Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster

Mine is the Sonic Blue 1989 US Model. These were modelled after one of his 1959 Strats and feature a smaller headstock than the new models. It's an American Standard bridge and the tuning posts are a very old vintage style. You have to push the string down inside the post and start wrapping it around the post from there..if it pops out before it's tightened it tends to get a little difficult. HS3 pickups in neck and bridge and standard strat pickup in the mid.

It's an extremely dynamic sounding instrument. I play everything from Ozzy Osbourne and Yngwie Malmsteen to Death and Carcass. Believe it or not, it works very well although you do have to adjust the bridge a bit to tune it down to B for Carcass. I use a Johnson J-Station exclusively now. Yngwie endorsed it and put his settings on his website and that was all I needed. I had originally pulled the pickups and put in Duncan Hot Rails, but I've since put the HS3s back in because I missed the sound of the wood. Just like when Yngwie plays live, your chords and everything will cut right through the mix. The scalloped frets make every note sound unique to the player. I guess it's the way the fingers grab the string. Everyone that picks my guitar up sounds different even when playing the same song. I love the instrument..it's a wonderful design and it'll make you play your best.

The factory setup was terrible. The action had to be lowered substantially when i got it. Pickups were adjusted exactly like Yngwie specifies. No flaws

This is a working mans guitar. Very well put together..it's been dropped with little damage. A few dings and scuffs on the neck but nothing that affects playing. Careful with your strap because the strap pegs are just standard. I've had this guitar for 6 years and I've never broken a string on it.

Never needed them. I'd probably write to Yngwie's guitar tech on Yngwie.org if I needed assistance with it.

This was my dream guitar. I'm proud to own one. I'd like to get one of the new models as well just to have that 70's look. I've been playing since 1987. If it were stolen I'd definitiely replace it. I compared it to my BC Rich Warlock and Ibanez Saber and I have to say I love the strat the most. I wish it had better tuning posts but I'll bet money the way the string is set inside the post also adds to the tone of the instrument.

Here's Fender's page on it, which gives all the details about the features:
http://www.fender.com/gear/gear.php?partno=0107100

Mine is a brand new 2002 model with a really beautiful aged white finish, mint green pick guard, and rosewood neck (looks just like the one in the picture at the link above). It is a really clean, classy-looking guitar. The aged hardware helps to hint at the subtle beauty and finess incapsulated by the instrument. The features are great, and worth every penny (especially if you find a deal like I did)!! And that scalloped fretboard is kind of unique *wink,wink*... I got it with a cool locking tweed case too, which Fender also did a great job making.

The sound is actually much more versatile than I once believed. It really reflects the tone of the amp, so adjust accordingly... For example, I was having trouble getting a good 80's George Lynch-esque rhythm tone with my old patches (I use a Line6 Flextone II XL) and I was shocked (since my patches all ruled...). I thought I might have to replace the pickups ASAP, but some quick fiddling with the amp and I'm getting very good results. The trick there was to give it the most distortion possible. Getting the thin Yngwie shred sound isn't difficult, but I've also been able to coax some very good metal tones, and blues tones from it so far! It's much more versatile than you might think, so don't knock the p/u's until you test them out. The guitar is very quiet too, as quiet as any humbucking-equiped guitar I've played...

The guitar was set up with high action, but everything was adjusted correctly, and all I've had to do is lower the saddles, and tighten the claw springs by a quarter turn. It plays really nice, and you can tell it will only get better with time. Everything is easy to adjust on the guitar, and all the hardware works just fine. The only flaw I can find so far is that there is a tiny gap between the top of the neck and the neck-route. The finish is stunning. The aged white color is really great. Every line, curve, and shape on this guitar fit together perfectly, and it really looks impressive when compared to other guitars. Even a AAAAA+ Quilt top I have it standing next to!

Fender knows how to build a solid instrument, so I think it will hold up as long as I treat it right. But since I've only owned it a short while, I will leave this as a 'No Opinion' until I need to post a follow up...

Never dealt with Fender directly yet, so who knows?

I got so lucky in getting this for such a good price. Technically its used because someone owned it a short while before I bought it, but it really is new, and its one of the best guitars I've ever played. It beats the pants (if guitars wore pants...) off of anything you will play in your local music shop. The scalloped fretboard is a cool feature, and it will expand anybody's technique (You will get used to it in about an hour or two). It sounds great, looks great, and makes other guitarists green with envy when learn its all yours. Pick one up, you will certainly not be dissapointed. Although, your other guitars might be ;)
Feel free to e-mail me with any questions you may have about it.

This guitar was made in the United States in 96. Alot of feature for the money. The brass nut makes chording nice. But best of all the scalloped fretboard is what seperates this guitar from many others. The bending is insane on this guitar...PURE GOODNESS. when I recieved the guitar and played it for the fist time...I though that the neck was going to be the weirdest thing ever..It turned out to feel perfect..got used to it in 30 seconds. Do not fear the scalloped neck...enjoy it

This guitar fits my musical style perfectly... It works great for metal, blues, jazz, anything I play pretty much.. The pickups are surprisingly quiet for single coil pickups (NOT STACKED HUMBUCKERS AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE SAID) Although i dont like the bridge pickup much the neck pickup sings. I think eventually I'll put a new pickguard in and put a humbucking pickup in the bridge position for a fatter sound.

The guitar was set up well when I recieved the guitar.. I dont know what the factory set up is like but usually you have to tweak with them some to get it just right. everything about this guitar was perfect.

I've gig'd with this guitar time and time again. Live work and studio work this guitar does it all. The trem stays in tune great for me..and neck is very solid and the finish is great. I of course would never use it without a backup for obvious reasons.

I've never dealth with fender so I cant give my opinnion on their service

This guitar is the best guitar I have played...EVER! I've played and owned many guitars from USA HAMER, Gibson, Fender, Music Man, Ibanez, Jackson...and This strat to me has em all beat. The Scalloped fretboard is a dream and not many guitars can allow me to express myself as this guitar has. If you are thinking about purchasing a guitar with a scalloped fretboard...do it. you wont regret it. SHRED IT!!!

2002 American YJM Fender Stratocaster w/ 21 frets. Vintage white body (looks like bannana creme custard), mint green guard, aged parts, maple scalloped fretboard, brass nut, vintage tuners, vintage bridge. The pickups are Dimarzio- HS3 (bridge), YJM (neck & middle).

The case is really nice tweed. It came with a strap, able, allen keys, polish cloth, warranty info, & bumber sticker. The dealer threw in 2 t-shirts, 2 sets of strings, a bunch of pics, and free shipping. Whatta deal!!

I've been playing (trying to anyway) Yngwie songs since 1985. I figured it was about time I just bought his guitar. I play through a Line 6 Vetta on a channel called "yngwie." It consists of a '68 plexi Marshall and a '96 Marshall blended. It sounds EXACTLY like his CD's. Specifically, I was going for the "Odyssey" guitar tone, and got it! The Dimarzio pickups sound good, but I think the Fender Noiseless pickups sound better. The guitar does, however, mimic the classic YJM tone. The neck pickup sounds really, really good. It's a low-put guitar so it cleans up nice as well.

