Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster Electric Guitar - Vintage White with Maple Fingerboard Reviews

I just love this thing. Don't care if the wife leaves me now....

The fit and finish is superb. Fret ends are well dressed and don't bite your hands. Scalloped fretboard needs a lighter touch but I got it in in day...Super surprised to have it intonated and in tune! The low and high strings slip off on some. This one doesn't have that. Look at the picture of the one you want carefully to see the low and high E strings to see how they go over the neck. This one is fine! Fender is making really fine guitars now. And this one is one of them. The price is right! Thank you Fender and Sweetwater.

First off Ide like to start out by thanking the Sweetwater crew for their continued support and customer service! Top notch service is next to none they are the best in the business! I have wanted this guitar since I was 16 years old, I'm 27 now. I've played hundreds of strats. Some good, some horrible. I always wondered about a scalloped neck and I'm a huge Yngwie fan so I always wanted to try it. So I finally was able to purchase my dream Stratocaster! I read a lot of reviews of guys complaining about E strings jumping off the board. The problem is your pressing too hard you need to relax your left hand and adjust your articulation I slid off a couple times but within 5 mins it felt totally natural. When I opened the case and looked at the guitar it was absolutely flawless! I took the inspection card outback of the strings and strummed and chord and the guitar was in perfect tune! As they usually are from Sweetwater. So I wanted to play it for a few days before I wrote a review. I don't like this guitar........ I LOVE THIS GUITAR! Ive played vintage 70s era fender strats and they even got the body contours right! I played it acoustically and it was nice and resonant but the magic happened when I plugged it in! Those pickups are AMAZING! Yngwie knows tone and Seymour Duncan made it happen! These pickups are throaty and don't color the sound of the guitar the back pickup is very aggressive and chunky, the middle pickup is very quacky like a normal Strat, and the neck pickup is like heaven! It's so smooth and creamy and very very fluid sounding! The fret work and scalloping is done with sharp precision. The frets look like Mirrors the dressing is the best I've ever seen! The edges are rolled nicely and the neck is super comfortable to play. The scallops are deep and you can really really get under the string to get crazy bends and Vibrato is effortless on this guitar. Finally the tremolo. Most fob is strat guys know that bars on strat are temperamental and they go out of time easily. This trem it set up to yngwies spec to float. The trem is set up and balanced beautifully I am used to a floyd rose so this trem is very very light tension wise. So I said let's abuse it so I did I dumped the bar and made horrid noises and played harmonics and pulled the bar up and back down again. Then played a e chord the guitar tuning NEVER MOVED! This guitar is worth every penny and it top notch build quality!

I love my new Fender Yngwei Malmsteen Strat...a lot in fact!

But, the Malmsteen strat has a serious design flaw. Both E strings are so close to the edge of the fretboard that they slip off the fret board all the time. I've read this is how Yngwei designed the guitar. I also experienced this problem when I modded teles putting strat saddles on that are wider than tele saddles.

I've read somebody makes a $250 narrower bridge. Not something I want to spend another $250 for.

My simple solution is to grind the edges of both E saddle's sides slightly, and the A saddle, and the B saddle. Then with a set of needle nose pliers, I bend both E bridge screws that goes into the saddle to where the saddle turns inward toward the A saddle and toward the B saddle. Problem solved. My E strings no longer slip off the fret board.

You marvel at the cost of a Malmsteen strat until you play one. And not only a killer ax, but an equally impressive hardshell case. The scalloping, pickups that for some reason make me think of the old Rick Derringer Stealth pickup, really sweet. Take a try with the amp set to ear-bleed and enjoy what a hot strat can do. Mortgage the dog or whatever, but GET ONE OF THESE!!!

Yngwie got it right on the design all the way around
Pickups sound killer thru my Hughes and Kettner without any pedals at all

I run a compressor 10 band eq and s metal zone up front and adelay in the FX loop and look out this thing kills

Scalloped fretboard is the best

If you play metal or hard rock you will not be disappointed.

