Fender Hot Rod Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

This has to be one of the best stamps I've ever had with the exception of one little hiccup. This is replacing a Fender Blues Deville, which I absolutely loved. I had access to almost every Fender amp when I bought my Blues Deville and it just spoke to me. Well, they don't make Blues Devilles anymore, and I knew the Hot Rod Deville existed, so I went for it. To my ears, it's the same as my previous amp. This is a two channel amp in which each channel is independent of the other with the exception of the tone knobs, which are the same for both channels, which is not a problem for me. When I plugged it in, I couldn't believe how incredible it sounded clean. It absolutely blew my mind. I used both a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. Then, I took the second channel and add a little bit of gain to it, which distorted it. The distortion on this amp is so creamy that I don't even need to use my TS9. It has to be one of the best distortions I have ever heard from an amplifier. I usually use an Orange TH30C for my distortion. My Fender amp was always a clean amplifier. I may be using this one for the distortion and my Orange may get sidelined. The reason I'm giving this amp four stars is because of the following; when you go to switch channels using the included foot switch, there's a loud pop that happens every time you switch channels while you're playing. Apparently, it's inherent to the amplifier. It's the only reason I cannot use this amplifier with clean and dirty at the same time unless I use a TS9 on the clean channel. That really was not a well thought out process from Fender. For the price of this amp, I would think that problem would've been fixed, but it is what it is. I still love the amplifier and I'm still glad I bought it, although I will have to use my Orange when I want a distorted sound.Chuck

I bought my new Fender Blues Jr v4 about 2 months ago from a guy who decided he was more of a "Marshall Guy After All" so I got a bargain, but that was just the beginning. I wanted to spend some time and several sessions playing with this thing before I rushed into a review, but it turns out my first impressions have been even more reinforced since playing this thing for several hours, and the big word here is WOW. I have been playing for over 62 years (that's right, got my first guitar at 7) and bought my first Strat in high school. I've played and owned a LOT of different amps, and even now I have a few pieces for which I have some sentiment, but now it seems I will have to seriously reconsider. Good thing there is no "Amp Limit Law", but if there was I could finally happily liquidate all the others if I could have just my new Blues Jr. I have read voraciously for years about concepts such as "touch sensitive", "controlling breakup with the guitar volume", "takes pedals well", etc. Turns out these have only been myths to me all this time until now. Everything good and superlative that's been written about this amp is absolutely true. The preamp section is like pure magic in shaping the tone and delivering it to my favorite-EL84 power amp section. I have never been a fan of the usual Fender tube lineup, and when I heard this runs EL84s I was already excited. I am still a Strat guy to this day and love everything about it. But I have never even dreamed it could sound so good. I have an Egnater Rebel 20, a vintage Crate 15 watt blonde with a Dr Z speaker, and my prior favorite-a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Jr into a 12" Eminence Lady Luck. I have some others, but nothing I own or have owned can even come close to this thing. And what has been said about the Celestion speaker choice is again, absolutely right on. The sound from this amp would be as if you had an old Deluxe Reverb, did a cap job, retube, and maybe speaker upgrade. I guess I'm trying to say that it soundsMark, R

Simplicity itself, with great tone and a big sound from a small package. I've a few amps, ranging from heads and cabs to combos, but had a hankering for a small tube combo – one that could do a rehearsal if needed. This has a great sound with a 335 and a Telecaster, and so easy to dial in a fantastic tone – infact hard to get a bad tone. Plenty loud enough, I would happily take this out and gig it. I love the fact you can unplug the internal speaker and plug it into a cab, makes it a great package. No perceivable noise when winding it up, and the stock speaker is great, good tight bass and nice and chimey on top. Seems solidly built, but I guess time will tell on that front. All in all, very pleased with this, and great value.Customer

I bought this cabinet with the intention of beefing up my Hot Rod deluxe which it did. The combination of closed back from this cabinet and the open back of the deluxe resulted in a much more richer sound not to mention that at 4 ohms with the cabinet the amp seems to be more responsive to my playing. It also looks cool sitting under the Hot Rod Deluxe III. It not only sounds great with the Hot Rod but with my 30 watt PRS amp head, a Quilter 200 and boy was I surprised when I plugged in my Mesa Mark IV. Awesome little cabinet for the money. Thank you American Musical Supply.Carlos Perez professional musici

This was bought to add an extension cabinet to my mesa boogie nomad 100. My nomad was a single 12 speaker with an open back cab and needed a little more bass. the sealed fender cabinet was the exact same dimensions and fits nicely under the boogie. Sound was as I expected, bass increase as well as a tight sound from the closed back cabinet. Also raised the nomad to a better overall height. Very happy with my purchase. I did not give it 5 stars for several reasons. 1) made in Mexico which I expected for the price but that is the problem! Speaker jack fell out of the back of the cabinet when I removed the cable. Compared to yesteryear and I have owned a lot of fender equipment construction was much better. To repair the speaker jack and not go through returning the cabinet I opened the back to see what holds the jack in place. Half the screws used to seal the back of the cabinet were to short and already stripped out. There were two different length screws used and none were long enough to do the job properly! They were #6 wood screws so a trip to Lowes for proper hardware about 8 duckets worth of new fasteners (went to #8 wood screws and new finishing washers) took care of the problem. The jack is another issue that will require a large fender washer and a new jack with longer threads. about 6 duckets in hardware to repair properly. The strips of wood that hold the back on are only pressed wood and one side was spilt open from not predrilling holes and forcing the screws to create there own holes when installed. This is a time saver at the factory but poor practice in my opinion! The front baffle that holds the speaker in place was held in with 6 bolts, nuts and washers. All were loose and if I did not retighten these the vibration from the speaker would have caused these all to come apart! So over all construction was less then stellar and about what I expected for the price. Still final quality checks should have caught all of this on the assembly line.Strat Blaster