It took me about 5 minutes to master the scalloped board. I was breaking into "Overture 1383," "Vengeance," "Rising Force," and "Trilogy Suite" as if I had always owned this guitar. I just recieved the guitar today- as I'm writing this review, and I can honestly say I feel comfortable with this guitar. It took me no time to adapt to the scalloped board. I've never owned one before either, so don't be intimidated by this guitar! The scalloped board allows for great grip so you won't miss your positions when playing fast. Also, minimum pressure is needed to make the notes sing. This means less hand fatigue. It really makes a big difference; especailly when playing physically demanding Malmsteen solos. The dealer set it up with Ernie Ball 10's, low action. Fender's craftsmanship is top-notch on its signature and custom shop models.

I don't play out anymore, so I can't attest to its road-worthiness. But it's a Strat, and Strat's have always held up for the long haul for me. It seems just as well built and well finished as any high-end Strat I've ever owned (and I've owned many).

No opinion. Guitar just arrived today. Historically, my dealer has taken care of any problems I've ever had while the guitar is still within its 1 year warranty.

I've been playing since 1979 (8 years old). I no longer play out, but record and collect guitars. I have no regrets about this purchase. I should've gotten this guitar years ago. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definitely replace it asap. I love the fact that it's uniquely different than all my other guitars. I love the look of it and it feels great. The maple neck has some slight flame and birds eye, so it's very pretty to look at. It's so different than my other Strats, so I couldn't draw a fair comparisson. I hope that I'll be able to master more Yngwie solos now that I don't have to apply so much effort to play on this wonderful scalloped board.

Mine is blond color and maple neck YJM strato made in USA.

It has two HS-3 pick ups and one YJM pickup, I guess. I like the

between positions. But the pick up switch has tree positions.

I bought it from West LA music, in 1100$ include tax and everything.

I wish it has a five positon pick up switch.

I like most of music except Creed and nowaday's musics.

I am using Marshall Artist 4203 with, full-drive2,Boss OD-1,

Boss CS-3, Ibanez TS-9, and so on. The guitar is very quiet.

On the other hand, the sound is thinner than other Strato.

I guess that It cancels part of the sound while canceling the hum

by the Dimazio pickups.. I want to change my pick ups.

I had hard time to be comfortable with my YJM guitar. Now I get it.

It is my favorite in terms of action and play ability. I feel really

comfortable with my guitar. The finish is amazingly great. There's

no mistake. I love the finish and the feeling of the guitar.

It had a tunner problem. I am gussing that was because of my strings.

My strings are skinny top & heavy bottom .01 series.

I had tunner problem and I could fix it at the Fender repair shop(

guitar tradition). The guitar tradition's service was great!

I am play aout 15 years. 1986, I heard YJM for the first time and

decide to play guitar. This guitar is special for me.

Brand new (2001/2002), American made YJM Sig Strat. Vintage White, scalloped maple fretboard w/ 21 frets. Two Dimarzio YJM stacked humbuckers (Neck/Mid)one Dimarzio HS3 stacked humbucker in the bridge. Alder body, brass nut. Big late 60's headstock, "F" tuners, vintage style temolo. HUGE dunlop frets. Vintage tweed case included, with hokey strap, cord, owners manual and allen key for truss rod.

I play rock in all its styles and incarnations. I tend to play fast, and in the tradition, and tonality of guys like Uli Roth, Blackmore and YJM. I am also a huge Hendrix and SRV fan. I have many Strats that give me that vintage, bell like quack sound. I purposely bought this Strat to get away from that sound. For those rasied and weaned on high output p'ups.....these Dimarzio HS3 and YJM's are gonna be a whole different ballgame. These are extremely LOW output, which gives you a sweeter tone, and allows more amp distortion. The hs3 sounds great distorted. I played this through a cranked Marshall with a Tube Screamer. Nice and punchy - warm. Leads sing and dont have that "ice pick on the ears" thinness that some single coils have. Dead silent.....no hum. Open strings ring out (partially due to the brass nut) and the overall sound is bright and snappy. Cleans up nice when rolling back the volume on the guitar. The YJM's are simply wonderful. The neck is probably the best neck pickup I can think of for soloing. It sings and sustains and is almost flutelike, but it does not muddy up like some other Strat neck pickups I have played, and the sound of the pick on the strings sounds real nice. Middle pickup is along the same lines, perhaps a bit thin. This guitar is designed to rock, the same pickups played clean and without gain, sound dull and lifeless. So, plug it into a good tube amp, crank it, and slam the front end with a good overdrive.........

Guitar was special ordered from Fender. The neck is too straight, perhaps convex. This may be due to the teperature changes it encountered on its Journey from the West Coast. Be that as it may, it has some real bad buzzing frets. There is also some perferation in the laquer where the maple meets the skunk stripe on the back of the neck. Nothing that cant be fixed, but for a guitar at the top end of Fenders line..it is not acceptable. The action is quite low due to the straight neck. It plays great though, and once set up properly, and with the strings of my choice (Ernie Ball Hybrids) it will play even better. Tremolo floats just right and stays in tune. The scalloped neck is really cool, its easier to grab the note, or get underneath it to bend.

Its a Strat....no question it will withstand live playing and even a little torture!!

I have been playing since 1979. I own three other Strats, a Les Paul and a Charvel w/ a Floyd Rose. The YJM Strat has been on my want list for a long time, due to its custom features. This ones a keeper...

1.2001 USfreakinA

2.21 JUMBO Dunlop 6000 fretwire

3.Solid Top

4.The usual strat controls 1-vol 2-tone 3-way vintage selector switch
S/S/S configuration or I should say H/H/H since the pickups are the YJM in the neck and middle and the HS-3 in the bridge (dimarzio) and are all stacked humbuckers that sound like single coils without the noise and alittle heavyer

5.All passive electronics

6.Body is alder I suppose neck is maple as is fretboard with a somewhat satin finish on the neck

7.Finish is really heavy clearcoat over vintage white (really awesome almost pale whitish yellow color...yellower depending on lighting)

9.Strat style body

10.Bridge is vintage stat six screw trem (floating just a tad)

11.Stock fender vintage tuners

12.Neck is kinda thin at top and meaty at bottom...fits my palm perfectly..very very comfortable...I must say though the scallops is what is the most amazing thing about this guitar if not the guitar itself..I had no problem getting used to the scallopes immediatally...If you are thinking about getting one..DO IT

13.Came with the vintage tweed case with orange fur interior ,strap,cable,bar,and a yellow fender wipin off rag.

