Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster

I own a 2002 USA model, bought used in 2006. Its notable features are the brass nut, scalloped neck, DiMarzio pickups (YJM in the neck and middle and HS3 in the bridge), 3 way switch (neck, middle and bridge only), and tone control that disconnects when it's all the way up at 10. My YJM has a beautiful Sonic Blue finish which looks great against the aged/mint green pickguard and controls. It's faithful in all its replications of Malmsteen's specs, except the scallops aren't as deep.

I've used this guitar for three years now to play different styles of music in various recording and live situations. I've heard it through everything from 5 watt tube amps and digital recorders to 100 watt Marshall and Mesa stacks.

Pros: The neck DiMarzio YJM pickup is incredibly warm and handles lots of overdrive and distortion very well, unlike most single coils. It becomes very focused, full bodied, sweet and singing without any rough edges. During fast runs, each note remains fat yet articulate.
But the real thing people want to know is - does it sound like Yngwie? Yes, with the right overdrive you can get very close (you'll never be there 100% since you don't have his exact vintage Marshalls, DOD boosts, recording studio and fingers). This neck pickup tone (and the scalloped neck) is usually only what most shredders are after in this guitar in terms of sound. So in this area, it delivers exactly what an Yngwie fan is seeking.

Cons: The DiMarzio YJM however, does not have the best open, chimey, bouncey sparkling single coil sound that Strats are famous for. It's still there somewhere if you set the amp to be slightly dirty and bright, and play Hendrixy rhythms or blues licks, but this is not where the guitar shines (and is not what it's purpose is anyway). Also, the bridge DiMarzio HS3 retains the piercing quality that Strats are notorious for! It's not the most pleasing lead tone. Malmsteen himself uses the bridge pickup mostly for very clear power chords and riffs instead of leads. A knowledgeable guitarist will know how to tweak their amps and play accordingly to still make this guitar fit most things except the most extreme metal. Versatility is mostly in the player!

Bought used (4 years old), this guitar needed to get a full setup, refret, nut raised, and output jack tightened. Once all these issues were taken care of, I soon came to realize that this was the best feeling strat I'd ever played. I've compared it to most, if not all of Fender's other strats and there is definitely a special mojo going on with the YJM.. After three years of playing this, I am noticing that the G string in particular is a lot buzzier than the rest.. I can't nail it down to a fret or string height problem - I suspect it has to do with the nut slot being too low for the G.. I might replace the nut soon.

Do not fear the scalloped neck! It took no time for me to get used to it. After a couple of days I had already adapted and by comparison, non scalloped necks felt like a hindrance. With scallops, there is no resistance of wood on your fingers, so bends become extremely easy and smooth. Playing fast also gets easier - Malmsteen refutes this I know, but personally I find that playing a note requires less effort on a scalloped neck, since I don't have to press down as much. As a result, my touch has become extremely light and more comfortably flies across the neck.

The tremolo is a vintage non locking design that I like to keep floating like Malmsteen. If you don't know how to work and maintain a vintage trem, you will go out of tune very easily. There is a secret to staying in tune.. Notice in interviews that Yngwie purposely avoids giving a straight answer on how he keeps his tremolos in tune LOL.. Billy Sheehan also said that when he was in Talas opening for Yngwie, he noticed that Yngwie could pickup any vintage strat and do *things to it* and suddenly their tremolos would be in tune. The information is out there and it took me a lot of research to find it myself. I wish you good luck on your search for this answer! :D

The finish has started to chip and crack, but it adds character! It does look like a great vintage strat.. I have no worries at all about the hardware and my YJM has taken quite a beating since I've owned it. It's proven to be very reliable and not something that needs a lot of high maintenance (except the tremolo *hint*). The strap buttons did get loose after a few months after I made the purchase, but that was fixed easily by super glue. No string breakage so far (knock on wood!).. in general you should be playing with a light touch anyway on a scalloped neck and also if you are a shredder.

Yngwie fans will find their idols tone in this guitar and will have the joy of experiencing the unique feel of a scalloped neck, and also gain the bragging rights to a beautiful signature instrument. It delivers 100% on what it was made for. So for the fan in me, it is a pleasure to own this guitar.

For the all around versatile and demanding musician in me however, it is not enough, since it can't adequately convey vintage strat tones and I don't find the bridge pickup tone to be very useable for leads. I find that both these missing qualities are essential for other styles. I've used some EQing and effects to makeup for that, which in the end gives very passable results, but obviously other guitars can cover other styles much better than the YJM. There is still a need for Strats, LPs, 335s and Teles!