I bought this to go with a Tone King Gremlin head. I figured a fender speaker would pair well with a fender clone amp. The enclosure is quite nice. The speaker however is not. I did read the poor reviews the celestion 70/80 gets online, they are spot on. This speaker is so shrill I felt like my ears were going to bleed. It has a pronounced mid scoop. Instead of returning I decided I like the fender box enough ( and the reasonable price compared to others ) and bought a different speaker. After swapping the 70/80 with a Eminence Cannabis rex, it really sounds great.Josh B

I bought this cabinet with the intention of beefing up my Hot Rod deluxe which it did. The combination of closed back from this cabinet and the open back of the deluxe resulted in a much more richer sound not to mention that at 4 ohms with the cabinet the amp seems to be more responsive to my playing. It also looks cool sitting under the Hot Rod Deluxe III. It not only sounds great with the Hot Rod but with my 30 watt PRS amp head, a Quilter 200 and boy was I surprised when I plugged in my Mesa Mark IV. Awesome little cabinet for the money. Thank you American Musical Supply.Carlos Perez professional musici

This was bought to add an extension cabinet to my mesa boogie nomad 100. My nomad was a single 12 speaker with an open back cab and needed a little more bass. the sealed fender cabinet was the exact same dimensions and fits nicely under the boogie. Sound was as I expected, bass increase as well as a tight sound from the closed back cabinet. Also raised the nomad to a better overall height. Very happy with my purchase. I did not give it 5 stars for several reasons. 1) made in Mexico which I expected for the price but that is the problem! Speaker jack fell out of the back of the cabinet when I removed the cable. Compared to yesteryear and I have owned a lot of fender equipment construction was much better. To repair the speaker jack and not go through returning the cabinet I opened the back to see what holds the jack in place. Half the screws used to seal the back of the cabinet were to short and already stripped out. There were two different length screws used and none were long enough to do the job properly! They were #6 wood screws so a trip to Lowes for proper hardware about 8 duckets worth of new fasteners (went to #8 wood screws and new finishing washers) took care of the problem. The jack is another issue that will require a large fender washer and a new jack with longer threads. about 6 duckets in hardware to repair properly. The strips of wood that hold the back on are only pressed wood and one side was spilt open from not predrilling holes and forcing the screws to create there own holes when installed. This is a time saver at the factory but poor practice in my opinion! The front baffle that holds the speaker in place was held in with 6 bolts, nuts and washers. All were loose and if I did not retighten these the vibration from the speaker would have caused these all to come apart! So over all construction was less then stellar and about what I expected for the price. Still final quality checks should have caught all of this on the assembly line.Strat Blaster

I bought this to go with a Tone King Gremlin head. I figured a fender speaker would pair well with a fender clone amp. The enclosure is quite nice. The speaker however is not. I did read the poor reviews the celestion 70/80 gets online, they are spot on. This speaker is so shrill I felt like my ears were going to bleed. It has a pronounced mid scoop. Instead of returning I decided I like the fender box enough ( and the reasonable price compared to others ) and bought a different speaker. After swapping the 70/80 with a Eminence Cannabis rex, it really sounds great.Josh B

If you’re looking for a great travel guitar, this is it. Ingenious design and good looks. We’ll made and seems to be durable. Pickup actually sounds good and the headphone only with built in amp is awesome! The 4 programmed tones are definitely usable for what it is. It even comes with soft case, batteries and a pick. Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks Traveler Guitar!Raymond T.

I love this guitar. So much fun. Full scale yet i can take it on trips. Sounds great through my 3W amp. Great when I don't want to lug my full size case. Really looking forward to having this on trips from now on. Awesome!Patrick M.

Sound: I can get any sound I want just through the pickup selector, tbx and midrange boost controls, and the master volume takes it over the edge for extra crunch. Playing by myself I preferred the middle pickup, but in a band situation the neck pup cuts through brilliantly with lovely clean treble twang. This is a great guitar for biting blues or rock tones, or dial it back for a nice soft clean tone. I mostly play through a Blackstar TVP 60 or Marshall DSL40, but I keep both mostly clean where it's just starting to break up, which I can control by my attack. Features: The best feature for me is the playability of the neck. The satin finish combined with the low vintage frets is just super smooth. I played about a dozen different Strat models before finding the EC, and once I played it there was no other choice to make. The noiseless vintages pups are a breeze, and the controls do everything Fender claims. Ease of Use: The EC just fell to hand for me immediately, like no other guitar I'd played before or since. 'Nuff said. The pups allow me to keep tight control on feedback only when I want it. Quality: This is a pure quality instrument, and I love everything about it. Having said that, after 2 years there's quite a bit of fret wear from bending, so I'll need to refret with stainless steel wire for longer wear. The volume pot has started to get a bit dirty and noisy, so it needs a clean, even though I've only played in clean environments. Value: Worth it's weight in gold. I have not played another guitar that makes me want to buy it. Manufacturer Support: Haven't need manufacturer support, but in Australia I have Fender-registered luthiers. The Wow Factor: This is EC's guitar, as close as I'll ever get, which is a big selling point. But sheer playability, quality, and value for money, plus pride of ownership, make it simply the best. Overall: Just a fabulous, playable guitar, the best I've ever played.Peter

