Best Strat I have ever played 
by Jon Lenz from Rio Rancho, NM USA, November 2007
Music Background:  Student, Music Theory teacher, blues preacher

The first time I played this strat I had to buy it, and I did. The closet classic finish is beautiful and the nitrocellulose lacquer is perfect for great tone. I have an arctic white one with maple fretboard and I can play the guitar forever. The roller nut and locking tuners keep me in tune even when I pop the E as hard as I can when I'm finishing my SRV covers like Rude Mood. The versatility of this guitar is also amazing, you can go from playing texas blues, country, all the way to heavier music like Iron Maiden. The neck fits perfectly in my hand and I play 13's so the bends are easier than if the neck was really fat like a Hot Rod '62 strat. When this guitar is played through a tube amp it really shines whereas through a digital or solid-state amp doesn't do it justice. I suggest this guitar to every serious guitar player that has $2000 to spend, however if you play metal this guitar is probably not for you and you should play an Ibanez or Jackson.

  Spectacular Axe!! 
by Tone Ranger from Los Angeles, CA, May 2007
Music Background:  Pro Muician / Guitar Tech

I got this guitar on Friday afternoon, and it barely left my hands the whole weekend; I COULDN'T stop playing it. The neck is incredible; the satin finish welcomes your hand like an old friend. I'm not a big whammy affecionado, but this one was set up to float, and worked wonderfully. Kudos to the Custom Shop Team; you guys have designed THE superlative Stratocaster! I only have two minor complaints- the bridge and middle pickups are wired to the same tone pot, (Fender's webpage describes the Greasebucket circuit being on the Bridge and Neck pickups, not Middle.) which is kind of a drag when you're in that in between position and you want to roll the highs off the bridge, and leave the middle wide open. (Basically, it's the Eric Johnson mod- I did it to my American Standard, and it works great.) And the other thing that irked me was, there was a little bit of the LSR nut hanging over the edge of one side of the neck; not that it gets in the way, but after all, this is a Custom Shop guitar...

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