Not sure what year, probably 04? I have the sonic blue with maple fretboard. Other than that the features have been stated many times below. I will say the brass nut is really cool, and reminds me of the old Charvel Stats. VERY COOL!!!!!

The sound is a little tame for my taste since I prefer harder rock and metal. It does have a thick chime too it, and I can see why so many people give it a high rating. You really can dial in Yngwie's signature cleaned up tones, especially when you use the DOD Yngwie OD pedal. I actually love the look and feel of this guitar. The neck is a bit fatter than my Fender Am Std Strat, and fits my hands really good. I wish it was a little hotter, but it's an Yngwie model so it was correctly done to match what he prefers. I'll still give it an 8 because it does match the Yngwie sound so well.

I'm gonna say that I also have a problem w/ the high E Sting not wanting to stay on the fretboard. I don't think it makes the guitar unplayable, but it is a nuisance. I'm still not gonna dog this guitar, because in my hands it feels like butter!!!!

Seems to be holding up fine. With a strat you almost want it to look a bit worn.

I've never needed customer support from Fender.

Very cool guitar overall. I own many guitars including signature models from Lynch, Mustaine, Hammett, Vandenberg, and Vinnie Vincent. I play mostly metal, so single coils aren't normally my thing. With this guitar I dont' care. It plays so well and feels so good that I look past the single coils and target a tone more suitable for this guitar.

The pickups in this guitar are amazing. My main strat has EMG's and they pale in comparison.

I'm a long time blues player who ventures into the metal relm. This guitar covers your bases and then some. A friend of mine invited me over to check out his guitars and failed to mention he had a malmsteen in the back of his closet-o-guitars... He was hard pressed to get it out of my hands once I plugged it in. My rig is a rivera S-120 with matching 2x12 cab and a mesa boogie preamp and it just screamed but instantly quieted without hum. my lead style is a bit "gilmourish" with slow refined bends but high speed "malmsteen-esque" bursts of speed and this guitar did it all.

With the right amp settings you can get some get metal tones but half of that is purely in handling the guitar right...

The owner had the guitar setup where it was effortly playable so I can't say much in this respect.

I own a David gilmour replica stratocaster and a scalloped Strat thats setup similar but nothing beats the real deal. I just can't bring myself to get one until my playing gets up to par with even 5% of what this guitar is capable of. As for the scallops, I use my "clone" for all styles so as long as you've got the intonation nd everything and have a nice light touch you can play chords as well as dizzying leads...

New 2008 Malmsteen Strat, Sonic Blue, Rosewood board. This model has the machine screws in the neck, deeper scallops, and the bullet truss rod. Neck feels like a comfortable medium shape. Poly finish on body, nitro finish on the neck. Other features have been previously discussed. I love the features, no other instrument combines all of the elements this guitar has.

First of all, this is my fourth Malmsteen strat, and this one really resonates better than the previous versions. The vibration through the neck and body are very pronounced and the guitar has superb sustain, even for a strat. I don't know if this is due to the new machine screw neck mounting process, or just good construction, but this guitar is better than Malmsteen models I have owned in the past.

Pickups are dead quiet, even through high-gain distortion pedals and amps (Mesa Boogie amps, MI Audio and Fulltone pedals). I love the YJM and HS3 pickups and will install them in any strats I may purchase in the future. The sound is very warm, full, and balanced (even on the bridge pickup, which I use regularly). Not your typical vintage strat sound, which is exactly what I wanted. Pickups are smooth and handle lots of gain VERY well. As others have mentioned, the pickups are low output, but do not let this scare you. I have been playing Les Pauls for the last five years, and the switch to the Malmsteen strat has been liberating. Notes are very articulate and warm. If you like touch and nuance in your playing, this guitar will provide it. If you want tons of saturated gain look elsewhere. If you have good technique this guitar will show it off for you.

I play blues, rock, and 80's metal. I have been playing now for 13 years. I am a fan of Yngwie and love his tone, which is one reason I selected this guitar. This guitar covers all the styles I need to cover. This guitar is very versatile in my opinion. I have no trouble going from SRV to Hendrix to 80's metal. Try that with a Les Paul. If you are looking for the vintage "sparkly" strat chime this will not do it, and you may be better suited to a vintage reissue. If you like the basic vibe of the strat and want some more warmth you should check this out.

