Fender Standard Stratocaster

2000
21
classic Fender Statocaster design
Black white pickguard
MEDIUM FRETS
C Neckish

this is a 2000ish FENDER mexi strat it's left handed but I've got it strung up righty.
I bought on a whim one day to flop it over and play a la Hendrix, Very soon after I bought it, I grew board w/it seeing how I have lot's of guitars and this one was pretty much on the bottem wrung cause I've got a lot of other guitars, old new strats teles Ricks, yeah, yeah and on and on.
I just rediscovered discovered this one, this left handed ****** strung right handed really cooks pickupwise I love the sound, better than my 1962 original Fender Stratocaster.
That's right you heard it right...this thing is more likable soundwise to me than the old '62. A bit more punchy sounding than the standard Strat p/ups almost a little like P-90s on a strat.
I don't know what p/ups they put on 'em these days, but the p/ups on my 2000 standard strat are very cool and unique.

setup ok but needed a bit of tweaking

It's pretty tough I guess? as long you don't smash it up.
Body seems a bit soft, the screws don't hold well into the body.

Helpfull,
But don't expect them to Bake up a Bunt Cake fer ya' onboard.

Good solid guitar, the soft body and screw problem sucks otherwise ok.

I own a 2006 standard fender stratocaster with a rosewood fretboard. It has 21 frets and a standard strat body. Since it's a 2006 model it has all of the 2006 models features.

Fender strats are very versatile. I mostly play rock and blues and this guitar absolutely suits my style. I use it with a 25R Frontman and they sound pretty good together. This guitar fits for any kind of rock exists except of metal of course.

When I got the guitar the set-up was perfect. The action is pretty good, but too bad it doesn't have a humbucker pickup.

This guitar is very reliable. I've played with it live couple of times and there wasn't any kind of problems. It is pretty strong and the finish is great.

I never needed the customer support because the guitar is very reliable.

I've been playing for two years and don't have any other gear than my Fender strat and my fender frontman amp. This is my first electric guitar and I think it's perfect for a first electric guitar. I love it's sound but like I've said before I wish it had a humbucker pickup. If it was stolen I would buy it again and make the thief's life as miserable as it can be for taking this great guitar from me. I chose this one because it is very comfortable and reliable and most of the people who played it would agree with me. It's a great guitar but not a perfect one so it deserves a 9.

This is an '07 model purchased in '08. Midnight wine. IMO very beautiful color. I think everybody knows the features of a no frills standard MIM strat. According to the add, this is a vintage style, upgraded model, whatever that means. & on the label on the pickgaurd, it says it's electronics are shielded. Which is probably why this is fairly quiet for single coils. FYI, I've been playing this guitar now for 4 months.

When I bought it, I had to wait for it to be delivered. & I was already preparing to order pickup upgrades. But when I got it, I was pleased enough with the sound. The pickups are apparently vintage wound, not hot, but that suits me fine. They do give that vintage strat sound. I know people criticized the pickups on older models, but perhaps this is what they meant by upgraded. They are slightly noisier than my Gibson Les Paul humbuckers, but not problematically so. If you like higher gain you would probably want to change them. I did get pings from the nut, & off tuning, but graphite in the nut grooves seemed to solve that. It doesn't stay tuned as well as my LP, but I expected that. Stop tails are more stable. I don't use the tremolo arm much, but I keep the bridge the way the factory adjusted it. This is a very dynamic sounding guitar. Good for most genres. Probably not suited for high gain shredders though.

This was pulled out of the box before my eyes. I honestly didn't find any flaws anywhere. The finish is as close to perfect as possible. The action was exactly what you would expect for a light stringed strat. Truss adjustment spot on. & so on. All it needed was to be retuned.

This guitar IMHO is good enough for any professional gig. This thing is as solid as any quality strat. I wouldn't be ashamed to play this in front of a large audience. & yes, without a backup. But probably with slightly heavier gauge strings. Not that anybody would want to hear me. I haven't had any problems with the stock tuners yet either.

