Fender Standard Stratocaster

Standard stratocaster features. Poplar wood for the body which is disapointing, alder being the traditional strat wood. Who knows it could even be plywood. Standard fender stamped tuners which stay surprisingly well. cheap single coil pickups that should be replaced. Finish is thin, not very comforting, especially on the neck. Im now 17 and have been playing guitar for 6 yrs, it suits my needs (recording, practice, live work ) just fine. And mine has a maple fretboard, sorry allmost forgot to mention. However i wouldnt recommend getting the maple fretboard as the mapleboard requires a thin finish which will ware off very quickly, and then youll have to get it repainted, which is expenisve(more than the whole guitar cost).

sounds good through my jcm800 halfstack. My opinion is that any cheap ass guitar will sound reasonably good through a good amp. Im a songwriter who records with plenty of processing so the guitars natural sound is not so important. Plugged straight into the front end of my jcm800's clean channel it sounds like a strat should, although a bit more bass than traditional. And dont even think about using distortion with the stock bridge pickup.

everything is pretty average. This guitars action was to high when i got it so i tried lowering it but to much fret buzz, and because of the limited functionality of the rod this buzz is hard to elimate. Finish on the body is good. Finish on the neck and maple fingerboard is thin. So dont get the maple fretboard, it requires a finish where as the rosewood one does not. Less maintenance is what i want.

should hold together. except that damn thin finish of crappy synthetic finish on the neck.

limited lifettime warranty it says. But this is a joke. Dont let the lifetime warranty persuade u into buying this guitar, becoz fender will not honour your claims.

not bad for the price. and i wont buy any strat imitations. The yamaha pacifica range is better for the price but its a shameless rip off like all the other strat copies out there, so avoid yamahas like a plague.

STANDARD STAT FEATURES ALL THE WAY, THIS ONE IS A MEXICAN MADE BROWN
SUNBURST, MAPLE ONE PIECE NECK, 3 SINGLE COILS, YOU KNOW ALL THE REST
IF YOUR INTO THE CLASSIC STAT SOUND THIS WILL DO IT FOR YOU.
YOU REALLY DONT HAVE TO SPEND A FORTUNE TO GET THE STAT SOUND.

I DONT REALLY HAVE A STYLE, BUT I CAN GET ALOT OF DIFFERNT STYLE
SOUNDS OUT OF THIS STRAT, EITHER JUST STRUMMING OR PLAYING SINGLE
NOTE LICKS OR CHORD MELODY TYPE JAZZ STANDARDS. I USE IT RIGHT NOW
WITH A 25 WATT CRATE DSP PRACTICE AMP WITH BUILT IN EFFECTS, THE JAZZ
STUFF SOUNDS GREAT WITH THE CHORUS SETTING ON THE CRATE, IT IS BRIGHT
COMPARED TO MY GIBSON ES165, BUT THATS WHY I BOUGHT IT, THE ES165 OF
COURSE HAS JUST ONE SOUND, WARM. NO DISLIKES

THE ACTION, FIT AND FINISH IS OUTSTANDING, THE SUNBURST FINISH IS
UNBELIVABLE FOR A 350$ GUITAR ON PAR WITH OR BETTER THAN THE AMERICAN
STANDARD I LOOKED AT, THE FRET JOB IS NICE TO, THERE IS SOME NOISE
FROM THE PICKUPS, BUT THEY ARE STILL OK AND THE NOISE IS NOT ANYMORE
THAN ON TWO OTHER 1000 $ PLUS STARS I PLAYED, OVERALL I WAS VERY
IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY OF THIS STRAT.

IT IS A STRAT, I CANT EVER SEE HAVING A DURABILITY PROBLEM WITH THIS
GUITAR, THE HARDWARE IS DECENT, NOT THE BEST, BUT BETTER THAN MOST
GUITARS I HAVE SEEN IN THE UNDER 400$ RANGE, THE STAP BUTTONS ARE
SOLID AND TIGHT.

DONT KNOW

BEEN PLAYING ABOUT 15 YEARS, MOSTLY ACOUSTIC, EARLY ON I TOOK LESSONS
IN CHORD MELODY STYLE JAZZ, AND PLAYED ALOT OF THAT FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS, THIS ONE NEVER LEAVES THE HOUSE, BUT IF IT GOT STOLEN I WOULD
BUY ANOTHER ONE RIGHT AWAY, I USED TO HAVE A 91 AMERICAN STN STRAT
BUT I TRADED IT IN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND MISSED IT, I SAW THIS ONE
AT GC WHICH IS IDENTICAL TO MY 91, I DIDNT WANT TO DROP 900$ AND WAS
IN SHOCK WHEN I SAW IT WAS ONLY 350$ WHICH WAS JUST ABOUT HOW MUCH CASH I HAD ON ME, DONE DEAL

This model was made in Mexico in 1991 or thereabouts, and, as befits its name, sports the standard (some would say classic) Strat features: 3 Singlecoil Pickups, 5-way switch, Fender labeled tuners, master Volume and 2 Tone Controls, vintage-style non-locking tremolo bridge, classic double cutaways and comfy body contours. This particular guitar also sports a maple fingerboard and a Lake Placid Blue finish over (i believe) a Poplar body.
And before you go out and slam Fender for its use of Poplar on these guitars at the time (they have since switched back to the use of Alder,like on the first strats, for the construction of these guitars, as per the Fender Legal Department), know this: As a tone wood, Poplar does indeed sound remarkably similar to Alder, so don't let that stop you.
So in summary, it's a Strat. Nothing remarkably modern and edgy, but just what you expect with no surprises.

Duh! It Sounds like a Strat! That snappy sound that's on millions of recordings...well, it's in this guitar, too. I have to admit that the original sound of this Strat sounded a bit duller than the classic Strat sound, but that was a function of the cheap electronics, which I'll get into later.
and then there's the 60 cycle hum in all of the familiar positions and canceled out in all of the "in between" positions. Yup, no surprises here.
Plugged into a Marshall, it can sound like Hendrix, or Clapton. Through a Super Reverb, it can cop Stevie Ray. And through an old Tweed Princeton, it just sounds like God came down from Heaven and blessed every note that you can think of strumming. And to me, as it was my first REAL guitar, it sounds like home.

Action was great right out of the box. The guitar was set up exceptionally well, and not to toot my own horn, but I try to keep it that way. Truth be told, the setup on this guitar was FAR better out of the box than my new Gibson Les Paul. Given Gibson's quality control problems that might not be saying much, but at least this factory set up was clean, competent and playable.

Alas, as with any sub-$500 guitar, compromises had to be made, and here it happened with the electronics. The pots and switches were all noisy when I got the guitar, and it was only completely fixed after I
replaced all of the original electronic components except for the pickups (which are not constructed as on an American Strat, but sound wonderful nonetheless). One thing to look out for is improper control pot values. My Strat came to me sporting 500k pots instead of the Strat's classic 250k pots. Once I put the correct values in my guitar, it seemed to come alive. And if I may recommend a mod to perform on your Strat, it would be to attach a .001mF capacitor to lugs 2 and 3 on your volume control for treble bypass. It's Drew Approved!

Well, I don't exactly ride my guitar nightly like SRV did...

Still, the strap buttons left my guitar soon after a strap popped off and the guitar bounced(!!) off of a concrete floor. Thankfully, no major damage was sustained, but...you know. Straplocks people-Use 'em! They make this rating go up by a point or two.

Since then, the only major damage incurred by the guitar has been due to playing wear. the frets are getting worn down low and the neck's finish is getting thin up high, but I don't care. This thing plays well, the neck is comfy, and it sounds great.

Fender is very good at customer support. Their dedicated Customer support website is www.mrgearhead.com and they are generally very helpful, much more so than their counterparts at Gibson.

Richie Blackmore said it best: Gibsons sound pretty without much work, but you have to fight a Strat. However, for all the fighting, the Stratocaster will give you more rewards. I agree.

On my Les paul, I can riff, I can bend, I can play the guitar. On my Strat, I feel like I'm a channel. It's the difference between being a performer of music and being part of the music. And if you don't know the difference, I can't describe it to you. You will just have to find out for yourself.

It's about as standard of a strat as you can get. It's got a rosewood fretboard and a poplar body. I'll leave this rating out because it is so standard.

This was my first guitar. I have to admit that when I first got it in '95, the pickups sounded a bit harsh. I tried a bunch of aftermarket pickups only to realize that I couldn't get the real sound and feel of the single coils while at the same time getting rid of the hum. No that they've broken in, the high end has rolled off just a bit, they sound so sweet right now. I'm going to get a shielding job done to tame the hum down a bit. This is the most stratiest strat I've ever played, It even beats out the high end ones, they always seem to sound too thin compared to this thing. I guess I got real lucky when I got this thing because I was just starting out and didn't know crap about guitars. Basically I haven't found a better sounding strat.

Again I got real lucky in this. I setup my own guitars. I set this thing up to the factory specs and it's the best feeling strat I've ever played. It's hard to describe, but I can feel the weight behind every note I play.

Strats are almost impossible to break. I would always have a backup though, because you look very stupid changing a string up on stage. This thing stays in tune even during heavy whammy use, it's unbelievable how stable it is.

Again, I got real lucky buying this guitar. It taught me a lesson though, most mass-produced guitars are fairly inconsistent, play a bunch of the same model before you buy! Bottom line this is the best guitar I've ever used when I need the strat sound, which is quite often.

I've only had this guitar for a year and a half but I'm pleased. It's Mexican made (of course) but still built solid. It's your typical Standard Strat (21 Frets, 3 Single Coils, synchronous tremolo which I don't really use, 5-way switch, etc.) but it is a good guitar I must say, it's a far cry from the crappy ass Synsonics wannabe I started out with.

I play alot of punk and alternative stuff, and this guitar is just fine routed through my Kustom amp (which a number of people slammed, it's OK, but not anything to be really proud of). The only complaint I had was the typical hum that is characteristic of single coils, I have since had 3 EMG single coils put in and the hum problem has been resolved drastically because of the EMG's engineering features (which I don't remember so shoot me). The stock pickups were fine in there own, but I also wanted to experiment with after-market pickups, and so I did.

The guitar was setup just the way I wanted, a neck that was not too thin but not extremely thick either. The action was also great, as it was nice and low. The pickups were set up good, but as I said, the stock pickups have been replaced by a set of 3 EMG's. The body and neck had not one bit of damage on it. I like the color combo alot too, blue finish with the stock white pickguard and a maple neck and fingerboard.

I've played this guitar only once live sadly, a few weeks before me and my bandmates parted ways, this was the show where I smashed my Synsonics rip-off to pieces at the end. But I'm working on putting something new together and hope to be able to play this thing live again some day. The strap buttons I had a slight beef with as the strap would come undone at times, but that's normal no matter what kind of guitar you have, and I've since got a locking strap and never had that problem ever again thankfully. All around this thing is very dependable, very solid.

I've never had any reason to contact the company.

I've been playing for about 4 years (I've said this so many times I'm sick of saying it!), and out of the two electric guitars I've ever owned, this is the better of the two. If this thing were stolen, I'd go out and get another, or maybe (if I have the money, since I'm only 18 and don't have much to my name obviously) get an American model. I wish they made a non-tremolo version of this guitar (the American ones do, the Mexican ones, no) since I don't really use that and it kinda goes to waste. Other than a few extremely small things that don't make a difference, I'm satisfied with my purchase.

Late 2001 Standard Strat, when they started putting alder bodies on these guitars. Three single coil pick-ups, 250K pots. The body is cut for H-S-S, so if you want to throw a humbucker in the bridge theres no need to cut the body. Theres nothing really else that isnt standard on this guitar. (hence the name).

Welll since i play punk, i would have to say the sound on this guitar is THIN!!!! It has little output on the cheap stock-pick ups and i do not suggest using this guitar to play any kind of rock. Even if you play on the bridge coil, it will hum so much that you wont be able to hear the notes clearly. I replaced the single coil in the bridge with a SH-8 Invader and now its crazy, i love it, wouldnt trade it for anything in the world. It has the bass and sustain of a Les Paul and the treble spank of a strat. It sounds amazing. The neck pickup is good for soloing, it has a nice harmonic sound, but then again, it does hum like crazy. The Mid pick up is just about useless. The bridge itself is vintage, but i didnt like it, it hurts to palm mute. I replaced the vintage saddles with american bridge saddles and i solved that problem. Also, you need to put 500K pots in this thing, the 250K pots are terrible. The tuners are decent, it can stay in tune for about 3 days of playing for about 6 hours a day. If you lay your bridge down to be hardtail you will not break strings. Ive had the same pair of strings on this guitar for about 5 months and not one break. This guitar has alot of variety and can play most styles of music. Rock/Jazz/Blues/Pop. Maybe Metal if you put a distortion humbucker in the bridge. SOOOO......without the humbucker....im gonna give this guitar a 6, but with the SH-8 Invader....im gonna give it a 10

The guitar was set up beautifully from fender. They could not have done a better job. The action was nice and low, the tremolo was set up nicely. The paint job was amazing. Not a scratch on it. The intonation was perfect. Ready to play as soon as i bought it.

I've been playing live for about a year now, with about 1 big show a month (paid show). ANd this guitar has been through it all. It had only let me down once when i busted a string on stage, but hey, thats not bad at all. The hardware is nice, but i already changed the bridge saddles, and the knobs. The knobs look cheap, but will last. I changed the strap buttons, even though they seemed solid, i wanted strap locks for live play. I can def. depend on this guitar, and i will continue, since it is my only guitar. WOuld i gig without a backup...well...NEVER GIG WITHOUT A BACKUP. You dont know what could happen on stage. But yes, i have gigged without a backup before and they were never any problems. Even though i was very nervous.

Never had to call fender

overall, this guitar is a great value. for 350 dolalrs you cant go wrong. Unless you dont upgrade. This guitar is compeltely upgradable and just about asks for it. You will see how thin the single coils are and want to go and spend the other 60 bucks to buy a humbucker.
If someone stole this guitar....i would probably go out and buy the same guitar again, and set it up exactly how it was.
If you want to hear this guitar...go to....
www.westbound426.com
download the song, and listen to the guitar.
later

Black Strat,maple plain neck,3 very good sounding( STOCK ) pickups! 5 way switch,21 standard frets(dressed nicely) 3 ply pick guard and vintage stamped steel bridge!! All the features that make a Strat so damn good!! Oh,,and a poplar wood body( guess the Alder wood doesnt really matter!! Im happy!!

This Mexican American beauty( Half Californian built) final assembly in Mexico) is a sweet guitar!! Ive owned many Fenders in the past,my last Strat was a sunburst 91 American Standard( was a good guitar that I wore out and didnt like the stock pickups ( no character) this guitar has the stock Mexican pickups and they cover all the real deal Strat sounds well! You want blues?? jazz?? rock?? it does it all in spades!!the variety is endless,the tone controls work fine,noise is damn near minimal, playing this guitar ALL STOCK,thru a old Music man 210 65 watt hybrid amp is heavenly!!Wont change a thing its great as it is!!It does the ol school Clapton,Hendricks,Vaughn,Buddy Holly,Buddy Guy real good!!!

Setup Ill rate an 8 because Ive never had any guitar rate a 10 off the shelf,the action was low,need to set high for my needs and a mild tweeking to the pickup heights and bridge saddles,very rich black flawless paint,nice plain smooth maple neck,lighter finish than my ol American Strat..love the feel,,and its Quick!! the frets are smooth as hell,all electronics work well no problems,no dislikes and no modifications will be needed !!! Thank you Fender!!

I dont play live,,not yet have been a bed room player many years!! I will take this guitar with me and play out when I get the chance.it feels very solid and im sure itll be more than dependable!even though its not all American ( not a deal anymore with me) Ill cherish her and wear it well thru life!!the other guitar which I love another Mexican Standard Telecaster will also be with me too( That Telecaster standard I bought last year helped me to decide to buy another Mexican guitar from Fender I love it as well!

Fender has been around for ages,,the support is there if you need it,,the manuals with their guitars are helpfull too,have played over 17 years and I love Fenders stuff!! I bought the guitar from Musicians friend and once again the shipping was prompt and the goods were well packed!! hats off to them too! warrantys are pretty much useless to me because these instruments are well built and easy to fix and adjust,,Fenders always have been!!

Overall..the sound ,playability,fit and finish are mighty fine,no complaints,there isnt a damn thing I dont love about my new Strat!!it feels so right,and as far as Im concerned,this does all the real Stratocaster sounds from yesteryears without a wimper!! its a players axe!!it balances nice,resonates well,and is very sharp and rich looking!!Im witing a Letter to Fender for such a great instrument that was built. If you want a Fender Strat and dont wanna blow more money on the higher priced American ones,youll fall in love with this guitar! for half the price I have!!

Features are awesome. The single coils can match up to some humbuckers out there for the sound! very nice. only 2 complaints - when strumming, you might his the selector switch, throwing you to the bridge pickup. also, the volume knob sometimes moves when palm muting.

AWESOME. it can sound as bright as a waltz, then turn around and sound as bad as disturbed. a wide variety.

Not bad, i've seen beter finishes. The action is nice, evely balanced. very comfortable.

woohoo its been hit many times and nothing happened to it. solid as a rock. i use a ovation acoustic applause for my backup with special custom pickups (it can handle some distortion) they both are really solid

nup

overall, VERY solid, decent finish, and ripping pickups make this one of my favorite guitars.

2002 model, standard as described many times here. Sunburst with maple fretboard. Previous owner changed to a white pearl pickguard. If it had been new, it would be half the price of an American model, but if you play a few, you'll find a great one in the bunch that is the equal of an American.

I got this from a guitar store I was in about 10 minutes after they took it in on trade. I messed with it and it talked to me... It was obvious the owner hadn't played it much, but had taken very good care of it. It's mint.

All I have done to it is that I tightened the springs and blocked the trem. I sure wish Fender made a hardtail in the MIM Standard line.

I've always felt Strats have the widest tonal variation of any guitar out there, so it suits me, and I figure almost everyone else, really well. I play country, blues, old rock... flip the swith and the perfect tone is in there almost without having to roll the knobs.

The MIM is brighter than my American Deluxe or 1994 American Std.

When I amp it for fun, I use a 1975 Fender Vibro Champ. When I record, it's usually straight into the recorder.

The finish is beautiful, brown fading through red to a golden color in the center of the guitar. The maple neck sets off the look perfectly, just classic as Strats go. The finish is like a mirror. The satin neck is smooth and the fretwork is much better than other guitars in this price range. The neck pocket is a perfect fit and you can't get anthing between the body and neck. I give it a 10 for the workmanship in it's price range.

Needless to say, I have no idea if the original owner did any setup or whether I got it the same way he did from the factory. One way or the other, it was fine and I took off the 09's to change for 10's and adjusted the intonation slightly just out of habit. It was pretty much right on anyway.

Everything is solid and my experience with my other Strats would suggest they are made to last well. I wouldn't gig without a backup, if I was gigging at all, but this would be a good workhorse if I didn't want to put American guitars at risk.

No experience except to call Fender once on another issue unrelated to this guitar. They were friendly and helpful.

In general, I'm partial to Fender products, but the Mexican Standard line is something I consider to be great value for money. I don't see anyone else providing this quality for the price.

I've been playing 40 years and don't remember anything back that long that impressed me as much as the MIM Std Fender line. (My wife says I don't remember much of anything anyway...)

Stolen, would I replace it... depends. I already have 3 other Strats, 2 American and 1 other MIM Std I modified with new pickups, so it would depend on what I had at the time. This one has a certain feel to it I like, so I'd sure hate to lose it.

2001 Made in Mexico, 21 frets, s/s/s, vintage tremola...you know the rest!
Of the 9 or 10 I played at the staore, I settled on this black one with a maple neck for its overall play, tone and feel (the necks on these are hands down superior to the american necks....in my opinion.)

I've been playing on and off for fifteen years and have owned quite a few guitars. This plain jane Strat is just fun to play. Suits my style just fine. Quite versatile....blues, rock. A great axe to just pick up and tool around on.
I am currently running this through a 30 watt Marshall combo with an MXR Phase 90, Danelectro flanger and a Boss DD-3 digital delay. I only use these boxes for subtle touches.
Sound is quite bright. It's a Strat, what do you expect.

Set-up was ok from the factory. The action was a little high. I had the dealer I purchased it from make some minor adjustments and now it is perfect. Mine stays in tune very well.
Finish was perfect. The only problem I had was that the input jack became loose after about a month. I tightened it back up myself and haven't had a problem since.

This guitar would survive live playing even though I haven't played live since college :(. It's a very solid guitar.

Would never gig without a backup.

Haven't had to deal with them.

Been playing on and off for fifteen years. I currently also own a Fender Double Fat Strat Deluxe, a Peavey Wolfgang (an impulse purchase, however an awsome axe!)and an Ibanez acoustic. As far as other gear, I have and have had more pedals, amps, etc. than my wife would ever know about (I think?!?!)
This is a great guitar. It is an excellent addition for a seasoned player and perfect for beginners (you can't beat the start up cost and is hands down better than anything else in this price range.)

I bought my strat in 2000 and it was everything I could possibly need...except for the bridge pickup. I changed to a Seymour Duncan full-sized humbucker and I hate to use the word perfect, but it is. It sounds absolutely amazing.

It sounds absolutely amazing. I can easily get a nice clean tone and a great distortion out of the JB.

The action is perfect on the guitar. The finish has held up very well, even when I have gigged with it.

THE MOST durable guitar out there. You can bang it, drop it, destroy it even and it will still play as awesome as before.

Haven't had to deal with Fender yet. The guitar is too good.

I would recommend this guitar to anyone out there that loves strats. It's perfect for anything.

This is a 2000 model Mexican made Standard Stratocaster. It has 21 Frets on a maple neck. And a Midnight whine body (basically a dark red). There is a five-way pickup seletor sqitch. One volume knob and two tone knobs. Two of the pickups are the standard model pickups, one is a custom Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Humbucker pickup. The tuners and bridge are standard.

This guitar fits any genre perfectly. I like to play a variety of music styles, ranging from light rock to metal and blues, etc. Granted, it doesn't get the thick throaty sound of a lot of metal out there, no matter how thick you lay on the distortion, but it sounds spectacular when it comes to solos and such. When I put new strings on (I prefer G.H.S. Boomers) it sounds wonderful. I bright, rich sound that just can't be beat.

The guitar came great right out of the box. There were no problems whatsoever, no blemeshes or anything of the sort. But, over the past 2-3 years it has taken quite a beating. It's been bashed, smashed, smacked, dropped, and tossed beyond belief. And it has held up great...a strong plus when it comes to the solid body construction, altho it does weigh like 15 pounds. Now the laminate on the neck (I suppose it's laminate has started to fade, and the body has a few scratches on it and what not, so I started putting on a bunch of stickers.

