Fender VG Stratocaster

It took me weeks to find just the right one: Sunburst tobacco colored body, rosewood fretboard, vg circuitry, but the waiting just made it all the more exciting when it finally arrived. The features are all explained very well in previous posts, but the features create the incredible versatility of this guitar. So definately a 10.

The Rolan pickup creates the possibility of strat, tele, humbucker, accoustic, twelve string, drop tuning, and on and on. The sound this guitar makes is just so much fun. Not only do you have a lot of choices of which tone to create, but the tones, I think, are excellent. Yes, I'm sure you can tell the difference between a real tele and this VG Strat by doing a side-by-side, A/B comparison, but that's not the test, is it? Can the audience tell the difference (or do they even care)? No. And does the versatility make the guitar fun to play? Yes. Isn't that the bottom line?

Fit and finish were and still are great. The action was too low, causing some buzzing, but that's why you the guitar set up before you take possession. The action is perfect now. And its a Fender Strat, so no worries about this category. The only reason I give it a "9" is because of the buzzing.

No problems yet, but I've had it for only 3 months.

Haven't had the need to contact them.

I've been playing since I was 10 years old, started out classical, owning several nylon string classicals. When I was about 25 I bought my first Gibson accoustic, and played that exclusively for, oh I dunno, 20 years! This VG Strat is my first electric, and I ask myself every day, "why didn't I get one of these sooner?" If I lost this I would have another within a few days. The biggest thing for me is the fun factor, because more than anything else, that means I can't wait to get home to play it at night. So I'm practicing regularly again. Anything that hightens your interest in playing is a good, good thing. I'm glad I spent weeks and weeks researching and playing guitars before settling on this one. Because its so versatile, I don't know that I'll ever need another guitar. Thanks, Fender.

Had the VG strat for a couple of months now. Sunburst with maple fingerboard. This is a very versatile guitar that I am pretty happy with. It came with a strap, cleaning cloth, picks, and cheap lead, in the Fender plastic moulded case. I originally thought about upgrading to a better case but decided not to bother, and managed to get the guitar back from Nashville to Perth, Australia, without any problems.

In terms of features you can't get much better than this guitar. Pure USA strat sound/function with all the extra guitar sims and alternate tunings, yet without needing any other equipment aside from your amp and a regular guitar lead. No special cords or break-out box required. And if your batteries run out (which they probably will) you always have the regular 3 single coil American strat sound to fall back on.

In general the sounds are pretty spot on. No guitar sim is ever going to be perfect, but this is pretty close, especially when playing in a band. I play lead guitar in our church worship band and for this style of music this guitar is perfect, since we are often jumping around a lot stylistically. The original strat sound is exactly what you'd expect - nice and bright tone. The modelled strat is good, noise free which is sweet, but lacks a bit of bite compared to the real thing. Tele and humbucking sounds also sound pretty close to the real thing and are very useful. I've used the HB sound a lot, but like others I wish they'd gone a bit closer to a fatter Les Paul sound instead of a Humbucking strat. The acoustic sounds are a mixed bag - there's a couple I doubt I would ever use live, but there's also a couple that are probably the best acoustic sims I have ever heard. I've used an acoustic simulator pedal and software sims before and have always found them to have a huge issue with noise and hiss - I would never use them live. These sims are quiet and spot on. In a live mix the average listener would find themselves wondering where the acoustic player is. I feel very comfortable using this as an alternative if we have no acoustic player or if we want a couple of acoustics for a particular song - saves me having to switch guitars.

Tunings : Drop-D is very useful - Ive found this very handy for some of the heavier songs. Enables me to retune in an instant, and the tracking is perfect. Sounds nice in concert with the HB strat model. Open G is good - sounds cool with the tele. DAGDAD and baritone I haven't really used a whole lot yet, but I can confirm again that the tuning is pretty spot on - use a tuner to check them out. 12 string is nice, added to the good acoustic models - best for arpeggios or soft strumming.

No complaints here. Plays beautifully straight out of the box. Depending on your taste, you may want to fit some heavier gauge strings

A great guitar for live playing - very versatile and reliable. Just be careful with the AA batteries. I find I'm going through a set a week. Rechargeables are definietly a worthwhile investment.

I'm sure as a strat it will stand the test of time, but as others have noted, we'll just have to see how the VG circuitry holds up.

I replaced the strap buttons with strap-locks - would have been better if these were fitted as standard, considering the price.

Never needed to contact Fender support, and never known anyone who has had to.

As I've said before I am very happy with this guitar. I've been playing since around 1990. My main guitar prior this this was an Epiphone Les Paul Custom. I also have a few other electrics and acoustics.

I had already decided to buy a Fender stratocaster when I heard about the VG, so the VG features are just a huge bonus on the guitar I was aready planning to get. I picked it up in Nashville on a trip to the USA recently for $US1699 which was a huge saving on the $4000+ RRP here in Australia. If it were stolen or lost I would definitely consider buying another one - plus it would give me an excuse to go back to nashville again ;)

A solid 10! Features are the name of the game with this guitar. There is obviously a degree of compromise with modeled sound but for the average Joe player doing a weekend gig this guitar is a God-send. For one thing, you can carry fewer guitars to a gig and secondly, you can switch during a song with the twist of a knob. I think that's the best feature IMO, the ability to play a (modeled) acoustic intro, then switch to any variety of electric sounds for the body of a song or the guitar solo.

As an earlier reviewer mentioned, this is a "Swiss Army Knife" of a guitar. A great tool kit for those of us without roadies.

