Fender Stratocaster: The American Classic Lives On

The American Stratocaster is one of the greatest guitars ever built. Arising in the 1950s, the Stratocaster became an instant classic. The Fender Stratocaster is by far one of the most popular guitars ever built. There are many mixed reviews about the Stratocaster, but there are different types. From crappy non-American Squiers to the American Fender Stratocaster. I'm reviewing the ones built in America. For some time, I owned an American Stratocaster with a sunburst design, three single-coil pick-ups, and rosewood fretboard and rosewood neck.

-Price-
*The American Fender Stratocasters go for about $999. Guitar Center is a great place to buy them. I actually bought mine from a smaller music store with a salesperson who seemed a bit drunk. The sticker there said $999.99, but I brought him down to only $700! I eventually traded it in for a Peavey Wolfgang and then customized my own Strat later. For $999, this is a great value. There are lots of other guitars out there for a similar price. I personally would choose a Strat over Gibson Les Pauls and quite possibly other guitars in the similar range. It's in tight competition with the Parker P-38 which has a sticker of $850. It's up to the person to decide on the sound they want. There are Fender people and there are Gibson people. One day you'll realize who you are. Then it's up to you decide what you like more. But without doubt, the Fender Stratocaster is a great value.

-Under The Hood-
*Well, you can get two types of variations of power. Either you can have three single-coiled Fender pick-ups, or in the "Fat Strat", you can get dual-single coiled pick-ups and single humbucker (double-coiled). I personally prefer the Fat Strat configuration, but both sound awesome. It's up to personal preference for the sound. But most people will say that having humbuckers is better.

-The Neck-
*The neck and fretboard are definitely very important options to the guitar. The two most popular choices are maple and rosewood fretboards. I personally prefer maple because it's got the "twang" that I like. However, many other people like the warmer and richer sound of rosewood. I had rosewood only because I got an amazing deal on the guitar at the time. Many people also prefer rosewood because it doesn't have the "twang" that the maple has more of.

-The Feel-
*The Fender Stratocaster feels pretty good. The neck feels nice, the body is fairly heavy, but not too heavy which makes it uncomfortable for me to play. It's a great feeling guitar. Once you play the Strat, you'll pretty much fall in love with it.

-The Bad-
*According to some people, they say Fender uses poor quality parts on their guitars. This remains true for some non-American built guitars, and especially for Squiers. But the American Deluxe Stratocaster is by no means cheap. Just if you're curious about that... The bad thing for some people is the tone itself. It has a very unique twang that only Fenders have. If you like it, you'll love the guitar. If you don't like it, then you won't like the guitar. Once again, it is personal preference.

-The Verdict-
*The Fender Stratocaster is considered by many to be a true classic. For many, it is truly the greatest guitar ever created, and for some it is horrible. It's based on personal preference. However, from my own experience. I love the Stratocaster. My personal favorite is the one I use now. I bought a much cheaper used American Stratocaster. Put on a new neck, and also put in DiMarzio pick-ups. But for stock, the American Deluxe Strat is truly a great guitar. You get what you pay for. You get great quality for $999, and you get the great sound that you'd want from a $999 guitar.