Fender Standard Stratocaster

Made in Mexico Stratocaster with 21 frets. It's got volume and two tone controls, and a 5-way selector...just like every other Strat on the planet. S/S/S pickup configuration with Standard Strat pickups. Body is poplar, neck is maple with rosewood fretboard. It's got a really awesome brown sunburst finish, with crome hardware. Also has some nice Fender tuners. I give it a 9 in this catagory. It's got more features than my old Epiphone Les Paul had.

I never realized how much I loved the way Stratocasters sounded until I got this guitar. It is classic Strat. Punchy, bright, and its got the signature Strat quack. I use it with a Marshall Artist 3203 (tube/transistor amp). The only effects I really use are the Marshall distortion and reverb, and a Big Muff Pi that was modded by SustainPunch (http://www.smashing-pumpkins.org/sustainpunch). It sounds good for rock/pop which is mostly what I play, and it is PERFECT for blues, which I'm starting to get more into now.

I don't know how the guitar was set up at the factory. I traded my old Epiphone Les Paul for this guitar. The pickups were adjusted fine, but once again, the previous owner could have set them up custom. No visible flaws. Finish looks great, everything is screwed on right, so I have no complaints.

I haven't gigged this guitar yet, but I see no reason that it wouldn't stand up to the test. It seems very solid. The finish seems fine, like all guitars, it will dent if you hit it against something, and it'll scratch if you scrape it. I'd gig it without a backup as long as I had some extra strings with me.

Haven't had to deal with Fender. Hopefully I never will!

Overall, I'd have to say this is the best guitar I've ever owned. I liked my Epiphone Les Paul, but I wanted a change. I bought a Fender Jaguar last summer (June 1998?) and it became my main guitar. I liked that Fender so much, I wanted a Strat to back up the Jag. When I got this guitar, I liked it so much that it has pretty much become my main guitar. I haven't taken out the Jaguar since I bought it. Nothing against the Jaguar, but the Strat is made better, and it feels better to me. This guitar has made me a Strat player for life. If it were stolen, I'd be really upset. I'd probably go out and try to find one exactly like it (might play one with a maple fretboard first though to see if I like it better). If you are debating getting a Strat, and aren't quite sure, go play one of the Fender Standard Stratocasters. They are really nice, and by far the best deal for the price.

Made in Mexico (that made me gag, but I've since recanted), 21 frets, poplar body, maple neck (drool), black finish, vintage tremalo (it's a vibrato, Leo) bridge, passive electronics -- you know, the original stuff. This is a plain jane Strat, me hearties. And that's about as classic as a Model T Ford. From the standpoint of features, I should give it a 5, but THIS IS WHAT I ASKED FOR, and since it delivered so nicely on that, I'll give it a nine.

I haven't found anything that it can't do. I play blues and jazz and classic rock (lots of surf) and this handles it all. I can even keep up with my Dad when he plays bluegrass on the flattop. I love the Fender quack and the twangy banjo-like sound on the high strings. I don't care for bass-heavy sound, although I can get that, too. And it has the hollow mid-range that just reeks of Chicago. I'm getting lots of fret rattle, but the bridge needs to be tuned. I tested this against the American Standard Strat, and frankly, I couldn't tell the difference between the poplar body of the Standard and the alder of the AS, except the price and the MADE in USA label.

The action as it came from Thoroughbred was low, which made it good for me as I was transitioning from a flattop to an electric. Now, I'm getting fret rattle, so I need to raise it. Pickups are fine. The finish is a nice glossy black -- contrasts wonderfully to that maple neck and the white pick guard. Knobs are solidly in place. The bridge seems stiff, but it needs to be tuned, and I can handle that.

It's a Fender! Look at some of the beat up things Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughan played, and that worn out thang in Kenny Wayne Shepard's hands -- then ask me about reliability. Would I gig without a backup? For now, because I don't have tons of money. Later, I do plan on buying a second one, mostly from the standpoint of changing strings in the middle of a gig, and the fact that my guitar is a Christmas present from my wife, so I don't want any drunken morons to hit it with a beer bottle.

