Guitar Review Ninja

These Schecter V1 Hellraiser’s are radical. There is something about inlaid wood that never fails to inspire and Schecter has outdone themselves – again. You get a lethal look, first of all. And: 3-piece mahogany neck, TonePros Bridge, Gothic Cross inlays & massive EMG’s.

Schecter V1 Hellraiser Electric Guitar Features…

Construction: Set-Neck w/Ultra Access

Body: Mahogany (Quilted Maple top on BCH)

Neck: 3-pc. Mahogany

Scale: 25.5 in.

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Frets: 24 X-Jumbo

Inlays: “Gothic Crossâ€

Binding: Abalone (BCH), Gray Pearl (BLK)

Pickups: EMG Active 81-TW/89

Electronics: Vol(tap)/Vol(tap)/Tone /3-way switch

Bridge: TonePros TOM w/Thru-Body

Tuners: Grover

Hardware: Black Chrome

Buy Schecter V1 Hellraiser Electric Guitar

awesome!!!!!!

i own this guitar in black cherry and i could not be happier, the look of this guitar can not be beat. also the feel is amazing, amazing sustain, def. a metal guitar. low end is amazing for pantera style licks, and high end doesn't disapoint me at all, i love the inlays of this guitar it adds to the look so much. like all v's it can take a little getting used to playing and the jumbo frets were a little hard for me to play on at first, but after that everything was great.ive never played on a better instument and i am extreamly happy with what shecter did whith this.

Anonymous Musician from Mississippi (Jul 12, 2008)

 Ultra II Demo Video

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The Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II is all the Les Paul you expect, with enough extras to make it a new must-have instrument for any serious player. Epiphone has a habit of starting revolutions. In 2005 , when most people said it couldn’t be done, the world’s favorite luthier said that yes, it could, and invented the first Les Paul to feature a chambered body, giving even more guitarists the change to enjoy killer Les Paul tone and sustain. That model was the Les Paul Ultra.

Now Epiphone is doing it all over again, as the original Les Paul Ultra is joined by the new Ultra II. You might not be surprised by the name, but when you check out this groundbreaking hybrid model, you would believe what Epiphone has done.

Some things haven’t change. Like the original Ultra, the Ultra II features a chambered mahogany body topped with a quilted maple cap, meaning that it weighs far less then a Les Paul Standard wile offering the same timeless tone and endless sustain – but that’s not the reason why the new Ultra II is set to steal the show.

The real revolution comes from the Ultra II’s pairing of twin Alnico Classic humbuckers (which supply the beefy electric tone that has always been the Les Paul’s calling card) and a fingerboard-mounted NanoMag pickup (with dedicated tone controls and output jack) that lets guitarists unlock shimmering acoustic tones on the stage and in the studio. Whether you’re playing clean fingerpicked passages or digging in with the pick, this revolutionary hybrid model as it covered.

Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II Electric Guitar Features…

Body: Mahogany, Chambered

Top: Quilted Maple Neck: Mahogany, slim-taper, satin finish, glued, set

Fingerboard: Rosewood, 12-inch radius, 22 medium jumbo frets

Scale: 24.75 inches

Nut Width: 1.65 inches

Neck Pickup: Alnico Classic, NanoMag

Bridge Pickup: Alnico Classic Plus

Bridge: LockTone Tune-o-Matic

Tailpiece: LockTone Stopbar

Controls:

- Neck Volume

- Bridge Volume

- NanoMag Volume

- Master Tone

- 3-way Toggle

- NanoMag Treble

- Nanomag Bass

- Nanomag Gain

Output Jacks: 1/4-inch mono, 1/4-inch stereo

Power: 9V battery

Tuners: Grover die-cast

Hardware: Gold

Buy Epiphone Les Paul Ultra II Electric Guitar

 Ultra II Demo Video

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Great Guitar! Impressive tones!

