American-made HSS Strat with up-market features at a low-ball price.Fender™s American Special HSS Stratocaster is constructed with an alder body with gloss urethane finish, a 9.5" radius maple neck with a modern C profile, and 22 jumbo frets on a rosewood fretboard. Equipped with an Atomic humbucker bridge pickup and hot Texas Special middle and neck pickups, the added grit from the Greasebucket tone circuit rolls off the highs without adding bass. Also features chrome hardware, a vintage-style synchronized tremolo, black pickup covers and pickguard, and a large '70s-style headstock and decal. A polishing cloth and gig bag are included with the Fender American Special Strat. Grab this American-made beauty today! Use the drop-down menu above to choose colors and other options.
Model name: American Special HSS Stratocaster Finish: Gloss urethane Body: Alder Neck: Maple, modern C shape Fingerboard: Rosewood, Fingerboard Radius: 9.5 (241mm) No. of frets: 22 jumbo frets Bridge: Vintage-style synchronized tremolo Machine heads: Fender standard cast/sealed tuning machines Hardware: Chrome Pickguard: 3-ply black/white/black Scale length: 25-1/2" (648mm) Width at nut: 1.6875" (43mm) Pickups: 1 Atomic humbucking pickup (bridge), 1 Texas Special Strat pickup (middle), 1 Texas Special Strat pickup (neck) Controls: Master volume, tone 1. (neck pickup), tone 2. (bridge pickup) Strings: Fender USA, nickel-plated steel (.009, .011, .016, .024w, .032, .042) Accessories: Polishing cloth Case: Deluxe gig bag Unique features: Large '70s-style headstock Large '70s-style decal black pickup covers and plastic parts White dot position inlays Pickup switching: 5-position blade: position 1. bridge pickup position 2. bridge and middle pickup position 3. middle pickup position 4. middle and neck pickup position 5. neck pickupEnjoy full-Strat features at an amazing price. Order today.
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidityOther plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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Holy smokes! This guitar is an absolute joy all the way around. I bought mine in three-tone sunburst, and the fit and finish are dazzling.Some observations:
- As far as set-up goes, straight out of the box all it needed was tuning. Then, off I went to tick off the neighborhood.
- I was worried about UPS as I've had some very bad experiences with them lately, but no problem there. The factory box was within another shipping box and a load of packing. Arrived in pristine condition.
- Holds tuning as well as can be expected with a stock tremolo. Actually, better than I expected.
- I didn't weigh it, but it's pretty heavy. That's OK, I'm not going mountain climbing with it any time soon, and it's good for resonance.
- Action with the jumbo frets is great.
- My Les Paul comes out on top for rhythm through my Marshall but, believe it or no, not by much.
- On the other hand, with the pickup switch in lead positions, watch out. This thing totally blows my Les Paul out of the water in that department. Take cover mother!
- Switch the amp to clean, and nothing but beautiful tone.
Also, I have to say a few kind words about Custom Guitar's Friend customer service:
- They're offering a FREE Fender Pro Series case with this guitar until 01/31/2013 in black or tweed. It'll take up to 60 days to arrive per the rebate form, but the guitar came with a very nice Fender Deluxe gig bag to tide me over until then.
- There was a 10% sale two days after I bought this guitar, so I sent email to MF to see if I would be eligible for some sort of credit. Fifteen minutes later, I received an email back from them to let me know they were refunding the appropriate amount to my credit card. A few days later, there it was.
- In the end, I got an -AMERICAN- made Strat for super cheap. So much a steal, I almost feel guilty about it.
To say I'm totally satisfied is an understatement. Much thanks to Custom Guitar's Friend and Fender!
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.Mine is the H/S/S. After 30+ yrs of picking (more professionally now), I have my first US Strat! Bought it 2nd-hand from a guy who never played it - still had the plastic on the pups/pckgrd. Untouched, basically. When I strapped it on, I immediately noticed how uncomfortable (sharp) the "bent-steel" saddles are when palm muting (I do it alot). I also noticed the chimey STRAT SOUND of the single coils, esp in #2/4 positions. LOVE that part! But then playing lead, even on the dirty channel (& esp on clean), the B & E strings were just super weak-sounding, not only in volume but in fatness; just very thin sounding. Did NOT like that part. I noticed the pole pieces are staggered (B is lowest - recessed under pup surface). Researched this issue & it seems Fender has been making their pups this way for decades [since the G string was wound (???)] Most of the info I found (way too much out there) said the unwound strings were louder than the rest & that's why the pole pieces are recessed. Well, they overdid it, IMO (or at least on this guitar). Have now changed out the stock pups for Rio Grande Muy Grandes (all 3: H/S/S). Not quite as much strat-quack, but a good compromise for more beef on the B/E. The only other knock that was noticable was the lack of sustain on the G @ 12th fret. I mean, it dies quickly (3 seconds). Other strings are not like that. Changed out stock bridge to Callaham bridge since I read so many rave reviews. It did help some - am I floored by the improvement? Nah. Now that I've covered the knocks against it, I LOVE: the beef in the neck pup on leads! I have never been much of a neck pup man until now. This thing is legit (esp since the Muy Grandes went in). Still get that quack. Love the 'burst & finish & oh, yeah (reverting to my teen days & watching my idols play)I love the big honkin' headstock & just the overall vibe I get when I play my US Strat! Get alot of compliments on it when we play out - both in appearance & sound. When it comes to "doing it the way we have always done it just because we are Fender", this is a little arrogant & backwards thinking, IMHO. Esp when there are products out there that are making better components & explaining why it helps with sustain, etc. (ala Callaham bridges). So I wind having 1,100 in it (600 barely used; 500 in upgrades including locking tuners & TUSQ nut). Would that same 1,100 have bought me a Deluxe that needed NO upgrades at all? IDK, but I'm trying to totally love it the way I have it now. Will it be my last Fender? Prob not, but I now know what to look for in components. :-) Peace!
