Fender American Special Stratocaster HSS (3-Tone Sunburst) Reviews

4.8/5.0 based on 3 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

Greg
from San Jose, CA
February 10, 2013Music Background:
Rock Hobbyist

Amazing.

This is my first strat. I've been playing a Sheraton for a long time that my buddy had. And WOW! This baby smokes! The tone is so crisp and clean and the crunch is just the same. My buddy plays Les Pauls with me and is now blown away in shame! Love it!

from Antigua, Caribbean
May 17, 2010Music Background:
Recording Engineer, Pro Musician

Awesome

For the price of this guitar you can not go wrong! Each pickup has its own unique sound that will cut through any mix for recording,and sounds great through all types of amps! Ive put it through cheap practice amps and expensive Marshalls and this still shines either way. It looks amazing (to me) and its the only American made stratocaster that you can get this cheap and it still has that classick fender sound and build!

Jack
from Waynesburg Pa
March 30, 2013Music Background:
Hobbyist Play the bars on weekends

Fender American Special Strat HSS ( 3-Tone Sunburst)

Overall great guitar played perfect right out of the box , the sound and playability is what you would expect from Fender the guitar I received was a beauty. I did however have a few minor issues with this guitar, there were some screws that could have been a bit tighter and there was one screw on the trem cover that was about 1/16 of an inch or so from being screwed down flush. When I tightened it down I was shocked that it wasn't even turned in all the way when it shipped from Fender, I could feel the screw biting untapped wood. This is my first such experience with this issue from an American Fender I hope that the Fender Q.C. team will be a bit more observant in the future. The set up was great from Sweetwater the guitar plays like a dream however I hope that the Sweetwater team will pay more attention to detail in the future . Please don't get me wrong I love this guitar and will continue to do much more buisness with them in the future . They have a top notch staff from top to bottom and are always very easy to deal with. I love Fender Strats and this one will not be my last. Quality instrument at a great price I would recommend this guitar to anyone in the market for a new guitar.

inSync Review

Mitch Gallagher
8-26-2011

"Built by the people, for the people & within your reach" is the slogan on 's website describing the new American Special line of guitars and basses. And it's an apt descriptor: the new instruments are made in the USA and come in at stellar prices. I had the chance to check out five instruments: a Telecaster, a Stratocaster, a Stratocaster HSS (with a humbucker at the bridge), a Jazz Bass, and a Precision Bass.

All five instruments were top notch. They were solidly constructed, well set up right out of the box, and primed for making music. I ran them through a Fender Mustang III amplifier (see sidebar for more on this amp). Each one produced the tone I've come to expect from a high-quality Fender instrument, from the twang of the Tele to the quack of the Strat in the in-between position to the crunch of the HSS humbucker to the rolling thunder of the two basses.

We're talking classic good looks combined with classic tones. Each of the instruments rang well, with plenty of sustain. The pickups were solid, offering full, rich tones. And the hardware was of the quality you'd expect from an American-made guitar or bass. These were U.S.-made Fenders all the way.

How much did I like the American Specials? Well, I ended up spending my hard-earned dollars to buy the Precision Bass for myself, and I couldn't be happier. It plays great, it's light, it rings like a bell, it sustains well, and the tone is true P Bass all the way. The same can be said for the whole American Special family; they all deliver the real thing at a great price, and they're made in America - very nice!
BONUS: Mustang III
I had the opportunity to play the American Special guitars through the new amplifier. This is a pretty amazing piece of work from Fender: 100 watts, 12" speaker, built-in effects, and excellent-sounding amp models of all types. Whether for home practice -- yes, it sounds great at very low volume levels despite the high power rating -- rehearsal, studio work, or live performance, there's a ton of tone in this lightweight, highly affordable amp. It's the first Mustang I've played through, and I'm sure it won't be the last -- Mustangs rock!