Fender Standard Stratocaster Electric Guitar - Flamed Maple Top - Rosewood Fingerboard, Tobacco Sunburst

My son-in-law was very moved when he opened this guitar on Christmas Day. The guitar was very nice and he enjoyed playing it that morning!

I have been looking for a Fender Stratocaster to get that Strat sound through my new Marshall MG30CFX (also reviewed on Amazon). I have heard good things about the Mexican Made Strats and went to a store to check them out. The American Standard is a tad heavier in the body and the pups are a bit more crisp. The American Standard also has a 22 fret neck where this one is 21 frets. Other than some minor hardware differences this guitar is just as playable as it's more expensive counterpart.The finish is what sold me in the end. The Tobacco Edges which almost have a hint of wine color fade beautifully to a Honey finish over an awesome Flame Maple Top. The back of the guitar allows the wood grains to show through and the Rosewood Fingerboard adds a soft look and feel to the smooth Maple Neck. I can find absolutely NO FLAWS in the finish. The chrome input jack has a few small rough spots, but that is about it.The guitar sounds good as is and is playable out of the box. Down the road a piece I thought I would end up replacing the stock pups with an upgrade, but after getting used to these pups, I think I'm very pleased with just staying with the factory pick-ups. For the $$ I doubt I will ever find another Brand New Guitar that is set up like this. The lowest priced American Standard is still going to set you back around $800 and will have just a basic finish. If you are wanting a Strat but unsure of getting a Mexican Made unit because of quality, IMO this should suit you just fine.