Love the matte black finish and how comfortable it feels to play. The sound is versatile, and the controls are easy to use for someone just starting out. Solid quality and perfect for beginners who are excited to learn. This is nice and lightweight for me, making it easier for me. I love this guitar! Such a great value!

I had an original strat (#1604) and sold it decades ago. My son plays guitar and has an acoustic Taylor that cost many thousands of dollars. My grandsons are 10 and 11 - the older one has a drum set that (mercifully) plays no noise other than through his headset. I have seen the younger one look longingly at his fathers Taylor that they can't touch and another cheaper acoustic guitar that is also off limits. So I ordered this item so when GS2 (grandson 2) is at our house he has something to hook into my Fender Full Chorister amp.

It's not my strat but then again nothing will ever be that axe again. The only thing lacking in this one was the starburst color scheme (although Fender did make an all black strat) and I found it interesting that while it has the tremolo bridge (twangy arm) it doesn't have the metal bridge cover that came with every strat.

Truth be told that most of the bridge covers fell off or got lost along the way but that to me is a minor oversight in this reproduction. All in all it is very well packaged and a very nice instrument. If it doesn't sound "right" and GS2 continues to play I will invest in some original Fender pickups to make it sound better. All in all this is a very nice guitar to have and I'm glad (very glad) that I ordered it.