General Your general opinion of this product. The Fender American Special is a great guitar! It is versatile, very good quality, and the action and neck feel great! The pickups have a wide range of tonal possibilities, as well. Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? This guitar appears to be very well made. The neck feels great, the action and set-up was perfect right out of the box. I did not have to adjust anything. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? It plays as smooth as silk! The jumbo freta are great, and the fret edges feel hand rolled and are very smooth. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The pickups have a lot of versatility. They can go from a great clean sound to a rich distorted tone. This guitar sounds great both clean, and over-driven. Action How was the action out of the box? Action was perfect out of the box. Low, but with no fret buzz at all. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The finish looks great. I got the Candy Apple Red, and it's beautiful. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I haven't had it for very long, but I have two other Fender guitars that are built like tanks and have lasted very well, so I am sure this guitar will be no exception.

General Your general opinion of this product. Great guitar well worth the money. The nice thing about a American Fender is that it holds it resale value. Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It's made very well. The only thing I didn't like was frets were a little rough on the ends. I had a tech file them down. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? I own a American Deluxe and American standard Strat. The neck on the American special feels a little wider and has jumbo frets. After playing it for awhile I got use to it. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The Texas pickups nice bite and are great for blues and rock. Action How was the action out of the box? the action was a little too high for me so I made some adjustments and now it feels great. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? I love the color (surf green) It really looks retro right out of the 60's. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Like most Fender guitars there built to last a lifetime.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Top of the line finish on the body. Everything looks great with no shortcuts. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Just got it. General Your general opinion of this product. Totally blown away with the guitar and the great price!!! Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Neck is perfect for me and is the easiest playing Strat I've ever owned. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Awesome Texas SRV tone. Great for country especially. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Paint and finish are awesome. Action How was the action out of the box? I adjusted the bridge so it didn't float and had the re-adjust the string height accordingly. Intonation is right on with fairly low action and fretting out.......perfect.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It's a fender,nuff said!! Reliability How has it stood up over time? doin' fine General Your general opinion of this product. Have owned 5 or 6 strats deluxes,stantards and this is the one I would grab everytime just well put together!! Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? neck is very fast,smooth,ease of movement Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? texas specs,true tone great sounding,creamy through a blues jr Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Perfect! Action How was the action out of the box? Had a little tweak to my hand jive, not much though!!

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? I've never owned a bad Fender. The American made guitars are still second to none and this one is no exception. Reliability How has it stood up over time? It is well built and even though I've only had this guitar for a short time, I know it will bring me years of satisfaction. General Your general opinion of this product. The Strat is in a class all its own. You can't go wrong with a USA made Strat! Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? It feels like a Strat should feel. Very lightweight and the contours make the guitar extremely comfortable - almost as if it's a part of me - exactly what the Strat is intended to be. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Texas Special pickups are well known for their great blues tone. A little bit of experimentation with the volume & tone controls will give an excellent variety of sounds from this instrument as well as a good amp. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Classic candy apple red - it has stood the test of time and still looks awesome! Action How was the action out of the box? Superb action. All I needed to do was fine tune and I was ready to go.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? This instrument is astounding, considering the price. The finish is flawless and playability and tone are incredible. In a blindfold test, you would never be able to tell the difference between the American Special and a Strat costing 3 times the price. Reliability How has it stood up over time? The quality and craftsmanship, although not as "tricked out" as some other Stratocasters; I would call this the quintessential working mans (or ladies) guitar. Simply a workhorse. General Your general opinion of this product. I would recommed this guitar to anyone who wants an American made instrument, that will not loose half its value as soon as you buy it. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? The neck on this beast is on of its more salient features-fast and easy to play. Controls are straight forward and it is easy to find any sound you are looking for. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The Texas Special pickups are a bit more "midrange" however, the tonal posibilities are endless. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Again for the price-the finish is flawless. Mine is Candy Apple Red and is quite striking. Action How was the action out of the box? Beautiful right out of the box. However, it took a total of 10 minutes for me to adjust things to my particular taste.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The bridge set up from the factory did not suit me. It was an easy fix, but I had to lower the saddles. Stays in tune fairly well. The guitar is killer and well made. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Had it for a few weeks. All is good so far. General Your general opinion of this product. It's an American Strat and I was not let down. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? It's a perfect fit if you like Strat style guitars. The neck is very nice. This is my first Strat and everything seems to be in the wrong place, but I have really enjoyed playing her. I can't put her down. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Bright, very responsive and responds quickly to any pick attack. The pups are well balanced. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? 100% perfect. Action How was the action out of the box? Not good for me. I don't like a bridge that floats. Easy fix though. The action was way high for me after I made the bridge adjustment. It's all good now.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Reliability How has it stood up over time? every thing from tex/ mex to hard rock and it stays in tune General Your general opinion of this product. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Action How was the action out of the box?