This guitar does one thing VERY well and there areseveral other things it does OK at. It is GREAT at being a Strat, and that's a good thing. It does models of many other sounds and none of these are perfect but most of them are up to the task of the typical weekend gig.

I found the 12 string tuning surprisingly good and it can be combined with any of the modeled sounds so you can have an "acoustic" "12-string" or any of a number of electric guitar modeled sounds.

The humbucker model seemed a bit lacking likewise the acoustic sound model. Overall, I found all of the sounds usable but (predictably) the Strat & Tele models were the best.

Most new Fenders I've played have been solid, competent instruments with reasonable QC, fit and finish. There are, of course, individual exceptions. Play before you buy or buy online from a seller that offers a good return policy and you should be fine.

One thing I do not do is bash manufacturers for minor setup issues. Most manufacturers have a basline setup specification that is applied at the factory. Then they put the guitar in a box, ship it for hundreds or even thousands of miles in an unheated truck. I've taken new Fenders out of a box that were still in tune and I've taken other new Fenders out of the box that were unplayable. Setting up a Strat is a 30 - 60 minute proposition (provided that the frets are OK) so I don't see this as a big problem. I couple of truss rod adjustments, a bridge/intonation adjustment and you should be on your way.

American Strats are durable instruments by nature. The jury is still out on the VG circuitry but I have a lot of confidence in Roland's ability to manufacture reliable electronic equipment. Overall, I'm certain that this will prove to be durable and reliable to a fault. Nonetheless, I ALWAYS carry a second guitar when playing in public.

No experience with the VG but my overall impression of Fender's warranty service in poor. My local service center is great, but when they call Fender it all comes apart. I love ya Fender, but your warranty service needs to improve.

I'm an olde pro myself. I was playing the Battle Hymm of the Republic behind Lincoln when he gave the Gettysburg address. The first recording I ever made was on Edison's first machine. I don't play on Gold albums, that's for putz's. I do record at least three platinum albums a month however.

Not only was I raised in a viloin maker's shop, but I have also sequenced and memorized the DNA of every species of tonewood on earth and I KNOW A LOT about instruments. My dad actually beat up "Guitar Builder's" dad, and then he won the Revolutionary war single-handedly. Don't be fooled by cheap imitations that record gold albums, I'm the real thing baby and I say this Strat ROCKS!!!!!

Remeber boys and girls, don't drink and post. :-)

I took me a while to find the right combination: Tobacco sunburst body, rosewood fretboard, VC circuitry, but once I located one, and after waiting a few weeks for delivery, I've played it every day every since. "Features" is what this guitar is all about. I don't think I'll need another electric guitar. Ever.

The sound is just so versatile, from two (count 'em), two different Strat sounds, to Tele, to Humbucker, to acoustic, to twelve string. I also own a Line 6 Spider modeling amp. With these two items, I can duplicate just about any tone that I want. That was my goal when researching what to buy. Versatility, baby.

Fit and finish is awsome. Hey, its a Fender. The Action wasn't quite right (too low, lots of buzzing), but nothing a standard set up couldn't cure.

So far, its been rock solid. Understandable, since I've only had for 2 months.

I have not needed support.

I started out playing classical guitar at 10 years old, then I bought a Gibson accoustic when I was 25, and now at 45 I've bought my first electric. ('Bout time, huh?) I can't believe I didn't do this sooner, because I'm having the time of my life playing this thing. Wind Cries Mary, Lenny, LaGrange, Gimme Three Steps, Sunshine of My Love. All these great sounds are now available to me (where I didn't waste my time trying to learn them on an accoustic). At my pace, I won't need to buy another guitar until I'm 60. ;) But seriously, I don't think I'll NEED another guitar because this one is so damn versatile. Thanks, Fender.

An American Series Stratocaster with staggered alnico pickups and an amazing Roland pickup that provides emulation of a Fender Deluxe Strat with noiseless pups, telecaster, humbucker euipped strat - 2 humbuckers, 5 acoustic models from dreadnaught to dobro resonator, a 12 string guitar that can be used with strat or tele or humbucker modes, a baritone guitar, several altered tunings including dadgad and open g that can also be used in strat tele or humbucker or acoustic modes. All this and I'm probably leaving something out. 22 frets. Maple neck. Three color sunburst alder body. Roland electronics powered by 4 AA batteries. Normal alnico pickup strat still works when batteries die out. Nice slim neck with rounded edges as found on American Series models. A little heavier than your standard strat because of the roland electronics housed in the body. I got a nice tweed hardcase with plenty case candy.

There are so many sounds that can be generated by this instrument that it's hard to give the features anything less than a 10 but it does lack the open G tuning of Duane Allman as well as tuning down a half step, which might have been cool and could have fit on the dial or possibly replaced stuff like dropped D. No offense to the dropped D lovers!

I am a blues and jazz guy and I play a range of styles within thoswe two genres. Everything from bop to cool to modal to some limited fusion and rock oriented jazz. The versatility of this instrument allows me to craft new voices for each style. For blues I play everything from a down home fingerstyle to Chicago blues to T Bone and uptown blues. Again, the ability to shift between modes and tunings is invaluable. For straight ahead jazz the humbucker mode give me the mid range and low end body that a strat does not. Rolling back the tone knob really gets me there and I love this sound as much as I've loved the sound of any number of more traditional jazz guitars I've played. It's not the exact sound but is instead its own sound that in the end is excellent. For fingerstyle Lightnin Hopkins blues I go acoustic, sometimems dobro, and really get there. Three of the five acoustic sounds are really fantastic. For other blues I find myself ranging between tele, strat, and humbucker modes. Let's face it, this axe allows you to fully express yourself. The modes and tunings are so close to the real deal that the only people that I don't recommend t his guitar to are the tried and true vintage geeks.

