Fender 2017 Standard Stratocaster Guitar Black Special Edition Review Demo
Where does Fender''s new American Special series fit in their family of Strats and Teles?
 | Download Example ane Strat Clean - Bridge & Heart, vol. 7, tone vi. |
| | Download Case ii Strat Make clean - Neck & Heart, vol. viii, tone seven. |
| | Download Example 3 Strat Muddy - Bridge pup, vol. 9, tone 5 |
| | Download Example 4 Tele Clean - Bridge pup, vol/tone rolled off slightly |
| | Download Case 5 Tele/Orange Overdrive two/Dirty - Span pup, book/tone rolled off slightly. |
| Clips recorded through Vox AC30CC2 (unless otherwise noted) in Logic Pro on a MacBook Pro with Focusrite Saffire Pro 24, using Sennheiser e609 and Rode NT-1A mics. | |
The new American Special serial represents Fender's efforts to "bring the full Fender feel of a terrific-sounding, shine-playing, stone-solid-congenital US-made Fender guitar to the workingman without elimination his bank account."
Nosotros assume that fifty-fifty the functionally clueless can capeesh what a challenge that must accept been, since in practice it ways giving players the ability to bring home a new, US-made Fender for a price that is basically (once you've adjusted for aggrandizement) a fraction of what a new American Fender electric used to cost, even during the heydey of American manufacturing—and at a fourth dimension when and then many foreign-made guitars have clearly demonstrated themselves as equals to their domestic rivals in quality, even exceeding many of them in value. To take an American-made Fender for the toll of a foreign-made Fender in 2010 is some dream, and the fact that Fender appears to have pulled it off is, we retrieve, a attestation to the company'due south determination to continue satisfying the demands of its customers even equally those demands get more… well, challenging.
Finding the Line
Assessing the value these newcomers offer to working guitarists, however, turns out to exist quite a claiming in itself. Fender has been very successful at its strategy of offer e'er more variations on two of the most archetypal electrics in existence— namely the Telecaster and the Stratocaster— and there are nearly as many iterations of these storied instruments as in that location are kinds of players. The American Special series, like the Highway One and Classic Thespian series before it, isn't out to offer an instrument so particular that it's totally different anything already available in Fender's lineup, then those looking at this new series will rightly wonder if they take anything new to offering, and if they justify replacing the trusted and well-worn Fender guitars already in their possession.
Quite a large number of players, though, have expressed a desire for an American-made guitar that doesn't come up at a premium cost. And supplying that is something new for Fender, even if the instruments themselves aren't a radical divergence from previous offerings. At what point does the trade-off become reasonable? Street price for the American Special Series comes in correct around $800, and Fender has numerous Mexican-fabricated instruments at that price point—quite effectively blurring the line between USA-made and foreign-made instruments. So, the real question is: how of import is the fact that they're made in the United States? As we've said, props should be given to Fender for answering the telephone call from players and addressing the want for legendary American-fabricated quality at a price that's affordable. Indeed, the primal ingredient in the American Special recipe is the "made in the U.S.A." label, but that might turn out to exist something of a shibboleth. Some players will but buy Usa-fabricated guitars for ethical reasons, and want to feel that they're supporting the American worker. Others buy them based on the assumption that they're of a higher quality simply because they're made in the U.s.. For those to whom it ways a lot, information technology means a lot, but for the price-conscious heir-apparent looking for a workhorse Fender electrical with which to pay the bills (or at least some of them), information technology'south less clear how of import that will be. What is of import is how they measure up in quality to their more expensive domestic brethren, and whether they're on par with Fender'south top-of-the-line foreign-made models.
With the number of models Fender currently produces begetting the Strat and Tele namesakes, it'southward all-time to compare the American Specials to those they have about in mutual with: the American Standard series and the Mexican-made Standard and Highway One lines.
Comparison Offerings
In relation to its s-of-the-border brethren, the American Special Strat and Tele both have some subtle yet credible differences. There are 22 frets instead of the Standard's 21, and the fret size is full colossal, equally opposed to the medium jumbo on the Standard. Like the Standard, the American Special features a standard truss rod and no micro-tilt adjustment. The neck is finished in a satin urethane and capped off with a large '70s-era Fender headstock, merely information technology has a different feel compared to the satin urethane cervix of the Mexican Standard. Part of that difference might be due to the actress 1 mm of width at the nut—this might seem like a picayune affair to notation, but players used to the 42 mm spacing of other Fenders might wonder why the neck feels a little foreign to them. In virtually every aspect of the neck, the American Special is closest to the Highway One line. Another important particular to point out is that, like the Highway One, the American Special offers only a maple fingerboard on the unmarried-whorl Strat (the American Special HSS Strat board is rosewood), whereas the Standard and American Standard models have a rosewood option.