This guitar has some very minor finish flaws, nothing major. Guitar was set up for me, I don't know what the factory set-up was like. Scalloped neck is flawless and plays like a dream all the way up the fretboard. Pickups adjusted perfectly, and balanced well. Brass nut cut perfectly. Only real issue is a slight gap on one side of the neck pocket. However, this guitar sustains better than any strat I have ever owned, so the gap cannot be harming the guitar in any way. Not perfect, but close. Overall, a very stunning vintage-looking instrument.

Nitro finish will wear on the back of the neck (but it is supposed to). Otherwise this guitar is very solid and well made. No strat has ever let me down.

I have owned many Fender guitars over the years and feel the Malmsteen strats are the best if you are after versatility and something unique. I now wonder why I ever purchased Les Pauls. I am currently saving for my next Malmsteen strat, which will be Candy Apple Red with a Rosewood board. My goal is to have at least one of each color. The Malmsteen strat will handle a variety of styles and looks like something Jimi Hendrix would have used. I have owned guitars by Gibson, Ibanez, Jackson, Charvel, Guild, Gretsch and Heritage. The Malmsteen strat is my favorite, and has many unique features that add up to a great instrument.

I have bought 3 Yngwie Malmsteen Signature guitars this year alone.The first I bought in April 2007. Red/Rosewood neck.I felt action was high and compromised TONE & OVERALL FEEL in all aspects.However the Yngwie model is absolutely excellent quality!!!!Neck is very addicting.Great for ligattos ,arrpeggios ,pulloffs, and other virtuoso techniques.Great for person with large hands and great for always nailing bends , slides pulloffs and best of all BELIEVE THIS PHENOMEN you can get really technical runs smooth quickly because just barely hiting string /fret will sound out.Brass nut...Ooh La La SUSTAIN from the underworld.3 way switch great.Best tuning keys Ever .rate 10 However scallop depth varies from guitar to guitar.I bought two on the same day less than 120 days after I bought my first.Maple/White and Red/Rosewood.Beautiful difference first did not have as deep scallops and no bullet trussrod.Great guitar construction ....However if you don't play at super volume or lack gain on amp a person will not realize the beauty of the Dimarzio pickups .I can suggest to Fender that they should offer the option for coilsplit and Hot/Highout put humbucker for bridge I KNOW they would increase Sales and interest in the Guitar.Especially having to shell out 1399.00.Most customers hate the underpowered pickups and will not spend the money to convert even if their Hero is shredding a scallop necks would I buy another scallop.......What !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very dissappointing for the lamen or amatuer.The concepts works !!Maintain clear and strat belltone even at ear bleeding levels.However most people don't know this and this is a big turnoff since no option to customize or upgrade.Guitar great quality no option is lame!!!!!!!!!!!

Goes without being said....A no brainer..In my opinion having been playing strats for 25 years they are as good as it gets .Kick ass workmanship truely will in the future be known to be CLASSIC and especially 100% Fender elite quality.Good quality on Yngwie Malmsteen model...FOR SURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best features of this amazing guitar are its vintage feel and association with Yngwie. Mine is a vintage white (cream) new 2007 model which has deeper scallops, white pickguard, bullet truss rod and the standard collection of dimarzio YJM and H3 stacked pickups.

I dont think you really need to be into Yngwie to appreciate this guitar as its features and fender legacy make it a great all round strat guitar.

Also it comes with a beautiful vintage tweed case.

I play all sorts of styles and the only thing this beaut can't do is excessive rythym chugga chug metallica style rock... like other strats its a more expressive weapon suitable for leads, dirty rythym or twangy clean tones. Im using it with a Bray modded Marshall plexi and it absolutely rips! The pickups are fairly low output but super quiet and depending on the setup is fliud and soulful. Being a maple neck model it leans towards a bright tone but I usually tilt back the tone knobs ever so slightly anyway with my strats. My amp is voiced to a darker tone and so this guitar os no problem. I can't really play a lot of malmsteen stuff but Its a super fast and toneful beast. The more I play it the more I like the pickups and the sustain is awesome. I dont dislike anything about this guitar at all...plus its based of a 72 strat and Im a child of 1972!

The guitar was setup way too low in action on the high strings so they had to be adjusted but I left the bottom strings at a fairly low action. Plays superb. The neck is super fast if you are comfortable with scalloped necks and I have no problems in chording or it going out of tune. Ive always loved fenders ability to stay in tune. The neck is divine with maple swirls in all the right places...nice chunks of wood went into making this thing.