But hear this vintage geeks...I am playing this through a 1964 Fender Princeton. The pairing of this guitar with a great vintage amp really dials in serious mojo. That's what may be unique about my review and perhaps most helpful. Don't just plug this into any old amp. The Hot Rod series will cut a lot of the dimensions of your sound. A serious blackface amp just makes this thing sing. As you know -and you don't have to play on gold records to know this- your amp is at least as imprpotant as your guitar and in most cases is even more important. With a great amp this guitar is an incredible value and anincredible winner.

Bought it used but the previous owner was a serious musician who knew how to take care of his instruments. No flaws. The 3 color sunburst is immaculate!

The guitar can well sand live playing. The 8 to 10 hours on nimh batteries is more than enough time. You do want to hold her close and baby her because of the electronics. Otherwise it seems as solid as youor average venerable strat.

I'm playing this through an all original 1964 Fender Princeton amp. The VG drips tone through this baby. Try this guitar through a great amp before you buy and you'll see what I mean. the reverb on the acoustic models just sounds so full of depth. Not for vintage snobs, but even vintage snobs playing it through a great vintage amp will find their hearts melted by this tone.

This is no toy. You'll find a real solid strat, a solid nosieless strat, a great tele, a fiine humbucker axe, a 12 strng, a baritone, 5 acoustics, and altered tunings all right there with the turn of a dial. This guitar is just incredible. You'll never have so much fun playing guitar. And the reaction you'll get from bandmates and audience members who know a little something about guitar is wonderful.

Forget about the naysayers. What you have hera is akin to having a wealth of stompboxes housed in your guitar. Haven't you ever thought of that?

I've been playing for more years that i want to admit and am fairly fluent in jazz and blues styles. The VG is incredible and produces incredibly credible sounds. Great sustain on modeled strat, tele, humbucker modes. Great depth and fullness for acoustics. The altered tunings will get you into altered tunings quick and provide tremendous flexbility. PLus you get to add a whammy bar to all of that!!!

If you like sound and you like to make noise, this is your guitar!! There's soooo much guitar here it's hard to describe and capture in words. Go try

Bolt-on neck, sunburst, maple, three stock USA pickups, Roland p/up, volume, tone, tunings and modelling controls. Comes with case and case candy.

Played as a vanilla Strat without the Roland gubbins, this is standard US Stratocaster fare with the usual variety of sounds from the three pickups. Using the modelling gives you a second Strat, a tele, a 2 humbucker guitar and 5 different acoustic sounds. There are also various tunings and a 12 string emulator - 37 different combinations in all.

This is ideal for a player in a covers band (like me) that has to have at least three guitars to cover the repertoire. As I also play keyboards and harmonica, this is a lot less gear to carry. I am a minimalist when it comes to amps, so I can't comment on how this copes with effects, but using an overdriven amp with a very small amount of reverb, I can get every sound I need, from clean acoustic to real ballsy overdrive. I control my sound using fingers, pick and the guitar's volume and tone control.

Ignore the idiots who say it isn't a 100% accurate reproduction of their favourite guitars, this is all very subjective, the kit does exactly what it says on the tin, the rest is down to something called musicianship.

Mine was imported from the USA from a reputable dealer who set it up and sent it via a quality carrier. Everything was perfect straight out of the box. The action was nice and low, pickups were properly adjusted and intonation spot on. It was nearly in tune as well! No complaints there! No flaws in the finish and the neck is one of the nicest I've had. Whoever put this together at the factory was looking for promotion, it's as good as a Custom Shop.

All electrics work properly. The only thing I needed was some rechargable batteries, as battery life is only expected to be 6-10 hours, although I've played far more than that and there's still plenty of life in 'em.

Whatever quality control issues Fender have had seem to be resolved, I've had three guitars from them in the last few years, a Deluxe 50th Anniversary, a Standard Strat that I've used as a testbed for a lot of modifications, and this one. No problems with any of them!

Good guitar live. Straplocks are a good investment, as well as adjusting the strap to keep it away from belt buckles. Finish will last years! I'm tempted to use it without backup.

Warranty provided, don't expect to have to use it.

Played on and off now for 30 years in covers, jazz and blues bands - and switched from a Gibson Marauder to a Strat in the early 90s. I also have an Ovation electric acoustic and a Yamaha AEX1500. I'm a strong believer in getting quality gear, keeping and looking after it. Unfortunately taking the Yamaha to some gigs can be risky, so I've tended to use Strats as the main guitar.

Amp-wise, after trying all sorts, I now use a Vox DA5 for practice and live work (you can plug it in the PA) The VG Strat works very well with this, and I hope to get a lot of use from it. Gear-wise, I'd say I'm sorted!

If lost or stolen would definately get another one!

I ordered (and have since returned) the VG Strat following some well-aimed publicity both sides of the Atlantic. The guitar sells for around $2500 in UK which is considerably more than the average in US.
Run out of Rosewood fingerboard models very quickly. Not many maple editions available either. Managed to get a Sunburst rosewood fingerboard model. Guitar came complete with scratches and damaged case.