Having been playing this guitar for nearly 3 years it has last quite a lot. I have used it to play live quite a few times and it always stands up to any and all abuse. The finish is starting to fade a bit, but it's good for me, adds a bit of a used kinda feel to it. I don't have a problem with the strap buttons at all, just the strap sometimes falls of, but no big deal. If I were to go on a tour or anything like that I would not go without a backup, in the event of a theft I would use that as an opportunity to upgrade. But for a simple one night gig I wouldn't mind in the least playing without a backup.

Haven't had to deal with customer support at all. And I don't really remember whether there was a warranty, or how long it lasts.

I have been playing for a few years, and I only have a tiny little 1x8 amp, the main input is broken, but it suites my needs. I also have a Digitech GNX 1 guitar processor. If my guitar were lost or stolen I would probably use the opportunity to upgrade to either an SG or an Ibanez. But, having been playing my current guitar for the better part of my entire time playing guitar, I feel a certain connection to my guitar.

MIM 2000 21 FRETS MAPLE SUNBURST POPLAR(SO THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION SAYS)I HAVE BEEN INSIDE AND IT LOOKS LIKE PLYS? ORDERED IT FROM GUITAR TRADER(GREAT PEOPLE)TO REPLACE A SOUPED-UP U.S.80s STRAT THAT WAS MY LOVE-CHILD(DAMN INSURANCE)PAID 385.00 WITH GIG-BAG(STILL HAD MY CASE).STANDARD WITH 3 SINGLE,5-WAY,VINTAGE TREM.AND ETC.

THE SOUND WAS AS VIRGIN AS ONE WOULD EXPECT.I LOST A MARSHALL MG50DFX(DAMN INSURANCE)SO I PICK-UP A RANDALL RG25RXM(MARS SUCKS)AND IT CAN ROCK.BUT IT CANT WAIL LIKE MY OLD UGLY BACK-UP(MORE ON THIS IF YOU REALLY LIKE TO HOT-ROD THROUGH TIME).YOU CAN ACHEIVE JUST ABOUT ALL FEEL BUT THE SOUND IS NOT THERE.

EVERYTHING IS AS I TOOK AFEW HOURS AND SET IT UP ON MY SPECS.I DONT KNOW FOR SURE THE BODY WOOD BUT IM A BIT PISSED AT FENDER FOR NOT REPLYING TO ME BECUASE I AM A CARPENTER A I WORK WITH POPLAR AND ALDER AND WITH FINISH I THINK ITS ALDER AND THE WEIGHT FEELS POPLAR.I STILL THINK THERES PLYS BUT THE OVER-FINISH IN THE BODY CAVITY MAKES IT TOUGH.VERY PRETTY AND COMFORTABLE ANYWAY.

I BELIVE THAT THIS IS TRUELLY GOING TO BECOME A CLASSIC BECAUSE THE BASICS ARE THERE AND THE FINISH IS JUST BEAUTUFUL AND CHEAP ENOUGH TO AGE WITH-OUT HAVING TO WAIT 10 YEARS.IT IS NOW MY MAIN AXE AND WITH MORE IMPROVEMENTS AND SOME EFFECTS IT IS ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER.I PUT CUSTOM-SHOP TEXAS-SPECIALS IN IT,SHEILDED IT,AND CHANGED THE TONE WIRING(REAL-AFFORDABLE UP-GRADES)AND ALL I HAVE TO DO IS GET USED TO THE FLATNESS OF THE NECK.

WELL I GUESS YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR...I JUST WANTED AN ANSWER ABOUT THE PLYS I BELIEVE ARE IN THE BODY AND I CANT EVEN GET A HUMAN RESPONSE.NO BIG DEAL SINCE IT FEELS AND SOUNDS OK .I JUST WANT TO SATISFY MY CURIOSITY.DONT KNOW ABOUT WARRANTY SINCE I HAVE ALTERED A FEW THINGS AND INTEND TO KEEP DOING SO..THESE ARE SO MUCH FUN TO TINKER ON!

I THINK THIS THE WAY TO GO FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS A STARTER,A PLAY-THING, A SOUP-UP SPECIAL(THERE PRE-ROUTED FOR HUMBUCKER IN BRIDGE),OR A REPLACEMENT ON A REAL TIGHT BUDGET.IF I COULD DO IT AGAIN I WOULD HAVE ASKED OR CHECKED ON THE NECK RADIUS BECAUSE THE FLATNESS MAKES ME FEEL LIKE IM PLAYING ACOUSTIC AND WHEN IM PLUGGED-IN I LIKE TO PLAY.MY OLD UGLY IS A SOLID MAPLE STRAT BODY(WHICH I HAND-BUILT IN HIGH-SCHOOL 1979-80 AND PUT A MUSICMASTER NECK ON AND USED JUST ABOUT EVERY POSSIBLE SET-UP IN. SHES A WARRIOR AND THANK GOD SHE SURVIVED THE FIRE.

Mexican Model Standard Stratocaster
21 Frets
5-Way Selector, 1Vol, 2 Tone
3 Single Coil Fender Pickups
Body is Alder (not sure) and neck is Maple with Maple fretboard
Agave Blue
Vintage type bridge with vibrato bar
Chrome tuners..look like Schaller type
Medium Jumbo Frets

I got this guitar becuase I wanted a Strat but didn't want to pay up for an American. I thought that was a compromise but this guitar totally rocks. I had gotten a set of replacements pickups becuase I thought the standard Fender ones would suck. Wrong!! They're actually
excellent for blues, rock, and jazz. It gives all the classic Stratocaster sounds. It came set up properly and played great right off. The only thing I did was straighten out the neck because I prefer a very flat neck. That only made the guitar play better. I decided to leave the stock pickups in because they sounded so good. If the stock Strat sound is what you want then you dont' need to spend a ton for an American model.

Everything was well set up when it got to me. No flaws or loose parts. I must have gotten lucky with this guitar becuase now I don't see the need to save up or trade this guitar in for a more expensive model.

I don't play live so I expect to keep this guitar for a very long time. Everything looks very durable and dependable. The only thing I would do is have it professionally shielded, just to cut down the hum that's typical with single-coil guitars.

It's Fender, I've never had cause to use their customer service and I've owned many Fender products. I don't know what the warranty is for this guitar..it's whatever the usual warranty is. Anyway, I don't expect to use it.

I've been playing for 15 years now so I know how a good guitar is supposed to feel brand new.
If it was lost or stolen, I'd have to run out and buy the exact same guitar.
I love the sound of it..very classic Strat if you're into that. This isn't a hot-rodded Strat with high-output pickups..although that's fine for some music. This is for tones from "Wind Cries Mary" to "Texas Flood".
I've had other Mexican made Strats, but this one really stands out. I must have gotten lucky or something. This is a fantastic value. I play it through Fender and Marshall amps hooked up in stereo. Aside from the hum which I'll get fixed anyway, it's awesome. I'm very happy with it.

Made 2000 Mexico
22 Fret board
Solid top
2x tone ,volume
3 Open Coil Pick ups
Maple Fret board
Alder and mahogany body i think

This is my first electric guitar ,i've played acoustic for 2 and a half years. I thought i bought Shit becuz i picked up a Squier Champ 20 amp but it turns out it was just the amp. I've used it on my friends crate DGFX212 60watt, and Crate Vintage Club 2 12" 60watt AMP,
The sound on this pretty good but lacks a bit of depth , i'm planning to in a Jeff beck jr. Humbucker to make a deeper,richer tones ,but other wise it's been good for hard rock

The guitar is in great working order
the only problem i had with it was a loose nut which i had to tighten other then that its fine

Extremely durable no problems so far the only place i have scratches is the pick gaurd.Extremely Durable

5 year i've had it 9 months and it hasn't giving me a problem so i haven't dealt with customer support

I shopped around a lot
I'm glad i bought this over an Squier Jagmaster, I nearly bought a tom Delogne squier but my friends which i tried told me that he had changed the pick ups (he has a Seymour Duncan something i for got ithink invader) that it sounds shit next to a strat,in the end i chose between this and a EPIPHONE LES PAUL STD
i went for the strat cuz it was cheaper

Made in mexico. bought it in 2002, so i assume it's made this year.. solid top. one volume, 2 tone, 5way selector. s/s/s pickups. maple wood. strat style obviously..it's a strat. nonlocking tremolo. 21 frets (i think). came with 2 L type wrench things, and the whammy bar.

I play punk and hard rock music. Seems perfect for punk. maybe not that good for hard rock. i use a peavy express 65watt amp, dod distortion pedal. it seems noisy on the bridge pickup, but not on the others. however, i prefer the bridge pickup tone. has different sounds. i like the pickup selector, easy way to get a tone, then furter use the tone knobs to adjust that particular tone.

One of the tone knobs gets a bit in the way when i palm mute. but i can live with it. the wood has its marks, but i assume its normal occurrance from the wood.

although it's a bit heavier then the gibson i had, it's still playable live. hardware seems good. i dont think anyone would take this, or any guitar without a back up. no guitar is perfect..and you can bang it on something and break it..it happens.

havent dealt with support. lifetime warranty.

It's truely a nice guitar. you can make it a thick or bright sound, depending on the position on the pickup selector. however i think they should stick with one tone knob, considering one of them hardly changes the tone.

1999 model in Arctic white, made in Mexico. The usual Strat-configuration: 3 singlecoils, 5-way-swirch, volume,2xtone-controls, vintage-style vibrato. Hardware is chrome.Maple neck with 22 frets, "skunk-stripe" in the back. Body wood is poplar, according to the product information.

This guitar I purchased in 1999 in order to retire my good ole', gigged and beaten up late 60's strat which had seen 3000+ gigs since the mid 70's when I bought it used for something like $ 300.-. The reasons why I bought the Mexi-model are: reasonable price (you can add better parts later which I did), better sound than most American standards, my main axe nowadays is a Les Paul, so I do use the strat for songs where a strat-sound is required.

This guitar offered several surprises to me: the tuners actually do hold pretty well, the pickups are better than one might think, the paint job, and - more important - the fretjob are very well executed. But most important: this axe sounds good! Like a vintage strat equipped with the hotter wound Texas Specials. I bought this one, becaus out of about 30 strats mostly American Standards) in the shop. it was the best sounding. Some years ago I decided to retire my 60's strat, and bought an American standard used for about $ 500.-. The guy in the shop said it had an Ash body, so I went for it (my old, heavy one has an Ash body, too). I was sooooooo (!) disappointed, and traded it back about one week later: tuners wouldn't hold, and the sound was too shrill without a character, especially without the Twang, there were flaws in the workmanship, the neck was sheit, and someone had done a really lousy fretjob. I prefer the Mexi, since there is actually nothing to complain about this instrument, and: it has the Twang, very similar to my 60's original. The only bummer are the cheapo electronics, and the muy plastico nut.

This axe fits our band's music style very well, since we play the old stuff from the mid 60's to the mid 70's. I run her through a early 70's Fender Silverface Vibrolux Reverb, combined with a Tubescreamer. Perfect combination. The sound is in every way more vintage than "modern", i.e. warm, round, smooth, brilliant, but never stingy, harsh or brittle (like the Am. Std. I had briefly.

This spring I replaced the pickups with Fender's Fat 50's, and last month I ordered a replacement body (Ash) from Rockinger (the equivalent to Warmoth in Germany). Oh my god! This is my own "Custom Shop"-axe now, and the goddammn m.....f..... sounds exactly like one (I compared). I also added some Schaller tuners. These parts costed me $ 390.- alltogether, add the $ 250.- for the original guitar, plus $ 30.- for a gigbag, and you arrive at ? 670.- for an instrument which is equal to a Custom Shop-product for 1/5th of the price. It sounds like my 60's, except that it doesn't have the last bit of shimmery smoothness which only time and use can do to a guitar. I am very, very satisfied with this sound.

Even without a high quality replacement body, the main difference is in the pickups. With the fat 50's you get the real smooth vintagesound with some added punch. I can imagine that you get different sounds with different pickups. With the stock pup's I give it a 7, with the Fender pup's a 10.

I already mentioned that the guitar had received a good fretjob. The factory setup was absolutely o.k., I mean there was nothing to complain about. I then adjusted everything to my personal likings (I play .012 strings), that was all I needed.

Flaws: in order to offer this product for a relatively moderate price, they have to save bucks and pennies somewhere. On the 3rd gig, the crappy plastic nut split on the E-string, so I had to sit down and work on a bone nut. When I replaced the pickups, I put in original fender pots, switch, and somr decent cables (the cables in there were much too thin, and they were arranged "bird-nest-style". O.k., about 40 minutes of work. Especially the original 5-way-switch was such a cheapo, crappy turd. The pots were kinda smallish, and they were 500 k instead of the original 250 k.

Otherwise, no complaints. The finish has to be mentioned positively, no flaw, and the connection neck heel/neck pocket is really precise and tight. With the original sheitparts I give it a 6, with the new and inexpensive parts a 10.

This is where the axe really shines: it is a superb gigging tool for the working musician. Strats and teles are known for their sturdiness, but what would you think if your $ 3000+ C.S.-strat gets kicked over and dented? - fittime!. With this instrument you do not have to be upset, nor will it get stolen.

You know how it is on gigs: drunk audience/bandmembers/yourself (?), too many obstacles, etc. are all potential - and reliable - sources for harm to your guitar. I don't worry with this one, she's already pretty much "reliced", and since I move around onstage a lot, there are even more dents and scratches on it.

I do not hesitate to gig with this instrument without a backup, and I occasionally do. With .012 strings, chances of a broken string are zero, and even if: just finish playing the set, then take the 2 minutes to change the string. A strat is a very reliable working horse, you dead shure can rely on her.

Frets: I am playing 2 4 to 6-hour gigs a week plus practice. Therefore I had to refret the axe after only six months. Now every 18 - that is with Dunlop fretwire. I think that the Mexifretwire is another cheapothing on which the factory saves a few pennies. But we all know: if you play a lot, fretjobs are inevitable. Apart from that, this pup is an almost undestructable super workhorse.

No idea, never dealt with them. Eiter D.I.Y. as I do, or find a good workshop in town. There came a warranty with the axe, but since everything was fine from the beginning, I didn't need it.

I'v been playing well over 30 years, partly making a living from it (not any more). I do have some gear, not too much any more: a Custom Shop Les Paul (superbo sound + looks, not apt for gigging), an Epiphone Les Paul (the gigging equivalent), my good old 60's strat (no more gigs for her), and the old point-to-point wirded tube amps I purchased through the decades. Of course, the strat sounds best in company of an old Fender amp.
If it got lost or stole, I'd replace it instantly, and do the same mods (remember: the pickups make the most significant difference). What I like about it is the fact that you can get a decent product for a shoestring budget, and that you can custom taylor it to your individual needs. I like that I can "relic" the axe without getting annoyed about some dents and scratches or a spilled beer. There is nothing I do hate on this axe. My favorite feature? - It's a real Stratocaster, not a flimsy substitute, it even has the logo on the headplate. Wish it had? Yes - an integrated Les Paul, so I don't always have to switch guitars during a gig.

All in all, I have to say that this is an instrument of remarkable value. I invested about $ 450.- extra, and now I do have an axe which gets pretty damn close to a C.S.-product. It is darn close to my late 60's strat, so why should I spend 3 or 4 grand for a C.S.-guitar??? I have the C.S. Gibson, and I never gig with it, bought a good quality Epiphone for that, and this one is pretty close to the real deal (changed pup's). The Mexi standard is definitely of better quality than the majority of Am. Std., so what - why spend more money than necessary. Go, buy one (or two) today, then customize it - that's a lot of fun.

Made in 2001 in Mexico. Standard 22 fret model. Solid-body. Same Specs as all of the others. It is a strat, it is not built with many, many features in mind.

This guitar suits my style well, as i play mostly rock. Some light music also. It does well for both. I use it with a Vox Cambridge 30 Reverb. I do not use effects pedals all too often; but when I do, I use a Vox 847 Wah and a Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face. The sound is alright.

When I got it from the factory, I felt that everything was set up perfectly. After I played in for a few months the intonation got messed up very badly. The guitar technician said that these guitars can never have it set up perfectly! What a bunch of BS. Other wise this guitar is pretty good. You can still tell that it is a MIM though.

This guitar will withstand a lot. I made the mistake of buying a hardshell case. I don't think that is nessecary for a guitar that is under $500, but that is MY opinion. Everything, with the exception of the intonation, has held up fine.

I haven't had to deal with the company.

This is a pretty good guitar. Besides the intonation, it has suited me well. My next guitar will be a Gibson Sg Special because I like the sound better, and it is American-made.

Decent features. It is a standard strat, so don't expect so much. Three ways you can make it 100% better is to 1) Get Lace Sensor Pickups and 2)Get the neck professionialy adjusted and 3) Get your input jack fitted with an extra washer or screw, then your ax will be as good as any strat

The sound is okay. As I said before Lace make it sound so much better. This guitar can play every kind of music, especially the classic blues riffs.

Everything was great until your input jack starts to fall out, get a washer on it and it will be fine.

Some screws rust after a while, but it's a good guitar. Even if you dont get those things replaced that I said before, it's a good back up.

N/A

Sorry that I don't have a perfect rating, I've been playing for 5 years, and I'm only 14 yrs. old. Alot of people think I don't know what I'm talking about, but I do.

If my ax was lost or stolen, I'd buy another, but it wouldn't be the same as my good ol' Layla strat.

For 200 bucks I bought this MIM used in 'like new' condition. After I restrung it it seemed right of the bat set up pretty nice. Its black with a rose wood fret board and everything is stock. All in all I think I bought a good guitar for a good price.

I am a "play-at-home-in-the-basement' kinda guitarist. So for my kind of music (blues, classic rock, acoustik rock) this thing should be perfect. Unfortunately I am still waiting to get a decent amp. Through mycrappy practice amp the guitar sounds fine and I hope it will sound great once I get my All-Tube Amp. I have heared about people changing around pick-ups and stuff and I will see if I find it neccessary. I won't have a problem doing this to this guitar because I think its so well built that I want to keep it. I like the fret board, which is a little wider than the one on my WASHBURN Maverick. It plays smooth and fast and whether you pick, strum or shred- the neck feels just right!
I really like the variety of the 5 way switch and the overall quality of the guitar, I dislike -- nothing really.

Just wonderful! The wood work is spot less and every seam is perfect. The action was exacty right for my right off the cuff and the electrinics are trougle free. I would say somebody screwed around with the pick-up adjustment screws. I will have to realign them at one time, because they seem to be not correct. But I will have to play with it a little

This thing is definitely well built and I take care for my stuff, so you could buy it from me in-- lets say 20 years-- for a lot of money, in mint condition. The strap buttons seem solid and other than the strings busting off I would not see a reason why I would need a back-up guitar on blues-jam night at the local hang-out :-)

No experience! No problem and I don't expect any.

Playing music for 35 years, guitar since 1 1/2 only. I regret I didn't start this wonderful instrument earlier--but I am glad I finally did. I own a Washburn Maverik which I like a lot ( a realy good guitar) and a TAYLOR CE614 accoustic (that's my pride). I always wanted a real Strat, but I wouldn't pay $ 1,000 plus for it after I tried out the MIM. If anybody tells me the MIM is crap, compared to a american Strat, then he has no ears, feel and a ego problem. The US Strat feels more expensive- I agree- and it contains more upgraded parts--true, but it does really not play better in the hands of 95% of all guitar players. The best playing Strats I had in my hand were highly modified instruments, and whether they were US or Mex made didn't really matter anymore. So get this guitar unless you are SRV-category player. The MIM is everything you can want and has a lot of upgrade potential. Parts are available everywhere and every guitarshop has someone to work on it. I don't give it a 10 because we have to be real, there are some guitars out there which are just so much better and nicer! But you don't need them-- you should have heared my guitar teacher playing a $99 SQUIRE for fun on a open-house in the Guitar Center.He sounded so much better than the kids playing the 4 digit priced GIBSON's STRATS or PRS's. If you can play, this guitar will not limit your potential.

1998...Mexico...21 frets...1 volume...2 tones...5-way selctor...3 single coils...Fender Texas Specials...body ?...maple neck...black satin...Strat...string thru body...non-locking(brand ?)...thin neck...small frets...maple...hard shell case, strap...

The sound of this guitar suits my musical style perfectly(Blues Rock)...I'm using a Marshall DSL50 with a 1960A cabinet...My effects consist of a Dunlop UniVibe, an MXR Distortion+ and an MXR DynaComp...
The guitar is a little noisy on the single selections but back out of phase(which is what I use 99% of the time)is as quiet as you please...The sound of this guitar is rich and full(I can dial in all the bright I want)...This guitar will get every Strat tone you ever heard...no dislikes...

The action was low(I raised it)...the pick-ups were flush with the guard(I raised the lower end to get more from the G,B and E)...there was no routing on the bridge saddles...there were no flaws on the guitar...

Its killer live...no hardware problems...the finish is beautiful and so far so tough...the strap buttons are solid...this guitar is very dependable but I'll always have a back-up(its a blue one just like it)

Ive had no dealings with the company and it has never needed repair...I dont recall the length of the warranty...

I have been playing since 1967...I own no other gear(dont really need any)...I have no regrets about the purchase...If it were stolen or lost Id just get another Standard Strat(I love em)...Its the tones it gets that I love the most(that Trower/Hendrix tone)...I hate the aged white knobs and pick-up covers against a stark white pickguard(I"ll be changing that)...my favorite feature is the back out of phase selection(it friggin smokes)...at the time I couldnt afford an American Standard so I just compared the way it sounded unplugged with other Standards...the one I chose had a beautiful acoustic ring...I wish I had more Marshall's and more Standards...It is my firm belief that music without Strats and Marshall's wouldnt(to me)be worth playing...I thank GOD for them...

90's MIM Standard Strat. All the usual.
Above average neck wood. Special type of maple, gives a great feel. Feels like the best guitar I've ever played (but I've only played about 20 diferent makes)
Body's diferent wood than a US strat, but feels great, in the dark it would be hard to tell apart.

Great for garage band feel (as any other single coil guitar is), but can sounds great when you mess with tone/volume/pickup selection. Great for punk, old school rock, funk, even metal when through the right effects.
Sounds like a strat. Twangy. (getting single coil's in neck and bridge replace with strat sized humbucklers by SD, should sound great)

Fast action, from the neck wood. The pickups were great, either from factory or by the dealer. Bridge is alitle high, but not a problem.
Had a tiny problem with the jack coming unscrewed, but can be fixed easily.

Very dependable, never had a problem. Seems durable. Always keep a backup ne wayz. Just in case. Most likely for a string snaping though.

