Dr.P's Full Review: Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
Fender 50th Anniversary American Deluxe Stratocaster
It is hard to believe that 50 years have gone by since the Fender Stratocaster was first introduced to the public. With all the changes that have gone on in music since that time, from surf to psychedelic, blues to bop, funk to punk, and so on, one thing has remained constant. The Fender Strat remains the most recognized and played of all electric guitars. Fender has chosen to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Stratocaster by releasing four distinctive models. There is the American Series Anniversary Strat, the American Deluxe Anniversary Strat, the 50th Anniversary Golden Strat, and the Custom Shop 1954 Replica. This review will be on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Series Stratocaster.
Although time marches on, the distinctive sound of the early old Stratocaster remains perhaps the most sought after of guitar sounds. Fender has chosen to honor that traditional sound by releasing the Custom Shop 1954 Stratocaster, and the 50th Anniversary American Series Stratocaster equipped with 1954 Custom Shop Pickups. However, with the release of the 50th Anniversary American Deluxe Stratocaster, Fender is looking to redefine the sound of the Stratocaster by virtue of introducing the latest masterpiece in pickup design by from the master pickup builder Bill Lawrence. These pickups are called Samarium Cobalt Noiseless Pickups or SCN for short. The last time Fender attempted anything so radical with the sound of the Stratocaster was in the late 1980’s with the introduction of the Fender Lace Sensors. Some people loved them, some people hated them. Since Lace Sensors don’t come standard on any of the popular Stratocasters you can probably guess that more people disliked them, than liked them. Another feature introduced in 2004 on all Deluxe Series Stratocasters, including this one, is the “S1 Switching System,” which is a wonderful feature which I will describe later on in this review.
Firstly, let me start of by saying, I loved the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Series Stratocaster. I loved it so much that I had to by one, even though I already have a large collection of guitars, including other Stratocasters. It is not easy to find one of these guitars in stock. Fender is only making a limited edition of them. As I have written in other reviews, I prefer to try out a guitar in a quiet setting where I can listen to the subtleties of the guitar without having to try and block out the “noise” of someone trying out a distortion pedal through a Marshall three feet away from me. I could not find a small shop that had one in stock, but I was able to find one in a large national chain store, and I went early on a weekday morning when there would be less chance of encountering background “noise” (the poser kids are either in school or still sleeping).
One of the things that is disturbing about dealing with a large chain store is the lack of knowledge that the sales people possess, and erroneous information they attempt to pass off as fact. For example, the sales person attempted to “do me a favor and help me save some money” by telling me that there was no difference between the Fender 50th Anniversary American Deluxe Series Stratocaster and the American Deluxe Series model except that the latter came with a 50th Anniversary commemorative neck plate and gold hardware, and further that the only difference between the 50th Anniversary American Series and the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Series was that the latter had gold hardware. There is a world of difference in each of these guitars, from the type of wood, to the type of pickups used, and the sound is distinctively different on each. I shall comment on these differences in other reviews, and stick here to the 50th Anniversary American Deluxe Series Stratocaster.
I then asked the salesman if he had heard any comments either pro or con regarding the Bill Lawrence pickups, to which he responded there was no such thing as a Bill Lawrence pickup. I then explained that perhaps he knew of these pickups by their technical name, Samarium Cobalt Noiseless or SCN pickups. He once again told me that he had been working there for a long time, and that he knew Fender products very well, and that there was no such thing as the SCN pickups and that he had never heard of Bill Lawrence. I realized at this point that the salesman I was dealing with was going to be of no help whatsoever, other than to get me the guitar off the rack. He was not a musician, he must have been a drummer (just a joke, I play drums too).
Right off the rack this guitar was a beauty. The craftsmanship was superb. I compared it side by side in every respect to a regular issue American Deluxe Series Strat, and 50th Anniversary model was so much better in so many ways. The grain of the wood, which is Select Alder was magnificent, and was so finely figured that I actually wished it had been a natural finish. The color is a two tone sunburst (modern sunburst finishes like those that are found newer Stratocasters are three tone). The neck is maple with a maple fret board, and is a contoured “C” shape, tapered just beautifully. The action was set great right off the rack, and did not seem to need adjustment, with the exception of the B string which was set too high for some odd reason. The tuning pegs were Fender/Schaller Deluxe Sealed Locking Tuning Machines, and they worked beautifully. Once I put this guitar in tune, it stayed there; regardless of the paces I put it through, including some heavy string bends and use of the 2-point Synchronized Tremolo with pop in arm.