I did allot of research on this guitar. I couldn't find anything too negative. I purchased it after trying it out. The learning curve for me is still on going. I am not used to Les Paul guitars. I have 2 EVH Wolfgangs that I play. I wanted a guitar that would go acoustic and still have balls to rock. This guitar will do both nicely. The different tones you can get are simply amazing and endless. You can get a nice smooth Jazz, blues sound to a metal sound. I have the cherry finish w/ the gold hardware and it is breathtaking. Epiphone spent time on Craftsmanship. The guitar is also lighter than a standard Les Paul (about 2 lbs.) The acoustic part of the guitar gets pretty close to sounding acoustic. I am impressed with the versatility which is exactly what I was looking for. As with any guitar sound the amp is also a big part of it. I have a Peavey VYPYR 75 watt that I am playing through.

Jonesy from Sully, IA (Nov 12, 2008)

I LOVE the variety of sounds this guitar is capable of. The Nano-mag adds a dimension that is just wonderful. It's aimed at capturing the "acoustic" features of the string vibration at a harmonically-rich location on the guitar. It does this in spades. Now, you won't be able to replicate the sound of your Larrivee acoustic, but that shouldn't be a big surprise. I know I will end up using the Nano-mag output alone a lot of the time. In some respects, the sound can be made to be somewhat 'Strat-like' (I know, sacrilege).

Rating only takes off a point because "perfect" would include some sort of 'out of phase' available combination.

The fact that you can mix in as much or little of the Nano-mag pickup output as you want into the output mix is what will give this guitar a dimension of versatility that few elecric guitars (at least without complicated on-board electronics) can match.

I read a review of the Ultra (1) model that suggests the hollowed-out body gives it a somewhat "wooly" sound. The reviewer used that term as a negative connotation. To my ear, I LIKE the wooly sound of semi-hollow guitars. This guitar will likely overtake "most frequent" use status from my 1983 Ibanez AM-50 which has a similar sort of sound.

Although I play almost exclusively without effects, through an old Roland Bolt-60 tube amp, I've found a LOT of great sounds available from this guitar – everything from sizeable crunch to delicate, airy sounds (with lots of Nano-mag, to be sure).

Pickup output is medium. My AM-50 definitely has it over this guitar for straight output, but that's why we have volume controls on amps and the option to add amplification. In my case, I can see using this guitar with both my amps – the Roland and a Fender Acoustasonic Junior (in stereo).

In all pickup configurations, the LPU is very quiet, pretty much par for humbucker guitars (at least, in my experience).

Just purchased (March 2008). Must have been made within the last year or so.

This model is an elaboration/refinement of the Les Paul Ultra reviewed elsewhere in detail on this site. The main change the Ultra made to the Les Paul design was a hollow routed "chamber" below the maple top, giving it a more semi-hollow body sound, which it definitely does. The Ultra 2's main difference from the Ultra is the addition of a 'Nano-mag' pickup located just south of the 22nd pickup, literally 'in' the fingerboard. This is an active pickup, powered by its own 9v power supply and with a separate set of gain/bass/treble controls built into the rear of the guitar. There is also a master volume control for this pickup on the front of the guitar. Finally, there is a choice of outputs: Either through a single 1/4 inch output for all pickups, or separately for the "standard" pickups (through one jack) and the Nano-mag output through a separate jack, for stereo output.

The "normal" pickups seem to be the classic "standard" Alnico Les Paul Humbuckers, with separate volume controls. The control setup differs from a normal LP in that there is a single 'master' tone control for the humbuckers, one of the tone controls having been 'replaced' by the master volume for the Nano-mag.

I'll be blunt: I bought this guitar MOSTLY because of the available Nano-mag. I've owned several 'real' LP's in the past and played plenty of others. I've always found it kind of a limited guitar for my purposes.

