Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster

2004 Model - the stats have been well-covered here already. I think Yngvie is a great player, but I don't play anything like him or in that style. I bought the guitar for the scalloped neck. I play "wierd, noisy" rock. These guitars are really hard to find in stores, so I ordered 2 of them online (1 maple and 1 rosewood fingerboard) and kept the better of the 2. The guitar I sent back had fairly flat fret tops - it looked like the frets were milled to compensate for a non-perfect neck.

I wouldn't mind having 22 frets.

Out of the box, this guitar would NOT stay in tune. It was actually the WORST of all the guitars I've ever owned. I had a very skilled guitar tech friend of mine replace the brass nut and tuners (Sperzel) and things improved quite a bit. The 3 way pickup selector was also replaced.

The nitro finish on the neck looks good and feels great.

The guitar is pretty heavy for a Strat...

I really wish more manufacturers made guitars with fully scalloped necks!

The guitar sustains nicely, and sounds fairly loud unplugged.

I like the neck and middle pickups but the bridge is too bright for me. You can roll off the treble, but it just doesn't sound right. I did buy a DOD 250 pedal that I will modify to the 'gray' specs. We'll see what happens with that. If that doesn't work I'll replace the bridge pickup - probably a Bartolini ZBSC-75(?)...

I play a Tech 21 amp with a bunch of pedals and get a really good sound.

The action was a bit high but not too bad out of the box.

The neck was straight and looked great. A bit of flame in the maple too.

There were 2 sets of pick guard holes in the body! (lame...)

As I mentioned above, the guitar was really really bad about staying in tune. A few bends and that was it.

I think the guitar will last forever.

I bought the guitar from Musicians Friend, and had a problem with the CASE. One of the latches was damaged after a flight. The latches are very difficult to find, and I ended up just bending the latch back to where it worked OK.

Been playing 15 years. Owned a bunch of guitars. This one is definitely special, although I had to do a number of things to get it to play correctly. It looks fabulous.

I paid $950 shipped for it!!!

It is a 2000 model Americian Strat.
Same specs as listed above.

This guitar is awesome. I Love it more and more everytime I play it!!!! Its perfect!!! Im a gain freak!!! And this guitar has really really low output pickups!!! And the tone is so exceptional that it more than makes up for the lack of output. The scallops are so nice! The give it a great feel for bends and shit.

The action really has to be high. Low isnt possible. Not to worry though!!! I use 8s just like YJM and with high action its really plays as good as any other really high end guitar. (JEM, Ernie Ball, Jackson Etc).

The tuners are awesome. I do like them! They stay in tune very well!!!! I wouldnt gig without a backup as I use 8s on it and if Im really drunk I might break a string so Id prob bring a few others.

I aint got a clue!

Ive been playing for 13 years.
I have a Ernie Ball John Petrucci Music Man with piezo and a Custom shop Carvin Dc200 and an Ibanez RG550 with a Fernandes sustainer system.
I use ENGL amps as well as Crate and Line6 and Avatar cabs.

The features are that what Yngwie wanted. If I wanted something more, I would have looked at a different guitar. I don't understand how someone could be 'disapointed' when buying a signature model. I think you would know exactly what you are getting...

N/A

I have had this guitar now for almost 2 years. I do have another review in here somewhere, but I thought that I would give it a somewhat long-term review since I literally play it every day. Every single day this guitar has been played by me for the last 2 years. This thing sounds even better now. Maybe I've gotten better, but I doubt it. I no longer am going through my Boogie, but a Line6 PODxt Live. Truly amazing. I can get any sound I want from this guitar, some of that has to do with the Line6, yes. But allot has to do with how comfortable I have become playing this guitar. I can go from biting mad to violin type crying with a flick of the 3 way. I have sold all but my '73 Strat and a Charvel Standard. I had 12 guitars at one point. I even sold my Parker. I truly feel I have no need for any other guitars. The only reason that the '73 and Charvel are still around is sentimental reasons. Besides, the '73 is so horrific looking I don't think anyone would want it. The Charvel and I have been through allot together, yet I no longer play it. I feel to much dragging when having to touch the fretboard on that tiny neck. Besides, the Charvel sounds dark to me now.. I am thinking of buying a new guitar. Another YJM Stratocaster! Maybe keep one tuned and strobed at E, the other E flat. Maybe be daring and drop a Virtual Vintage Solo in the bridge...I'm thinking red with rosewood, as this one is vintage white and maple...now to convince the wife..

