Fender Standard Stratocaster

Model: MIM FENDER Flame Maple Tex-Mex Strat Sunburst

Year: 2004

Purchased From: GuitarTrader.com

Basically, the Tex-Mex Special Edition Standard is an upgraded MIM Fender Standard Strat (decal on back of headstock stays 'Special Edition'), with the following extras:

- Flame-maple top. This is a GENUINE maple-cap, hold it up to the light and you can see down into the woodgrain. The tiger-stripe flame pattern is spectacular.

- Tex-Mex pickups. These are the same pickups that are installed on the JV model.

- Glossy, poly finish maple neck, unlike the usual statin finish. The neck is also tinted with a tan stain, which looks terrific with the rosewood fretboard and brown sunburst finish.

Basic Features:
- Standard Fender Chrome Tuners
- Vintage style bridge and string saddles
- Five position pickup selector
- Free Fender gig-bag was included

Tone:
- Typical Strat. The Tex-Mex pickps are loud, bright, and clear on both clean and distorted settings, with plenty of twang and bark.

In particular, the bottom E-A-D strings ring out sharp and clear on any pickup setting.

Positions 2 and 4 deliver the traditional Strat 'quack' tone. Positions 3 and 5 are clear and bright without being harsh. The bridge pickup delivers sharp, biting twang on clean settings. I think the bridge pickup sounds best with a bit of amp distortion, as clean can be a bit too bright and twangy.

More than likely, the maple-top contributes a bit to the overall bright tone.

Can't say much more other than that it sounds like any good Strat.

Finish/Setup:
- Flawless finish. Not even a smudge on it. Couldn't even tell there was still plastic film on the pickguard.

- Factory setup was very good. Only needed to raise the string height slightly, as it was lower than I normally prefer, but just marginally.

- Intonation is spot-on. Frets are smooth along the edges similar to a Gibson bound-neck. I checked every fret position and could not detect any fretbuzz at all.

- Tuners are tight and solid. Once the strings were broken in, even with excessive string bends it stays in tune.

Playability:
- Typical Strat. Neck is slick, and easy to access all positions. Can't say much more other than that it plays like any good Strat.

Guitar is built rock-solid. The poly-finish is glossy and thick, and should not wear off if properly maintained.

Again, construction and finish is what you'ld expect from a well made Strat, which this one certainly is.

No experience with Fender Customer Support. The guitar came with a user's manual which describes care and setup considerations.

For the included manual, and Fender's online Mr Gearhead product support site, I'd give them at least a 8 for this catagory.

Overall:

A great playing, great sounding, and great looking Fender Strat at a killer price.

Fender hit a grand-slam homerun with this MIM Tex-Mex Standard Strat. If the quality of this particular guitar is any indication of what the Mexican Fender facility is producing, the reputation of the MIM Standard Strat line should go way up. IMO, this guitar would give the higher priced models a run for the money.

Highly recommended.

(Michael Behuniak, May 15,2005)

Made in Mexico standard strat. Alder body 3 single coil pickups. Body is alder and neck is maple. Finish is painted maroon with white pickguard.pretty standard feature set for a strat.

sound is kinda twangy with lite strings, and gets usable with heavier stuff. Neck pickup is pretty beefy, and the bridge pickup is very very twangy. Sound is good on most things, but is slightly too bright and the low end just isnt there. If I hadnt gotten this guitar as a trade I wouldnt have bought it.

finsish is good, no flaws present, paint looks good, and all materials are solid and well put together.

The action on this guitar is the only reason I keep it. I have played probably about 50 guitars in my life, and none have played this good. It almost plays itself. The previous owner was alittle bit too ambitious on getting a low action, so I had to replace the nut that he had filed down, and adjust the truss slightly to get it where it is. But the balance and feel is amazning now that it has been spruced up..

guitar is reliable and durable, ave not had any problems whatsoever.

n/a

I wouldnt buy this guitar today, and the pickups should be replaced, but the action is outstanding.

Standard Strat Features

I bought this guitar to provide the classic strat sound to my music. The pickups are very cheap and weak to say the least. The shielding of the guitar is of poor quality and a joke.

Where to start. Horriffic! The bridge was slanted at a 45 degree angle. Strings had maybe one wrap around the tuners. Action was sky high. Frets were flat in spots with file chatter marks. Fret file marks could also be found on the fretboard. I Could never get the 5th and 6th strings to intonate. 3rd string dead all along the fretboard. No allen wrenches provided (but you got a Fender sticker).

Everything is cheap. You are paying just for the Fender sticker on the headstock. I would not feel comfortable relying on this guitar as my main axe.

Don't know....I returned the guitar before contacting them.

I've been playing for 20 years. I have several custom models I've build. I own Ibanez RG550's, Schecter C-1's, and many acoustics. This guitar would be worth paying $250.00 for and not the $370.00 price tag. It's ashame Fender has to resort to putting out this kind of garbage. If it was stolen or lost I would say good riddens and purchase a real guitar.

Generic bits and pieces that come w/ the standard Tacocaster. Poplar body, black finish, maple neck/finger board. Old school bridge. It is what it is, I didn't buy it for "wide range" of features. The "5" is based on whats out there versus what fender provides w/ this model.

Again, Tacocaster generic single coils that weren't bad if this is your first guitar, in fact if it is, you'll be alright. Now it it sounds fantastic with a little help from seymour duncan by way of adding a ssl-5 in the neck, an ssl-1 in the middle and a lil' 59'er w/ a coil tap in the bridge. I have taken to purchasing cheaper strats as a base platform for project guitars. This guitar is a will be played thru seymour duncan convertables, my boogie, fender hot rod deluxe and various line 6 toys.

Brutal would be a little strong, but if my company put out some of the high end stuff fender is capable of and then put this stuff out with the same name on it, I would be embarrased. Where it to start? The neck or bridge (I'll determine that later this week) was not drilled correctly resulting in a neck that is mounted crocked, yikes. The neck mounting screws were not tight, eeks! What really got my attention was the difference in neck profiles from guitar to guitar. I had the guy at the local shop pull eight of these things out of the back room and they all had different profiles, so I chose the one best suited for me. Once open for rewiring, the guitar was filled with sawdust, if you chose to work on one of these, bring a vacuum. soldering was poor. Frets, yikes, there has to be one person in mexico that can properly dress a fret. Again from guitar to guitar, huge differences. I have several american topend strats to buying more to just to horse around doesn't make sense. I have also had low end fenders that started out as projects that sound fantastic and are using regularly to record after some tweaking. Consider the intent when reading this. Oddly the frets on this feel like tele frets. Compare to the current stock of american standards and they are noticeably smaller, which is fine with me.

