Fender Floyd Rose Classic Strat

1996 US made... It has 22 jumbo frets (which I find a bit too heavy...), a rosewood fretboard, S/S/H pickup configuration (2 Standard Fender single coils and 1 PAF Pro DiMarzio humbucker), an Original Floyd Rose trem and strap locks. I bought it with a Vintage Fender case (it's really beautiful!!!), a cable, a strap,...

I play many different styles, so I needed a guitar that's very versatile...And the fact is, I can play rock, metal, jazz, blues or funk with it!!!It sounds very bright and full, much more than others superstrats...Though, I think I'm gonna change the pickups for EMGs, because the single coils tend to be noisy and lack output...Moreover, in my opinion the humbucker lacks definition.

It was perfectly set up from the very beginning, though I can't understand why they always put extra-light strings...I replaced 'em with custom lights, and as a result my axe sounds much fuller... Elseways, the finish was and still is perfect, and there are no flaws on my beloved strat ;-)

My trusty strat has withstanded many a gig and the only trouble I experienced was the strap button broke a couple of months ago...I also used to break many strings...but I changed my picks and now it's way better ;-)...but I still always have a backup guitar just in case of need...

Never had to contact them...though I've been told they're nice and helpful...

I've been playing it for 2 years, along with a rack system (Rocktron Piranha preamp, Alesis Quadraverb GT fx processor and Mesa-Boogie power amp and cabs), and there isn't a style I can't play with those... Though, when I have it refretted I think I'll have lighter frets set in...I'm also in the process of changing the pickups, as I said...Anyway, it's still one of the best axes I've ever used, and I really for that price it's a killer!!! If it were stolen, maybe I would buy a Schecter instead of it, but it's much more expensive, so...This axe is close to perfect, and it has virtually everything I like in an axe...plus, the sunburst finish is really beautiful...

OK...year manufactured 1998. Made in USA. 22 medium jumbo frets. Standard Strat knob config: two tone, one volume w/5 way selector switch. Original Floyd Rose trem system. "Premium" alder body. Vintage-style tuners. 25.5" scale length, neck radius at 9.5". This guitar comes in a couple different variations. Mine is the maple neck w/HSS pickup configuration (Fender DH-1 humbucker in bridge position, Fender American Standard single coils in the neck and bridge positions). Mine is gloss black with white pickguard, knobs, pickup covers, etc. Came with low-end black tolex case (not the slightly better deluxe one unfortunately), cheasy cheap-o Fender logo strap (not that I'm complaining), strap locks, allen wrenches, cable, and guitar cloth. With the exception of the Floyd Rose system w/it's elaborate bridge workings, locking nut, etc. this is a very basic, simple guitar. I'm giving it the highest possible rating in this category for that very reason. It has everything I need and want on a guitar, and is'nt muddied up with a load of useless features. If I'd wanted a guitar with TBX controls, push pull switches, gizmos, gadgets, etc. etc. Then I would'nt have bought the FR Classic Strat. The only thing I could've done without is this little attachment bolted onto the back of the headstock to hang your allen wrenches from. Was there really a demand for this? If so, then why stop there? How about a hook to hang your keys from, a drink caddy, and maybe a cigarrette holder? I love the Floyd trem too by the way. I can't keep my hands off it. Fender really should have included a routing under the bridge to allow for pullups. Having such a great whammy system is a big plus and a big selling point. By not routing underneath it's not able to be utilized to it's full potential. Actually, I should knock off 1/2 a point because of that. Overall score in this category: 9 & 1/2.