End options for the American Specials are minimal compared to those offered for both the Standard and American Standard models, with only two available for each model, compared to the erstwhile'south five and the latter'south vii. The American Specials we received for review do indeed brandish high-quality gloss urethane finishes— as good as any Fenders we've seen. Like many players, this pair of reviewers leans toward nitrocellulose finishes, when they're available, for the sonic qualities those guitars showroom. In this regard, we think the Highway I models might have a leg upwardly for many, but there'due south no lack of guitarists who'd rather accept a glossy stop.
Stratocaster
The Standard Stratocaster is equipped with a set of ceramic magnet-powered singlecoil pickups, simply the American Special Strat ups the ante with Fender's popular Texas Special pickups, and it shares Fender'south unique Greasebucket excursion with the Highway Ane line. The Greasebucket wiring allows the player to ringlet downward the Tone command without adding whatsoever bass to the sound, a trouble that is the blight of many a single-gyre guitarist. Information technology works as described—though it's more than constructive on the Strat than the Tele, which does drift toward muddiness every bit you roll the knob down. Another major deviation is the span: where the American Standard model utilizes a 2-bespeak vibrato with bent steel saddles, the Special comes fitted with a vintage-style span that is similar to the ane employed on the Standard.
Telecaster
Plain, the Telecaster is a very different creature from its Stratocaster cousin. The American Special model has a major element in mutual with its original ancestor, and that is the inclusion of a string-through vintage-style bridge with three contumely saddles supporting the half-dozen strings. Nosotros're large fans, and we applaud Fender for the decision. In comparing, the Standard Telecaster has a mod mode span with individual saddles and a string-through body. While the added coupling from the string-through design helps with sustain, the contumely saddles from the American Special Tele assist it fit more in line with the vintage, bright and twangy sounds of yesteryear. Similar the American Special Stratocaster (and the Highway One Tele), it features Fender's Greasebucket wiring, an additional 1 mm at the nut, Colossal frets, Texas Special pickups and an boosted 22nd fret.
Playability and Tone
Any thespian with some real mileage on the odometer, who'southward not a newcomer to Fender, volition have developed some preferences where the Stratocaster and Telecaster are concerned, and it'southward for sure that one of the merchandise-offs that makes the American Special series possible is a limited ready of options. For players who notice these guitars brimming-total of their favorite features, they're sure to be more than satisfying than for those who gravitate toward different specs. In the interest of full disclosure, this pair of reviewers has to admit we find ourselves a trivial more in latter camp. We do tend to be more finicky almost Strats than Teles—a disposition that is not uncommon. It may be just the fact that the Tele is in many ways a much simpler instrument, while the Strat has e'er been, in the succinct words of one of our colleagues, "a frail balancing deed." Nosotros tend to prefer rosewood boards on our Strats, but we like maple simply fine on our Teles. Neither of us is crazy about the super-size frets, though we're more agnostic when it comes to the larger headstocks and the differences between the ii-point and vintage-manner tremolo systems.
Both American Specials did require pregnant setup piece of work upon arrival, but both yielded gracefully to the undertaking. They are as accommodating and playable every bit any of their like, and the modern C-shaped neck is comfortable and familiar. The fretwork is good, and the Texas Special pickups on both guitars obediently delivered the signature tones we were looking for when we plugged them into a Vox AC30CC2. The Strat has plenty of dishonest in the notched positions; the bridge pickup has just the correct amount of cutting bite without the harsh brightness; and the cervix pickup offered up a characteristic bluesy swagger. All three are balanced well with each other in terms of output, and they clean upwardly nicely when yous roll the Volume knob off. Our only reservation here is with the taper of the Strat's volume pot, which leaves a picayune to be desired in terms of its evenness and usefulness for volume swells.
Like the Strat, the American Special Tele'southward pickups are on the hot side, with plenty of sizzle. They too are well balanced, though they tend much more toward modern sounding even with the traditional span. The brass saddles practice seem to provide all the snap and seize with teeth we like to hear in a Telecaster, and they didn't frustrate our efforts to attain a workable intonation. We didn't like the sound of the span pickup with the Volume and Tone knob maxed (a go-to setting for both of us) as much equally we wanted to, but we accept to admit we've been fairly spoiled past the audio of the Mexican-fabricated Route Worn '50s Telecaster we caused terminal twelvemonth. It has bona fide vintage tone and a caste of subtlety and tonal versatility that's hard to compete with. Despite that, the American Special Telecaster does have what it takes to satisfy many, if not all, Tele afficionados.
The Final Mojo
We plant the build quality, fit and end of the American Special Stratocaster and Telecaster to be on a par with many of Fender'south superlative Mexican-made offerings, but we can't say they've exceeded them. For the price, that ways a adept, solid value—provided buyers aren't set on having a wider multifariousness of options available to them. Those who exercise know exactly what they desire in an über-reliable Fender axe would probably practice well to consider the long-term benefits of stepping up to an American Standard, even if it means a petty more money.
Buy if...
these specs make your center go pitter-patter, and a "Made in the U.s.a.A." characterization is essential.
Skip if...
you're looking for a number-one Fender electrical that's just the mode yous want it.
Rating...
Source: https://www.premierguitar.com/gear/fender-american-special-stratocaster-telecaster-reviews
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