My guitar had a "Made in Korea" sticker, which surprised me because I thought they were being made in China. I had to root around to find one in my neck of the woods and was told that new shipments were not expected until late this summer into Canada, perhaps indicating that manufacturing is being shifted elsewhere. The serial number prefix is 'U', suggesting this was not made in the Samick factory where my Epiphone Joe Pass model was built.

Just a short comment on the body/material/construction front: The body on my guitar is laminated from at least 4 pieces of mahogany, with a faux flamed maple top. The 4 piece lamination of the mahogany is obvious, but the top APPEARS to be a single piece. Now, don't be fooled, that is not a 'real' flamed maple top – it's some sort of decal or photo trick below the finish.

Does not come with a case for purchase price. Budget another $90 or so.

Ok, here's the first nitpick – My guitar came in the "faded cherry" finish – glossy red back overlapping the front gold/orange (faux) flamed maple front, but with a totally cheesy red satin finish on the back of the neck and the headstock. The satin finish feels and plays fine, but looks like like a bad barn-painting job. To have finished it in a gloss finish would have completed an otherwise very classy look.

The guitar is available in a 'Midnight ebony' colour that is more restrained and perhaps solves the criticism of the red satin finish job. If I had the option, I would have taken it in that colour.

My guitar came with an outrageously high, weirdly-tilted action that took about 2 minutes to fix and re-tune the guitar. Otherwise, the fit and finish were both really good. Neck ruler-straight. Frets EXTREMELY nicely finished (unlike a number of other reviewers of the Ultra model found).

The gold-plating on the hardware (which I would do without, if given the choice) SEEMS of reasonable quality. But, so did the plating finish on my Epi Joe Pass. It was not to be. But let's be fair, this guitar cost me $660 (Canadian). Given the gold/orange/red paint scheme of the overall guitar, the gold hardware does look good (at least for now).

Rating is discounted purely on the paint comment, but keeping in mind this is a substantially sub-$1000 guitar. Other than the paint, NO "eyesore" problems.

Finish on the Grover tuners appears to be particularly good. Odd, but welcome.

Oddly, the warranty is ONLY 1 year (not "lifetime" or "limited lifetime") – maybe that's a Canadian quirk.

Otherwise, No experience/no comment

Bearister (03/09/2008)

The Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic ’50s boasts cool, classic Fender vibe. Originally conceived as a student-level guitar designed to capture the attention of rock ‘n’ roll 1950s youth, the Duo-Sonic became a sought-after model among collectors, musicians and Fender fans. Squier’s new Classic Vibe Duo-Sonic ’50s comes in a Desert Sand finish on a basswood body, with a comfortable 24 inch-scale gloss-maple neck with 21 medium-jumbo frets and a modern 9.5 inch fingerboard radius. Other features include two alnico V single-coil pickups and a three-way selector switch for bright, clear tones that are unmistakably Fender.

Squier Classic Vibe 50s Duo-Sonic Electric Guitar Features…

Model Number: 030-3050-(589)

Series: Classic Vibe Series

Colors: (589) Desert Sand, (Gloss Polyester Finish)

Body: Basswood

Neck: 1-Piece Maple, Modern “C” Shape, (Gloss Polyester Finish)

Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)

No. of Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo Frets

Pickups: 2 Custom Vintage Style Single-Coil Duo-Sonic(R) Pickups with AlNiCo 5 Magnets (Neck & Bridge)

Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone

Pickup Switching:

- 3-Position Toggle:

– Position 1. Bridge Pickup

– Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups

– Position 3. Neck Pickup

Bridge: Vintage Style Top-Load Hardtail Bridge with 3 Barrel Saddles

Machine Heads: Vintage Style Tuning Machines with White Plastic Buttons

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: 1-Ply Gold Annodized Aluminum

Scale Length: 24 in. (610 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.625 in. (41.3 mm)

Unique Features: “C” Shape Maple Neck, Knurled Chrome Control Knobs, Aged White Pickup Covers, Natural Finish Neck, Black Dot Position Inlays, Gold Squier Logo, Synthetic Bone Nut