This guitar feels tock solid in your hands on every way possible unlike a normal strat does

Excellent pick-ups,great sound and playability with the scalloped fingerboard.Fit and finish nearly perfect.Only downside,fairly common with this model,is the high e string occasionally slipping off the fingerboard.

This Malmsteen Stratocaster is one of the best Guitars that I ever purchased and owned. I can't find anything wrong with the Guitar, plays great looks killer, love the scalloped finger board. Takes a bit of getting used to the fretboard but I am having a lot of fun.

Beautiful guitar and a beautiful case. I've never played on a scalloped fretboard but I've had no problems playing on this one. People complain about the high 'E' accidentally coming off the fret while playing but again I've had no problem. The sound is great on this guitar whether playing clean or using effects. This guitar will NOT get you a death metal sound. It will get you an Yngwie, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, SRV, Hendrix, sound. I hope sweetwater carries a different color soon so I can order another one. Sweetwater did great on packaging and delivery as always.

Been waiting to get one. Now that it is been here for a month i am in love. Took a few to get use to the scalloped frets. Once you have your fingers use to it (maybe just me)... just awesome. Plays anything you want.. not really a death metal guitar but from jazz to shred she is a ripper. Love the difference in tone between front and rear pickup... working hard to ware out the switch. Have other strats i thought were my go to guitars but now they kinda of collect dust. So if you have the means put your order in an Sweetwater does the rest. Also comes in a premium fender case which is a bonus. Overall great guitar, great case, great support at Sweetwater.

This is a great guitar. Couldn't be more pleased. Gets awesome yngwie tones both through marshall amps or directly into logic software. Great value and totally one of my favorite guitars.

Great Guitar. The guitar looks and feels Very High Quality. It Sounds Great and I have many other guitars to compare it to and make that statement. Contrary to popular belief, it may not necessarily be the best guitar to play Shred. The Pickups are not active or even Hum buckers. You also do not have 24 frets. No Locking Tremolo system either. Then, the Scalloped fret board is a skill in itself to learn to play. Most people know by now that Yngwies sound is because of Yngwies hands. The good news is with some work you can play almost anything on this guitar. It sounds great plugged into almost any decent amp or signal processor. It can be used for Blues, Pop, Rock, Hard Rock, Metal and more. I personally like the scalloped fret board especially for leads but use a light touch for Rhythm on this baby. I am a Big Yngwie Fan also. It is always an honor to own one of my guitar Heroes Guitars. It is One very nice Strat though, even if you are not a fan. Maybe, just a Fender Strat Man!

This guitar is amazingly crafted and has an easy feel because of the scalloped frets. Scalloped frets in Indian instruments are there since ancient times. I think that it may take time to adjust from a normal guitar to this, as the scalloped frets require feather touch and will help in playing fast. Yngwie Malmsteen is a masterclass and ensured that this guitar replicates his passion.

I am thankful to the Sweetwater for ensuring that the guitar journey's across the seas to India and is in perfect condition. I appreciate the excellent support extended by Kevin Scott, James Masterson and the staff of Sweetwater who have ensured the resonance of joy in giving the best product with professional advice and care. I wish you guys a wonderful life ahead and Sweetwater, a successful journey down the music lane. All the best!

Great Strat, Period!

I got my Yngwie Strat (rosewood) by a backorder. The guitar weighs far less than 8 lbs and resonates fantastically. The neck is in perfect condition. It seems to have been hand-picked. The guitar is much worth than I paid. Thank you Sweetwater. Thank you Chris Sanders!

As a huge Yngwie fan, I must say that this guitar is very impressive and much better than I expected. It’s a very well built Fender and worth the money.