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.This Strat has all of my favorite qualities - brown/black sunburst finish, rosewood fretboard, jumbo frets, large headstock, and a set of overwound pickups. I saw this one, and just had to make it mine. It arrived via UPS set up nearly perfectly with 9's - which i quickly broke. After a quick re-string with 11's and a few accommodating set-up adjustments, this guitar plays beautifully! The Texas Special pickups sound killer, the neck feels great, and the frets are fairly well dressed. The thing stays in tune just fine - even after hours of string bends. Cosmetically, the body, neck, fretboard and headstock are all absolutely flawless. It is definitely giving my 2006 American Stratocaster a run for its money! Having a really hard time putting this thing down. Had it for a week now, and there are absolutely no regrets. Another great purchase from Custom Guitar's Friend - and another very satisfied Strat player!
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.Mine is the burst, HSS with rosewood board.
I'll start with the only negative - the fret ends were very sharp. This was not a problem for me as I have been building and working on guitars for years. However, Fender should make sure that this is not a problem. I know it's not a top of the line guitar but, at this price point, there is no need for frets that are not properly dressed.
Otherwise, fit and finish were superb, with a tight neck pocket. There were no finish flaws and the neck finish wasn't sticky.
Any new guitar needs a setup, and I did so changing the strings to tens and tweaking the truss rod and action as needed, witch wasn't much. The intonation was way off, but quickly dialed in. The tuners are not bad and work well, but I change all my tuners to locking tuners because it makes string changes quicker.
The Texas Special pickups sound really nice, and I have not made up my mind about the Atomic Humbucker. In short, it sounds like a Strat should, more stratty than the Alnico III pickups of the Hwy One.
It's solid, sounds good, and works. A great gigging guitar to deliver quality wile leaving your more expensive guitars at home.
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
. I have played guitar on and off for over 45 years. When I was a teenager, in the little local rock band, I always wanted a Stratocaster. It was just always out of my budget limits. Over the years I have owned a Yamaha, then a Guild and now a Guild F412 (acoustic) that sounds as beautiful as it looks. When I bought my 6 yr old a Squier Ministrat for this past Christmas (he's been taking formal lessons for over 1 1/2 yrs) the bug bit me once again and ths time I could afford my Stratocaster. After much comparisons and deliberation I settled on the AmericanSpecial HSS.Right out of the box, after a quick tune up, it was ready to go. It fingers so smoothly it was as if I had been playing it for years. The neck is perfectly sized for my hand. It feels so natural that I really feel one with the guitar and have since I first played it. Though the amp has a lot to do with it (obviously), I use a Fender G DEC 30 and this Strat sounds as good as any electric guitar I have ever heard. I am by far only a beginner but this axe makes even my playing sound good.
Easy natural fit with great looks and sound quality.
Beautiful finish and craftmanship
Well worth the MSRP, but getting it through Custom Guitar's Friend makes this a steal. Excellent value for a fine instrument.
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.Added this beautiful American Stratocaster to my collection. This guitar rocks right out of the box. It came already set up, strings are a little high for me, but the way it is set up the strings bend beautifully and harmonics are perfect . Great job Fender. It came with fender light ga. Strings and the ga. I use 9 /. 42 the humbucker gives it a special sound of its own. I got the fender black tweed case with it also. I wanted this baby to have the best. It will be my new regular guitar. Sounds so much better than my other Strat. This is the best felling neck I have ever held in my hand really smooth and the jumbo frets are awesome. Love it!!!!!!!! I got the sunburst.
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.I wasn't really a huge fan of Fender until I found this thing. It plays with little to no effort and the added humbucker gives me good distorted tones to work with as well. The single coils blow my Les Paul Studio out of the water for cleans.
If you're going to get an American made Fender, I would recommend this one.
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.I've playing for over 50 years. Have owned about everything out there. I have an American Roadhouse Strat w/ Texas Specials (2000). Love that raw, nasty tone! The Atomic Humbucker on this bad boy! It's not a Duncan , EMG, DiMarzio. Just a mean p/up!! For me, it's priced right, feels right, sounds right. Guitar playing is like driving a car. Make it do what it's supposed to do!! Oh yea, love those jumbo frets!! Been doing business with MF for about 15 yrs and never been disappointed!!
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.Like the looks of this guitar and fits the lap and feels good in the hand. But thought the strings too high off the fret board, and what others get out of it with their amps on the web doesn't do the same here with my amp or peddles for some reason. Just seems With Out Deep Tone for a guitar of this price that I think it should. Wish I would have bought a reg. American Standard. Maybe it will break in in time. Who knows?
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
.Great feel, great sound and looks absolutely beautiful.I like the 5 way switch.The neck just makes you want to play.This is one sweet guitar. The 3 tone sunburst is a work of art.I wish I could afford another one.
Fender American Special HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Color Sunburst
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