1 year warranty.

I jammed when I was younger & I rekindled my interest recently. Mid life scenario, I guess. For the first 2 years I was playing my Gibson LP studio w/2 practice amps & now also a Boss GT10 processor. But I wanted a 2nd guitar. & what better than a strat to compliment a LP. This is the first strat I ever played & owned. Now I see why they're so popular among pros & amateurs alike. Don't get me wrong, I still like the LP. This guitar though is much better value for money, which may not be the case for the more expensive Fenders. But I've grown to love the strat sound, especially in the switches 4th position, & also the fact that they're much lighter, which is good for my bad back. If this were stolen, I would buy another one assuming that the quality & price were the same. Excellent for beginners & pros alike. There's nothing that I hate about this guitar.

I have FENDERS 60th anniversary Stratocaster. 2006 for you guys who aren't up on your guitar history. It's made in Mexico. It's supposedly a limited edition. But what does this mean today. Because the Blizzard pear finish is now part of Fenders color chart. Your typical pickup configuration S/S/S. Pots V/T/T and 5-way. But the pickups are the Tex-Mex reverse wound. Very nice sounding but, not as dynamic as some of the American series single coils. I think the Tex-Mex are sweeter and hotter. But I am told I wrong about this. I played a lot of strats over a few months and the 60th strat just sounded unique for the price range. The neck is what got me, although I thought the frets could have been bigger. I think they are med-jumbo. The satin finish on the maple neck is gorgeous. It has a vintage look that's unbelievable and the neck plate stamp is a nice touch.

Good guitar for that squawk , growl , bell like chime and some really nice sustain on bends and finger vibrato. With the tremolo arm in. The sustain is better, even though I have it blocked. I player though a twin reverb and I use a Vox 50watt valvetronic modeling amp and the tones you get are amazing. Also a Zoom G4, Boss comp, Ibanez flanger from the 80,s and a very old morley wah. The single coils are noisy at times that's typical. But what you get out of them out weighs the noise. The bridge pickup I replace with a Seymour Duncan hot rails w/coil tap. Hot for this guitar? yeah.. But I still sounds like a strat and always will. That abrupt decay ...how do I say it ..strat players know what I mean ... you could put Gibson P90's ,P.A.F's or the hottest humbuckers on the planet in a Fender Stratocaster and she still going to sound like her self because of her scale length and bolt on neck. That's why we love them so much. I don't like the 3ply pick guard. Should have been a one ply more vintage look and all that writing on the head stock that standards have. It's not because it says made in Mexico. Made in the U.S.A and the nomenclature would look tacky as well. Stamp it on back. The guitars a blast to play and the price was right.

Action was poor. Maybe it's me? And probably is. After a few string changes on a Strat's (PHYSCO-NIZED)synchronized tremolo I can windup having the thing at a 45 degree angle to the body no matter how care full I am. So I have it block. It's not a Floyd rose and should be expected to be use as one. The action was high to start with. A setup was needed. There is some over spray on the body. But it's such a beautiful finish. After a good wipe of "65" it's no biggie. Pick guard warping because the screw patterns wrong. The 5-way is tight. Your person touch or not, its still a great guitar.

I turn the key and she starts every time. The finish looks deep like a car finish I don't care i it dulls. As long as it keeps it brightness I will be happy. The frets a flatting sooner than expected. And I wouldn't use it without strap-locks. A mega switch and a 500k pot. Maybe a different bridge pickup and I think is a durable as they come.Don't forget....Change your strings after you change your strings and then change them again. Your at your gig.. You buy cigarettes and beers all night. Your not happy with the sound. Buy some "DAM STRINGS STUPID". It's not the Strat its you.

My Luther says Fender does OK in the warranty department. They were going to replace my neck even after a small turn of the old rod straighten her up.