Standard Strat sound OK, the rest very mediocre. Telecaster,Humbucking and acoustic very unrealistic. Would not try to fool anyone I was playing anything other that a Strat with a few gizmos attached.

Standard body, lightweight. Action not as good as I hoped

Not sure yet. Have to wait and see

Not had the opportunity to find out

I am disappointed that for $2500 this should come on to the market. This does not represent my idea of value for money. Should retail at around $1000. Do not think that this will be of any value other than to the back-room amateur who likes to experiment with a few different sounds. Cannot see any serious gigging done with this.

I have the tobacco burst version of the VG Strat. As a Stratocaster I agree most other people on this review. It is a good American Stratocaster. You can quite easily forget that the VG system is part of this axe. This is a typical American Stratocaster with all of the trimings. The pickups are nothing special but I believe they were chosen by Fender to blend in with the VG components. More on this below.

Sound ~ a very subjective topic. I have a Japanese Telecaster, a Faded V, and a Reverend Warhawk. All very nice sounding instruments.
When I first plugged this guitar in by bandmates eyes bugged out of thier heads. They couldn't believe how good this axe sounded. The axe is very balanced. It isn't agressive it is exacly as I excpected it would be. Is that bad? The regular stock pickups are good in a word.
I was really amazed that where a single coil would pick up RF, the VG Swamp Ash mode had NO noise at all and the VG circuit gave me sustain like I have NEVER had before in any instrument. None of the VG sounds are EXACTLY what I hoped they would be but after months of contemplation, they are what they are, very good approximations of the real thing. They are an average of all of that type of guitar. I think Fender has no worries about selling a second or third guitar. Telecaster mode sounds like a Telecaster but it doesn't have the specific charactoristics of my other Telecaster. Keep in mind this is a Swiss Army Axe, a very capable and flexible axe that your audience will not be able to discerne from the original. This guitar doesn't come with a wood emulator, it is a sound emulator. I love the humbucker mode and I can't live without the acoustic guitar mode. The 12 String is nice but if the real deal is around I much prefer it.

The guitar is very well built. It is a work of pride. The action was very good. There are no flaws at all. I don't really like the tuning pegs but they work. I have always purchased better tuners for my guitars. I am going to purchase the Fender Sperzels with the string locking mechanism. The tremolo works fine but I don't depend on it because it throws the tuning out a bit.

This guitars existence owes itself to the needs of the live player so it better darned well be a good gig axe and it is. I gig overseas and bought this so that I could ship all of my other guitars home and now that it has proven itself, I will. I am not getting the warm fuzzy feeling with the finish it is thinner than I had hoped for and there is no way I would gig with out strap locks. They should be standard fixtures on all guitars.

I hope I never have to find this out.

I have been playing for thirty years. I have a Roland GR 700/707, BC Rich Deceiver, Reverend Warhawk, Chapman Stick Grand, Chapman Stick Polycarbonate, Yamaha Fat Strat, Jap Telecaster with p90, Xaviere Hollowbody, Godin Semi 12 String, Simon Patrick Acoustic, Variax 700 Bass and a Faded V. If it were lost or stolen there would be an empty hole in my life. I have strayed clear of Fenders until I tried the Japanese Telecaster which was excellent, and then I thought I might want to try the Strat because of its versatility and I honestly think if you buy one guitar, you will save yourself a lot of money. Of course guitarists suffer from G.A.S. (Guitar Aquisition Syndrome).

Black USA standard Strat w/ maple neck. VG Pickup, 1 Volume, 1 Tone control, 3 Alnico Pickups, Tuning knob and a Model knob.

Good fit and finish but I am not sure it's as good as my 18 year old American standard......which I will be retiring! (More on that later).

Ok this guitar is good actually really good. I got it yesterday and I haven't put it down yet. My band mates were stunned by it's abilities. Sounds good on the VG settings.

Strat sound: nothing wrong with that @ all... sounds like my 18 yr old American standard.

Modeled strat: V good, slightly different sound which I like.

Modeled Tele: Again v. good not as good as my tele with bareknuckle piledrivers fitted but still mustn't grumble. I instantly got the tele sound on Take It Easy by The Eagles. Good Keef sound in open G tuning, nice and honking.

Modeled Humbucker: Corking, nice and full, great for playing Heavy Rock N Roll like ACDC. I like the in between pickup setting as I managed to get a nice BBKing tone.

Modeled Acoustic. Not fantastic but not bad either. Good for gigging but not recording although I have yet to try. What I like though is the sound with 12 string setting enabled. Ideally played this setting thru my mixer and studio monitors as my Fender super 60 valve amp muddies the sound a little

I played as mentioned the guitar thru my super 60 amp. I use my Fender Hotrod Deville 2x12 for gigging.

No problems at all although I'll be changing the factory 9s for a set of 10s with heavy bottoms.

My 18 yr old USA strat is still going strong so I doubt I'll have any probs with this one.

Never needed it so don't know.

I play in a covers band that does virtually every style of popular music from the 50's onwards. I've been playing guitar for 20yrs plus and have four guitars at every gig to give the necessary sounds and tunings. I now only need the VG Strat and my only problem is what to do with the other guitars as the VG strat has made them redundant.

If it were lost or stolen. I would buy another. It's a great tool for gigging and it'll get its debut next Saturday.

What I really like is that it's very easy to get great sounds quickly.

I have wondered what the VG stands for. I think Very Good.

