Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster - Olympic White with Maple Fingerboard Reviews

I own Fender Custom Shop guitars but I couldn't justify almost $ for a new Strat. Also, I bought this to gig with and I did not want to constantly worry while playing out. I ended up purchasing a 7lb 6oz, extremely resonant, Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster from Sweetwater. It's tough finding MIM Strats with bigger frets/flatter neck radius while maintaining the 6-point tremolo/vintage style tuners. I sacrificed on the truss rod access hole but I appreciate that it comes in handy during setups. There are ton of Easter eggs that make up this oddball Stratocaster. Some you may not notice at first glance but it's honestly an all around great guitar. When I set out, I did not anticipate purchasing an Artist Model but I am beyond satisfied. I'll absolutely be getting another at some point down the line.

First off, as always Luke Herian and the team at Sweetwater never dissapoint! Their excellence in customer service is why I won't shop anywhere else. On my last couple orders I've paid to have their techs do setups, plek, etc. Not only do they do great work, but they get it done promptly.
This is an in general MIM Strat. What really sold me on this model is the 65' vintage pickups. A lot of models in this price range are outfitted with the more modern or even noiseless single coils. This guitar IMO really does capture those tones that come out of the older 60s Fenders. The neck pickup played clean with just a bit of reverb produces some really warm tones.
The reverse headstock and bridge pickup config add some nuances to sound and character, but are more just a cool kind of novelty for me.
The neck is very comfortable, and while I prefer a satin finish, the gloss this has isn't at all sticky, even with sweaty hands.
The maple neck and fretboard look naturally aged which adds to the guitars character.
The spacing in the nut isn't perfect, which is not uncommon in MIM Fenders. The high E sits a bit too close to the edge of the neck, but not enough to compromise playability IMO.
The tuners are vintage style, and next time restring I'll change them out with the Gotoh vintage locking as those are better gear quality while visually identical. That said, it stays in tune as is much better than most of the non-locking tremolo equipped guitars I've owned/ played.
I chose not to take a star off for these because at this price point it's still an A+. I've played American shop Gibsons with far worse nut, fret, hardware, and neck issues.
Obviously there's not too many guitar enthusiasts out there that aren't fans of Jimi and his style, so there's also that.
It's a signature model, but not the kind you'd feel ridiculous playing at a gig.
All and all I'd recommend it. I opted to have Sweetwater do a setup, and it was excellent right out of the box. I've been playing it every day happily.

I am very pleased with this purchase. First off, this guitar is gorgeous in person. The neck is far better than I expected for not being US made. I wasn't sure how I would like the American Vintage 65 pickups ( I replace everything with Lollars) but they are clear, chimey, and just plain "stratty". I was also surprised how quiet they are; definitely keeping them in there. How much difference does the reverse headstock and reversed pickups make to the tone??? I don't know but the guitar sounds fantastic! My only change would be to wire the second tone control to the bridge pickup so it's useful. My only complaint is how cheap the gig bag is; come on Fender you can do better. In conclusion, if you're on the fence just go ahead and buy it; you won't be disappointed.

This guitar is absolutely beautiful to look at and play. Bought it sort of impulsively and I have zero regrets since receiving it!

First thanks to Erik my sales engineer. He always hooks it up. Got this and had Sweetwater install a loaded SD Hendrix Voodoo pickguard. Also did the Plek and upgraded the nut to bone. The guitar is gorgeous and is a player. Can't stop picking it up. Love the look fit and feel of this guitar and the tones I can get out of it with my Swart Atomic jr are amazing. Only complaint would be rather have a hard shell case than a gig bag but other than that this guitar is worth the buy. My second MiM strat. Love it!!!

Been wanting one of these for quite sometime. I mean who hasn't Hendrix inspired. Upon receiving this it is simply a gorgeous instrument. The fretwork was immaculate as was the fit and finish. I dare say it plays almost as well, 95% of the way there as my Ultra Strat. Buying one of these is a simple decision... Now I just need Fender to release one in black. \

Not to forget my sales engineer Nick. My guy is always knowledgeable and easy to reach. Simply put Sweetwater Rocks!

Beautiful Strat! Rich tone and I love the neck and action.

