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Fender Standard Stratocaster [1990-2005]
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Fender Standard Stratocaster [1990-2005]
MGR/Andraklass MGR/Andraklass

« Fender Mexican Stratocaster »

Published on 03/31/04 at 14:00
I did not aquire this unit, and wouldn't accept it if it was given to me. Well, I guess I could sell it to someone of limited mental capacity for an exhorbitant price.

Not much. It has the standard feel of a Fender which is good (but it's just as good on a Squier Affinity). It has the vintage look of a Fender which is good (Affinity). It has the Fender name on it. Oooooh. Aaaaaaah. Yeah right. It will take a beating which is what I wanted to give it.

What's there to like? It's a piece of trash. I was thinking of upgrading from my Greg Bennett series Formula 2, but this thing was like ten giant leaps backwords.

It's made of Alder and Maple which is great, but It's got vintage tuning keys (pre-F type). It's got a single pivot tremolo. Those two factors together mean horrid tuning stability. I dive bombed several of these things one time and they all went way out of tune, and the pickups sounded like chickens clucking. I actually liked the sound of all of the Squiers better.

If you're just determined to get this guitar, go ahead and waste your money, but you can get the same guitar with a little warmer sound out of the Squier Affinity. If you want a good Fender guitar, go with the Squier Standard or the Fender American series. With both those lines you get better tuning keys and a two point fulcrum tremolo. The American line has better sound than the Squier standard by a long shot, but the Squier sounds good, and for those wondering, I tried the limited finish alder bodied standards right next to the normal agathis bodies and got the exact same sound except for the maple neck models in the normal ones. It had about twice the output, but had a little harder feel and wasn't quite as warm. Maple necks normally feel sticky until you break them in, but this had a smooth feel to it. Have fun.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com