I know a 10 is impossible, but this guitar and I have bonded...you will probably be seeing more 10s...

I had made adjustments on this guitar for probably the first couple months that I had it. I was able to get the action to about 3/32". Incredibly lower than Yngwie's 6mm. I am not a big fan of the glossy neck finish, but I must admit, the neck reacts much less to temperature changes with this finish. This guitar stays on a guitar stand most of the time, since I play it every day. Other guitars that I have owned with the 'satin' finsh would usually need a tuning if even the ceiling fan was turned on... not this one. I tune it when I change the strings. Not that I am lazy, but it stays in tune as good as my Parker did... Since I have gone through about 50 sets of strings, It gets tuned about every 2 weeks or so.
This thing still looks and sounds great. Everything still tight and no electronic noises at all... more than I can say for the Charvel. Changing the 3 way changes only your sound. No noise at all from the switching. Now that the action is so low I love it even more. No buzzing at all....sometimes a high bend will kind of fart out, but I've never heard a buzz from the strings.

I really wouldn't change anything now that this guitar has started down the road of getting broken in.... any other piece of gear I have would be sold before this, and all other gear absolutly must compliment this guitar. No questions...

yep, 10...FABULOUS

I depend on this thing every day. I've taken it out to play or record with others and it has been bumped, banged and twisted. I couldn't be happier. It definitely will withstand live playing. The only problem that I have had with it was that the holes that hold the cover to the tremolo springs were not drilled deep enough. No biggie since the cover came off and has never been back on again. but still, drill hole depth should be a no brainer for Fender....

N/A

You know I hate people who gush wonderful thing about their gear. I have never done that. I can give you all the good and bad points of all the gear that I have ever owned. Nothing is perfect. Including me or this guitar. But I must admit, after 2 years, this guitar and I seem to be made for each other. Together we are pefect. I am not a pefect player, and this guitar has its short-comings, but together we are perfect. I have been playing 27 years and have never felt so comfortable with any peice of gear, guitar or not, in my life. Just picking it up makes me feel at home. I have owned guitars valued from $199. to $1800. and this one is the one I remember and would never go without, unless it was life or death.
I would now have to agree with Robin Trower that ' the strat is the perfect guitar'. I don't know about all Stats, but this one is for me...

UPDATE!!

After a couple more weeks with my YJM Strat I decided to write a follow up on how the guitar is handling. Focusing on the sound department.

My acutual review should be the one directly below this Update.

as stated below in my past review i wished this guitar featured a five way switch, mainly out of frustration knowing that there are better sounds that can be acheived with the instrument.

the yjm pickups are amazing. at first i disagreed with dimarzio's claims regarding the yjm, being pickup their take on a vintage strat pickup. i stand corrected..., the pickup is very dynamic, articulate, while retaining a lot of vibe and chime.

the hs-3 is sadly another story. it's bright, and there is nothing wrong with that...however one leads me to question whether that particular tonal characteristic comes from the pickup or more so the bridge position it is in. hs-3 is very thin, as far as output goes it is the same 93k as the yjm, however due to the thin sound, it leads you to believe that it is lower output. since the YJM strat is pickup routes are for three single coils, i am considering putting another YJM in the bridge position along with a 5 way switch. 500k pots are also being considered.

it is so difficult to judge the features of any "signature" guitar. the guitar is met to the specifications of "insert endorser"...so obviously the features department is a tricky place to critique, but i will do my best.

what you see first off is a reissue of a late 60's cbs era fender stratocaster....up close, you will notice that it is customized from the top down and from the guts out.

alder body, dimarzio yjms in the neck and mid, dimarzio hs3 in the bridge, schaller f tuners, vintage six pole bridge, aged (parchment?) parts, mint green pickguard, a lovely vintage white (custard) paint job...and oh...how can i forget, the insanely deep scalloped rosewood fretboard sitting on top of a nitro-cellulouse finished maple c-shape based neck, brass nut, adorned with HUGE dunlop 6000 frets.