VG American Strat, 3 tone color sunburst with rosewood fingerboard, american standard tremelo. This is an american made strat with Roland VG circuitry which models various different Fenders: Swamp Ash Strat, Tele, Humbucking Strat, various Fender acoustics which are not described. With the VG modeling, there is also a tuning function which will put you standard, drop D, DADGAD, baritone, and twelve string. The VG runs off of 4 AA batteries which will yield 6-10 hours of playing time. However, it is also an american strat, so you can play it straight as such and bypass the VG circuitry.

If played normally without the VG enabled, it sounds exactly like an American Strat with stock pickups (which are noisy). With the VG enabled, it's digital so there is no noise. The VG has a slightly lower volume than the stock pickups, but that shouldn't matter much as you'll most likely be playing through the VG most of the time. This guitar can make almost any sound out there, so it's a great value. Having a GK-3 pickup, I was wary of the tracking issues, but I shouldn't have been. There are absolutely NO TRACKING ISSUES, and the sounds coming out of the VG circuitry are simply amazing. I have a Variax 600 and the VG strat blows it away. With the tuner function, you can have a strat 12 string, a tele 12 string, or an acoustic twelve string. Put the guitar in the humbucking mode and then select baritone, and you'll be in down tuned bliss. The only bad thing is there is a slight hiccup in the sound when switching VG sounds and tunings.

The guitar, like any guitar, has to be set up once you get it. This is just a fact of life, especially when you take shipping into account. I bought this guitar factory fresh from Musicians Friend online. To my eyes, I couldn't find any flaws, as everything was produced nicely. This is a wonderful playing guitar, and it looks wonderful as well. The tremelo is floating, and while I'm not so sure I like that on a strat, it will stay in tune if you tune string it properly. It came with .009s, which were promptly replaced with .010 fender super bullets. I set the guitar up myself. The neck feels great, especially if you have large hands like myself. the frets are medium jumbo and they feel great. You can play fast on this neck.

I've had the guitar for a few months, with no problems. It seems as if it will last a lifetime, if cared for properly. If I gigged, I would probably just take this guitar with me as it can pretty much make any sound you want, unless you want some molten metal in which case you'll need a backup (I have a custom Carvin I use for this purpose with their M22 bridge pickup). I have banged the guitar quite a bit, and there are no nicks plus the circuitry seems solid.

I haven't had to deal with the company, but I did buy an extra 2 year warrenty on the electronics from Musician's Friend. At this price, it is a solid investment. I have about 7 electrics, and over time I've learned how to set up guitars pretty well, so I haven't had to contact the company for anything.

I've been playing guitar for well over 20 years, and I own a bundle of studio stuff. I don't play through "live amps," so I use modeled amps from Line 6 (Pod LIVE and Gearbox plugin) as well as NI's guitar rig 2. I learned on Fenders, and have been trying to get an american made one for many years. I decided on this guitar because of the versitality of it. You can really play anything on this guitar, however I don't think I would want to play really heavy stuff on it. I also don't really like the fact that on the modeled humbucker sounds, you only get 3 sounds (normal 3 way switching sounds, with 2 sounds doubled for the 5 way switch). I would have loved to have seen position 2 and 4 modeling out of phase sounds. I also don't care for the slight hiccup in the sound when you switch sounds on the VG side. Otherwise, with this guitar you will have in your arsenal just about any sound ever made on any record. I would like to add that the previous review from a "gold" record player must be bogus. This guitar is a solid value, and there ARE NO TRACKING ISSUES.

Black with Maple fretboard VG (U.S. built American Series)Stratocaster with all the classic Fender features, accessories and case.

It's basically an upgrade from a standard American Series Strat to a kick-*** strat with modeling capabilities - it offers an amazing simple set of controls for a wealth of tones!

Easy to operate modeling - produces 16 different sounds from four models - add the five magnetic pick-up tones and you've got 37 sound options!

The tuning feature is fantastic, i.e. you're able to instantaneously switch to dropped-D without multiple adjustments to your tuners. The digital and magnetic-pickup sounds are also surprisingly well balanced and rich - classic, classic Strat sound - the models sound amazingly natural.

Another really nice feature is if at any time you want to get out of the digital realm on the VG (or for some chance your batteries run-out) with a quick turn of the knob your playing Fender's flagship American Series Stratocaster.

What can I say, this VG Strat came with that Classic superb Fender finish - Beautifully finished and smooth neck.

My VG Strat also came perfectly setup straight from the factory; I mean... action, intonation, saddle-height, the whole works!

Fender's reliability/durability has been time tested and is second to none in my book - I'm hoping the same is true with the VG Roland component.

Never had to deal with support with any of my Fenders - There's your testimony to reliability and durability.

I haven't played on GOLD albums, but I can say I haven't had this much fun in years - I just couldn't put this Strat down! With its stellar modeling capabilities, I think it's worth the upgrade price over a Standard American Series Strat - that's just my shared opinion for what its worth.

I also agree with the last reviewer ..."I guess if you're on Gold albums you can afford to be picky but it is a great guitar if you love Strats and want a little versatility??? I think it???s a great guitar but it???s not for everyone. "

With all due respect, I've got but one word for the (presumably) "Gold Album pro player" - DECAF! :)

Black body, maple fretboard, comes with case, strap, cable and the VG system.

If you can't get your sound out of this, give it up.

Everything was in top shape.

Strap buttons got immediately replaced with locking ones. Bring batteries, but be aware that thenormal strat part still functions without them.

This is a Fender/Roland product. I expect very little customer support from either company.