Arrived in great shape. So far, I love this guitar, and despite all the videos I watched and reviews I'd read, I was still amazed at the sheer number of tones you can get out of it. With the mid and treble boosts, you can really go from "typical strat" tones to get incredible sustain and hit the front of the amp quite hard to get good breakup.Pros:- American Strat quality, fit and finish is good, rolled fret board, etc.- The electronics – endless variety of tones. Not great for modern metal or hard rock, but anything else will work.Cons:- This would be a hard guitar to work into a live venue if you play with other guitars as well. It is LOUD, so much louder than my Les Paul or anything else I own that I have to play with the levels and EQ on the amp. In my house, no big deal. At a gig, that may be tough. That said, I don't own other guitars with active electronics, so maybe other active pickups are also this much louder?- Requires you to unscrew the back plate to change the battery. I'm sure this keeps costs down, but on my active basses it's a lot easier to open the battery compartment without screws. Make sure you have a full battery before a gig.- I was surprised at the amount of set-up I had to do to get rid of fret buzz. Given the amount of distance in shipping, time in warehouses, temperature/humidity differences, etc. my guess is that it was probably fine when it left the factory, but it's the first guitar I've bought online that had so many strings/frets buzzing. Luckily a couple turns on the saddle screws fixed it all without appreciably raising action.Neither good nor bad: – The neck profile is unique to the Clapton. It feels like "a more playable vintage profile" to me. It's definitely not a modern profile. You'll either like it or you won't 🙂 I found it really easy to adjust to, and it seems to work great for "thumb over"- The bridge is similarly vintage, and comes blocked. If you really want the newer Fender bridge, you are out of luck. Given my set-up experience (above), I'm not convinced I could just "remove the block" and have it playable without additional set-up.- Tweed case looks amazing, but is not form fitting like the new TSA case that comes with other American Fenders. I wanted a tweed case, and I don't fly with my guitar, so not a big deal to me.Overall I feel like I made the right choice in buying a Strat, and I can't put it down. If your goal is to make Clapton sounds (or any other great Blues/Rock sounds) – this is a fantastic guitar.Metal Head

Pro – Great sounding pickups, wouldn't change a thing. It is really easy to get all of vintage Strat sounds you want out of this. Pro – Really well made. Pro – The neck profile is a lot closer feeling to that era Strat then Fenders previous reissues of this guitar. Pro – It has the 5 way pickup switch as opposed to the three way that was on the original. Much better option. Pro/Con – (Con) Having to pull the neck off to adjust it is a drag. (Pro) To be fair it is like that on the originals and as such needs to be like that to be an accurate reproduction. Con – The setup out of the box was pretty bad. Not a problem, but if you don't do your own setups factor it in as an additional cost. Con – I could not get the stock tuners that came on it to stay in tune for long. I kept having to retune it. I replaced them with some vintage replica locking tuners (like the ones that come stock on the Vintera 50's modified) and it is now perfect. To be fair the tuners are meant to be replicas of the vintage ones so if you are used to guitars with higher end tuners this will through you off. Again just consider it an additional cost if it bugs you. With the locking tuners and a set up this guitar plays and sounds great. I would recommend it if you are looking for class Strat tones.Included pics of stock -vs- locking tuners, it does not really take much away from the look and makes the tuning much more stable. I would buy it again without hesitation.phez10

I’m no stranger to custom shop strats. No, it doesn’t have the nitro smell or the perfectly rolled edges, but this is one spectacular guitar. First impressions out of the box, it felt really nice in my hands, kind of similar to the deluxe Lone Star Strat I used to own, but the neck on this one is a lot more comfortable to me. I couldn’t find any flaws in the finish or the fretboard and frets. And best of all is how this guitar resonates, it’s deep and soulful when unplugged. Plugged in it sounds just like a strat should. I see no reason to change the pickups. The setup was a little off. A minor truss rod tweak and trem spring adjustment were all it really needed. I always put .10’a on anyway. The fret ends were nice and smooth and the fingerboard edges, while not “rolled,” felt rounded and smooth regardless. It really does feel like a high end USA made instrument. I was worried about the lighter brown colored Pau Ferro, but it really looks fantastic on this guitar. Also, the mint green pickguard is much greener than the photos and matches really well. Also the tint on the headstock and neck is perfect. It’s nice and dark but not too dark. It’s just right to make it look old and classy. The fretboard was very dry, though and a bit of oiling really brought out the grain and made it look a bit darker and much nicer. The ice blue is a nice color but it’s kind of weird. Almost looks green in certain lighting. The vintage frets are not for everyone but I absolutely love them. Also the radius is just fine, no fret-outs anywhere like everyone tries to tell you. I can see why most people would want the modified version if you’re a speed demon, but if you like a luxurious and smooth feel, you can’t go wrong with this one.Michael R.

I've played a lot of Stratocasters and this is the best vintage feeling guitar I have ever played. For being vintage I have no fretting out and the neck plays smooth and fast for me. I don't understand the complaints about this guitar, if your into a modern thin uncomfortable c shape and hum buckets or noiseless pick ups with jumbo frets that go out of intonation with hardly any wear than this isn't for you. If your looking for the absolute best bang for your buck that fender has ever produced than this guitar is for you. I've played American strats and deluxe and I don't like where my creative mind goes. You really get the authentic feel of what a Stratocaster is. Only recommendations I have as far as upgrading would be electronics. 65's would fit this guitar perfectly. But if your playing clean tones alot then the clean tones on this guitar are beautiful. Fender hit a deer spot here. I have 17 years of experience playing stratsEd

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

This is the first Acoustic/electric that I have owned that I actually love playing. The action is great even with the large gauge acoustic strings on it. Comes with a very nice gig-bag/case. I love the way the neck and back of the guitar looks. I also love the Strat 5-way switch that selects the degree and type of acoustic sound. The only downside with this guitar is the cover that serves as a cover for the electronics and pick guard. It looks cheap, more like a decal than a cover. I think Fender can do better on this detail for the price of the guitar. However, if you can get past that then it is a fine playing and sounding guitar. I have owned several Acoustic and Acoustic/Electric guitars. The action on even high-priced acoustics was so terrible I just ended up selling them. I also do not like the large back ends of most acoustic and acoustic electric guitars, but this guitar is small and easy to play. I would give it an A-.Bill

