Fender Standard Stratocaster

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.

I believe I submitted my first Stratocaster review into the wrong category, so I'm re-writing it here...after all, its a STANDARD Strat, right?

Anyway...2008 MiM model, made earlier in the year, brown sunburst finish, S/S/S (ceramic) pickup combo. Alder body with a maple neck and maple fingerboard. "Synchronized" Strat bridge, which I blocked off. A 5-way pickup selector switch, with two tone knobs and a volume knob. And of course, standard Strat tuners.

Hot damn!! This guitar is great! I play a variety of music, except for pop, rap, and country. It has a bit of twang to it on a clean channel, but not like a Telecaster. Its got a warm sound to it, definitely full and strong. I play it through a Fender G-DEC Jr. (my first amp and I can't afford much else)- and a Digitech "Grunge" pedal, although the amp doesn't sound good unless I activate the pedal through a clean channel...not the point though.

This guitar, with that pedal, can either get you a nice overdriven sound, or it can get you the heavier-than-hell Pantera sound. It handles distortion so well, even when you're playing through one pickup. Whatever distortion DOES go through it is pure and clean. My only beef being that when playing through only one pickup, this thing can hum, LOUD.

I have made a few friends jealous with this, and for the price, its hard not to.

I bought it at my local dealer, so it was already set up, which was nice. They even blocked off the bridge to my liking, and for free to! After the bridge was blocked off though, this thing gained a new, considerable amount of sustain. Not as much as a Les Paul or anything, but it still gained quite a bit.

This thing is also so easy to play! The neck is very slim and built for low-action. When they say its hard to change to something else after playing a Strat, they aren't kidding. I traded this guitar in for a Jackson DKMG for 2 weeks and went back to this guitar. Primarily for its comfortability and tone.

Although...the little "inlay" on the back of the neck is either chipped or scratched or something. Not very bad and its something that a little buffing and polish can't handle.

Also, when I first got it, the nut was cluttered up or something and the strings would get caught in it, which also resulted the death of my high-e string. After changing strings, this problem just magically went away somehow...

This thing is built like a tank. And everything is quite solid. Though the tuning heads "feel" a bit loose to me, they keep me in tune very very well. But the fact that they're easy to turn really grinds my gears and I'm thinking of switching to Grovers.

Other than that, I was balancing this on my foot while talking to one of the employees at my local dealership and literally ACCIDENTALLY dropped this flat on the floor. This thing sustained absolutely NO damage at all. No neck damage, no dents, scratches, nothing. The guy I was talking to said if I had dropped a Gibson it probably would of totaled it.

Its hard NOT to depend on a Strat. They're built strong, lots of output, lots of tonal options, its got it all.

Never dealt with Fender, hope I don't have to.

Pros.

1. Its sounds beautiful for everything.
2. Its built to be thrown across a room (not that I'd try that).
3. Distortion is pure when played through this.
4. Super-slim-tapered, low-action neck.
5. A decent array of tonal options
6. Contoured body for extra comfort.

Cons.

1. Tuning heads SEEM loose, but although they can keep you in tune really well.

This guitar has made me less fond of my 1961 Gibson Melody Maker on many levels. Of course I still love the Gibson, sounds great, but the playability and tone of this Strat is something thats hard to find now days! The neck doesn't expand as you get into the higher frets, so even accessing the higher frets is more than easy to handle.

I'm also thinking of comparing this to a few MIA Strats for consideration of replacing the ceramic pups with American-Strat-Alcino pickups. Although, I have a feeling in my gut that I probably won't be doing that...

If this were stolen or lost I'd be trying my hardest to afford another, but this thing is my pride and joy so I have a feeling it'd be both hard to lose and replace. After all, if this thing isn't up sitting on its stand in my room, then its with ME.

And for $400, this thing is really hard to beat. Folks, throw away your EMG 81/85 sets and your fancy Jackson guitars and get one of these!

