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!