The research I did on trying to learn more about this instrument via general internet, YouTube, assorted standard Music Company's like Sam Ash; Sweetwater; Guitar Center; Alamo; and other assorted Music Guitar critics provided a good array of opinions and product test results that produced a positive majority with impressive perspectives for the instrument I purchased. The Fender American Acoustasonic Stratocaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Cocobolo I purchased from Sam Ash was not a disappointment. Aside from the 10 different options of Guitar unique sounds it provides from Acoustic and Electric mixes. The one-of-a-kind Cocobolo wood identifies a further fingerprint in supporting its own private one-of-a-kind signature sound with relationship to the Cocobolo wood unique to it alone. That just blows me away with how special the sound of specialty signature sound it produces with the ten different built in technical sounds the Fender Guitar company developed with this special edition. I feel overwhelmed in learning to continue how to play this guitar. It allows me so many more possibilities with playing soft country to hard rock a really strong guitar enjoyment experience.Guitar Enthusiast

Overall, I am very happy with this guitar. It exudes classic Fender looks and tone. The quality and craftsmanship are decent for the price point. I have a US Tele and, after putting some TLC into this player strat, it feels and plays almost as good as the Tele. I would give it five stars if it were not for fretwork that was needed. Body – The finish and surf pearl color are gorgeous. The wood grain is barely visible (raised) so I would not say the finish is flawless, but the grain is very subtle and adds character in my opinion. The routed cavities for the electronics (top) and the tremolo springs (back) are precisely cut and clean. The electronics cavity was even finished with black paint. Neck – The finish and appearance are great. However, all 22 frets had sprouted; some as much as 1/32". I can't say this is a craftsmanship issue as the frets were probably fine when it was assembled. It must have been a very high humidity environment, though. Nevertheless, after painstakingly filing and redressing all 44 fret ends it feels good. The frets themselves were well seated and leveled. The 3rd and 11th frets were a few thousands of an inch high, but not enough to cause any buzzing issues. The frets were well rounded and polished. Hardware – The tuners are just okay. One of them feels a little rough turning, and they seem to have a low turning ratio making it very touchy to dial in perfect pitch. The 2-point fulcrum tremolo bridge seems like a better design than the traditional (six screw) bridges, but I did not test it. I prefer to block them for more stable tuning, which worked great with this bridge. I have upgraded electronics I had planned to install in this guitar, but the stock pickups aren't bad. They are very quiet and have good tone – there is no rush to replace them. Setup was a breeze. Truss rod adjustment was smooth, nut slots were to spec, and intonation was perfect. The action needed adjustment since I blocked the tremolo, but that was easy.Dave S.

what a great bass! It's beautiful, light, and sonically versatile. the different pickup modes have 3 radically different tones which makes this bass right for lots of situations. I've seen some reviews that mentioned so issues with some fret roughness but mine showed up in perfect condition. I couldn't be happier with the bass. I also want to mention the customer service. I used the chat feature to confirm whether this bass came with a bag or case. the agent let me know that it does not but pointed me to the bundle that includes the bag and they set me up with a price I could not pass up. once I completed the purchase the item was shipped within 90 minutes. Other music stores I've done business with are not nearly as responsive. CME killed itShaun M.

This is a great short scale bass. It is a quality instrument. The finish is excellent. Playability straight out of the box was very good. Nicely set up.I love the pick-ups and the ability to blend the two with their individual volume controls. Great range of tones available. It looks good too ! Highly recommended. The only gripe is that at this price it should come in a hard case and not a bag !Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Really good guitar for nirvana type music. Only issue is that you need to set it up for it to be playable but once it's set up it's a great instrument. Pickups are pretty articulate but not to bright either just perfectly balanced. If you get one I recommend to lock the bridge down to improve its tuning stability and sustain. Note it DOES NOT sound like a kc style mustang, it has its own sort of sound to it. Fretboard is pretty nice same with the low radius which I prefer. Overall it's one of my favorite guitars I've ever bought and I cannot recommend it enough if you play grunge and nirvana music.Preston

I used to own a 1953 Telecaster that I sold in a moment of stupidity so I have first hand knowledge of this vintage instrument. I had heard that they had successfully recreated a match to the vintage instrument in the Fender American Vintage '52 Telecaster. Mine is a late 2017 model and the workmanship is first class. It also has the "U" neck with the 7.25" finger board radius, the blonde butterscotch paint and the modern wiring. It has the same look and feel of the old one. It has the same twang and sustain as the old one too. I did have the adjust the bridge so the strings are just slightly higher off the fingerboard. The main difference between the old one and the new one is that the old one, the paint was highly worn on the back of the neck and I did miss that on the new one. If you are trying to decide what guitar to buy, I would highly recommend this one.todadamson

P'ups not excellent for dry playing at a loud gig if you need silence from your instrument. Outside of that, this is the best dang guitar I've ever owned, (out of 29). Neck is extremely comfy, might not be for you but it's okay to be wrong. Both pickups sound like keepers, and the hardware and case are high quality as well. Needed some additional time for set-up, but was well worth the effort.Andrew M

I just got a lefty for $350 or so and man it is impressive. Set up pretty well out of the box. Finish is perfect trans butterscotch blonde. Neck feels great and I love the finish (wont need dressing). Bridge looks fine, tuners are so so. A bit on the heavy side with the pine body no contour. With some mods this will be a player fo sho. This guitar is nice enough that I couldnt care less about the Squire branded headstock. If you want a platform to mod this is probably it. Feels better than any MIM Tele Ive held. Get one today if possible!-c.luckee74

