player opinions
Fender Classic ‘50s Stratocaster
Name: Mike Garrison
Band: Scarab Domain
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Model Year: 2001
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Price Paid: $385
Performance
This guitar is a dream to play. I have upgraded some of the components and I believe it now rivals guitars 3 to 4 times its value. The v-neck and tinted maple fretboard can only be found on this guitar or the more expensive American made ones (v-neck on Jimmie Vaughan’s Mexi Strat also, but not the tinted lacquered neck). Very simple 5-way switch. Vintage tuners and tremolo, so don’t go dive-bombing on it. What else can I say? It’s a Strat and it plays like a Strat.
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Performance Rating: 10
Sound Quality
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Out of the box, this guitar sounds like your average Strat. Pickups have a little noise going on, but the guitar (alder version that is) resonates well acoustically. I sold the pickups on ebay for $20, and the vintage bridge for about $10. Then I put Fender Custom Shop Vintage Noiseless pickups in it and a L.R. Baggs Vintage X-Bridge (piezo bridge). I had a guitar tech do this due to the complex mag/piezo pickup wiring config and the stereo jack. So now I have about $600 built into this axe but I’d put it up against any professional setup. Vintage Noiseless pickups look aged as well and the Baggs bridge is vintage, so you can’t tell it’s been hot-rodded. I am rating the sound in its stock condition (although now it is a 10+++).
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Sound Quality Rating: 7
Construction
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This is a great Mexi-made vintage Fender. I bought the 2-tone sunburst model over the painted ones (daphine blue or surf green), to get the alder body instead of poplar. I pulled the pickguard off and it is definitely solid all the way through. The grain has a few pock marks, but I didn’t pay $1,200 for it either. Overall, it has impressive workmanship and vintage Fender vibe.
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Construction Rating: 8
links
Average Ratings
- Performance: 10
- Sound Quality: 7
- Construction: 8
Ratings Key
- 10: Excellent
- 0: Useless
Company
- Fender