• Beautiful Strat!!

  
  As reviewed by NATE BAUER on 10/26/2012

  I have owned this guitar for a total of 2 hours now, but take it from a guy who has owned several strats, this one is a keeper! I previously had a '79 (horrible neck), a MIJ '69 reissue (amazing but had to sell for $), and most recently a Deluxe Roadhouse. In a year with the Roadhouse, I never felt at home with it. I liked the sound of the Texas Specials but it didn't feel right and for those strat owners out there, you know how different each one is. Which is why I was always hesitant to buy without playing first. I took a chance and it has paid off. So, first off, it is set up brilliantly out of the box. I plugged in and played. No fret buzz. Action set perfectly. The neck is like butter. Not thick gloss but nice and smooth. I like the string trees. The look is amazing! This new honeyburst color (new for this model anyway) is gorgeous. So you know, it is hand stained. Not high gloss but more of a natural thin coating which enhanced the natural wood grain beautifully. It looks amazing - almost an old, vintage look to it. And of course, it has the most sexy 70's headstock to complement the body. I knew the second I held it in my hands - this strat is a winner in every way!

  11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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• UPDATE!!

  
  As reviewed by NATE BAUER on 11/19/2012

  I wrote a previous review but have now had the chance to use this guitar for a couple of gigs. I use this strat for mostly blues/blues rock (SRV, Delbert McClinton, Steve Miller) but also move to the bridge or bridge/middle for a couple of twangy country songs. My original opinion has only improved. I did change strings to 10's, and as with any tremolo guitar, you must adjust spring tension when changing from the 9's that were on it. Easy adjustment and didn't require additional springs. For 11's it might. Comparing to my previous strat, Deluxe Roadhouse (also with Texas Specials) this guitar cannot be beat. The feel of the smooth satin neck is so much more comfortable and it is, I believe, slightly wider than the traditional Fender neck which, for me, makes it much more playable. I realize that the pickups are the same as my other strat but the tone from this thing is much more strat like. Chiming. Ringing. No dead spots. Maybe attributed to better quality woods, frets, tuners, saddles, bridge, etc.?? Maybe just good ole' American manufacturing! I don't know but this strat is heads and tails above any other strat I have owned. I'm not sure why the price is less than most other American models. I would snatch one up now while that price stays low!

  4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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• Great US quality for less.

  
  As reviewed by Maxwell Trdina on 11/16/2012

  This guitar is much better than I had expected. This is my first upgrade from a Squire Strat, and I'm thoroughly impressed. I'll start from the top of the guitar down. The headstock is 70's style, a great aesthetic plus.I'm not sure the name of the tuners, but they're the same as an American Standard, and hold tune pretty well. Bending causes some issues with the B and G strings, but I don't lay on the tremolo so I can get over it. The string trees are nice, and while they appear to be rolling, they aren't. they're still pretty good. The nut is just regular synthetic bone and didn't need any adjusting. The neck is amazing, but requires some neck gloss to really make it fast. The body is hand stained and absolutely beautiful. The pickups are pretty hot. I mostly only use the neck pickup, but I ran through them all and they sound great. Like most american fenders, The saddles are bent steel and the tremolo hole is tapped at an angle, presumably for better bending. Be warned though, If you plan on using any strings heavier than 9s you're going to have to do some serious bridge adjustment. I would recommend adding two more springs to the block if you plan on using anything higher than 11s. The guitar is lighter than I imagined, but it sounds great so I'm not complaining. All in all a great guitar that I would recommend to anyone looking for a great US guitar.

  4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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