So I realized one day that I needed a more powerful amp, the last gig that I had played i was having trouble competing with the rest of the band and that is never good. I went to my shop to see if there were any amps that could remedy this and found this bad boy. It plays great, sparkling cleans, warm drive, and harmonically rich lead sound all from an amp that really isn't all that heavy compared to many others. The thing that makes this amp really shine is the fact that you can go from your bedroom, to rehearsal, to a gig, and back without sacrificing the tone it has. I was a player who always brought along a set of pedals to every gig, now that I have this amp, I no longer am in need of their assistance. Just the sounds from this amp are enough to fill any range from BB to Bonamassa, to Black Crowes, to Trout and anywhere in between. I would like to point out one problem this amp does have though. If you don't know what you're doing on your instrument, this amp will not hide it from your audience. Other than the fact that it too accurately represents your guitar's nuances (if you want to be nit-picky) this amp has no flaws whatsoever for me.bluesman94

Great guitar and an amazing value. My Olympic White Strat came in tune and intonated. There was one fret that was a few milimeters higher than others (only noticed because I dropped the action lower), took a minute to set up and then she was a dream. I own several American Teles, Strats, and Gibson Les Paul's, this is (with my head down) my first Mexican made Fender. I'm not gonna lie, it's darn good! The big thing on this guitar, and why it's a little more pricey than the typical Mexican Strat is that the electronics are flat out better. Vintage Noiseless pickups sing through my Blues Jr., and sound just plain mean through my AC15. I'm not one that adds guitars to my arsenal often, but I played this one a few times before pulling the trigger and each time I was reminded about the fact that a good guitar is a good guitar. The S1 boost button is cool, nice and hidden so it isn't annoying or takes away from the normal look of a strat. The finish on the neck is great (more of a satin finish versus a high gloss) – this is a plus in my opinion as it feels more like my higher end American guitars. A real treat to play and will join me in the road this summer.John

I took up the guitar in the 70's and played casually for about 25 years, before life got in the way and it fell by the wayside. Last year I decided to pick it back up and go with a decent quality electric, rather than an acoustic this time around. I've always loved the Stratocaster sound, so I perused the options before deciding on the Deluxe Roadhouse Stratocaster. The ability get so many different sounds in one package was the deciding factor, along with the price point. I have to say the quality of this particular instrument was surprisingly good to me. The forums make it sound like "Made in Mexico" guarantees you're getting a piece of junk. This couldn't be further from the truth. The fit and finish of this guitar is every bit as good, if not better, as the American-made 1978 Telecaster Deluxe I had in high school. Set-up was good right out of the box. The action is light and low and the tone is classically Strat. If you're not hung up on getting a US-made instrument, try the MIM models. Great quality at a great price.Dave in Edmonds

1 month review with guitar being setup professionally: Great pickups and tone and overall good sounding guitar after a proper setup, gorgeous nitro finish and paintjob. Relic effects are beautiful. The nitro finish feels thin enough for you to eventually make your own marks from repeated playing – a perfect way to tell a story and give the guitar character. Worn in neck feels amazing to play and not sticky to touch. Worth noting that the Pure Vintage 59 pickups on these don't have a reverse-wound middle pick, so there will be hum including positions 2 and 4. If you are easily annoyed with single coil hum, these pickups might not be for you. Also worth noting that these pickups do sound a bit warmer than a stock Fender Player pickups. These respond so MUCH better to high gain type of playing, all while still sounding amazing on low-gain and clean playing. Despite the pros, there are still some areas are lacking and needs improvement. The guitar had razor sharp frets along the binding that could easily cut you, meanwhile I have a $700 MIM fender player didn't have this problem straight out of the box. It's crazy to think that $700 guitar went through better QA than a $1200 guitar, but whatever, the frets are bound to be polished and worked on anyway with your initial setup regardless. CME's shipping page policies say "Every guitar gets a full inspection, as well as basic setup." Guitar came with an inspection card that had overall playability specs checked but some of it was questionable. The guitar was not playable at all out of the box despite letting it acclimate for over a day before opening BUT that is a given considering it spent time in a delivery truck trunk in freezing winter. However, it was a bit bogus how they even checked off volume output when the pickups were NOWEHERE near the appropriate height out of the box and there was BARELY any audible output on the treble side of the guitar. I highly doubt weather and temperature fluctuation will make the pickup screws spin by themselves to the degree at which the pickups came out of the box. Secondly, the tremolo springs at the back also weren't ******* in the appropriate depth for a either a floating or flushed trem setup – it was just sort of in the middle of the cavity. Weather fluctuation from their shop and may have affected string tension, but I also don't think it would make the claw springs in the back unscrew themselves to the degree the guitar came. Makes me wonder how thorough the inspection was. These might not matter as much to some especially those who will get their new guitars setup anyway, but it's good to note that you may still need to budget for a setup if you aren't doing it yourself. Although there could've been improvements on Fender and CME's part that I don't think could be blamed on external factors such as weather and climate fluctuations, overall, I would still 100% recommend this guitar, and it's a gem. The guitar played well after a proper setup, so I'm happy with it now. The price may be too expensive for some considering it's not made in USA, but it must be considered that this is the cheapest proper nitro-finish guitar you will currently find. The next best thing are Fender custom shop, so this guitar is perfect for those looking to enjoy vintage style paint/nitro body finish, and vintage specs without paying custom shop prices. The appearances are just a plus, since they sound and play amazing after a proper set up.Carlos T.