2008 chrome-red--with an eye-popping "WOW" factor--maple neck, maple fretboard, 21 frets, and alder body MIM strat. It's an S-S-S Stratocaster...describing a Strat to guitar afficionados is analogous to describing a baseball glove a Yankees fan. My strat's neck feels like the V model (although I believe it's supposed to be the C shape).

Who knew how well it would fit my style: jazz. Yup, I bought it because when played through a Fender Super Champ XD at voice 15 (aka "jazz"), it projected EXACTLY the tone I was looking for, for years. That's right, ladies 'n gennelmen: Just as Les Paul developed the Gibson LP for his style--jazz--a Fender Manufactured-in-the-USA-and-assembled-in-Mexico strat is versatile enough for jazz. There are several sweet spots on the neck and on 2nd through 4th strings that sound heavenly, tonally divine for jazz.

I had to remove the jack plug to tighten the nut, but that was it. Honestly, I looked for any sign of screw-up in fit and finish, and could find none. The action is smooth, low and fast.

Fender Strats have been a musical standard for 60 years--it's their 60th anniversary this year!--so, I'm going to assume that my axe is as reliable and durable as any other. No one can predict the future with accuracy, so I'm going to hedge my bets by treating the guitar with respect.

I sent an email to Fender's customer relations last week, and received a response within 24 hours. At least someone is responsive.

I feel fortunate to have put back the Epi Dot Semi-hollow, Casino and AlleyKat in their places in the rack and meander on over to the Strats.

2007, Built in the Corona, California USA then put together in Mexico. So it's got to mention on the neck "Made in Mexico" But really it's an American Strat but I savedover a thousand dollars because of where it was put together. I affectionately call it my "Tacocastor".
22 frets, I believe a basswood body painted black like Eric Clapton's Strat model and a naturally finished maple neck. Standard 3 pick up set up with 5 position toggle switch with one volume and 2 tone knobs. standard tremolo bridge (whichis useless) and Fender machineheads. Came with a gig bag.

I play everything from hard rock to worship & praise And this guitar can handle it all. It's a Strat. Everyone knows what a Strat ith single coil pick ups can and can not do. I run through a BOSS GT8 (which is beyond awesome) into a Randall RG75 single 12" or my PEAVEY Deuce 2 x12". The only time this guitar's pick up's are noisy is when I would use the HiGain setting on my Boss GT8. This is why I replaced the pick ups with Bill Lawrence Colbalt noiseless P/U's. Problem solved. Except the pick up covers were cream coloured and didn't go with the white pick guard. So, Being the type of person who likes to "Hot Rod" up my guitars I bought black volume & tone knobs a black toggle top, an I had to paint the cream coloured P/U covers black which worked out awesome. I hen bought a purple tortise shell pick guard. So needless to say the guitar looked HOT. Oh yes I got rid of the thing Fender calls a bridge and replaced it with a Trem King bridge. I can now wail on the whammy bar UP & Down and it stays in tune. I recommend it for Everybody who has a strat and doesn't want to get a locking tremolo system. Finally I added an Earvana nut which just solidified the intonation on this guitar.

Th action off the rack was find but of course my guitar tech after putting in the Trem King and the earvana nut the action is great. Low enough to shred but high enough not to have my fingers slip when doing bends.
The finish was great it's black how screwed up could it get?
Basiscally I'm not overly worried how a guitar will fit or play right off the rack as I have found you ALWAYS have to tweak and adjust things to get the guitar exactly how you like it. It definitely was very playable right off the rack or I wouldn't have even considered purchasing it.

This guitar was meant for live playing and I used it without a back up for our churches live DVD recording. The strap buttons are large so I had no worries of my strap coming off while playing. It's a Fender and it's aStrat of course it's reliable especially after all the extras I did.

Never had to deal with them and don't expect too. If I have any problems I go to my Guitar tech who's been working on Fenders for over 20 years.