25 years of playing charvels, washburns and I-BEEN EZ. A wore out 79 Strat opened my eyes to the real vintage sound. I love this fender sound new and old. Play a strat and its the most unique experience in find your sound than any guitar. The versatility is almost! Almost endless.

I've got a 2006 electron blue MIM stratocaster with a rosewood fretboard. It has the typical standard strat features with the 2006+ upgrades: medium jumbo frets, thicker bridge block, and gig bag.

Strats are very versatile. I play blues and some rock so the guitar fits me. The pickups do buzz depending on your pickup selection. Neck/middle or middle/bridge cancels it out. The pickups aren't that bad. That being said, I play through a pretty wimpy amp. I'm sure they'll sound even better through a better amp.

I bought it used. The guy I bought it from rarely played it and it showed. Not a scratch on it. The setup was not the best. Just me being particular. But, its a beautiful guitar. It just looks mean and dangerous.

For all that has been said of MIM strats, this is a quality guitar. It feels solid enough to me. I use heavy gauge strings and really wail away. It stays in tone pretty well.

I looked at four used strats before settling on this one. I called to check serials numbers, get specs, and ask about differences between various years. The guys at fender were great. They gave me all the info I asked for and educated me on the subtle differences between models and years.

I love the guitar. I'm actually already looking for another with a maple neck. I prefer maple necks but after playing this, its not a big deal. I'll likely eventually throw on some Texas Special pickups. I already have a cheap acoustic and an Epi Les Paul Special II.

Mine is a 1998 MIM standard strat in brown burst. It has a rosewood fretboard, and is a typical strat. What other features do you need?

This is my first strat, but I have been playing for many years. I have been a Gibson/Guild fan, and have never considered a strat until a guy in my band got a new one, and told me to check it out. I liked the way it played. Now as for the sound of this guitar, it is good even though it appears to have the stock pickups. I play Blues/Rock and it fits the style fine. I tend to use a distortion pedal, and sometimes delay in front of my amp which can be a Peavey classic 50/50 - Fender 115xp speakers, or a Vox Ac30 I also have a crate palomino that I keep at home for practice. I've always heard about 60hz hum from these things, but haven't had that problem, this is why I qualified the "original pickups" with "appears". The 5 way switch give noticeable difference in tone, and with the tone knobs the sounds you get can be tailored to your liking. It is not a guitar that will get dirty without some form of distortion pedal, but it is a strat.

The set up was pure Sh#@. It was bought used so I can't blame it all on the factory. My dislikes were: Poor fret work - spent about an hour and a half filing and polishing the frets. The quality of the tuners was ridiculously poor, and were upgraded to to locking tuners right away.
The finish on the body is surprisingly good as you can see the wood grain very nicely. The neck was strait and playable, but the "skunk" stripe was rough and needed some steel wool to smooth it out. I hear that Fender is now producing better quality in Mexico, or lets hope so.

It looks reliable, and should be, but I've only had it for a few months so we'll see.
I haven't giged it yet as I'm still a Gibson guy, but I may in the future. I'll probably start it as a backup, I don't play shows without several tuned up guitars. I may through this beside my Guild Bluesbird in the line.

Fender has been good to me in the past when I have needed help with amps. So I'll base my rating on that.

I have been playing for about 25 years, and I've come to the place where I don't need a lot of extra gear that I don't use. So the list of what I own has become smaller over the past few years, but is still too large to name. The basic guitars I play at shows are Gibson Les Paul's (2) a Guild Blues Bird, and a Gibson S-1 (the fender my replace this). If buying again I would do the same thing and get one on E/bay as the ones I have seen are not that much better, and all of them seem to need some improvements (pickups, tuners ect...) unless you pay Big $$$$.$$ I did look at a Jeff Beck Model in a music store and it was nice! I would hate to have something That I would be afraid to scuff up. This is why I went with the used Mex. You can find the same pickups and slap them in for under $200 and still pay less than a third on the Beck model. After my setup with the fret work, neck work, new locking tuners and adjustment to the floating bridge (fender describes how to do this in the old American manuals) I'll be very happy with this guitar. It seems to have wider frets than the Gibsons, and Guilds, but that is not an issue, just a difference. The strings bend a little easier than the Gibsons, but my Guild has a roller bridge and is about the same. Overall it is now a good playable guitar (nothing is a 10)

This is an update 7 years after my first review of the same guitar...a standard Mexican-built Strat. I bought it in Y2K, so it's either a 1999 or 2000 product. Midnight wine finish, maple neck and fretboard. Lovely.

