Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The guitar is a step above the Squier Stratocasters in the electronics department without question, but everything else feels flimsy as though it could never take a thicker gauged string or have a lasting quality, just like a Squier Stratocaster. This guitar would be great for beginners and ok for novices, but if you have played guitar for at least 3 or 4 years, you should really be looking for a more satisfying instrument. It advertises to be a “workhorse of a guitar”, but it isn't at all. It should say, "Great for beginners and people who don't have an affinity for fine instruments." Reliability How has it stood up over time? If you ever travel (and what musician doesn’t?) this guitar would suffer tremendously. It is just too flimsy and lacks the adjustments necessary to find the right action. There is NO neck pitch adjustment on this guitar! How can it be called a Deluxe without being able to fine tune the specs? Did I miss something? Isn’t this supposed to be modeled after the original Super Strat? It isn’t. I say shame on you, Fender, and shame on you, AMS, for lying to us. Is there any wonder why so many guitar shops are dropping their Fender product-lines? But shouldn’t a supplier advertise properly as well? Come on, AMS, I expected more from you. Overall Your general opinion of this product. I KNOW Stratocasters and this is far from a real model. With thick gauge strings this guitar would not be able to hold up, especially when traveling. I have killed lesser Stratocasters before and this is unfortunately one of them. This will be a nice practice guitar or even the second guitar for a pupil if you can see that he or she is taking to music. Beware the advertisements of American Music Supply as well as Fender because this is not a Deluxe guitar, just a marketing ploy. It lacks the adjustment capabilities as well as the ruggedness of a true-blooded Stratocaster. It is definitely not worthy of the name Deluxe. 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 cheap, but it is a Strat-style so if you keep the thin 9's for example you may be pleased with this guitar for a while. I am absolutely frightened by the flimsiness of it, however, even with the heavier Ash body. Coming from a guy who has worn out his fair share of cheap Stratocasters before buying real ones that can hold up, I am telling you this is not a professional guitar. Save your money and get a real one. I recommend any American, Japanese, or Pre-CBS strats as the only ways to go. For example, the contour on this "deluxe" MIM Stratocaster is only 12" long by about 2" wide. My Stratocaster MIJ from 1983 and my 1998 American Strat are over 13" long and over 3" wide. Mine are more comfortable and tremendously sturdy as well. They are simply crafted better. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Supposedly set up at an authorized plant (per the signatures), this Strat is supposed to be "fine-tuned from the factory," but if that is the case there is already some warping. There is prevalent buzzing and rattling from the strings and the fret board. The guitar’s one saving grace is the warm noiseless pickups and responsive tone pots. That is the only reason I would recommend this guitar to new musicians. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The stain is pretty thin on the neck, but that is in comparison to my own 1983 Stratocaster (the one this strat is supposed to be "Modeled after"). I did like the grainy finish on the guitar's body though. It is pretty nice. Action How was the action out of the box? It is horrifying. Rattling, buzzing frets, and flimsy strings. I'm sure that the guitar would be better if I did my own "Clayton Fine-tuning," instead of relying on the "Fender Fine-Tuning" from Mexico, but it is simply ridiculous. Even the tremolo posts aren't flush, I mean, how could you possibly miss that the guitar was not even put together, Fender? Please put a Squier name on it next time so that we will know not to waste our time and money on this garbage. Trust me, put some Noiseless American pickups in a squier and you will achieve the same results while saving yourself quite a bit of money.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The guitar is a step above the Squier Stratocasters in the electronics department without question, but everything else feels flimsy as though it could never take a thicker gauged string or have a lasting quality, just like a Squier Stratocaster. This guitar would be great for beginners and ok for novices, but if you have played guitar for at least 3 or 4 years, you should really be looking for a more satisfying instrument. It advertises to be a “workhorse of a guitar”, but it isn't at all. It should say, "Great for beginners and people who don't have an affinity for fine instruments." Reliability How has it stood up over time? The guitar looks pretty, but in reality that is all it has; looks. If you ever travel (and what musician doesn’t?) this guitar would suffer tremendously. It is just too flimsy and lacks the adjustments necessary to find the right action. There is NO neck pitch adjustment on this guitar! How can it be called a Deluxe without being able to fine tune the specs? Did I miss something? Isn’t this supposed to be modeled after the original Super Strat? It isn’t. I say shame on you, Fender, and shame on you, AMS, for lying to us. Is there any wonder why so many guitar shops are dropping their Fender product-lines? But shouldn’t a supplier advertise properly as well? Come on, AMS, I expected more from you. I KNOW Stratocasters and this is far from a real model. With thick gauge strings this guitar would not be able to hold up, especially when traveling. I have killed lesser Stratocasters before and this is unfortunately one of them. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This will be a nice practice guitar or even the second guitar for a pupil if you can see that he or she is taking to music. Beware the advertisements of American Music Supply as well as Fender because this is not a Deluxe guitar, just a marketing ploy. It lacks the adjustment capabilities as well as the ruggedness of a true-blooded Stratocaster. It is definitely not worthy of the name Deluxe.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The quality of this amazing giutar unbeatable very strong giutar but yetso smooth. Reliability How has it stood up over time? All i have to say on reliability is is that it is very good. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This giutar is awesome it is very beautiful it's smooth it has a very hice frettbaord the fell of the string is amazing i love this giutar. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? This giutar is heavyish the neck is awesome the controls are great just a really amazingly supreme giutar. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? This giutars tone is every thing it is bright snappy it is dark it's smooth the pickups are hot just a really nice giutar. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The finish is very strong it will not were fast it is beautifulli wuold recomend this to a friend. Action How was the action out of the box? This giutar is really awesome in action it preforms extremely very good this giutar overall is 10 stars.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The look and the quality of this guitar are top notch. Even though it has a polyester finish on the body, this guitar still sings with the best of them and the neck is to die for. I live the barely there finish on the neck and the 12" radius is absolutely awesome. Its and Reliability How has it stood up over time? Its a Fender. Enough said. Overall Your general opinion of this product. This guitar was alot better than what I was expecting. I had always wanted one of these guitars because the seem to offer my favorite modern colors for guitar, cobalt blue transparent (now sapphire blue transparent), and crimson red transparent. Since I now have other guitars in those colors, I decided to go with the honey blonde. And I am glad I did. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? This guitar has an ash body, so I was expecting it to be on the heavy side just like my other Fender ash body guitars that I own, but to my surprise, this guitar was really light. The C neck is perfect and the fret board is the main reason i got this guitar. Perfection. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? You really have to dial these Vintage Noiseless pickups in the make them sing. They are great pickup, but you really have to adjust the pickup height to get that perfection. They are not too warm but have good definition and note clarity and little to no hum depending on your setup. Great pickups, just not my cup of tea. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Once again, the paint job on this guitar is immaculate. I think what is even better is that they took the time to pick body parts where the wood grain actually lines up and it looks like one piece of wood. Not always the case with any Fender with transparent finishes, but I guess I got lucky with this one. Action How was the action out of the box? Action was perfect out of the box for the strings that it had. I prefer 10's on my guitars, so it needed just a little tweaking, but that's every guitar.

Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The three color sunburst is quite pleasing to the eyes. The pickguard & gold plated hardware really make the Strat quite attractive, looks GREAT on my mini Fender stand.... Action How was the action out of the box? Action was EXCEPTIONAL right out of the box!!!! Don't need to "tweak" it at all!!!! Even arrived partially in tune, considering it came from across the country via UPS!!!! Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Fender quality on every level!!!! Expect it will be dependable for years to come.... Reliability How has it stood up over time? Only had the Strat a few days. As long as I take reasonable care of it, it should last many, many years!!!! Overall Your general opinion of this product. GREAT STRAT!!!! Was initially going to purchase an American Standard Strat, however, talked to my guitar tech. He told me, he prefers high end Mexican Strats to low end American Strats. That was good enough for me!!!! Invested in this Strat for half the price!!!! Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Strat neck is very comfortable. Of course, Strat is lighter than my Les Pauls, a real pleasure to play!!!! Controls are easy to access. Especially, push-push pickup switch.... Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Tone is a little "mellower" than the Squier Strat I owned for several years. This is to be expected with the noiseless pickups. Once again, will have adjustments made to increase pickup "bite"....

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? As well made as any american strat, perfect in my opinion. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I cant tell as I havnt had it long enough but I can tell just from how solidly constructed this guitar is that it should be reliable. Overall Your general opinion of this product. VERY well made, beautiful finish, gorgeous hardware and that Strat sound that is simply amazing. 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 smooth and fast, feels chunky enough for me but thats personal preference. Best part is the finish on the back of the neck, satiny smooth, not glossy or sticky, it will never be an issue regardless of atmosphere youre playing in. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? My favorite is the low dark tones this thing puts out, it growls and the high tones are definately bright, and glassy. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Looks almost as good as a beautiful girl you would drool when looking at. Action How was the action out of the box? Fender does a nice job setting up their instruments. Setup was great out of the box, low and the rosewood neck is smooth as any, the 12-inch radius makes it even easier to play in my opinion.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? It is well made overall. Except all the knobs and switch cover that have rough edges. They are corrected by light sanding and buffing. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Unknown. This is my first Fender. The knobs and switches are not as smooth as other guitars I own (Ibanez GSA-60 and Ampeg AMG-100). They are rough aroung the edges. Overall 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? The neck is thicker than expected. The guitar is also heavier than the Ibanez GSA-60. The maple fretboard is very smooth and fast. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Bright clear tone. The 5-way switch and the push button give 7 combinations of sound. All possible pickups combinations can be selected, including all three. Action How was the action out of the box? The action was good out of the box.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The Ash body, Maple neck, Vintage tuners, Great thick pick guard, and pick ups are top notch. Reliability How has it stood up over time? Just got it. In perfect shape.Honey Blond with Maple neck. Stays in tune. Overall Your general opinion of this product. The Best "Twang for the Buck" guitar I ever bought in 36 Yrs. And, very good looking besides. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? The 12" radius is just right for chords and lead work. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Vintage Fender Tones in all the pick up combinations. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? First Class. See through Blond with Ash grain high lights. Action How was the action out of the box? Excellent set up out of the box. Intonation and action.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? The pickups, tuners, body, neck, finish are all top notch. For some reason a lot of Guitars and Basses I've purchased are not properly shielded or grounded. After fixing this the guitar is quiet as a mouse. I would have rated lower in this category but apparently this is the norm. Reliability How has it stood up over time? I have not had it long but it has quality components. I have many other Fender guitars and they still play great. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Great components. If you like Strats but not the 60 cycle hum and you like a flatter thinner neck this might be for you. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? IMO Strats are one of most comfortable guitars to play. This has the flatter 12 inch radius neck that feels thinner than the 9.5 inch necks. It plays very smooth with the natural flat finish on the back of the neck that many people prefer. It is weal balanced. It's slightly heavier than my Alder body VG strat. It has a solid feel to it. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? The Pups on this Strat are the best feature. IMO they sound Full, not overly hot or thick. The neck sounds smooth w/plenty of output, the middle has a more defined clearer tone w/plenty of output, the bridge has a good Tele twang to it w/o the 60 cycle hum. The extra switch adds the bridge p/u to the neck and neck/middle positions and adds extra brightness to the tone. But keep in mind I moved all three pups about 1/16" closer than factory specs. And changed the strings to EXL 10's. This with the Rosewood fretboard give it a nice fat hum free sound IMO. Try it out if possible. Finish How did the stain or paint job look? The finish on the body and neck were flawless. Not a scratch or ding anywhere. The transparent finish on the Ash body looks awesome. I have the Crimson with Rosewood fingerboard. As usual pictures don't do it justice. I'm not a huge gold hardware fan but the platting on these components looks better than some I've seen. How well it holds up I can't tell you yet. Action How was the action out of the box? This guitar was setup near perfect out of the box which is rare. I had to tweak it after a string gauge change. The frets and neck where smooth straight and level. Intonation was perfect.

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? As well made as any American or American Deluxe I have. Dependability can't answer, but seems like it will go for quite a long time Reliability How has it stood up over time? Only had it for a week, but it feels as good as a 2008 Amer Deluxe I have Overall Your general opinion of this product. Very well built, excellent feel, superb finish Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Plays wonderfully, super balance, Tone Control 2 was set a little close to the guard, but it had to come off to get rid of the plastic covering, so no big deal there Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Bridge is bright and sharp - like I like it. Middle and Neck are a bit mellower. Seems a bit muddy in Position 2 Finish How did the stain or paint job look? Flawless - excellent Action How was the action out of the box? Action was good, but I always have to have it set lower, which is done when I switch to 10's

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? Seems very well put together, "Made in Mexico" has captured my attention! Reliability How has it stood up over time? Too soon to tell. but seems solid. Overall Your general opinion of this product. Love it! Though not as versital as I had hoped. Could use more power. overall. Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? Classic Stat sound(50's) "Warm" as above. Blues, classic rock, little heat. Can achieve good drive on 3pup setting. Neck is fast and slim but not whimpy. I prefer the flatter radius (12") Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? Mellow , warm, clissic Strat, no noise! I luv the neck/bridge/all switch almost TeL' like. I once custom wired a git' like this specifically for neck/bridge sound. It has been missing for far too long IMO! All pup's together is pretty full sounding but not quite as powerful as a humbucker equiped guitar. (Still gotta luv those 'buckers!) Finish How did the stain or paint job look? I have the Honey Blonde, beautiful finish, nice fret work! No complaints. Action How was the action out of the box? As always "tweaking required" to fit your style. Know what your doing or bring it to a tech!

Quality Would you consider this product to be made well? How dependable? this is a exellent product ..thinkn about gettn me another one Reliability How has it stood up over time? Fenders just get better with time ..my 82 custom will rox ya sox.. Overall Your general opinion of this product. this is a good guitar for the bucks..the action is good .the tone of the noisless pups ..are ok..i like a lil hotter pup for myself tho..but for the money its a awsome deal Playability and Feel How does it feel, Heavy, Fast, Chunky? How was the neck? Are the controls easy to get to while playing? ther weight is not too heavy ,feels good ...the neck is awsome and fast..the rosewood gives it that lil x-tra depth that i been lookin for...the controls are located just where that need to be ..ezy to get to.. Tone Bright and snappy? Dark and smooth? Were the pickups hot, mellow, thick, thin? with the rosewood nech fretboard its dark and smooth like i like it,,,the pups are the noisless ..really don't care for um but they are mellow it would be great for the average player Finish How did the stain or paint job look? the paint job was superb...Fender tri color burst is the top dawggg Action How was the action out of the box? the action was great..just right !!!