Navigator N-ST-300 Stratocaster

Well, read the other review, it's got the basic info. My guitar is the one with hard maple neck. No rosewood here, and that is a good thing! One of the microphones died a couple of years ago and I replaced it with a Seymour Duncan JB for Strat humbucker.

The sound is smooth, clean and bright. Absolutely fabulous with a Fender Twin Reverb '79 and clean settings. Should be propably even better with a Vox. With some overdrive the guitar sounds very FAT, just the way I like it (with the front mic that is). Selector in bridge position gives a rather bright tone, which is good for 70's Zappa-like sounds. Now that I've got the JB on bridge I get some sustain and Les Paulish sounds also.

I bought the guitar used. Or actually I received it as a christmas present.. It was in perfect condition. The body is made of single piece of ash and the finish is very good. Sunburst is really shimmering.

There is one defect in neck, as there is a knot just under the 12th fret. It was a problem during spring and autumn, when the air humidity changes rapidly, but I got the neck fixed.

This guitar will absolutely withstand live playing! I've played it on dozens of gigs and will absolutely play more. I used it on studio, and it showed it's versatility. The finish has scraped off a little, but it's all my fault as I tend to throw my equipment around when on-stage.. Stupid me, if I had known the true value of this instrument I think I had had a slightly different approach to the guitar.. But hey, now it looks like it has been played! And that's the way I want my guitars to be!

Don't know about this. I fix my guitars myself.

I've been playing this guitar since 2000. I wish someone had told me how valuable this guitar really is before I smashed it on the floor for six years :)

Nowadays my settings are Navigator / Homemade Tele / Squier S-73 -> Boss Octave OC-3 -> Jim Dunlop Crybaby -> Marshall Ed the Compressor -> Boss Dual Overdrive -> Ibanez Phase Modulator PM-7 -> Ibanez Delay DL-7 -> Laney VC-50 Twin Combo

I love the clean sound, I love the overdrive sound, I love it in all aspects!

If this baby got stolen, I'd hunt down the guy who took it.

Very expensive Japanese-made stratocaster clone made by ESP. This is the most expensive stratocaster made in Japan as a production model. New retail is $3,000.00 US. Features ash or alder selected bodies, all nitro finish on body and neck, hard maple neck, bone nut, Seymour Duncan "Antiquity" pickups stock, iron block vintage tremolo systems, CTS pots, cloth-covered wiring, optional hard case. Honduras rosewood fretboards for the "R" models. These have nice, big fat C-shaped necks and just feel like an expensive guitar when you hold it.

The one amazing thing about these strats, is that, maple OR rosewood necks - they ALL have individual fret-edge binding... you know, like how good Les Pauls have that little ridge that comes up to meet the edges of each fret? Well, these strats have that carved up on the sides of the maple or rosewood necks. I was told some rare original Fender strats from the 50's and 60's had this as wel, and that's what they decided to do with these Navigators. Absolutely incredible - imagine the effort and time to make all 42 carved edges?!

I love the tone. Some may like the SD "Antiquity" pickups, some may not. However, I love 'em and they are the only option on these guitars unless you custom-order something else. I use with Two Rock Opal amps, Marshall Bluesbreakers, an original 1963 Vox AC30, and with a few boutique amps made by a guy in St. Louis. This guitar produces shimmering Fender strat tones through these amps. I'll never buy a Fender USA guitar again - none will ever be able to compare.

Bookmatched body of selected woods, unmatched routing and overall craftsmanship... the guys who make these take a long look at the wood and think "what does this wood want to be?" before they make their guitars. Basically, they let the wood become anything it seems to cry to be. That's just awesome. I never thought of that ethic, but the Japanese are on to something. I never had to adjust a single thing on my guitar and I have been playing it for a few years. Perfect from the get-go.

There are no other Fender replicas that capture the essence of an original 50's or 60's Fender like Navigator does. Even Fender sadly cannot really recreate these. The Navigators are built better than Fender's Master Grade guitars. I personally am put off by the fact that Fender even has to have a "Master Grade" guitar - they should all be Master Grades. That's what you get with Navigator, though. All of them are built to very particular specs. I am friends with a former Navigator builder, and he hated his job, quite frankly, because it was "too hard" to get things perfect all the time. He got burnt out after a few years, as any mistake made is unacceptable and a new guitar is just started instead of covering up any mistakes. The Japanese are known for this ethic and ESP Navigator pushes this envelope to the fullest.

*One drawback - no hard case is included. And at this price!? A really nice one is available if you want to pay another $200+ - I think I'll just keep mine in my Fender Custom Shop Case ; )

Guraranteed to be free of any defects or you get a new guitar. Mine never needed repairs, but I know they would take it and do ant work for free, even after the 3 year guarantee was up.

If this were ever stolen... well, that's why I have 2 rooms full of Navigators - one here and one in the US! They are irreplaceable and I would be up the creek without mine. It inspires my best playing and tone. I'd probably play xylophone or something if I couldn't play a Navigator. lol No, really, though, I already have a taste of the best instruments the world has to offer for guitarists, and switching to any other guitar brand would seem like a step down. Worth every penny of the high price. Definitely for professionals, players and collectors alike.