marshall or in a Fender ampli...it's the same...it has the sound you think for a strato...eventhought U are strong, U have to give TEN!!!

Well...I think the best in this guitars are the keys...it's always tuned even after a strong use, but I think the bridge is not perfect...in other words...U have to set very well if U wanna each string plays at best!

Yes...I think this Fender is well made...your fingers will slide along it easily...

I've bought used...

actualy this is an addition to my review from 7/10/03, a black american 62 reissue. i'm addding a few things below in the action fit section and sound.

i just wanted to share my expirience with my guitar. At this point i feel that it's very critical how high you set the pickups.

After trying a few heights i've decided, that the LOWER the pickups are, the sweeter the strat sound i get. Try for very low and see how it is, then raise a bit but take notice of how it changes your sound.

I've refretted my guitar with larger frets, the same ones they put on american standarts. to be honest - i'm not sure yet if it was a great idea. the nect that was tiny has become more like an american standart size, bigger. I think it did good for the sound...

Finish - be carefull with it. It is very easy to ruin it. I've jammed around with my jeans with out even wearing a belt, when i afterwards lookd at the back of guitar it had many lines and shitt ruinning the finish. in five minutes a guitar that was completly new become 15 yeares old.

The E sting is "sitaring", and i guess it's the string tree behind the nut.

i will be happy to share these noted experiences with anybody who wants, my email adress is below.