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Fender Strat Lite Ash - 2 thumbs WAAAY UP!
We got the new Fender Strat and Tele "lite" models in stock at the store today... I tried the Strat first. here;s the facts.
- Ash body, natural finish
- Birdseye maple neck with satin finish, soft V shape
- Abalone dot inlay, 22frets with vintage style fretwire
- American Standard-style bridge (but with non-offset saddles!)
- The same tuners that come on the American STD Strats, but non-staggered
- Black pickguard, covers, knobs, etc
- REAL Seymour Duncan APS1 set (N, RWRP, and B models)
First off the setupand intonation was perfect right out of the box! I plugged it in using one of the new Vox Valvetronix combos and let 'er rip.
This thing sounds INSANELY good! The body is ash and weighs in at about 7.5 punds, and the maple neck give it a lot of weight, brightness and clarity but the Alnico II Duncan singles give it a very smooth, vintage, creamy, warm sound. The bright articulate top of the ash and maple coupled up with the pickups make for one of the most tonefully balanced Strats I've ever heard. It's a very vintage vibe but much, much smoother and warmer than what you'd expect from, say, a '57 reissue. and it's still clear and articulate too! A PERFECT blend. Killer sustain and dynamics, too. Sounded otherworldy for blues-rock and fusion styles. Distortion-overdrive sounds were sweet, fat, and harmonically rich while clean sounds were deep, warm, and sparkly on top.
Like I said the setup and intonation were perfect right out of the box and that coupled with the neck and fretwork had my fingers flying all over the fretboard!
The radius was flatter as well, probably an 11 so bends as well as chording were very easy. And the birdseye maple, simple logo (just a gold "Fender" logo, serial number on the back and that's it) and abalone inlay gave it a classy look.
The trem system is almost identical to an American Std trem system except that the saddle screws are not offset like they are on the Americans. It stayed in tune very well under moderate use.
Oh yeah, it's Korean made (but obviously has american parts) and only costs 589.99! About the same as the Highway 1 Strats.
My only grip is that the pickups aren't noiseless and they only come in that natural-black PG scheme. But considering the AWESOME tone and feel that's secondary to me.
This is EASILY one of the best Strats I've ever played. On par with the American Standards (and maybe even a little bit above) IMO.
Go check this thing out!
- Ash body, natural finish
- Birdseye maple neck with satin finish, soft V shape
- Abalone dot inlay, 22frets with vintage style fretwire
- American Standard-style bridge (but with non-offset saddles!)
- The same tuners that come on the American STD Strats, but non-staggered
- Black pickguard, covers, knobs, etc
- REAL Seymour Duncan APS1 set (N, RWRP, and B models)
First off the setupand intonation was perfect right out of the box! I plugged it in using one of the new Vox Valvetronix combos and let 'er rip.
This thing sounds INSANELY good! The body is ash and weighs in at about 7.5 punds, and the maple neck give it a lot of weight, brightness and clarity but the Alnico II Duncan singles give it a very smooth, vintage, creamy, warm sound. The bright articulate top of the ash and maple coupled up with the pickups make for one of the most tonefully balanced Strats I've ever heard. It's a very vintage vibe but much, much smoother and warmer than what you'd expect from, say, a '57 reissue. and it's still clear and articulate too! A PERFECT blend. Killer sustain and dynamics, too. Sounded otherworldy for blues-rock and fusion styles. Distortion-overdrive sounds were sweet, fat, and harmonically rich while clean sounds were deep, warm, and sparkly on top.
Like I said the setup and intonation were perfect right out of the box and that coupled with the neck and fretwork had my fingers flying all over the fretboard!
The radius was flatter as well, probably an 11 so bends as well as chording were very easy. And the birdseye maple, simple logo (just a gold "Fender" logo, serial number on the back and that's it) and abalone inlay gave it a classy look.The trem system is almost identical to an American Std trem system except that the saddle screws are not offset like they are on the Americans. It stayed in tune very well under moderate use.
Oh yeah, it's Korean made (but obviously has american parts) and only costs 589.99! About the same as the Highway 1 Strats.
My only grip is that the pickups aren't noiseless and they only come in that natural-black PG scheme. But considering the AWESOME tone and feel that's secondary to me.
This is EASILY one of the best Strats I've ever played. On par with the American Standards (and maybe even a little bit above) IMO.
Go check this thing out!
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