Since I already play with scalloped necks, I didn’t have any problem with its fretboard but if you never tried before, you may have some issues. However my advice is; don’t be afraid of it! Once you get used to it ( it takes 5 to 10 days), you will love it. Personally, I can’t play on regular fretboards anymore! They feel uncomfortable after the scalloped board…

The tuning stability is also pretty good for a six screw vintage bridge. I do very large bendings like B to E on the high E string and it stays in tune pretty well.
But for the large bends you should raise the action up to 1.8 - 2.0 mm because of the 9,5 inch radius. The guitar comes with a very low action setup though.

If you are an Yngwie fan and willing to get his sound, here is a very important tip: This strat comes with loaded tone control pots. Yngwie never uses the tone knobs and thats why they are always disconnected on his personal guitars. Now, the point is when you disconnect them, you get slightly more output and the pickups’s sound goes directly to your amp without interruption by the circuit. Then you get the tone of the wood more than before and more clarity and chime. This guitar really screams!

The Duncan YJM pickups are really powerful but there is a misconception about these particular hum-cancelling pickups; do not think they are humbuckers in a single coil shape! They are just single coils without hum! I mean you can also get a very nice blues sounds with these with a correct amp setup. The other important part of this Strat is when you switch between neck and bridge pickups, they make a very smooth transition. You don’t feel like you are playing a different guitar just by switching from neck to bridge which you can see in some other pickup configurations.

Overall; sounds awesome, good craftsmanship, very good tuning stability, high quality pickups suits many different styles and worth for every penny…

Last note: If you like this vintage white colour, be aware that it’s only available on the Yngwie Malmsteen models! Yes! That’s right! Fender only produce it specifically for YJM signature you can’t find the exact finish on other guitars

I have always been an Ibanez player, been playing guitar on and off for about 20 years. Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai, George Lynch and of course Yngwie Malmsteen are some of my favorite players. I toyed with the idea of getting a fender for years but never did due to the price, lack of locking trem (I'm a whammy user / abuser) and lack of saturated tone due to no humbucker. So why did I get this you ask? I have been eyeing it for sometime and it finally got the best of me. I never tried one of these out before ordering so I just had reviews to go on. I had no idea what the board, or lack of, with the scallops, would feel like. Someone somewhere said you will either love it or hate it due to the scallops. They compared it to "playing on trapeze wire." That made sense to me since you would only be feeling strings and nothing else beneath your fingers. I'm not a fan of fat / thick necks since I play my Ibanez and love them due to their ultra fast and thin necks on the models I play. This would be very far from what I'm used to but I was willing to give it a shot even though the price tag was way too much for me. So I placed the order and had it in 2 days. I read you will either love this or hate this. For me, I love it. There is something about playing it where it feels like I'm playing guitar for the first time and I can't wait to play again. It's not as foreign as I thought it would be. It just feels so natural to me. Your fingers don't touch the wood at all due to the scallops. I thought this would be bad for me since I love really low action. It's an illusion that the action is high due to the scallops. Within about an hour I was getting the hang of it but still go out of tune sometimes due to the amount of pressure I put on the strings. if you press the string a little too much you will go sharp. There is no fretboard to stop you so it's easy to keep pushing a little harder, which will result in you going out of tune. This is only really noticeable when playing chords. there are some chords you play everyday with no problem but on this guitar it can be a problem really fast. Each finger has to have the right amount of pressure to prevent strings from going sharp. It can be really annoying. For this reason I will not use this guitar to record certain things until either the strings break in more or I get more used to it. As for playing fast I have no problem with it. the lighter you play the faster and cleaner you will be. in the end, this guitar slows me down a bit compared to my Ibanez guitars. I have no issues with legato or tapping or scales....it's just a little bit slower. What I was amazed with right away is the vibrato and bends. I can't explain how perfect and natural it feels. I have always had great vibrato and bends but with this guitar it's total freedom. It is effortless to bend the higher notes and even use vibrato on the higher notes because of the scallops. Regular guitars can be tougher to bend higher notes on due to the shortening of the string as you get higher on the neck. Not so with this. I love the way this feels. Some other people complained that when you play on the high E string or do certain chords involving this string, your finger will slip off. Well that is true. It just happens and I'm not sure why. I don't find this to be a huge issue, just something I need to be more in control of. So it seems you need to spend a little more time looking at your playing and focusing on each individual finger's pressure when playing, especially chords. It will sound bad if you don't press evenly...and I mean like you just started playing bad. That is a downside. All the years I have been playing, I'm not going to risk playing easy chords and having them sound like I'm a beginner or that I don't know how to tune my guitar. This statement may scare you but don't let it. You just need to spend a little time focusing on your finger pressure, along with your chording. Yes it's an extra step but it's a very small step backwards. After playing this then picking up an Ibanez I play a little faster on the Ibanez...probably because I don't have to be as concerned with the strings going sharp or whatever...I can just play. Don't let this detour you...I'm just letting you know what is on my mind. It's a great instrument and I love it. As for looks I can't be happier. I love the aged look and it's more than what I expected it to be...it's truly a work of art.