This suits my style perfectly (neo-classical/metal shred)

Im using this guitar with sadly at the momend a fender ultimate chorus DSP (i say sadly only because it's not a marshall...even though its still an amazing amp and sounds very sweet thru the yngwie strat)

The guitar is super quiet

Very rich amazing sound in the neck and middle pickup..however the bridge pickup doesnt have much output and is not as loud as the neck and middle

I think it has tons of variety

I dislike the fact that the bridge pickup is so low output although this makes great for high volume and gain levels...it wont distort the pickup only making the sound clearer as the volume rises lol (reminds me of the clarity of an active pickup)

The guitar came setup nicely right outta the box although the action was only a *TAD* to high for me...came with a fender super bullet ten set on it..I had the guitar repairman set it up with a set of ernie ball hybrid (9-46) basically the bottom 3 strings from a 9 set and the top three strings from a ten set (perfect) Also I had him lower the action alittle and the guitar flys...absolutey no buzzing whatsoever

The only flaws this guitar came with is the fact that the brass nut was so new it needed to be filed just a tad so that it slipped really well...thats about it

This guitar is a TANK

The hardware will surely last

Finish could weather a bullet

I use a dimarzio clicklot strap (ocelot print direct from dimarzio) so I don't worry about puny strap buttons

This guitar I can totally depend on..although I won't gig without a back up strat with scalloped fingerboard.

I have dealt with fender about this guitar..it was out of stock and they didnt ship it right away when they had new ones made...so I called em up and they fixed the problem right away though...very nice people..nice enough to call me back and tell me no worries.

Repair wise I can bring it in anytime if I have any problems and it'll be free

Im not sure how long the warranty is

I've been playing for 4 years and own very minimum gear

If this guitar where stolen i'd save up for another

I love everything about this guitar

THE END

2001 USA Malmsteen Strat
21 frets(dunlop 6100's)
Alder body/maple scalloped neck
with large headstock
dimarzio single coils
hs3/yjm/hs3 pickups
nitro clear shot over candy apple red strat
2 pickguards(original mint guard removed)
added white pearl pickguard(makes this already beauty look that much better)
1 volume control 2 tone controls tbx tone pots with 3 way switch
25.5" scale length
Nice tweed case(orange inside color)very different
fender strap,polish cloth,hex wrenches,spec book

All of my other expensive guitars I own, all get their original pickups scrapped and I put EMG's in them. I love the EMG sa/sa/81 combination. It makes all my others sing. I planned on doing this to this strat but much to my surprise, this things full of tone(especially the neck pickup)I'm using this with a multi amp setup:
My Mesa Boogie Triaxis and this guitar is pure heaven. Much better than even Yngwies. Dont get me wrong, I love Yngwie, his lead tone is some of the best(he's got a great ear 2 to come up with this perfect combination). But his bottom low E chord is quite muddy with his Marshalls and The Mesa sound is just that much tighter. Just imagine Yngwies guitar with John Petruccis rig(basically what I have).Kinda low output pickups but the Mesa makes up for that. This guitar sounds just like Yngwie(only louder if thats possible) through my 1978 Marshall JMP 100 watt master lead head(fawn color). Very clean indeed.
Last but not least this guitar sounded bad through my Soldano sp-77 preamp(surprised me) All of my other guitars sing through the soldano.
This guitar also cuts through the mix very well

Recieved guitar with 10's on it. Had em changed to 9's reset up and it almost plays itself. The amount of hand vibrato and bends you can achieve is like none of my others.Great action No flaws whatsoever. I did change the strap holders to Dunlop straplocks. I also throw the guitar around me and never want one to get away from me. Now it's secure

I would take this thing with me all by itself cause I love playing it all the time.Sweet feel/tone, persona
Vintage look/tone to die 4
very solid axe

Lifetime warranty
Bought this guitar from Dan at Guitar Exchange(thanks a lot Dan)
in St Charles Missouri Recieved it 2/8/2001
Never had to deal with em for support but I'm sure they will be there and very helpful

Ive been playing 21 years, own many quality guitars and amp rigs
Guitar IS my life
This is my dream guitar If it was ever stolen I'd buy 2 of em to replace the one(LOL)
Also love to play along with Yngwie on cd and listen to the matching tones(I can't play fluent Yngwie) but have quite a bit of talent and can play some of his stuff. WAY TO GO YNGWIE.

year: 2000 and 1989
frets: 21 each
body: alder with a nitrocellulose cream finish.
controls: 2000: 1 vol, 2 tone, 3 way switch. 1989: 1 vol, 2 TBX, 5
way switch.
pickups: 2000: 2 x YJM (n & m), 1 x HS-3 (b). 1989: 2 x HS-3 (n & b),
reverse wound single coil (m).
electronics: passive on both.
neck: both maple with light figuring and maple fretboard.
bridge: 2000: vintage, 1989: US Std.
Tuners: 2000: Schaller "f", 1989: Vintage style.
neck/scale: 25.5" on each, scalloped fretboard, Dunlop 6100's.
other: case, patch cord, lifetime warranty, strap.

sound: very silvery and violin like. Perfect!
using: Marshall Mk II w/ 4x12" cabs & Digitech GSP 2101 effects
processor.

Action was perfect on both guitars from factory.

Lifetime warranty on both. Both'll survive =)

Warranty is lifetime.

Myself: Been playing for a very long time. I've had most every guitar out there, and these two bury them all. Gibson and PRS are nice and all, but I'll be sticking with these thanks.

This guitar was made late 2000 in the USA. It has a solid alder body with a maple neck & 21 fret scallopped maple fingerboard. The frets are Dunlop 6000's, which are a touch shy of my favorites, the 6100's. Guess you really don't need large frets on a guitar with a scallopped fingerboard, though. the nut is brass.

The pickups are passive, stacked single coils (DiMarzio HS3 in the bridge, the other two are DiMarzio YJM's). The rest of the electronics are typical Strat... two tones and a volume, except the pickup selector switch is only three-way. It has a white finish, mint green plastic bits (pickguard, knobs, pickup covers, etcetera) and a vintage bridge & tuners. It came with a tweed case, all necessary adjustment tools and a Fender guitar cable. Most importantly, it came with the setup specs. More on that later. This is a Strat... simple, but it does what it does with grace and without drama.

This guitar adds to my style and is a different voice. I like it a lot. The HS3 is a pretty warm pickup for a single coil. The YJM's specs don't seem like it, but it is actually a little warmer. Both pickups have nice, thick mids that aren't honky at all. They are stacked, so there is obviously, no noise. They both also cut very well, which I expect from a single coil. They have the tone of a single coil, but with warmth and no noise. The output of the pickups is actually a touch less than that of an American Standard Strat, but they sound bigger. I am playing this guitar through a 5150 head & cabinet (using only the gain from the amp) with various Boss pedals. This guitar is a nice switch.

The action is low, but the scallopped fingerboard creates a bit of an illusion of high action. The guitar is very easy to play as long as you don't press too hard and send notes out of tune. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, though. You have to press pretty hard to do that. One thing I really do like about the scallopped fingerboard, though, is that you can really grab on to notes and work them. It just feels like you have more grippability (did I just make up a word?). It took me a few minutes to get used to playing this guitar, but it took even longer for me to get used to one of my guitars with a normal fingerboard once I put down this one. I like it a lot... not enough to scallop all my guitars, but this guitar is an excellent change of pace. The guitar itself was perfect... no paint or construction issues.