It is what it is, it won't blow up. Lack of features also means lack of items to go bad or surprise you. If I was still playing live actively I would carry a back up. Finish on these things is like everything else on them, extremely varied from guitar to guitar. Evidently the C&C machines are the last thing to see the wood prior to patching them toegther, because the milling marks are very evident. basic colors go a long way to covering them up.

Good luck. Fender not having their own support websites speaks volumes about their intent on customer interaction. Their handling of this is also why I have not ordered any high end stuff from them in a number of years. Letting third parties host websites as a resource is weak, very weak.

This was purchased as a project guitar. I would not buy this guitar simply for what it offers stock. I have been playing for 25 years and music has put food on my table at various times in my life. If this is a first guitar, it's a lot better than the entry level stuff that was available 25 years ago. It does work as a base for tweaking and experimenting, so in that regard I got what I paid for. If you want a real strat buy one, save your pennys and buy a solid used american or new american model. I am fortunate to have a number of excellent guitars. The guitar manufacturing industry has changed significantly in the last 20 years and this guitar is a good example of more, cheaper, faster....

Made in 2000, in Mexico. 21 frets. Probably a laminated top, standard strat features, one volume, two tone controls, 5 way selector switch, three single coil pickups made by Fender, passive electronics. Body is probably alder, neck is maple. Mine is white with a maple fretboard, kinda resembles the one used by Hendrix. Strat double cutaway body. Standard Strat tremelo, string through body, standard die cast strat tuners (schaller style), neck is very nice, thin, fast, maple fretboard. Came with a cord.

Well, I'm 51 years old and I'm stuck in the music of my college days. I like Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, America, Dire Straits, elecrtric Blues, like Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, things like that. Not much into the newer music, although I think with age, I've started to like country music. The guitar handles all of these styles of music quite well. This isn't a "heavy metal" guitar but it is a damn fine classic rock, blues and country guitar. Anything from a bright twangy sound at the bridge to a mellow bluesy sound at the neck. Good Dire Straits and Hendrix sounds on the in-betweens. The only noise you get is the hum you get from all single coils. This was my first electric guitar, have been playing acoustic for over 40 years, so I bought it with a Marshall MG10CD amp. Since that time, I've gotten a Marshall MG15RCD and a VOX AD15VT. Sounds good on all the amps, but best on the VOX. The MG10CD is a kick ass little amp, but the MG15RCD is a little dissapointing. I don't use any effects, just a little reverb, I do have a boss distortion pedal, but rarely use it. I've found that I like the crunch you get just from cranking the volume up a bit on clean. This is a very versatile guitar, will do anything but metal, and I suppose with effects you could play that too.

Flawless.

Well, I'm not a professional player, just mess around at my office and at home, but I believe it would withstand live playing. Finish is fine, hardware is fine, strap buttons are solid, I've had it 5 years now and it still looks, plays and sounds as good as the day I bought it. I don't gig, but I don't think anyone would gig without a backup.

Never personally dealt with Fender. I've bought all my guitars and amps through guitar trader. They've been great.

I've been playing 40 years. No, I'm not a pro. Back in the 60's my dad gave me an old harmony acoustic guitar, which I still have. Later I bought a Gibson Acoustic Guitar and still have it. I also have the amps I mentioned above along with a Fender Standard Telecaster and an Epiphone Les Paul Studio. I'm a psychiatrist by trade, so all through college, medical school and residency, my focus had to be on school and guitar was and is still just a pass time. I'm decent, but no Hendrix. I bought this guitar and the MG10CD Amp to mess with in my office. I ended up buying others for home. If it were lost or stolen, I'd get another one. I love it.

Made in Mexico.
Poplar body.
Maple neck.
21 standard nickel-silver frets.
Rosewood fretboard.
Die-cast machine heads.
Standard strat pickups.
Arctic White Polyester Finish.
Fender Bullet strings.

This guitar does everything well.
Humbuckers have never satisfied me anyway, they take away
the sparkle that really satisfies my ears.
The guitar has a fuller sound (better mids) than it's Squire counterpart, while retaining that classic chime.
Nothing like the neck/middle pickups together,
through a subtle vibrato with a little reverb
to finish it off!

Finish is excellent.
Paint is flawless.
I picked the Arctic White one because it looks so classy combined with the gold lettering on the knobs.
Fingerprints don't show up that way either!
I looked for how it was finished along the neck and around the frets
as well as the action. I have a Squire strat, and that is one area where that guitar came up short.
Those Mexicans really do make a nice guitar.

Built like you would expect a Standard Strat to be.

Usual Fender warranty.

I got home from Tom Lee, took it out of the box, tuned it up
and started playing.
No suprises, exactly as advertised.
Like an old friend.
That's what I love about it.

2004 made in mexico . this is my third strat i have one plus deluxe and one american series .i am from greece and i was really luky to find this strat in a color i did not expect to see in mexico strat(amber with honey burst).it is in the 10 more beautifull gtrs i have seen in my life .550 euro i bought it but i put a pickguard tortoise shell and 3 fender 57/62 pickups(the original sound)with 300euros and it is .....
21 frets ,maple neck,alder body of course ...,vintage tremolo(no the USA).the next thing i want to do is to replace the tuners with the spare Usa i have when i replaced the american series strat with schaller lock tuners ....this does not mean that the guitar has tuning problems . aaaa and the tremolo arm because i cant change the cnob with aged because it is stuck . i hate the MADE IN MEXICO they put in headstock.the guitar is USA in half.

for blues,rock,jazz it sounds like the original.this sound exactly offers the american vintage series strat(2.200euro).in this price you buy 3 mexico with the same features.

everything is perfect.but the guitar is like a woman .she needs to care her .dont expect that you will play the same time you buy it .you can make 60% better if you let a guitar tech do the care.

i use it everyday in my job as pro musician .no problem at all.

in my town the FENDER dealer is a very good friend something like brother and in the nights we work together . he take care of me .

i play pro 8 years.
i have a yamaha pacifica 621 for metal situations .
marshall amps.
rocktron preamp & midi controler
roland vg-880 virtual guitar system
.........if somone stole this guitar i will put people to kill him!!!
i wish it had 22 frets and the us tremolo

- Jap strat made roughly around 1984
- 21 frets on a rosewood neck
- Red body with the standard spec of 5 way selector switch etc...
- Only downer on the build seems to be that the trem blows and if used heavily can now and again knock a string out of tune a little.