Never Dealt with Fender, but dealer is great.

Excelent for what it's worth. Half the price of American Strat and all the perks of a Fender.

This a Mexican made strat,2002 model with Midnight blue finish,maple neck with a rosewood finger board,three single-coil PU's,five position switch'etc. You know the drill.

I really wanted a single coil style guitar so I could get that countrified groove going and that chicken pickin' sound. I always liked the sound of a strat but I had some serious drawbacks with them as I had always been a Gibson player. However, this particular guitar does exactly what I want it to do.

I must say that this guitar is as perfect as the materials allow it to be. It really is well put together and I cannot find any flaws with it even after repeated playing...that is why I bought the thing!

I find it to be extremely durable but of course I will also include my Les Paul at future gigs because they are of course different animals. I bought the strat for certain types of playing.

I haven't had to deal with the company since the guitar is trouble free

I have been playing for 37 years now. Also own Gibson es335,lespaul,Fender Jazz bass, Fender dg22s (acoustic) I played a lot of fenders but this one is perfect. I would buy another if it were lost/stolen.

I've got a '98 fender MIM strat - its a strat basically, if uve played one, or play guitar for that matter, youll know what it is...specifically, mines got 3 single-coil pups - however, the owner before me replaced them with texas specials, which i would recommend to neone looking for more bite...2 tone knobs, 1 volume...rosewood fretboard. i put some schaller locking tuners in there, just for ease of restringing, and my guitar stays in tune better...hmm, thats about it, read the rest below!

sound...well ive heard stock pickups in MIM strats, and ive got texas specials...ive also played american strats, vintage strats (real vintage, not reissues) - as far as sound goes, if youve got decent pickups (and you can play, lets not forget that, heh) - itll sound GOOD. fender tone, its there - the difference in woods and stuff ill explain below...but as far as my strat goes, its a strat, its the classic sound, with texas specials its slightly hotter and more biting which suits my tastes. but its still clean straight to my fender custom vibrolux reverb...trust me, as far as sound goes, dont bother shelling out double or more for an american strat...hmmm, but playability...read below :D

bah, MIM strats feel cheap. end of story. the wood used is different than an american strat, i cant tell u exactly what right now because i dont really care to remember, but its not an excellent play...its a good guitar, i mean, well worht the $350...but if youve played a real american strat, or any vintage one, youll feel the difference...an american feels sturdier and more well constructed. definitely play both and youll feel it - mainly, its the neck. for some reason mexis necks feel cheaper to me, like im holding a hollow piece of wood. action you can lower, the finish is good, very pretty guitars, good weight...just feels cheap overall if compared to an american.

hmm, strapbutton screws are getting quite stripped, i have to tighten them every once in awhile, and the output jack is getting loose as well. other than that, nothings failed me...quite good, i must say

ive never had to call fender :D - but if u need help, there are plenty of forums to go to

ive been playing for a year and half, but since the beginning ive been very serious about it...played piano for 8 years before that, so im not new to playing music. i play through a fender custom reverb, ive sold a lot of effects throughout the time ive been playing guitar, right now im playing through a borrowed boss ds-1, but im buying a jekyll and hyde soon. if this guitar was lost or stolen, i would definitely buy an american strat - the only reason i didnt was because this strat was very nice, just not as nice, and at the time i was strapped for cash. i love the tone and the ease of play from the guitar, i just wish it was made out of more expensive materials (would feel better, would probably play the same thought) - favorite feature is tone, blues and rock - youve got it covered. i would highly suggest getting different pickups, like the texas specials - fender pickups will get you fender tone, but other companies should be nice as well. comparing this guitar to the others ive owned (have already compared it to american strats up there) - epiphone les paul...i sold that guitar for this one, i didnt like the les paul because it dindt have a tremolo (bisby is ugly!) and the tones i get from humbuckers arent my cup of tea. then theres my old peavey predator strat rip-off...that was a true piece of sh*t. and my first guitar was a no-name strat rip-off...beginners, do yourself a favor and invest some money! when you try to get rid of your shitty beginners guitar, youll make like 20 bucks...hardly worth it.

All the features you already know about, minus the tremolo arm.. wasn't on the guitar when I bought it, never wanted one before or after. Really great manic-depressive finish (midnight blue) that sometimes looks purple, sometimes looks blue.. the finish is beautiful and very resilient. All of the stock hardware works well.. the Fender's chrome tuners give me so much more peace of mind than those flimsy, puke green acorns that come with a lot of Epiphone Les Pauls.

The guy at Guitar Center seemed kind of biased against the Strat's twang.. he was trying to push an Ep les paul on me, which I was also considering. But the Strat gives me a pretty wide variety of tones, and I wanted to be able to play clean and bright if I want to.. I figured I can always put it through pedals or effects. I do like the warmth of humbuckers, but the Strat is versatile enough to give me anything from blues to rock to whatever. I'm happy with the sound, although I will eventually get a Les Paul

Everything was great out of the factory except the action and the neck displacement. The higher strings were perfect, but the low E and the A had a lot of fret buzz, which I couldn't hear at the store because Guitar Center likes to play really loud music over the store's speakers. I don't hold anything against GC, and a good set-up by a luthier fixed all of the buzz problems. It plays beautifully now. My lesson learned: Try guitars somewhere quiet, where they have sound-proofed isolation rooms or go to a store when there aren't five guitarists all playing through 100-watt amps in the same room with you. Also, don't expect a factory to put out a perfect guitar... a good set-up may very well turn a decent guitar into an excellent one.

Very solid. Stock hardware is all top-notch for the money. Strap buttons are good.. I won't be dropping my guitar. I would definitely gig with this guitar w/o a backup

Never communicated with them, and I'm not sure about a warranty. I got a really cheap Fender 15w amp with reverb from Guitar Center, though, with a 5 year warranty.

I was down to either the std. strat or an Epiphone Les Paul (LP-100 or Studio) and the strat just seemed like a much better guitar, overall, for the price. I knew that if I got an LP-100, I might end up changing the pickup selector switch, pickups, and/or the acorn tuners after just a little while. They didn't have any LP Studios when I went, so I went for the strat.. I was really drawn to this particular strat.. it's feel and it's sound. A great guitar all around.

Three single coil pickups stock, replaced with one Bill Lawrance (Blade type for bending) humbucker, two single coils from American strat. Vintage tremolo, saddles replaced with graph tech string savers, five-way switch changed to three way, and the two single coils wired in parallel together like a humbucker. coil tap push pull tone knobs, and phase switch added for bridge pickup. Maple neck, wine finish, custom homemade pickguard. I would rate higher, but stock is too much like every other strat copy.

The sound was great even before I changed a thing. No hum from the single coils even without shilding. No problem at all with the stock sound. I used this guitar for years before I started doing mods to it.

The saddles had to be adjusted for better tuning. Pickups were a bit too high, but everything else was fine. Good action stright neck, and the finish like glass.

This guitar is well made. I used it to gig with for years, still do. I depend on it daily, and it has never let me down. It was my main guitar, now the backup, but it is used every set.

Warranty, Fender, sometimes, sometimes not. Send it to them, and wait, and wait, and wait. Do it your self save a headach.

I have been playing for over 30 years. Yeah, I'm old. My main guitar is now a Fender U.S.A stratocaster. I like Fender strats, always have. I made the mods to the standard for songs like Queen, Rush and Ozzie. Needed the Humbucker sound, but hate Gibsons. If it was lost of stolen, I would start all over and make the changes to another one. The only dislike was the vintage saddles. They tend to break strings if you bend a lot.

My Fender Standard Stratocaster was made in 1996 in Mexico. It has 21 frets, solid top, one volume, two tone controls, 5 way selector switch, 3 passive single coil pickups, body is made out of whatever they make them out of in Mexico, maple neck and fretboard. Mine is candy apple red with a white pickguard. Standard stratocaster guitar, nothing flashy. Tuners are probably non-locking but they do the job. Has medium frets on a maple fretboard. I bought it used off of ebay and it came with a very nice gig bag, strap, whammy bar and a super nice California cable.

Suits my music style just fine and I play everything from metal to country. I don't know who all these people are that say you can't play metal on a strat. That's more in the amp than the guitar. I've got 4 amps here at home, a Marshall G30RCD, a Marshall Valvestate 15, an Ibanez TB15R and one of those little Marshall mini stack amps. I play the guitar on all of them occasionally. I only use a Rogue distortion pedal and a Danelectro Corned Beef Hash Reverb pedal for effects. This strat is very quiet. Very little hum, even in the 1st, 3rd and 5th positions, 2d and 4th of course cancel any noise at all. It can have a very bright sound in the bridge position or a rich full sound in the 4th and 5th positions. It's a strat. They are very versatile. I can make any kind of sound that I want from AC/DC, Metallica to Steve Earle and Merle Haggard. I love this guitar and don't really dislike anything about it.

Well, I bought this used, so it was setup just fine. Pickups were adjusted just fine. Top was fine, bridge routed fine. My guitar is used and it does have the normal wear and tear that you would expect when you buy an 8 year old guitar. There are scratches, nicks and a few dings. The neck is very well played and to me very comfortable and yes there is some oxidation and rust on the hardware. To me, all this just gives it character.

Well, it certainly appears that this guitar has been played a lot by the person that owned it and it is still looking, playing and sounding fine. Strap buttons are solid and I think it is very dependable. No one in their right mind would gig with any guitar without a backup.

Bought it used. Never dealt with them.

I've been playing for 35 years. I also have a JB Player Telecaster Copy, which has been modified to string through body and has Fender Vintage Noiseless pickups that I would put up against any Fender Telecaster out there. Nothing I wish I had asked before buying it. I love everything about it, hate nothing, my favorite thing is its versatility.

Current production Stnadard Strat with brown sunburst on an alder body, ( this is realy alder, Ichecked and had it checked by a cabinet maker localy ) maple neck, rosewood board with standard vintage medium frets, 3 single coils, vintage 6 screw bridge, blah, blah, blah. If you don't know what a Standard Mexican made Strat is, your a beginner or a no talent ass clown! Beutiful guitar. Everything I wanted in a Strat. If I wanted more I would be reviewing something else. If I didn't want what it had I wouldn't be reviewing it.

I play alot of different music styles. I like Slayer, The Pixies, Megadeth, The Cure, Metallica, Prince, Korn, Jeferson Starship, Van Halen, Electric Light Orchestra, Static X, Linkin Park......ect. It fits in some of these styles, but I can make it sound like anything if I wanted to and Steve Vai said it best when he said you gotta use what you have. I won't quote him because thats not exactly verbatum what he said, but that is the jist of it. I play through a CRATE GX65, Marshall AVT 50, BOSS Metal Zone ( for that heavy shit ), DOD Delay, DOD Ice Box and a Morely Pro Series Wah. It does what I want and does it well. Crank the Marashall on OD and turn on the wah for the SRV or Hendrix, Crank the Marshall and cruz through some Nirvana, Kick on the wah, CRATE GX 65 and the BOSS MZ and kick out some Metallica. Thats stock. Stock is a 10 as well as how it sounds now with a DiMarzio Vitual Heavy Blues single coil in the bridge. It flat out rocks! It gets a killer clean tone like the Chilli Peppers have. I love it!

Naturaly it has to be dicked with to get it to where you want it. The Mexicanos en Mexico don't have ESP and can't set them up according to who will be buying it. Thats why things are adjustable, so you can adjust it. Duh! Stock it came intonated and the action was playable, but I like it a pussy hair lower than they had it. The pickups were adjusted close enough, I backed em down a little. The output was a little harsh and a Strat to me should not be so harsh. The wood looks great. The wood grain is very nice and can be seen through the finish. The finish rocks! String spacing was killer and the neck was alligned dead on. Most Fender Strats need to have the neck alligned. All you gotta do is unscrew the neck a little, pull the neck to one side or the other to get proper string allignment, retighten screws, not too much and retune and your ready to go. As far as stock goes, nothing broken, bent or woth sending it back for.

I've seen a few Strats broken to shit at a few shows. It takes a good 10 sledge hammer swings to kill em. I think they are solid. A backup is a must. Strats can break strings at the nut and bridge at first. They have burrs and what not. You gotta get the bugs out before you play out. I have had few of these and they have all been consistantly solid.

Very good people. Quick service and with a smile you can see through the phone.

This is my 7th Fender and my 5th MIM Strat. I own a Jackson DK2, Jackson DXMG, Charvel Model 2 and soon a Tradition LP Gold Top copy as well as the CRATE GX 65 and Marshall AVT 50 and assorted BOSS, DOD and Morley effects. I have had a love affair with Strats since I first started playing 20 years ago. My first guitar was a Strat and I miss that one alot. This one is a good replacement. I plan to modify it a little here and there. I want to keep it vintage in looks, but hotter in sound. That is where it's at for me. The one thing about this message board I don't like are the silly questions they ask. Factory setups are unremarkable as they all usualy suck. If it came exactly to your liking then post it! Ohterwise, don't. If the features aren't a 10, then you were dumb for buying it in the first place. I have seen several reviews on here about one humbucker guitars and the features get a 4 or 5 or 6 rating and it's all because it only had one pickup and one volume and had no versatility. Well, that particular guitar was designed to make sound and one sound only. If you wanted different sounds, you should have bought a guitar with one more pickup. I also like the guys who post a review of a guitar and tell you how much it sucks and when you read where they got it from it says Guitar Center or something. If you had to take it off the wall, take it to the cash register and then home, somewhere in between all that you had to try it out a little and enough to know you love it or hate it! The only excuse for this is when you buy mailorder and have never seen that particular model to try out before. Thats all I got to say. If you played it the store before you bought it and layed the cash down on it, theres no excuse it shouldn't recieve all 10's.

I have a 2000 fender standard strat (made in mexico). It has 21 frets which i dont really like but thats how the original fenders were made. My guitar is a solid top and it has three controls (1 volume and 2 tones). It has 2 strait single coils and a slanted single coil at the bridge. The pickups are factory so their decent. I switched my guitar to passive and parallel wiring instead of series because it spaces out the controls easier.

I play pretty much anything i have been playing for 3 years now and this is my third guitar (i have a dearmond m-54 and an ibanez aw20 acoustic). I have this type of setup: Strat-->Boss DS-1-->Jimi Hendrix fuzz wah-->Marshall MG80RCD-->7 x 14 cabs. In the bridge neck and middle settings the guitar hums a little, but i sometimes use a noise gate on a digitech rp100 to cancel out the hum. It has a bright sound but if you tweak the controls with amp and guitar you can get a les paul like tone. I like the sound on this guitar it is a great deal for this magnitude of guitar.

Its Mexican made so its very standard but nice. I adjusted my pickups a little because i did not really like where they were at and there wasn't many flaws after that.

This guitar is very tough, mine has been through a lot and the finish is worn down to like nothing, but the tone has stayed pretty much the same. The guitar itself ages except for its sound.

I like this guitar for a beginner i will probably put new pickups in at some point and change my neck pickup to a humbucker, but for now its a great guitar overall.

EVERYONE KNOWS THE FEATURES OF A STRAT!

i feel very bad for my strat,it has been through alot.As my first guitar,i didnt really notice the extremely bright twang coming out of the stock single coils.but later on,i began the realize that that glassy twang countryish sound completely sucked for rock.However,if u play around with the settings,u can get rid of that pesky twang.Latter on i got curious as to wat made a guitar tick so i removed the pickguar and screwed around with the electronics.(I even spilled a bit of soda on the neck pickup).The end result was a muddy monster from hell that was just screaming GRUNGE!!!!!!!

i lowered the action myself,and everything else seemed fine.The sunburst finish looks great,even after the numerous dings and scratches my guitar has endured.Sadly i also superglued magazine cutouts and other crap to it cause i thought it would look cool.Later on i realized i was an idiot and scrapped the crap off with a heavey guage brilo pad.The guitar came out scratched ass hell,with globs of super glue still present on its once gleaming finish.I gotta hand it to fender mexico though,If it wasnt for all that laquer they put on there,that brilo pad would have scrapped it raw.

it is very very durable considering all its been through.i smash it around and its still alive and kickin,i got straplocks too so i can go out of control and not worry about it flying off.This is sorta my backup guitar,i keep it tuned down a half step to play some darker grunge music.I goo reallyyy heavy on the strings and they havent broken yet,i am very pleased.

ive been playing for a year and i own another custom strat which i treat much better.its not very good now for any type of music except full out grunge cuase of the muddy pickups,but let me tell you,there isnt a better lithium cover guitar out there except maybe kurts jag!I do wish it had a rosewood fretboard though,and a duncan hotrail bridge pickup.as my first guitar,i owe her all all.Shes been through alot,when any other guitar wouldve been smashed to pieces or broken in 2 by now.by the way,the soda i spilled on the neck pickup shorted it out,making a remarkablly odd buzzing noise when i switch to it.

First off, I don't currently own a Mexican Strat. I have had about 3 or 4 over the course of the last few years. I sold my last one because I decided to buy an American Deluxe Strat. BIG MISTAKE. It would not stay in tune with the locking tuners. Even slightly using the tremelo arm would knock it way out of tune. I was not dive bombing or anything, just real simple, light accents. The bridge saddles were chrome on the "DELUXE" version, and after about three days the "chrome" started to peel off! The tuners on the Mex Strats are the tops!!! The bridge and saddles on the Mex Strats are also tops!!! Please don't be fooled into buying a guitar for upwards of $800 - $1200. The Mex Strats are really a great buy, especially for an at home player, which is what I am.

Again, if your an at home player, you can't go wrong! If you want a metal sound, look for a guitar with humbuckers.

Guitar was made in Mexico, I'd say 2000.
21 standard frets
Master Volume 2-Tones (I've modded the mid tone to a bridge tone, makes all the difference)
Three Ceramic Single Coils-Passive
Maple Neck w/skunk stripe, Rosewood Fretboard, Yay!
Body is Alder I believe
Finish is a beautiful 3-Tone Sunburst
Strat body style of course. What do you think this is a Tele review?
6-Screw Trem with Vintage Fender Saddles
Sealed Fender Tuners, I've yet to have a tuning problem with them.

Suits my style fine. I play blues on my own time. and yes make fun of me for it Punk in a band.
My amp is a little Fender Frontman 25R soon to be put out to pasture.
I use a Boss DS-1, BF-2, CH-1 and an Ibanez FZ7.
It's a bit noisy but you can't hear it when your playing. Only noisey on the 1st,3rd and 5th Position.
It's got that nice bright single coil sound. Not as full of a sound as my Yamaha with a JB in the Bridge and a Distortion bucker in the neck.
Gets a nice bluesy sound in the neck position.
Gets a biting distorted rock sound in the bridge.
I don't use the mid postion very often.
The only thing i don't like is the Pickguard. I wanna replace it with a White Pearloid, it would go nice with the sunburst.

When I got it, it was set to factory settings. When i got home right away i set the bridge flush with the body and had to do a little bit of action adjusting. I then proceeded to cut the strings off, Yes the very same day I got it. Put new strings on and adjusted the intonation. Adjusted the pickups to my standards. The neck and mid are as low as I can get them without falling into the body, so i don't get wolftones with the bridge single. Bridge was routed properly. I haven't had a problem with it.

I've played it with a couple of my friends in bands and It's taken alot of crap and made it through all of it without failing on me. So I'd say It'll probably last long enough to get buried in my coffin with me. The hardware will last a long time. Probably have to refret it later in her life but that's gonna be in a long time. The finish will last a long time i believe. It has a nice solid and thick finish.
Strap buttons are in the body tight and aren't going anywhere. I can depend on this strat to last me until i die. I would use it on a gig without a backup.

I've never had any problems with Fender Products. Despite what people say Fender products are built to last even if it is a Squier product.
I haven't had to get anything repaired and if i ever did i'd do it myself.
I can't remember how long the warranty is.

I've been playing for nearly 3 years now. I own 3 Boss effects pedals have not had problems with those either. A Ibanez FZ7 Fuzz pedal.
A Sabine ST-1500 Tuner. Fender Frontman 25R guitar amp. Squier P.A. it's remarkably built well. A Yamaha Pacifica 521 w/Duncan JB in the bridge and a Distorion in the neck and a Fender 3-way Tele style switch. A '94 Squier Strat with Duncan Screamin Demon and pickguard, knobs and pickup covers changed to black (it has an artic white body).
Finally a '90 Squier Sunburst stratocaster with a 3-way tele switch,
1 Vol/1 Tone, a Duncan JB in the bridge w/a coil tap switch and a Duncan Vintage Stagger Single Coil in the neck. No mid pickup.

NO questions I would've asked. I would no questions asked go buy another strat. I love everything about it. Nothing I hate. I love all the features. Was not compared to other guitars. A better pickguard and maybe down the road i'll upgrade the pickups.
Buy this guitar. But don't get it in Black, Sunburst Strats are the best.

Standard Strat, made in Mexico. 21 frets, 3 single coils, midnight wine finish. I really wish I got Sage Green, but this was all they had and i loved the feel. the tremolo kicks ass, the whole system stays in tune VERY well. i use GHS Boomers, (9s). took off the Bullets like 4 days after i bought the guitar

it sounds great, nice "strat tone". i play mostly Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Pink Floyd, the Who, Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees, just about any classic rock or grunge. I play an Ibanez GAX70 (with Slinkeys (10s), and a Flextone 2 amp. I also use a Bigmuff distortion, and Ebow.

its not too noisy, i dont know why people complain "it's so buzzy and hums like hell." well maybe you should use a thing we like to call a NOISE GATE. *sigh*

its not a guitar for metal and shit, just go get a large boddied humbucker guitar, like a Lespaul or PRS, and give it better pickups.

felt great when i played it, not the color i wanted, but still wonderful. i didnt like the strings though. i'm digging the maple fretboard

this guitar seems like it'll last. and i'd sure as hell rely on it for gigs.

nice ppl at BnB music, anything happens with the guitar i take it to them, they fix it. i also got a free setup in 90 days. restringing, resetting the neck, raising the bridge, shit i do by myself. but its still good if i wanna be lazy one day

iv been playing for about 2-3 years. and im in a band now, Bad Alchemy. if the guitar were stolen i'd get another, definatly. i compared it to a USA strat. didn't see, hear or feel much differance. different wood, that's about all the differance in sound i heard.

i also bought one of those squire cases for like $40

The guitar was made in 2001 in Mexico. Theres a surprise.
21 frets, i could do with and extra 3... but hey.
2 tone controls, 1 volume control. 5 way selector. Nice and versatile. Could do with a humbucker though. Should have got a fat strat really. 3 single coils. Fender standard pickups.
Poplar body, solid 2 piece. One piece maple neck and fretboard. I think it looks better than a rosewood.
3 colour sunburst, and very nice too.
Fender vintage style trem.
Excellent Fender USA machine heads.