This guitar will stand up to live playing very, very well. I have never seen a Strat stay in tune so well. Just for grins, I work the tremolo like crazy. Every string stayed in tune every time, even after dive bombs. I have two other Strats and neither one will take this kind of torture. The rest of my electric guitars all have Floyd Rose bridges and the Yngwie stays in tune almost as well. Evidently, it will as long as you set it up to Fender specs exactly. The tuners are very nice... very tight and you can make very small adjustments. This has always been the reason I've preferred Floyd Rose bridges... you can make small adjustments with the fine tuners. A friend of mine said he'd hook up with me to work on my Strats and told me I'd never go back to a locking tremolo after he showed me a few tricks. I'd always have a backup at a gig, though and never forget to put strap locks on the thing.

I have never used Fender support for any of my Strats.

I have been playing for 14 years. I play a 5150 head & cabinet with various Boss pedals and have various ESP's, Ibanezes and a few Wolfgangs. This guitar was everything I thought it would be except I expected the pickups to have a little more output. Still, I wouldn't change a thing. It is a great change. If it were stolen, I'd be rather pissed, but I'd get another one. My favorite feature is, obviously, the fingerboard. The scallopped fingerboard is something that is a lot of fun. Like I said, it was easy to me to adjust to it and actually took me a little longer to revert to my other guitars. I love this thing.

I have TWO!!! I bought my first one brand new in 1998. It's a USA made model with a maple fretboard and cream finish. My second one is also a 1998, but with a rosewood fretboard and cream finish also. When I play these guitars at gigs, people think I'm playong a actual late 60's Strat!(the late 60's large headstock, decal, and mint green parts make it look like a true vintage guitar than some of the Fender re-issues!).
I'm really glad that Fender came out with this "new" version of the YJM Strat because this is as close to as what he plays, and it's simply just a beautiful instrument to look at, especially with these vintage looking parts.

Even though Yngwie is definitely one of my favorite guitar players, I really don't play like he does(not too many people can!) besides, that's his unique style. I'd say my playing style is more like Ritchie Blackmore's during the Rainbow-era. I get my sound thru a vintage Ibanez TS-808 Tube Screamer(which I also always carry a spare of), and a older Marshall half stack. These DiMarzio pickups are amazing. 100%, pure fat Strat tone without the hum! The tone I get is Deep Purple's "Made In Japan" album. I think this is THE way how a Start should sound!

I had a slight problem with my first one that I bought new... the neck was slightly misaligned, so the high E string actually went off the fretboard when it was played! This was a simple fix though; a 5-minute fix to set the neck back in the neck pocket of the body and tightening the screws back in. My second one which I bought used has been wonderful since day one. There's a little bit more gap in the neck pockets on both guitars than I'd rather see though... Pretty nice components are used on these guitars, top quality parts. My rosewood fingerboard model actually has an "flamey" maple neck!

As Yngwie himself says, this guitar is a "workhorse". This guitar was made to be played- NOT DISPLAYED! Both of mine are still in fairly good shape, but the more dings and sctratches they acquire, the cooler they look! I'm never worried about these guitars during a gig; after all, I always do bring both of them! My only fear is popping a string when I play really hard!

Never dealt with Fender. I know these guitars have a lifetime warranty, but if anything ever goes wrong, I'd rather do the work by myself!

I'm 25 years old, been playing guitar for 15 years. I own about 20 Fender Strats, but I play these YJM Strats about 95% of the time! I really can't think of anything that I don't like about these guitars...these are perfect instruments! The tone, playability, looks, etc., I don't think there's any other guitar in the world tht can top these YJM Strats! If one of mine were lost or stolen, I still have another one, but I don't think I could live with just one so, I definitely would go out on a search for another one. I know that there are a lot of people reluctant to buy these guitars because they think they might not feel confortable playing a scalloped fingerboard. They're kinda hard to find at your local music stores to try out too...
but once you play one for about 30 minutes, YOU WILL BE HOOKED!!!!!!!!!

1988 USA, 21 frets, maple, Hendrix Cream. Typical Dimarzio setup. early style headstock, dimarzio tuners, white pickguard.

Sound is tight and easy to control. Harmonics chirp with every note. Able to really dig into fretboard.Loves clean or death.

Bought used, but set up myself and it plays awesome!! The action is high but it is like butter. With no real concern for keeping this guitar mint, it handles dents and bangs well. Very rugged. easy to keep in tune.Finish is perfect.

This guitar can handle anything, and for hours and hours.I have gigged with nothing more than a pick, and I am always confident that this guitar will not fail me.

I have a USA Vintage 57 reissue, and the Yngwie Strat, and they are both Hendrix cream color. I love both of them equally. I am an Yngwie fan( at least his older work), but htis guitar is much more than Yngwie's name, it is an awesome gitar, and it is always up for the challenge of abuse. If you have "collected" an Yngwie strat, let it get played, because they need it....

This is a 2000 model which is made in the United States. It is has an alder body with a 3-way switch, one volume, and two tone control pots. The bridge pickup is a Dimarzio YJM and the other two are the Dimarzio HS3 model. I chose the maple neck. The neck is scalloped with 21 frets. The frets are Jim Dunlop 6000's and are very wide. The wide frets work very well with the scalloped neck. The guitar comes with a tweed case, strap, and cable. The case is very nice.

The sound of this guitar is very distinct. It is very crisp, but does not have the hissing sound that tend to plague standard stratocastor pickups. The YJM and HS3 pickups are very quiet. It doesn't have a thick sound, but an EQ can fatten it up a bit. I enjoy the clean and crisp sound that this guitar offers.

The action was set a little too high for me, but that is a very quick fix. The finish is emaculate. In my opinion, the pickups were properly adjusted.

I haven't had this guitar for very long, but have owned two stratocastors in the past. One was used for live playing quite extensively and I didn't have any problems with them at all. If I had to guess, this will be as durable as my others.

I have never had to deal with them and that's good.

I have been playing for 18 years and this is definitely one of the best guitars that I own. I also own a Peavey Wolfgang and when comparing it to the Yngwie Malmsteen model, they are two completely different animals. It really depends on the individual's taste when deciding what guitar best suits their needs. In my opinion, it is really hard to beat the scalloped neck on this guitar. That is the reason why I puchased this guitar, and it was worth it. It takes a while to get used too. The scalloped neck allows for easy string bending. It also helps you to play with a relaxed hand because if the strings are pressed to hard, the note or notes will go out of tune.

It was made in the USA. The guitar has got 21 frets.
Di Marzio HS-3 Pickups and a standard Fender Pickup.
The electronic is passiv (without batterie).
The neck is maple.
Body style is simply a strat.
Vintage style tremolo.

This guitar suits my music style, the sound is very clean. You can hear each note, also if you play with distortion.
Style: Deep Purple, Malmsteen, Whitesnake....
What I love isl, that the pickups aren't noisy! This is what I was looking for. I also play a Godin St-1. But with this model I'm very pleased. The sound is full, a lot of bass an middel. The output is low, so I've bought a preamp: DOD 250. Also Yngwie uses this one.
You can play every style with this guitar.
I love it!

The Guitar was very well set-up at the factory! Everything was o.k.!
The pichups were adjusted like the pickups of Yngwie.
It's a solid guitar.

Di marzio pickups aren't noisy, only the Fender pickup-but that's normal.

The guitar will last a lifetime and more! It will win a lot of wars on stage. You can't kill it!

Company in Switzerland wasn't very helpful and friendly.

