Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst Maple Neck

Love this guitar!!! traded in a Fender Squire Humbucker through Guitar Center and haven't put it down since.

I played both the American Standard and the Deluxe prior to making my decision. I was able to test them out using a Vox AC30CC2, which I use at home. The Deluxe felt the way I expected a Strat should feel. The frets were conditioned such that there were no rough edges (unlike the the AS). The neck allowed me to play with ease. The bridge was solid and didn't vibrato just by resting your hand on it. But, most importantly, it sounded AMAZING. It was like it was singing just for me. Every song I attempted sounded the way I imagine they should sound in my head. It came via UPS in a couple days, all set up by Fender, from the GS Warehouse. Great Transaction. It brings a smile to my face everytime I strap it on. It is spectacular.

I upgraded from an MIM and rather than tell you that it's wonderful (which it is), I'll just tell you the differences and advantages of the Deluxe over the MIM. I know that's not a fair comparison, but one that I wish I had fully understood when I bought the MIM a few years ago. 1. The sound is night vs day. Every pickup position responds and sounds alive. The tone controls actually seem more responsive. This is not even counting the S1 switch. The sustain is much longer. There is such a range of tones. And they sound rich - from the chimey clean to the blues. I don't know of any tone that you might need that can't be found. With the MIM, the neck pickup always sounded too mottled and bassy no matter where the tone control was turned. 2. It is much easier to play. The compound neck may be the reason. The 9's that came with it also make it easier, but they sound great. 3. It stays in tune better with the locking tuners. Even if you leave it for a day or two, it is still sometimes right in tune. 4. It looks great, but not any better than the MIM which also looks great (unless you're looking closely at the features). So for me, I wish I knew the magnitude of these differences when I bought the MIM. They are significant and commensurate with the price.

I've been playing the guitar for quite some time now and I can tell you that there is something special about this guitar. As soon as I picked it up and plugged it in at the store (without the whammy), it felt fabulous in my hands and I could play songs that would be impossible for me to play due to sound differences and neck profiles on other guitars. It's been roughly 6 months from my purchase and I still smile every time I play it, the 3-tone burst option is truly remarkable in the stage lights. The 5 tone options are limitless with the S-1 switch, I went with the 3 single coils mainly because I can achieve all the tones as the hum bicker deluxe that is more expensive and with the S-1 switch on, the strat sounds like it has a humbucker anyway. The locking tuners keep the guitar in tune remarkably well also, it is truly unreal. I have never had any complaints, most weeks I need not check the tuning on my guitar! My last guitar was a les Paul, this guitar not only sounds much nicer but it is lighter too! When you have a gig it is extremely important to have a light guitar, I'm in my teens and a les Paul is crazy heavy man! The thin neck is simply fantastic, it's way nicer and easier to chord than on a les Paul too. The cut away at the top of the neck, where the metal square is stamped on the back, also helps more than you'd typically think. My final summation of this guitar is that it is not only extremely versatile and easy to play, but it is also something you can not just put down! It sounds good on anything! The American standard loses tuning easily, this beats it in quality and sound every time by a long shot. It is definitely worth the extra money. I listen to bands from the kooks to RHCP and even the black keys; I've never found a guitar that plays all the bands I listen to perfectly... This is the first. I can not stress how impeccable this guitar is, I challenge you to find a flaw on it. The only thing that is somewhat troubling is the plastic wrapping when you first get it, it is very difficult to remove. Nonetheless, the plastic wrapping is the pretties thing to complain about. This guitar is incredible and will last me a lifetime, the N3 pickups and the diverse range will keep me quite satisfied for the longest of times. Trust me, you will not regret your purchase.

I have been playing off and on for 30+ years and have owned several guitars ranging from Fender Lead II (1979), Les Paul Custom (1981), PRS Custom 24 , American Standard Stratocaster, MIM Nashville Telecaster. Without hesitation, this is the guitar I like the most in all those years. It is really a high quality instrument. The build quality is easily better than the late 90s American Standard I had, and although it doesn?t? have the same visual impact as my 10 top PRS, it is every bit as flawless. I have the maple fret board, S/S/S, Sunset Metallic and although I might not have picked that finish from a picture (it?s a little flashy for my taste), I quickly overcame my reluctances after playing it for a few minutes. It retains its Stratness while adding some modern amenities such as medium jumbo frets, pop in trem bar, noiseless pickups, S1 Switching, strap locks, etc.. Bear in mind that I was/am a big fan of the Strat Plus and Ultra. The case is really nice, though I think it?s made by SKB. The compound radius neck is awesome, as is the contoured heel. After having the S1 Switching I can?t imagine not having it. The locking tuners are very good, no more ?vintage? tuners for me thank you very much? There is a lot of negative buzz about the N3 noiseless pickup, but for the life of me I can?t figure out why. I mean they sound great in most every position and they are DEAD quiet. Does it sound like a 1954 Stratocaster? No, but neither does a 1970?s Strat or a split humbucker for that matter. I am not a fan of the typical humbucker sound at all (I got over that in the 80?s) and while the N3?s may not actually be true single coils, they sound great. The N3?s married with the S1 switching makes this one extremely versatile guitar. The N3 pickups sound much more full than normal single coils when play individually. Position 2 & 4 sound pretty much like a good sounding strat to my hears. I would like to see some blindfold test with all the naysayers, as I seriously doubt most could tell them from conventional single coils. Do keep in mind that I like Lace Sensor pickups Fender used in the Plus and Ultra, so it could just be my ears. I am looking for a good tone, not necessarily a ?vintage? one. In the past I have sold several guitars looking for something new/better, but I have vowed that nothing sort of an economic collapse will cause me to sell my 2011 American Deluxe Stratocaster. Very Happy indeed!!!

I'm gonna start of by saying this thing is definitely impressive, and worth the money, but... if you're looking for anything with true, raw power, i'd go for a gibson, or even a Fender Jazzmaster. The sound quality on this thing is phenomenal, especially when you're playing clean, though don't get me wrong, this baby will sound great with some distortion or overdrive. I can get some Hendrix, and Beck sounds outta this thing easily, but for lead, that's really all it's gonna be able to do for you lead wise. For rhythm this thing is a versatile masterpiece, but if you're mainly a lead guy, or are looking to be a lead guy, i'd recommend going for a guitar with some bite, like a gibson, or maybe putting some texas special pickups on this thing. This thing is perfect for some cosmic blues, and dive bombs, and feedback, but if you really wanna play solos driven by power and tone, definitely go for les paul. I mainly use this for rhythm and some songs i need the amazing whammy on, while i use my Gibson Les Paul for killer, tonal leads.