Review: 2007 Fender Classic Player '60's Strat
The Fender Classic Player '60s Strat is one of the three Custom Shop designed and Mexican-made (and it should be pointed out, assembled, not all manufactured) guitars. You can refer back to my reviews of the Baja Telecaster and '50s Strat for comments about the background of this guitar's manufacture and context.
This particular strat was designed by Fender Custom Shop master builder Greg Fessler, and it essentially is as described. Its outward appearance is that of a vintage '60s Strat but with Custom Shop electronics.
Oddly enough, the neck doesn't address the key complaint about the '50s model neck. Which is that it's too thick. This guitar has a 12" C neck with medium jumbo frets, and it's a familiar profile to most modern players. Familiar, but thicker than usual.
The advantage is that it spaces the strings better, and makes it equally easy to play chords or clean leads. It's an ideal surf guitar for that reason, and for those who fingerpick. Also, if you play half chords and such, this neck will open up a new world.
The maple neck has a rosewood fretboard, which will also give the player a softer sound than maple. What you lose in bite, you gain in nuance.
The pickup and switching system is the same as the '50s model. There are five positions, with 2 and 4 being hum canceling instead of out of phase. This is an improvement over the original with only three positions and the out-of-phase being achieved by monkeying around with the switch (leaving it stuck between the standard positions).
Where it differs is in the pickups. The Custom Shop '69 single coil with grey bobbins is used, and thus the sonic range fits squarely in the '60s. The sounds can range from classic surf, Jimi Hendrix, rock blues, late '60s Clapton (with a midrange booster), Stevie Winwood, and so on.
It's a brighter-sounding strat than many modern players are used to. However, it's bright without being tinny, and it has a spank in the tone that modern versions don't have. Imagine Traffic's classic “Dear Mr. Fantasy,” a quintessential '60s Fender song, and you'll have an idea of the tone.
Fender has gone for the vintage look on this one, with Gotoh button pegs, single-ply pickguard (which seems sort of cheap), and aged knobs. The tremolo is a 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo with Stamped Steel Saddles.
Even nicer, the three-tone and sonic blue finishes are absolutely off the coolness scale. The sonic blue needs to be seen to appreciate how pretty it is. Too bad Fender couldn't have added sea foam green, it'd have made this model into a sales monster.
When you add up the plusses, great vintage looks (made cheaper by a new state-of-the-art facility in Mexico), and Custom Shop electronics, it's a steal at 800.00. There are some differences between the American Strat and this one, but not enough to pay 400.00-600.00 more and not get the customized electronics.
The difference between the older Mexican Fenders with poplar bodies and cheap pickups, and these Player Series guitars is huge. These guitars are closer in value to their American counterparts than Epiphones are with Gibsons. Only the most stubborn would be unable to see past its Mexican manufacture.
If you get one of these strats, you'll soon be enjoying your own Summer of Love.
- Al Handa
2007
Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2007. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.
COMING IN MAY