I'm playing guitar since 1990. I own a Shinrock amp, a Marshall box, a ZOOM 9030, a DOD 250, a Godin ST-1, a Perez Guitar with cutaway.

I would buy it again. I love that there is no noise on the Pickups!

I answer questions of people also in german, I live in Switzerland...

Since 1990 I have been playing a 1989 Yngwie Malmsteen model Signature Stratocaster. I bought the guitar new in 1990 from Rainbow Music in New York via mail order. Mine is the U.S.A. built version of the guitar and features a 4 piece, ( not normal for fender )you read right!! 4 piece solid body comprised of alder wood and painted in a candy apple color that has a very dark maroon look to it. The tremolo is an American Standard non locking type which pivots on 2 large studs instead of the 6 wood screws that a vintage style tremolo would have. The neck is the best part of this guitar. It features 21 medium frets over a 25.5 scale length with a fairly fat feel, a thin satin finish over for the most part straight grained maple wood, Dimarzio non locking vintage style tuners as stock equipment, and my favorite possible guitar neck innovation of all time, SCALLOPES.
The guitar has the standard for a normal strat 3 pickup 3 knob passive electronics and pickup configuration with 5 way pickup selector. The middle pickup is a American Standard single coil, the pickups in the front and rear look exactly like any standard single coils, but are in fact Dimarzio HS3 verticle stacked humbuckers. Case and strap were also included in the purchase price of $925.

For the high energy rock music that I play this guitar is perfect. I play the guitar through a Zoom 3030 effects processor and 2 Boss MG 10 practice amplifiers for practice jams. When I record I use a Soldano Hot Rod 50 Tube Amplifier running through a Marshall 4-12 Lead Stereo Cabinet and a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal.
The guitar has no hum and is for the most part silent regarding noise when I use the front or back pickup positions, the tone having a very sweet harmonic click to the notes that is not too bass heavy but still very full and buttery with a bright but not screechy top end, this making soloing with an overdrive tone a true delight. The clean sounds the guitar can produce are much like any other stratocaster, and the guitar can produce all the sounds needed for jazz, blues, country etc... with ease. I have no dislikes regarding the sound of this guitar, and its completely stock too !

The overall consruction of this guitar is very good, with all aspects of the neck shape, finish, tuner fit, scallopes carving, and fretwire fit and finish to be Grade A outstanding. The bodys upper and lower bouts, or cutaway horns, are kind of thick, which I find unattractive, but are carved and shaped very smooth and consistent, as is the rest of the body. I believe the finish on the body is too thick, cutting down on resonanse properties, possibley by design to reduce over resonant induced muddyness on some notes. I can not argue with the tonal results, first rate, period.
The wood on the body is of good quality, with the routes for the hardware to be straight and true. The neck fit into the body pocket is very tight, with only a very slight gap at the back of the neck pocket on the top of the body, tighter than most strats I have seen, but not perfect. The strings align over the neck almost perfect, with the tuners, nut, string trees, pickgaurd, tremolo and strap buttons alighnment and fit and function first rate. Even the dots on the neck are straight, as is the steel neck clamp on the back. The action as I received the instrument had been adjusted by the store, so I do not know how it came from the factory. Rainbow did a decent setup on my guitar, with the action set to a medium height, and the intonation being fine. All hardware on this guitar is first rate.

With its strong high quality woods, beefy, well fitting tight construction and top flight hardware, this pup is a hoss deluxe, capable of taking anything you throw at it, or throw it at. Just ask Yngwie.

It has never needed any repairs of any kind, so I have never had to deal with them.

Yes, I would buy it again if I could find one, they are sometimes hard to locate. This guitar has a magical vibe that belies its (just a stratocater with a scalloped neck) configuration. The scalloped neck is my favorite aspect of the guitar giving a ( walking on a tight rope feeling ) to lead playing, especialy bending, I love it. I have been playing for 19 years and I have had several, including 11 stratocasters, of every type of good guitar made, and this one is my overall favorite. Hard to put it into words why.

21 Scalloped frets. After having this guitar, I believe that if you don't play scalloped, you don't play guitar. If someone says that is harder to play, they've never played one, or maybe they have arthritis, or maybe they're just fucking stupid. Bending is so much better than on a normal neck, after playing this for a week, then playing a normal neck, I was just like, "what the fuck!? i never noticed how hard it is to bend on this piece of shit normal neck!"
HS-3 in the bridge, which can "crunch" nicely but make sure you switch to either of the YJM Dimarzio Single coils for your solos, or it will sound too thin(this is based on my experience with by old stereo and my old Roland Gp-8, probably much better with a Marshall and a Tube screamer. I have to stress again that if you're having doubts about the scalloped neck, don't, i was worried about that two, and ive only been playing for 8 months, and it's not hard at all.

The clean is very nice sounding, and i hate fucking clean. The distortion is very thick with the HS-3 and the YJM in the neck position easily immitates Malmsteen's tone on the concerto suite. If you're worried about it coming out of tune, it won't. If you stretch the strings by lifting and pulling them off of the fretboard at the twelvth fret, over and over, it will eventually not come out of tune, no matter how many steps you divebomb.

well it kinda sucked when i used the tremelo and the fucking bridge broke and all the strings hit me in the face, but i settled out of court and got a new one.j/k

Like I said i've been playing for only eight months, but my prodigious technique has never sounded as good. I've played the 2500 dollar Les Paul Cusoms, the Peter Frampton Les Paul, I've played the Joe Satriani Ibanez, the Ibanez Jem, the Dimebag Darrell guitar, but this Strat sticks it's ass in all those guitar's faces and makes them suck it. Just remember who it's named after, Malmsteen wouldn't be so good if it hadn't been for is choice in guitar. It's a no brainer.
If this were stolen, I'd shoot myself in the fucking head, cause I couldn't afford another one. I've already grown very much attached to this one already. Play scalloped neck whatever guitar you choose, but this guitar's awesome, you should choose this one.

This is a 2000 American made model. I ordered it with the Candy Apple Red finish with a maple neck. I was unsure about the Candy Apple Red with the mint green pickguard but it really looks good. The backplate however, was white which didn't make much sense. This model has the vintage bridge instead of the two-point pivot on the older models. The frets are Dunlop 6000 which are HUGE and are perfect for the scalloped neck which is by far the best part about the guitar. Tuning keys are Schaller F-tuners and work very well. Brass nut. The guitar came with a tweed case, strap, and one of the new Fender cords.

The guitar sounds great with the DiMarzio JYM and HS-3 pickups. The bridge pickup is a little bright, but that may be due to the brass nut. I run the guitar through a ART SGX-2000 Express and a Peavey Ultra. The guitar is very quiet. The pickup selecter is a 3-way which is fine with me, but alot of players like the out-of-phase 2 & 4 positions and would probobly prefer the 5-way switch. (a 5-way switch should have been included with this guitar. Some of the other models are shipped with a 5-way switch kit)

I had to have the guitar set up when it arrived due to the climate difference between Tennessee and California. It also had 9's on it which I changed to 10's. The pickups (especially the middle) do not sit exactly straight in the pickguard which annoys me a bit. The paint job is excellent but the color isn't the same as some of the other Candy Apple Red Strats I have seen. The color is very cool though with the green guard. My biggest complaint about the guitar is the tremelo arm would not go into the block. I had to have the block tapped and get a new tremelo bar (which the local dealer provided to me at no cost...Thanks Sam Ash Nashville!)before I could get it to work correctly.