Strings: Fender Super 250L, (.009 to .042) Nickel Plated Steel p/n 073-0250-003

Accessories: None

Introduced: 6/2008

Notice: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice

Buy Squier Classic Vibe 50s Duo-Sonic Electric Guitar

"WOW!"

it looks great, the metal pickguard and maple fretboard complementing the finish nicely.

you can't get more

the finish was perfect, the fit great, my only worry is that the polyurethane on the fretboard will wear away, but that would happen anyway.

the only reason it gets an eight is because i had to figure out which pickup was which on the pickup selector switch,and i had to go to the website,www.squierguitars.com/pdf/current/Miscellaneous/Squier Classic Vibe Duo Donic-service.pdf, which gives the electronic layout

a customer from aol.com (1/15/2009)

Very Kool!

I purchased this Duo Sonic and also got the Classic Vibe telecaster. I am equally impressed with both. The duo sonic simply has its own unique sound, and with it's lightweight body and shorter scale neck it is really a fun guitar to play. Oh, and the finish is beautiful, and very retro looking, which I love.

Cin from San Fran (Dec 2, 2008)

Icon.
Not a word to be used lightly. But the Stratocaster is just that. The new American Standard Stratocaster guitars are beauties to behold in sound, look and feel. Feder kept the hand-rolled fingerboard edges, alnico V pickups and staggered tuning machines for playability, tone and stability, and added several new features, including:

- A new bridge with improved bent-steel saddles and a copper-infused high-mass block for increased resonance and sustain.

- A new neck treatment—tinted for a richer presentation, with the maple or rosewood fingerboard buffed to a high gloss. The back of the neck still has that silky satin finish.

- A thinner finish undercoat that lets the body breathe and improves resonance.

- A new Fender-exclusive SKB molded case.

- Two beautiful new finish options, Sienna Sunburst and Blizzard Pearl

Fender American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar (Maple, With Case) Features…

Body:

- Alder on:

(700) 3-Color Sunburst,

(705) Olympic White,

(706) Black,

(712) Candy Cola,

(755) Blizzard Pearl,

(769) Charcoal Frost Metallic,

- Ash on:

(747) Sienna Sunburst

Neck: Maple, Modern “C†Shape, (Gloss Headstock Face with Satin Urethane Finish on Back of Neck)

Fingerboard: Rosewood (p/n 011-0400) or Maple (p/n 011-0402), 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)

No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets

Pickups: 3 American Strat Single-Coil Pickups

Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. Delta Tone

(“Delta Tone†system includes high output bridge pickup and special No-Load tone control for Middle and Bridge Pickups)

Pickup Switching – 5-Position Blade:

- Position 1. Bridge Pickup

- Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup

- Position 3. Middle Pickup

- Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup

- Position 5. Neck Pickup

Bridge: 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with New American Standard Bent Steel Saddles

Machine Heads: Fender Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment

Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.685 in. (42.8 mm)

Unique Features:

- New Bent Steel Saddles with Elongated String Slots

- Copper Infused High Mass 100% Metal Bridge Block

- Thinner Undercoat Finish for Improved Body Resonance

- Tinted Neck

- Maple Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Front

- Rosewood Fingerboard Neck: Satin Finish on Back, Gloss Finish on Headstock Front with Buffed Fingerboard

- 4-Bolt Neck Attachment with Micro-Tilt Adjustment

- Bi-Flex Truss Rod System

- Parchment Knobs and Pickup Covers

- Rolled Fretboard Edges

- Staggered Tuning Keys

- H/S/H Pickup Routing

- New Molded Fender/SKB Case with TSA Locks, Glass Reinforced Nylon Trigger Latches, and Form Fitted Plush Interior

Strings: Fender Standard Tension Bullet ST3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-203

Included Accessories: Fender/SKB Case, Cable, Strap, Polishing Cloth

Case: High-Tech, Molded Rectangular SKB Case

Introduced: 1/2008

Buy Fender American Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar (Maple, With Case)