In theory this guitar should deliver exactly what I want from it which is classic strat single coil tones when playing using the neck and middle positions, with the option of adding extra power and edge when needed by engaging the secret weapon humbucker. Now, I say "in theory" because I'm playing it through a little Marshall VS15R practice amp, so I have'nt yet heard what it's really capable of. So, it really would'nt be fair for me to judge and rate the tonal qualities of this guitar until I've experienced it's full potential by playing it through a real amp. That's why I'm not giving this guitar a rating in this category. I will say that it does sound nice through my little amp though. The single coils alone sound a little dull and lifeless, but I'm trusting that since the pickups used are touted as being decent pickups, that what I'm hearing (or not hearing) is merely the limitation of my wimpy little amp. As far as the humbucker goes, it was the reason I went with this HSS setup over a standard SSS setup. Single coils in the bridge position do have a brightness, but sound too thin and brassy to me to be useful, but humbuckers in the bridge position have that same bright, edgey quality, but add the extra dimension of power needed to pull it off. So I love the combination of the two singles in front and the bucker in the rear. As far as the quality of the DH-1, the jury is still out. It sounds OK through my little practice amp, but as I said before, since I have yet to play this guitar through a real amp, I would'nt be able to deliver an accurate assesment. This model also comes in a HH configuration which is a humbucker in the bridge and one in the neck. A combination of single coil and full humbucker setups can be accesed via the 5-way switch. However, a combination of humbucker AND single coil combinations cannot be accessed. It's either or. That's why I went with the HSS. I like the idea of the singles AND the bucker at once. If I want a humbucker in the neck I'd look for something other than a strat. The humbucker in the bridge is an essential element though.

I did'nt do an overall rating for this category because there are several factors to address here. First off, the fit and finish deserve a perfect score of 10. I guess I lucked out in this respect since I bought this guitar sight unseen. Everything was perfect right out of the box. No flaws are visable anywhere. I won't go into detail, I'll just say everything is as it should be. Since a common complaint about Fenders is a loose neck to body fit, I would like to mention that mine is nice and perfectly snug. I also love the look of this guitar. It basically emulates the look of one of the re-issue models with it's "aged" maple neck, and vintage-style tuners (they're lousy, next-to-useless tuners, but since the Floyd locking nut renders them useless anyway, it's cool that they chose these as the tuners to use as they are the coolest looking). I just wish they'd gone one step further and fitted it with the mint-green pickguard and "aged" knobs and pickup covers. That would have been the perfect touch. But I can understand why they did'nt as this guitar is supposed to be a kind of hybrid stylistically ie; a combination of classic and modern looks and features. I also love the feel of this guitar and Strats in general. The "comfort contouring" really makes a big difference. Strats are the perfect couch-potato guitar. I can lay down on the couch and play, stop and concentrate on the TV, then comfortably nap out while still holding it. Try doing that with a Les Paul! I also like the feel of this neck. It's a little on the thinner flatter side. I have medium to small sized hands. I've been playing music since I was a kid (drums), but I'm a novice guitar player. To all beginners I submit that selecting a guitar with a comfortable neck is THE most important element when first starting out. I started on a guitar with a thick rounder radiused neck which was hard for me to play. When I switched to this one it made all the difference in the world. As far as the factory set-up, I won't even mention that. I think it's useless and unfair to make that a determining factor in rating or scoring a guitar. Who cares about the set-up?! What's important to me is the overall craftsmanship and attention to detail in the building of an instrument, not if it needs tuning or a minor adjustment out of the box. Now, on to two points I'd like to address. First, on the Fender website the tonewood used to make this guitar is listed as being "premium" alder. Is there anyone out there who knows what "premium" alder means? Most of their other models simply say alder. If anyone has any inside info on this please e-mail me. I've heard all kinds of lore and horror stories about how the big companies will advertise that their guitars are made of, for example, mahogany, when in fact yes they do use mahogany, but just a thin ply of mahagony with the rest being cheap-o filler wood. I can't imagine that anyone with any name, reputation, or clout would actually do this. This practice would be dubious, shady, misleading, and highly unethical at best, and (I would think) completely illegal at worst. Does this sort of thing really take place? Can anyone with any inside knowledge tell me what actual wood went into the making of my guitar? Are guitar makers held accountable to any sort of standards? Secondly, I was very disapointed to discover AFTER I got my guitar that Fender now adheres to a new practice of routing out one giant pickup cavity under the pickguard, instead of creating a seperate cavity for each pickup. Apparently, since they now offer Strats in many different pickup configurations, they produce just one universally cavity'd body to cut down on production costs. Now, that's great for Fender and Fender stock holders, but it sucks for Fender customers. I can't say that I definately would'nt have bought this Strat if I'd known about this practice in advance, but I definately would have researched other options first. The only upside to this, slight as it may be, i

