I know contributotrs to this board are of various ages , circumstances etc...but as someone who has a small collection of guitars...a USA '57 Reissue Strat, Gretsch Duo Jet, Custom Shop Tele, Martin D28 ,Harmony H75 to name a few, the guitar i play at gigs and my first choice for recording is a sonic blue 60's classic player strat....truly amazing guitar and if your after your first proper Fender you cant go wrong with these.

very true, i've got one in CAR and absolutely love it. i'd say it's right up there with the best guitars i've ever played.

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~Dan

I bought a 50's classic player recently and it's my first strat after years of les pauls. I have to say I absolutely love it. It's taken some getting used to, but while it's less forgiving than a les paul it certainly rewards good playing and you can make it sound more unique.

So yeah, love it. I have to say it's definitely way nicer to play than my friends american standard from the 80's.

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2012 Cherry Sunburst Custom Shop Deluxe Strat
2015 Black Eric Clapton Signature Strat
2015 Olympic Pearl US HSS Deluxe Strat
2013 Aged Cherry Sunburst Plus Top HSS Strat with FR

There better than any standard usa model i've tried in recent times, but its the belief that because the standard costs more its a better guitar , when i bought mine i tried over 20 different strats and i was not limited by budget, i just went by what my ears and hands told me and didn't worry about where it was made. Unfortunately there is always a certain snobbery associated with guitar ownership....when you get to a certain age! you dont worry about such things. However, i wouldn't diss any model but its nice to know you can buy a very very good guitar for a modest outlay.

No doubt about it. The versatility is off the charts of this instrument. So many modes just from the aspect of pup height. My favorite being the "Nasty" mode. And to be truthful, this is the neck I've searched for. Something bullish about it, but in a controlled sort of way. I think I'm set Fender...