I've owned several telecasters, les Paul's, and prs custom 24 style guitars. Always wanted a strat and decided on this one not so much for the Hendrix aspect(because thankfully they made the branding for that subtle) for for the reverse headstock and pickup. This guitar screams with a bit of gain and has that signature strat tone when cleaned up. I'm only mad I didn't buy one sooner, and sweetwater as always kicked butt making sure it got to me and I was happy with it!

Sweetwater did right by me, setting up my Hendrix signature guitar with loaded pickguard with Seymour Duncan signature Hendrix pickups, bone nut, and pleking. Delivered double boxed, and in tune! Wow! Service was above and beyond at Sweetwater. The tones out of this guitar are killer, that is without any boxes! They have made themselves a lifetime customer! I highly recommend Sweetwater to anyone buying the guitar of your dreams! Thank you Sweetwater! You knocked it out of the park on this one!

I got this right at a year ago and it has been my main/downstairs guitar all that time. Most the collection is upstairs and it was a revolving selection for the living room axe. Stays in tune for weeks even with the trem, great tones across all 3 pickup combos. I play my Fenders clean, all the grungy stuff is on Epiphone or Ibanez axes, all the classic Fender tones come out of this one. Setup great right outta the box, no major tweaks needed. Great axe!

Where to begin? This guitar was a pleasant surprise when I received it back in 17'. I had a 2000 Fender American Series strat back in the day (that I wish I never parted with) and this one goes toe to toe with it as far as tonally and playability.

Great guitar for someone looking for their first Fender Strat or their 30th -- The fretboard is like butter and I can get bends and tone for days on it.

Add in Sweetwater's setup and 55 point inspection (not to mention awesome customer service) and we have an absolute winner!

I absolutely love this Jimi Hendrix Strat ! I also have a 2008 American Standard Stratocaster which I'll keep to the end of days but this one will be right there with it. I didn't know how much to expect the reverse headstock and pickups positions to affect the tone, and was pleasantly surprised to hear rich piano like tones from the low E and A, and a bit of the typical bridge pickup treble harshness nicely mellowed out on the high strings. I've always been fond of the late 60's early 70's big headstocks and especially in the reverse it really looks striking on stage. I debated between the Olympic White and Ultra Violet, ultimately going with the purple. It's cool that the guitar isn't a specific replica of a single Jimi axe but rather some of the ingredients in the recipe by virtue of Jimi's left handed playing on an adapted righty guitar. Mine was ready to play right away but I did need to raise the action a little bit to put it more to my personal playing feel. I noticed as I was tuning up the G string I could strongly feel the vibrations through the headstock and a bit in the body. Mine weighs 7 lbs 13oz so marathon jams are easily done without the Les Paul shoulder fatigue. The neck feel is inspiring and has an already aged (but not relic'd) look to it. It is mim but I feel it stands toe to toe with my American model and cost considerably less. A great choice for anyone who wants a cool combination of familiar Fender stuff with some of the idiosyncratic aspects of the Jimi set up without the inconvenience that Hendrix would have had with upper fret access.

I ordered this guitar with a Marshall Silver Jubilee, and I have never been a really big Fender player, love the sound, some play very well, but I always was a Gibson man. This guitar threw my planetary axis into a new geometry. I can't say everything that is game changing about this guitar, but in my 60 years of playing, it is like when I went from a Stella to a Goya as a 10 year old. This is the MASTER CASTER !!

I just bought one of these NOS from a local store I live near. It"s a great guitar that has a few treatments that aren"t advertised. No finish under the pickguard or backplate, the 65"pure vintage pickups SCREAM. I play music from Robin Trower and Deep Purple to Iron Maiden and Yngwie Malmsteen. These pickups have not left me wanting yet. There appears to be a Pure Vintage Trem unit on it as well. It is definitely not the same trem I have on my Classic Series Stratocasters. The reverse headstock with the reverse slant bridge pickup add some interesting sound. Couple that with the fact that the pickups are mounted 180 degrees around from normal causing the pole pieces to be reversed and you get a 100 percent reversed string path with all of your controls still being where you would want them. You don"t have to be a JH fan to have one of these and truly appreciate it. I was checking out an amp I was interested in and walked out with the guitar that I was reluctant to even play. It fits right in with my other harem of Strats great and has quite a different sound to it. This is a great guitar with some cool ideas going on.