For a vintage strat sound this guitar was perfect and has some really nice tones especially in the neck position. The bridge pickup lacked balls so replaced with a seymour duncan hotrails and now its super versatile for playing. My music style ranges from rock/blues/punk and it suits hese styles fine, I use it with a marshall jcm dsl 50 head with 2 speaker cab and can get a good range of tone from this setup. 9 with extra pickup 8 as standard

I got the guitar second hand from a local guitar shop and it was setup with a nice low action and everything was in good order. A connection with the middle pickup was loose so had to do some soldering... Other than that its been fine since ownership.

Like a brick is all I can say, I have dropped this guitar and knocked it by accident plenty of times and despite this the paintwork and neck are still in great condition. Gibsons have world re-knowned weak necks that break near the nut, u dont see too many fender strats with neck repairs about.

Never dealt with them, most guitar/ amp associated companies seem to be pretty crap so fingers crossed I wont ever need them

I have been playing close to 3 years now and have used some top class guitars within that period. From les paul customs to prs guitars, they do indeed have better quality in areas but cost #1000's of pounds more so for value a jap strat is the best about. My other band member uses a US strat and since the upgraded pickup mine blows his away, my advice is dont get the impression that only the american strats are worth your time.

i bought it at a music store for about 100 scratch and dent. the man who had it before me mustve replaced the tuners, they dont hold a tuneworth nothin. the neck is a rosewood its pretty easy to play on. my dad has a telecaster american series and its just as easy to play on. another thing i dont like is that i had to replace the screws for the pickguard.

it sounds ok with my music style which is classic/hard rock. i bought a roland micro cube with it and that is great too. i really dont play that often to judge the reliability and durability of it. i think its great. the only problem i have with it is the solos. it takes a lot of effort to do some tricks on it.

dont play it enough

never had to call fender

its a good guitar. i think the next guitar i get will be a les paul, or a bc rich. but i will definately buy another fender in the future.

Made in 2004 (probably - bought it early 2005) made in Mexico. Maple neck and board, 21 frets, nice skunk stripe down the back. It was a 25 1/2" scale, it seemed a bit big to me at first as i am used to 24" but i got used to it after a few days, and although you cant stretch as much it does feel better. Usual controls, 2 tones, volume, 5 way selector. I wanted to get a fat strat with humbucker in the bridge, but it was too expensive, so i just got the standard 3 singlecoil version. It says it has a popular wood body or something like that, just a plain white finish, although its more creamy. Its real thick, and on some of the edges it gets a little thinner in the middle, I have never had a strat before, dunno if this is common or not. The bridge seems pretty good, I dunno if there is a special way to string a strat or something but its kinda stuck up at the moment. I used fender bullets though, and though i cant use the tremelo that much because of the position it is stuck in , they seem to stay in tune more or less perfectly. The tuners are nice fender ones which seem well made, though i might upgrade to grover locking ones when i have the money. No accessories, a gig case would have been nice, I already have one, but I wasnt happy taking my nice new expensive strat through london in a plastic bag.

I mainly play clean sounds, although i do play all styles (metal, blues, rock, funk & pop) it sounds great, though there isnt that much difference between the neck and the middle pickups. Also the bridge pickup not haveing a tone control is really annoying, I might try to change that later on. I use a yamaha amp, though now I mainly play guitar through my guitar port, so i can do pretty much anything with it. Not having a humbucker is annoying, but it seemed to add more than #50 to the price and later on a can always get a cheap one put in. The bridge pickup I find is too harsh, even on distortion settings it sounds kinda wrong...(if only it had a tone control). The fender steel plated strings I got with it sound good, but I prefer the nickel wound ones for their warm tone.

I think the shop set this up its pretty good (esp after havign a late 60's guitar with no bridge saddles!) so the intonation is great. But i did play another strat exactly the same in the shop and it had realloy bad set up, buzzing all over the place. Pickups are all adjusted well, everything seems to work well.

It all looks like it will last, I would have prefered a more heavy duty bridge but apart from it being about #200 more expensive i dont want the hassle of changing strings on a Floyd Rose. The finish is real thick and doesnt look like it will come off or get scratched much, strap buttons are solid. I rekon i could depend on it, though i would like to make a few adjustments to the electronics.

N/A

Other gear i own is an Ibanez Soundgear Sr-380 (japenese I think), guitarport, my old Kay guitar and a computer with mixing desk etc. I wish I'd looked into the prices a little more before I bought this, instead of assumign that the lowest price I could find on the internet was the one they were going to ask for in the shop. I like it much more than the pacifica's (yamaha frets seem to be finished really badly, really sharp edges), of course they have a humbucker but, i dont like the jack on the side and the scratchplate is weird so you cant get to the insides so easy. If it were stolen I'd buy another one, but they are real expensive, so i might just save up some more and get a Jaguar or Mustang, pref Jaguar but they are a couple of hundred more pounds expensive. I just wish the fat strat version wasnt so expensive.

Mine was made in 1982 or 1983, can't remember. Was made in Japan. 21 Frets, I suppose it's a laminated top. Standard Strat setup with one volume and two tone controls with a 5 way selector switch. Has three single coil pickups, made by Fender, passive electronics. Body is alder, neck is maple. Candy Apple Red finish, body style of course strat. Standard Strat bridge, string through body, standard tremelo, but I had it blocked since I never use a tremelo and it makes it stay in tune better. Tuners are the standard schaller type tuners found on most strats. C shaped neck, medium frets, rosewood fretboard. I bought a case with it, as I bought it brand new in either 1983 or 1984 when I was in the military.

Suits my music style absolutely fine which is blues, blues rock, and crunch classic rock. At home I run it through a VOX AD15VT which I just got, and had been using a VOX Pathfinder 15R for many years, which I still do use. I'm in a blues rock band and use a VOX AC30 for gigs. Mine is surprisingly quiet for single coils, even on the single coil settings. It's a strat, so you get anything from bright and twangy at the bridge position to mellow and bluesy at the neck pickup. Very versatile for most types of music. You can even do heavy metal with it, if you have a good effects pedal, but I'm not into heavy metal, so I only use moderate distortion for classic rock type stuff and dirty blues. I've had this guitar over 20 years, I've had many others, including several Les Pauls but this stratocaster and my telecaster are the only ones I have kept over the years.

