• Just get this guitar!

  
  As reviewed by Rob on 4/23/2011

  I have an '86 reissue and it still kicks a$$. Wonderful workmanship and setup. This does a wonderful job of maintaining that classic Strat sound. If you like maple, get the '57. Great paint and showmanship. Great working axe! Pricing is extremely reasonable for what guitars are going for these days. This will hold value better than the standard.

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• Depends How Much You Like the Neck

  
  As reviewed by Jeff Hwang on 2/15/2012

  The sound of the Vintage Hot Rod '62 is instant SRV -- almost too easy, maybe, taking some of the mystery out of it. But whether the Hot Rod '62 or the regular Vintage '62 is the right '62 Strat for you probably depends on how you feel about the neck. The Vintage Hot Rod '62 Strat has a LARGE C-shape neck that the regular Vintage '62 does not have, and you really need to see it in person to get how large it is compared to the neck of most any other typical Strat most people come across. It's a bit like holding a baseball bat; this isn't necessarily good or bad in and of itself, but that's just the best way to describe it. The Hot Rod '62 is also significantly heavier than the regular Vintage '62, which will be immediately noticeable once you have a chance to hold them side by side. This heft has a tremendous effect on playability. The Hot Rod '62 is not really difficult to play, but it does make you work for it. That said, there is direct, predictable connection between input and output. I've played two of these Hot Rod '62s, and they handled my "Texas Flood" test -- the high e-string 6th-, 7th-, and 8th-fret bends -- better than really any guitar I've ever played. I'm not a professional, and just to get the sounds that I do want without the sounds that I don't want is rewarding. The benefit of the weight on both the feel and sound of the Hot Rod '62 also is apparent even when just playing open chords. That said, the Hot Rod version might not be the right '62 for everyone, particularly if you don't have large hands. If you're interested in a '62 reissue in general and the Hot Rod '62 in particular, I strongly recommend finding a store that has the Hot Rod '62 in stock (I live in Las Vegas and had to go to L.A. to play one), and sitting down and playing it before purchasing. I did just that, and though I originally had my heart set on the Hot Rod -- and may yet revisit the idea in the future -- I ended up walking away with a regular '62 reissue that just melted in my hands.

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• Best Guitar I've Owned...Period!

  
  As reviewed by JV1976 on 4/20/2007

  Let me just start off by saying that I've been lucky enough to have had lots of different Fender guitars over my 15 years of experience. In this particular review however, I will start off by comparing my white 62 hot rod strat to my Eric Johnson strat, my 57 hot rod strat, and my SRV strat. The first point I will address will be looks and quality. The 62 Hot rod wins this point over all other ones (yes even over my Eric Johnson's) because the body, the knobs, the bridge, and most of all the neck are simply Flawless and serve a purpose....and that is to contribute to its tone. The rosewood neck is a thick-C profile which feels the most comfortable and its nitrocellulose treatment makes it absolutely gorgeous and rich sounding (compared to my SRV). Having won the looks/quality argument, the next thing I'll discuss is the sound/tone of this amazing instrument. The aforementioned features are in my humble opinion, the reason why you hear pure bliss when you plug this guitar into a good amp, in my case a Crate V30. The pickups are actually better sounding to my ears than even the ones on my Eric Johnson's. Perhaps the different necks on these two guitars also contribute to this. But whatever the reason, the 62 has a sweeter, more pleasant tone with quiet performance. I will say that the pickups on the 62 are not as quiet as the SCN pickups on my 57 hot rod strat, but the difference in their tone always have me preferring the 62 over the quieter 57. The bridge pickup on the 62 is by far, my favorite clean sound. I'm reminded of SRV, or Hendrix, or Clapton....but sweeter, full of bell tone, and rich in harmonics. The middle pickup, which is reverse wound and has reverse polarity, is my favorite distortion pickup. Again, not as quiet as the SCN on my 57, but the sound is simply heaven. Think of Smashing Pumpkins' Today from Siamese Dream, or Nirvana's In Bloom from Never Mind. The bridge pickup is also amazing. You'll be able to achieve 70s tones such as the ones from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, or The Wall. In case this sonic palate is not enough, you have absolute noiseless tones in positions 2 and 4. As stated earlier, this is due to the way the middle pickup is reversely wound. You can really have me go on and on about why I like this great guitar. However, the most important reason why this is my favorite out of the bunch, is that this guitar inspires me to play. I play this particular guitar so much, that I?m actually considering selling some of my other ones and upgrade my amp and pedals. The quest for the perfect tone hardly comes to an end for most people. Yet, I would not be one bit unhappy if this were to be the only guitar I would play from now on. IT is simply that good!

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