I'm getting rid of my other guitars -- this one covers both of them -- Taylor T5 and Eric Johnson Strat.

American series Strat features; satin finish neck, black gloss alder body, rosewood finger board, Fender tuners, standard strap buttons (what happened to the Schaller strap locks?) 3 single coil pickups, Roland VG active pickup, standard Fender molded case.

In standard mode, it sounds great; just like my American Standard strat, and suprisingly quiet, very little hum when plugged into the '65 Deluxe Reverb amp I demo'ed it with. The virtual Strat, Tele, and humbucking sounds were very good, but slightly lower in volume than the real pickups. The 12 string tracked pretty well, but had a slight digital warble if you strum too fast. The accoustic sound would be ok for gigging, but not for recording. I didn't mess much with the alternate tunings.

The one I tried was set up very well, great, low action with no buzz, and I love a Strat neck! This one was great too. Everything else seemed top notch, like it should.

I am pretty sure this guitar would withstand live playing. Again, you might have to adjust the volume levels a little when you switch settings. I don't know how long the batteries would last, but you supposedly still have a normal strat if all else fails. The strap buttons were tight, but cheap, not the Schaller strap locks the American Series normally came with.
I think you could use this without a backup, but I always have a backup in case of broken strings, etc.

I have never dealt with Fender customer support

I think overall Fender and Roland have come up with a pretty impressive , but over-priced guitar. I think it should be more in the $1,100.00 range than $1,700.00. It should also come with an upgraded case; the standard molded isn't big enough to even leave a strap attached, and others have complained that they don't line up well when closing. I doubt if I will buy a new one, I have seen them used already at $1,300, and I think when the novelty wears off, they will be even less. In the meantime, I will gig with my normal Strat, Tele, and Rick 12 string and save the $$

Sunburst with rosewood fingetboard
All the standard hardware on a VG

Had to be ajusted but they all do.

Never had called Fender but I might if the electronics wig out.

Started playing in 1980. I have 10 Strats, all different from an 82, 91, 96, (2) solid walnut, 12 string, 40th, 50th, Malsteen blah, blah, blah.
I have a few Ovations and a Washburn rosewood eagle plus whatever.

I like this guitar a lot but I wish they had used a higher end model especially for the price. The biggest thing for me is now I can sell my 12 string Strat since I rarely play it. Mint condition Japanese 12 string, sunburst just like the VG that is replacing it.

I guess if you're on Gold albums you can afford to be picky but it is a great guitar if you love Strats and want a little versatility. Honestly the best sounding and playing Strat I have is a solid walnut Strat I had put together for me from parts I acquired. The only Fender part on it is the tuners.

I think it???s a great guitar but it???s not for everyone.

Read the Quote from one of the reviews here:

"I am a Pro player, studio musician, have played on gold albums before you were born. I grew up in a violin shop and know more about building instruments than anyone I have ever met, except my father. Fender guitar have the most versatile design which allows for customization. But it is obvious from the huge after-market for replacement parts, bodies, necks etc. that Fender's quality control is shite. Smart guys won't invest in the VG strat until a few hundred stupid rich guys buy some and complain. Maybe then, only maybe, will Fender get its act somewhat together. By the way, this overpriced garbage comes with stock strat pickups! What a rip! To sell two hunks of CNC shaped lumber with noisy stock pickups is typical for a profiteering leviathon like Fender. Tell your friends!"

Pro player? Not a chance. Just some snot nosed kid who doesn't like Fender. Most people already know this, but always throw out the the reviews that go on nad on about how the product is the second coming. Also, throw out the reviews like the one written by Mr. Gold Record. There are plenty of intelligent reviews that are worth paying attention to.

For what it is, it is a fine piece of machinery. Others tell about the features. But they are there, and they do work. There is no lag or other issues.

Comments; Some people who have played on Gold albums don't realize it is the responsibility of the retailer to set up the instrument. Any instrument arriving from the factory is going to need work, especially if it is shipped. It took me 10 minutes with a screwdriver and an allen wrench to set mine up into fine shape. A skill people who play on gold albums must not have.

One complaint is the humbucking mode is really lud compared to the others - I assume like the real thing, however.

No unusual issue snoted. required some tweaks, like all do. No fit or finish issues noted. Typical high american made Fender quality.

Strats last, we'll see about the Roland side!

Hey! I have actually spokend to Fender on the phone! For real! I don't even play on gold albums, and they talk to me! Little old me!

This strat is basicallly a base model american strat with the Roland pickup and computer stuff inside. For $1700 in most stores, I would expect the guitar to be based on one of the $1200 deluxe models + the computer stuff, not just the standard american. When I first saw the advertisement for this guitar I was shocked at the price.

The alternate tunings are really nice and work well. However, I can't believe that they didn't include tuning down a half step. Next to drop D, I would use this one the most. I would almost rather scraping the drop D since it only requires changing one string. So many songs require guitarists to tune down a half step. For tuning up, all you need is a good capo. Yes, there are ones that don't make your guitar go out of tune and sharp.

As far as the guitar models go, why didn't they model a les paul for the humbucker model, instead of a humbucker strat? Because they are fender and god forbid they pay homage to another company. If you had a Les setting, you would be able to cover the most common guitar sounds. They did the same thing with the cyber-twin, paying homage to mostly their amps. However, when vox created their modeling line of amps and tonelab, they modeled other's amps as much as they did their own, and said positive things about them in their manual. It can be done. Fender always feels that they have to pretend they are in a class by themselves or else people won't buy their products.