Mine was setup perfectly when I bought it, as a free setup was included in buying it. Everything was and still is perfect.

I've been gigging with this strat for over 20 years. It's lasted. I do take very good care of my guitars and this one looks as good as the day I purchased it. I never gig without a backup. I switch between this and my telecaster during gigs.

I've had two Fender guitars. This one and my telecaster, which I bought brand new in 1976. They've never broken down on me, so I have never had to deal with Fender.

I've been playing about 35 years. I have this strat, a Fender Standard Telecaster and two epiphone acoustic guitars, one of which is acoustic electric. That's it. Nothing I wish I had asked before buying it, as it was exactly what I was looking for. I love everything about it, especially the unfinished which is extremely fast. I compared it to several different types of guitars, mostly Epiphones and Gibsons but I really prefer single coils, so this is what I got. I'd cry if it were lost or stolen, because I doubt I could get another made in Japan Strat and they are some of the best strats made. Excellent guitar.

Mine is a 2004 Standard Stratocaster, made in Mexico. It's Arctic white with a maple neck and looks just like the Strat that Jimi was pictured with frequently. It is a modern version of the classic Strat, and as such, has all of the usual features: vibrato, 3 pick-ups, one volume and two tone controls, that fabulously sexy and comfy countoured body, five position pick-up selector.

My style is Rolling Stones/Black Crowes/John Mellencamp-type Roots Rock. The Strat is so obviously perfect for that. Primarily, I play through my 2004 Marshall AVT50 4x12 half stack, my 1984 Music Man HD150 212 combo or my 2002 Fender Pro Jr. The only effects I typically use are my Cry Baby Wah-Wah and a DigiTech RP50 Modeler. I have 3 other Strats, 4 Telecasters, an Ampeg Dan Armstrong, an Epiphone Dot Studio and a Vantage VSH-455 (335 copy). My Arctic white strat has all of the classic Strat sounds, from biting and sharp to deep and resonant and everything in between.

This guitar was perfectly set-up when I bought it. When I first saw it and played it I knew it was coming home! It just exudes that classic Strat vibe. It was extremely well made and set-up.

It's a Strat, and like the Tele, it's a tank that always delivers and always will.

I have yet to deal with Fender. Their products are so good I've never needed customer support! So, as a consistently satisfied customer I'll give them a 10 in this category!

The Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars continue to be the industry standards. Introduced over 50 years ago, these guitars have remained essentially unchanged. The reason is they were brilliantly designed, rock solid instruments with a fabulously versatile array of sounds. The Strat, in particular, remains the most versatile electric guitar ever made, well suited to many different kinds of music. If someone could only have one guitar, the Strat is the one!

Made in 2001 in Mexico, 22 frets, laminated top, standard strat controls and pickups so no need to go into all that as it has been well covered. Alder body I think, maple neck, beautiful sunburst finish, maple fretboard. I bought it from guitar trader almost 3 years ago and they threw in a very nice gig bag plus free shipping. For the money, it's excellent. Can't tell the difference than it and the American Standard in looks, playability or sound.

I have a varied musical taste. I like classic rock but I also like heavy metal. I like jazz and blues, punk and grunge and even country. This guitar does it all well, except heavy metal, unless you are using a really good distortion pedal. It's a strat so it is not meant for metal, so I won't ding it for that. It's best for rockabilly and blues stuff and classic rock with mild to moderate distortion. Clean is excellent. Bright twangy sound at the bridge, good Hendrix or Dire Straits sound in the 2d position, middle pickup is good for softer rock, 4th position and neck position great for jazz and blues. Very versatile, but metalheads, beware, it is NOT a metal guitar unless you got a digitech or a zoom stomp box. I'm using this guitar on 4 amps, which are a VOX Pathfinder 15R, a VOX AD15VT Valvetronix, a Marshall AVT20 and a Peavey Studio Pro 112. Sounds good on all the amps, but seems most compatabile with the VOX amps. I'm not much an effects guy, I use a little reverb and mild to moderate distortion at times, and just use the footswitches that come with the amps for my distortion. I do have a ZOOM 606 but rarely use it. I bought this guitar to play blues and classic rock on and it has not let me down. Great guitar and quite inexpensive.

Everything was perfect.

Been gigging with it for almost 3 years and it hasn't failed me yet, so the answer to all the questions are yes. I don't gig without backups. I've had $2,000 dollar guitars go down on me on stage.

Never dealt with Fender, but guitar trader is great, so I give them the max.

Been playing 45 years, have what I mentioned above, plus a Yamaha Les Paul Copy, a highly modified Fender Squier Series Standard Telecaster and an Ibanez RG350DX. I have more acoustics than I can count. I'd get another one if it were stolen. I'm not gonna lose it. I love everything about it, as it does, exactly what I bought it for. I ordered it online, so I didn't compare it with any other guitars. Every guitar I've ever bought has been on impulse, and that seems to work well for me.

Mine was made in 1994, in Mexico, back when red was still a color option. Won't go into all the features, as they have been listed over a hundred times before my review. Mine's the same as the rest, color is a fire engine red with rosewood fretboard. Came with a cord and I purchased a hard case for it when I bought it.

I play mostly late 60's and early 70's classic rock, stuff like Hendrix, Stones and what not. I also play blues and have started to get a little into some country music in my older years. Suits all of those music styles just fine. It is not a metal guitar, but then again, that's not music in my opinion anyway - just noise. I am running this through a Marshall ATV 20 and I have no complaints about the amp. Not much of an effects person, I do have a ZOOM 606II pedal that I use occasionally. In 1, 3 and 5th positions you get the slight hum that you get in all single coils. Quiet as a church mouse on the in betweens. It can be rich and full or bright, depending on which pickups you are using and your amp settings. Of course, the bridge is twangy like all Fenders, and you get the good strat quack on the in betweens. Mellow and bluesy on the neck pickup. Very versatile guitar, I love it, have had it 10 years.

It was setup perfectly when I bought it. Not a flaw at all, beautiful finish, everything perfect.

Well, I've had it 10 years and it's still going strong. Still looks basically brand new and I play it everyday and gig with it three times a week. No one would gig without a backup.

Never dealt with Fender as a company.

I've been playing for 40 years. I also have an Epiphone Les Paul Goldtop with P-90's and a Fender Standard Telecaster that has been modified with Vintage Noiseless Pickups, which are stacked humbuckers. I've got a bunch of acoustics also....too many to count, I'm an addict. I would definitely get another strat if something happened to this one.