With good reason

I just received my American Strat this morning. WOW! This is an amazing guitar! Fender has been around a mighty long time, WITH GOOD REASON! They make a quality product. This is a fine instrument. Sure it's kind of "no frills" but if you are looking for that classic bluesy, Stevie Ray sound, look no further.
Now I was told by several people, "don't spend the money for the American strat, the MIM strat is close enough for the money you will save." WRONG! I tried out many of each. They are not even in the same league. To all of the nay-sayers, I am sorry you got a bad guitar. Must have been a fluke. All of the ones I tried were magnificent, and the one I received today is spectacular! I did a few tweeks on it, and it is perfect. I agree with what another reviewer said about "not buying a car because the seat is too far from the steering wheel, ADJUST IT." He is right! The action was slightly high for my taste, so I dropped it a bit, and upsized the strings to 11's. This required adding a spring. NO BIG DEAL to get her playing perfect. AND TONE!!!! WOW…BUY THIS GUITAR!

Three Shades Blue from Abilene, Texas (Feb 18, 2009)

The Best…

I just recieved this guitar today as a xmas gift. When I opened the box, I was frozen… This guitar is just beautiful. I have the sienna sunburst w/ maple neck. The sound of this guitar is very cool, it has a great punch, but it lacks of a little sustain, but I can deal with that. I have Jackson, Ibanez, Schecter, Epiphone and I have tried many guitars, and boy… believe me, you will not want to let it down, and if you do it, you're gonna stay hours staring at it. All of you that likes versatility, good sound, great feel, and a taste of a legend, this is for you. Won't regret it.

The Legend from Puerto Rico (Dec 29, 2008)

Gibson’s new, solidbody guitar of the 60’s, the SG, broke through traditional concepts of solidbody electrics and became an instant classic. The SG body style has remained in production since its first appearance in 1961.

Gibson SG Standard Electric Guitar (with Case) Features…

Body: Mahogany

Neck: Mahogany

Profile: Rounded

Fingerboard: Rosewood

Inlay: Trapezoid

Scale: 24-3/4 in.

Nut Width: 1-11/16 in.

Binding: Fingerboard

Bridge: Tune-o-matic

Tailpiece: Stopbar

Hardware: Chrome

Pickups: ‘57 Classic

Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone, 3-way switch

Strings: Brite Wires .009-.042

Buy Gibson SG Standard Electric Guitar (with Case)

Awsome SG

I recently got a Gibson SG Standard, it is a great guitar. I got this as my third guitar and it is awsome. I am not a professional, but I know alot about guitars, and this is a must have for any guitarist. I have an upgraded ajustable "Trapeize tailpeice" and Groover tuners, I would recomend these also if you are going to get this. It is a perfect guitar with no flaws, I would recomend this to anyone from beginer to pro. (yes I know it would be a bit expensive for a beginer, but it's worth it if you're/they're going to stick to guitar).

proskills701 from Ottawa, ON (Jan 9, 2009)

You know this guitar is solid if your on this page

I bought one of these in heritage cherry this summer, and there really is little to say about this guitar since its reputation honestly speaks for itself. But one thing to touch on is the price. When I came in to buy it I was shocked to find it was selling for I think it was 1549. The years I had been drooling over the thing it was much cheaper, as low as 1200 something. Now its up to 1600, and the price is the same for the black version which has been bumped up to the heritage cherry price. GUITARISTS don't ignore the economy. This stuff is screwing us as well, but its just a lesson to hold onto your good gear because who knows when its gonna spike and you can get a nice penny for it.

Anthony from New York (Feb 17, 2009)

The Highway One series is upgraded for ‘06! Super-size frets, ’70s styling, new alnico pickups in the neck and middle positions and new colors take this amazing guitar to the next level.