Part 1 Sorry this is going to be a long review, but its worth the read if you are looking at getting one of these amazing Strats for yourself (you wont be disappointed). I've always been more a Gibson style player. My guitarist just had a non-tremolo Strat he spent money on getting the Gilmore pickups so he would sound like his guitar God. But he just got a Eric Johnson Strat and just was raving about how good it was. He like me would never consider clean playing and both of us owned mostly humbucker guitars. I loved the way his new Strat sounded. Had the maple neck like I wanted but had black body. My dream Strat was a clear body with a maple neck, but I didn't want the Ash body. I saw this guitar and spent a week looking at reviews and watching videos. I just fell in love with the look, the neck looked aged with the darker maple. the pickups were that creamy older color, the reverse headstock (wish they would of left the logo flipped as well). I liked hearing everyone talk about this was the tone they had searched for in all the Strats they bought and finally found it. The the bridge pick up slanted the wrong angle and the fact that all the pickups were flipped so the staggered poles are picking up the strings the way the Jimi's did. I was nervous about the purchase.

Part 2 I wish it came with a hardshell case. Always ticks me off to have to buy one. I bought a Ibenez AR-50 back in 79 or 80 for $160 that came with a hardshell case. They all used to, but now you have to spend over 1500 before that option gets added. I bought a nice SKB case go with it. I wish I had read some of the other reviews about the options that Sweetwater offers like shielding the inside of the guitar, would of done that so I don't have to do it myself. I knew it was going to have hum issues as all single coil pickups do, so I bought a Electro-Harmonix Hum Debugger.

Part 3 Ok Looks like I can't finish this long review, just buy one you will love it.

Bought this as a fun guitar. Was not sure how good it would be but thought it could be at worst a great man cave display with some old albums. When it came in I plugged it into my amp and it just rocked! Distorted it has great tone and clean it is just awesome. The neck is comfortable and fast playing. The white is a very bright white that looks great. I also love the look of the reverse headstock. So for under $1K this turned out to be a really great guitar!

I received my Fender Jimi Hendrix Strat just as Sweetwater said I would, with great playability and set up perfectly right out of the box ready to play! This model Strat from Fender does not disappoint, it has great craftsmanship that delivers 5 distinct sounds from it's 5 way selector switch and a lead pick up sound at the # 1 (bridge) as good if not better than any other lead pick from a Strat that I ever heard. This is my 2nd guitar purchase from Sweetwater and as promised Nick LaMendola delivered on time a great sounding Strat.

Thanks again Nick,

Carlos

Amazing customer service! Guitar is pristine and I"m very impressed. I don"t have even a minuscule disappointment. You can tell they want to do things right. Was impressed by the personal calls ensuring everything was going smoothly.

Was looking forward to gear fest. Was everything David Merkoski said it would be. When he sold me a PRS SANTANA LIMITED. I'm learning to play, My brother plays and loves Santana. I lie to make more nosie, I like Jimi Hendrix sould. And was thinking of trying to build a reverse headstock. But would of been too hard for me to build. And just happened to walk into a store and one was hanging on the wall. When I saw it I knew I had to have one. So at Gear Fest I brought one and some pedals. Called David during the week and told him I'd be at G. F. He said he'd be looking forward to seeing me again. I live 2 hrs away. But he's been so helpful. Happy with my great buys again. THANKS DAVID,AGAIN

I knew what I wanted. But when it arrived. I was blown away the way the people at Sweetwater took care of me and my new guitar. The guitar is absolutely awesome. Love everything about it. It has become my main guitar now.