2004 Standard Strat---made in Mexico. S/S/S pickups. Solid body, maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. 21 frets, vintage style adjustable bridge, with 1 volume and 2 tone knobs. Lifetime tuners, 5 way selector switch.

In a nutshell--it sounds fantastic! The single coils are quiet for single coils. One can go from a very mellow sound--to the trademark quack of a strat! I have come to the conclusion (after owning far too may guitars---and then selling them!) that you just can't beat a Fender Strat for a wide variety of sounds! The pots, switch and instrument jack are the same as on an American Strat--so they are very good!

The fit and finish on the guitar is every bit as good as on an American Fender. The Mexican Strats have a vintage bridge---but everything else is the same except the price! No flaws at all on my guitar except that it needed a professional setup---which every
new guitar does no matter what the price! So many folks buy new guitars and don't have them setup properly---and then they wonder why they have problems with intonation and staying in tune! The factories can only do so much--and due to shipping--the guitars get out of whack anyway. Do yourself a favor--pay the $60.00 dollars to have it setup properly---you won't regret it!

One other reviewer said it "is built like a tank" and I agree! The weitght of the guitar is just right---not too light or heavy. Leo Fender got it right when he designed the Strat a half-century ago! Everything is solid on the guitar--no complaints at all!

I have read a number of complaints about Fender over the years but I've never had an issue with them. I have found them to be a really good company. You can't be in business for over 50 years and build thousands of guitars used by professional musicians all over the world and not be any good! I found the manual that came with the guitar to be very helpful---and you can't beat a lifetime warranty!

I have to honestly say that there isn't a thing I don't like about my Strat. Are there better guitars out there? Probably. But not at this price! If you have it properly setup---and take care of it--it should last a lifetime. I almost bought the American made version but in comparing the Mexican and American Strats---I could see little difference in quality (except the bridge---but I happen to like the vintage bridge on the Mexican version) but a big difference in price. Of course a Mexican made Strat won't hold its value like an American made one--but who cares if it is going to be a working guitar and you're going to keep it for a lifetime! Buy the American version if you are concerned about resale value and don't plan to keep it forever. Otherwise save yourself $400.00 dollars and buy the Mexican Strat!

Mine is a 2004 Made In Mexico...Even so its still a well made, beautiful
instrument...
21 fret
Standard aminities found on strats S/S/S
Maple neck w/maple Fretboard
Sage Green Metalic-Standard paint job
I gave this a ten because its a STANDARD strat...i knew exactly
what i was getting and didn't expect anything more

I play it through Morley PSW Wah into an Ibanez PT5 Multi-Effects Processor(has the tube screamer built in) into volume pedal then into my Pignose G40V All Tupe amp.
With the pickup selection i get great tones frome this thing
The processor unit i have has an EQ built in so i can get a great thick
tone from the stock sinle coil PU,s
Very little noise.
Cant do any real dramatic tremolo work with it(hence the "8" probably need lock downs)but it can handle some light stuff with ease...stays in tune great.
Plus this is the first maple fretboard guitar i have ever owned...and its great...much smother than rosewood.
Guitar is well balanced and comfortable to play...this is no lie, at practise i stood and played it for 4 hours straight.

The set was perfect...for me anyway...slightest buzz...doesnt bother me at all...cannot hear it through amp.
The intonation seems to be perfect...i can capo up the neck and it still is dead on tune.

Its a fender strat...it should out live me

Dunno...

I have been playing about 20 yaers...
I would Absolutly buy annother if this one wrere stolen...
I looked at tones of guitars and went with this one

Made in Japan between 1982 and 1987. Everything is stock, standard Strat features. Maple neck. Oh, it's black, originally with a white pickgaurd, but I changed it to red tortoise shell, cause it looks strange and cool.

This is a wonderfully versatile guitar. It's a strat, and sounds like a strat - if you want it to sound like something else, then buy something else. Between the pickup selections and tone controls, plus your eq on your amp(s), you can get a wide range of sounds from any strat. I play mostly power-pop and rock, and it suits me just fine. Only commplaint is it can be a bit noisey when only one pickup is selected, but that's single coils for ya.

Can't remember the factory setup - that was 17 years ago. But I've set it up myself since, and the action is very low, with no buzz at all. The tremelo, as with all Fender vintage style 6-screw tremelos, can whack the strings out of tune pretty badly if I really abuse it. But Floyd Roses are ugly as hell, so I've just learned to be careful, and to not pull on the bar (which seems to do the most tuning damage, to mine at least).

My only minor complaint is with the string trees. They are these crappy little plastic boxes with metal rollers on both sides. I think they're supposed to help keep the guitar in tune when using the trem. They're ugly, and I'd change them, but I'm afraid the classic "T" shaped tree would make the tremelo tuning problem even worse.

This guitar is absolutely a tank. For seventeen years it has been abused and sometimes neglected, and it still plays perfectly. Other than a bit of oxidation on the bridge sadles and normal wear on the fingerboard, it looks like new. Well, except for the huge belt-buckle scratch on the back. :) I give it a nine only because one of the string tree holes became stripped. Of course, being the guitar abuser that I am, I just drilled a new hole in the headstock and screwed it back in. Shameful.

Never needed it.

Been playing for 23 years, and I've had and played a lot of different guitars from crappy no-names to Rics to a sweet vintage tele that I wish I still had. Right now for electrics I play an Epiphone Dot and a Fender Jaguar reissue, but I'm gonna sell the Jag as the strat really gives me all the sounds the Jag can, plus some more, and it's not as tempermental. My playing is 99.9% home studio work, and at this point I don't even own an amp, I just have a V-Amp modeller, with a seperate tube preamp for warmth and an eq to tweak the sounds.

This has been my main guitar for 17 years (though it's tied with the Dot, which I also love). I wouldn't sell it or trade it for the world. I know some people are purists about getting American made, but I honestly don't think most people could tell the difference between my Jap strat and a USA strat. As I said, it has been used and abused for 17 years, and it still plays as good as, if not better than new. I've taken it apart and put it back together again, drilled holes in it (for USA pickguard), dropped it, bumped it into all kinds of things, left it out of its case for years at a time, lost and replaced pieces of it, and I know that every time I plug it in it's going to sound great. If you can find one, get it - it's worth every penny you'll save.