Its a fender...Im sure most things will last or can be easily replaced. Ive never had any issues with fender. My other USA strat has a loose pickup selector but its no biggie. Its a shame this guitar doesn't come preinstalled with a dimarzio clip strap.

Never dealt with fender sorry

playing 20 years and own about 15 other guitars, of which one other is a USA sunburst fender. They are both different but Im finding myself playing this baby a lot. Actually I had always anted one and went and scalloped a squire at one stage but it was useless in comparison to this beast. I end up playing a lot of blues and jazz on this thing...its got a very sweet tone and playability to it and I adore the scalloped fretboard...you can miss notes with your right hand and your left hand will still sing them out...I dont know how to describe it but its very fluid and your fingers float over it. I have nimble fingers and dont ever use heavy guage strings...I like 009's and tune down half a step... this things squeals with the vibrato you can get. I really can't say anything bad about it. If you love strats definately worth a look no matter your style of playing. Shame its so expensive..but hey that just makes me treasure it even more.

Same features as the rest. Got it online at AMS. Best online site, in my opinion. This is the new 'upgraded' version also. White pickguard, machine screw neck mount... It is a Strat, and personally, I think it is the perfect Strat. That being said, it is my 3rd YJM. I had an '89 (red w/rosewood). Gave that away, spread the shred I guess you can say. I had an '03 (white/maple) which was a perfect 10 in every category. But drastic times call for drastic
measures and I had to sell it. Now I have an '07. This one is the Sonic Blue with Rosewood . If the '03 was a 10, then this one would be an 8. I am going to knock points off of the features part because my neck tone pot is not a no-load. It never clicks at 10. I have yet to pull the guard off and see if I can get a part number. It is either the wrong pot or it is not working properly. Although it functions well as a tone control. Other than that, had every other
feature that was listed, so can't complain. How could you possibly look at, pay for and bring home a Strat, a Signature Strat no less, buy it and then be dissapointed with it's features. Why would you buy it in the first place? Kinda like dating and then marrying someone you can't stand. If this guitar had the correct tone pot, it would get a 10 for having everthing that Fender said it would have when I went to buy it. I will say that this guitar feels much different than the '03, but I can't put my finger on just what exactly. Not better or worse, just different.
Feels more like the '89. Love the neck.

You guessed it, I have to give this a 10. Obvioulsy I love these Strats. I think they have a near perfect sound. You're not going to fool anyone into thinking you have AY Custom Shops', but the Dimarzios are perfectly silent and you can cover just about anything with them, though for any real heavy stuff you will need a traditional humbucker. I may drop a Virtual Vintage in the
middle and add a 5-way switch. Something I wanted to do to my last YJM but never got around to it. The Virtual Vintage bridge for the middle was recommended by DiMarzio, to add a little sparkle. I have a Boogie, but I have more fun using my Line 6. Between this guitar's
versatility and the Line 6 I can pretty much cover what ever it is I want. I write my own stuff now. I guess, like all other music in the US anyway, would be progressive blues, but I still indulge myself in previous pleasures. Ranging from Rainbow to Gary Moore and AC/DC to
Allan Holdsworth or Muddy Waters to Metallica. I will say that while this guitar seems much lighter than the '03, it resonates much more acoustically. I can really feel it in my chest when sitting. And my collar bone when standing. While the neck pick up sounds different because of the tone pot, I will not take off points because I have not decided if I will have it corrected. It gives it a different kind of sound , like your average tone knob and never really sounds like it is out of the circuit. They say we admire people for their qualities but we love them for their faults. I would have to agree that is true about guitars also...I am much more comfortable with
this guitar than I was with the '03. I was always worried about damaging the '03. This one is already somewhat less than perfect from the start. Similar to me, so we make a good pair.

I'll not count action. I set up my own guitars. If I can make it perfect to my taste with adjustments without the need for a 'pro' setup( fret level, nut cutting, etc..), then I am happy.
With this guitar, I can do that 99.999% The G string saddle intonation screw seems to be kinda screwy. Yes, that's the technical term I'm going with. I am a machinist and can fix it.
Seems to be cross threaded. But adjusting that saddle sucked. I wanted to get DeTemple replacement saddles anyway, but still, I would think someone should have noticed. Everything else, less the neck pocket of course, is as good or better as I could have expected. I will say that the fret work on this guitar really out-shined the others. No comparison really. On par with my Parker NiteFly M. Except for one scratch on the 21st fret of the high E that I can feel during vibratos, all others are mirror smooth. Everything tight, and well aligned. Bridge was set to float. Also, the nut was cut absolutely perfectly. Best of the 3 also. I personally don't care for the white pickguard and the mint pickups and knobs, but my name isn't on the headstock.
Easy enough to fix also. -1 for the 'screwy' saddle screw.