sounds pretty nice right?! well for yngwie it might be...for me...let me critque it.

first off...i am by no means an yngwie fan, i think he is a pompous and arrogant guitarist who lathers himself in babyoil. when i walked into my neighborhood guitar star....the color caught my eye, i've been looking for quite sometime for a vintage white american strat(avoiding mailorder and ebay)....and voila there it was...i refused to look at it as a malmsteen strat...and proceeded to play it. 45 minutes later...i left with it under my arm...thinking to myself "damn it.....freakin yngwie...but the guitar is so very nice".

first of all....despite fender's attempt to maintain a vintage feel...i really dislike the three way switching, schaller f tuners, and the six pole vintage bridge. simply on personal preference...i know the current components can take some abuse...but there is better out there. i wished this guitar featured some nice locking sperzels, two point pivot bridge, and 5 way switching. but then again this is "malmsteen's" strat....yeah.....

the brass nut is nice...once again, i see more purpose with an lsr roller nut, however...the brass also adds a unique "brilliance" especially to the neck pick up sounds.

i do love the scalloped neck....i don't think it is a "godsend" like others may describe...but it's like "silk"....very VERY akward and sloppy at first...you really have to play light...pressing to hard can result in altered pitch and un-intentional bends.

the neck can really be held..and you really have sense of control...can really dig in and express yourself...a wonderful feature. once again...not a "godsend"...but a very nice change of pace.

i play blues jazz fusion with some touches of satriani and mascis. the dimarzios handle well when fed with LOADS of distortion. these pickups...no matter what dimarzio says...will not sound like a vintage strat. i believe part of the magic of the vintage strat sound was the infamous 60 cycle hum. nevertheless for "stock" pickups you can't do much better...it has a wonderful sweet tone on the neck pickup and the bridge pickup is very expressive and well balanced.

i play the malmsteen through a reverend hellhound 40/60...and here is my pedal string.

reverend hellhound(40/60) - visual sound h20 - keeley modified boss ultra ds-1 - visual sound jekyll (boosting the ds-1) - visual sound hyde - keeley modified boss phat bd-2 (boosting the hyde).

i know....first thing people want to do is sweep, trill, a scale run with the bridge pickup...but man people, the neck pickup is really a star performer...it's almost flute like...and all i have to say is wow....the guitar really sings.

i own a 1994 40th anniversary fender stratocaster, a coil tapped sh-1 in the neck and a wire tapped sh-6 in the bridge...in competition with my custom strat...the malmsteen loses in versatility...but is much more expressive..due to the low output pickups, it really allows much more of my amp's natural gain in...as opposed to pushing it with my custom strat with two high output pickups. apples and oranges....really.

i've owned several strats...and for some odd reason fender can't make a tight fitting neck pocket if their life depended on it. i have accepted that fact...it's as much of a fender trademark like their contoured back....another advancement by fender...A PIECE OF CRAP NECK POCKET!! it doesn't effect anything...but for such an expensive guitar...you would think the QC would be a touch better.

aside from that...the guitar required very little adjustment.

it's a strat....what more can i say...

hahahahhahaha

i've been playing for about 12 years now...and though i like my custom strat much better...this one is a nice change of pace. very expressive, almost piano like in tonal character. aside from the notorius fender neck pocket flaws....it truly is a wonderful guitar...even though it is endorsed by a pompous baby oil lathered malmsteen....