I never had to deal with Fender. I'd probably start with Thoroughbred if the guitar ever had a serious problem, then go to Fender only to complain about their dealers. I prefer to work local.

I'm in love. If it were stolen, I'd hire thugs to track down the thief and remove his fingers with wire cutters -- this was a gift from my wife. This does everything I want it to. I went with the Strat by listening to CD's and finding the sounds I wanted, then finding out what guitar made those sounds. By and large, it was an unadorned Strat (the Tele came in second). It doesn't sound like a rock guitar (like a Les Paul) but Jimi stands as testimony to how well it can be used in that capacity. Sure, you can get the Dick Dale signature model for $ 2,000, but for $300, you can get this -- and get the same sound. Heck, he started on one of these. It could use a more solid vibrato, and for a few dollars more I could have had the Floyd Rose. I also wish it had a seven way switch - there's no way to use all three pickups at the same time, or the bridge and neck only at the same time. Maybe when I can afford a Custom Shop guitar ...

My Strat is a 98 Standard Strat, and it's no different than all the others; that's a GOOD thing. Standard strats are all stock, all tried tested and true. Poplar body, chrome plated hardware, 1 piece maple neck. Coulda used some additional features, but damn good value.

You better believe it, the Strat can do anything: rock, blues, jazz, swing, funk, pop, ska, ANYTHING! A little bit of hum, but I'll take that over humbuckers anyday. Good for rhythym and lead.
You get the Fender quack! What more can I say?

Action is great, the finish is hard as hell. Pickups were not properly adjusted, tilted slighty forward, but that was easily fixed. Properly routed, well rounded frets, solid hardware. Tuning pegs good and tight, no problems with the pots.

After WWIII, when we're all be dead, my guitar will be there!

I'm on a roll, so i give it a 10 to keep the streak. Never had to deal with em.

Best guitar, period. Better than an American Strat, because they are practically the same, with the Standard being a much better value. If it were stolen, I'd shoot the motherf***er then go buy it again. There's nothing I hate, it's all good.

21 Frets, Solid top. 5-way selector switch. 2 tone, 1 volume. medium jumbo frets. maple neck and fretboard. solid finish.

It sounds great, but now it sounds better. i put in seymour duncan jb jr. in the bridge. and then i put lil' 59s in the neck and middle. i also put in a floyd rose tremolo. again it sounds great.

plays well, feels good. GREAT!!!!!!!!!

I haven't had it too long, but yeah, its pretty good.

????????????????????/dunno????????????????????????????

Two Words: Buy one!!!!!!!!!!!

This is your basic Mexican Strat... 21 fret, 3 single coils (stock), 5 way swicth, master volume, two tones (middle and neck), standard trem and tuners. Got mine in a beautiful sunburst, with maple neck because I think it felt better than having the extra piece of wood there. Nothing really special, but the standard features are good on their own.

I play just about everything you can think of (I also have an acoustic guitar and a banjo), and I use this mostly for rock. Sounds *great* for clean stuff, I don't really even get any hum. Distortion is a little bit weaker than clean, but still sounds great, espically with the bridge pickup, although the hum is a lot more noticible the more distortion you use (I play with the gain on the amp anywhere from 0 to 10, depending on what I'm playing). The reason I gave it a 9 instead of a 10 is that when you use distortion the middle and espicially the bridge get a little muddy, but if you adjust playing style a little, it's not that bad. You can really play anything on this guitar, from the neck which is a very warm sound, to the bridge, which is very bright. I love just about everything about it, except the muddiness, but even that isin't too bad.

Came just great right out of the box! Action was good, finish was perfect, pickups were good. No complaints here!

I don't see any real problems with any of the hardware, strap buttons seem solid, finish is good, I don't see any reason why you couldn't use it live, although I personally haven't. Not to say anything bad about the guitar, but a backup is always a good idea, never know what could happen.

Never dealt with them.

I just love this guitar! Feels great, sounds great, no hardware problems... what more could I ask for? I've only been playing about 2 1/2 years, and this is my third instrument besides the acoustic and the banjo (I learn really quick). If it were stolen I would have to get another one right away. You just can't get those kind of sounds out of an acoustic! One more thing... don't even think about getting a Squier, I compared the two head on and this one absolutly blew it away, and it was only another $40!