This guitar is just like any other Strat I have had. It will stand up to repeated abuse and usually only requires minor adjustments.

I have done extensive research on this particular model and have received several emails from people at Fender. They are very helpful and knowledgeable and always provided me with the information I needed. I was able to contact them through the Fender Discussion page available on their website. The guitar has a lifetime warranty. I did have my own luthier tap the block (as I mentioned above) only because he is the only one I trust.

I have been playing about 12 years and have owned several strats. I currently have a Jimmie Vaughn Signature Strat and a Jackson Fusion HH. I would have to replace this guitar immediately if it were ever stolen. It is by far the best looking Stratocaster I have ever seen. The best feature on the guitar is the scalloped neck. It is the most unusual and unique modification on a guitar. The more you play it, the more you like it.

This baby is a year 2K was made in USA model. Body wood is Alder and Neck is Maple with maple with a 21 fret scalloped fingerboard. Bridge is fender vintage. There are one volume and two tone knobs. It has 3 pickups (DiMarzio HS-3 pickups in neck and bridge, and with the Fender American Standard pickup in the mid position). Vintage style Kluson tuning machines and brass nut, and an American Standard tremolo. Accessories was tweed case, strap, cable and polishing cloth.

I'm into into a various styles of music such as Hendrix, Blues and lately Neo Classical Yngwie. I only had this guitar for less than a week and I haven't experimented with it enough to know all about what forms of music this guitar suits the best but from what I heard so far I love it. It has a rich full sound and the pickups are quite. I use it with a Johnson JT-50 amp with this combination this babe can wail and I am totally satified with in tonal range.

When it arrived from the factory it was in great condition. I was please with the action however I immediately changed the strings to Erny Ball 8 guage. The guitar's fit and finish is outstanding. The neck is incredible. It takes a little getting used to the scalloped fret board because when you press down on a string there is no wood to support you and even light guage strings can feel kind of hard at first but after you are use to it your playing can become mure accurate especially string bending and sweeps

I can't say much about durability but it seems to be well so well constructed that I don't even worry about it at this point.

I've been playing guitar a little over 2 years but before that I played bass for about 12 years. I also own a Jimi Hendrix Signature model strat which I also love a mexican made strat and Japenese made strat style Fernades. If it YJM Strat was stolen or lost I would have no choice but to buy another one or go through life completely heartbroken. I love the scalloped fretboard and the sound and action and vibe. This has to be my all time favorite guitar.

This is a stock USA made Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster with the red/burgundy finish. It's the 21-fret (vintage style) maple scalloped fretboard and neck, alder body, and the DiMarzio HS-3 pickups in neck and bridge, and with the Fender American Standard pickup in the mid position. Vintage style Kluson tuning machines and brass nut, and an American Standard tremolo. This was purchased used for $850.00 from Jeff's Guitars in San Diego, and it came with a tweed case and all stock accessories.

I've rated this only a six because it's not a very versatile guitar and it lacks quite a few features you would expect for a guitar in this price range. HOWEVER, I still believe this is a great guitar, and worth the price for the neck alone (if you're into scalloping). The scallop job is beautiful.

This is a beefy, single coil type of sound. I can't get any good "in between" 2 and 4th position sounds, probably because of the Dimarzio HS-3s. Yngwie tends to use ONLY the bridge or neck pickup, so this guitar is configured that way. As such, it's pretty limited in terms of tone. I've since modified my guitar and replaced the bridge pickup with a Lawrence L-500.

If you listen to any of the Yngwie albums, you can hear his tone, and this guitar does a fantastic job getting that tone. It's a very meaty, creamy single coil tone. Well defined, punchy, and crisp, with a good bottom and top end. I don't care for it on rhythm tracks, but for leads it sounds great.

The guitar, purchased used, had its frets practically level. Otherwise, the guitar's fit and finish is outstanding. The neck is incredible.

This is a great guitar if you're into shred. Stock, it is very limited both in terms of tone and features. If you want to sound just like Yngwie, this is the way to go. If you need a more general purpose range of tones and capabilities, expect to spend a few hundred more bucks getting some obvious upgrades like locking tuning machines (I put in Fender Schallers) and a more versatile pickup arrangement.

The guitar, stock, is incredible, but it's not very versatile. I've played it primarily through Line 6 equipment (POD, POD Pro, and Spider), and it sounds great through that gear. I think it's a good base guitar for modifications. I thought that only having 21 frets would be limiting, but I haven't noticed that at all. It's basically just a very well built strat with a superbly scalloped fretboard.

This is the latest model of the Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Strat, it was made in 1998 and is from the American factory. The number of frets are 21. It is a solid body guitar with the body wood being Alder and the neck being Maple. It has the usual strat controls, 1 volume and 2 tone; the bridge/middle pickup tone pot is a new delta tone pot which means that when it is on 10, then the actual tone pot is not interfering with the signal, the result is a slightly more crisper high end. The pickup configuration is again standard Strat fare except the pickups are: Bridge - DiMarzio HS-3, Mid and Neck - DiMarzio YJM, this are stacked humbuckers which cancel out the 60 cycle hum of single coils but retain their sound. These are all passive pickups. However these pickups are not coil tappable denying you access to classic Strat positions 2 and 5 on a 5 way switch, this has a 3 way switch. The standard Fender tremolo is of a very high standard and works smoothly and efficiently. The tuners are Kluson 'F' keys and are very stable. The nut is brass which is one of Yngwie main modifications and adds a bit more presence to open notes. The maple neck is guite thick [considerably more so than a US Std Strat] and the fingerboard is scalloped, the headstock is a replica of the late 1960's large Fender heads and looks great. The guitar came with a tweed fender case with allen keys for trussrod and bridge saddles. The frets are huge - Dunlop 6000's which are the biggest you can get and number 21.

This particular guitar suits my playing style for what I use it for - Neo Classical metal ala Yngwie / James Byrd and classic rock ala Deep Purple/Rainbow. I use it conjunction with a Peavey 5150 2x12 Combo, a Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive, Dunlop CryBaby Wah and a MXR phase 90. This guitar is very quite, the DiMarzio's do their job perfectly. The sound is quite bright, which is good for most things I play but at times it lacks a little oompphh. The sound is pretty full. The guitar mainly does the stock Strat sound well, and with heavy distortion and the neck pickup bent high notes really wail. My least favourite feature of the guitar is probably the low output of the pickups, but other times this is a good thing [cleaning up with the volume knob]. Their isn't really a lot I dislike about it. The scalloped neck is superb and this is a mod I had done to all my guitars [before buying this model]. The feel of the neck is superb. It is a little lacking for full on Metal, but for that I'd use a Humbucker equipped guitar anyway.