2005 Vintage White with Rosewood Fretboard, purchased Online from Musician's Friend. The standard spec's are as follows:
****************************************
Model Name Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster
(Polyurethane Finish)
Body Alder
Neck Maple, Modern ?C? Shape,
(Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard Scalloped Rosewood (p/n 010-7100)
9.5? Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets 21 Dunlop? 6000 Super-Jumbo Frets
Pickups 2 Dimarzio? YJM Pickups (Neck & Middle),
1 Dimarzio? HS-3 Stack (Bridge)
Controls Master Volume,
Tone 1. No-Load Tone Control (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. No-Load Tone Control (Bridge and Middle Pickups)
Pickup
Switching
3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Middle Pickup
Position 3. Neck Pickup
Bridge American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
Machine Heads Fender/Schaller Vintage ?F? Style Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 3-Ply Mint Green
Scale Length 25.5? (648 mm)
Width at Nut Brass Nut, 1.650? (42 mm)
Unique Features Special '60's Shape Neck With Large Late '60s Styled Headstock,
Brass Nut,
Scalloped Fingerboard,
With Dunlop 6000 Jumbo Fretwire,
Aged Pickup Covers,
Aged Plastic Parts
Strings Fender Super Bullet 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003
Accessories Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable, Meguiar?s Mist and Wipe Kit
Case Vintage Tweed Case
*************************************
I will give this category a Nine (9), because although I understand Fender wanting to keep the "Vintage" vibe by using the Schaller "F"-style tuners, I would have preferred Schaller trim-lock locking tuners. Nevertheless, the vintage F-style tuners do the job, and the guitar stays in tune, no problems!

Of course, the single biggest feature of this guitar, that sets it apart from almost every other production guitar model on this planet is the beautiful, scalloped fretboard. My guitar arrived with a FLAWLESS neck...PERFECT scalloping and incredible dressed and finished Super Jumbo (Dunlop #6000) Frets.

Another unique feature is the excellent Dimarzio YJM pickups, as well as the Brass Nut.

I am giving this category a perfect ten (10). Obviously, this category is purely subjective, and what may sound incredible to one person may be just the opposite to another. For me, the low output YJM and HS-3 Dimarzio Pickups provide a singing, violin-esque harmonic tonal quality...which is PERFECTLY complemented by adding a clean boost pedal prior to your amps pre-amp. I am using a Digitech "Bad Monkey" pedal...and the tone of this guitar is simply sublime.

Furthermore, the scalloped neck gives you unparalleled command of vibrato technique...which further adds to the violin-like timbre.

Finally, the light fretting hand "touch" that is required with the scalloped fretboard improves the accuracy of your attack and improves the expressiveness of your playing.

The Fit and Finish of my guitar, right out of the beautiful hardshell case was perfect. I was very concerned about this, as this is the first guitar I ever ordered online, sight unseen (and unplayed). With Every other guitar I have owned, I had a chance for hands-on demonstration and determination if I liked how it played. I have heard that Fender Quality Control can be hit or miss. In my case, it was a 'hit'. The Neck joint is perfect, with zero gaps (unlike prior reviews...see below). The Quality of the neck itself (scalloping and fretwork) is simply wonderful. This guitar met and exceeded my expectations in terms of build quality. I would have given this catergory a perfect ten...however, since "action" is included in this category, I have to dock it a point. Nothing major...I did have to ever so slightly tighten the truss-rod by a hair, and I did lower the action a bit on the saddles. I did the set-up myself, and it now plays "like butter".
The finish is also flawless. However, bear in mind that the "Vintage White" on the Yngwie Malmsteen signature Strat is more of a light bananna creme (yellow) color...it certainly isn't white. Looks fantastic, in any case. I knew beforehand that the color was more yellow than white, so I was not dissapointed or surprised. However, if you are expecting pure white...it is not even close. In fact, I am not sure why they even use the word "white" in the description. Again, I think light bananna is the perfect explanation for the color of the finish.

This guitar looks and feels to be built like a tank. Everything about it screams quality, and (at least my example) attention to detail in construction, fit and finish.

Never had to deal with Fender.

I have been playing heavily for three (3) weeks now with this new guitar, and have fully adapted to the scalloped neck. I am playing more accurately, with significantly relaxed finger tension. The scalloped fretboard really lends itself to quick, fluid alternate picked runs and legato technique. The greatest revelation is how much easier it is to execute accurate sweep arpeggios. On my other Fender American Strat (with regular neck), this was always something I was fighting.

I really lucked out in receiving a perfect specimen of the Fender YJM Strat. As other's here have posted, Fender's quality control can be hit or miss.

This is not a cheap guitar, but fortunately I got every pennies worth. Againe, the neck is perfect, with low action and no fret buzz anywhere. Needless to say, due to the scallops, string bending is pure bliss.