It suits my moderate sort of "Muse" style rock well, it has a nice jangly clean sound with a lot of top end because of the single coils. It cant really do heavy rock that well because of the body material and the lack of humbuckers, but there is the fender standard fat strat with a humbucker. The guitar has a very bright sound, with not much mid frequency, and a tight bass. There is a lot of variety, from the sparkly clean to the truly evil, dirty settings of two of the pickups together with a shedload of overdrive.
The neck and mid setting is good for blues tones, and the bridge and mid is good for rock. The single coils on theier own preovide clarity. But they are quite noisy and feedback really ewasily.. but thats a good thing i think.

The action from the factory was a little high for me, but thats a matter of prefernece, and a an easily rectifiable problem. Pickups were perfectly adjusted, twith a good balance for clarity and punch. All of the routings are very tidy, and the finish is absolutely beautiful. The frets were well fitted, and they were nicley polished. The nut was well fitted... but it snapped while i was tuining and the section outside the top e string flew across the room... not good.
The jack socket cmae loose very quickly, but thats easily fixable, even if it does keep happening... and the strap button needed screwing back in after a few days.

Well... the nut is a pretty bad problem... but thats probably a one off. The machineheads will last longer than you could ever need. they are excellent. The bridge is well put together, but the trem arm does lock up at a strange anle which is annoying. The finish scratches quite easily, but im quite energetic, so thats probably why.
I will give it a 7 becuase of the nut.

Absolutley abismal. I had to get the nut repaired under warranty, i took it to the shop, they sent it off to Fender UK and it took me five weeks to get it back. most annoying.

I have been playing about 2 years, and this guitar more than caters for the intermediate player. I wish that i had got the fat strat, but oh well. If it were stolen, i would buy one again, but only with the insurance money. Otherwise i would probably get an Ibanez SA160 or S370, they suit my needs more, but this is a very sold, well built, attractive guitar. I love it. I compared it with a Telecaster in the shop, and got this because its much more comfortable to wear, because of the body contours, which are intuitivley placed. Like i say, i would rather some humbuckers, and a weel made nut, but other than that its perfect.
Its a Fender Strat... i mean come on... CLASSIC!!!

Mexican Strat, s/s/s/, maple neck, sunburst finish, you know the rest...

I play everything and everything yet I had never been a strat person. I recently borrowed a friends for a gig and went "wow" so now I have my own. I generally play a Gibson Les Paul and I found that in a band that leads just didn't cut through. I switched over to the strat and was amazed by the clarity of the tone. When I got mine, I was a little dissapointed, but after making some set up modifications it was playing and sounding awesome. Not the best guitar for playing by yourself, and it doesn't have a deep jazz tone, but it's great otherwise. Blues/rock/country - those sound awesome. The pick-ups have the usual 60 cycle hum, and they are kind of weak compared to the humbuckers on my Gibson, but I didn't expect them to be that strong. For a single coil strat sound, this is an awesome guitar for the price.

Well, I didn't get it from the factory, but I can tell you that the music shop I picked it up in had it set up horribly. The bridge wouldn't set flat - meaning it couldn't be in tune, the intonation had never been set... it wasn't too good. But I picked this guitar because even with it's flaws it was one of the best constructed mexican strats there. The neck feels great, the neck joint is EXTREMELY tight on this one, the finish looks awesome... Once I made my own modifications it was awesome.

I'd never play a gig without a backup because I wear through strings faster than it should ever make sense (I have really acidic sweat)... But it seems like it could take a beating. Scratches and so on add character to these guitars, so whatever...

I've been playing for 8 years now and owned quite a few different guitars... this one fills in the strat sound really well without killing my bank acount.

2 tone sunburst and black. I know the black one is made of poplar, but I hear the burst finished Strats are alder. The sunburst Strat is a little lighter. Vintage 6 screw trem on both with all the Standard Strat features. Fretboard on sunburst is rosewood and on the black one it's maple.

I play pretty much everything from Hendrix to Korn. It suits my style for the blues, rock and even metal. Singles are noisy and all, but I fixed that with some shielding and some Fender Tex-Mex pickups on the sunburst and a JB Junior in the bridge of the black one. I modified the black one with a black pickguard and accessories. Looks pretty good. Now both guitars suit my styles pretty well. Stock they are a 5 to 7, now they are a 10 to me.

Excellent for me. I like my action high enough to keep my palmmuting sounding good. I can shred without my strings 1/16th from the fretboard. Everything works and looks great. No complaints.

These two will make my 4th and 5th Strats. The first 3 I owned were good as well, but got sold due to financial reasons. It didn't hurt because I bought them when they were super cheap. I modified them as well. I had my first one for 5 years. It lasted through plane flights and bumpy roads between California and Missisipi.

You can't go wrong with one of these axes. I've gone off on tangents where I would leave my $1500 + Jacksons, Gibsons and Esp's in their cases in favor of my low cost MIM Strats. When playing some old Van Halen tunes, they just give me the vibe I need. Best guitar value short of a Jackson DK2 which is in a whole other class. If you just have to have a MIA Strat and just got to pay that extra $400 for a 22nd fret and a 2 point tremelo, go ahead. These MIM Standard Strats are a killer value and a great guitar.

1998 Mexican Strat with Sunburst finish, 21-fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, modified to Bartolini 3XV (passive) / DiMarzio FastTrack 1 / DiMarzio FRED pickups, 1 master volume and 1 FRED tone knob, modified bridge to GraphTech saddles and pine block to make it fixed (like Clapton did), set-up with D'Addario .012-.052 Chromes. Didn't include a case, though, so I had to buy my own.

Straight from the store, I'd rate it at 7, but after the mods listed above, up to a 9. Only thing to make it a 10 would be a real fixed bridge.

The original pickups had the nice typical Fender singlecoil twang and snap, but with the excess brittleness and hum I wasn't too crazy about it so I changed them all. The original tone was actually quite nice IF you can live with the hum, but I needed something a little more quiet and full. Now, it sounds beautiful - especially the neck Bart which is the position I play the most (mainly blues and jazz). The FRED sounded nicer in my old basswood Ibanez, but that's mostly because with the Ibanez I was playing a different style, so....

Original sound was basic - a 6 because it was quite clean and versatile. The new quieter and fuller (modified) tone would go up to 8 (still not perfect, but in a $450 guitar there are other things that need to get sorted out too).

From the factory, the strings were not my cup of tea and they were set WAY too high, so they were the first to go (I now use .012-.052 D'Addario Chromes), followed by a serious lowering of said action. The resulting action is now quite good (yet still not low enough and I don't think I can get it any lower), BUT I did notice some workmanship faults: the smallish frets were not level and caused too much buzzing at the 10th to 15th positions with the lowered action (which cost me $30 to get cleaned up), the ends of the frets aren't cleaned up very well causing irritating scrapes on my hand as I slide along the neck, 1 of the 11 pickguard screw holes was drilled too big (or in a flakey part of the wood since the screw wasn't being held in place very well), and the output jack's nut kept on undoing itself (a few drops of LocTite solved that). The rest of the hardware is of good quality (considering the price of the guitar).

Still, the fretwork was the biggest issue on this thing. From the factory, I'd give it a 6. After the work I had done, it's an 8. Put in bigger frets and shape them properly, and we'd be up to a 9.

Since I play just for myself, the guitar doesn't get to see a lot of hard pounding or anything. It's lasted perfectly for 4 years now, so another 4 should be a piece of cake. It's quite simple with few things to go wrong, so it should take almost anything. If I were to gig, I could live with just the one so long as a string didn't break.

Only thing more reliable is a brick. 10 here.

Never had serious issues that needed Fender's attention.

Without any of my modifications, I'd give this guitar a 7, because it's simple, flexible, reliable, and looks damn good.

Add the mods and I'd peg it around 8 overall (still needs bigger frets and a real fixed bridge).

To make it perfect: Swamp Ash body, Surf Green paint, celluloid Pearloid pickguard, real fixed bridge, 6100 frets, Goncalo Alves neck with Pau Ferro fretboard and 10-16 compound radius............. That'll be my next guitar, courtesy of Warmoth.

2001, made in Mexico. Poplar body, maple neck/maple fretboard. 3 sigle coil p/u's (1 vol. 2 tone). Midnight blue finish. Vintage style tremolo.

I Play vatious styles of rock, usually with a Marshall or Peavey. Pick-ups hum in 1st, 3rd & 5th position. Hum cancelled in 2nd and 4th position. Has a bright twangy tone you'd expect from a fender.

The action was set-up nicely. However,there are some sour notes that aren't the result of fret buzz. Another flaw- the tremolo cavity wasn't routed to allow enough room for the springs. Result is lots of noise as the springs rub aginst the wood. This shouldnt happen on any Strat made by Fender! I've played Squier's made in Indonesia that don't even have this problem.

The guitar is well-built. A table and chairs can be well-built too, but you can't play music on them. I consider it a decent guitar, but I feel I didn't get my moneys worth. I wouldn't buy one again and wouldn't play live without a back-up. Sadly, I pampered this guitar from day one by treating it gently and it totally let me down.

Haven't bothered contacting them. What will they do? They already have my money.

I'been playing for over 20 years. I own other Fender's and Squier's and one Jackson for heavy metal. If this guitar was stolen I would get over it. (Either way, I'm out $350!)...I also read reviews in magazines and Mexican Fender's don't always do that well.

I believe mine was made in 2001. It's a Mexican Strat. 21 Frets. s/s/s pups, black with white pickguard, 5 way switch, maple fretboard. standard everything. I got a free gig bag with this purchase.

This is exactly what I wanted for a few reasons. #1 I had a Kramer and could not stand the way it sounded or the feel of the neck in relation to this guitar. #2 The stock pickups are very bright and thats what I was looking for, although you can get a good variety of tones due to the tone controls and selector switch.
This guitar isnt made for heavy metal in my opinion. Its suited best for blues, which is my thing. So it gets a good rating from me.
I may want to add different pickups at some point but its fine for now.

The setup and action, feel of the board, finish on the body, all real well done. I might change some things cosmetically to fit my taste, such as a pearloid pickguard, but its sweet looking as it.

This thing feels sturdy. hardware seems dependable , beautiful finish that seems like it will stand the test of time. I will and do depend on this to get my through.

N/A

16 year vet. AVT50 Marshall. DOD Tec8 pedal board. I hope it never gets stolen. I love it too much. Planning on hot rodding it. perfect guitar to modify to your taste.

2002 Mexican Strat, 21 frets, 1 volume, 2 tone controls, 5 way pickup switch. Standard Mexican strat pickups. Maple fretboard w/ blue agave paintjob, trem bridge. No accessories

This guitar has a very versatile sound. I can play anything from Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton to Nirvana. I use it with a Peavey 40 watt practice amp. I use a Boss Metal Zone MT-2 pedal. If that thing is set right and the bridge pickup is on, it gets some pretty good crunch. I really like this sound.

This guitar has low action and was set up awesome at the factory. Excellent wood, not a flaw on it. Paint job is awesome and has a uniform coat all over it. Very well assembled.

The whole guitar seems rock solid. I don't gig so i wouldn't know. I have seen many kids my age playing live shows with this guitar and its never failed. The only reason i would take a backup would be in case a string broke.

I've been playing off and on for 4 years. I own a Peavey strat (awful) and a Peavey practice amp. If it were stolen and I had 350 to spend on a new guitar, i would definately buy another one. I really love the way it looks, a classic rock body shape, smooth contours. Also it plays much better than anything else in its price range, very low action, easy fretting. I didn't consider any other guitar because this guitar is probably the best in the price range.

I have a 1998 MIM Stratocaster. Classic sunburst paint, nothing special or extra.

I bought this when I was just starting to play the guitar and when I didn't know the difference between a humbucker and a hummingbird. The salesman told me that Strats made crisp, clear sounds, and to a certain extent it does. It also makes boring sounds. The first time I plugged a friend's beat up Les Paul into my amp, I thought I had gone to Nirvana. It was such a deeper, richer sound coming out of my ampt. So, for playing very crisp, rather uninspred kinds of sounds, the MIM Strat works fine, but it is severely limited in the kinds of sound it can generate.

It LOOKS okay, but shortly after I brought it home I discovered there was something wrong with the bridge. That cost me $80 to fix.

In addition to the above bridge problem, one of the dials also came loose shortly after I bought it. There's not much that can really go wrong with one of these, so I expect it will last a very long time.

Didn't deal with them.

This is a good starter electric guitar, but for a little more money you can get a good serious electric guitar. Its sound is dull, and it weighs a lot. One other thing, compared to my new Strat style guitar, it is considerably more difficult to play, especially when it comes to sliding your hand up and down the neck. Maybe it's the Maple fretboard, the small, yet sharp frets, or something else, but with my new guitar sliding down to the 12th fret is effortless and quick; for some reason on my MIM Strat, it's a slow, laborious process.
Most importantly, if you want a big sound out of your guitar, buy something else. A good thing to do is take a look at the guitars played by musicians you like. If you like AC/DC, get a Gibson SG. If you like Clapton, get a good Made In America Strat. If you like Jimmy Page, get a Les Paul. If you like Van Halen, buy a an ash body in the shape of a strat, take out the pickups and put in a Gibson humbucker.

This isn't a review, just a note to explain the one major difference between MIA and MIM fenders - US strats have non-laminate bodies, Mexicans have laminate. This means that in 5 - 10 years, the US body will have matured and give out a warm / better tone. Because of the laminate Mex body, this won't happen. Think of is as solid top vs. laminate top in acoustic guitars.

As far as I can see though, the mex is still a great guitar, and a great basis to bulid your own "custom strat".

1999 STANDARD MEXICAN FENDER STRATOCASTER. RED, MAPLE NECK AND FRETBOARD, 21 FRETS. 3 PICKUPS, WHITE SCRATCH PLATE, 5 WAY TOGGLE SWITCH. LOOKS KIKE IT COULD HAVE RIDDEN THE WILD SURF. I REPLACED THE KNOBS WITH VINTAGE STYLE TO MAKE IT LOOKED A LITTLE AGED AND I ALSO FATIGUED THE BODY A LITTLE WITH STEEL WOOL TO GIVE IT THAT OLDER LOOK.

I MAINLY USE THE NECK PICK UP THROUGH EITHER A 1968 FENDER BASSMAN OR A DANELECTRO DIRTY 30. AND IT RIPS I GET FULL DISTORTION TO GET THAT PETE TOWNSEND SOUND. I DO NOT GET A HUM. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS MADE IN MEXICO, IT HAS BLOWN AWAY BOTH AMERICAN AND JAPANESE MODELS. I BASICALLY USE IT TO COMPOSE.

IT WAS SET UP GREAT, NO FLAWS, GREAT FINISH.

DURABLE AS A ROCK, STAYS IN TUNE. SOLID

WHAT WAS NOT COOL WAS THAT I GOT SOME VINTAGE KIT FROM FENDER AND ONLY THE KNOBS FIT, TGE PICK COVERS DIDN'T WHICH WAS NOT COOL.

The Standard 'Made In Mexico' Stratocaster, nothing extra. S/S/S with 5 way selector. 21 fret. Poplar body. Ok, so their isn't anything snazzy, but I honestly don't know what else they could add to the design to actually make it worthwhile. I never use the 2 tone knobs though, I prefer I full sound. If I was to be really picky I'd have 3 volume controls instead - one for each pickup. No matter, I'll probably have a costum job when I have enough money ^_^

I play Blues Rock and Classic Rock, and for these styles I seriously do not think there is a better guitar (with the only exception being a more expensive Strat). Its a very versatile instrument. The bridge pickup gives a very nice bite. The neck pickup is warm and sonorous. On top of this you can clearly hear all the different sounds on the in-between positions. There is a lot of hum from the top, bottom and middle positions, but none from the 2 in-betweens because the middle pickup is wound reverse to the others and so when you have 2 pickups playing it cancels the hum. I wouldn't reccomend this to the stereotypical punk player that seems to favour it so much, but as a Blues instrument there is nothing better. I'm giving this a 10, even though it doesn't suit all styles, because no guitar suits all styles. If you want to cover all sounds, you need at least 2 guitars - A Strat and a Les Paul

The action was fine when I got the guitar. I don't use the tremelo though, so I set the bridge back flat, and had to alter all the action and intonation anyway. The only thing that was a bit funny were the springs in the back, they rattled a bit at first. Nothing a little draught excluder couldn't fix though ;) This section is a bit silly though, since whenever you get a guitar you should alter everything to what suits your style.

You see those people walking around with 1950s Strats and stuff? That proves it will last over 50 years. I'd certainly gig without a backup, although I couldn't afford one even if I wanted one.

N/A

This is the 2nd guitar I've owned, and the first I've ever bought, so I'm very happy with it. I was on a #500 budget and I tried absolutely every guitar in the shop within that price. This was by far the best thing available. The quality is astounding for #330. I honestly don't think you can get a better made guitar without spending #800+ on it.

This is a 1998 model Standard Strat, made in mexico. Rosewood fingerboard, not the maple. 3 single coil pickups, chrome tuners, Wilkinson bridge. It has the poplar body, dark wine finish and white pickguard. A pretty basic Strat. Like one guy said on here... everything you need, nothing you don't.

I play mostly classic rock and blues on this thing with a little country. So it sounds pretty good and does it's thing with a decent amp (Peavey Envoy). It IS a fender, so it's going to have the real bright sound. It has a good country twang when the pickup switch is between the middle and bridge pickups. Don't buy this guitar if you want a Les Paul sound... I cannot stress this enough.

This was well set up with factory 9's. However I like to play heavier, so I adjusted the action accordingly when I put 11's on there. The pickups have never had to be adjusted, the bridge is still solid, knobs still work, etc. Everything seems good and I've had the thing for 4 years so far.

This will and has withstood live playing. I can grab it by the neck, beat my bass player with it, throw it in the case, take it home and it's still in tune. The thing is built like a brick. The guitar still looks like I just bought it (except for the frets, normal wear). And I don't use it without a backup because I break strings too much. I have a Mexican Telecaster too that I play.

No idea.

Been playing music since I was 8 (I'm 22). The other guitars I have are a Gibson Hummingbird, Martin D-16RGT, Fender Telecaster, and a Simon and Patrick 12 string. I would have to say that this is probably about the best electric guitar you can get for the money, if you like the Fender tone.

Sunburst 2001 Mexican Strat.
I replaced the neck and middle pickups with the new "Fender Noisless" pickups (as found on the new Eric Clapton Strat), and I replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymoor Duncun JB Jr Single Coil sized humbucker. The tone control for the bridge pickup has been modified, so when I pull it out it defaults back to a single coil sound, but when I push it in, the humbucker is activated.
I also have a marble white scratch plate, because I'm a poser.

Really cool.
Nick pickup for a real Hendrix, Pink Floyd sound. Good for wicked blues/rock solos.
The "out of phase" positions of 2 and 4 are wicked for U2 type lead, and my humbucker rocks it for some filthy dirlty metal.
Using Cry Baby Wah, Boss Metal Zone, Boss Bluesdriver, Marshall Vibratrem and Ibanez Echo/Delay into a mid 1980's Marshall JCM800 100W combo.

Lush sound, especially adding a bit more bass on the amp. Great for a really wide range of syles and influences.

Finish is great.

Had the Action and Intonation as it was a little high for my taste, but it's really a joy to play.

Seems pretty solid, but I havnt tried to smash the thing up yet. I'm still at the stage of looking at it when it's in the case and drooling.....maybe I need more whisky....

THe Fender UK site is OK....hardly ever updated though. THe US site seems OK too, but never had to deal with Fender themselves. I just go to my local guitar shop - www.guitar-mania.com

This guitar is really nice. The build quality is great, but the sound is just what I was looking for. A real Hendrix/Pink Floyd/ blues sound through to a great sustaining heavy rock sound (using the JB Jr Humbucker though).

I was a little thrown at first as the action seemed high, but once I had it lowered it was cool. Also, as other people have said, for some reason, guitars take time to "settle" in...wierd...kind of like a woman I guess.

It was made in the late 80's in japan. Its just like any other strat around. it was 3 single coils. I changed those, it has a vintage style trem, it had a 50's/SRV strat pickguard mix. a 60's strat neck. medium jumbo frets, fender tuners non locking. came with a soft case.

The original pickups were good, but im a humbucker man so I changed them to a seymour duncan custom5 and a seymour duncan jazz. I use it with a marshall AVT150 stack. Great modern sound now, had a vintage sound before. It was/is a great soundingi guitar.

I bought it used, but the feal and neck and everythign were great, amazingly for the non locking tuners on there, it stays in tune really well.

This guitar is a rock!

Fender is an "ok" company as far as customer service goes....

If you want a guitar to mod the heck out of, and is solid and plays great, the jap strats are the way to go, they are as good as or better than american strats, and kick the shit outa mexicans.

2002 Mex model. Same old stuff as the others, EXCEPT: The greatest thing about these are the price for value. You can turn it into whatever you want it to be.
I bought my second one this year(the first was stolen).
This one though I had the Tech to add Fender vintage parts(pick guard,knobs ect..)

The bridge pickup is way too weak. For the price of the guitar,replace all three with some hot Tex/Mex.But even with the stock PU's the sound isn't bad at all. I play it through a new Peavey BanditII Transtube.

Action was a bit high, but the shop fixed that right up. After a few weeks in the house adjusting to the humidity the neck developed a slight bow, but this was expected as with any new guitar needs to settle in.
Finish was about as good as any Fender American or Mex.

I had my last Fender for 30 years(It was stolen also,the bastards)!
This will be my fourth. Besides normal wear nothing has ever broken on any of the ones I've owned.

Never tried.

Played now for 35 years. I have a '99 Les Paul Standard, Musicman Sabre I,Guild J-30, several Epi accoustics.

1994 Mexican Stratocaster, 21 frets, S/S/S pu's, master volume knob, 2 tone controls for the neck and middle p/u's, 5-way switching, poplar body, maple neck, floating bridge tremolo -- Your classic Stratocaster.

Right off the rack, I'll give it a 6. This was my first guitar, but here we are seven years later and it's still my only electric guitar.

The Fender Stratocaster is arguably the most versatile guitar ever made. Think about every musical genre possible, and I guarantee that you will find someone playing a Fender Strat.

For this reason, I think that the Strat can be anyone's first and last guitar. It's affordable to start, and as you begin to pick a path for musical styles, it's easy to modify to fit that style. Are you leaning towards metal? Drop a humbucker in the bridge position and install a double-locking tremolo. Blues or jazz? Jack up the string gauge and put in more responsive pickups.

One thing you will want to do no matter what is replace the stock pickups. They're O.K. I guess, but it's almost always worth the extra cash to get higher-quality pickups that will better suit your style.