I've been playing for a little while, I rehearse with my band once/twice a week so my guitars definitely get played quite a bit, I've preferred Stratocasters from an early age. The shape is legendary and the tone is versatile. I own Chinese, Japanese, U.S. and Mexican Strats. This one is very comparable to my American Professional Stratocaster, the neck profile, the weight and intonation. Electronics are great, single coils produce a sweet twangy clean tone and the humbucker roars really nice with the right amount of gain/distortion. Makes it a very comfortable instrument that plays as easy as mantequilla on a hot tortilla. Only issue, (hence the 'almost comparable to MIA strats comment in the headline) are the frets… They are a little bit on the sharp side, I'm guessing it comes down to a player's preference? A competent luthier can dress the fret ends and make this one a real player/main axe. Other than the sharp frets, everything else is pretty solid and straight, the vatos down in Ensenada MX do great work producing these!Benjamin

So my story goes like this, I flew into Portland Oregon for work and immediately drove from the airport to Guitar Center. Upon walking in, someone was shredding on a guitar and it went on for a good 10 minutes. The guitar he was playing was the Candy Red Burst Fender Stratocaster Player Series. After he was done, I grabbed it and saw why he played it so long. It felt just solid in the hands. The strings, fret board and neck were silky smooth; Super easy to glide up and down with no fret buzz. The pickups are all Fender Player Stratocaster series which I have had no issue with and perform great out of the box. Also, just holding the guitar is a treat in the hands. It's a beautiful guitar. The Candy Red Burst has a very high functioning coat that gives a deep black fade anyway you turn it. It also fit my bill for something to remember Oregon by since the guitar is a deep Rose Red and Portland is know as the City of Roses.The Pau Ferro fingerboard is also eye candy as it has black veins that run through the grain matching the black hardware of the guitar. Other then that, I have had this guitar for 5 months as of this review and absolutely love it. The guitar holds its tune very well I enjoy playing it every time. Wait, you still reading this? Go get one already!Allan

The Hot Rod Deluxe is an affordable tube amp good for just about every application. The great expected Fender clean sound makes it an ideal host for pedals. Crunchy tube-driven overdrive can be dialed in to go from Stonesy Grit to ZZ over the Topish tone. This amp is loud enough for most stages and small enough to throw in the front seat next to you after the gig. I am a staff reviewer at Sam Ash Columbus.Jimbo

The Fender Hot Rod Series of amps are some of the best sounding tube amps out there. The Hot Rod Deluxe features straight forward controls, a massive 40 watts of tube power, classic Fender clean tones as well as some really nice, crunchy over-drive. Since the clean channel is so pristine it handles effects pedals very well, or just go straight in and use the 2 button foot switch (included). Lush reverb & great tone, make it perfect for any performance situation. I am a Guitar Sales Associate at Sam Ash in Edison NJ'Big Time

So a guitar buddy of mine has had this amp for a little while now and everytime we play together I just sit there and let him play for me first because it just sounds so beautiful. We mostly do a lot of jazz and blues and classic rock and this is the perfect tube amp for that! It is powerful without blowing you out of your pants. It really focuses on the mid range and keeps the lows or highs in check. I would definitely recommend this amp! I am a staff reviewer at Sam Ash MusicThe Bearded Guy

My teacher set this up at practice and declared it one of the best Strats he has ever played and he owns 4. He loved the neck, pickups, tone. From a distance it looks OK but up close the finish appears to have been heated and put in a freezer. The finish fracture is worse up close with thousand of spider web, broken glass specs which could not be photographed. Sounds amazing but I prefer NOS.William

All right… First, I have to thank Brad at Musicians Friend for seeing this purchase thru, for me obtaining a true Time Machine. In 1958, I would have been 9 years old, but I was already listening to Rock and Roll music on the AM radio, here in the San Francisco Bay Area(KEWB). If my parents would have given me this guitar, I know I would still have it, and now I do. I'm not a big lead player, so, I'm content to be the rhythm guy in the band. Not a problem. This guitar is Aztec Gold, but the Custom Shop aged it to Perfection. When I hold it, and play thru my Bassman Re-Issue, my mind goes now where no other guitar in my Collection can take me. I've noticed that there aren't too many reviews on these high-end axes because maybe their minds are blown by how good they feel, or they're too busy jammin' to write a review. I don't know. But this I do know, these Relics, from 50-odd years ago, will get you thinkin' about what your life would have been like IF you had one in Grade School, and how your life would have changed. Just a note: Leo Fender started making the Esquire when I was born, so maybe I feel like I'm in a parallel universe with the solid body guitar in California. So, if you think you can afford one of these Relics, pick a year, and get one that you like from the looks, and I think you'll be on your way to a totally different place when you plug in…..Hope this helps.John out by the Golden Gate Brid

Guitar arrived quickly and double boxed as a guitar off this level should be. As I tuned it up I noticed that the bridge was pulling way up, like it was never tightened to where it should be for a playable set up. So I looked down the neck and saw that the low E side appears to have more relief than the high e side, such a let down.. The nut was cut just enough to hold strings. Due to that poorly cut nut, strings.were really far from first fret So even though I already wasn't going to keep it, I plugged it in and WoW! This strat has just enough glass in the highs and still has grunt with a little drive. I'm not sure how it does both, but despite how poorly it played, it sounds incredible! If the neck wasn't twisted and it had even a decent set up, I would keep this guitar forever.D

This has to be one of the best stamps I've ever had with the exception of one little hiccup. This is replacing a Fender Blues Deville, which I absolutely loved. I had access to almost every Fender amp when I bought my Blues Deville and it just spoke to me. Well, they don't make Blues Devilles anymore, and I knew the Hot Rod Deville existed, so I went for it. To my ears, it's the same as my previous amp. This is a two channel amp in which each channel is independent of the other with the exception of the tone knobs, which are the same for both channels, which is not a problem for me. When I plugged it in, I couldn't believe how incredible it sounded clean. It absolutely blew my mind. I used both a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. Then, I took the second channel and add a little bit of gain to it, which distorted it. The distortion on this amp is so creamy that I don't even need to use my TS9. It has to be one of the best distortions I have ever heard from an amplifier. I usually use an Orange TH30C for my distortion. My Fender amp was always a clean amplifier. I may be using this one for the distortion and my Orange may get sidelined. The reason I'm giving this amp four stars is because of the following; when you go to switch channels using the included foot switch, there's a loud pop that happens every time you switch channels while you're playing. Apparently, it's inherent to the amplifier. It's the only reason I cannot use this amplifier with clean and dirty at the same time unless I use a TS9 on the clean channel. That really was not a well thought out process from Fender. For the price of this amp, I would think that problem would've been fixed, but it is what it is. I still love the amplifier and I'm still glad I bought it, although I will have to use my Orange when I want a distorted sound.Chuck