This guitar is built like a brick $#!%house. It appears to be solid as a 1000 year old redwood. The finish is nice and thick, and appears to be durable. I'm just a bedroom hobbyist player though and plan on handling this guitar with care and fastideously maintaining it's appearance, so I'm not one to tell anyone what sort abuse a Strat can take. The Floyd Rose system also keeps this guitar reliably in tune. I was very unimpressed by the way the regular Strats go out of tune if you even so much as look at the trem bar. We're just months away from the futuristic 21st century and Fender has'nt yet devised a way to keep their standard bridge from throwing their guitars out of tune?!? Would I gig without a backup? I'm not, and most likely never will be a gigging guitarist, but if I were, I would never gig without a 2nd guitar on hand. What a silly notion! I was a gigging drummer once. Would I have gigged with only one pair of drumsticks?!?

I've never had to deal with them.

For all the reasons mentioned above, I can't give this guitar an overall definative rating right now. The jury is still out on the sound thing. Right now I have no plans to upgrade to a real amp, and can't say for sure I ever will. Concievably I may never experience this guitar's full potential sound-wise. I'd also need a definative answer on the pickup cavity issue before I could form a final opinion. If one giant pickup cavity is truly an improvement tone-wise over seperate cavities or does'nt make a difference either way, cool. If it's a detriment to the toneality of the guitar, then obviously I'd consider this practice to be nothing short of 2nd rate, irresponsible, shoddy workamanship. I can say that as it stands right at this moment I'm very happy with this guitar. It feels great to hold and it looks, feels, and plays beautifully.

This is a 1995 Fender Floyd Rose Classic Strat. I purchased it new about 3 years from a dealer in Moncton, NB (Canada). It has Fender vintage tuners, a maple neck with 22 medium jumbo frets, an alder body, the original Floyd Rose trem, two Fender American Standard single coils (neck and middle) and a DiMarzio PAF Pro in the bridge. It's designed to look like a vintage strat with a humbucker in the bridge and a Floyd Rose trem. The trem floats but is not routed underneath, so you can pull up on the bar a little. It has the standard 5-way selector switch and one volume two tone controls (normal and TBX). There is also a clamp on the back of the headstock where you can put the allen keys to lock the nut. It came with a strap, strap-locks, a cable, allen keys, polish cloth, and a hard shell case (black tolex).

I bought this guitar because it catered to my two favourite playing styles:hard rock and blues. The PAF Pro provided that "Van Halen" tone, while the single coil in the neck was perfect for that glassy blues sound. I don't use the middle pickup, so I lowered it to be even with the pickguard. I am using it through a Marshall Mini Stack (not a tube amp)and a chorus pedal. The neck pickup has that single coil hum which can be loud if there's an electrical appliance turned on, but mostly it's manageable. It also sounds a little muddy with the gain on full. The bridge pickup drives the amp more and sounds warm and clear. I think I might replace the neck pickup with a Texas Special.

The action on this guitar is very low and the neck is comfortable to play. It was well setup from the factory but did require some minor adjustments. Nothing more than expected, given the fact that every player has a different style. The finish is gloss black and contained no flaws. It's only available in four colours,(Candy Apple Red, Black, Vintage White, and 3 Colour Sunburst), which sucks because I wanted a transparent blue or purple. I may buy a replacement ash body from Warmoth to acheive this. I looked into refinishing the old one but it wasn't economical. It's made of quality materials except I think that the body isn't solid. I've heard that Fender made them from 3 2x4s glued together. Also, there's a huge cavity underneath the pickguard. I supposed that this was done to allow any pickup configuration without additional routing. I wished that they would have left the body cut for the h/s/s configuration. I think that the additional wood creates better tone. The controls are smooth, especially the volume, and the selector switch is quiet. The chrome on the bridge looks like new and I play the guitar every day.

The guitar feels pretty stable. It's impossible to knock it out of tune when the nut is locked. I've had it for three years and other than a few scratches in the finish on the back from my jeans and belt,it looks brand new. I'm surprised that the chrome on the bridge hasn't worn at all (I rest my hand on it when I play). I don't play outside the house so I don't know how it will perform live. Because of the floating bridge, I wouldn't play without a backup. If you break a string your tuning is gone.

