Fender Standard Stratocaster – Leo Fender's Miracle Guitar

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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The Fender Stratocaster – a true icon in the world of electric guitar… actually, the world in general! While Fender subsidiary Squier do a great job of producing a range of affordable copies, there’s nothing quite like holding a real Fender Strat. This is where the Standard Stratocaster comes in, as it offers guitarists the chance to do just that at a mid-range price most can afford. This one is worth a closer look…

Body and Neck

As you will have seen in the pictures, the Standard Stratocaster has the hallmarks of a traditional Fender Strat – well-contoured double-cutaway body, slender maple neck and the legendary headstock. The Standard is made in Fender’s Mexican facility and shows off very good craftsmanship for a production model. Of course, it doesn’t feel like a custom shop instrument, but it still offers a solid fit, sleek finish and decent setup straight from the box.

The body is made from solid alder and finished in a range of colors – from Arctic White to Candy Apple Red – with some translucent models coming with a flamed maple top for added aesthetic punch. With a classic 25.5” scale length, all varieties feature a bolt-on maple neck with the popular comfortable C shape and a smooth satin finish. You’ll find the fretboard comes in a choice of either maple or Pau Ferro (also known as Morado, and a good alternative to rosewood) and sports 21 medium jumbo frets.

Hardware

The Standard doesn’t stray from the winning Strat formula when it comes to hardware either. It’s voiced by three Standard single-coil Strat pickups at the bridge, middle and neck positions, controlled by a master volume control, as well as tone controls for the middle and neck pickups. Not forgetting the typical five-way pickup selector switch of course.

The rest of the hardware on the standard combines for an all-round solid playing experience. It features a Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo bridge with a high-mass steel block for enhanced sustain and an included whammy bar. Further up you’ll see a synthetic bone nut, while the headstock sports a set of die-cast chrome sealed tuning machines, with a smooth reliable feel.

Sound

If you’re expecting this model to deliver the classic sparkle that Strats are known for, you won’t be disappointed! The trio of single-coils deliver a guitar with huge versatility in lead and rhythm playing, with a sound quality that’s more than suitable for stage performance. It can handle heavier rock and metal quite well (but let’s face it – if you are a true metalhead, chances are you aren’t interested in an S-S-S Strat!). For everything else from classic rock to blues and country, this is a very good choice.

Conclusion

Fender strikes a great balance between quality and affordability with the Standard. It’s no high-end model – and it sometimes shows in the finish – but for the timeless style, satisfying tone, dependability and endless playability, it’s hard to fault it for the price!

For more info about the Fender Standard Stratocaster, click here.
For more electric guitars under 500$, click here.