While I appreciate its simplicity, it would be nice if you had a special plug that you could plug into a computer and download different tunings or guitar models. (The sort of thing you can do with line 6. The guitar could still function as a simple plug and play with the standard jack, but give those with the desire to customize a bit the ability to. For the price, I would expect this sort of flexibility.

Basically, while this guitar is extremely flexible compared to a normal guitar, I rated it low based on what it is trying to be: Coming years after line 6's guitars who wasn't even a guitar maker prior to variax, I would have expected more from a company with over 50 years of guitar building experience as one of the largest guitar makers of all time.

Also, it would be nice if you could power the guitar with an ac adaptor or so. At home, I would like to be able to practice without thinking about battery life and then save the batteries, even recharable ones for when I am on stage. They might have even considered having a plug where you could charge the batteries while they are inside the guitar, like a cell phone. You could be charging your guitar up while it sits on its stand before a show.

The regular pickups sound like an American strat. No compromise their if you like the sound of the American standard Strat. the sound of the models was convincing and they sound good. I don't have time to A/B the real vs. the modeled, but I will say I liked the sounds that I heard. I'm not nuts about the acousitic sounds. However, I have never played an acoustic model that I have loved. A listener might not be able to tell the difference listening to it recorded. But if you plug in an acoustic model into an electric guitar amp what do you expect to get? The same crappy sound you'd get plugging a real acoustic into an electric guitar amp. Like most acoustic modeling via footpedal or modeling guitar, the sounds are more realistic when appegiating with a pick or fingers than strumming chords.

It's action, fit and finish were fine and what I would expect.

Seems like this guitar would hold up well. With all electronic things, I worry that this guitar's electronics would hold up long-term

Never tried to get it repaired. What's a warranty? I throw those things in the trash. God forbid it actually broke, I probably counldn't find the warranty, assuming that it is still covered. Not to mention the hoops you need to jump through to use a warranty.

I've owned a lot of guitars, amps, and gear. I like this guitar a lot. I do think it is overpriced and lacks many useable features like I mentioned above. My above suggestions could be done for not too much more building costs. If cost was an issue, may I daresay they could make this model in Mexico? The mexi strats are a pretty good bang for the buck. I would also mention that they would be a lot better if they were made with the same parts as the American models. A mexi strat is crapier mostly because it is made with lower quality wood, pickups, and its parts all around. You could build a guitar in Mexico with the same materials as the american and it would be very close to the American.

Basically it's a brand new American Standard Strat in glossy black with a parchment scratchplate holding 3 single coils plus a built in Roland GK pickup (a la Roland Ready Strat), 1 vol, 1 master tone and 2 new controls. T stands for tuning and M stands for mode/model.
Modelled guitars are "real" Strat (ie the magnetic single coils), modelled Strat (huh?), Tele, Humbucker and Acoustic.
Tunings are normal, drop D, open G, D modal (DADGAD), baritone (B to B) and 12 string.
It has a rosewood board, medium jumbo frets, 2 point US tremolo etc etc blah blah blah. All electrics are on board. No need for special cables or pedals.

I play in a covers band and I'd fancied a Variax for a while but was put off by the poor build quality, clubby necks and the piezos' inability to adequately handle palm muting. So instead I bought one of these.
The standard single coils are the usual Strat types and sound OK. The first guitar model is er a Strat. Slightly different sound to the "real" thing, less dynamic but passable. The Tele model is next and sounds like a Tele but again isn't quite dynamic enough. The Humbucker mode is much darker and thicker and I had difficulty getting it to cut through on stage. The Acoustic mode is typical modelled sound, it's OK for those sensitive live moments but ain't gonna fool anyone into thinking there's a big empty box of wood anywhere.
The tunings are huge fun and arguably much more successful. No changing guitars, messing with machine heads etc. Just turn the dial and you're there. Drop D only affects the sixth string as you would expect. Open G puts you into Keef mode. I love DADGAD and use it all the time when I play acoustic but I know it isn't to everyone's liking. The baritone setting drops everything down into the basement and really shakes the walls. Modelled 12 strings always have problems and it still ain't right here. You can hear a slight pitch shift gargle from the G string. Ah well.
Score wise it only gets 9 because it isn't quite there. I usually use a Lone Star Strat and I was expecting something similar and not to have to change too many settings on my amp but the modelled settings are somewhat short on dynamic sparkle. Maybe it's my jaded ears.

Everything is as it should be - I'm pretty sure Fender haven't sent a duff guitar out of the door of the USA plant in the past 25 years or so (except for strap buttons - see below).
Nice slim C shape neck and flattish radius makes for easy string bends with my preferred medium low action.
A little time needs to be spent to ensure the magnetic pickups are the same volume as the modelled sounds, although the humbucker is way louder that the acoustic. Not unexpected but Fender do say that everything has been designed so you should never need to touch your amp settings from one model to the next. Yeah right.

Strats are mostly rock solid guitars and can cope with a load of abuse without complaint.
I can't see this being any different although the T control doesn't have the same positive "click" that the M control has. Why?
Usual complaint regarding strap buttons. Every Strat these days seems to want to spit them out if you move even slightly on stage. Also this one came without the "locking compatible" strap buttons. When did that happen?
I swapped the standard tuners for locking ones as I always do. Another ??50 spent. It's high time Fender shipped out all Strats with them or at least any guitar that retails in the UK for nearly ??1500.
The battery cover is a clip and hinge then remove type and I reckon it'll be easily lost if you have to change batteries on a dimly lit stage. Make sure they're fully charged!
I would also point out that it's not easy to see the little T & M controls on stage. If you have a look at Greg Koch demoing this guitar on YouTube you'll see him angling the guitar and squinting down. So it ain't just me. Shame my fingers don't work like his though.
On a positive note, if the batteries fail the guitar still works in "normal" mode using the single coils. Ha! Take that Variax!