Since it sounds as good as what you put into it, I'll compromise and give it an 8.

The set-up was just fine when I got it, with no flaws whatsoever, though I hear that not all Mexican Stratocasters are created equal. Play as many of them as you can in the store and pick the best one (duh).

Nevertheless, I have undertaken a rather large number of modifications on my Strat. Aside from the cosmetic changes of replacing the pickguard and the plastic parts, I've switched to a smaller, bent tremolo bar, installed Texas Special pickups in all positions, and re-fretted the neck with Dunlop 6100 bass-style frets. The primary reason for the re-fret job is that I use heavier strings (.011-.049) and felt that the larger pickups would help with string bending and sustain (which indeed they do).

This is a solid guitar. There are plenty of Strats that are nearly 50 years old that are still going strong. It can take a healthy amount of abuse and serve you well for a long time (though it will serve you longer if you *don't* abuse it).

The only reason I wouldn't gig without a backup is the possibility of breaking a string. It can always happen, and your audience isn't going to be too pleased if you take a two-minute timeout to replace the string.

I have never dealt with Fender. All the upgrades and repairs have been done by independent guitar techs.

I've been playing for 7 years, and this is my only electric guitar. Quite frankly, if I ever got a second guitar, I would most like get a second Stratocaster. As I said before, it's a great beginner's guitar from off the shelf, but with a little bit of an investment and a little care, it can serve you well indefinitely. I can't think of a better guitar for the money.

Typical MIM strat you know what they have!
Mine was 3 single coil noise makers. 60 cycle hum
man it sounded like a ground problem period!
The finish is superb, midnight blue on mine (beautifu) purplish.
Tuners, bridge and neck all good for the money.

It would suit my style if I played country, or some new satyle music. There's no sole in these babies. I guess that's being fair. Like they don't have any roundness in tone, regardless of eq settings or amp settings. At leaset this doesn't. I returned it m by the way.
The pups were way noiser than regular american strats, due to the lack of shielding under the pickguard. It has less than American strats do. the quack is superb i will give it that. Positions 2 & 4 are it's best attribute.
The guitar is a really good beginner instrument, and maybe you may get one that sounds good! But I had no such luck.

tye action was all out of whack, and the fit and finish is a testament to the MIM factory. I here the americans prepare the bodies necks and the MIM people assemble.
So for fit and finish! The nut was right on after readjusting the truss rod, and raising the action i had a playable guitar, but still felt bad. the rosewood neck was so dry! Alignment problems not really.
Swithches inside are the poorest qulity pots and 5 way switch I've seen.
If you want to refurbish this thing get ready to spend for the following
5 way switch,pickguard,pots, pickups, go with the maple neck, and maybe you will have something to brag about. However as you can see that is going to put this affordable guitar up ther in the 350 for MIM guitar, refurbished pups at 210,(frahlins),pcikguard 40,pots 3,switch 10,total about 613. Buy the super strat instead! $630 and its american! Doesn't take a genius. I am not be overly harsh either, this is a fair evaluation of what I purchase as a MIM strat.

Should be like a brick house!

The guitar trader center is the unlucky company that sold me this. however these people were so courteous, and helpful I have nothing buyt accolades to say about them. This salesman named Mike is the dude to work with. Say Rick from El Paso sent you. you will save big bucks.

Accumulated time on guitar over 10 years, in music for over 18 years.
I did not compare this to another MIM strat, only american strats. No comparison. The USA start kicked booty! You pay more, and somepeopple understandably can't afford more right now. But American strats seem to me the best value from fender. Or upgrade you MIM or MIJ strat. I returned mine so i definitely would not replace with another MIM. Some day I will buy another one when I know it has received every possible consideration like setup, pup upgrade, neck alignments, I mean preped like a custom shop fender!

2002 Standard Stratocaster made in Mexico...
-21 frets
-body is made of Poplar i think, pretty nice actually
-Maple neck with rosewood fretboard
-three single coils (i dont like them i'm replacing them)
-non locking tuners (these tuners are junk im getting locking ones)
When i replace the tuners and PUs this rating will probably be a 9 or 10.

I play rock and funk. i play it through a Marshall micro stack with a crybaby original wah. sound is just OK. its a little noisy but then again i am replacing the PUs so it will improve alot.

The setup was bad-the action was way too high and the neck needed to be straightend. But once i fixed it it was excellent.
It has a beautiful 3-tone sunburst finish that i love.

This guitar seems very durable, except for the tuners. After about 10 mins of playing the guitar would go right out of tune, thats so annoying. The strap buttons are tight and solid. I would gig with a backup.

I have never talked with fender but i hear they have a bad reputation for customer service.

I started playing a year ago, i really loved the fender sound so i tried out Mexican And Amercian strats and on some of them i couldn't tell the difference! I know the Mexican lacks in some areas but you can easily fix them and make it jsut as good as an American one, if not better. I love the finish very much, but i hate the tuners and PUs. When i get those replaced the rating will be a 10.

This is a 1999ish Mexican Standard Strat, nothing special at all. Electronics could use some shielding; otherwise, it's a proven design.

First of all, don't pass judgement on any guitar until you hear it through a decent amplifier. That said, I play punk, NIN, and i'm a closet rush fan. This guitar is not as noisy as people make it out to be. Part of the beauty of a good amplifier is the NOISE GATE. On positions 2 and 4, it is DEAD quiet. In fact, I love every setting except for bridge; however, I HATE the bridge PU; it just doesn't work for me at all, in any way. As for the sounds themselves... Single-coil guitars are VERSATILE. This thing is never going to be as rich as a LP, but you can obtain a far greater variety of tones. Language can't really describe how this thing sounds... but hey, it's worth a look if you don't want to be locked into one or two grunting noises.

Where it falls short is sustain - the alder body (maybe ash) seems to kill it, and single coils aren't great in that regard anyhow. You have to throw in a damn lot of dirt to get good sustain.

Had to adjust the tremelo and string heights to get rid of the buzz. I like strings rather high; that's just me and my meaty forearms, I guess. It plays very nicely.

Well, it's hardly going to fall apart at the seams, but there are a few little things here and there. I've had to tighten the output jack's little nut on a few occasions, as well as the strap buttons and the tuning pegs. Seems to work fine though. I'd use it without a backup.

Not applicable, never dealt with them.

I suspect if I was moonlighting as a shredder, I'd be less happy with the guitar, but I don't really like solos. I swear to god, if I hear one more soulless, self-indulgent noodler who thinks he's god's gift to the human ear just because he learned how to slide and slur force his garbage down my throat after a perfectly good chorus, i'm going to absolutely loose my mind. While i'm at it, Nickelback, Staind, Creed, and the rest of those dirge-rock primates can go to hell, too. Oh, about the guitar... If you want a do-all guitar for a great value, get a mexican Strat (Stay the hell away from Squier, you can't go too cheap). Try more than one, too. Mex strats are like Epiphones... Some of them are utterly wonderful, some of them are crap. I might go for a Gibson or an Ibanez just because of stylistic choices. I'll sooner buy a bass, though, since everybody and their brother plays the guitar... there I go shooting off again.

I don't know what year, but it's made in Mexico, 21 fret maple neck/fretboard with skunk stripe, normal strat controls, 3 single coils, not sure on the body wood, got that standard trem bridge which is a pain to replace, since they only sell the bridge itself and not things like the trem block. The arm i got it with didn't fit, got stuck, and broke off inside, got a new bridge, which was supposed to be the whole system but was only the block and metal plate with the saddles. no trem arm either, the store was nice enough to throw in one, but this one is too small and flimsy so i won't use it, it doesn't even clear the 5-way switch screwing it...i ended up locking the bridge down and putting 5 springs in, even tho i play with 10s, floating the bridge was a pain for tuning and I rarely use the trem anyway. Basically this is the classic strat and my first electric

I play a little bit of everything, with a pedal, I can get lots of good tones out of it, i haven't even figured out a use for all of them yet, some of them i don't like, but it's classic strat sound. I'm using it with a fender princeton 112 plus, and it has a sort of rich bright sound. The neck and bridge pickups are vastly different, but in the 2 and 4 positions i get good clean tone, good distortion out of the neck pickup.

I needed to do a setup on this when I got it, i bought it used so this is obviously forgivable, it's not that hard to do. the trem arm was crap, i managed to twist it apart by screwing it in too far and it got stuck, this may not have been original. the replacement bridge i bought came with no springs, no arm, and no claw/screws, this was supposed to be a complete system, the fender supplier does not accurately describe parts I guess, make sure you are very precise about what you need when you're getting replacement parts, the store was nice enough to throw in a crappy trem arm they had sitting around (which is too small and flimsy;worse than the old one and i won't use it) as well as some allen keys and some trem springs

It looks sturdy, haven't had any problems with it, but i take great care of it. I polish it up whenever it needs it, i set it up myself, looks pretty sturdy cause it hasn't scratched hardly at all, fretboard has a mark that won't come off, and some greening around the frets but this has gone away with cleaning. I imagine I could play out with it, a friend (not a very nice person) knocked it over when it was standing up and i freaked on her, but it was unharmed and still in tune. if i played gigs, i imagine i could use this without a backup, but i'd probably get a backup anyway just in case, tough to change strings quickly.

Never had to deal with them, except to get a replacement bridge, and the fender supplier wasn't great in their description, plus i was surprised to find that you can't buy just the block for the trem, a pretty big oversight considering they sell saddles and trem arms...and I've heard of a few people doing what i did.

I've been playing around a year, I also own a fender jazz bass fretless, my princeton 112 plus and a yamaha acoustic, as well as a 60's fender 2x12 cab and a bassman copy head. I love fender's stuff. I wish i hadn't had to replace the bridge, but sometime i might get an actual fender trem arm. if this were stolen i would definitely want another strat, in fact, fender makes many guitars i want and hope to someday own, I think they are one of the best manufacturers of gear out there, there are other guitar manufacturers out there like gibson and rickenbacker that interest me, but i could be completely happy using just fender guitars. I like it's sound, and the price i paid for it, and i like the versatility it has.I had played a few guitars before it, mainly some squier strats, a tele, and some other mexi strats, this one felt good, and the price was right. I am thinking of putting a humbucker in the bridge if it's routed for it, since i'm not a huge fan of the bridge pickup, i don't have much use for it. but for the price, there was just nothing else i could get, I see used strats for the price i paid for my whole set up, and there aren't many used strats around, and zero fat strats. No teles either. and i didn't want a squier strat because i wanted the real deal fender. always wanted one since i saw waynes world...and I didn't even play guitar then. now i do, and the strat was at the top of my list, it didn't make me sorry and i'd buy another one or any other fender guitar like a tele or mustang, especially if it was as good a deal as i got.

I bought my Sunburst strat in 1999. It is, of course, Mexican made. I won't bother with other specs because everyone else has.

I don't give a damn what anyone says--the difference between a Mexi strat and an American Standard is not worth $500. Yes, you get slightly more punch with an American, but you can get the same effect replacing pickups in a Mexi.

I play blues. It's all I play. And this guitar, with the original pickups and an Ibanez Tube Screamer, gets me a great SRV tone. Clean, I get a nice Hendrix tone. I'm running through a Fender RockPro1000, which isn't great, but I dial up the bass and mid and get a nice fat sound with it. No complaints.

I am considering, after 2 years, putting Lace sensors into this to punch it up. But that's just because I'm trying to find a sound of my own instead of emulating SRV and Hendrix for the rest of my life. The standard pickups are just fine.

Played great right off the rack. I highly suggest putting Elixir strings on this, as it brings out a creaminess that other strings just didn't have on this guitar.

It's a workhorse, no question. It can stand up to whatever you want, although the trem does sometimes put it out of tune. But that's what happens when you use a trem.

n/a

Been playing 11 years. I own an Epiphone Sorrento, a Danelectro U-2, this Strat, an Ovation Celebrity, and a Takamine Santa Fe. I love this guitar and would kill any man who attempted to take it from me. It wouldn't be the one guitar I would save from a fire (that's my Takamine), but I would definitely replace it if I lost it.

This is a 2002 Mexican standard strat. The tuners are really poor. On the high E and B, I can turn them almost all the way around before the string will move. I'm replacing them with Sperzel locking tuners. This strat is a sunburst. Very nice finish. Also has a maple fretboard.
The neck is excellent. It's nice and thin, which suits me just fine.

When I plugged it in, ouch! The pickups are pretty bad, very dull. I play light jazz and blues, and the guitar is great for those styles. But the pickups need to be replaced. I've already ordered a set of Bill Lawrence L-280s pickups (www.billlawrence.com). I use Bill Lawrence on all my guitars - and they're excellent. They're crisp and clean...and QUIET! I bought this guitar with the intent of changing the pickups.

I didn't have to get this guitar setup. I played alot of strats in looking for "the one." And all of them - including the $1000 + strats - had poor action. But the second I picked up this guitar, I knew this was the one. Everything is fine on it - except the pickups and tuners. And those are easy to replace. But I was sold on the neck.

It's a Fender strat. I'm sure it will last as long as I take care of it.

I dealt with Fender once with an amp about a year ago. They were very helpful.

I've been playing about 37 years. I also own a Washburn Nuno and an Ibanez AS80 semi-hollowbody. A strat does what no other guitar can do. So I wanted "that sound" now and then. I love the classic strat sound (when I get the right pickups in). I love the neck on it.
I could have bought an American strat for about $900 or so. But I knew I would still replace the pickups. So I figured I would just buy a Mexican strat and change the pickups and tuners, and it will have cost less and will sound as good, if not better, than a more expensive strat.

yeah i got the standard mexi strat. bought it in 2001, full fretboard, 5 way selector pickups, um they call it a standard for a reason i guess but it gets the job i want done. its basic but i plan on keeping this for life.

wow. this is the ideal guitar for me. i use a fender amp (not going to say model because im embarassed) and i get the exact sound i want. i play smashing pumpkins, radiohead, oasis style music. i use the clean a lot but get it with the right pedal (Big Muff) and you get an awesome distortion. the pickups give a great variation of sound variations along with the tones. ive found a really awesome clean, warm tone. not much i can say bad about the sound.

the only thing that bugs me about this is the chord plug in wiggles itself loose a lot. not a big issue but bugs me. otherwise its a sturdy guitar. i plan on keeping this for life. fenders, if you treat em right, are like american cars; strong and sturdy. even squires can hold it together.

im a youngin but i definately have my style down. this guitar is perfect for me and the style i play. it may not suit everyone but id take this guitar anyday over a gibson/epiphone. i love the sound so much. once i get a better amp, fender, i will love it more. use this with a big muff pedal, believe me, you'll love it. the only thing i wish i had was a nicer amp and the american series standard strat. but that was a little outta my price range. this does the job just fine.

It's a standard strat so its pretty um.. standard i suppose. I have a 2000 model with 21 frets, 2 tone 5 way. I love fenders personally, and if your starting out, this is a great guitar, itll blow away all the knock off strats your buddies have ,as well as alot of other low end guitars. I have to say though when you get a little more expierienced, you will want new pickups for the middle and bridge, especially if you wanna go heavier.The bridge also has a terrible hiss to it.The neck pickup is sweet for cleans though i wouldnt lose it for the world. I discovered this about sixth cagillion time i played come as you are (no disrespect to nirvana of course, its just my paretns were about to make me sleep in the yard).I put a hotrail in the middle and a demon in the bridge, gives it a real distinct sound,good if your not wanting to be somebody else. Also if you have big hands (I'm 6'7 so i have hands like a damn gorrila)the neck is kinda small.

This guitar is actually pretty well rounded, it doesnt excel in any one area but it doesnt lack either. I run it through my fender rocpro 1000 stack, and a digitech rp2000. It had a bit of hum and hiss with the old pickups, good cables help. Has a real bright sting in the bridge, didnt use the middle much except for jazz, but the neck, good god, it sounds so sweet. Clear and crisp, put it on a clean setting lil bit o verb and chorus, some delay, you have yourself a real jem.

I brought this guitair new in 2002. $350.00 at ritchies music. rose wood fret board,alder neck, the color is midnight wine. 3 standarnd single coil pickups.starnard tremlo. made in mexico you know the rest! il give it an 8 cause built very well. but im keep having to lower the bridge i could be just breaking it in.

i play heavy metal and blusy rock. the sound could be a more ronche for the metal but it could hanld bulsy rock such as some off zz tops songs and pop rock like early van halen. but needs to be more heavy for metallica and AC/DC. i am considering to buy another guitair for the heavy stuff. overall I like it!

set up pretty good fretboard built into the body very tight. olny the one flaw is about the brige i could be just breaking it in. pick ups were set up prefct!

The finsh looks like it will last for ever! this guitair is defantily built solid!! I woulntdt gig wit out a back up because the string could break on any guitair!!!!!!!!!!

never delt with fender! but im sure there great!

i love it and will never sell it. im giving it a 10 its dame good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!DAME GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will you people who like LPs and such guitars with humbuckers please stop reviewing this guitar. People say 'oh it sounds too bright, it doesn'y have any crunch, I can't play metal, the pick ups are to weak.' If yoo like that bass heavy paul tone then don't buy a fender. Strats are no heavy death metal machines, you don't shred on them. I use mine to play punkish type music, but I don't expect a supe distorted heavy crunch sound form the pick ups alone. That's why they have distortion petals. Strats have a thinner sound because they use single coils. If you don't like the way that single coils sound, don't buy guitars that have them. Or why just buy a fat strat outright if you really need that humbuker sound. If you like humbuckers then a strat is not going to do that for you. But please don't say that the pick up don't sound heavy enough or raw enough, if that's the sound you really like then strats are probaly not for you.

2002, Mexican Strat, some funky green (which is why I bought it!) find the specs somewhere else; it's a standard, blah, blah, blah

It works straight out of the box, what more do you want?

Sounds like a thin peice of crap. It's standard right out of the box! Pick-ups are weak and they hum, duh?!?

It has a lot of potential, but you are going to have to do some tweaking to this thing. It's a good base from which to start, but you are going to have to spend some $$ on pup's for this axe to really sing.

Ok, here's the main reason I bought it. It looks AWESOME! This feels amazing in my hands. I actually LOVE to play this guitar. It feels like a guitar should feel.

I know that all the parts are cheap, but it doesn't cost that much to begin with. I personally love the way this guitar feels, more than ANY other guitar I have ever owned.

I think that it will stay together for the most part, but I don't treat my gear like shit, rule #1! Not as rock solid as my LP, but not as heavy either!

I think that the main components will last, but the pickups have to go!

who knows........hopefully I never will

I have been playing for 7 years now, and this is my 3rd Strat. Actually my first guitar was a peice Squire, but it served well for it's time. I bought a Mex. Strat a few years later and to this day regret trading it in on an acoustic :-( OH WELL!

Few years later bought a Les Paul, but I still wanted a Strat, and I LOVE the way this thing feels. I am going to replace the pups with DiMarzo Virtual Vintage Blues & Heavy Blues, probably.

This is a great guitar for the $$$, but you have to understand that the pups suck. They will get you to the next paycheck to get them replaced, so you will be all right.

standard mexi strat. I changed the pickups now has noiseless neck, noiseless middle, and hotrails bridge. maple neck, midnight blue wihth white pick guard. All pots are new that came with the noisless set. Every ting else is standard, tuners,and bridge.

I rate mine a 10 now because of the pickup I put in. 9 for the way it came. remember it was a "standard" cant expect more than what it is supose to be. It is cheaper to put them in yourself than buy a delux.

I am just learning so I cant compare. I am learning everything from classic to Metalica. With this pickup selectin I can go anywhere.

99% noisless

Hot rail scream.

Playing through a HotRod Delux. Smoken good sound. This set up is like a painters pallet. Take your choice of sounds and have at it

bell tones.

body resonates great.

Needed action lowered. This is personal preference and sould not be cause for redution in rating the instrament. Over all finish is good with one excetion the ends of the fretts have a little bur on them. It does not affect playing in any way it just looks un finished. If I figure a way of removing it with out messin up the maple neck I will other wise it will stay the way it is.

The neck relief was right on.
The nut is perfict.
The neck has one small grain run out, But then it is not a custom shop ether.

The bridge had 1/16 gap, That is the way it is supose to come. I had it brought flush with the body.

rate it 8 because could have been better but have to accept it as it is "standard" That to me means not much extra efort it put forth on thease. That keeps the cost down. It it a catch 22.

Lets all be reasonable and not critisize it for what it is not supose to be.

brand new 3 weeks old cant rate it yeat.
However it did work when I pluged it in the first time(before I changed the pick ups). That is a start.

N/A

10 EXCELENT BUY FOR A BASIC GUITAR.

This is a pefect guiar for Tweaking it to what you want it to be.

Dont pay extra for something you plan on changing in the future. Ie(pickups,pickguard. ect...)

Made in 2000 in Mexico. I've had it for over a year now. Brown-burst finish, hardshell case (extra). Seymour Duncan PUPs all around. H/H/H.
Hot rails in Neck and bridge, Hot Stack in middle.

I play a wide variety of music including praise and worship, so maybe I'm not using this most of you. I play through a Marshall Valvestate with two 12" celestions and a Behringer GX110 ultrarock. You may be wondering,"hot rails for priase and worship, waddya nuts?" Maybe. I love the "quack" of the strat but hate the 60 cycle hum, hence the pickup change. I tried an "iron maiden" strat before the PUP changes to get an idea what it would sound like with hotter pups. I liked the neck pup because it sounded darker, bassier for leads and jazz-style.
So i put the hot rails in my bridge and neck and it improved the about 700% from the original el-crappo MIM pups. I put a Hot Stack in the middle to mellow it out and give it more of a vintage strat sound. It sounds great in the bridge/middle and neck/middle positions as well, great for rythm. leads are best in the bridge or neck alone. Dirty channel on the Marshall sounds about 600% better than stock pups with longer sustain and better harmonics, plenty of feedback if you want it. The output is aboutt 300% higher than stock, so I had to lower the hot rails to almost the pickguard. Wide variety of sounds, from thin vintagy to heavy, fat, dark and all in between. You can get the pups on ebay for cheap$$ used.

Bzzzzz. Action is low, but man it buzzes a lot. Finish is flawless.

I never use a backup.

I dunno, thay seem like slackers.

Been playing since 1972. Change the pickups to Seymour Duncans. Go to your local music shop and try an "Iron Maiden" strat, then buy a MIM strat and some Seymour Duncans. With the money you save over the iron maiden (cost $800) you can buy a used tube amp! No need to buy the American Series, they are overpriced. I just got rid of mine. But it had a SD pup in the bridge. Another great pup is the JB jr stacked HB.
I have been experimenting with various pups for a year now, finally got it to where I'm satisfied. Try Seymour Duncans, you can always sell them on ebay. Anyway SD will trade with you if you are not happy.
Very cool company, I wish Fender would use them on a plain strat model.