Being a life-long Jimi Hendrix fan (who was lucky enough to see him in concert when I was 14 years old!) I HAD to have one of these Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster guitars with all the various customizations! Fender has blended the best of the Hendrix guitar details with a neck that works for right-handed guitarists and isn't as unwieldy to play as Jimi's Strats were for him (upside down, with the vibrato arm, control knobs, and pickup selector toggle switch somewhat in the way. Not a problem, of course, if you're the Voodoo Child!). This MIM Strat is well made and plays very smoothly. The fretboard radius makes for easy string bends. The pickups sound good and probably reflect how Hendrix's earlier guitars sounded when he was in New York, and then England when the Experience was formed. The white and black Strats with maple fretboards were used mostly in 1969 and 1970, so the Fender Custom Shop '69 pickups might be a more historically accurate pickup choice for these maple fretboard Strats of Jimi (always an option if desired) but who am I to tell Fender what to include in their guitars? Still, this guitar has a sweet tone to it and is a superb value for the money! I couldn't decide on the white/maple "Woodstock" Strat, or the Black/maple Start that was a favorite of Jimi's (he's holding his black/maple Strat in the last known photo of him). So I got one of each! The quality control on both guitars was very good with no issues of any kind, which is amazing as I bought them about 6 months apart (which says a lot about quality control). The Jimi Hendrix Strat is a great value at this price, so if you're in the market for a really good Strat for your money, you should check one (or two!) out with Sweetwater soon. You won't be sorry! Tom Maxwell is my go-to guy at Sweetwater, but everyone there who's helped me over the years has been outstanding! You can't go wrong with Sweetwater...they'll take great care of you!

I bought this guitar without playing one first. It is a bad a** guitar. I'm a Jimi Hendrix Worshiper and felt obligated to have this and to have the Olympic White is even more of a nod to Hendrix and is a real head turner. Plus the neck specs, radius made this a logical choice for my guitar playing related arthritis and carpal tunnel issues. This neck is fast and easy to play and I have short fingers. I am able to play faster on this neck than on my other strats, Tele, SG & Les Pauls. I know several people that own one and watched several reviews. I noticed several people saying that the pickups are to noisy to deal with and the tuners aren't very good. So I went in to this thinking I would be upgrading those components. However, when I plugged this BABY in the pickups blew me away. They have that true, authentic, vintage Fender sound you want and need. Yes, it has that cycle coil hum... Yes you can dial back most of it with a noise gate or noise suppressor type pedal. The pickups sound great I can dial in Jimi, Clapton, Beck, Gilmour and the list goes on. The reverse angled pickups and poles give this guitar a special unique beautiful tone. (much like Hendrix had) Bridge position 1 on the 5 way is smoking hot and position 2 quacks like a duck where as position 5 sounds like sweet, glassy, butter. Yes, you can get the "woman tone" The tone and volume control really work well for dialing back to get some nice cleans and crank it up for some punch as well as rolling the tone back if needed. Another huge positive besides the reverse neck looking SUPER RAD is it actually plays a significant role in the playability and tone of this guitar. The way the strings sit allow you to play leads and the high strings effortlessly. You are able to bend, solo and play faster and better. It also has improved my vibrato as it allows you better control over the high strings and allows you to play effortless vibrato due to the string tension on the reversed neck. The low strings also have a really punchy, crisp sound ready for attack. Making this thing a unique blues/Rock&Roll Beast. The pickups sound FREAKING AWESOME. They are true to the '65 era vintage specs and tone. The tuners never cause me any tuning issues and I've been playing on it 2-5 hours a day for over a week thus far. Just stretch the strings real good over and over, especially if you plan to use the tremolo. I havent even used the tremolo yet but I assume it will cause tuning stability issues like every other Fender I own . I immediately put Elixir Polywebs on and strap locks to protect my baby. Don't let the Made In Mexico fool you. It has top notch craftsmanship and playability. The only "cons" I find that are really more of a preference thing are that I wish they would have used the lefty bridge so the tremolo bar would be positioned like Jimi's was on top. This actually seems practical to me and makes it easier to use the tremolo bat and would have cost nothing more. Also, not getting a case is a freaking joke. Man up and get a case for this baby. The gig bag is equivalent to a road runner gig bag. They are ok but not great. I ordered a nice Fender case of of here as well for it. This was my first instrument purchase from Sweetwater and they sent me a beautiful guitar that was perfectly set up. Call them and they will make you a deal. I got the guitar and case in a combo deal. This guitar is worth it and is now my go to. I have played it through a mound of pedals and they all sound great. I have also played it through a Fender Supersonic Twin 100, Vox AC30, Vox Ac4, Peavey Classic, Marshall Dsl15 and they all sound so good. This this has a more authentic Fender sound than my '76 Strat and my' 95 Strat. This guitar also boasts endless sustain and gallons of tone. Don't be afraid to get it. You won't regret it. I can't help but channel Jimi. Everytime, I pick this baby up I channel the man himself. This is a players guitar . I would buy this again in a heart beat Peace & Love To All.