Quite frankly...I don't know why scalloped necks aren't more popular, especially with the blues-oriented, Classic Rock artists (e.g. David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Santana, etc.). It is NOT just for shredding.

The only artists I am familiar with who have always used a scalloped neck are John McClaughlin, Richie Blackmore, and of course, Yngwie Malmsteen. I'm sure there must be others, however.

Also, as I had previously mentioned...the special DiMarzio YJM and HS-3 pups provide killer tone. As they are low output, you just need to boost the signal prior to your amp with a nice OD pedal. I have been using the new Digitech Bad Monkey, which I am very happy with.

USA YJM Strat. Regardless of what others say, I love the USA strats and I am a Fender guy. I think all the features have been already mentioned. The most noticably would be the scalloped fretboard.
Includes case, cloth, strap, wrench and some other junk.

The reason I bought it was for the fretboard. 10+

I must say I love the sound of Stratocasters'. Any single coil maybe, but I play only Strats with single coils. If Dimebag (RIP) and James' guitars are like a growl when they play them, a Strat is like a primal scream. Mouth wide open, veins bulging. I love that sound.
This guitar sounds uniquely good in that the YJM middle and neck pick-ups vary in treble quite a bit from the HS-3 in the bridge. That means by use of the 3-way switch and volume control, you can get quite a wide array of sounds without changing channels. I personally like the sound of a DiMarzio Virtual Vintage Solo better than the HS-3, but if I can afford another YJM Strat (used hopefully) I will relplace that, and only that....unless of course I become a multi-platinum selling artist and then get my own signature series. I guess I better start saving.

Bottom line(s);
Sounds great and allows my sound to come out. It will sound like YJM if you like, but you will never get his tone. I prefer to be my own tone junkie. I honestly think this is a perfect guitar.

I must admit, I was breathless when I opened the case the first time. Not only from anticipation but from just the whole package. I found no flaws at all. Action was high, I fixed that. Neck joint a little sloppy, somewhat annoying, everything else perfect. No cosmetic flaws at all. Quality through and through. I am in mass production engineering here in the US and I am impressed that Fender has been so thorough. Atleast with mine.
I will have to take points off for that neck joint. I know I said somewhat annoying, I mean it affects me not at all, but with all the CNC machinery out there, they should have better control over this. Or at least make modifications for their US models...3 points off because it is reletively an easy fix...heck, I'll do it for them.

I have played this guitar literally every day for over a year. I am 'insane' when it comes to my guitars. They are all cleaned after playing, but still this one has held up at least as good as the rest. I would gig without a back-up.
My only concern is the brass nut. Both 'E' slots are cut to what I would think to be too shallow. While my fingers have left the fretboard on the hi E, the string itself has never come out of the nut. Still when I look, it concerns me. But no harm no foul. 10

n/a, haven't delat with them

I have to tell you, I have been playing for over 27 years. I have had quite a huge amount of different gear in that time. Here is some advice for some of you possibly just starting out or willing to listen. You can't buy tone. It doesn't matter if it costs 1,000 or 100 bucks, if you like it and it sounds good, buy it. It doesn't matter what your best friend or the idiot your buying it from says. Your best friend wants you to look cool, and the guy selling it probably works on comission. Trust me, play your guitar well and all else will follow. If YOU like it buy it. That is what I do. Don't waste allot of years and cash, like I did, chasing that elusive tone by listening to others' advice. I wasted thousands and thousands of dollars over the years. It all boils down to this, when I bought this guitar, I had 9 others. Now I have 4 total; 2 Charvels and 2 Strats, the YJM and a '73. To be honest, I don't even need all 4. I keep the Charvels because I love 'em, period. I would love to get another and swap out the HS-3 for a Virtual Vintage Solo, other than that, I couldn't be happier. I have even learned to live with the pinheads that think I want to be YJM because I bought his guitar. Same idiots that thought I wanted to be EVH when I bought a Wolfgang. Needless to say, I still have this YJM Strat ( though not the Wolfgang). This guitar would be the absolute last piece of equipment that I would ever choose to sell, or part with.
I wish that Fender offered a strat similar (fretboard) to this one, less the YJM name on it, to avoid pinhead conversations, but otherwise I really couldn't be happier. The quality is second to none. The string control is such you will not want to go back to a 'flat board'. Overall I couldn't be happier. Well, maybe if I could buy one for $800 without YJM's name on it....but like I said, I could wait until I am a multi platinum selling artist and get my own signature series.. I best start saving...until then 10 + 10