Mexican Strat purchased in 1991. Standard with excellent Lake Placid blue finish. No case, but did anyone fail to menion it was $300?

It sounds like a Strat. That's why I bought it. Through a Twin with good tubes (NU 6L6Gs, Tung-Sol 5881...NO Russ., Jap., Chin., Sov. Block)it makes all the classic Strat sounds. All whiners who want it to magically sound like something else need not apply. THIS IS NOT A HEAVY METAL GUITAR. Lots of variety but you can't be too lazy to operate the controls. I know guitar playing is hard work...Oh, on the single coil settings it's a bit RF sensitive.

Set-up? Pretty average, had to straighten out the details myself but it's pretty good now. A very pretty guitar. This neck has always has a little twist to it but it properly seated. My mistake for picking this one. Too in love with the color.

What could possibly go wrong with this guitar? I've taken it everywhere. Standard hardware. With regular waxing, body still looks like new.

This is a joke, right? It comes with a taillight warranty as far as Fender is concerned.

I've been playing about 12 years. My stuff? 1959 C3/145, 1959 M3/125, Fender Twin, 1958 Fender 2x8 pedal steel, old CMI 2x8417 head, Wards 2x6V6 Airline, American Fender Jazz, King 3B, Sennheiser E835 plus more mics than you can shake a stick at plus recording rig. Try to buy a new guitar the sounds like this for $300. If it was lost, I'd pick another with a little more attention paid to the direction the neck was headed. Favorite feature? It makes all the Strat sounds without all that pickup swapping monkey business. It hadn't been off the truck (150 ft MSL)three days until I took it home (4500 ft MSL). You shouldn't have to pay >$800 for a guitar that doesn't sound like crap. On the hunt for a $500 vintage ES335 or 125. Don't laugh, I'll find it.

Late 80's or early 90's Fender Japanese strat. 21 Frets. 1 volume, 2 tone knobs. 5-way PU selector. Came with 3 stock SSS PU's. Made of poplar, solid maple neck/fingerboard. Lake Placid blue, I believe. Doesn't look like the current Lake Placid blue though. Came with Gotoh tuners I believe. Vintage tremolo. No case included. These guitars are supposed to be more like a vintage strat than the US or Mexican. They are starting to be increasingly sought after I hear.

This was my first strat. I was used to humbuckers through my Marshall, so I had to learn to back off the presence and highs. I also wasn't used to the hum, so I relaced the bridge pu with a red lace sensor (meaty), and the other 2 with gold lace sensors ( classc strat sound)- much improvement. Then it screamed! And purred!

I had a pal at a music store set it up for me. As I said, I eventually changed all of the pickups. The electronics in these models were not the best (pots, wiring, etc). I replaced the pickguard with a miirrored one, changed knobs, and installed Sperzel locking tuners over the years.

This guitar has been through so many gigs over the years. All white as aged to yellow (nicotene from smoke in bars?) The first night I played it, it got knocked off a guitar stand on the 3ft. drum riser by our sound man. It hit headstock first then body. I had the neck checked, and it was true as it gets. You could use a Fender solid maple neck as a weapon! Has played very dependably for years. Have to have a backup, as I break strings often, but thats just me.

I had a bad saddle on the bridge, and Fender sent me a brand new vintage tremolo free. Very quick in dealing with this.

I have since I was 9, and I am now 30. This was my #1 axe until I got a Fender Big Apple Strat (a premo guitar). I am glad I started using Fenders, as they are so dependable and are workhorses. You don't have to baby them like Gibsons. Not a piece of furniture, but a rock solid working mans guitar.

2001 MIM, 21 frets, 3 ply pickguard, 3 single coil pickups, yadda yadda, yadda.............

I am impressed with the sound of this guitar. I didn't think it would sound this good, but it does. I play mostly Blues/Classic rock through a Peavey Blues Classic Amp. It suits my needs well and I am very impressed with the sound.

The guitar was in perfect tune when I pulled it out of the box it was shipped in. Although, the allignment of the string with the pole pieces on the High E string was way off. It needed some adjustments.

The body finish is really great. It's wine red and really looks good, no blemishes.

The neck has one little blemish near the headstock that is barely noticeable.

I give this category a 6 for the setup and the neck blemish----over all not too bad.

I think this is a solid made guitar and will withstand anything within reason.

I have been playing for 3 years and have played and owned many different guitars. I would recommend this guitar for any beginner and to other intermediate players as well. It has an excellent value for the money.

A black mexican stratocaster. 21 frets. 3 single coil pickups. My strat is black and has a rosewood neck. It has a poplar body which is not not as good as alder or ash but it is decent for it's price. And a tremolo which is crap cuz i never use it for two reasons. One it takes it way outta tune......two it's to metalish and old school to use them.

I play mostly punk so it's not bad for me. Personally i think i would do better with an epiphone les paul ( I can't afford gibson guitars!) The pickups are kinda noisy like most strats. I like to use the bride pick up for a glassy and high tone, and a combinations of the bridge and the middle pick up for a more fuller tone. As far as variety it's not he greatest guitar and for sure it lacks the more fuller and richer tones cuz it has no humbuckers.
Personally the only real major problem i have is the hum.So if u don't like that i say just add a humbuckers or get some noiseless pickups.

They come with .009 strings or somthing pretty crappy. I use .010's now, which are ernie ball. THe guitar is not too badly done. The rosewood fret board is not bad either and the neck is easy to move up and down on. Mine has low actions which is good. Witht the new strings it has a slight buzz but barely noticiable. The tuners with out the shitty tremolo is pretty good surprisingly. I barely ever tune my guitar and when i do it barely outta tune. The biggest problem would be my strap button it keeps comming of and i have to screw it back. I think i'm gonna get a strap lock to be safer.

I do actually plan on using this guitar for everything cuz it's the only guitar i won aside from an acoustic. I am confident it will last for a while though. LIke i said the strap buttons suck i advice everyone to get straplocks. Other than that i would use it.

never dealt with so i give them 10

I'ver been playing for aboput a year now. I play it throughas shitty amp so i have to get a better one. I think my next guitar will be a epiphone les paul. After i get better though and get some strap locks for my guitar cuz them keep comming loose. I chose it mainly cuz i had little cash me being just a un employed teenager. I wish it came with better strap buttons or maybe a strap lock and came with noiseless pickups or a humbucker.

New Model Mexican Made Stratocaster

Everything is standard on this model hence the name "Standard"

I play mostly alterna-rock and heavier... so this guitar would probably be fine for that but my plans all along have been to put different pickups in it anyways that will suit my tastes a little more. But I admit I was pleasantly surprised by this guitar's sound.

I will be using this guitar with a Marshall Dual Super Lead Half Stack(1960A Cabinet) along with various foot pedal effects.

The pickups have a bit of a hum, but this was expected and really doesn't take away from the guitar due to the fact that I plan to switch the pups anyways.

Of course I like positions 2 and 4 the best for the warmer sounds these positions produce.

I like this guitar and its sound... but I will still put the new pups in as I have intended too. But overall it is a good sound for a stock guitar at the price I paid for it.

Overall the guitar was set up pretty well I would say... it is comfortable to play on the action is low and easy but not at the expense of noise. I have it set up with 12 gauge strings and that made the guitar way more comfortable for me. I am no expert but the guitar seems pretty great for the price.

I think this guitar is durable and reliable. I haven't owned it very long and I haven't really put it through its paces in a live setting yet BUT I have owned strats in the past and they are tanks very reliable and although I would never play live without a backup I rarely have ahd to reach for my backup when my main guitar is a strat. they are fairly indestructible. I mean how many beat up looking strats are there that still sound great.(SRV's #1 is a good example of that)

I have never had to work with Fender directly so I wouldn't know but my local shop The Woodwind and the Brasswind (Rock 'n' Rhythm) are great and I have been happy to spend way too much money there. They are always very willing to help.

I believe the guitar has a one year limited warranty, but with all the mods I will be doing it won't matter probably.

I have been palying for almost 9 years now. I have owned lots of different guitars... I am a Les Paul guy at heart but I have always like the way Strats feel so I have owned a couple along the way.

If it were stolen... I would probably buy a new one because the low end Fenders are more bang for the buck than the low end Epiphone stuff. For the money you will pay for this guitar it is a great buy and a good value all around. Once I put the pups in it, it'll be quite the guitar to play. Hope this helps... BUY IT.

Made in Mexico, sunburst, 21 frets, 5-way selector, bridge, center and neck stratocaster pickups, one master volume knob, two tone knobs, recessed plug jack, 6 in-line tuning knobs, double cutaway body, tremelo.

all the various pickup and tone selections give this guitar many, many different voices, keeping your playing interesting.

I play alot of metal and classic rock, and these are the two main genres in which the strat lacks. clearly a guitar designed for undistorted or lightly distorted playing, the strat pickups are ho-hum lacking in the hard rock area. I use it with everything from little Fender practice amps to large Cyber-Twins to Crate and Mesa cabs, running it through a Crybaby wah pedal and a Yamaha DG-Stomp effects processor, and the closest metal sound i can pull off is out of the cabs, but even then you can tell that something's not there.

So its obvious that the distorted Strat isn't up to snuff, let's focus on the clean Strat. even here, the pickups fail me; only a few of the selections are worth their weight:

1: (Bridge Pickup) Even playing through a clean amp, you'd swear you had some kind of gain on when you use the bridge pickup alone. It buzzes so loud when you're not playing that i feel sorry for anyone who has to sit through it in a cranked, high-volume gig. Fails.

2: (Bridge&Center Combo) Ahh, bliss. THIS is the sound that made the Strat famous. Clear tones across the board, crisp highs, no buzzing, full of character. Wonderful.

3: (Center Pickup) Not bad, just mediocre. this pickup is nothing special solo, just use it in combo with the others.

4: (Neck&Center Combo) Another decent setting, very much like the Bridge and Center Combo, except a little more muffled. Things aren't as crisp here, but that's no problem, it's a great option to have for a rythym player. Wonderful.

5: (Neck Pickup) Good setting, clear with little buzz, slightly more muffled than when used with the center pickup. Perfect for an underwater, trippy sound. This is also as close as you'll get for metal playing.

Now, Fender has obviously sat up and taken notice to the fact that their Strat pickups buzz like hell, and have been kind enough to offer 'noiseless' Strat pickups...for $110.00. The thing is, Strat pickups have buzzed for all of time, why aren't these pickups standard??? Because they want to milk us of our cash, thats why!

I have never recieved a guitar straight out of the shop that was set up better than the Stratocaster. The strings are just about as close as they can be to the frets without buzzing (which is good, because the pickups do enough of that). Tuning this guitar is no trouble, either. The tuning keys are smooth and sturdy, except in as much as that after only a little under a year with the guitar, i was having to re tighten all the keys back onto the head of the guitar - they were loosening, buzzing whenever I played. The body was finished perfectly, and all the hardware was in mint condition. When you buy a Stratocaster, you can bet your best Sunday britches Fender has everything in mint condition. The pickup selector clicks though, but not enough to really gripe about.

This guitar is really reliable, the only maintainence I have ever given it is minor. As I mentioned, I had to tighten the Tuning keys back to the head of the guitar, and I have had to adjust the tension on the springs that hold back the tremelo bridge to compensate for higher guage strings. I also have to occasionally tighten the nut to the cable jack, a common problem in any guitar. Don't worry about playing this guitar with a strap, the buttons are as tight and solid as they can be. Everyting about this guitar points to long-lasting, unfaltering play, and as I said before the finish is excellent and will be there for a long time. As a rule, I never play gigs without a backup, but I have to admit that the first night I had this thing at a club, I seriously considered it, its that sturdy.

I never had to deal with the company, nothing major has ever come up. I have no idea how long the warranty lasts, I searched the manual endlessly, and all I got was a bunch of legal crap.

I only wish it had one thig - noiseless pickups.

mexican made 2000 strat
21 frets
volume, 2 tone
3 single coil fender stock p/ups
maple neck & fretboard
arctic white with white pickguard
standard tremolo
vintage tuners
medium jumbo frets
gets a 9 because it didnt come with a case

suits all music styles fine, but the bridge pickup is soon to be a seymour duncan hotrails, which will help with heavier punk and metal, and no hum
singles in middle & bridge sound fine to me, bridge can get a little harsh, but its being replaced
bright sound, but with tone controls down you can achive dark tones

my fender dealer sets up the guitar after getting shipped, so frets, action and electronics are all top shape
no flaws that i can see, the paint in one tiny space could be better

strats are tough guitars

havent had to deal with them yet, hope never to

i really like this guitar

I got this guitar almost a year ago, but beyond that I don't know how long it was sitting in the store. It's got the basic strat specs, bolt on maple neck, 21 one frets, 5 way switch, and 3 single coils. The bodies are made of poplar, which sound real nice, and is easy on my back as well. It has a midnight blue finish which caught my eye the moment it came into view. I did not come with anything extra, but hey for $330 who cares.

I play mostly alt-rock and punk, and this guitar handles it all too well. I use it with a fender champ 30, with a big muff, and small clone. It really has a sweet sound. It can go form harsh to mellow at the flick of a switch. The 2 and 4 postions are really full and sound great, I use them the most. All the other postions work well to. It sounds great with distortion, has a really punk sound. All in all it sounds great for what I pade for it.

The finish is steller, it really stands out. There is some estra paint on the heel of the neck, just a speck, but I don't care. The neck pocket is tight, and the action was good for the factory. Left it unchanged until I changed the strings.

I would gig with this with out a second thought. It has never let me down, and I don't brake stings often, at least on on this guitar. The strap buttons see, solid enough. I would use it without a back up just because I only have two guitars and I don't want both stolen.
Other wise it will last decades.

I've had It almost a year now, and I still love it. I play it almost everyday. It does what I need it to do. Some people have said some bad things about them them being made of poplar, but to me they sound great. Plus their cheap, so there is some punk rock value here. This guitar means a lot to me and if anything were to ever happen to it I would damn well be pissed off. All in all I would recommend them to anyone.

japanese made strat,the features are basic.
21 frets with volume, two tone knobs and 5 way selector.
two single pickups on the neck and the center.a single
coilsized humbucker on the bridge, which i customized to a
little 59' by seymour duncan.

i've moderated two of the tone knobs to a push-pull swich and the
volume to a push-push switch allowing coil tap on the mini-humbucker.
the two tone knobs allow phase in and out on variation
from the 5 way selector.

i don't know about the wood, but i've put it in the
microwave for several times in order to get rid of the
moisture in the wood, which creates a better sustain.
this method is often done in violin making. if you
are planning to do it at home, make sure to take out
all the schematics and the bridge.but dont put the body
in the microwave for more than 30 seconds at a time.
too long a "fry" would cause some of the paint and
the wood to deteriorate.just fon't forget to
cool the guitar to room temperature before putting it again.

after changing the bridge pickup and the schematics everything
became better. with the help of ZOOM2100 there is nothing that
i can do under PRACTICE conditions. for live and jamming sessions
i only use the effects on the amps. i think its a 50w class amp, but
not too sure of the model.

the action was fine, but lowering is would be better.
fender does a terrible job on schematics...noizes all over the
place and no proper sheilding.

pretty reliable, but then again i have no experience in live
performances.

never dealed with them.

playing for 4 years on elctric, but i wish i knew that in the
world there was something called the "floyd rose" before i
bought this guitar.

i thought about trading and selling this guitar, but the more i played, the more i became comfertable with this guitar. after all, some players no matter how good they are, own and use this guitar.
using it as a lefty, i heard hendrix had it in stock, so i guess
it should be really cool.

i would maybe buy something similar if it got stolen, but after all
the modifications i have done on it, i might just go for something
more expensive.

My guitar is from 1996 made in Mexico. It has 21 frets. volume and 2 tone controls. 5-way selector. I modified the pickup setup.
I put a Dimarzio PAF PRO humbucker in the bridge. The neck and middle pu are the stock ones. Maple fretboard and vintage tuners.

I like the way the guitar sounds now. With the humbucker in the bridge the guitar sounds sweet. The clean sound is really really nice.
It's full sounding. It has it highs and lows set just perfect.
i own a peavey bandit 65. This amp is old and not so good, although the clean sound is good. The distorted sound is also pretty sweet.
I play through a zoom, eq and boss OS-2 to get my dist. it sounds pretty good ,but when you palm mute it doesn't mute that good.
I play reggae, ska, punk rock, grunge, alternative etc.
The guitar handles them all.

Everything was ok.
I shielded my guitar though so now it doesn't buzz anymore.

Very solid.

I"m happy i bought this guitar!!!

2001, Mexican Standard Strat. 21 Standard nickel frets, poplar body, maple neck, with volume and two tone controls. Came standard with 3 passive single coils wich I have replaced with actives. It's got a light blue metalic finish and a fender vintage style bridge. No gig bag or case.

I play out 5 times a week in a cover band and we cover anything from Ottis Redding to Godsmack. I use a Line 6 AX2 212. This is the 7th Mex Strat I currently own, and I have modified each one differant. On this one I have installed the EMG Pro Series DG's. Which bring the guitar to life. I buy Mexican Strats 'cause I gig with them, and in a live setting, for the money, Poplar wood does not sound differant in a bar or night club. And the $290 I paid allows me to own 7.

You need to set up any $300.00 guitar because (1)the lack of pride the underpaid builder took in the craftmanship, and (2)the climate differance from Mexico to where you live. Other than that the guitar was pretty much a factory spit out.

As stated before, I gig this guitar. With a few personal mods it's one of the best gigging guitars out there, 'cause if you drop it.......who cares? Well, ok, maybe not that. But this thing sounds as good as any fool who is playing an axe worth more than his car on a crowded stage guzzling beers all night. I don't bring a backup guitar, I guess that's not smart though.

Never dealt with the company in 13 years.

I've been playing +/- 13 years. I own other expensive guitars for the studio, but don't use em live. If it was lost or stolen I'd get another. I love it 'cause it's a Strat. Can't hate it for the price. My favorite feature IS the price.

This is an addendum to my original review. I've performed several mods that really make a major difference: I replaced the nut with a Graph Tech one, the stock pickups with Lace Sensors (Gold in neck position, Silver in the middle and Blue in the Bridge), wired the middle pickup to a push-pull volume pot to change the phase, then I had the Long & McQuade tech do his magic with my warranty setup.

He did what I though was impossible: low, buzz-free action on a Strat! This guitar plays as easily as my Epiphone, increadible!

Mine has a Midnight blue finish which is very nice. Rosewood fretboard. It's a strat it has what you need. Also came well setup form the factory. Pretty cheap, a really great feature in itself; I paid $340 with tax.

I can get a wide range of sounds with this guitar. I can go from U2 to Nirvana and it all makes sense, and sounds great too. I really like the number 2 and 4 postions. They have a really deep, and full sound to them. The neck is warm, and the bridge is glassy, so theres a wide range here. I use a fender amp and a small clone with a big muff and the sound i can get is amazin. It sound like a good guitar should.

Came well setup from the factory. I just picked it up off the rack. It was love at first sight, really nice paint job here. The action was low, and had almost no fret buzz. The neck is smooth and fits my small well.

It's a Fender Strat, I can take anything you dish out. The strap buttons seem solid, I don't jump up and down when I play so it really not too big a problem. I have no reservation about using this guitar live.

Never talked to Fender, have a local music shop I take it to.

I LOVE this guitar, glad I bought it. I will play this for many, many years to come. I've had it several months now and it has never let me down. My advice to anyone considering this guitar would be know what kind of music you llant to play; if you like heavy metal, this guitar ain't for you. Other wise it can go anywhere and do anything you want or need. For the low price pick up a few.

2001 Standard Strat, left-handed, made in Mexico. Arctic White poplar body/Rosewood fingerboard. Tremolo bridge. Whammy bar and allen wrenches included. Standard fender tuners, which I'll replace someday with locking types, but they do seem to stay in tune well.
Nine points here, because I think Fender could (and should) equip their guitars with locking tuners without affecting the price much.

Zoom 505 II through a Fender Deluxe Reverb. Nice chunky bottom end, clear and lively top end. It's got the typical single coil noise in the 1-3-5 positions, but that's just kinda the nature of the beast. I'll probably change to noiseless pickups someday, but they really sound fine just as they are. I don't use the middle pickup alone much, but can get good sounds out of all other switch positions. The middle/bridge setting is great for a raunchy, nasty Texas blues sound.
Overall, I'm very impressed with the sound and have no complaints about it at all. This guitar totally rocks with some distortion and reverb added to it!
I'll give it a 9 here because we all know Fender should use better pickups...but the truth is, good after-market pickups will cost almost as much as the guitar did. So I'm sure not gonna complain!

The action was set fine at the factory, no real problem there. The intonation had to be adjusted slightly, because the notes went a bit sharp as I moved up the neck. The dealer offered to set it up for free, but I did it myself...I'll take the dealer up on it when I eventually change the nut.
The neck is nice and thin, and the frets are low, both of which suit my playing style. I actually like this strat better than I did my USA models (mid 70's) which had baseball bat necks and huge frets that were not comfortable to me.
The shop only had one lefty in stock--and of course it was the "wrong" color--so I had this one ordered from the factory. The first one they sent had two small hairline cracks in the finish, one on each side of the neck, and one edge of the neck joint had a rough finish. I asked them to send it back and order another, which they gladly did. The second one had no flaws whatsoever, finish is perfect. (I should add that the "blem" guitar played and sounded great too).
The large screw in the jackplate comes loose almost as soon as you take the guitar out of the case, and I think that is a common problem. They really should solve that problem at the factory, and that will cost them one point in my rating.
I would have liked to have had the option of an alder body, but this guitar is such a fine instrument for the price that I refuse to take points away for that.

In my experience, Strats are very sturdy and can take a lot of use and abuse and still play on. As an example, that ratty, horrible-looking Strat that was SRV's "Number 1" looked like it had been used as a weapon during the D-Day invasion--but still sounded fantastic!
The finish seems great, it should last fine.
I think that, if your Strat is in good condition, you will never use your backup guitar at all. But a wise musician always has a Plan B for emergencies, cuz what if you have to break it over the head of some drunk brawler?

I have only dealt with the local dealer, and I must say that they were extremely helpful and their primary concern was that their customers were happy when they left the store. And to top it off, when they saw how skinny and starving I looked, they dropped the price to the point where I know they can't have made much profit on the sale. (They made a permanant customer, though). :-)
I have no clue about the customer service at the factory level, so this rating is for the dealer only.

