Fender Standard Stratocaster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not applicable, never dealt with them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

n/a

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never delt with fender! but im sure there great!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

99% noisless

Hot rail scream.

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

bell tones.

body resonates great.

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

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

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

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

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

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

N/A

10 EXCELENT BUY FOR A BASIC GUITAR.

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

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

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

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

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

I never use a backup.

I dunno, thay seem like slackers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never dealt with so i give them 10

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

New Model Mexican Made Stratocaster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I only wish it had one thig - noiseless pickups.

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

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

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

strats are tough guitars

havent had to deal with them yet, hope never to

i really like this guitar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never dealed with them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very solid.

I"m happy i bought this guitar!!!

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

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

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

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

Never dealt with the company in 13 years.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ive never dealt with customer support.

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

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

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

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

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

Standard tremolo bridge with standard machines.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Likes? Great tone quite simply.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The finish is great.

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

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

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

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

My local guitar store is brilliant tho.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

No experience

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

never dealt with these guys

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

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

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

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

a tank, built to last

never dealt with them

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's this?

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

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

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

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

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

never worked with them

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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