Fender Shawn Mendes Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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.

I do have two complaints about this guitar. Everything from the bridge and the neck seems crunched together I think they needed to add more room, but maybe this is how they get some of the great tones from the guitar. The second is that the volume nob is in the way I hit it all the time or I have to play really close to the neck. I can fit it this issue of my turning the nob by putting foam under it so it does not turn so easy. But the nib will still be in the way. Other then these 2 things I love this guitar. I was worried about the Flyod Rose Special but it has been fine so far not going out of tune or anything. But I will upgrade later just my preference. The neck is flat and plays really fast. The frets are great and mine was done really will no sharpness ends at all. The electronics seem really good no issues so far. All in all a great filling, great sounding and fun to play guitar.BOBO

If you blindfolded me and handed me this guitar, I would have guessed that I was playing one of my six Ibanez RG model shred guitars. And that's a big compliment coming from a long-time player and fan of Ibanez axes. I got it in Ice Blue and it's absolutely beautiful. The HM Strat actually feels a little bit lighter than my RGs. The neck is smooth, thin, flat, and plays very fast. The frets are smooth and you don't feel them at all when you slide your hand up and down the neck. The FR Special trem feels a lot like the better trem systems from Ibanez, and the strings stay in tune. The bridge humbucker sounds very good and doesn't get too muddy on high gain amp settings, although I'll probably swap it out for a DiMarzio Evo2 or Tone Zone in the future. Likewise I'll also swap out the single coil pups for rails/minihumbucker style pups since I have no use for single coil pups when playing metal. The build quality of this axe is fantastic and I have no complaints. Overall this is an awesome guitar for shredding, and if you upgrade the pickups like I mentioned you'll have a "true" heavy metal guitar. I haven't been able to put it down since I bought it a month ago and my Ibanez RGs are actually starting to gather a little dust lol. This HM Strat is so awesome that now I'm thinking of getting the pink one.Speedster

This guitar feels and plays great! I own the original version of this guitar from the 80s. It has a special feel to it, very addicting and effortless to play. When this came out I pre-ordered immediately due to nostalgic love for my original and had to have it. BUT I was prepared to send it back if it didn't live up to my expectations from the original. I knew i was keeping it within 5 minutes of playing it. The fret board is the most dark and rich and smooth rosewood fret board I have ever seen. Very nice surprise, almost mistakable for ebony. The unfinished satin neck is as smooth and quick in the hand as butter. The stock pickups are surprisingly good actually. I was prepared to swap them out with bareknuckle pickups if i wasn't satisfied with the tone plugged in (i'm talking about high gain tube amp tones here specifically). The bridge humbucker actually sounds fantastic through my Mesa Dual Rectifier, so good I see no reason to replace it with my preferred bareknuckle pickup. The two single coils produce excellent clean tones, but are a little week for high gain leads. The problem with this guitar is the floyd rose special. It's a shame they didn't include an original floyd rose. I will be swapping the floyd rose special with an original right away. It feels cheap, and you can tell by the unplugged tone that the tone is lacking a bit due to the floyd rose specials zinc tone block. Though this could be upgraded more economically by upgrading the floyd rose special's tone block with a readily available brass block, string saddles, and the tremolo arm. So if you are willing to upgrade the tremolo, the guitar gets a 5 star rating from me, but with the stock tremolo, 4 stars. Oh and I never write reviews, this guitar is something special.Jake

I honestly don't have a lot of negative things to say about this guitar. It's sound is beautiful, it's perfect for jamming and relaxing, and so on. It does need tuning regularly, but so does every instrument. I don't feel the need to dock stars for a natural thing.J

I bought this guitar as an impulse buy. The natural, flame top really caught my eye. Strummed a few chords and bought it on the spot. The smaller, concert style body has a slightly thinner, trebly tone, which I really like. It's very comfortable to play, neck feels great. I record with it often and am very happy with the tone. It has a built in tuner, which is a nice addition. The built in pickup is ok, but I prefer to mic it up when I record with it. Mi only complaint is the tuning machines are kind of junky. They aren't very smooth. But when you finally get it tuned, it stays. Overall, I really like it. Like I said, it was an impulse buy. I have 12 other Electrics, acoustics, and basses, and this little acoustic is one of my favorites!Mike

Looks and sounds beautiful. First acoustic I've ever bought that came playable right out of the box. Too many at this price point have such a high bridge there's about half an inch between the string and the 15th and onward frets. Not this one. Would recommend to everyone, beginner or experienced.Joseph

I already own an Am Std Strat and Tele and a G&L Tele all single coil. I wanted to try a humbucker sound and being loyal to Fender, I purchased this guitar. The high quality feel, looks and sound of this guitar were immediately apparent. The sound has a distinct "bite" which is perfect for certain uses with the typical humbucker "growl". The Pearly Gates can get dirty, clean and somewhere in between depending on my settings. Though not made in America, this guitar is not "cheap", corners were not cut. Rock, blues, jazz all sound great. I use to be an "American Made", single coils only snob, but this purchase changed my opinions.GM

Overall: This guitar is a real surprise. It looks absolutely gorgeous. The pictures do not do it justice. It's comfortable to play and the weight is fine even for long gigs. The neck is very comfortable to play and easy to get to the high notes. You can do most any style of music with it. I use it with Fender, Marshall and Boss Katana Amps and it complements them all like they were made for each other. I definitely recommend this guitar to anyone wanting to have a Tele sound and Les Paul style sound all in one great guitar. You get the best of both worlds without paying a fortune for it. Absolutely worth every penny spent!Bill