As the title says, this is another incredible playing and sounding product from Fender Mexico. As with my other Mexican Fenders (Classic Player 60s Strat, Deluxe Ash bodied Strat, and Deluxe Roadhouse Strat) the quality is equal to American Fenders, in my opinion. I wish they had made a rosewood board version, as I generally prefer rosewood to maple, and Jimi actually played rosewood longer than maple, only switching to maple during his last couple of years. However, this guitar has that fat woody tone that most rosewood Strats have and many maple ones lack. The American 65 pickups are especially dynamic and ooze awesome tone in every position, with great quack in the middle positions. I couldn't be more pleased with this guitar. I just have to get used to the reverse headstock, so I don't try turning the wrong machine head when tuning.

I bought this guitar along with numerous other items from Sweetwater in one big package. This guitar rocks and meets up to the Fender name. I want to give special thanks to Mr. Luke Herian for all that he did for me when buying this guitar and the sound package from Sweetwater. I wound not buy from any other place and Luke would be my go to guy. Thanks again Luke!

I have been playing for 34 years, and have probably owned 7-8 Strats in my lifetime. This is one of the winners!

This is the second Mexican Stratocaster I have owned, and both of my Mexican Strats were actually my favorites over my American Standards. (I did put a David Allen Echoes Pickup set in my previous 1997 Mex Strat).

The Mexican plant makes great guitars. Period...do NOT fear the new MIM Fender guitars! This Hendrix flavored Strat is no exception. All of the Hendrix, Trower, SRV, Mike McCready tones you seek are in these pickups. The tone this guitar is so amazing that I just decided that my old amp didn't pass muster to what this guitar is capable of delivering, so I bought a Marshall DSL40C with a 12'' Celestion Creamback to give this guitar its proper due.

Brent Leuthold, my Sweetwater sales concierge, was awesome as always. If Brent is paid on commission, I highly recommend him. Sweetwater's customer service is always world class! -- They treat us "dirty musician's" like we are rich folks buying a Rolls Royce. The little package of candy they include with every order is such a classy touch of service.

My wife gave me this baby for my 56th birthday and I am truly blown away (sing it Carrie Underwood!)
Simply excellent sound and ease of play. It is a diamond in my small collection of truly amazing guitars. I am so happy to own this fine guitar. Well done Fender!

I ordered the EMG DG20 David Gilmour pre-wired pickguard. Great price. It came in exactly when said, with candy to boot! Nice personal touch. But most importantly to me, a Sweetwater rep called me before and after receiving my product. And again to ask how the installation went (very well), and how I felt about the sound. Also, he talked to me like a human. Not just for 3 secs. I Have and will keep recommending Sweetwater to any and every one looking to purchase any product they offer. Wich is pretty much every thing a musician, dj, engineer, producer,etc could need.

Sounds great, everything you'd expect from a Strat, feels amazing to play and when you crank it up, it's a dream come true.

I am the proud owner of a Hendrix Strat. It's my first mim guitar. The quality is outstanding. I own a Eric Johnson strat and.I also own a Eric Clapton strat.. The quality of the Hendrix strat is right in between the other signature guitars. It is not fair to compare the new strat with the Eric Johnson strat because of a poly finish compared to a nitro finished. As usual AJ ,at Sweetwater gave expert service. This is my 2nd guitar from Sweetwater and when I unboxed the guitars they were both IN TUNE. Its a long way to Georgia from Indiana. The guitar was ready to go when I unpacked it. Sweetwater will always be my 1st choice. Thanks Sweetwater and AJ.

