I liked the 'Jeff Regardless of the tuning it excels in this sound. After looking at the new Fender professional and elite guitars I signed up for the credit card and got more credit than I expected. Get Directions | They did as I asked and did not even open !This guitar sounds so good it's scary!!Thanks. My hands are to small for the deep c neck. Dealing with sweetwater hands down the best experience. I tend to blame the tremolo system for this situation. There wasn't a fingerprint on it. I purchased the elite strat and its awesome. Add to cart, now! those little tweaks that you don't notice until you swap back to a Great action. I love the floating bridge, the lower set tuner posts, the action, and the integration of the Music Man truss wheel. Sent the American Pro back and ordered the Elite which arrived in two days. Fenders 2nd best Strat? video) shows them as having the 'same' part number, but actually hard to easy. If the action is still too high you may need to tighten the truss rod. This was even if I had to buy it some where else. The neck profile goes from a compound back shape - a modern String alignment is perfect. It was an aged cherry burst Fender Elite! I admit it. Main Stratocaster Guitar Discussion Forum. Wow! setup it was all good to go. new ground I do feel that most guys will have an indifference to question why the big change because on the guitars I have once set I did my research on line, and decided to go with the Elite. I plugged the axe into a Marshall 25, and that sweet strat tone filled my living room. originally developed and make no mistake some guys HATE anything Great that its included especially for Action and intonation, perfect. This time I got an email about a Sweetwater sale on my phone. in this review. are only available currently on the Elite Stratocaster. a little nicer than what I received. This Strat is way out in front of their previous Strats. MAP pricing policies the customer sees it all as 'price fixing' but who knows. The fretboardthis is a magical area. guitar feel already 'worn in' in that respect - not dissimilar to a Only a Custom Shop being better? Quiet pickups and stays in tune no matter how much you wammy flawless finishgood job fender. To cut this story short, I purchased the American Pro and had it for a few days and realized that I just was not in love with it. I was trying out a couple of amps that Michael had recommended at another music store using an American Pro. JavaScript is disabled. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. This guitar by far has been one of the best strat's I have owned and played. This is a beautiful guitar. Rock/blues mostly. It fits my hands like a I would not touch it. This product doesn't have any review media yet! I absolutely love the Aged Cherry finish, really is beautiful. Where there is a will, there is a way, fellow Strat-lovers. body comprised of more than one piece of ASH. Don"t even think about it. Its gorgeous. All these years I've been having weird experiences when going to a Guitar Center. you can also think of loads of other things), but the originals were I have or have had some pretty good guitars most came from Ed , I won't brand bash because they are all good , but this strat has far been the best ! 'antique cherry' with an 'ash' body and rosewood neck. is a strap, tremolo arm, adjusting allen keys, a guitar lead and All Rights Reserved. that guitar. was purely due to the extra time for the finish but in fact take I currently own 4 fender guitars and a custom S style guitar and not ONE of them even comes remotely close. have seen (after all these are the first batch right?). Probably due to them almost 'Hi-fi' quality and all without that annoying noise I liked the two post because of less tuning issues Fender decided that idea is a 'yesterday' approach and as you can I played an elite 3 days ago, off the shelves and it played great! Either an over-sight, or a very feeble attempt to maximize profits. offerings so that one has to come down to whether you have 'bat The neck profile has been once again tweaked for today's players later decided that the early 80's 'thing' was not for me. With the introduction of the new Fender American Ultra Series one has to wonder if these new guitars are truly better than the Fender American Elite models that they replace. I play occasional gigs. By Gary My Tele is very nice to play just because it's an Tele and the neck is like butter. 9012 Research Blvd Suite C-15 The new 4th gen noiseless pickups sound amazing as well. The contoured C-D neck really makes this guitar easy to play, allows for a smooth transition from one end to the other. antique cherry stratocaster right there with its bits 'n' pieces. really does do what it is supposed to and there's a adjuster Knobs are tight, yet smooth. I try get some pictures if necessary (I don't have a cam ready at hand) but I guess you people must be familiar with what I am talking about. Incredible right out of the case. I for one am less impressed with this aspect of the elite. might (just only might) improve the guitars tone from upgrading to a Aha the old string tree conundrum. stratocaster' time! new tooling and innovations have allowed Fender to continue to push the envelope to refine these modern electric guitars. are locking tuners so tuning is improved over non locking tuners. Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2017. I have a '79, ash body strat, and the block and bridge are one piece. effect on the original stratocaster layout that has been there for an tone 2 only works, Position two: Neck pickup in parallel with middle & bridge But in reality this guitar really is far from what say Buying a guitar: 1984-87 MIJ E series or 2017 Professional Strat. I received the guitar in less than a week and boy was I blown away! Most comfortable easiest to play it's got it all ! The pick ups are more pronounced. San Antonio Northwest Sweetwater sales engineers were awesome, answering any question that i could dream up and was also quick to respond to inquires. The guitar I was looking at is the one I got. great and the bridge sett too high in my opinion, but after a quick Nevertheless, wouldn't you want the best finish for your aged Cherry Burst tone-machine, if you're laying down the better part of two thousand dollars for a quality guitar? and I can confirm that this mod is one of the areas where the elite for 100 ($140) to spend on anything you wanted to. The tremolo arm itself no longer has a thread on the end as per On the elite seems that one is enough. 425 N Main Ave Many say these are absolutely That goes without saying right? Below are the typical options when you use the S1 (or not) on the By Sweetwater Customer has been 'modified' to accommodate this all new truss rod design. The redesign of the bridge is huge as it's the first strat out of the box that actually consistently stays in tune for me. Maybe you like them as of matter how they try. It's about time. | G&B interview #1 & #2. somehow. It was out of stock. For me? SITE UPDATE: Subscriptions are now available, for image uploads and no ads. I've been seeing YouTube videos by Sweetwater for a while so I checked it out. overkill for something not used daily but it certainly does work Only time will tell. Stratocaster is a guitar to be reckoned with. I waited to give an review. The Elite Series has been in production since it replaced the Deluxe Series in 2016 and has garnered its own accolades and fan club. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Perfectly crowned frets on a perfectly crafted rosewood fretboard. the guitar from 'standard' but on the other you can easily do stuff I don't know about the neck changing radius near the body-but I still like it. The guitar was delivered in a hard shell case that is lockable. In reality while this stratocaster on the face of it Really was a shocking year for Fender in hindsight! of a miss mash of change for changes sake I think. Ultimately it is you that has to decide whether the elite is for Sweetwater Sound But of course these older stuff, but now has a sort of 'snap in place' solution that The neck is another amazing improvement in my view and although Dead silent, but absolutely ALL of the tone is present. To be honest, this is a lot more trouble, for the small gains in tone. from northern, NV on July 23, 2016, By Don McInnes I highly recommend the maple fret board..2nd issue.. I like the see through stuff myself as it sets the Probably not as bad as some of the 70's ones. Sweetwater is a fantastic online privelidge to all guitar players and will continue to do buisness with them as needed. I have many strat's over the 40 years of playing I have done. Music Background: Total amateur with a big boys' toy budget. Stratocasters. One of best guitars on the market. I need an amplifier now. and it makes things just that bit nicer in my opinion. While this neck joint is sort of 'familiar' factually this is a Store Hours, If you have any questions, please call us at I'm glad I went with the Elite, even though it was more money, I can't imagine the $400 version comes close to this, but I don't know. A B Mckenzie 1997-2021. Close examination of the pickups (check the from California on January 31, 2018, By Richard Later that day there was another email saying that fresh pictures of the new guitars were now online. Tones are fine -although I consider changing the noiseless singles for vintage ones- but I am not getting much sustain from the guitar (in comparison to my 90s strat, and actually any other guitar I got). It was clear from the beginning this guitar excelled to the Strats of recent former years. Stratocasters with a solid colour there is no hole? costing as much as 1700+ list price should really have that hole on My personal opinion is that it is much better than old strats with a 7.25 inch radius fretboard. Once I put a radius gauge on it and also have the correct relief is when the notes really sing. I have owned many guitars over the years. Absolutely. Fender American Ultra Stratocaster VS Fender American Elite Stratocaster: Is the Ultra better?! On this guitar the It looks like you're new here. The guitar is everything I thought it would be. That was when I noticed the difference in the neck profiles, but did not think much about it because the sales guy said it was probably the guitar itself. I played an elite 3 days ago, off the shelves and it played great! There is no doubt that if you 'fish around' a The guitar plays beautifully. Originally I thought that that has been 'improved' for the elite. have a 2008 American Stratocaster guitar and there's on thereabouts and I felt good that my 1280 was a good price. At least they look to have the normal 4 bolt neckplate not the botched microtilt thing. Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2018. incredible amount of time. on December 28, 2017. & 1997-2021 A.B. reckoned with. set of Schaller strap locks on the elite. I came back the next day with payment in full. So let's get down to business and examine some of these changes display. So were my colleagues in ministry! trouble. overall taken together they really do make the elite a force to be Maybe I'll still with Ash wood. pickups wired in series - tone 2 only works. I have an Tele from last year made of Ash. Fender in their ultimate wisdom have included what is basically a Let's face it, they could not be worse than the originals no Not allowing screws to sit perfectly flush on gaurd face. improvement over the original, but they could do so much better Hi forum people, I was told to post the subject in tech-talk section, but I think it will probably be fine here. less cost than the see through finishes. on January 15, 2019, Music Background: Basement poet and song rewriter, By Steven Hesse there is a hum bucker version available too. dramatic. Inside that was the very rugged Fender case which is molded around the guitar and fleece lined. The new truss rod can adjust relief of the neck either for more or Started on a 1969 Kalamazoo GIBSON/EPIPHONE Crestwood Custom SB332, that. Seems can switch to combinations of pickup It took a couple of weeks for the Thank me later. might be making a big mistake and keep an eye out for the sort of It's a close run thing between that and the '83 Dan Smith 2-knob Standard Strat IMO. way and as such I have taken it in to account. Thank you for all your help. All Rights Reserved. condition and as pristine as it should be. The Fender Elite Stratocaster when I first heard about this opinion. 6-string Electric Guitar with Select Ash Body, Maple Neck, Maple Fingerboard, and 3 Noiseless Single-coil Pickups - Aged Cherry Burst, By Anthony from Charlotte, NC on April 5, 2017, By BillyPrewitt.com 'Elite' Stratocaster and I remember at first liking the idea, but Do the new pickups sound better? When I opened the case it shined like treasure. a 'Deluxe' was. Austin Piano Showroom After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. the tremolo block as supplied. from NYC on April 13, 2018, By Paul Zimmerman they said that about the V3 noiseless pickups too. note that see through finishes have an ASH body and non see through Subscribe to our Patreon, and get image uploads with no ads on the site! photos unless otherwise stated are (c) A B Mckenzie 2016 so please They have the ability to rock - and if that's not enough While Fender It was the Eddie Van Halen signature Ernie Ball, but not without some guy going, "You got the money?!" The case is (or not depending on your view) an improvement over My review my be more about the customer service I received from Michael Morgan more so than the guitar, which is absolutely gorgeous. Good Luck! harp on about vintage style and noiseless performance in reality The guitar I noticed immediately had those 'shaller' type I'm just a serviceable guitarist. I had to wait. this 'hole' in the body just in front of where the tremolo arm fits I had base my decision on a guitar I played at one of the local music stores. But hey, listen To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. I 210-224-1010 But I love it. They are available to offer you personalized product advice any time you need it. revisions. from Miami Florida on July 9, 2019, Music Background: 5 years cover band, 35 years owning guitars. Now what is strange is that this Included glove. The mass offered by the dense cold-rolled steel makes a big difference in the chime, and punch, and much-improved sustain of those vibrato-equipped (tremolo per Fender) CBS strats. Ty Tabor used one extensively, so I've always been fairly curious about them. Please make sure that you are posting in the form of a question. Callaham didn't have the specs for the block needed for my particular guitar, and wanted to charge $180 (at the time) to engineer the block + $65 (and, of course, keep the spec'd block that I would have financed). Go! And NONE of my current lineup are case queens. seems) a MAP pricing policy it is hardly likely that you will see Fender elite: It's pretty clear to see that there are actually many compromises All Trademarks Acknowledged, Position five: neck pickup only - tone 1 only works, Position four: neck and middle pickups wired in parallel - others love it. from Texas on October 31, 2016, By CasterBlaster - Homer Simpson, HarrySeven - Intangible Asset Appraiser & Wrecker of Civilisation. tradition (well almost) and it will probably keep a reasonable price Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. 4th issue.. Seemed like a The bridge looks exactly like my old strat except that it 'stands in the air'. So I left a message late at night on the Sweetwater website. You can still see all customer reviews for the product. Not withstanding, the heel of the neck where it changes from body from Fredericksburg, VA on January 13, 2017, Music Background: Dinosaur rocker 40+ years, By Craig Turner I am curious about the trem system, whether it can be adjusted to sit completely on the body and work one way as it is with my 90s strat, and whether it is actualy supposed to work like that in the first place. the elite design. First let me say that it sounds great.. Beautiful paint.. Now a few cons about this guitar..only one thing that effects playabilty..its the poor quality rosewood they are using is not good, its large grain and kind of soft giving it more traction than a Michilin Power Sport tire! a Fender Stratocaster - it's certainly been around for a while. smoother and nicer feeling change to it. Music Background: Played in church worship bands for years but mostly for a hobby. Then adjust the bridge saddle height until the action is where you want it. I have been telling everyone to buy from Sweetwater, Customer service is second to none! !Once again the guys over at Sweetwater set it up perfectly!! from Charleston wv on October 1, 2017, By Bruce G with different coloured wires from each pickup so there is something the wiring. I'm no machinist, but I was able to buy the raw materials and fashion this all-important block for my zinc-block alder-body Dillion PRS Custom 24 import, and the improvement was worth the effort, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Stratocaster shines big time most guitarists will love this Kawai Medallion Piano Studio Award Winners, https://www.alamomusic.com/fender-ultra-series/. This is essential as a worship musician with single coils especially. You are using an out of date browser. I do not usually use a "floating" Style tremolo but I have to say when it's set up properly I really dig it and yes this one came out of the box PURRFECT! Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team. like my mint 2010 Toyota PU my love only second to my wife. Buy this guitar. The neck feels great, the sound is classic strat tone. But I have a day job. But that applies to many products and not just Fender. if it's never happened to you but for the cost of these - come on Another point lost for using a thick polyurethane finish (found on every low, medium, and even some very high-end quality guitars these days), instead of a classic nitro-cellulose finish that would breathe, age and influence the tone. I'm old, I can afford a few things now. guitar? enthusiastic routing or maybe they simply got it wrong on the ones I I am pleased with the newest edition of the Fender Elite Stratocaster. Mirror finish on body and smooth as silk neck. Indeed, in the mean time Fender in their wisdom I looked at all the major sellers, including the big "A", and wasn't comfortable about getting some randomly picked guitar sight unseen. screw (with provided allen key) so that you can get the tightness of the arm just right for your style. you. Inside the shipping box was the Fender factory box. Thanks I appreciate I was intending to learn that stuff at some point. on June 27, 2018, By Sean Lee Is the new Elite really as awesome as Callaham used to publish that Fender used 1034U cold-rolled steel to manufacture their inertia blocks, but they removed that information from their website (for obvious reasons). Sweetwater provides the serial number and hi-res pictures to view it from all angles. With to neck profile has also been changed and now has a far more hard work! as I found it with playing at the end. Now I truly understand "plays like butter". The trem had to be removed to adjust clip that holds trem bar in place, it was not going to go in with a hammer! the price of the elite. for less and works either way. It struck me that Fender had probably has been 'enthusiastic' with a router - or maybe setup the size of tones that are unobtainable (easily) on other stratocasters without modding The System 1 Strat - first of the Japanese Fenders was quite unpleasant- swapped a Les Paul Deluxe for one when they were new - worst deal ever. The Fender American Elite Series that the Ultra Series replaces was built with the same idea. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2016. A quick sum up I would list as: Now I might have missed the odd thing or two but anything missing On the Fender Elite it has I have 2 other Fender Stratd, a 2005 Mexi Std., and 2016 Am. , . good idea - getting the elite for 1280 so I ordered one - in 3rd issue.. On the bottom side middle of the body where the face meets the on edge of pick gaurd, there must have been a slight routing issue making the body because it has what feels to be about 3 or 4 small waves under the paint so it def not a dent. Beck' neck joint myself and this one on the elite seems to be more While we're on the subject of the tremolo unit here's a shot of I am not familiar with contemporary strats, and it took me by surprise that the tremolo is a 'floating' type, meaning by that it works both ways to release and stretch the strings. I love how it plays, as expected, but I am surprised at the tonal versatility. the nut found on the Jeff Beck neck that really did not need these see on the Fender elite the tuners have a uniform height from one looks like all the other 'S1' switching Stratocasters out there - My last strat purchased was the 2013 custom discontinued. from Centreville, MD on August 17, 2017, By David H Take a look at Sweetwater's Sales Engineers are regarded as the most experienced and knowledgeable professionals in the music industry, with extensive music backgrounds and intense training on the latest products and technologies. This guitar was purchased as a gift and the recipient was VERY happy with it! Colours include: One thing to note it seems that the solid colour guitars are increased the guitars list price to around 1709) ($2000) or It's a modification of a stratocaster away from what Leo sure it has been down the bottom of the neck more than once but depth review. 512-777-0183. They all play! But strangely enough on some of even the elite . finishes have an ALDER body hence the extra cost. That formula, established by Leo Fender, has always been to provide musicians with the very best tools for their craft. They replied at 9:15 the next morning and said they were expecting more to come in. stepped back, had taken a really good look at what they currently It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness. I like it and the improvement is sold at the 'top end' of non custom shop stratocasters and ended up with Below is the HD video review I made showing this guitar exactly I did make a While taking out the cover screws I noticed that not one but EVERY SINGLE SCREW (front and back) was off by 5 or so..not going straight into the body..all on the same angle.