The new neck and middle position pickups on the Highway One Stratocaster HSS guitar produce a more round tone that can sound glassy and great with high gain. The thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish lets the body wood’s natural tone shine through, making for one of the most exciting new instruments in the Fender family!

Fender Highway One Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar (Rosewood, with Gig Bag) Features…

Model Name: Highway One Stratocaster HSS (Upgrade)

Model Number: 011-1760-(Color#)

Series: Highway One Series

Colors:

(304) Daphne Blue

(306) Flat Black

(375) Wine Transparent

(Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)

Body: Alder

Neck: Maple, Modern ‘C’ Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)

Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5 in. Radius (241mm)

No. of Frets: 22 Jumbo Frets

Pickups:

1 Atomic Humbucking Pickup (Bridge)

2 Hot Single-Coil Strat Pickups with Staggered Pole Pieces, Alnico 3 Magnets (Neck/Middle)

Controls:

Master Volume

Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Greasebucket Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)

Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup), Greasebucket Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)

Pickup Switching:

5-Position Blade:

Position 1. Bridge Pickup

Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup

Position 3. Middle Pickup

Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup

Position 5. Neck Pickup

Bridge: Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo

Machine Heads: Fender/Ping Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines

Hardware: Chrome

Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment

Scale Length: 25.5 in. (648 mm)

Width at Nut: 1.6875 in. (43 mm)

Unique Features:

Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Body Finish

Large ’70s Style Headstock

Large ’70s Style Decal

Original Body Shape

?Original Contour Body Decal on Headstock

Black Pickup Coveras and Plastic Parts

White Dot Position Inlays

Strings: Fender Super Bullets 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003

Accessories: Deluxe Gig Bag

Case: Deluxe Gig Bag

Introduced: 7/2006

Notice: Product Prices, Features And Specifications Are Subject To Change Without Notice

Buy Fender Highway One Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar (Rosewood, with Gig Bag)

This is really a unique guitar for a strat. It is very "rough" feeling and sounding. The humbucker is very full and meaty sounding, with lots of natural harmonics. The more gain you give it, the better it sounds. The neck pup is fuller sounding. This has to do with the finish as well as the pup itself, I suspect.

Overall, it's got a heavier rocking sound than a typical strat, which I definitely prefer.

I don't know why in the year 2007 Fender refuses to put noisless single coils in these guitars. It's really just kind of stupid to have to deal with all of the noise produced by a single coil when you're playing high gain. For most guitar players (who play rock) a normal American strat ($1000) with 3 noisy single coils is pretty much useless until you change the pickups. Fender is just too pompous to really take notice of what it's customers need, I supose.

Thank God for the SCN.

2007 Highway 1 HSS, Sunburst, Vintage Trem, *Satin/Nitro Finish, Greasebucket tone circuit, large headstock.

Don't be fooled by the "nitro" label. This is not the same finish as you get on a Gibson or a 50's NOS Strat. This is nitro with some "satin" finish on top, whatever the hell that is. It's kind of cool and it feels almost like plastic. The finish reminds me of those Ovation accoustic guitars with the plastic backs, if that makes sense to anyone.

Don't get me wrong – I like this finish much better than the poly crap that they put on everything else. Again, I don't know why Fender can't just use a real nitro finish like Gibson or like they do on the vintage strats, but I suppose it doesn't matter since they save a few cents and they're selling these things by the ton.

The strings were set up high and when I lowered the action at home it fretted out at 21st. I guess I'll take it in for a set up and see what they can do.

mikeinnyc (12/11/2007)

Suites my style perfectly. Right now I'm playing Peavey Classic amp models (Classic 2×50 & Delta Blues) & the PODXT Live for direct recording. Simple is my pholosphy. Effects are:

TS9 & TS7 Tube Screamers, Dyna Comp, Boss GE-7 EQ, Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive ( all modded w/ Monte Allums parts & specs…absolutely the best). Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus & Boss MT-2 Metal Zone.

The pickups are typically noisey under high distortion as all single coils are, accept in the 2nd & 4th positions.