My Standard Strat was made in 1996 in Mexico. It is a very good quality guitar. It has a poplar body with a sunburst finish and a maple neck. Regular, everyday, Fender single coil pickups with a 5-way selector switch. Although the bridge pickup does emit some hum like single coil pickups normally do. But it is not too bothersome. It has the Fender Vintage tremelo, which I don't use, if at all. I had a 92 Telecaster that I traded in to get the Strat (somehow I feel I should have hung on to the Tele and still got the Strat). I already had a Fender case, since I had the Tele. I have tons of straps, cables, tools, anyway - so I didn't need much.

The Strat suits my music style perfectly. It is exactly what I was looking for. See, when I had the Tele, I LOVED the old Tele sound. But, yet I was searching for the special Strat tone (bridge/middle pickup combination), and I couldn't get it with the Tele. I have an mid 80's all tube Fender Super 60 1x12 amp and DOD pedals. The Fender Strat can do country, folk, jazz, rock, blues, you name it! I have been playing guitar for over 25 years and can make the Strat play very sweet or I can make it scream with the howling Hendrix/Clapton/SRV tone. It is a guitar for all seasons. It covers all the bases. 'Nuff said.

When I picked up the Strat at my local music store, I loved the finish and the tone. At first I didn't want to part with my Tele, but when I doodled around with all the different sounds, and the overall feel of the Strat - I had to get it. At first, the guitar was not quite in true intonation. So, I brought it back after a week or two and had it all setup. This Strat does not have any flaws.

This guitar will stand up to anything - it's a FENDER!!!! Everything is build solid and durable. If and when I have the time to get back into gigging with a band, the Strat will be right there with me. I would like to have a backup - possibly another Strat equipped with Lace Sensors or something, or maybe another Tele.

Never had to call Fender for anything. Visited their web site hundreds of times to read up on the latest happening stuff.

I have been playing over 25 years. I play all styles. I routinely go from playing "Green River" by CCR to "Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC to a country tune by Alabama. With "Crossroads" by Cream and "Voodoo Chile" by Jimi Hendrix thrown in for good measure! The Strat fits all these styles of music. My other gear is an old, beat up Yamaha 6 string acoustic, an Ibanez Mandolin, a drum machine, etc.. Too much to mention! Oh yeah... you bet I compared it to other guitars. When I picked it up at the music store, I tried out all the other Strats. First, I place the guitar right up tight to my ear and strummed it acoustically - and carefully listened. My Strat was the one that rang out clear and sustained the longest out of the bunch!

Good stuff, for the rice range. Good, solid, durable body. I dropped it when my strap gave out and it only got a tiny dent on the headstock. It has 21 frets, 3 single coil pick-ups, 1 volume and 2 tone knobs, Maple one-piece neck, Poplar Body, Fender Tremolo, came with some wrenches and the whammy bar. I'd rather have a double-locking tremolo like Floyd Rose.

I play only rock and metal, like Megadeth, Metallica (Play a lot of Metallica), Jimi Hendirx, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. I dont use any effects yet, but I'll probably get a pedal or two soon. It's noisy when you use one pick-up at a time. Cool sound, I like the pickups because i can keep the guitar's volume down to play songs that start out clean like Fight Fire with Fire, Battery, and Embryo, but then i can turn it up and get the distorted sound back (it's sorta like a distorion pedal)

I got it in great condition, but the only problem was the output plug came loose. It's noisy when you use one pick-up at a time.

I don't do gigs now, might play live shows in a year or two. I will probably have a backup if i start, because you're a moron if you don't have a backup. I used duct tape on the strap near the hole to make them smaller, and now it won't fall. I got a little dent when the strap came off, but the klnobs that hold it on are solid.

Never talked to them.

I love it.