I recently received my Fender Artist Signature Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster OWT from Sweetwater and must say am still blown away by just how awesome the guitar plays and sounds right out of the box. To my delight, it also sounds amazing without being plugged into an amp! That is when I knew it was a dream come true! Their 55 point evaluation is the real deal. The guitar was set up beyond my expectations having played electric guitars for almost 40 years. I could go on and on but the bottom line is this. Right out of the box I played my Jimi Hendrix strat through a 96' Hot Rod Deville for 5 hours at practice (Classic Rock band) and it out performed my cherry 1982 Fender Fullerton Stratocaster in PLAYABILITY and TONE and it wasn't even close. Keep in mind my 82' strat is my baby I've played for over 30 years!!!! If you want a QUALITY Fender Strat with real authentic vintage tone, and effortless playability, then get one and find out for yourself as I found myself closing my eyes and jamming in the spirit of Jimi throughout the practice! One last note: I can't thank Kevin and the team at Sweetwater enough for ensuring my shopping experience was P for Perfect from start to finish. Rock on!

I,ve have Fender Stratocaster 's But not the Jimi Hendrix Style the more I look it brings a thought of Rocka billy to crunchy Country Rock sounds I love to venture in Music this model of Guitar I can do a lot my Name is George Gray I have played for 35 40 years

Feels and plays great. Nice tones and smooth frets. Slight hum. but nothing serious.
Special thanks To Tim Holsinger at Sweetwater, always a great experience doing business with him.

Incredible love this guitar ty to all the great people at sweetwatter. The only flaw i noticed is gotta replace the pots with mojo tone. other than that hard to put it down .awesome guitar great neck great fell love it

Id never owned a Strat before---Gibson LP, Rick 330 , Telecaster and Casino, yes. But a buddy purchased this Hendrix from Sweetwater (He had all the paperwork) and needed money badly so he put this up for sale and told me about it. I tried and was blown away by how good it sounded and how comfortable it felt to play! Love it! Only complaint is that for some reason the bridge pickup sounds a little---not a lot, just a little---weaker than the other 2 pickups but easily remedied with the volume control if playing that pickup only. Tone is great and stays in tune (and I bend frequently). The action was perfect (my buddy said Sweetwater set it up that way and I believe him, having dealt with the wonderful salespeople at Sweetwater many times).

I just recently picked this up and it's great. Fit and Finish was excellent. I had a Squire Vintage Modified Strat before this and this is much better. Hardly any 60's Hum which is nice. The Squire duncan designed would quack but man the Hum was horrible. It's great and can't wait to enjoy it for years to come. Thanks Forrest.
One more thing the setup was great with low action - I just went with the 55 point and not a new setup. Half star docked because of slight buzz on the E but it doesn't come through the amp - so no big deal.

I bought this guitar in december 2017. First of all i bought it becausd it was a unique guitar, not because im a huge hendrix fan. I liked the idea of having a strat that wasnt just like everyone elses. The reverse headstock, and the bridge pickup angled the opposite way, both really do change the feel and the tone of this guitar compared to regular strats. I have fallen in love with this guitar. It plays and sounds fantastic. I was a little apprehensive about the color because i generally dont like white guitars. However the pictures do not do this guitar justice. Its more of a cream color and much more vibrant in person. There are 3 reasons i didnt give it a full 5 stars. First of all the guitar arrived with quite a bit of fret sprout. I believe… guitar should have much better fret treatment. Second, the guitar strings buzzed like crazy. I had to tinker with the set up quite a bit to solve the problem. Even now after setting it up properly, it still buzzes some, but not enough to bleed through the amp. I would also like to point out that i was able to set the action super low and still take care of most of the buzzing. So it plays like dream. Lastly, the pickups are really really noisy. I wouldnt let these issues stop you from buying this strat though. Its a great guitar thats worth every penny. Finally let me say that my sales person, Josh Lively is the best. I will not deal with anyone else. He always goes the extra mile. Thanks Josh!

Had sweetwater shield my guitar and replace with a white pickguard so I could keep the original flawless. Sounds great so far.
Shiny smooth frets, real comfortable neck.
Clean sounds, quiet/little hum.
Haven"t ripped "er open yet, but I like it already.
Limited Edition Baby!

Good service.
Multiple people worked to get my order right and I appreciate it.