In my opinion, the Mexican Strats are the best guitar value I've ever seen. There are occasional problems I've noticed on them, all involving the are near the neck joint...but if you are careful enough not to purchase those, you will get a fantastic price on a great guitar!
I love the fit, finish, action and overall quality, and the outstanding bang for the buck that these guitars offer.
Would I buy it again if it were stolen? Ha! I'll buy more of them even when it's NOT stolen! Because you just can't beat this value anywhere. This is one guitar that I'll never sell!
It's mine! MINE! Get away from it! It's MINE! :-)

This is my second Mexican Strat. I bought the black one with a maple fretboard. It is a 2001 model with the 3 singles, vol-tone-tone and 21 medium frets. After watching the U2 video of " Sunday Bloody Sunday " over the past 17+ years, I have grown to admire Edges Black On Black Strat with the maple board. I bought a black pick guard. It is the 3 ply black-white-black and it fits the Mexican Strat perfectly. Make sure when ordering a pickguard for the Mexican Strat, order the one for " Standard Strat " and not the one for " American Standard Strat ". I have heard of people paying up to $60 dollars for a custom made plane jane pick guard as there are not many dealers out here in New Mexico that can tell you if there is one or not. I found mine in Las Cruces NM and the guys at this shop let me size it up with another Strat they had in stock. I then ordered a parts kit in all black and put it together. It looks Kick Ass! Alot of my friends are going to do the same thing. As a matter of fact, I think I just built the un authorized Edge-U2 signiture series Strat. Standard Mexican Strats are like a blank canvas waiting to be painted how ever you want it. Very easy to modify.

What can you expect from a Strat with stock single coils. It's all a matter of taste and musical style. I run mine through a BOSS Metal Zone straight into a CRATE GFX 212. I can get almost any Judas Priest sound as well as early Van Halen. It can get noisy, but my rig isn't all that noisy so I get the standard hum when not playing. I play alot of punk as well. I can go from Misfits to Exploited to NOFX and I can also get some of the mainstream sounds of the likes of Blink 182 and Green Day, not to mention The Offspring. It can do the CREED sound and even some heavier stuff like Slayer and Metallica. It is not a pin point replica of anyones tone, but it is very versitile. Alot of people start out with a Strat and end up going back to em. It's a vicous circle. After comparing it to an American Standard, I wasn't very impressed with the American Standard. Way too much money for 22 frets and a two point bridge. I think the new American Strats are alot noisier, but maybe thats that particular Strats problem and not al US made Strats as a whole. Mexicans make great guitars and work very hard on them. I've been by the plant in Mexico before and have met a few of my non English speaking relatives who have worked there. Alot of pride is taken in the instrument and Fender treats those guys like assets not sweatshop slaves.

Set up was great, pickups were great, everything was alligned very well and has now flaws at all that I could see. Make sure and get things checked out by a tech. Alot of times guitars need to get used to a different climate. Mexican Strats are made at sea level and mine was delivered to me at 5500 feet. Thats a big difference.

Everything breaks after a while. You can count on this guitar to hold up well. Always have a backup in case of any problems.

Never had to deal with them, havn't had any problems yet. I've owned a few fenders and they just hold up well.

If you like blues, rock, alternative, funk, metal, fusion, and anything else, Strats give you what you need. If you don't like the pickups, switch em out, if you want a locking trem, have one installed, if you don't like the color of the plastic parts, you can change that to almost anything. I've seen people take a standard 3 single coil Strat, gut it, put a hot pink and black checkered pickguard with one humbucker, add a Floyd and make one hell of a shredder out of it. When they got tired of it, they simply put the old pick guard on it with the 3 singles. You can basicaly have loads of different pickup options on the same guitar just by simply replacing the pickguard. Not many rear route can boast that option. Almost every pro plays em and some swear by them. Since I got mine, I almost forgot about the Ibanez RG 7420 I have.

my strat was made in mexico. when people talk about fenders that are made in mexico they dont think there good. dont get me wrong american is alot better. but since i'm not a pro yet this is all i need

i play mostly rock and metal music from tool and jimi hendrex to a perfect circle. but i let my friend who plays jazz and blues use it for a gig and he said it was awesome.i think its very versatile.mostly the effects i use are distortion,chorus,flanger,wah,and delay. so what ever your doing with it it will sound good.i've never gotten unwanted feedback or anything like that.

everything was set up good.i ajusted my bridge a little but thats just my preference.the only problem i'm having with it is that the cable input is always coming loose but i'm sure if i go to any music store they could fix that

i've played with this guitar on stage alot. the finish doesnt seem to be goin anywhere.i'm usin fender straplocks. i would use this guitar without a backup.

ive never dealt with customer support.

i've been playin for a while. i have a boss me33 fx board and a 75watt peavy amp. if it were stolen i would probably just work for a month and buy an american or something like that. not because it isnt good but because ive been playin longer than i had been when i bought this guitar and i'm a lot better. but unless its stolen or lost i'll be keepin it for a while.

I don't know the year it was made, but was assembled in Mexico.
21 frets, one piece alder (maybe poplar I can't remember) body. Two tone controls, one with a 0.05 mfd cap across it.

3 single coils - staggered pole magnets, stock pickups, passive.

Body - Alder or Poplar (can't remember), maple wood neck with rosewood fretboard.

Finish is midnight blue, white primer, thin colour coat and I think poly finish.

Standard tremolo bridge with standard machines.

Frets are standard, quite high and thin (unlike jumbo frets).

Simple stuff, which is good in my opinion. However some things should be improved if you buy it (put on some locking tuners and strap locks).

My style is rock/blues and it suits the style well (setting the volume to 6 and a half gives a nice crunch that can then be shoved up to 10 for more distortion).

I put it through a lot of compression before preamp with a small amount of spring reverb from the amp. (Using a Laney LC30).

It is quite noisy due to the pick ups, but if you work on the shielding and wiring you can eliminate this. Alternatively set two pickups and once for a bit of noise cancelling. The noise doesn't come through whilst playing, only when tacet.

I use the neck pick up, which sounds quite bright due to the fact that I regularly restring it and set my EQ that way. Having said that it has a great midrange (damn I said it in a review!) and what I actually mean is that it has a nice full sound. Of course the bridge pick up is a lot brighter, and I actually find the Neck/Middle selection is a bit muddy.

The guitar is excellent for the blues and rock, and it is great for soloing. Chords are nicely balanced (none of this low end whooomph I notice in my Les Paul on the open low E, which can be quietened by slightly dampening the low E with my thumb) due to the staggered poles.

Likes? Great tone quite simply.

Dislikes? I don't know, I'm not sure if it would be better to wire it north-north-north rather than north-south-north.

The guitar was not setup at the factory but by my local guitar store. (Or they did a further set up for me I don't know).

When I first got the guitar the action was quite good, not much rattle at all.

The pickups are adjusted brilliantly in the pick guard, and the poles are staggered just right too.

There were no problems with the guitar apart from it needed a restring after I got it home (you don't know how many people have played it in the store...)

As far as the action goes though, subsequant (argh spelling) restrings have sometimes meant adjustments, and it took a while to get the action perfect.

Durability - well put this way it is not so good. My whammy bar now squeaks and the bridge is pulled further from the body all the time, which means tweaking the tremolo claw. I should mention however that the bridge squeaks because the springs rub against the body and need oiling. Alternatively a couple of quid should get me a new set of springs that aren't stretched as far.

Lastability of the hardware - good but the frets are a bit knackered now but there's no avoiding that. Apart from that everything is ok - just need to adjust the tremolo claw every now and then. Also need to replace the springs after a while.

The finish is great.

I can depend on it and the only problem with a gig would be its tuning instability when using alternate tunings. What I mean is that it will stay in concert tune for ages, but to retune it to say drop D is hard as when the low E is flattened all the other strings go sharp as the springs pull harder.

I would use it at a gig without a back up, but I would have another guitar (my Les Paul) for any alternate tunings.

I haven't delt with the company but what annoys me is the companies such as Gibson and Fender not catering for the English market. I mean Laney and Marshall, both British, manage fine over in the states but if I want a new part such as a tremolo cavity cover, it is a right pain to get hold of one dues to the fact that no one in England stocks them, which would be OK if you could get one from a Fender outlet in England, but you can't you have to get one shipped, which is quite pointless for a piece of plastic worth 2 quid.

(I wanted a black tremolo cavity plate so that I could replace my white pickguard, cavity cover, tone dials and pick up covers - pick up covers also impossible to find - with black ones).

My local guitar store is brilliant tho.

I would buy another if it was stolen or lost, cos it is a great guitar, especially as it was only #380 rather than #800 which is the price of an American Strat.

Body and Neck made in US, painted and assembeled in Sunny mexico. Yep thats how fender does it. Featues eh... well its a strat, what are you expecting, 3 single coils, 2tone and 1volume controls, 21 frets(i think) Rosewood Neck Sunburst body (mmmm sunburst) Standard tuners and vibrato bridge. Nothing special it seems, until you play it.... (No extras but this gets a good score, what more do you want)

Using a peavey heritage amp through a sansamp ps1- sounds good (sansamp needs some tweaking) but great straight into the amp clean. Pickups seem strong enough, not buckers but aint thin soundin. You even get the 60Hz hum for free..
8 - Sounds good change the pups to suit your style and your 1/4 way there (dont forget your fingers effects and amp)

Guitar is finished well and plays well. Dont care what they say, there is at least three pieces to the body, but I can also see four pieces in a 50s/60s original tele and in other US strats. But its not a bad thing, the glues probably resonate as well as the wood and this sounds great acousticly.
9- nice paint

Not waste much time here its a strat, reliable as anything, just dont mess it up with wiring. Bring spare strings anyway. Wish it stayed in tune better

Dont know but I have a thing with fender offering less warrinty on their amps in the UK.

Its a strat, most love it others dont. If you want a strat the Mexicans are the best bang for the buck fender about Change the puickups and youll have a better sound than a us, for less.

Standard Stratocaster(Mexican) 2001 model:
Maple neck with 21 medium frets, sunburst finish, stock Fender tuning heads, standard vibrato with white (3 ply) scratch plate.
Accessories: vibrato arm and 2 allen wrenches.
(An aftermarket hard case was purchased at my expense.
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Rating of "8" given for lack of accessories!

I've been playing guitar for thirty years and I always seem to get back to a "Strat"! Strats just seem to have a knack for "fitting in" to any style of music (rock, blues, country or even jazz). I have gigged with a lot of other guitars (a Standard Telecaster,a Dano 56-U2, an American Strat/Plus, an Epiphone ET-290 and an Epiphone Emperor) but the Strat just seems to ALWAYS work!
My current amp is a Fender Princeton 65 ( a 65 watt, single 12" amp that is GREAT-by the way).
The Strat really sounds wonderful through this amp (that is so SIMPLE to use it hurts!).With a few EQ adjustments on the overdrive channel this guitar can scream tones great for lead work or create full chunky tones that are great for rhythm work! The clean tones are equally as impressive perfect for nice twangy country tones or out-of-phase chording! WOW! The Princeton's clean channel features EQ for treble and bass only (so it does nail those vintage clean tones very well).
Basically this guitar and amp setup does everything I need. I used it in the studio and it really shinned on rhythm and lead work.If you like the tones of a Stratocaster you'll enjoy this guitar.
My only effect (at the moment) is a Dano "Milkshake" Chorus pedal- I've decided to keep it simple! No more noisy multi-effect processors (like the Digitec RP-100 or the ART Extreme) for me! Those pedals proved to me that the "grass isn't always greener on the other side".
Likes:
1.) Tone- classic Strat sound
2.) Looks-very 1950s "Buddy Holly" era appeal.
3.) Value-at $329 this axe won't break the bank!
4.) Frets- very comforatble medium frets that play fast and clean!
5.) Action- nice close action that does not buzz or fret out!
Mexican produced Fenders are well made and a great value! Forget about what you may have heard years ago- try one and I think you'll agree!

I purcahsed my guitar from a great dealer who listened to me when I told him how I wanted the instrument to play. He adjusted the action and lowered the bridge to my needs so it plays well.
The pickup height was perfect- with no "wolf tones" present.
I found no flaws in the sunburst finish at all. The chromed hardware was clean and llntrols were tight and clean.
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On a setup note:
I lubbed the string slots on the nut with some graphite.I then put some "Chapstick" in the string trees which makes the tuning of the B and high E string a breeze! These two little tricks keep the guitar in tune like you wouldn't believe!
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Buy your guitar from a reputable dealer- it DOES make a difference!

Mexican made Fenders are reliable gigging tools. My Standard Telecaster was a real work horse so I'm counting on my Standard Strat to be as equally good.
I will not use a backup guitar when I play out with this guitar.

In a word...DEALER.
Buy from a good dealer that stands behind it's customers! Let's face it anybody can sell a bad guitar so anybody can buy one! If your dealer is legitimate he won't sell those "dog" models that should have never left the factory docks!
Fender offers a limitited LIFETIME warranty so I'm confident with my new Strat.
My dealer also offers lifetime setups on all instruments that they sell so that makes me happy too.

Before I bought this guitar I tried several different guitars first. I tested three other Mexican made Strats, a Mexican Tele, an Epiphone Sheridan ,a Epiphone ES-DOT and a DeArmond hollowbody but I liked the sunburst Strat the most. My other guitar is a 1977 Madiera A-12 (12 string acoustic). I have been playing for 30 years.
I would definately replace this guitar if it were stolen or lost (I'd be somewhat pissed-off too).
I suppose the thing I like most about this guitar is the action. The neck feels as if I owned it for years!
As I said...Mexican made Fenders are the best kept secret in the music business today. You can easily save $200 to $300 and still have money left to buy an amp!

Fender Mexican Strat made in 2000. It's got the same controls as other strats. I really don't like this guitar. I've tried and tried and the pickups still sound sterile. I've even played it through good amps, like mesa boogies. I think what i like least about it is the bolt on neck. It makes it very uncomfortable to play up in the higher frets. Mine is black and has a tremolo. It has standard fender tuners.

I play mostly rhythm, but some lead as well. I was mainly an acoustic guy until I got this guitar and a gretsch which was even worse so I returned it. As I said before, I've used it in my friend's mesa boogie as well as my own little fender 30. The sound on this guitar is to bright. For rhythm it's ok, but if you want to throw on distortion it sound really thin. Even without distortion, solos still sound sterile.

It had low action, which is good. But the frets stick out over the fretboard and poke me, which sux. All routing and precision was fine, as it should be when it's completely machine made. The potentiometers kinda didn't hold their place and since it had the fretwire problem, i'll give it a 5.

This guitar will withstand live playing. It's very solid even though it's not good sounding. It could take a lot of smahing before it becomes unplayable. Everything on the guitar seems sturdy enough. I wouldn't bring it to a gig because I don't want to sound bad.

I once called fender and was on hold for a long time. Enuf said. It would be wiser to deal with dealers rather than fender.

My other guitars are a martin d-15 and a gibson les paul. The only reason i bought this guitar and the only reason I like it better than the gibson is because of the tremolo. I'll also say i'm not afraid to beat this guitar up because it's not as valuable or as delicate as the gibson. The gibson has an angled headstock so if it dropped the headstock would break off. I think this guitar would be good for a first guitar, but I don't recommend spending more than $500 on fender. There are many high end strat alternatives such as a Suhr or an Anderson, which would blow a strat of the smae price out of the water.

This is a repost that expands on a few comments on an eariler one. I know this isn't a message board, but this could be helpful for a new purchaser. This is 1999 mexico (MIM) Fender Stratocaster with rosewood board. It continues to be a terrific value, but is a different guitar from the USA or Japan Stratocasters in my opinion.

My two cents is you ought to play an adler or ash body, and then play the MIM's poplar body for comparison. The MIM Standard's poplar body is very resonant, but different vibe than the USA's. The MIM body pumps out a great mid-range tone and acoustic vibration. I suspect some players will like it better than bottom bite of solid or multi-splined adler or ash. You might find the poplar a better sound than the more expensive so-called "tone woods". However, the pick-up package really doesn't do it justice - think upgrading.

My other two cents is the Fender factory specs. may not be right for many of these MIM guitars. After a lot of experimenting I've found, with typical 10s, the neck concave should be significantly flatter than Fender specs.(and the string saddles up). Maybe it's the neck set or the nut cut, whatever... If proper intonation for your MIM seems to require moving the saddles back beyond mid-point of the saddle range try flattening out your neck curve. In my case the intonation immediately normaized and the action improved without any fret buzz - and I've got a lot less curve in the neck than Fender recommends (using the capo/clearence method). The action wasn't bad anyway, but now it's epic. I haven't had a similar experience with USA strats.

To make it an even nickel, check the finish between modern USA strats and their MIM counterparts, you may find it's like the difference between oil and latex paint. I'm not saying the MIM finishes are always better, but check it out yourself - you might be surprised by the difference. I have an older Mexico sunburst nitro finished strat body. and nothing made in the US during the last few years can touch it for depth of luster and hardness. I'm not a fan of the clunky tuners used on these MIM strats compared to vintage tuners, but they work fine.

I've been collecting / churning most every high quality guitar made, and I've messed with a few strat copies as well. Frankly, few $1000+ or 500+ guitars really equal their hype for real playing- it's just a game. Example, the Gibson Firebird III I bought in 1971(?) was a piece of crap then and they still are. These modern MIM strats are a great value, very playable & solid - don't assume the USA's are better playing guitars. If you think you might upgrade or customize your strat-like guitar, starting with the Standard is a smart move -> if you like the poplar vibe and neck shape. Sorry for preaching.

Made in Mexico -- 1996 vintage. White poplar body, white pickguard, maple neck and fretboard, standard S/S/S configuration, 5 position selector switch, 1 volume & 2 tone knobs. Admit it, the strat is arguably the most versatile, most copied electric guitar design of all time. This one looks like a strat, sounds like a strat, plays like a strat -- must be a strat, as such, it deserves a 10.

The stock sound of a Standard Strat is not as good as it might be. I found myself using positions 2&4 almost exclusively -- the tone knobs were always pinned on 10. Plus, on a stock configuration, the bridge pickup doesn't have a tone control. Position 1 was bright & harsh -- position 3 was dull & dead -- position 5 was muddy and dark. The stock configuration was no where near the sound that has made the strat as famous as it has become over the past 45 years or so. Plus, the guitar had a bit of 60 cycle hum. I replaced the pickups with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots and the guitar came alive! Position 1 sounds like a tele -- position 3 is the penultimate rythym guitar sound -- position 5 lets me sound like SRV. Positions 2 & 4 have tons of quack. BTW, I shielded the guitar when I swapped the pickups and now there's no more hum (Fender could have done that -but- probably too expensive). My rating is a 6 without the pickup swap, a 10 otherwise.

I played a bunch of these until I found the right one -- I recommend a potential buyer do the same. I foud one with a tight neck pocket. Everything is in good working order and has stayed that way over the years -- a solid 9.

This guitar is made well -- seems solid. I have no reservations about its dependability in any playing environment.

Fender is Fender... a big company that has lost touch with its customers. Find a dealer with a personal touch and replace it for what you will get from Fender -- nothing.

I have been playing for 30 years, mostly fingerstyle acoustic. This guitar got me back into playing electric after a 25 year break. Since I bought this guitar, I have replaced the pickguard with a black one, replaced the neck with a Telecaster maple custom shop neck, replaced the electronics with a Torres Engineering BluesCaster Deluxe wiring harness, installed Schaller strap locks, and swapped the pickups with Lindy Fralin Vintage Hots (as I mentioned earlier). This guitar is now a 10 in every category -- it sounds great and looks great. I play through a Tone King 40B and a '65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue -- both amps were made for single coil guitars. Stock, the guitar is a solid 7 and with my modifications, a solid 10. This is quite possibly today's best available guitar for the money -- with a few modifications it can become something special.

Brand-new 2001 Standard Strat made in Mexico. 21 frets, 1 volume, 2 tone, 3 way selector. S/S/S pickup configuration, poplar body with Midnight Wine finish, vintage tremolo, maple neck.

I play hard & soft rock, but use a fat metal-like tone for solos. I also play jazz, blues, etc. For amps, I use Marshall and Peavey Classic 50 stuff, plus I've got a Boss GT-3. This review is based on the sound w/o any processors, straight into several amps. I think these guitars sound pretty decent, they get the whole Fender Strat vibe from all the pickup positions. I bought this guitar based on its sound and the way the wood vibrates. It's got some twang, not a ton of bottom, but it's not too thin sounding. One thing I like about Strats that applies here, is their ability to cut through a mix well, whether live or in the studio. I may change the pickups in the future, but it's good the way it is now. With some gain there is a typical amount of single-coil noise. To sum it up, it's bright like a Strat, not full like a Les Paul. I chose this one from about 8 Srtats at the store.

Right off the floor, I found many of these "Mexicasters" to be set up fairly well. Usually the nut needs a bit of attention, but I figure they'd charge us more for better work, right? They're still reasonably good though. The set up on this one was nice- I always tweek them when I get them home anyway, but this could have been left alone and it would be fine. The finishes on mine appears flawless until you look at it in bright light, where I notice that the finish wasn't quite rubbed to the highest possible gloss. If I didn't pull out the old "anal magnifying glass", I would've never noticed. Either way, for the price I don't care.

Usually these guitars will stand up to live playing as good as any other guitar would. The chrome hardware ain't like a $1000. guitar, but it looks like it'll last for a lifetime. I don't know how long the finishes last, but it'd be cool to have it start wearing off for an older look. Seems pretty durable though. I'd depend on it, and actually, depending on the gig, I might use it w/o a backup. But I rarely go without a backup for any gigs.

As soon I ever have to call a customer support number for ANY product I buy, I'm already pissed off. Never dealt with them though.

I'm telling you, I have had several rather expensive Gibsons over the years, with many problems. However, I have never once had a bad experience with Fender guitars. You do have to sift through them if you're shopping for one. Be particularly aware of the neck joints on these Mexican guitars, because sometimes they're not very tight, or there's a shim in the neck pocket. I ALWAYS make the dealer take the neck off of any guitar I'm going to buy, to make sure there's not any shims in there- which is a sign of an improperly fitted neck/body joint. Other than that, these guitars really are the smokinest deals out there. Many of these guitars, like this one, rival the quality of American Fenders. They just have cheaper pickups and hardware, etc., most of which is replacable for WAY much less than it would cost to get an American model. Personally, I've had several mexican Fenders, and they seem to have a bit more character than my American Lonestar Strat, which costs about $1000. today. Infact,I'd take three of these Mexicasters over one American model any day! I played two American Deluxe's and found them to be dull sounding (awesome quality though). For $300.-ish dollars, you can buy one for every room in your house!