Should end up in my grand kids basement someday. That is if I ever have grand kids. With 2 daughters in College, probably sooner rather than later. I have never had problems with any strat, ever. Nothing major anyway. Could probably defend myself with it during a break in and then play it for the police. I am sure that the guitar is more worried about my durability than I am about its'.

Well, here we go.. I have been buying Fender stuff since, well since it was really Fender's stuff. The first time that I ever even thought about contacting them was for the tone pot on this guitar. I wasn't sure if a no-load can actually function without the 'click'. I e-mailed them at 3pm. I got an answer 24 hours later. Actually 24 hours, 3 minutes later. I received an e-mail, from an actual person, with an actual returnable e-mail address at 3:03pm the next day. The
e-mail thanked me for my support and interest in Fender products, addressed my question exactly, told me that if it didn't click, than it was not a no-load, and that if I thought it needed to be serviced, kindly added the generic Fender Service Center link in the e-mail. I couldn't have been happier. I mean it sucks that the guitar isn't perfect, but the response and CS, at least for me, was very impressive. Fender is huge and has dealers all over the world for a reason. If you drive a Chevy and tried to get ahold of General Motors in Detroit because your turn signal isn't working, you think you could?

I have been addicted to the electric guitar and it's tone since 1975. My father received a copy of Robin Trower's For Earth Below by mistake from one of those record clubs, and he gave me the cassette. At the time I was already taking accordian lessons. Yeah, I know. I started guitar in '76. I still love Trower and his tone, but it was Holdsworth that had the biggest influence on me. A quote from each sums up my overall perspective which really has taken 30+ years for me to realize.
Trower " The Stratocaster is the perfect guitar".
Holdsworth " You only need 2 sounds really. A clean and a distorted."

I am kinda bummed about the screwy screw and the tone pot, but other than that this is a really nice guitar. I have only 'not' played for the first 13 years of my life and I am looking at 50 too soon now, and have gone through all the same stages as everyone else. I currently have 10 guitars, 3 amps, 3 modelers and boxes of pedals. Guitars are both US and import, amps are both SS and Tube and modelers are Digitech and Line 6. I started at a time when you
needed to save your money for months just to add one effect, like a flanger. Now, for a few hundred dollars, you can have practically every amp and effect ever made digitally modeled and at your disposal. Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of tubes as much, if not more than the next guy. But I personally don't believe that you need tubes to get tone. I was reading an interview with a relatively famous guitar tech and they questioned him about what the public
would think was the most surprising bit of info to find out. He said that some guitarists, even those that are endorsees, have a wall of ( fill in any famous tube amp mfg) but actually use ss and/or modeled sound live and the 'wall' is just for show. I believe that Frank Gamable said about tube amps, "that it is like buying a steam powered laptop." I realize that it is mostly a matter of taste. I have had Steinbergers and Parkers and could never really appreciate the non-organic neck. And that is where your tone is hiding. At the junction between you and the guitar. I would love to have Vai, Eddie or Satch's rig in my house at my disposal. But that ain't gonna happen. Nor would it be needed or practical. I would still sound like me, just much louder. They could come and play through my gear and would still sound like them, incredible.
I can express myself with my Strat and my Line 6 gear. They say that you know when you have a good tone when the guitar seems to play itself. I can get that with my gear. That is what this is about after all. Expression and release. Of course, 30+ years in machine shops and in front of loud guitar amps and drummers may have rendered me unable to pass judgement on true tone. That's fine, cause now I get to be 'giddy kind of happy' with my new POD X3 and can retire my PODxt Live. I don't play anything like Mr. Malmsteen. I do appreciate his talent and the fact that he shares his insight into guitar tone and building with Fender so that they can then sell it to me. I realize that both Fender and Mr. Malmsteen are making some cash off of this guitar and I will gladly pay it. They both have earned and deserve it. That being said, the first thing I am going to do is remove Mr. Malmsteen's name from the headstock of MY guitar. This guitar is mine now, both spiritually and legally. The
money that I gladly paid to Fender and Mr. Malmsteen is money that I earned and I deserved. If Mr. Malmsteen would like his name back on the headstock of my guitar, he can stop by my house with a pen and his checkbook whenever he likes and I will gladly sell him some advertising space.