I bought my new Fender Blues Jr v4 about 2 months ago from a guy who decided he was more of a "Marshall Guy After All" so I got a bargain, but that was just the beginning. I wanted to spend some time and several sessions playing with this thing before I rushed into a review, but it turns out my first impressions have been even more reinforced since playing this thing for several hours, and the big word here is WOW. I have been playing for over 62 years (that's right, got my first guitar at 7) and bought my first Strat in high school. I've played and owned a LOT of different amps, and even now I have a few pieces for which I have some sentiment, but now it seems I will have to seriously reconsider. Good thing there is no "Amp Limit Law", but if there was I could finally happily liquidate all the others if I could have just my new Blues Jr. I have read voraciously for years about concepts such as "touch sensitive", "controlling breakup with the guitar volume", "takes pedals well", etc. Turns out these have only been myths to me all this time until now. Everything good and superlative that's been written about this amp is absolutely true. The preamp section is like pure magic in shaping the tone and delivering it to my favorite-EL84 power amp section. I have never been a fan of the usual Fender tube lineup, and when I heard this runs EL84s I was already excited. I am still a Strat guy to this day and love everything about it. But I have never even dreamed it could sound so good. I have an Egnater Rebel 20, a vintage Crate 15 watt blonde with a Dr Z speaker, and my prior favorite-a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Jr into a 12" Eminence Lady Luck. I have some others, but nothing I own or have owned can even come close to this thing. And what has been said about the Celestion speaker choice is again, absolutely right on. The sound from this amp would be as if you had an old Deluxe Reverb, did a cap job, retube, and maybe speaker upgrade. I guess I'm trying to say that it soundsMark, R

Simplicity itself, with great tone and a big sound from a small package. I've a few amps, ranging from heads and cabs to combos, but had a hankering for a small tube combo – one that could do a rehearsal if needed. This has a great sound with a 335 and a Telecaster, and so easy to dial in a fantastic tone – infact hard to get a bad tone. Plenty loud enough, I would happily take this out and gig it. I love the fact you can unplug the internal speaker and plug it into a cab, makes it a great package. No perceivable noise when winding it up, and the stock speaker is great, good tight bass and nice and chimey on top. Seems solidly built, but I guess time will tell on that front. All in all, very pleased with this, and great value.Customer

This has to be one of the best stamps I've ever had with the exception of one little hiccup. This is replacing a Fender Blues Deville, which I absolutely loved. I had access to almost every Fender amp when I bought my Blues Deville and it just spoke to me. Well, they don't make Blues Devilles anymore, and I knew the Hot Rod Deville existed, so I went for it. To my ears, it's the same as my previous amp. This is a two channel amp in which each channel is independent of the other with the exception of the tone knobs, which are the same for both channels, which is not a problem for me. When I plugged it in, I couldn't believe how incredible it sounded clean. It absolutely blew my mind. I used both a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. Then, I took the second channel and add a little bit of gain to it, which distorted it. The distortion on this amp is so creamy that I don't even need to use my TS9. It has to be one of the best distortions I have ever heard from an amplifier. I usually use an Orange TH30C for my distortion. My Fender amp was always a clean amplifier. I may be using this one for the distortion and my Orange may get sidelined. The reason I'm giving this amp four stars is because of the following; when you go to switch channels using the included foot switch, there's a loud pop that happens every time you switch channels while you're playing. Apparently, it's inherent to the amplifier. It's the only reason I cannot use this amplifier with clean and dirty at the same time unless I use a TS9 on the clean channel. That really was not a well thought out process from Fender. For the price of this amp, I would think that problem would've been fixed, but it is what it is. I still love the amplifier and I'm still glad I bought it, although I will have to use my Orange when I want a distorted sound.Chuck

I bought my new Fender Blues Jr v4 about 2 months ago from a guy who decided he was more of a "Marshall Guy After All" so I got a bargain, but that was just the beginning. I wanted to spend some time and several sessions playing with this thing before I rushed into a review, but it turns out my first impressions have been even more reinforced since playing this thing for several hours, and the big word here is WOW. I have been playing for over 62 years (that's right, got my first guitar at 7) and bought my first Strat in high school. I've played and owned a LOT of different amps, and even now I have a few pieces for which I have some sentiment, but now it seems I will have to seriously reconsider. Good thing there is no "Amp Limit Law", but if there was I could finally happily liquidate all the others if I could have just my new Blues Jr. I have read voraciously for years about concepts such as "touch sensitive", "controlling breakup with the guitar volume", "takes pedals well", etc. Turns out these have only been myths to me all this time until now. Everything good and superlative that's been written about this amp is absolutely true. The preamp section is like pure magic in shaping the tone and delivering it to my favorite-EL84 power amp section. I have never been a fan of the usual Fender tube lineup, and when I heard this runs EL84s I was already excited. I am still a Strat guy to this day and love everything about it. But I have never even dreamed it could sound so good. I have an Egnater Rebel 20, a vintage Crate 15 watt blonde with a Dr Z speaker, and my prior favorite-a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Jr into a 12" Eminence Lady Luck. I have some others, but nothing I own or have owned can even come close to this thing. And what has been said about the Celestion speaker choice is again, absolutely right on. The sound from this amp would be as if you had an old Deluxe Reverb, did a cap job, retube, and maybe speaker upgrade. I guess I'm trying to say that it soundsMark, R