Features? It's a Strat with a 5-way switch. I must say that the standard tuners on this guitar hold tune remarkably well, unless I get too heavy handed with the whammy bar. I do use the tremolo bar, but just to put a bit of shimmy on a minor 9th chord, stuff like that.

I've made a couple modifcations to the guitar. See below in the sound category.

The other major change is my style of playing...I'm pretty much a blues and blues/rock guy now, though dabble in some country-ish styles from time to time.

Just a personal note here. For a lesson on GREAT Strat and Tele tones, listen to the 1999 John Fogerty album Blue Moon Swamp. Good, good guitar on that album.

This category merits a 10 because after owning the guitar for 8 years, the damn thing is ALWAYS in tune!

Okay. Perhaps I was a excessively effusive in my initial assessment of this particular guitar's sound, with the stock pickups and poplar body. (Standard strats now are made with alder bodies). The original ceramic magnet pickups were okay, with the middle pickup being RWRP, so the notch positions were, and still are, quiet. Not a lot of classic Strat glass, twang or bite. Not enough of that good Strat sting. But nice pickups for slide playing with a good bit of dirt dialed in on a tube amp.

So I put in new pickups. Fralin Vintage Hots, with a base plate on the bridge pickup. This brought the guitar to life in a major way. All the essential qualities one associates with a great sounding Strat were obvious with the pickup change.

The other mod I made is one I HIGHLY recommend. I installed a Fat-O-Caster rotary switch from Deaf Eddie parts. This, in conjunction with the stock 5-way switch, gives a total of 10 different tones, including 3 humbucking options. So now I have master volume and master tone and the 3-way rotary switch for selecting the different pickup configurations. The one I like a LOT is the neck/bridge combo, which is quite Tele-like. Other tones I get are similar in tone to a bridge position humbucker and also a neck position humbucker. All sounds retain Strat-like qualities, though. I'm quite surprised Fender hasn't bought Deaf Eddie's operation and made this mod a standard feature on Strats.

I'd say the sound with the stock ceramic magnet pickups was a 6 or so. Easily a 9 with the Fralins. Sometimes a 10.

Other changes I've made...I no longer play thru a Peavey Classic 50. I use a Laney VC-30 tube amp. Class A, 30 British watts, EL-84 powered amp. Amazing little amp. Cleaner than the Peavey but a righteous little blues amp.

I had the guitar set up by a guitar tech when I installed the Fralins...he set it up to Fender factory specs. I use Ernie Ball 10's and this guitar is easily one of the best playing I've ever had. I've played this thing for 8 years and the only thing I've done is replace the volume pot and add 2 more trem springs...aside from the pickup change and the Deaf Eddie Fatocaster switch.

Tuners hold tuning amazingly well. Neck is sweet, all parts work as they should. This is a rock solid workhorse guitar that still looks great and sounds amazing with the mods I made.

It's withstood live playing for 8 years. It's the only electric I have. Hardware still works great. Finish is indestructable. I installed strap locks (personal preference). I ALWAYS use it without a backup because I'm so friggin poor I can't afford a backup guitar. I'm sure it will easily last another 8 years without giving me any problems.

The neck feels custom made for my rather small hands. I love it and will never get rid of this guitar.

Never dealt with Fender.

I'm obviously very, very satisfied with this guitar as it is now. I might eventually put 11's on, as I like to play a lot of slide.