Had this thing for 5 years so thought it was about time.
It's a 2000 USA model in Vintage White with maple fretboard.
2x HS3 1xYJM pickups.
It has everything I expected - it's a signature model, you know what to expect !

I'm not that great at recreating other people's sounds but with this guitar it seems to happen without too much effort.
Not that it's a one trick pony - you can coax Hendrix or Gilmour tones out of it without too much effort.
It does clean stuff well too.

Arrived fairly well set up, action a little high but I got used to it rather than adjusting it, after all it's a scalloped neck and the action doesn't need to be that low.
Had to adjust the pickups a little for optimum response.
Top E falls off the neck a lot - it's a Strat.

Ashamed to say, have never gigged it - it's just too bloody valuable.
I leave that to my Ibanez RG and Epiphone Les Paul.
It has,however had some fairly rough treatment at home and come away unscathed, bar a few minor scratches.
Would I gig it ?
If I could afford to have someone guard it all night .

Have friends at Fender so is not an issue.

Been playing for over 30 years.
Other gear includes Ibanez RG, Epiphone guitars and basses, Tokai Strat,
Squier Strat, Fender Precision, Gibson, Marshall and Ashdown amps.
Have to give this guitar a 10 - I knew what I was getting when I bought it and it has delivered - after 5 years it looks even better than when I bought it - the maple neck has got darker with time and now has a gorgeous orange/honey hue.

This review is for the upgraded (late 2006) model with a deeper-scalloped fingerboard, White/Black/White pickguard, bullet truss rod nut and machine-screw neck mounting. The new signature guitar (Candy Apple red guitar with a Maple board) has been modified to be more like Yngwie's favourite vintage strats. If you are already used to playing a scalloped fingerboard you will probably love this guitar. However it is not for everyone since there is now zero contact with the wood. I agree with other reviewers that scallops don't lend you speed but do offer more control.
Besides the new features the guitar is more or less standard vintage strat but with DiMarzio pickups, super jumbo frets, brass nut and the scalloped fingerboard.

What can I say - A perfect 10!
Yngwie found out already in the early 80s that no other guitar+pickup combination will produce such a perfectly clean sound with high definition. The clean sound is very characteristic of the HS3 and YJM pickups, which helps to preserve the clarity of the original signal when played through a very clean and high-end tube amplifier like the Marshall 1987x.

I my opinion, the Malmsteen strat is the ultimate stratocaster and the best sounding guitars ever built. When the signal is boosted using a DOD250 or YJM308(+Boss-NS2) you get access to a wide range of sounds from perfectly clean to bluesy to a screaming overdrive.
However, it is NOT a guitar for heavily distorted metal. It is a very clean strat and a dream for blues and (neo)classical music.

I also read A.H.'s previous review and felt horrible for him. It is not too uncommon for the neck to shift in the neck pocket during shipping. The high E string could then end up on the edge of the neck. My recommendation to everyone is to take new the guitar to a professional luthier and to let him set up the guitar. Even if the guitar is set-up at the factory the nut often needs a fix and you also need to either fix the tremolo or set it to floating depending on your personal preferences. After that the guitar should play like a dream. My upgraded late 2006 model was already perfectly set up upon arrival but I have also seen several 2007 YJM's with several flaws. I wonder if Fender recently changed staff?

It seems to me as if the late 2006 models with new upgrades are indeed of much better quality and better set-up at the factory. I also had my huitar shipped to me and it arrived with the The guitar had been set up by the store I ordered it from before shipping so I was very concerned. The new one also had a pretty good size neck pocket gap. My first one was great. I brought the guitar to my repair guy who is approved by Fender for warranty work. After looking the giutar over he told me not to worry. He stood the gutar up on the end of the body and pushed on the neck. The neck made a popping sound. After that he tightened the neck plate screws. The high E string was no longer on the edge of the board. I was told by my repair guy that I was also told that it is not uncommon for this to happen. The The scallops are a little deeper than on my Blue/Maple board one. I am writting this review partially in hopes that A.H will read this and have similar success. I have prayed that he will. Both guitars are absolute beauties. The new guitar also had a buzz on the 11th fret because of a loose fret when it arrived. Still I have to give it a Rating of 10 because the problems were easily fixed, and it plays better than anything else.