Never ever had to deal with Fender which I suppose is a tribute to their construction standards.

I really really love Strats. I've been playing for nearly 35 years and have chopped and changed guitars (Les Pauls, SGs, Teles) but always come back to the Strat. It just feels the most comfortable. However I sometimes miss the Les Paul humbucker type roar. The Lone Stars I use through my Vox get part the way there but when I saw this I thought the answer to my dreams had arrived and just had to have one.
The conclusion? It's nearly there. It'll take me a while to sort out my amp and pedal settings so my sound doesn't get lost (my band contains another guitarist as well as a keyboard player so it's not always easy to find room, both sonically and er physically). But once that's sorted I reckon I'll have a keeper.

Nice 3 color sunburst finish, satin finish on neck. This is an American Series Strat, with the standard features of that model, plus a Roland system that gives a number of modeled sounds and tunings. I like the fact that Fender didn't try to pack too many features into it. In addition to the regular Strat pickups, the Roland features modeled Strat, Tele, Humbucking, and acoustic sounds. Are they perfect? No, but for the working musician who's looking for a multitude of sounds without carrying several guitars, it's pretty damn good. You also get several open tunings, plus baritone amd 12 string guitar. It's almost worth it for the 12 string setting alone. This one tracks well, I have noticed no glitches. My only complaint is that Fender should have included an open E tuning, along with the drop D, Open G, and DADGAD.
There is little difference in appearance from a regular Strat. It has 4 knobs instead of 3, but the 3rd and 4th are smaller than the others. There is a blue LED to indicate the battery strength is good, it's a bit annoying. It's getting a 9 for the lack of E tuning.

Through my Hot Rod Deluxe, it sounds good in all modes. I compared the magnetic pickups against my Eric Johnson Strat, and while it doesn't sound as good, it doesn't get blown away, either.
Here's an example of how it works; say you pick the Tele mode, put the 5 way switch in bridge position, you get Tele bridge. Same goes for the middle and neck positions. And all alternate tunings work in all positions of each modeled sound. You can play with a 12 string sound in 16 sounds, including 5 acoustics. See, in addition to the 5 selections using the magnetic pups, you have 5 Strat, 3 Tele, 3 Humbucking, and 5 acoustic sounds. And if the battery dies, well, you still have a fully functionong Strat!

The set up was not great, the action was extremely low. If it's too low for me, it's really low! Intonation was pretty good. No flaaaws found. The sunburst is nicely done, and the grain in the slder is nice.

No way of telling if the Roland system will hold up, I'll just have to wait and see. Other than that, it's a Fender, they are normally pretty durable. I'd gig without a backup.

Been playing since Fred Flintstone was in high school. I currently own 3 Strats and 2 Reverends. If it were stolen, would I replace it? I don't know, honestly. Right now I am enjoying it, but I am not convinced I'll want it forever. Mainly it's a gigging guitar, to allow me to get alternate sounds without lugging a bunch of guitars. It may lose it fun factor after a while, we'll see.

Black painted body
White pickguard
Maple neck
Stock strat pickups? Why?
Cheap lumber with fancy digital dingus.
Typical Fender hardware, junk in need of adjustment.

We tried this 2X4 out through different amps in the store. (marshal, Twin, and mackie PA) Several accomplished players including myself came to the same conclusions.
The VG cosm sounds and automatic transposing worked quite well, but not as well as they should have. The GK-2A pickup MUST be adjusted in order to track well! That's not Roland's fault. The sales reps or their minions should be able to do that easily. But a modeled sound is still just that, modeled, not real, fake, digital.

The guitar was not set up properly which is a testimony to Fender's lack of concern or ability in that area. The GK-2A pickup must be adjusted for it to track optimally. This one wasn't even close. If I worked for Fender, that would be a huge embarrasment. The Trem arm was a mile high, the intonation was off and overall playablility was severely compromised. Even a newbie tech could have set the guitar up in his car on the way to the store better than this one was adjusted.

It's a Fender... Sure it will last with a little TLC. But who knows about the Roland pickup and little knobs, gizmos and electronic dingus that makes this gimmicky guitar twang?

Getting information or repair from Roland is like trying to find an honest politician. They flat-out don't answer E-mails, or have incompetent slow-talking So-Cal surfer dudes answer the phones. Fender is just too damn big. They pretend like they're responsive, but really don't give a S**t. Good luck pal!

I am a Pro player, studio musician, have played on gold albums before you were born. I grew up in a violin shop and know more about building instruments than anyone I have ever met, except my father. Fender guitar have the most versatile design which allows for customization. But it is obvious from the huge after-market for replacement parts, bodies, necks etc. that Fender's quality control is shite. Smart guys won't invest in the VG strat until a few hundred stupid rich guys buy some and complain. Maybe then, only maybe, will Fender get its act somewhat together. By the way, this overpriced garbage comes with stock strat pickups! What a rip! To sell two hunks of CNC shaped lumber with noisy stock pickups is typical for a profiteering leviathon like Fender. Tell your friends!