Now on to the pickups, which in my mind are definitely the most distinctive feature of this guitar. But first, I must confess something. I went to this store with the intention of buying a 50th Anniversary American Series Strat. I love the sound of a vintage Stratocaster, and I absolutely was convinced that before I heard the Deluxe, that I would prefer the Standard. Although they look just like standard single coil pickups that are found on the regular American Series Stratocaster, the ones on the 50th Anniversary American Series Stratocaster are Custom Shop replicas of the hand wound original 1954 pickups. I wanted a Strat with a Vintage tone, even if I had to put up with the noise, hum, and feedback, and all the other drawbacks. Thus, I was certain, before I heard the Deluxe, that I would definitely choose the 1954 Custom Shop Replicas, as compared to the pickups on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe model which are Samarium Cobalt Noiseless (SCN), the invention of the electrical wizard of Bill Lawrence.
I compared both the American Series 50th Anniversary and the American Deluxe Series 50th Anniversary side by side. I was blown away by the SCN pups. The SCN’s were totally noiseless, and actually quieter than a humbucker. As most Strat players would agree, single coil pickups are weaker in output than humbuckers, and frequently require the assistance of a device to increase their gain or output. The SCN’s were as powerful as a humbucker, and did not require any assistance to achieve a domineering sound. Further, when playing at a mellow tone, the SCN’s gave a rich jazz sound that I could not believe I was getting out of a single coil pup. But could the SCN’s produce the classic Fender “bell tone” associated with a vintage Strat. The answer is “yes, yes, yes.” The SCN’s captured the classic Strat “bell tone” sound accurately and distinctively. I literally could not believe my ears. Was I bewitched? I sought confirmation from three bystanders. I played the intro to “Sweet Home Alabama” on both the 50th Anniversary Deluxe with the SCN and the 50th Anniversary American Series with the 1954 Custom Shop Pickups, and asked the bystanders which guitar sounded more authentic and which sounded better. Three out of three agreed that the SCN’s won the competition hands down. But could this guitar stand up to the Stevie Ray Vaughn Model with Texas Special Pickups when it came to the bluesy sound that only a Fender Strat can give. The answer was a shocking one. I was not expecting this. The SCN’s sounded better when compared side by side to the Texas Specials. The hand more “spank” as well as more “crank.” What further confirmation could I ask for? You can read my comments on the SRV Tribute Strat in another review I recently wrote.
I was already sold on the SCN’s. However, there is another secret device (ala James Bond) on the Deluxe model, and that is the “S-1 Switch.” This switch is hidden from view, and it can be engaged by depressing the center of the volume knob. When the S-I Switch is engaged it converts the electronics of the pickup wiring from series to parallel. This switch turns the sound of the pickups from the classic single coil sound to a humbucking pickup sound. With the flip of a switch, I suddenly had a “Fat Strat” in my hands. This increased the tonal possibilities of this guitar to a level I did not even dream of. Just one further comment on the sound, the S-1 Switching did not duplicate the sound of a Gibson with humbuckers, but rather it sounded like a Strat with humbuckers.
As to some of the unique features of this guitar, there are the special Commemorative 50th Anniversary Neck Plate, a 50th Anniversary Laser Etched Pickguard, aged looking plastic knobs, Abalone Dot Position Markers, gold hardware, and highly detailed fret and nut work. The case is also a Vintage Tweed with a crushed gold interior, and a red embroidered Commemorative Anniversary Patch sewn into the lining of the case. The other features of the guitar are pretty standard ones that you would find on any modern Strat, such as a 5 position blade switch, and a master volume control and two tone controls.
The bottom line, this is a fabulous guitar. It plays beautifully, has great tone, and the SCN pickups created by Bill Lawrence are more sensitive to the subtleties of one’s playing than any pickup I have ever played before. It is sure to appreciate in value with time. With that said, I need to get back to my practicing.
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