Never dealt with the company directly. It took me about three months to receive the guitar after I ordered it, but that may have been due to the dealer.

I have been playing for ten years and have owned a cheap strat copy, an American Standard Strat, an Ibanez RG770, and the Floyd Rose Classic Strat. It is the best guiatr I've owned by far (It's also the most expensive!). If it were stolen I think that I might get a custom copy made in a different colour with an ash body. Fender still make this model but the PAF Pro has been replaced with a stock Fender humbucker and it still only comes in the same four colours.

Im not tooo sure when it was made i bought it at guitar center a year or two , its 22 frets, its s/s/h they have 2 normal single coils and i comes with a PAF pro but i but a duncan custom custom. its got a rosewood neck , maple, its a strat , a floyd rose bridge , umm i think it has vintage fender tuners, idunno the radius for the neck but i like it alot

i dunno its weird andi play really fast heavy music and this fits it great, but also i like acoustic stuff and it does that good to ... i use a fender deluxe 112 plus, and i use the amp distortion and i have a DOD death metal distortion and i love that . it is amazing

i dunno i just got it from someone i traded it with my guitar teacher for a lonestar strat i love this guitar....i got it great becuz i set it up at a store the day i got it

it seems great i only use this guitar , its all i like . its damn dependable too

i dunno never had to

i would only buy this guitar.. i love it , but i mean i like others this is my main

This guitar is basically an American Standard strat with the addition of an original locking Floyd Rose tremolo (chrome) and a Dimarzio PAF Pro humbucker in the bridge position. Two vintage single coils, five way switch, volume, tone, and tbx control. I opted for the candy apple red finish. The body is alder and the neck is maple with 22 medium frets. It has a maple fretboard, they also offer rosewood. The tuners are vintage split on the top with a hole in the center for the end of the string to go into (a nice feature so you don't prick your finger). It came in a hardshell case and fender includes a nice accesory bag with allen keys , manuals, schaller strap locks, fender strap and even a guitar cloth,(it's the little things that count!)

The guitar was made for hard rock but is well suited most styles. I use a Marshall JCM 2000 half stack, Tech 21 amp, and Rocktron chameleon. I replaced the neck pickup with a Dimarzio HS-3 because the vintage single coil was a bit noisy and didn't match up well with the higher output humbucker.The result was a good compliment and a well balanced sound. The tbx control is very useful as it boosts treble one way and bass the other, i would like to equip all my guitars with this. You can get a sound from Buddy Guy to Joe Satriani, it's very versatile and will get better over time.(as a strat does). I give it a 9 since i had to change the pickup.

The guitar was set up very well from the factory. The people at Fender know they can't just get by on name recognition.The intonation was perfect. I lowered the action a bit and changed the .010's to .009's and loosened the truss rod a bit , thats about it. The people who set it at the factory don't know what the player prefers so you can't criticize them. The finish is very thick and durable. There were some pits in the metal of a few bridge saddles but it's no big deal, hey its not a custom shop. The back of the neck was a bit sticky , i prefer the natural feel so, ill probably sand it a bit. They really did a nice job.

The guitar is like a rock and it's a tough job to get it out of tune. The chrome plating seems to hold up better than black or gold plating , so i believe it will last. It does have a floating tremolo so it would be wise to bring a backup to a gig. The tuners are not very heavy duty so you may knock one out if you bang it but it seems stupid to put the best tuners when there's a lock on the nut anyway.

i've never needed help so i can't say but fender is very reputable.

I've been playing more that 15 years and this is my main guitar. I would replace it in a heartbeat and i've even thought of getting the rosewood neck model. The original Floyd Rose is by far the best tremolo ever made , you canno't get it out of tune and the sustain is excellent. If i had to keep one guitar , my les paul and ibanez would go before this one. Since the bridge is floating, they could have routed out under the tremolo allowing pull ups on the whammy, i guess i'll have to do myself. Aside from that and the stock single coils, its a very versitile , solid instrument. Best guitar under $800