Fender American Special Stratocaster Review

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If you want to continue in the footsteps of legendary guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck than you most likely need their beloved tool, the Fender American Stratocaster. It might have a premium price point, however, the craftmanship, tonality, versatility, playability, quite frankly every element of this guitar is honed to perfection.

It justifies every cent of its price and this guitar will certainly last you a lifetime. This is guitar is the one that has shaped the rock music industry since its beginnings, and even if you thought that your playing can’t get any better about your playing, I will beg you to just give it a try to experience this masterpiece yourself.

I have tried plenty of Strats in my lifetime, and this recreation really feels like the classic Stratocaster, it has the original shape but it feels lighter on its alder body. Plus the urethane finish on top just enhances the sex appeal, it comes in various colors like the classic Sunburst, but my favorite one was the Olympic White, which is very pure looking and amazing. It has plenty of playability and gives plenty of access to high-notes.

The Fender American Stratocaster is equipped with a bolt-on maple neck with a C shape and 25.5-inch scale length, and let me tell you it feels gorgeous with the maple fretboard and its 22 medium jumbo frets. On top of all this, the details on its rolled edges were fantastic, as it gave me the impression that it is a guitar that has seen stage time or was in the hands of a veteran studio musician for years. Furthermore, the glossy finish on the neck is perfect for blues players who like to slide on the neck smoothly, I really can’t find any negatives about this design.

On top of its classic design, the Fender American Stratocaster uses advanced modern electronics, and as a true Strat, it uses three single-coil pickups one on the neck, the bridge and one right in the middle of them. This layout is connected to the five-way pickup selector, which gives you plenty of versatility, and a volume knob with 2 tone knobs.

It is the only high-end guitar that I can really recommend to even beginners because this guitar is extremely versatile even if your musical style evolves from its original form the Stratocaster can go along with you in every step. Plus its lightweight, fast action, smooth neck, pickup selector will allow you to transition instantly on stage without any delay.

It was very capable of playing classic rock tunes like it is intended to, it was also pretty good in funk and jazz. Metal and speed metal weren’t a challenge for the Fender American Stratocaster, and I was able to play every solo smoothly with joy.

I am truly in love with the Fender American Stratocaster and if you want to really invest in a timeless instrument, you can’t go wrong with this one. We also featured this guitar on our top electric guitars list, so you should check that out too!

Fender American Special Stratocaster

9.5

Quality

10.0/10

Value

9.5/10

Sound

9.0/10

Pros

  • Well-Crafted
  • Beautiful Finish
  • Easy To Hold

Cons

  • None

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