Based on my great results with this guitar, I'm probably gonna buy a Standard Tele, do a pickup swap and then I'll have a backup guitar.

For a guitar to have performed as flawlessly as this for 8 years with moderate to heavy playing with only a replaced volume pot, and now with the amazing tonal texture of the guitar, I gotta say this was an amazing value.

I have a blue 2004 Fender Standard Strat. It has everything a strat should have, 5-way selector, tremolo, medium jumbo frets and things like that. Mine has a maple neck and fretboard with medium jumbo frets and I believe the body is alder. I like to bend allot and the medium jumbo frets do effect how easy it is to bend. I prefer bigger frets, but you can get by with the medium jumbos.

The original pickups sounded terrible. The stock pickups on my Squier Affinity Strat sounded way better. It was bright, sharp and noisy. So I changed them. Now I have Fender Vintage Noiseless Strat pickups in it, the same pickups come standard on the Eric Clapton Strat. It improved the sound greatly, now it sounds like a real Strat. It's clear and it rings like a Strat should. It can also growl if you get your amp set right. I have the middle and bridge pickup wired to the second tone knob so I can roll off a bit so it's not so piercing. I use a Peavey Classic 30 and I play everything from blues to praise and worship to metal to classic rock. I wouldn't use this guitar for metal, humbuckers work best for that. But I'd use it for every other type of music in the world. Since mine has the maple neck and the Vintage Noiseless pickups it's much brighter than my Squier Strat, which has a rosewood fretboard and Texas Specials. I use it mostly for cleaner, softer songs and I use the Squier for warmer, dirtier tones.
I'd give the stock Fender pickups a 6 in sound, but now that it's upgraded I'd give it an 8.

I got it from a guitar store that was going out of business, and I don't know whether or not they set up their guitars or left the factory set up alone. Either way when I got it it was playable. When I added my modifications I had a set up done on it and added 10s. The next time I get it set up I'm thinking of adding 11s or 12s to get a bigger tone. The overall quality is great. It's very well put together, I'd have to say even better than my USA Gibson Les Paul BFG. The finish is thick and I think I'd have to run over it to even ding it. I've put a few dings in the neck, but it's just minor and I don't even notice it unless I think about it.

Everything about this guitar is rock solid. The hardware is great and it stays in tune when I use the whammy bar, unlike my Squier Strat. If you want tuning stability make sure you have 4 or 5 springs in the back. The finish is good enough that unless you drag your guitar across the stage by the whammy bar, it won't get banged up. Strap buttons are solid, but I don't sit perfectly still when I play so I'm putting schaller straplocks on it anyway. It's also heavier then most Strats I've played, and if it fell on my foot it'd hurt me worse then it'd hurt the guitar.
If it were a little gig and there was another guitar player to pick up the slack I wouldn't use a backup. But if it was a long set and I was the only guitar player I'd always bring a backup, no matter how solid the guitar is.

Never dealt with Fender, if I have a problem the guys at my local guitar store can fix it up for me.

I've been playing for five years (seriously for 3) and I own several guitars. A Michael Kelly Valor Limited, a Gibson Les Paul BFG, a Squier Affinity Strat and Tele, and a 1979 Peavey T-60. The Fender Stratocaster is my favorite guitar ever, since even before I started playing. I still wish there were some things different about it, I've modified everything I can. I added a new pickguard, black with a nebula. I just thought white was boring. I added Gibson Speed Knobs since it matches the pickguard. The pickups were the most important mod, and the most worthwhile. I don't know if I want to spend $200 refretting it. I wish it had bigger frets. Without modifications it's a good, solid guitar. With modifications to make it how you like it it's a great guitar and for the price it can't be beat. The neck feels amazing, but the American necks are just a bit more amazing. If it were lost (I'll never loose it) or stolen I would probably buy a Jimmie Vaughan Fender Strat instead of another Standard. That way I wouldn't have to modify the pickups since it already has good ones in it. Someday I will have an American Stratocaster since they're so awesome. I haven't made up my mind between the Stevie Ray Vaughan Strat or the '62 Vintage Hot Rod. But I don't really have to worry about that right now since I don't have the money. LOL

2008 Standard Strat, Olympic white with maple board, medium jumbo frets. It has the vintage style (it is not a true vintage) bridge. Three standard single coil pickups and five way switch. The neck is "C" shaped. I came with a gig bag.