I've been playing for over 25 years and I own a Larrivee D-03 acoustic an Ovation Dreadnaught 12 string from 1974. A Parker P42 and my latest is an Ibanez AK95 archtop Hollowbody. (Review to follow shortly, I need to play it some more)
If it was stolen I'd hunt down the dude and make it impossible for them to ever attempt having children. I've just been blown away that after all these years of playing many different electric guitars from Tele's, Les Paul's, Ibanez's Explorer's etc. that I would come back to owning a Fender Strat. I've come home and this guitar is my main axe and I never ever plan on trading it in or selling it period.

2003 MIM Standard Strat, Blue Agave (since discontinued) with 21 fret 1 piece maple neck. Truss rod adjust at headstock, walnut skunk stripe. Nice C shape neck. Standard Strat electronics: 5 way switch, S/S/S, 1 Vol/ 2 Tone. Standard p/us. Vintage 6 point tremolo bridge. Standard reliable tuners.

We all know what strats look like...

This guitar, without any exaggeration, is the single best sounding guitar I have ever played. Period. I play a variety of rock and blues, and this guitar does it all. I fully understand that there is quite a bit of variation between guitars, so bear that in mind while reading my honest opinion about my guitar. Mine is a bit special, and seems "hotter" than all the other ones I played that fateful day at GC. It can really nail that SRV tone. Roll back the tone and you've got that smooth Clapton sound. All in all I ended up with classic Fender tone for $350. I play into a Vox Clyde McCoy, 2 TS9s, FullTone DejaVibe, H2O liquid chorus/ echo, all into either my Epi Valve Junior combo (bedroom) or my '72 Bassman 50 Stack (band).

I have another MIM Standard (Artic White/ Maple) which is more of a round "bell-tone" sounding guitar, not so hot but delightfully mellow and smooth. Like I said, no 2 are the same. That's the best part: For the money you can buy a whole arsonal of different sounding strats!

Ok, so Fender cuts costs here. Mexican strats are notorious for not so great factory set-ups. But that's half the fun! Buy it, take it home, and make it yours. It was playable though, but a floating bridge on a Strat is a recipe for disaster... or at least a guitar that won't stay in tune! I cranked that bad-boy down to the body, fudged the saddles a bit and set the pickup height. Over the course of the last 5 years I've had to make minor adjustments and play with the truss rod maybe twice?

The only flaw was some numb-skull at GC "love tapped" the bottom edge of the guitar. You can't see it while playing, and I have since added "character" myself.

This guitar will last. Just look at all the vintage stuff floating around. And besides, these are all poly finished so we know that will last at least (for better or for worse). I've played through a few of the original frets (and have been procrastinating getting it fixed). The poly is coming off the edges of the fretboard a bit. The clear coat is yellowing a bit in places (I know, weird since its not nitro!). The pickguard screws are rusting a bit, and some of the saddles are too. But you need to understand that I have played the crap out of this guitar 365 days a year for the last 5 years. A worn in guitar says something: It must sound great if the owner played it that much! I have taken great care of it, but some things are inevedible. The only reason I gig with a back up is in case I break a string (plus I still like a little variety).

Never dealt with

I have been playing for 7 years or so. I own this, an '04 Standard strat, a '79 Strat, '76 Musicmaster (think a one pickup mustang), '84 Tokai '64 reissue strat, have a '06 HW1 in the mail :), a '00 Parker P38, a First Act Delia, and a '69 Teisco e110. I only wish I tried to haggle on the price, but with MIM Strats going for $450 these days I guess I can't complain. If this was stolen I would hunt down whoever did and and steal it back. I have other strats so "replacing" it would be futile, because this one is special. If I could only keep one of my guitars this would be it without hesitation. I love everything about it. I actually hated the color when I bought it (you can't buy a guitar based on color, the only preference I had was maple fretboard.) , but have since changed out the pickguard with a pearl moto one and added aged plastic parts and it looks real sharp now. I played 10 MIM strats when I bought this one, and mine was waaay better than the others. I only wish that I'll have it forever. Don't buy an American Strat! :p