The middle pup is reversed wound which gives & different tone in the 2nd, 3rd & 4th positions & there's no tone control for it which I plan to alter (a simple jumper on the 5 way switch)…it's not better or worse just different.

The hot alnico pups are fuller & a little darker than typical pups & tend drive harder than my Fender classic 50's & standards I've had in the past. Because of this there is a slight loss of definition but nothing to complain about, it's almost jazz-like…again, not bad just different.

The bridge pup is bright & needs it's tone rolled back to about 8 or so but it's very usable. All 5 positions sound great & cover a lot of single coil ground.

And the jumbo frets are the BEST, really makes playing easy but I'll give details later.

USA Made

Alder body (not solid)

C-shaped maple neck

Rosewood or maple fretboard

3 single-coil pickups with Alnico 3 magnets

Reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup

Vintage-style 2-point trem

Thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish(satin-like)

9.5" Radius Fret Board

Jumbo Frets

70's style headstock

Width at Nut 1.6875??? (43 mm)

Gigbag w/ accessory bag (wrenches, cleaning cloth, special care instructions for the Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish) included.

______________________________________________________________

Master Volume,

Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Greasebucket Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)

Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup), Greasebucket Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)

______________________________________________________________

Unique Features:

Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Body Finish,

Parchment Plastic Parts,

Large '70s Style Headstock Shape,

Large '70s Style Headstock Logo,

Original Body Shape,

"Original Contour Body" Decal on Headstock,

H/S/H Pickup Routing,

Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity Middle Pickup

I have 2 of these. Daphne blue w/ rosewood fretboard 2006 model & sunburst w/ maple fretboard 2007. Both models are the same. Very generous w/ features.

I do my on setups after receiving guitars because let's face it, guitars travel through various climates, sit here & there for lengths of time & other circumstances so by the time it reaches you the original setup has drifted (& I pay no attention to reviews stating how bad a fectory setup is).

The 1st Daphne Blue Strat (I'll call it Daph) had the typical Fender setup which I don't care for, especailly the 9-42 strings. After installing Ernie Ball 10-46 strings, adjusting the truss rod,etc the guitar played great.

Now, this guitar comes with 2 string trees which makes it unique but mine were crooked as dog legs! I called the internet vender & swapped for another. Again the 2nd guitar came with, you guessed it, CROOKED STRING TREES. It didn't effect the playing but looked bad & just POOR quality…I can't beleave Fender USA would let these 2 guitars leave the factory. Poor quality control, both must have been made on a Monday or Friday.

The pick ups…all the polls were at the same level. I've seen others & this is the norm. Also, the poles on the neck pup don't exactly line up under the higher strings. Again, Ive seen this before on other Strats & seems to be the norm. Bottom line, they sound great.

The jumbo frets really make this guitar shine! On a 9.5" radius fret board you would think playability would be effected (like bending strings up a hill). But not with the big jumbo frets. They sit up high & lay flat but smooth around the fretboard edge. The strings seem to glide across like glass & your fingers never touch the fret board…this is what makes the guitar easy to play because you don't encounter any resistance from the fretboard wood. The frets seemed to feel a little rough, I suspect a polishing step was omitted to keep the price down, but w/ some playing they smooth out. And thats not to say they're uneven. Also, it makes fretting & inotating chords easier too, because the frets sit up high the inotation can be adjusted on each string by natrually applying more or less pressure w/ the fingers. On the standard Fender medium-jumbo frets this can't be done, the finger lays flat on the fretboard so there's no room & also some resistance (which is why I've sold every other fender I've owned in the past).

There some visual space between the bottom of the neck & the pocket of the guitar body but no effect. I suspect the space would be filled if the guitar had the usual thick acrylic or polyester finish. The tuners are Fender standards, not staggard. The Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo works really, I tended to favor the more modern tremlo but it works fine.

Standard Fender warranty. No support needed at this time.

GG (12/20/2007)