I play mostly Blues, some Blues-based rock, and R&B. The sock pickups are actually decent. I do not use a lot of effects, usually just a wah, OD, and perhaps a phase or chorus into a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe with a Weber speaker (12F150). It sounds nice with some mild dirt. The cleans are clear and it does really sound like a Strat. The bridge p/u is not too bright and the neck is nice and thick. The tone pots are not as responsive as I would like them to be. You do not get any real change until the last 30% on either side.

How this guitar played was why I bought it. I had to adjust the action to raise it, but it played well before that. The neck is a dream, just as good as my '05 American Strat. The finish looks good and the neck is not the highly finished/laquered maple. The neck pocket was tight. There were rough edges on the pickup switch tip, but that was easily remedied. The frets were super nasty.

The guitar seems solid and well made. The nut was not bad and I have had no problems after setting it up. I do not use a trem so I have no idea how well it stays in tune using one. I bought this because it played well. I will probably wind up using it to spare my other Strats the dangers of gigging.

Never had to use them. The paperwork, IIRC, says there is a limited lifetime warranty.

Over all, this is a great guitar. It has good vintage tone, a great neck, and is solidly built. I wish the tone pots worked better and I miss the rolled edges on the neck. If it were stolen I would replace it. It's not flashy and it may not have the sex appeal of more expensive Fenders, but it does what a working guitar should do: hold tune, sound good, don't break. I owned a MIM Strat years ago and got rid of it because it just wasn't quite right. The quality of the new MIMs has improved vastly.

This is a Standard Strat from Mexico. You all know the features already, and I'm too tired to list them all over again.

I got the arctic white with a rosewood neck. I have grown to really like white Strats after years of having custom colors. There's something really sexy about a white Strat.

How does it sound? Like a Strat! Duh. I think the Mexicans have made great strides in the last couple of years as far as overall quality. I suppose I could put some Fralins or Lollars in there and it would sound a little better and maybe put out a little more volume, but for now, the stock Fender pups are fine. They do what they're supposed to do. One thing I really like is the guitar's resonance. The body and neck are very bright and responsive. I tapped the entire guitar, both acoustically and plugged in, and it rings like a bell either way. Nice.

The guitar came to me brand new and I ordered it from a store in Louisiana sight unseen. I asked them to pick me a good one. Who knows if they even did, but it seems like I got a very good one. The action was a little high because of a slight bow in the neck, and the fretboard was a little dried out, so I tweaked the neck. End of problem. The fit and finish is just dandy. The fretwork is very good. No sharp edges. No complaints. I know, I know, the bodies are made out of multiple pieces of wood, but so what? The guitar is a winner. It was basically gig-ready after I adusted the neck, changed the strings, and got rid of those idiotic .009 rubber bands they ship them with. I will get it set up soon.

Having owned pre-CBS vintage Strats, American, Japanese and Mexican ones, I can say this guitar feels pretty solid and should last a long time. I always take multiple guitars on gigs and use them all for different sounds. The Strat is another flavor. I use Les Pauls, a Rick 12, a Gretsch, and others.

Takes a LONG TIME to get anyone from Fender on the phone, but once you do, they're cool.

My only beef: I wish the neck was chunkier. It's a little too thin, but I may swap it out for a WD soft V with a rosewood board, or something similar that's fatter. Overall, a great value and a very good player. MIM Strats are like any guitar; you get good ones and not so good ones. This guitar is a very good one.