A 2003 made in Mexico, 21 frets, rosewood neck, 3 single coil pups,dark sherry, vibrato, with all the other features of a standard strat.

I am playing mostly heavy rock from the 60's and 70's... Yes, even some Jimi Hendrix...from the Beatles to our days...The Strat response very well to that style combined with a Peavey 400 Chorus stereo 212... The middle position on the pups is a bit noisy, but that's the only complaint...

Before buy'n'it, I was to buy a American Strat...Once at the music store, I tried a few Fender of every model...even a Telecaster and 2 or 3 American Strat...I did'nt even want to look at a mexican one...But that Dark sherry color came to my face...so I ask to see that one...when I saw it was a Made in Mexico, I wanted to put it back without touchin it...but finally I played a few notes... so I could'nt say what happen, but I feel it was my guitar...done expressly for me..I know it's sound crazy, but I think it's the only way to buy a guitar...

It's only 3 months I owned it...will see...

Never used it till now, but some of my friends owners of Fender eqipement did, and were very happy with the service

I'm playing guitar since am 13 yo...i'm now 52...so it's been a long time.. I have played so many kind of guitars, would take to long to enumerate...I would'nt remember them all anyway...My Strat is like a candy I wanted to offered to myself...and it do make me happy...I would by another one like it, no question... I was playing accoustic guitar ( Norman ST-68 )for the last 10-12 years...My Strat brang back my teenager feeling in me... I even got back in a band since then..and my hairs are growing....:-)

Little I can add to what the other proud owners of this excellent guitars have said below. Mine is year 2000, finished in sunburst with a maple neck. The neck has a lovely flame in the maple. The body seems to be a single piece of alder with gorgeous birdseye marks amongst the grain. A lovely bit of workmanship, and all the wonderful strat controls are there.

I play melodic rock, jazz, country and classical. This strat covers all the bases. The stock pickups have lovely tones from tubey at the neck throught to a tangy prickle at the bridge, stopping at all stations in between. I use it through a Roland ST100 and a Behringer firebird, mostly using clean settings, but sometimes with a bit of drive. I don't use effects, not even a little reverb. It sounds lovely as it is.

All as it should be, including the set up.

Nicely built guitar. I've replaced the standard strap buttons with a pair of straplocks to avoid accidents. I don't gig - too shy - just play to entertain my dawg!!!

Only ever dealt with Fender about an amp, but they were friendly and informative.

So much better than a squier in terms of tone and set up. Would I buy another - well, I bought a standard telecaster in sunburst as a big brother for this baby. Love playing Ravel's Bolero on the strat - get it from OLGA - sends shivers up the spine. Best feature is the look - pure strat - and that lovely wood and tone.

I have a 1995 Fender Standard Strat (Mexican), in a 3 color sunburst finish and maple neck with 21 frets. It has a 5-way switch and 3 controls (volume/tone/tone) and 3 single coil pickups. I think the body is alder. The finish is very nice with a generous orangey-red fade. I took off the white 3-ply pickguard and installed a cream-colored tortoise shell guard and (cream/beige colored, not the green ones) pickup covers, knobs and switch tip. I have a killer purple rose temp. tattoo which I have put on the end of the standard headstock as a tribute to Hendrix. I have gold S.R.V. letters on the pickguard because he is a God. I have the mandatory "cigarette burn" on the headstock a la Clapton (and many others)....done by using a torch-style lighter. I have a Hendrix-style purple psychedelic strap with Kurt Cobain and Hendrix buttons on it, like Neil Young. The string-thru bridge is the standard Fender right-handed with tremolo bar. The tuners are standard Fender tuners and seem fine. The frets have lasted me this whole time and are fine for bending. I use D'Addario EXL120 nickel wound 9/11/16/24/32/42 strings. I got the guitar and a black Fender hardshell case from a source close to the Fender Corona factory for $220.00 used, but in "like new" condition. Finish and overall package was a great price! This is my 2nd electric. My 1st was a $50 sunburst fake Strat which I played the crap out of, then smashed in my bedroom floor a la Pete Townshend and then lit on fire (outside) like Jimi!!!!
May that beast R.I.P. Thus, this was a "real" Strat and WAY better!
By the way, I am a drummer (insert "BOO!" here) and I just could not justify buying a nice guitar. However, I just love the guitar and taught myself and had to get one.....I heard the Mex. strat is just like the American but poorly made. I bought it and tightened the screwes and it was pretty good, initially. Overall: 8/10.

After a year or so, I decided to upgrade the pickups to Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials a la the S.R.V. Strat.....all I can say is WOW!
I have a Fender Princeton amp and this baby sings from clean to raunchy! Through my Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face, Hendrix Special Dunlop wah wah, a Boss chorus ensemble and Boss flanger, I can get all kinds of sounds! I can get the Clapton Cream 1960's tone, hillbilly country tone clean, the SRV tone with the neck pickup, and can get a great Hendrix tone with the fuzz face and wah.....I am the Voodoo StepChile! With the tone turned all the way down, I can get a sort of Les Paul sound like Neil Young and I can get it pretty grungy with just distortion and a flanger, when I feel like Smelling Teen Spirit. This guitar kicks ass and I have played American Strats. This blows them away! The pickups are amazing and
worth the $100.00 I spent in 1996... Can you say TONE, TONE, TONE! The clean tone is amazing!!! Overall sound: 9/10.

The initial setup was crappy. I totally took it apart (except for wiring) and put it back together again. It played much better but had intonation issues, according to my L.A. professional music buddy.
I went to the Guitar Dr. in Fountain Valley and he totally set it up for me, installed the Texas Specials, and redid the thing for $200.
I can say this was the best $200 I have ever spent! The thing plays like my dream Strat.....I have no complaints. There is a little noise but overall, it is Fender all the way.....I love it.
Overall: 6/10 before the Guitar Dr., but now a 9/10.

This thing is great. It is not too light but it is still very managable. The hardware is solid, the tuners are pretty good, the finish is wonderful and no cracks, the strap buttons are solid and it is my only electric guitar. I would use it as my sole guitar if I had the balls to play lead guitar in a band (remember, I am a drummer!).....I do get the urge to smash the thing when I am really into the music and I have to fight back the urge since she is my Baby now. I do find myself stroking it and talking to it and my wife thinks I am losing it. The middle latch on the case broke off and that sucks, but otherwise, the black-fur lined case is solid and works well. Durability: 9/10.