The guitar received a set-up by the shop after they received it from Fender, after travelling over 3000 miles it would probably need one. The action is quite high, but that's how I like it [more tone]. The pickups where adjusted fine with what seems like perfect string height/balance; I lowered the middle pickup almost flush with the pickguard since I never use it and it gets in the way of my picking. All the routing is exceptionally clean [much more so than US Std Strat]. The only flaw is the amount of lacquer over the fret sides, obviously the guitar neck was lacquered after the frets where fitted, some fine wire wool got rid of this is 5 mins, the tops of the frets where superb and silky smooth. The scratch plate screws have rusted 9 months after getting the guitar but this is down to sweat and moisture from gigs. The tremolo and other hardware is absolutely fine.

This guitar will definitely withstand live playing and DOES. I gig 2 to 3 times a week and nothing has given up on me yet. I think the hardware will definitely last [its Fender afterall]. There is a couple of small dents in the body but this it to be expected after pretty much constant use, the finish seems pretty strong. The strapbuttons where of the schaller strap lock variety, but I changed them for a DiMarzio straplock simply because that's is my favourite [and also I think one of the toughest]. I can depend on this guitar, but I do gig with back up in case of string breakage [you'd be a fool not to!!].

I have never dealt with Fender over this guitar, and hope never to, besides the shop where I got it from are great anyway. Their is a limited lifetime warranty.

I have been playing for 10 years now. I have owned Washburns, Epiphones and tried most other guitars extensively, I own 2 other Strats, a US Std Strat c.1996 and a Japanese Fender 1972 Re-issue, the YJM is definitely the cream of the crop. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would probably buy it again, but I would check out a Ernie Ball MusicMan Axis or a Peavey Wolfgang to see how they compare, as the Us Std with the same pickups sounds near identical, so I might look at something else for a different colour. I compared this guitar to several Ibanez's - JPM1 and Jem 555 and Gibsons Les Paul Custom, but this guitar did it for me. The only thing I wish it had where slightly more powerful pickups and a 1970's style headstock with a bullet trussrod as this is what Yngwie actually uses and it also looks the best IMHO. This guitar will NOT make you sound like Yngwie Malmsteen, I bought it as I felt it brought out MY voice the best, it also is a breeze to play with hammer on and pull offs being ever so easy and sound powerful, this is basically a GREAT Strat.

Oversized headstock, Dimarzio HS3 and YJM pickups, maple neck (scalloped), vintage trem, 3-way switch, etc....

Well, i play blues/rock like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gary Moore, Richie Blackmore, John Norum, Albert King, etc.. I'm using this guitar with a Peavey 5150, a Rocktron Intellifex and a Marshall 1960A Cab. When i first played on this strat i was really shocked about the fact how clean this guitar is. (The pickups have an output of only 90 mV) I like it the "Blackmore-way" : Play VERY LOAD but with almost no distortion. You have to create the distortion with the volume! It's hard to believe but my setting on my Peavey are: Pre-gain (normal gain channel): 4 , Bass:10 , Middle: 7 , Treble: 6. This gives you great tone! I don't like high gain settings because you have no defenition in your sound! When i play Jazz chords with some distortion they stay very clearly and don't sound muddy or something I really like the scalloped neck on this strat, it gives you total control with bending! For strings i use 011-054 and with a very high action, VERY high!! You can't get a good tone with low action no matter what you do!! The fret's are also brilliant! The biggest there are. With these frets you can give the best and most wide vibrato's! The sound of this guiter is best compared to that of Richie Blackmore. It contains the famous Fender tone's and is really a solo guitar!! When you play higher up the neck it cuts really through!! IT sounds great, very thick and very hard!!! It sounds even fatter than my 40th anniversary LEs Paul!! Can you believe it??

The finish is great, especially the cellulose finish on the neck!! It's the nicest neck i've ever seen!!! The action was shit and the snares too! i think it was 008-042 or something! I hate thin strings and low action! The guitar was in good shape, even after a long trip over the ocean. It's build very solid. I give it a 9 even even though the snares and action were SHIT but that's my personal taste so i ignore it.

Very reliable. Never had any problems with it. The brass nut is really great! I've never had a guitar that could stay in tune so well, even when i abuse it with my trem-bar!!

Never have dealt with them, thank god.

I've been playing for 4 years now and i've had lots of guitars but this one is definatly the one i keep forever!! It has the most beautiful colour there is and the neck is awesome!! I play different styles of music and this strat doesn't cover all of them but that's okay!! It's great for Blues and rock but not for Stevie's blues.....

Year and Make: 1991 Japanese made YJM strat. Body: Standard Fender Stratocaster body Controls: Two tone, One Volume Pickups: SSS Make and model of Pickups: I dunno, Generic Fender Japan Single coils, from what Ive read. They seem to lack that horrible twang most standard strat pickups have. This is very good thing. Active/Passive: Passive Electronics Body and Neck woods: Basswood (yes, crapwood) body, unfigured maple neck Finish: I think it's either artic white, or olympic white. Etiher way, it's just a stock Fender color Bridge: Synchrionized tremolo (I think....it's a 6 point trem. I have really no idea if Fender really makes any adjustments between their myriad 6 point trems. I think some are chrome coated, some are stainless. I can't tell) Tuners: standard, non-locking Neck features: 21 frets (Medium....I don;t think they're medium-jumbo. I can't quite tell without a Fender frame of reference). Scalloped neck, with the nicest Fender finish I've played (sad statement, since this guitar was supposed to be a 'sub-US quality' model.

I mostly play melodic death metal and shred. I haven't been playing guitar for that long, although I've been involved with music forever. I play through a Digitech 20101 Ltd, so the sound is rather biased.....My other guitars are Ibanez's, and this guitar sounds as good, if not better than them (actual guitar tone...not pickup tone). This guitar is ideal for neck-pickup lead playing, and makes sweeps and arpeggios sound a hell of a lot tighter, due to the clarity of the contact between strings and frets, without a fretboard in the way. The pickups aren't all that special, and I think I'll eventually put an HS-3, or an actual full-size humbucker in the bridge position....but the pickups are adequate, and sound as good, if not better thatn stock strat pickups. The guitar is not noisy at all, and due to its basswood body, produces a richer, less twangy sound than other body types. This I think is complemented by the maple neck, and the fiinish on that neck (I can't get over the nice Fender neck thing...). The sound thus, isn't *bright*, but smooth, I guess.....bright isn't always a good thing. I loie everythig about the sound of this guitar, except the weakness of the single coil bridge pickup.

I bought the guitar used, so it we set up like shit. I set it up really nicely, with a hybrid set of Ernie Ball strings...and now I can barely pu the thing down. Contrary to Yngwie's statement that the action really needs to be high on a scalloped instrument, I have the actiuon pretty low (similar to an Ibanez), and the things doesn't fret out. As of now, I am yet to find any flaws at all with this guitar.

So far, the guitar seems really reliable. I'm not one to beat the shit out of my instruments while playing them, so I can't really answer this question. The neck, which is the most important element of this instrument seems really solid, and trustworthy. The only seeming flaw, is that the finish is a little softer because of the basswood body. It dings easier......

Not yet. Fender is hazy about their warranties......not only did I not buy it from an authorized Fender dealer (thus nulling the warranty, I think), but it's a '91.....