This guitar has ALL the right ideas. It gets the basics of Jimi's Strats of that era without compromising the comfort and playability for a right-handed person. That is why I will say the trem arm is where it really should be. Even if it was mounted on the left side of the unit, I would still like it, but this just makes more sense for a righty.

The reverse headstock is what guitars should all have, in my opinion. The wound strings should have that extra length. Same thing with the bridge pickup mounted as if for a lefty and the reverse mounting of the pickups. It all makes a difference.

I like the pickups a lot; I will not be swapping them out. Are they the best I've heard? No, but they make this guitar unique. I am really digging the middle pickup and usually the middle pickups just don't do anything for me. This one is definitely usable.

Fit and finish are superb. It is gorgeous, yet classically simple. Form follows function here. I took it to my local guitar luthier for setup and other than tightening up the trem a little, he said it was perfect right out of the box. Intonation was already dead-on. Action perfect. Pickup cavity was clean and neatly done.

I can't play like Hendrix (who can?) and my tone may not as close as I'd like, but this guitar is a pure joy to play.

I played one of these, but I have to tell you, I have the "original" Voodoo Strat from 1997 that was discontinued due to the Hendrix estate not being very happy with the image/name being used. It seems Fender has taken care of al that. So, while the value of my guitar may be less because of this (some ebay ads had this selling for over 2k) I'm glad the rest of you can enjoy this. The flipped headstock is more than a gimmick - it means you have different string lengths (after the nut) and it really does make for a different tone. Add to that the reverse slanted bridge pickup and you have a strat that really does sound unique and whether or not you have the chops, does hit you with Jimi-ness, often when you least expect it. I'm not sure this has the same pickups as my "original" 97 Voodoo Strat - mine were listed as 69 or 69 "vintage," but if you can deal with the single coil hum, the sound is sooooo Strat. Punchy, quacky, funky... whatever you want to call it, I love it (as long as I am playing live and not in the studio or computer). The neck pickup gives amazing deep clean sounds that, IMO, are different due to the headstock flipping. Middle pickup or different combos with it give you the best Strat funk sound ever. If you are thinking of getting a strat in this price range, even you don't relate to Hendrix music, you should seriously consider this guitar. It is very versatile, very much a strat and a great guitar. One thing though, why on Earth would anybody choose anything other than the Olympic White?

The one I have had super noisy pickups in all 5 positions. I don't think the middle pickup was reverse wound. I got mine used only a year old for over 1/2 price and put Mojotone Quiet Coil loaded pickgard in it and it's now a fine sounding guitar. Also no more reversed angle on the bridge pickup. I prefer it normal.

We have a 2016 Black version. The neck is PERFECT maple,frets leveled,dressed,etc.,and is a step above (maybe) the quality of a Squier Classic Vibe. Take it apart and you will find GENUINE CTS pots with cloth wire,a legit but lightweight 5-way selector switch,and those grey bottom '65's. A near copy of a USA body,too,but it's fo' sho' Mexican. All should be right!....not. Paint scratches soooo easy; I don't care so much but other folks may not like a relic guitar after a year of heavy playing!
The '65's sound like chinese import's,fact. They had to be replaced w Fender USA (69/72?),then sounded like a quality guitar,but dagnabit,that stock tremolo had to be upgraded to the USA version for real pro gig functionality. Mo' $$$.
There are DOZENS of better sounding MIM Fender Strats for way less, and it hurts me to admit it. There are DOZENS of better guitars from Sweetwater of all kinds that are a better deal,so just consider our experience.
A 7/10 rating for a guitar in this price range seems a diss to Hendrix the man.
(I hope our '65's were defective and we were the only folks that got 'em. It has a big block trem but it's too blocky,outta wack-a USA version bolts right on and makes the diff).
No where NEAR the value or quality of our Epiphone Custom, it would be a great deal at about six nine nine.
Hope this helps you get your Strat on soon!