Never dealt with them. I bought it used and no warranty. However, besides the case issue, the guitar has given me no problems at all.

I have always been a Fender guy....my heroes (Hendrix, SRV, Clapton, Cobain, early Page, and on and on)....all played Fender. I lived in Fullerton, CA, about 1 mile from the old factory on Fender Avenue!
There is just something SO sexy about the design. I like Les Pauls too, but their action is just too high and I am clumsy playing them. The only regret I have is that this is Mexican. Even though I scratched off the "Made in Mexico" on the headstock, the "M" serial number is a nagging reminder. However, in my mind, it has a great retro vibe and TONE, TONE, TONE!!! I did not compare it with any other guitars....Strat is my choice. I thought about changing the neck to a lefty to be a reverse Hendrix and putting a left handed bridge in (like SRV), but didn't hassle with it...after all, I am a drummer! Overall, the thing cost me about $220 with case, $130 for pickguard, Texas Specials and misc small parts, $200 for professional installation and setup, for a total of about $550. Again, I had played American Strats and was not so excited. I didn't think I would spend this much but hey, it was all worth it. I love this guitar. My buddy has a U.S. Strat with no modifications and this blows it away. I played an early 1970's U.S. Strat in a recording studio and my axe chopped it up! Again, it is all about the Texas Specials....they make me sound like a California Special, even when I just noodle around with my Fender Champ 15w amp! I have played it thru a Marshall full stack and it was HUGE.....I need to get me one of those, but hey, I'm a drummer.....ba dum dum!!!

Feel free to email me for pictures. Peace, love and 420 to all... 8-)
Overall rating: 9/10 as modified and only because it is Mexican.

Fender Standard Strat, made in Mexico, 2003 year model. Standard strat features eg. tone, volome etc... White body and maple neck (Hendrix!). The guy at the shop kept telling me its Alder, but the sticker on the guitar say's it poplar. Not sure who to believe, although people have been telling me that Fender have supposidly stopped using poplar.

Tuners won't stay in tune, has a thin, weak, (even for a strat, it's terrible) tone. Not the strat tone I was looking for. CEREMIC pickups.

Vintage frets. Just because it's VINTAGE don't think it's any good because that only means that the frets are tiny as, which in turn makes bends as HARD AS. Considering the fact that the strat already has a very long neck (compared to say, a Les Paul) they shouldn't really make life harder for those of us who like to play lead or blues etc. But once you get used to them, it's nothing.

Gets a five because... well it doesn't really have any features, it's just a basic strat.

We are reviewing a mexican strat aren't we?

Let me say something about this guitar. It stinks. Its horrible. Its thin, weak, wimpy and has no character. Noisy. Terrible. Sustain is frighteningly bad when I first got it. Whatever you play on it sounds cheap.

- BUT -

The Standard Strat is like a... Japanese sports car. It's not a Ferrari, and it never will be, but it can be made to go as fast if you upgrade it with the right parts. First thing I considered changing was the pickups. I wanted a REAL strat tone, something that can be soft and sweet or harsh and ballsy so I went out and got a packet of kinmans. It cost slightly more than half the price of the strat, but I think it's worth it, it breathed new life into it and now I think the tone is as good as or better than most american strats.

After that you may want to change the frets etc...

I've upgrade this thing so much it's not really a standard strat anymore. It's more of a strat style guitar that looks and sounds like a good strat - a really good strat.

About the horrible sustain - it kind of went away after about a year. I think it might be beacuse it got "played in", or maybe I just got better... Not sure of the real reason.

Factory setup was ok... I kept fooling around with it until it screwed up on me so... had to go to a pro, made it even better than it was before.

The finish looks more like a bloody suit of, I don't think theres anything out there that can scratch this thing.

Everything else was ok, not that many problems here...

It's a brick.

You can use it as a weapon if you want.

Hmm.. frets wore away really quickly. But I play alot so...

Never dealt with them.

Overall I'm giving it a nine because its solid, reliable and its cheap. Although it may sound bad at first, its got lots of potential, it can be made to sound as good or better than higher priced guitars for a fraction of the price.

Just for the record, I love my guitar. I've even given it a paint job (it looks good, trust me). Sounds good, plays good - what more can I ask?

If it got stolen, I'd probably buy an American and do that up - although I probably won't give it a new paint job...

This is my 5th Strat purchased over the years. I really liked my MIM Tele so I took a chance and bought this used MIM Strat on an internet auction.
Fiesta red and maple neck, white single ply pickguard, 1995 year model.
Typical features but this was in great shape cosmetically and all stock

Noisy pickups, buzzes, needs a fret level and recrown, crappy tuners, pot metal bridge compensator, very little sustain. Sound is weak through my PodXT and all my amps. noisy and anemic. A POS!

Replaced the pickups with Fender Tex Mex
replaced the pots with CTS matched 250 OHM
Replaced the 5 way switch
replaced the cap with a Hovland
Used vintage wire in the electronics
Replaced the pickguard with a 3 ply American Standard with copper shielding
Replaced the bridge compensator with a Callaham unit with stainless steel trem bar
replaced the saddle screws with shorter ones
Replaced the bridge screws with new ones from Callaham
Replaced the tuners with Fender/Schaller locking tuners
Did a fret level and recrown
Installed Schaler strap locks

This guitar absolutely rocks now. Plays much better than my SRV and Strat +. I love the pickups and the sustain is great. The action is low with no buzz and the intonation is perfect. The trem unit comes back to neutral and it stays in tune.

total cost of the guitar and parts was $480.00 including shipping. I did all the installation and work so there were no labor charges. This guitar is easily as good or better than any American made Fender now and the price is impossible to beat. This is a real player and I don't have to worry about dings as the value will not be affected.
If you are on a budget but want a custom shop quality Strat, this is the only way to go. I'd put this up against any CS Strat out there. i've had Squires and they are junk. The MIM is a sold piece of wood and is built by craftsmen.

After I replaced all the hardware and did the fret work, I did a factory setup and intonation. I had to losen the truss rod a bit as I installed new Dean Markley Blue Steel Strings in .009 to .042.

The neck to body joint and all other fit and finish areas are very nice on this Strat. No issues with the factory work. The body is a bit chunky compared to American and MIJ Strats as the edge radius of all the body edges are very small and sharp. Reminds me of a Charvel. The slightly narrower nut and string spacing on a MIM seems OK and doesn't bother me at 2 1/16".