With proper care these guitars should last a lifetime.

Fender Scandinavia have been very helpful answering all my questions. I received detailed information about the guitar set-up at the factory, Yngwie Malmsteens personal DiMarzio pickup settings and the neck pocket issue etc. They even recommended professional luthiers in the area etc. However, Fender's Customer Service in U.S had much longer response times and did not even seem to know all the details about their Fender artist models?

I have been playing Fender stratocasters for a long time. Indeed, the Malmsteen artist signature model is by far the best one I have ever played. The guitar encourages a VERY light touch and if pressed too hard one could easily push the strings sharp.

It has that great crystal clear violin tone when played through a very clean and high-end tube amplifier like the Marshall 1987x. Cheaper solid state amps do not work well with this guitar. The Malmsteen artist signature stratocasters are not cheap, but they are worth every penny. It is simply the best stratocaster model available!

The guitar is basically a vintage strat with a scalloped neck. This is my second Malmsteen strat. I reveiwed my first one here back in August 2006. I pray A.H. will read this review, and that it would be helpful in getting his guitar working properly.

I loved my first one so much that I desperately wanted to get another. My new one is Candy Apple red with a Rosewood board. Both guitars are the best sounding guitars that I have ever played. I have been playing since I was 15, and I am know 44. I my opinion, the Malmsteen strat is the ultimate Blues guitar. There is nothing like it. The HS3 and YJM pick ups are low out put which helps to preserve the clarity of the original signal. If you really want it to scream you will need to boost the signal sent to the amp by using an overdrive pedal. I use a DOD YJM 308 overdrive. Plugging into a Marshall or a Mesa with the gain cranked will really make it scream and squeal. I play at my church, which is a Calvary Chapel in the San Diego area. The music we play ranges from Hymns to almost Heavy Metal at times. My Malmsteen strats are the only electric guitars that use, or want to use.

Before writting this I read A.H.'s previous review and felt horrible for him. I also had my huitar shipped to me and it arrived with the high E string on the edge of the neck. The guitar had been set up by the store I ordered it from before shipping so I was very concerned. The new one also had a pretty good size neck pocket gap. My first one was great. I brought the guitar to my repair guy who is approved by Fender for warranty work. After looking the giutar over he told me not to worry. He stood the gutar up on the end of the body and pushed on the neck. The neck made a popping sound. After that he tightened the neck plate screws. The high E string was no longer on the edge of the board. I was told by my repair guy that the neck had shifted in the neck pocket during shipping. I was also told that it is not uncommon for this to happen. The guitar has since been set up again and it plays like a dream. The scallops are a little deeper than on my Blue/Maple board one. I am writting this review partially in hopes that A.H will read this and have similar success. I have prayed that he will. Both guitars are absolute beauties. The new guitar also had a buzz on the 11th fret because of a loose fret when it arrived. Still I have to give it a Rating of 10 because the problems were easily fixed, and it plays better than anything else.

With proper care these guitars should last a lifetime.

They have been helpful answering my questions. The tweed case for my new guitar, which is actually a brand new 2004 model, had a red interior. My 2005's case has a gold interior and so do the other Malmsteens that I have seen on EBAY. After several calls to Fender, I finaly informed by Fender's Customer Service that the artist models normaly ship with the gold interior, but Fender only states that the guitar comes with a tweed case. Fender will ship it with whatever tweed case the have on hand.

I thank my Lord Jesus for the blessing these guitars are to me. I plan to use them to worship Him in song for the rest of my life. The Malmsteen strats are not cheap, but they are worth every penny. I have owned a 1982 Fender strat, a Jackson Soloist Custom, 1984 San Dimas Charvel, Lynch ESP/LTD (with Floyd Rose and Duncan/Lynch P.U.) and plenty of other guitars as well. The Malmsteen strat blows the doors off everything else I have ever played. Do not be affraid of the scalloped neck. After a couple of weeks you will not want to play anything else. A set of 10's feels more like 9's because I can get a better grip on the strings for bends. Bends and vibrato are frictionless and easily controled for much subtle nuances. Yngwie used 10's earlier in his career as well. He still uses heavy low strings, but now has an .008 for his high E. I can live with having only 21 frets. Yngwie seems to get by. The notes are still there, you just have to bend to them.