Simplicity itself, with great tone and a big sound from a small package. I've a few amps, ranging from heads and cabs to combos, but had a hankering for a small tube combo – one that could do a rehearsal if needed. This has a great sound with a 335 and a Telecaster, and so easy to dial in a fantastic tone – infact hard to get a bad tone. Plenty loud enough, I would happily take this out and gig it. I love the fact you can unplug the internal speaker and plug it into a cab, makes it a great package. No perceivable noise when winding it up, and the stock speaker is great, good tight bass and nice and chimey on top. Seems solidly built, but I guess time will tell on that front. All in all, very pleased with this, and great value.Customer

This has to be one of the best stamps I've ever had with the exception of one little hiccup. This is replacing a Fender Blues Deville, which I absolutely loved. I had access to almost every Fender amp when I bought my Blues Deville and it just spoke to me. Well, they don't make Blues Devilles anymore, and I knew the Hot Rod Deville existed, so I went for it. To my ears, it's the same as my previous amp. This is a two channel amp in which each channel is independent of the other with the exception of the tone knobs, which are the same for both channels, which is not a problem for me. When I plugged it in, I couldn't believe how incredible it sounded clean. It absolutely blew my mind. I used both a Stratocaster and a Les Paul. Then, I took the second channel and add a little bit of gain to it, which distorted it. The distortion on this amp is so creamy that I don't even need to use my TS9. It has to be one of the best distortions I have ever heard from an amplifier. I usually use an Orange TH30C for my distortion. My Fender amp was always a clean amplifier. I may be using this one for the distortion and my Orange may get sidelined. The reason I'm giving this amp four stars is because of the following; when you go to switch channels using the included foot switch, there's a loud pop that happens every time you switch channels while you're playing. Apparently, it's inherent to the amplifier. It's the only reason I cannot use this amplifier with clean and dirty at the same time unless I use a TS9 on the clean channel. That really was not a well thought out process from Fender. For the price of this amp, I would think that problem would've been fixed, but it is what it is. I still love the amplifier and I'm still glad I bought it, although I will have to use my Orange when I want a distorted sound.Chuck

I bought my new Fender Blues Jr v4 about 2 months ago from a guy who decided he was more of a "Marshall Guy After All" so I got a bargain, but that was just the beginning. I wanted to spend some time and several sessions playing with this thing before I rushed into a review, but it turns out my first impressions have been even more reinforced since playing this thing for several hours, and the big word here is WOW. I have been playing for over 62 years (that's right, got my first guitar at 7) and bought my first Strat in high school. I've played and owned a LOT of different amps, and even now I have a few pieces for which I have some sentiment, but now it seems I will have to seriously reconsider. Good thing there is no "Amp Limit Law", but if there was I could finally happily liquidate all the others if I could have just my new Blues Jr. I have read voraciously for years about concepts such as "touch sensitive", "controlling breakup with the guitar volume", "takes pedals well", etc. Turns out these have only been myths to me all this time until now. Everything good and superlative that's been written about this amp is absolutely true. The preamp section is like pure magic in shaping the tone and delivering it to my favorite-EL84 power amp section. I have never been a fan of the usual Fender tube lineup, and when I heard this runs EL84s I was already excited. I am still a Strat guy to this day and love everything about it. But I have never even dreamed it could sound so good. I have an Egnater Rebel 20, a vintage Crate 15 watt blonde with a Dr Z speaker, and my prior favorite-a 5 watt Epiphone Valve Jr into a 12" Eminence Lady Luck. I have some others, but nothing I own or have owned can even come close to this thing. And what has been said about the Celestion speaker choice is again, absolutely right on. The sound from this amp would be as if you had an old Deluxe Reverb, did a cap job, retube, and maybe speaker upgrade. I guess I'm trying to say that it soundsMark, R

Simplicity itself, with great tone and a big sound from a small package. I've a few amps, ranging from heads and cabs to combos, but had a hankering for a small tube combo – one that could do a rehearsal if needed. This has a great sound with a 335 and a Telecaster, and so easy to dial in a fantastic tone – infact hard to get a bad tone. Plenty loud enough, I would happily take this out and gig it. I love the fact you can unplug the internal speaker and plug it into a cab, makes it a great package. No perceivable noise when winding it up, and the stock speaker is great, good tight bass and nice and chimey on top. Seems solidly built, but I guess time will tell on that front. All in all, very pleased with this, and great value.Customer

All I can say is this guitar is awesome. Looks great, plays great and sounds amazing. Hard to put down once you pick it up.jim3818

After playing this guitar I was a little bit disappointed that it did not play a whole lot better than my 1996, 2009, 2011 Mexican Strats which all play good. If you are economy minded buy a Mexican Strat & upgrade the pickups to suit you & you'll be money ahead.dixiedarter2011

My first guitar was a California Series Tele bought in 1997, my second guitar was a Gibson LP bought in 1998 (both bought from Musicians's Friend). I always wanted a Fender strat but could never decide which one to buy. Than I saw the Limited Edition Channel Bound American Standard strat in Dakota Red and knew right away my search was over. I got a good deal from Musician's Friend and 4 days later I had the guitar in my hand. I thought my LP was a beauty, this is a beauty. The finish was superb. Some don't like a channel bound neck but I do, the neck is so smooth, my hand just glides up and down the neck. The compound radius neck makes playing chords in the lower end great and soloing in the dusty end fantastic (the dusty end where we don't like to go sometime). The fat 50's, whats not to like. The 5 way switching give out numerous sounds to work with. I look forward to many hours playing this welcome addition and anyone wanting a strat will not be disappointed if they decide to pick this one.South Paw