1998 USA made Candy-Apple Red BODY Alder


NECK Maple, Modern ?C? Shape,
(Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer Finish)


MACHINE HEADS Fender/Schaller Vintage ?F? Style Tuning Machines


FINGERBOARD Scalloped Rosewood (p/n 010-7100) 9.5? Radius (241 mm)


NO. OF FRETS 21 Dunlop? 6000 Super-Jumbo Frets


PICKUPS 2 Dimarzio? HS-3 Pickups (Neck & Middle),
1 Dimarzio? YJM Stack (Bridge)


CONTROLS Master Volume,
Tone 1. No-Load Tone Control (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. No-Load Tone Control (Bridge and Middle Pickups)


BRIDGE American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo


PICKUP SWITCHING 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Middle Pickup
Position 3. Neck Pickup


HARDWARE Chrome


STRINGS Fender Super Bullet 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003


CASE Vintage Tweed Case


PICKGUARD 3-Ply Mint Green


SCALE LENGTH 25.5? (648 mm)


UNIQUE FEATURES Special '60's Shape Neck With Large Late '60s Styled Headstock,
Brass Nut,
Scalloped Fingerboard,
With Dunlop 6000 Jumbo Fretwire,
Aged Pickup Covers,
Aged Plastic Parts
WIDTH AT NUT Brass Nut, 1.650? (42 mm)


ACCESSORIES Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable, Meguiar?s Mist and Wipe Kit

This thing sounds and plays amazing !! Before this I had always used my beloved 1962 Gibson 345 Stereo for eveything......I had tries loads of Fenders and not liked any of them ! I bought this one from a guy in Germany via the ubiquitous Ebay at a very good price. I really wanted a white one witht the maple neck, and got one later, but when I did an A/B test, this rosewood one won hands down. It was way heavier than the white one for some reason.....who knows ?? Anyway, I use it for Hendrix, blues and Pink Floyd by way of Be Bop Deluxe and it does everything absolutely wonderfully. At present I use Maxima Gold 9's on it. I only had one gripe with it.....the 3-way selector......so I had it swapped for a 5-way. Those "in-between" sounds would make Hendrix drool.......why doesn't Yngwie like them ???
I have a friend who has used it for country music on a few gigs, and he is now looking for one.
I play mine into a Boss GT-6 which then goes straight into the PA. This set-up allows me to get really loud and clean with no unwanted feedback etc., but you learn how to generate it when you need it ! No hum of course from these superb pick-ups.

The quality of the fit and finish is great........much better than your average Strat. !! Tuners work great, but mine rarely needs tuning......seems to play straight out of that wonderful Custom Tweed case every time......
The tremolo is awesome....I can get the strings slack and when the bar is released it pops straight back into tune. I must admit I do not use the trem tooo much.

I use this at home and on gigs and so far nothing has broken or fallen off ! The lacquer seems particularly durable and does not show any of my minor dings etc.

I am looking for another one like mine....I have already sold my white one !
My favourite feature is Fender toughness !! After my 345, which I watched all night in case it fell off the stand and the neck broke !!

BODY Alder

NECK Maple, Modern ?C? Shape,
(Nitro-Cellulose Lacquer Finish)

MACHINE HEADS Fender/Schaller Vintage ?F? Style Tuning Machines

FINGERBOARD Scalloped Rosewood (p/n 010-7100) or
Scalloped Maple (p/n 010-7102), 9.5? Radius (241 mm)

NO. OF FRETS 21 Dunlop? 6000 Super-Jumbo Frets

PICKUPS 2 Dimarzio? YJM Pickups (Neck & Middle),
1 Dimarzio? HS-3 Stack (Bridge)

CONTROLS Master Volume,
Tone 1. No-Load Tone Control (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. No-Load Tone Control (Bridge and Middle Pickups)

BRIDGE American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo

PICKUP SWITCHING 3-Position Blade:
Position 1. Bridge Pickup
Position 2. Middle Pickup
Position 3. Neck Pickup