The guitar body/neck is built very sturdy and will take a ton of abuse. I can push on the neck and the pitch hardly drops. Better than my SRV Strat.

Don't need any support. No warranty and highly modded.

I've been playing for 20 years and am mostly a Gibson player. I wanted a Strat that played as well as my Gibsons. If this was stolen, I'd put another one together immediately.
I may replace the stock string tree and nut in the future but I find no need at this time.
A comparable American Strat would be at least 3 times the cost of this one and I don't see any reason to spend the extra money.

This is a Mexican made Stratocaster, made in 2003, 21 frets, you know the drill. 3-color sunburst, a real beauty!

I mostly play Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. For Zeppelin, singlecoils are not the best you can get, but for purple and floyd, it's perfect! Don't know what the pickups are called, but I personally think they sound better than the ones on the USA model. They have more personality, with a more bitter bite in the bridge-pickup. The neck-middle position has a warmer sound than any other I have been into. Gotta love it. It's a strat, so don't expect humbuckers.

Guitar was perfect set up. Came with 9's, but as soon as I got some Ernie 10's on it, it was the guitar of my dreams. Lowered the E a little, for powerchords.. Perfect neck! The pickupselector stopped functioning but I just pulled it a little and it was ok. Never had the problem again. Probably dust or something. The jack is loose and impossible to tighten. I guess there's some kind of sick reason why Fender has KEPT THIS PROBLEM the last 50 years. Perhaps to give the vintage feel to it?

It's reliable. It's my primary, also own a Tokai Les Paul (Love Rock), but I only use the Strat. Never use a backup. Don't need to with this axe.

Never had to deal with em

This is a strat as good as it gets. I would prefer this one to the american ones. And concidering the price, whew what an axe! Love it, and if it was stolen, I am quite sure that I would get anotherone right away. Now it's a bit cheaper too.

This is a 2004, MIM Standard Stratocaster. 21 Frets, solid alder body finished in a glossy black with a maple fretboard. Other feature are 3 single coil pickups, vintage style tremelo, and one volume and two tone controls. The neck has a 9.5" radius, with vintage style "nail frets". The features are pretty in line for what you'd expect from a strat: an ageless design that was right the first time. I bought this guitar as a "project" with plans to install texas special pickups, and graph tech saddles.

Needless to say, I never installed the texas specials, but I think the guitar will sound a little better with the texas specials or fat 50's pickups. I'm an amateur "hobbyist" who has been playing for 31 years. The stock pickups are more bright and twangy than my American Series and Classic Series strats, but have a unique voicing of their own. A number of reviewers look at these pups as crap, but they actually sound pretty good in my opinion, and the 5 position switch really allows for a variety of sounds, from warm and rich (neck pickup) to bright and biting/glassy (bridge). This guitar sounds awesome for the money.

This is the first fender I bought that playable out of the box. The action was low, the bridge saddles were radiused properly, and the nut was cut/shaped very well. The neck pocket is tight, and all the frets seem to be shaped and polished as well as my other 2 strats. The black finish was flawless, and the maple neck is excellent. The only complaint that I have is that I'm not crazy about the bridge saddles as on prior strats I've owned with this "vintage style" trem, the height adjustment screws had stripped, but on a lighter gauge string, I don't think this would be a problem. Plus for the money, the bridge is better than other guitars I've tried in this price range. The trem arm wobbles a bit too and unlike my other strats, you cannot place a spring in the trem arm cavity to eliminate the wobble. I replaced the saddles with the new graph techs, and I am very surprised at the quality of this guitar.

Other than the saddles, this is a well-built guitar and much better than a 95 american standard strat that I owned. The gloss black fnish is absolutely flawless. The switch is sturdier than a japanese strat that I owned in the past, and I expect that this guitar will last.

As I previously stated, I've been playing for 31 years and have owned about 20 guitars in my life and now own 3 strats. All are played through a Line 6 Flextone III amp. This is an absolutely awesome guitar for the money, and the quality is excellent. The sound is very good, the neck is smooth and well-dressed, and the finish is gorgeous. I've seen other reviews criticizing the MIM Fenders, but I own two of them, and both are of very good quality and sound excellent. This guitar surprised me as to how well it was built.

The Standard, Made In Mexico Stratocaster doesn't come with a dizzying array of features, but it gives you enough to do your own thing, whatever that may be. 21 Frets, a beautiful white finish, a rosewood fretboard. Basic pick-ups. That's about it.

This guitar is great for those who have yet to commit themselves to one style of music. You can get decent hard rock crunch out of it, you can get nice big, open chord sounds from the middle pickup, but by far my favourite sound that can come out of this Strat is the beautiful, round neck pickup tone. Clean, yet cool, you can get an angelic hollow melody going, or churn out smooth minor licks with ease.

Even through a cheap amp, this guitar casn still sound sleek and sexy. However it does lose something in excessive distorion. I'd say at it's best crunch, you can get some awsone Led Zeppelin-esque sounds from it- but this wouldn't be your first choice if you play in a Megadeth cover-band ( although, thats not to say it's inpossible to shred your way through "Holy Wars..." with your Strat).

When I first played my Strat on Valentines day 2003, I felt a sudden connection with my Strat that I just didn't get with other guitars it it's price range. It felt great to me right hand, my left hand, and my side. I slumped over it's contoured body and relaxed.

The action was perfect, the frets and freatboard were in order, and it it was playable right form the beginning.

I've never played live with this. But theres no doubt in my mind that I would use it if given the chance.

The hardware seems nice and stable. Strap pegs are nice and firm. If I got shot while playing it, it might not save my life, but it would keep me happy and content in the last few minutes of my life.

i've never delt with them ,but because their so well know, I think that I shouldn't encounter too much tropuble.

I'd just like to say, there is a reason so many cheap copy brands model their products after the Strat. And it's no coincidence that when you hear the word "electric guitar", a mental image of a Strat-style comes to mind. All around great. Maybe the jack-of-all-trades. Not really a master of any.

I've been playing a short two years, one with my acoustic, the next in the company of my Strat. Compared to it's same-priced competition, the Epiphone Les Paul and SG, this was the right choice for me. It just felt right, it felt comfortable. The other two, though great I their own way, didn't feel like the Strat did.

It is kind of a bummer, that today the Strats once unique body-shade has turned to run-of-the-mill indusrty standard. But hey, I'd rather conform to the norm than play a guitar that didn't feel good to me.

Over, a great value for the money. This is a rather cheap guitar that you can be proud of. A work of art.