Looks good, plays great which is the main thing in my humble opinion. The reversed string length does change the way the guitar sounds, and for some reason the way the guitar plays and feels. Only 4 stars because I believe Fender pulled it's punching not reversing the body as well.

this is the third guitar I've purchased in three weeks from sweet water, two for my daughter & this one for me. early x-mas gift from my wife. & i might add, no disappointments in any of the three. my thanks once again to zach garrison for such good service..all i had to do to this guitar was shim the neck, & level the tremolo . i don't like a floating tremolo, has to be on the body..more resonance!! now the neck plays even all the way up.. I'm pleased with the build from MEXICO. nicely done. thank you sweet water for your great polices. love the candy ,,,lol maybe nachos next time

when you buy an electic guitar and it sounds beautiful NOT plugged in, you know you're in for a real treat when it's amped( with a quality amp, of course)...i have yet to turn this axe loose,just don't have the room yet...thanks, sweetwater...tony w

I was a little hesitant to buy this guitar. I have owned some previous Fender import Guitars from Mexico and Indonesia that were not the quality I expected.

This guitar is excellent! The setup is excellent, much better than expected (a bad setup can cost $75 to $100 extra) ---- and the sound is also excellent.

This guitar seems to get better high end response than other Strats I own (or have previously owned). Straight into a few different amps it is definitely very bright sounding and clear - The Neck pickup and middle pickups position sound really good, and bit thicker (Like Jimi's sound). The brighter high end response works really well in an effects chain and helps "cut through " high gain mixed with other effects with better clarity than some of my other strats.

The upside down neck and with different string & tuner lengths and the different pickup position all seem to add to the unique sound of this guitar.

The guitar is very high quality for price. Excellent workmanship and no real flaws I can find. The setup was perfect (hopefully this is consistent in others). It was worth the price and has become of of my favorite Strats. It comes with the lowest Gig Bag which is my only negative, but I also purchased a Gator Hard shell case.

4 stars - probably deserves 4.5 because I really like it. - But I think Fender should provide at least a somewhat Hardshell Gig bag or case of some type.

If all these production models have the same consistent setup, I highly recommend it

The guitar come in record time (cudos to sweetwater). It look and feel was great. The only problem I thought was not that great, was that the signature was on the back of the headstock. I would have had it on the front, or put the Seymour Duncan pickups with the signature pickup covers on. That would have given it a 5 star rating in my book. Other than that, Fender did one hell of a job building it. And the reverse headstock, paint, feel playability was on the money, for a MIM stratocaster. I sent it back for an American telecaster that I wanted instead. But for the price, well worth the money. Sweetwater is an AWESOME company to buy all of you musical dreams from. There are a top shelf team.

Best way to describe this guitar is it's...off. Looks great & it's built well enough, I think? But by FAR the buzziest Fender I've ever played & I've played a LOT of Fenders. No matter how I set the neck concave/convex, set up 10-46 EADGBE, bridge flat to the body, low strings at 2mm, high strings at 1.6mm (Fender's recommended specs), those strings rattled like CRAZY. Was it just mine? Maybe. But I have a feeling that headstock design may be the culprit. People have described it as having a "different vibe". As I struggled for 2 hours to come to terms what the **** was going on with this guitar, those aren't the words I'd choose. Pickups sounded good on the 2-5 positions but the bridge on its own sounded weak, lifeless, & just wrong. There are solid reasons now even more apparent to me that people don't flip a guitar over & string it backwards. My honest suggestion is PLAY ONE FIRST. Don't make the same mistake I did. I traded up for an American Special Tele & oh my goodness, I'm so glad I did.

I bought one of these slightly used. Intonation was good the action was good. It seemed to stay in tune as long as I didn't bend on it too hard. I did not use the tremolo arm. I bought it because it was an iconic rock and roll guitar. Wrong! I'd consider this a blues guitar at best. Unless you're standing in front of 50 Marshall stacks with 2 two fuzz boxes front of them it's kind of a dud dead sounding guitar. The finish on the neck had factory imperfections on the fretboard and the back cover was very cheaply made and very badly warped. The finish on the guitar body and the neck were beautiful other than the imperfections on the neck. I am a Rocker and I am used to playing through humbuckers. If you are a tone primadonna and intend to play this through Boutique amp in your boutique then this may be your guitar. If you're a rock and roller plan on changing all the electronics.

Do not waste your money… The pick ups are awful… I already had to switch them out with new ones… And the tremolo system is Useless… Going to order a Floyd Rose to replace that… I had such high hopes for this guitar and it is awful.