My strat is a 1996. It was made entirely in Mexico. It has 21 small frets; not that this is a bad thing. It is just different from the medium jumbos available on many other models. It has the popular body. I am sure that it is not a solid piece of wood. It is painted a metalic red; the new ones are wine red. Wish I had waited! This one has a rosewood fret board on a maple kneck. I am partial to the rosewood neck for sound and playability. It is a typical strat set-up - 3 standard single coils. One volume (master) and two tone (neck and middle) knobs). The bridge is your standard vintage Fender bridge. It has standard fender tuners as well. They are not Schallers but they are pretty good. This thing does not go out of tune.

I am in a band that plays a variety of rock styles. It is great for the blues-based music that we do. For hard rock, it is okay but a guitar with humbuckers would be better. It also works well for clean sounds, very sweet classic "stat" tones. I use it with a Laney HC50. It sounds really good through this amp for the sounds that it was made for. It noisy in the first and fifth positions (single coils, that's what they do!!). I can get a variety of tones with this guitar by playing around with the tone knobs and selector switches. I think that this guitar has more of a strat sound than many of the American Standard and California Strats that I have played. By upgrading pickup I feel that Fender has made hotter pickups that sacrifice that true stat tone. Not so with this guitar. It's true Fender Strat.

The set-up from the factory was pretty good. I had to work with it a little, but very little. ( Fender guitars come with a handy little manual to help you set it up. Get a 6 inch ruler that goes to 64ths of an inch and do it yourself instead of paying someone $45 an hour to do it.) The action and the pickups required little set-up. The frets where pretty good on the guitar. The finish is pretty nice. I is a nice guitar.

I have a couple of friends who gig with Fender Standard similar to mine and they have great luck with them. I have never had problems with this guitar. It stays in tune and hold up well. I take good care of my guitars, that probably helps. I is a guitar that I plan to use gigging for a long time. I believe that the finish is holding up nicely. I move around a lot and sing a lot. I am always sweating when we play out. No problems so far. Stap buttons-had a bad experience with strap buttons long ago, will not go without strap-locks again. I will be getting a backup guitar in the near future. Mostly because I want a guitar with humbuckers as well, but also because of string breakage - Not because I don't think the guitar can handle it. It can

Never had to deal with them. I have a friend how used to be a Fender dealer. He did not have much good to say. I always go through my dealer for repairs work anyways. He always takes care of things for me.

I have been playing for quite a while-7 years (I have been primarily a vocalist until recently) . I have owned many guitars from Ibenez to Charvel, for my style nothing beats the classic Fender and Gibson stuff. For the money it is a great guitar. If it was stolen I would buy another one. I have played several of the standards, many of them are different. I would advise to anyone thinking of getting one, try them out and if you are mail-ordering, be sure you can return it if you do not like it to try another one. I had a sunburst with a maple neck (otherwise the same model) It was not a sturdy or as nice sounding as this one. Try them out!! I love that it sounds like a strat. I don't really hate anything about it. I am not trying to get Gibson sounds out of it. Again, for the money, a great guitar. Probably the best.

My stratocaster was built in Mexico. I'm really not sure of the year. 21 Frets on a maple neck (no rosewood fretboard...). Lake placid blue with white pickguard. Its a standard strat with no real modifications so I'm sure we're all familiar with its features.

This guitar is extremely versatile. My band and I play pretty much everything... Ska, punk, metal, industrial, alternative, blues, and slide country. (Odd mix huh?) Anyway, my strat can hack just about anything. I don't use many effects with it, just overdrive and reverb. It seems to be able to achieve most musical styles by itself. Its noise depends entirely on the day and conditions. It is equipped with those three trusty single coils, so it will always be noisier than humbuckers. If there are a lot of electronics in the room and it the air is dry and static-filled then any one of the single coils alone buzzes. However select positions 2 or 4 and you cut nearly all of the humming out. The pickups go from smooth and mellow at the neck get brighter and punchier as you go back. That is partially due to an American Standard bridge pickup but the Mexican one that was in there originally was just as good. (more on that story later) There is not much to dislike with the sound of this guitar. Position 2 (bridge/mid pickups together) sounds really screwy. There is no bass whatsoever in that position. That is due to the replacement of the aforementioned bridge pickup. It doesn't bother me though. And before I had the work done it worked just fine.