This guitar absolutely rules! I normally hate Fenders (I know, blasphemy), but there's something about *this* particular guitar that does not fit the standard Fender mold. First of all, the finish on the 21-fret maple neck is not the dark yellow plastic-y finish put on most of the newer Fenders I've played. The Japanese version of this guitar seems to have a nicer, smoother finish on the neck, making the neck actually fell wonderful.....my biggest complaints about Fender instruments.. As I said, I've only been playing for 2 years, but I major in Music here at Penn State, and I've been playing percussion, and piano for 12, and 8 years respectively. I have not one bad thing to say about this guitar....granted, a US-made model would have been more nice (only so I can say I have a US YJM Fender), but this guitar suits every one of my needs. I *will* say However, that a long time ago, I played a Japanese YJM strat, and the thing felt like a plastic toy....the neck felt bad, the guitar didn;t resonate, and the frets seemed messed up (new). I was pretty wary of purchasing this guitar until I played it, so I can;t make statements on this model of guitars as a whole.....

This Beauty was made in USA. It has 21 scaloped frets. One volume and two tone. Pickups are great, one DiMarzio HS-3 (bridge) two DiMarzio YJM (middle and neck). Body wood is Alder and Neck is Maple with maple fingerboard. Bridge is fender vintage. Tuners are vintage schaller/fender "F". Accessories was tweed case, strap, cable and polishing cloth.

This instrument suites me fine. The pickups are great, but you need to boost the signal with Overdrive/boost pedal. Scalloped fingerboard is exelent. I get better grip from strings and the sustain is good. I have Boss GE-7 or DOD 250 re-issue as a boost before amp. Thats about the effects I use. Pickups are extremely silent (because they are stacked). Sound is full (much better than "normal" strat), and still retain the clarity. Sound is not "hot", but the sound is much better than Humbuckers (that is just my opinion). The sound is better than hoped for, so im very happy about my strat.

Bacause I live in Europe, the guitar had long way here so I had to tune the truss-rod. But other than that the action was great. Pickups were just fine only little adjustment. The paint finnish was fantastic. I haven't seen any flaws.

Come on this is fender you can't break this. Hardware is great and finnish is solid. I replaced the strap buttons with DiMarzio strap lock. I won't gig without backup

I haven't dealed with them, but from other products of Fender wich I had the support is Good

I have played 7 years. I own Marhall amp and marshall speakers. This is my dream guitar period. I love everything in this guitar.

Since 1990 I have been playing a 1989 Yngwie Malmsteen model Signature Stratocaster. I bought the guitar new in 1990 from Rainbow Music in New York via mail order. Mine is the U.S.A. built version of the guitar and features a 4 piece, you read right ! 4 piece solid body comprised of alder wood and painted in a candy apple color that has a very dark maroon look to it. The tremolo is an American Standard non locking type. The neck is the best part of this guitar. It features 21 medium frets over a 25.5 scale length with a fairly fat feel, a thin satin finish over for the most part straight grained maple wood, Dimarzio non locking vintage style tuners as stock equipment, and my favorite possible guitar neck innovation of all time, SCALLOPES.
The guitar has the standard for a strat 3 pickup 3 knob passive electronics and pickup configuration with 5 way pickup selector. The middle pickup is a American Standard single coil, the pickups in the front and rear look exactly like any standard single coils, but are in fact Dimarzio HS3 verticle stacked humbuckers. Case and strap were also included in the purchase price of $925.

For the high energy rock music that I play this guitar is perfect. I play the guitar through a Zoom 3030 effects processor and 2 Boss MG 10 practice amplifiers for practice jams. When I record I use a Soldano Hot Rod 50 Tube Amplifier running through a Marshall 4-12 Lead Stereo Cabinet and a Boss DS-1 distortion pedal.
The guitar has no hum and is for the most part silent regarding noise when I use the front or back pickup positions, the tone having a very sweet harmonic click to the notes that is not too bass heavy but still very full and buttery with a bright but not screechy top end, this making soloing with an overdrive tone a true delight. The clean sounds the guitar can produce are much like any other stratocaster, and the guitar can produce all the sounds needed for jazz, blues, country etc... with ease. I have no dislikes regarding the sound of this guitar, and its completely stock too !

The overall consruction of this guitar is very good, with all aspects of the neck shape, finish, tuner fit, scallopes carving, and fretwire fit and finish to be Grade A outstanding. The bodys upper and lower bouts, or cutaway horns, are kind of thick, which I find unattractive, but are carved and shaped very smooth and consistent, as is the rest of the body. I believe the finish on the body is too thick, cutting down on resonanse properties, possibley by design to reduce over resonant induced muddyness on some notes. I can not argue with the tonal results, first rate, period.
The wood on the body is of good quality, with the routes for the hardware to be straight and true. The neck fit into the body pocket is very tight, with only a very slight gap at the back of the neck pocket on the top of the body, tighter than most strats I have seen, but not perfect. The strings align over the neck almost perfect, with the tuners, nut, string trees, pickgaurd, tremolo and strap buttons alighnment and fit and function first rate. Even the dots on the neck are straight, as is the steel neck clamp on the back. The action as I received the instrument had been adjusted by the store, so I do not know how it came from the factory. Rainbow did a decent setup on my guitar, with the action set to a medium height, and the intonation being fine. All hardware on this guitar is first rate.

With its strong high quality woods, beefy, well fitting tight construction and top flight hardware, this pup is a hoss deluxe, capable of taking anything you throw at it, or throw it at. Just ask Yngwie.

It has never needed any repairs of any kind, so I have never had to deal with them.

Yes, I would buy it again if I could find one, they are sometimes hard to locate. This guitar has a magical vibe that belies its (just a stratocater with a scalloped neck) configuration. The scalloped neck is my favorite aspect of the guitar giving a ( walking on a tight rope feeling ) to lead playing, especialy bending, I love it. I have been playing for 19 years and I have had several, including 11 stratocasters, of every type of good guitar made, and this one is my overall favorite. Hard to put it into words why.

1989, MIJ Maple neck with 'Micro-tilt', maple scalloped fingerboard, Gotoh tuners. Three piece Basswood body, with the Fender Japans version of 'Sonic Blue' finish on it (it looked a lot like the Fender USAs 'Surf Green'). Three single coil Fender PUs, standard volume, tone, tone config with a 5 way switch.

The PUs were really noisy. It did the basic 'Strat' type of sound tho, and was versatile. It sounded good though a tube amp.

The action was low, and the frets were fairly chewed up when I bought it... it always had some string buzz, but it was playable. It seemed to be well constructed, the finish still looked great. The scalloped neck made it really easy to bend strings, but also made it really possible to go out of tune when chording. The bridge was pretty rusted, and some of the the saddles were stripped when I bought it.

The Poly finish was immaculate after almost 10 years, it was a very solid guitar. It was pretty light. Never used it to play out, I sold it after about 2 months.

No idea.

Playing over 20 years. I sold this not too long after my Carvin TL60 arrived.... I originally got this Strat because I thought the scalloped neck would help me develop my speed for lead playing, but the neck on the Carvin just beat it hands down for that. It was a decent guitar, whoever bought it probably got a bargain.