Vintage Styling and Tones Right Here in the 57 Strat Reissue
Written: Aug 12 '07 (Updated Sep 22 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Vintage looks and sound
Cons: Vintage price
The Bottom Line: The 57 Strat delivers vintage looks and tone. It only has three way pickup switch. The V-shaped, narrow neck may be too small for some. Premium price, excellent guitar.
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| buffoonery's Full Review: Fender '57 Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar |
It goes without saying that the Fender Stratocaster is one of the two or three most important electric guitar designs of all time (the others being the Gibson Les Paul and the Fender Telecaster). It also goes without saying that it is one of the most reviewed guitars in epinions (see, e.g., two of my own reviews, Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster and Fender American Standard Stratocaster , among others). So we ask ourselves, what more can be said that hasn’t been said, and still stretch out a review to over five hundred words?
So let’s talk about instrument under review here, the Fender Vintage 57 Stratocaster. This is essentially a reissue of one of the most highly desirable guitars out there (next to the late 50s Les Pauls). It will run you upwards of $1400 - $1500 new depending on where you buy it. On the other hand, an American Deluxe Stratocaster (the “Deluxe”) is more in the $1200 range. So what do you get?
The first place I would start is the look and feel of the two guitars. The 57 Strat, not surprisingly, has a decidedly vintage look to it, as reflected in the two-color sunburst model I played and the ash tray bridge cover. As befits the older Strat models, the V-shaped neck is one-piece maple with twenty-one vintage frets. The Deluxe, on the other hand, as twenty-two medium jumbo frets on a C-shaped maple neck with a rosewood top. Both bodies are alder. The 57 has vintage Gotoh style tuners while the Deluxe is equipped with Schaller Deluxe Staggered tuners.
Both guitars obviously play well. For me, though, the V-shape neck takes some getting used to. In addition, the 7.25” radius is smaller than the 9.5” Deluxe so for a guy like me with big hands it’s an issue. Nonetheless, for the most part you’ve got your typical Strat comfort, a player’s guitar that is lightweight for performance and fast up and down the neck.
What really separates the two machines, in my view, is the electronics. The 57 is equipped with three vintage Strat single coil pickups with a three-way pickup selector (neck/middle/bridge). You can install a five-way if you like, and good luck with that. These pickups produce a nice warm bluesy sound, may be a little bright on the top end on the bridge pickup. Nonetheless, this is a classic Strat vintage sound and that’s what you’re paying. They are controlled by a master volume and two tone knobs (middle/bridge). You also get 60-cycle hum at no extra cost.
The Deluxe, on the other hand, has a five-way selector with a push-pull knob that lets you select ten different configurations on the three Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups, which deliver tones that at times can be a little fatter and hotter than your typical Strat. You also get less hum.
Both of these are excellent guitars that are ideal for country, some jazz, and straight ahead rock short of metal and some hard rock genres. The 57, though, will run you around another $300 new than the Deluxe. So who should buy the 57? First, collectors seeking to round out their collection and who can always use another Strat should buy this for the sake of completion. But for those of us who don’t have $1500 lying around gathering dust (or who didn’t lose it in the sub prime MBS rout that is occurring at the time of this writing), I would suggest you think very carefully about this guitar. Make sure you are comfortable with the neck and frets and spend A LOT of time thinking about the tone. The guitar sounds great for what it does but it’s really designed for country, surf and vintage rock players who need a 50s and early 60s sound. It’s not the first Strat I would buy in this price range, but if I had the dough I’d make it maybe my sixth or seventh Strat purchase.
Bottom Line: You’re getting a premium guitar at a premium price. Not recommended for amateurs and beginners. There are cheaper and more versatile Strats available.
You may find some of my other reviews interesting:
Les Paul Studio
PRS McCarty
Gibson Jimmy Page Les Paul
Ovation VXT Acoustic Electric
Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster
G&L Legacy Strat
Gretsch White Falcon II
Variax 700 Acoustic
Gibson SG 61 Reissue
Gibson ES-335 1959 Reissue
Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis
Gibson Super 400
Gibson ES-175
Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Epiphone G-400 SG
PRS Santana SE
Fender 50s Telecaster
Fender Cyclone
Colors (801)** White Blonde, Ash Body **add $150.00, (803)* 2-Color Sunburst *add $50.00, (806) Black, (808) Ocean Turquoise,(857) Surf Green,(883) Ice Blue Metallic,(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Body Comfort Contoured Alder Body (**Ash On (801) White Blonde)
Neck 1-Piece Maple, “V” Shape,(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard Maple, 7.25” Radius (184mm)
No. of Frets 21 Vintage Style Frets
Pickups 3 American Vintage Strat® Single-Coil Pickups with White Covers
Controls
Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
Pickup Switching
3-Position Blade:Position 1. Bridge PickupPosition 2. Middle Pickup Position 3. Neck Pickup (5-Way Switch Included in Kit)
Bridge American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo with “Ash Tray” Bridge Cover
Machine Heads Fender/Gotoh® Vintage Style Tuning Machines
Hardware Chrome
Pickguard 1-Ply White, (8 Hole)
Scale Length 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut 1.650” (42 mm)
Unique Features “V” Shape Maple Neck,Vintage Styling
Schechter Diamond C+1
PRS Single Cut
Fender VG Stratocaster
Fender Classic 50s Esquire
Gibson ES-350T
Fender American HSS Stratocaster
Gibson Les Paul GT
Fender John Mayer Stratocaster
Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster
Gibson ES-335
Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster
Gibson ES-333 Memphis Style Hollow Body
Gibson ES-5
Gibson Les Paul 1957 Goldtop
Martin D-28 Acoustic
Gibson Les Paul Classic Ebony
Fender 57 Stratocaster Reissue
Les Paul Studio
PRS McCarty
Gibson Jimmy Page Les Paul
Ovation VXT Acoustic Electric
Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster
G&L Legacy Strat
Gretsch White Falcon II
Variax 700 Acoustic
Gibson SG 61 Reissue
Gibson ES-335 1959 Reissue
Gibson ES-165 Herb Ellis
Gibson Super 400
Gibson ES-175
Epiphone Zakk Wylde Les Paul Custom
Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Epiphone G-400 SG
PRS Santana SE
Fender 50s Telecaster
Fender Cyclone
Recommended:
Yes
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