The guitars factory setup was good. Its been almost two years since I got it, and I don't remember anything bad about it. Everything seemed to be adjusted well and everything worked correctly so, no complaints. I noticed no flaw in the guitar at all when I bought it and it has none now... except for those that I accidentally put there... Recently I equipped 12 guage strings and the nut was a little bit tight but not horribly so. It just took a little more finesse to tune it. I will add this. The finish is the toughest I've seen on ANY guitar. The body has withstood hellish beatings and its still going strong.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is one of those old, faithful guitars that you fondly describe to your grandchildren as your eyes tear up. I've (accidentally) kicked, punched, knocked over, slammed, dropped, and thrashed this guitar and it has always stood by me. I've taken one small chunk out of the finish between the second and third frets. Other than that the finish is pristine. Occasionally the upper strap button wiggles loose, but I always check it and tighten it down. (My Jag-Stang has conditioned me to check this item frequently.) The only thing I have yet to do is set fire to this guitar and even then I'm pretty sure it would still work. :-) I would use this guitar without backup -- No questions asked.
The only problem I had with this guitar occurred about two months after buying it. A defective bridge pickup was diagnosed as the problem. It was under warranty so they fixed it for free. And since they were gutting an American standard Strat at the time, they cannibalized it and put the bridge pickup from it into my strat.

I've never dealt with Fender directly, but the people at Farrow's Music Store have always set it up without hassle. I have a feeling that its just the people at Farrows who are so good at customer service as opposed to those at Fender... damn big business

I've been playing for two years and somehow have managed to collect an assortment of equipment. I own the strat, a 1996 Fender Jag-Stang, a Fender P-Bass, a Fender DG-16SB acoustic and an assortment of fender amps... what can I say? I like fender stuff! This is the only guitar I own that makes me feel all warm and toasty inside when I think about it. No one feature stands out on it, its just the overall charm and grace of the machine that makes it so appealing. If it were stolen it would definitly be replaced. I love the look, the feel, the sound and... well, tradition that goes with this guitar. I've played Les Pauls (too heavy) Gibson SG's (too thin and wirey) and a few Ibanezes (feel was all wrong). You know what? Not one even comes close to my run-of-the-mill, stock stratocaster. It is all a matter of taste and personal preference and I'm sure I'll get flamed for criticizing those Gibsons. Except in cases of death, dismemberment or apocalypse, I will not part with my ordinary, plain little Fender Stratocaster.

Standard Strat assembled in Mexico in 1991. Standard pick-ups (later changed), poplar body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, standard trem, standard tuners, all standard. Black finish, white pickguard. I give it a 7 for features. At this price you can't expect miracles. I would say the weakest feature are the tuners.

I played it stock for about 5 years. Rock and Blues, mostly. Then I began to gradually make imporovements to it as budget permitted. I blocked the tremelo which helped it stay in tune. (No cost). I changed the tuners to Sperzel locking tuners. ($50) The Holy Grail of tuners. It is now The Tunemeister. Changed the pick-ups to Texas Specials ($120) which made a big difference. I sheilded all cavities of it: under the pickguard, under the jack, in the trem cavity. The guitar is now totally quiet. Any dislikes I had, I gradually took care of.

Factory set-up was fine. Great action, no buzzes. The only flaw the guitar had on it was a small nick in the finish on the neck behind the nut, which buffed out easily. Everything else was fine.

I've read in many places that Strats are the most rock solid guitars made and I must agree. With common sense care, it will last for generations. I don't think the stock tuners would last forever, but that was a reason behind changing them. Strap buttons are fine. And, yes, I have used it gigging without a back-up. A 9 here, only because of the cheap stock tuners.

Have had no contact with Fender. By the sound of the many Fender reviews I've read on this site, I think I'd rather not have contact with them.

For a first guitar that you can gradually transform into a better guitar, I think it's great. I own a more expensive ($800 list) Strat and a Rickenbacker 330 ($1250 list) and guess what? I play my little improved cheapo Strat the most. I love it. My first electric was a 1976 LP Custom, which I gave to my brother. (The weight of a Les Paul was too much for me). I think a Strat is a very comfortable guitar to play for hours on end. I only wish this model had a fatter neck.