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It's a Fender USA!! The quality control is top notch and I consider it an honor to just own it, much less be able to play it. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I've only had it for a few weeks now, but it's built rock solid and I'm sure it will stand the test of time. General Your general opinion of this product. I have always wanted a Fender USA made guitar, and now I do...and I couldn't be happier. Hats off to AMS for having a payment plan so I could afford this beauty. This is a top notch guitar...a must have for any musicians arsenal no matter what music they play or what brand they normally use. This guitar went above and beyond my expectations as far as tone, quality, and looks. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? When I first gripped it and put it into my hands, the first thing I thought of was "speed". The neck feels great in my bands, it is well balanced, and feels very natural. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Bright when it need it to be, dark with a few amp adjustments, and a perfect tone for the type of music I play. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The pictures do not do this guitar justice. I bought the Candy Apple Red model...and it's stunningly beautiful. I shared the picture on Facebook, and I got tons of compliments from my friends on it. They think it looks better than my Les Paul. The red on the guitar is slightly darker..but not much. It is NOT that "clown red" tint...its a beautiful red color, glossy, and just amazing. Action How was the action out of the box? This was the first guitar I have ever bought from the internet that the action was just the way I like it. I know action is a subjective opinion...but this one was perfect. Nice, low, but not too low. There is a bit of string buzz, but I'm sure that's b/c I live in the South...so I'm sure the humidity affected it during shipping. Nothing a few adjustments won't fix.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Its a American Fender and this one is very well made. It will last longer than me. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Its a Fender! General Your general opinion of this product. I am very impressed with the American Special Strat I bought. I have had so many Strats I have lost count. From Mexican to Custom Shop and relics. This guitar has a perfect neck and smooth even frets. Maybe I just lucky and got one that some one spent extra time on. This is the best playing Strat I have owned. The grain in the wood is nicer than a Custom Shop I had. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Neck fits perfect in my hands and the frets are smooth and the fret ends are smooth all the way down the neck. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? True Strat tone. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Great 2 color sunburst, very nice grain. Not a single flaw. Action How was the action out of the box? The action was right on and the intonation was right on too. Unusual for any guitar.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Beautifully constructed, can find nothing to complain about other than the previously mentioned, but if I'd preferred I could have got another so I'm not counting it as a negative. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Only had it a week or so. I have a 1979 Strat I bought new and is still perfect, I expect this one will be the same. General Your general opinion of this product. Beautiful quality. There is no substitute for an American made Strat Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Plays excellent, it's lighter than my ash Strat. The neck feels slightly on the thin side and even though I prefer the glossy neck I really, really like the feel of this one. It may convert me. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Texas specials are AWESOME sounding. In the #5 position I can get that SRV growl that I love. Clean it sounds wonderful and has incredible sustain. One way I've always judged the sound of guitars is to play it unplugged. If it sounds bad unplugged it'll sound bad amplified and vice versa. This one sounds like an acoustic with a nice mellow tone. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Finish is flawless. There were two small dents on the top edge near the forearm contour. They appeared to be there prior to the finish. I contacted customer service and imediately had a solution. I was offered and choose to accept a reasonable discount as the defects are quite difficult to see unless you know they are there, besides I didn't want to give it up to return it for another. I was a little disappointed that the neck was advertised to have a glossy poly finish and it actually has a satin finish-I've been playing with a glossy neck for 30+ years and I like it. I know this is not the popular opinion but it doesn't really matter what other people like now does it? Action How was the action out of the box? Unbelieveable! I had planned to take it for setup but when I got it out of the box it was near perfect! I changed the strings (I was surprised that it had stainless strings on it)and only had to tweak the intonation two strings and very little at that. The action was perfect-didn't have to touch it.

Reliability How has it stood up over time? great. General Your general opinion of this product. I like this one better than a American Standard. Everything the highway one should have been. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? very fast playing action, super easy bends. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? the delta tone works excellent with the texas specials, all the classic strat sounds and then some. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? excellent. Action How was the action out of the box? so-so, but easy to set up.