The tone is really nice. I am happy with the heavy tone of the guitar. I was afraid it was going to be THUD THUD THUD with palm mutes but I'm pleasantly surprised. It sounds pretty good. The last few times I played it, I haven't even plugged it in since it sounds so good with no amp...it just resonates.

I haven't used the whammy that much and don't plan to with this since when I do whammy I whammy a lot! I'm sure this guitar can take it but I just don't plan to play this like that. The case is really nice...the fender tweed / cloth on the outside. I wish it wasn't so nice because if it gets wet or dirty, it just won't look right. If I ever gig with this I will be putting it in one of my skb cases...the black hard plastic, typical case. For the most part I'm going to enjoy this in my home and probably won't take it anywhere if I gig in the future.

I didn't give 5 stars because nothing is perfect. This is really sweet and I'm glad I made the purchase...just wish it wasn't so much money. I would definitely purchase again. Hope this helped you. I get all my stuff from sweetwater now by the way. Thanks to Mark Stein, my rep, who is always great!

I always wanted an Yngwie strat, so I finally pulled the trigger. The quality of the build is awesome, and the fear of the scalloped neck was for not; I immediately took to it.
Then I noticed it; the high E string, especially near the nut, would fall off the neck while doing just about anything. Even just grabbing a D chord would cause it to slip off.
I did a search and found this is a common problem.
?
If it's known to be a problem you would think Fender would want to solve it, but it seems it's been going on for awhile. I read that a different bridge/tremolo can fix it, but didn't really feel like modifying a brand new guitar!
As always, Sweetwater was very supportive about the issue and I returned it.
Maybe in the future, if Fender steps up its game I'll try again.

Great guitar, set up well, plays well, I am very pleased with it! My salesperson Tom Maxwell was excellent, personable and very helpful! I would have given them a 5 but one of the latches on the tweed case pops open or does not close. I called Sweetwater about this and they have contacted Fender and I am waiting for a replacement case. I have purchased both an amp and a guitar from these guys and would buy from them again.

I decided to buy an American Made strat. I guess buying American is not always better. I have two more strats that are the Mexican strats so I decided to try American. First thing I noticed was that the high E string tends to slip off the first fret as there is very little space at the end (see photo). I don't like Fender strings so I changed to the ones I always use D'Addario EXL120. I had to adjust the spring tension under the back cover so that the floating tremolo is in the right place. This is typical on all strats when you change the string gauge. Next thing I noticed is that the A string buzzes because it is very close to the first fret, the other strings are fine. I think the notch on the brass nut is cut a bit too low on just the A string. I had to make a slight adjustment on the truss rod and the string height on the bridge and got rid of most of the buzzing. It still buzzes a little when I hit the A string harder. Hence the three star rating. The pickups on this sound amazing. Malmsteem made a great choice. I wonder how this got through Sweetwater's 55 point inspection as well as the Fender plant inspection. So that's why I believe American made is not always better. Oh well, lesson learned. The price is way to high for this kind of quality.