HARDWARE Chrome

STRINGS Fender Super Bullet 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003

CASE Vintage Tweed Case

PICKGUARD 3-Ply Mint Green

SCALE LENGTH 25.5? (648 mm)

UNIQUE FEATURES Special '60's Shape Neck With Large Late '60s Styled Headstock,
Brass Nut,
Scalloped Fingerboard,
With Dunlop 6000 Jumbo Fretwire,
Aged Pickup Covers,
Aged Plastic Parts

WIDTH AT NUT Brass Nut, 1.650? (42 mm)

ACCESSORIES Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable, Meguiar?s Mist and Wipe Kit

INTRODUCED 1/1998

I play mostly neoclassic stuff like malmsteen.The pick up sound awsome.The bridge is fucking agressive with lots of bite. The neck is probably the best neck sound I've heard for rock, blue and neo-classic. The guitar is very clean. I have a mesa boogie triple rec and I plug it in with a YJM308 preamp overdrive and I get malmsteen sound.The guitar is not just to get the malmsteen sound, it gets all the sounds a strat has plus the malmsteen one. The trem is way better than a floyd to me.

Was I fucking impress went I took the thing out of the box and it was almost perfectly Tune to E flat. The pick up are awsome.

You can defenitly count on that guitar but live you better have a backup because you never know went tou break a string.

Never had to deal with the company, everything was so fine.

The only guitar that could be better would be a fucking espensive vintage strat. If it was stolen I would buy another one for shure.

The model under review is a 2004, Candy Apple Red maple-neck Yngwie Strat. It has the stock features - brass nut, scalloped freboard, YJM DiMarzio pickups, etc. I'm giving it a rating of 9 instead of 10 because there are only 3 tonal variations instead of the usual 5 (or 8 in the case of the S1-switching models). But I guess no one is really going to mind because few people are going to use this guitar for jazz or country music.

The bridge pickup is probably the star performer here, producing the thick, raunchy humbucking-type tone that rock/blues players might crave. It's a nasty sound, first-rate for biting lead runs. The neck setting is good as well, a deeper but slightly thinner tone probably better suited to rhythm playing. Others in this forum recommend using an overdrive pedal of sorts and I'm sure that can only enhance the already-rich sound.

The guitar was bought from Wildwood Music in Colorado. It's the second time I've dealt with them and I have to say they provide excellent service. They changed the strings to the gauge I prefer (9.5-44 instead of the stock 9-42), checked everything before shipping. I opened the case, plugged in and played straight off without even having to re-tune! The finish is flawless - no complaints. The brass nut will require maintenance though - I've seen one tarnish badly in my local guitar store.

I really can't venture an opinion here because I've only had it for a short while, but I honestly can't see much problem with longevity. I always believe if you look after something, it will look after you, so as long as you treat the guitar right, it'll last for as long as you want.

Never dealt with Fender direct.

I've been playing almost 10 years and own the following Strats - Ritchie Blackmore (Japan), 1997 Collectors' Edition, Eric Clapton, American Standard HSS and 1954 Custom Shop (blonde). I also own a Gibson Les Paul Supreme, Standard, Custom, 1968 Figured Top Custom and 1954 Black Beauty reissue. The Yngwie's outstanding feature is its playability - since I'm used to a scalloped fretboard having used the Blackmore for about 5 years, I found no problems at all adapting. The scalloping is deeper than the Blackmore but the feel is better. String bending is a cinch and provided you have a reasonably light touch, zipping around the fretboard will be very easy on this Strat. A word of warning - if you're used to a light gauge, you might find that the high E string slips off the fretboard when you try to play fast. I think this guitar's idea string gauge is 10-46, or at the very least, 9.5-44 (D'Addario). Because of this, I'm giving a 9 rating for this category. If however, you're comfortable with a heavier gauge, then the rating would be 10. If it were lost, I'd replace it for sure, maybe with an Alpine white version. Overall, I'd rate ease of playing as the best feature, followed by the tone and looks. Tonally, it doesn't have the power of the active Clapton or the LP Standard but then again, I don't have an overdrive pedal (yet).