2001 model Standard Strat made in Mexico. 21 frets, 1 volume, 2 tone(neck and mid), 3 way selector. S/S/S pickup configuration. Poplar body with 3 tone sunburst finish (beautiful grain pattern). Vintage tremolo (blocked). Maple neck with maple board. Excelent piece of work. Plenty of accessories, no case, but I bought a gig bag.

I've changed the pickups (wich are better than some US made I know...) to get close to my idol's sound: SRV. So, Fender Texas Specials were put in and it goes without saying what an improvement has been (still for far less than the cost of a "normal" American Strat!!). I use it in a AOR 3012 Pro-tube Laney amp (Celestion 12") and no doubt that I do not need more. It realy sounds great, just like Stevies' Number One, and no effects required!!! I play blues mostly and some classic rock and no problem in getting THE SOUND...

The setup was ok from the factory, perfectly intonated, with the right height for my usual play action. Fantastic finishing and wonderful wood patern (one piece poplar body!). Excelent fast action neck (I never get tired), very confortable and even if with standard frets, bending is easy.

I don't think I'm gonna need to replace it. It's well buit with close attention to detail. No problem in using it on a gig as first choice.

Never needed, and the dealer is alright, so...

The Mexican Stratocaster is on the top! You get the right value for your money and you don't have to get broke to get a Fender. I play for 30 years now (I'm not that old.....started very young...) and exception made to my first Egmond (37 years old telecaster model with humbuckers, bought second hand) which I still keep, I always trusted Fender for my musical interests.

2001 Fender Strandard Strat, assembled in Mexico, 3 tone sunburst, rosewood fretboard. 3 factory single coils. Everybody knows the standard features, so I'll pass on. But I want to say this new recent production is excellent. I never liked the mexican strats (I had a '95 Tex mex,, and it never sounded close to this one), but this new production completely changed the cards...

Fantastic tonal range. Just plugged in a '65 Princeton reverb. a '65 Deluxe Reverb, a 75 Marshall MKII 2x12 combo. , and a 88 Marshall Silver Jubilee 1x12 combo. I could not believe my ears. The guitar sounded warm, with punch when needed, even the position 3 sounded good. The two Tone knobs work really well. Progressive Volume. Pick ups not too noisy. Great for Blues, Country, jazz, southren rock . Not brittle at all. Not weak.

I kept the 9's and checked the intonation; That's all. Attractive 3 tone sunburst, see though wood. The back of the neck and the hedstock have a some birdeye and the finish is vintage (not clear transparent, but darker looking). Also, the rosewood is dark. No flaw; frets were set deep in the rosewood; and no harsh ends.
5 way switch trouble free (unlike my US A Strat). i would give a B rating to the tuners , as 1 out of 6 seems weak.
I blocked the tremolo to fit my playing style.

i bought it new, played it daily for 1 month, and had no problems. I dont foresee any problems.

No experience

The playability (wonderful neck) and the tonal range really blew my ears, and those of a few semi pros who heard it and played it. I picked the guitar out of 10 or 12 at Guitar Center, and in all honesty there was another one that was really close. This guitar is also lightweight, resonates when unplugged, and is just a wonderful ax to play with. I have several US made vintage guitars (Gibson, Rick, Fender) . This Strandard Strat is one of the 5 guitars I would keep, along with a '61 ES335, '66 Rick 360/12 ; '66 Tele, and 52 Tele. Nice company.... I would not keep my US Strandard Strat nor my 60s Custom Shop Strat which may go on ebay soon...
Folks grab one;its less than $400. How can anyone go wrong, and save some big bucks.

My srat is Mexican made, 21 frets. Maple neck, Midnight blue finish. made in 99. 3 single coil pickups, 5 way switch, 1 volume 2 tone. very basic standard strat.

I play mostly blues and classic rock. This guitar has suited me very well, it has a wide verity of sounds. For the heavier rock songs it is not as good because it doesnt has too much of fat rich sound, but with a good amp you can make anything possible.

The action is fine, not too close to the frets but not too far, bends easely too me. the pichups are adjusted fine, and u can get about the same amount of volume out of all of them.

it is very reliable, and very strong. it is a guitar that will last you long time unless you decide to upgrade. the finish is still in good shape and i play it a lot. The strap buttons are still very strong which has been a problem with a guitar or two i had before this. It is fine for performing, esspecially blues or blues rock.

never had to deal with the company it has been very durable.

over all it is a very reliable, and all around good guitar. If you buy it while you are just learning, it will last you quite a while. I know a lot of people with standard mexican strat. I have played the japenese strat and it prefer the mexican. for rythym it isnt great but it isnt bad. it is very good for soling and picking.

This is for the guy who said that the MIM strat is a 5 peice body. I believe that the MIM strat I have is made of a one peice body, since I have the sunburst model and I dont see any lines or breaks in grain pattern that would indicate that the body is not one peice. The one I have needs a little setup (That allen key that came with my last cheap strat clones didnt work on this strat) since the truss rods needs adjustment... The guitar I bought was a store display model but it looks good already and wasnt scratched. The salesperson gave me the accessory kit for the American strat, replaced the whammy bar since they are different... turns out that the trussrod allen key is different too.... a little visit to a hardware store is in order.

My Strat is a 1999 Mexico-built model. It's about as basic as you can get; 21 frets, 3 single-coil pickups w/ 5-way selector, poplar body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, black finish. The features are solid, but not really outstanding. Basically, it's everything you've come to expect from a Strat and nothing more.

I play mainly light pop-rock songs, and for that kind of music, this guitar is very good. I just play it straight through a little 15-watt combo, and it gets some really nice clean tones. However, the standard pickups are a little thin and noisy, so I had a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. installed in the bridge. That really helped; now it has excellent, clear treble, and a nice, bell-like tone. With this PU, I think heavier style of music would be feasible, but with the default PUs, you're pretty much limited to lighter stuff. Without any modifications, I'd give it a 6, with the new pickup, a 9.

This guitar came set up pretty well; I've only had to make a few changes to it in the two years I've owned it. The biggest problem was the way the bridge rose up off the body once I put the strings on, making the action a little too high for my tastes. After rtemoving the plate on the back of the guitar, tightening the screws inside, and making a few other adjustments, it has really nice, low action, and has never given me any more trouble. I also used to have some problems with the output jack being wobbly and causing noisy crackles, but I unscrewed the jack and tightened it up, and it's worked fine since then.

I have never gigged with this guitar, and I probably won't, since I'm not in a band right now. However, it has taken its fair share of bumps solely because of my clumsiness, and it has held up very well. I may be too optimistic, but I fully expect this guitar to last my whole life, as long as I treat it well. Were I to ever gig with it, I would bring a backup (hey, I'm not stupid), but I'm sure I wouldn't need to use it. This thing is very solid.

Never had to deal with 'em. I think this guitar has a 5-year warranty, but I never registered it, so it's a moot point.

This is my only electric guitar, although I used to have an acoustic, and I have played my brother's Ibanez AX120 on occasion. Personally, I don't think I will ever need another guitar, at long as I don't spontaneously decide to start playing death metal. I should note, though, that having a new pickup installed made all the difference. I would never play another guitar that didn't have a humbucker in it.

Its a 95 model obviously made in mexico. 21 frets. Two tone 1 volume knobs and five way selector. s/s/s pickups. Maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. black finish, vintage tremolo bridge. I got it in a pack with a frontman amp strap stings picks etc.

I Play anything from Metallica to jimi hendrix to rage against the machine and Incubus. obviously it's a noisy guitar. i now have an original Flextone XL and have replaced the pickups on this thing. I bought a new pickguard(H/S/S) and a white Emg-81 and cut the wires on the two remaining S.C.'s and the pickup selector. It now has a tone a volume and an on/off switch. Before i could get a great blues sound but i was young and didn't get that kind of thing. Now i can get the best metal sound you ever heard and i still get the best blues sound i ever heard with a one pickup guitar(it's all in the amp)

The fender factory action is high as a kite. it's like telephone wires man! the rest of the guitar was great for what it was built to be. That being a first guitar(which it was for me)

this thing can withstand anything you through at it. Iwould play with a backup only if i wanted a greater range of sounds. Solid finish, solid strap buttons very sturdy guitar

never dealt with these guys

i have been playing for 4 years and i'm just getting around to reveiwing my equipment. If this were stolen i'd probably cry cuz it's my first guitar. I would buy another one cuz i like hotrodding my own guitars

everyone know a standard strat. everything you need, nothing you dont

great versatility, plays everything from heavily distorted rock to some mellow electric marley

setup was great, and i got it strait out of the factory box, haven't noticed a single flaw, nice wine color too

a tank, built to last

never dealt with them

best guitar for the money, try finding your ass a les paul for 300 bucks

2001 model Standard Strat made in Mexico. 21 frets, 1 volume, 2 tone(neck and mid), 3 way selector. S/S/S pickup configuration. Poplar body with 3 tone sunburst finish(the grain pattern on mine is the best I've ever seen on a Mexican Strat). Vintage tremolo(stays in tune very well I think). Maple neck with rosewood board. Came with wrenches to adjust the tremolo and an extra spring. Good guitar for the money.

It suits my style pretty good. I play hard rock, metal, and blues. The stock single coils are a little thin, but I've replaced the stock pickups with Seymour Duncan Hot Rails. This thing sounds awesome now. It's got a good chunky, meaty tone yet it still has a good clean tone, just like single coils. I'm using this thing through a Line 6 POD and a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe. These new pickups cut through through the mix very well with little noise. The stock pickups were good for blues, but not much for anything else. Very bright. After the pickups, I love this thing. Before I replaced the pickups, I'd give it a seven. Now with the Hot Rails, I give it a perfect ten. Altogether, I give it an 8. The guitar has potential. What I had been looking for. If you're going to replace the pickups but want a more traditional strat tone, try the Texas Special pickups by Fender. They are great. Great strat tone, they just have more bite and growl.

The setup was ok from the factory, perfectly intonated, but it was too high for my taste. I set it extremely low so that as my hand rests on the tremolo, it doesn't push the tremolo down. I like my trem to pull up not down, so I set it flush with the body. The pickups were a little low, but I adjusted them to my liking, no big deal. The bridge and everything was routed well. No flaws at all in the finish or anywhere else. One complaint though: the straplock on the upper horn kept coming loose evertime I'd strap the guitar on. Staplocks solved the problem though.

This guitar has made it through quite a few gigs just fine. The hardware seems quality, after five months it shows no discoloring or aging, and I sweat A LOT. The finish is tough. I have dropped a hammer on the thing and no scratches. Yet I rub it past the corner on one of my amps and it scratches it. Go figure. As I said above the strap button on the upper horn kept coming loose. Just read above to hear about that. I can depend on this guitar. No worries. I never gig without a backup, yet I had to once, and it made it through just fine. Just put new strings on before the gig and no problems.

Never dealt with them. I just go to my dealer and if he has to, he'll deal with them.

I've been playing about 5 years. I also own a custom strat built like Van Halen's off of their first album and a Les Paul Standard. I also own an ESP M-200(nice guitar by the way). I'd definetly get this thing again, I love the tone. The Hot Rails are just awesome; perfect for my lead playing. Rhythm playing is very strong too. I love the finish and the overall feel of the guitar. I wouldn't buy an American strat even though I can afford to. I just don't think they're that great. Get a Mexi Strat and save money. If you're looking for a nice, quality, fairly inexpensive guitar, check these Mexican standard Strats out. If you don't think you'll like the single coils, just put in some noise-free single coils or some single coil-sized humbuckers. Or you could just throw in a humbucker at the bridge since it's routed H/S/S. I love this thing. Before you buy any other strat-style guitar, check these guitars out. Nice.

This is the Mexico Strat with the poplar body. One of the reasons I bought this was for the arctic white finish. Looks great. (I've always like the clay dots) A little too much gap in the neck joint, and the electronics just don't do it for me. I didn't intend to use the stock components so I'm happy with the package for the price. Overall, the guitar stills feels high quality.

Put in a complete Lonestar assembly. The routing on these mexican strats handles a humbuck in the bridge position, but it's not a swimming pool, it's a perfect S/S/H bore. I find the poplar body very nice. Excellent acoustic resosance, a little less bottom-end bite, and very light. I have another guitar with a poplar back, and I like its' midrange resosance alot - so I took the chance. It sings with the Seymour Duncan S/S/H configuration with the poplar wood. This experiment worked out well.

Finished and set well, much better than new Gibsons I've seen. Again, the electronic components are a little cheap - the sounds a matter of your taste so - no comment. My only gripe is the neck to body joint gap is a little too much, about twice that on my American made strat.

Like all strats seems built to last. Finish looks great, want to see it last - I'm hoping it got the full finish treatment in Mexico that has turned out some real long-lasting finishes on some modern stata.

What's this?

I'm a long-time player with lots of upscale equipment. Wanted a Lonestar strat but think they're overpriced, and wanted an Arctic White strat with rosewood fretboard. Have found the combination of Mex Strat with poplar body and Lonestar components to be a good match. Total investment is half what a similar NOS Lonestar would go for and I'm not sure there's much difference. If your thinking of going this direction I'll tell you I have high priced USA strats, and I play this Mex/Duncan just as often. Happy hunting.

2000 Mexican strat, 3 single coils, poplar body, two tone pots, one volume etc.
stock pickups arent the best, ill be replacing them with silver lace sensors soon. mine is in midnight blue with a maple fingerboard, pretty classy looking, stays in tune pretty well too

sounds thin, like most strats do. i use it with a fender princeton amp and the amp makes it sound horrible, i played it through a peavey classic 30 and it brought out the possiblities of this guitar

nothing wrong, peeling the plastic off the pickguard's a pain in the ass, but i got a free setup and all was good, 'cept those bastards set it up with 9's..

you can depend on it, fell on the floor once, didn't mess it up or anything

never worked with them

been playing four years, all in all, great guitar for only $300

2000 Mexican Standard Stratocaster - 21 frets - Olympic White - 5-way selector switch - 1 Volume, 2 Tone controls - S/S/S stock Stratocaster pickups - Maple neck - Alder body - Stamped Fender tremelo - Medim size frets - 3-ply white pickguard. Came included with Fender's Deluxe Gig-bag, allen wrenches, warranty info, etc.

I've been playing now for just over 15 years, and have acquired an enormous array of tastes and styles. I honestly don't think you could find a more versatile electric guitar than a Fender Stratocaster.

I'm using a Crate G120CXL's clean channel, where I've added a DOD EQ pedal through the effects loop. As for distortion, I'm using a Tech21 SansAmp GT2 (which deserves a top-notch review all in itself). Added effects are a BOSS flanger, and a Dunlop Original Crybaby Wah.

If I'm looking for bright, twangy tones I use the #1, #3, & #5 positions. If I want a more humbucking tone I use #2 & #4. I am absolutely amazed at the quality of sound coming from a $300 Mexican Strat. I own 7 guitars ('Pauls and Strats) and NONE of them compare to this particular guitar.

Anyone who expects custom-shop quality from a factory-produced guitar is being unrealistic. However, aside from a very slight buzz at the 12th fret from the G string, this guitar's factory setup is surprisingly good. As is the case with most of Fender's factory guitars, the plastic nut does need to go, as it likes to snag the G & B strings when using the tremolo and knock them slightly out of tune.

As for the finish and/or appearance... I can find no flaws. Very good job.

I have moved this guitar to the front line of my live performances. I could say that I would use it without a backup, but any guitarist who's ever played live knows that when you're on stage Murphy's Law is hovering over your head. I know that I can rely on the guitar's hardware and electronics 100%, but strings do pop and you can't leave an audience waiting for a crummy string change.

I can't rate Fender's customer support, because I've never had a reason to deal with them. However, I do have a 1 year warranty, but probably wouln't use it anyway.

Heartland Guitar, although an authorized Fender dealer, does not employ repair personnel, but keeps an excellent and updated list of authorized repair shops and offers to handle the business matters of any repairs that may be needed.

My opinion is that when a Stratocaster receives a bad review, it is because that person either doesn't fully understand the functionality of the guitar, or was looking for something different entirely. Stratocasters were initially designed for country music guitarists in the early 50's, who complained about the hard edges of the Telecaster rubbing their rib cages during sit-down recording sessions. Therefore, the Stratocaster was made specifically with the country "twang" in mind. If you're looking for deep, warm, fuzzy sounds... either buy a Fat Strat, Double Fat Strat, or a Les Paul (all with humbuckers).

There is a perfectly good reason why Fender has remained in business for over 50 years... because people keep coming back for the quality (contrary to Ed Roman's worthless and biased opinion).

The Mexican Stratocaster is quickly gaining in popularity, because the quality is far superior to other budget-priced guitars.

Year 2001 Made In Mexico Standard Stratocaster.
Two Tone Sunburst/ Maple neck with rosewood fret board. 21 frets.
One volume control and two tone knobs for the bridge/middle PU's.
Five way selector switch.
Pickups are s/s/s passive fender standard pickups.
Vintage style tremlo, standard cast tuners.
Fender has better Guitars and features, The 10 I give is for the price range.

I like Blues, and this Stratocaster has it down good. Bassy lows and bell ringing highs. The addition of a good chorus pedal gives a great, thick sound.
I like a little grunge, and It can rock pretty good with some distortion. I'd recommend the Fat Strat if your looking to play Mettalica with your SRV. For the price again, really good sound, a little bit of noise from the pick-ups, but this is typical of a single coil PU (don't let this noise put you off, it's not bad). Will eventually replace them with American Noiseless, but completly accetable for now. Remember, the 10 is for the price range!

I bought it from a Small Music store in Watertown, SD The owner already had it set-up perfect, but he admitted it comes pretty good from the factory, and he makes very few adjustments.
The finish is beautiful.

This is a well built guitar!
I was suprised. I played an American, just to compare, and I must admit the American was a little nicer, but $400 nicer? No way. This is one solid guitar.
Never would use any guitar without a back-up, thats poor planning, but I feel I could rely on it if I were forced to.

Have not delt with customer support, but Rodney Lindner of Lindner Music in Watertown, SD (605)-886-3327 have always treated me fantasic. If there were any issues, I'd take it to him before Fender, and He'd always take care of the problem.

I have been playing for a little over a year, and have owned some crappy guitars in the past. This is a great guitar. Don't let the Fender Pureists fool you, THIS IS A REAL STRATOCASTER! The neck feel and action is great, and the tone a sustain is great.

Usually bevy of strat goodies...21 Frets, s-s-s, 5-way switch, vintage bridge, ect... you know by now if you've read any of these reviews. This is a more sober review than my previous one which was written in the giddyness of owning a new guitar. My previous review was not all together accurate. I've had the guitar nine months now- and I know her a little better.

I'll be honest. This guitar is my transition instrument- I've really only played acoustic all along, although I have previously owned a few junk electrics that I never really warmed to. The pups aren't bad- the neck/middle setting is actually quite pleasing clean and dirty. But they do lack all that spakle and bell-tone that you really want in a strat. (Well, I do anyway.) Like most strats, the bridge posistion is quite unappealing. Weak, muddy. I'm having the pups replaced w/ RIO Grandes hoping they'll improve the weak points of the sound (10 gage strings helps too) Even so, I'll hold on to the stock pups for a Squire I plan to buy as a back-up. All in all, though, it sounds good enough to keep me practicing and I have played it live with good results.
I play it through a Peavy Delta Blues 2X10. Thats all- maybe a chorus pedal here and there. (k.i.s.s.)

3-tone sunburst is stunning. I love it. At first, I hated the vintage bridge and I had plans to replace it- but now I've had a change of heart. I might add two more springs or a trem setter for stability, but I have grown fond of the 6-point system. (If it was good enough for Stevie, Eric, Buddy [Guy or Holly], Richie, ect....) The set-up needed no adjustment until I changed string gauge.

9 months of abuse and still going strong. Since I don't own a back-up- I do gig w/o one. Of course- I'd like a back up...

Can't say about Fender- but Carl's of Lexington has ben fab. Great guys. If you live in the Bluegrass area- don't shop anywhere else- these guys are the real deals.

If it was stollen I might check out a Route 101 just b/c they intruige me. I might even build my own. Then again, I might buy another- I really love this guitar. Word to the wise, however, not all MIM Fenders are created equal- poplar is a fickle wood. Don't buy a guitar you haven't played. They vary wildy in terms of tone. I suspect thats why so many people are gripping about their Strats- they got one mail-order that didn't sound like the one they tried in the store. If they had bought local- they'd have the right piece of wood.

Thi sguitar was made in Mexico, in 1999. It has well polished frets. 1 Volume, 2 Tone, 5- way selector. All the compoments work great. It originaly had a S/S/S pickup configuration, however I changed the bridge pickup to a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Stacked humbucker. All standard strats come with the bridge routed for humbucker, you just have to change the pickguard out. It comes with passive electronics. Body is made of Poplar, neck maple. It has a nice 3-color sunburst. Double cutaway body. Standard tuners are non-locking. Medium-Jumbo frets. No included accessories.

It suits my music style fine. I play in all-rock band, influenced by Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix. Im using it with a Peavey 5150, Morley Bad Horsie, and Boss BF-2. its noisy in all settings except for 2 and 5. You can get a rich/full sound all the way to a bright trebly sound, thanks to the selector switch and the tone knobs. Grteat variety of sounds.

It was setup great, I lowered the bridge and action a little bit. No flaws visible to me.

Very reliable, don't use a backup at the time because I don't have one. Strings rarely break. I changed strap buttons out to Schaller Strap locks. you can depend on it. I give it a nine because of the strap buttons

I've been playing for two years, had this guitar 1.5 yrs. If stolen, I would probably buy it again, unless i bought a nice vintage strat.

Standard mexican fender product.5 way selector.Maple neck with Red paint.Your standard entry level strat.All passive electronics.Not sure about body wood type.

Concerned about humming when in single pickup mode. No hum when using combination of pickups. Most noticeable on my marshal 50 watt combo amp. Does have a decent clear sound.Am not sure how much shielding if any is inside.

Playability was fine. Action is just right for my needs. Pickups hum and that is the big concern here. Finish and routing for neck and internal components is well done.AQ little rust on the bridge saddles. Can't complain too much. Bought it at a pawn shop!!!

I think this guitar would do okay for live playing if I could just get rid of the hum in single coil mode. I'd probably keep my U.S.A. strat around just in case (although I'd not want to use the USA strat if at all possible for a live gig).Too many chances for some idiot to throw stuff at it or have a bandmate run into it.

None. Its a pawn shop special. Although I've heard that fender is about average when dealing with customer complaints. I'd just have to get it fixed myself or use some sort of noise gate live.

If this guitar was stolen,I'd probably go to Guitar Center and buy another one. I like to use the cheaper model on stage and use the american one for recording only. The only complaint is the hum in single coil phase. I'll probably have a local guitar guy check it out. I can't complain too much. It was a bargain.