Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in Electric Guitars
I bought the guitar brand new and it came in a sealed box. I opened the box and immediately inspected the guitar and did not find any flaws on the craftmanship. I was not expecting anything great coz I bought the guitar just for the looks (body color with matching headstock). I tuned the strings to standard E and proceeded to check the action. The truss needed a little adjustment to lower the action and I was able to find my sweet spot within a few minutes of adjusting. I plugged to an amp and started out with the clean channel. It sounded just like any other Fender Stratocaster I played and owned so I was really happy with that. Next, I switched the channel to high gain and it hummed like there's no tomorrow on all switch positions. I was really thinking of replacing the pickups at that point but I gave it another chance by plugging it to my wireless system. Suddenly, the hum was gone and it sounded really great so I left the pickups alone. I inspected the guitar again and found one flaw. The nut is made of cheap soft plastic just like the ones installed on the squire bullets. I immediately replaced the nut with a tusk nut I have on hand. The new nut fit perfectly without any modifications. This is really a great guitar for the money. It's crafted in China but very well crafted if I must say. The frets were polished and crowned. There are no rough edges. The neck is also made of s quarter sawn maple which is another plus. I will buy another one in a different color scheme just for collecting purposes. I have a few collection of Japanese Squiers and this Chinese classic vibe strat can rub elbows with them. I gigged with it a couple of times and did not loose tuning on both occasions. I originally planned to use it as a back up guitar, something you drop on the floor and not even worry, but now I started to keep it safe and try to avoid getting scratches or dings on it. It's even sleeping inside a $500 aluminum Fender case.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
You get what you pay for applies here to the pickups and the frets and setup. I've played new strats though that cost 3 times as much, that don't play or sound much better. The frets had several high spots which had to be knocked down to get the action like I like it. I also adjusted the neck and string height and intonation. I expected the pickups wouldn't be great and they aren't. Put some Fender custom shops in it and you'll be happy. I really like the 69's. The tuners hold very well. It resonates and sustains very well. It is supposedly a pine body but it seems heavy for pine. It's heavier than a 62 reissue strat with an alder body that I have. Bottom line: It's okay out of the box for a beginner. For pros it can be a really nice guitar with some work. Even with a pickup upgrade it is still inexpensive and well worth the money in my opinion.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New