I have a Peavey (Steve)Cropper Classic guitar as my daily driver, now sadly discontinued. This Fender HHFMT is perfect as a replacement. It is very light. It looks great. The pickups are powerful and very smooth. It sounds like a tele, it punches shred like my 1960 model, LP Classic. I always wanted the Fender Robben Ford guitar to get that “Talk To Your Daughter” tone which this guitar delivers on brilliantly. It covers the Stevie Ray Vaughn sound and feel, I also think it could handle a set of 12 gauge strings without dropping tuning as the action and play-ability is excellent right out of the box. You-tube it, research it and buy one before the price goes silly. Chris xReviewed by Andertons Music Co.

First the good. Neck is straight, properly fitted, and I really like a set radius as opposed to compound. The D profile feels "right" to me. Set bridge (screws vs pivot) is also a huge plus. Trem bar is a flat profile, where its closer to the body, instead of 2 inches too far out. The bad. Tuning machines are slotted too high, and a little wonky/loose. Fret ends are smooth , but not the cut, if that makes sense. So when you run your fretting hand up or down it'll catch on the burr from not smoothing out the neck side(s). The trem springs are way too loose/springy for an off the shelf guitar. Annnd it's really noisy. I expected some hum from vintage pickups but good god. This is something I'll have to deal with straight away. The gnarly. The sound and playability is simply ok out of the box. Not near enough "quack" for what its designed for. Namely doing Hendrix tunes. Barely there, really. All in all. I kinda knew it was going to take around 3-500 to get it where I wanted it. But it is a great starting point for hot-rodding/customization purposes. The headstock does take some getting used to!Bob

Overall: This guitar is modeled after the "Jimi at Woodstock" white Strat, and is a great looking guitar that captures that vibe. But, I also needed something I could gig with. The reverse headstock is great because the longer wound strings have a little more tension, and the shorter G,B, and highE have less tension for great, smooth bends. The C shaped neck isn't super fat, but very comfortable. It gets a lot of attention in a live setting. I actually took mine to Bethel NY and stood on the original Woodstock field, and played "The Star Spangled Banner" on the spot of the original stage with a little battery powered amp. Talk about Bucket List things to do. 😉 A great guitar with vintage tone, easy playability, trem holds tune surprisingly well, not too heavy, and captures that 1969 vibe while being a true gig-worthy guitar. Buy it!Tony

Just love it. This is the perfect guitar for me. The quality is excellent. The sound is amazing. The neck and feel of the guitar is possibly the best that ive come across. Oh, and it looks good too, a vintage vibe. Fender Strat USA Jeff Beck model. Enough said.Damien T.

I honestly feel that the Jeff Beck Stratocaster is the best value guitar that Fender offers today. For just a couple hundred dollars more than an American Professional Stratocaster you get an upgraded, hot rodded, American made Stratocaster second to none! Anyone that knows the history of the Jeff Beck Signature Stratocaster knows that it inspired the Stratocaster Plus of the late 1980s. Roller nut, locking tuners, cutaway heel, noiseless pickups, tweed hardshell case, and American made for just a little more than the American Pro?! Duh! Despite all the upgraded "value" I keep going on about, the Jeff Beck Signature Stratocaster plays great! My model needed slight tuning straight out of the box but the action and intonation was perfect. Remember, these are standard production line guitars, not Custom Shop pieces. Whoever is doing the assembly and final setup of these guitars really takes pride in their work! I highly recommend this guitar regardless of your opinion of Jeff Beck. Jeff Beck happens to be my favorite guitar player and I always wanted a white Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard like the one he plays and was on the cover of the Wired album. This is the first Signature guitar I have ever bought and I could not be happier.Ty

I got this guitar in a very timely manner by Musician's Friend, and at first I was really let down. The reason being, I had never had a guitar with 8 screws so my pickguard was "lipped" up off the guitar on almost all the ends, but I contacted Musician's Friend and they're sending me a new pickguard so I'm not so upset about that. The setup was absolutely vital in order for this guitar to work for me, which prior to, had a high end, ugly, undefined sound that reminded me nothing of SRV. So, firstly I put in raw vintage springs and put the bridge back on the body. I had fiddled with the pickups and tried to get a good sound but was kind of unhappy, I felt like there was no body to speak of in the sound, but still better than when the bridge was not tightened against the body. So I ended up checking the string height and saw that the strings were not to spec (4/64) in a couple of odd places like the A-B strings, which were higher than both e strings. So I lowered those middle strings to be to spec, and to my utter surprise, that was what helped more than anything. The frequencies felt like they had "rested" and the guitar was noticeably darker, while at the same time having much better harmonic content. Now that I could feel and hear the frequencies naturally sounding in place, I was able to find a sweet spot with the pickup height. Without hardly trying the guitar would absolutely scream when popping the strings, but were mellow enough now to sound pleasing clean, in fact I quite like the clean sound now. That said, the guitar is inherently very defined and articulate, so hot pickups like texas specials in this guitar could be a recipe for disaster if not setup right, it's important to know what you want the guitar to sound like and to not be afraid to measure and put to fender spec, if that's your preference. In my case it worked out extremely favorably. I was extremely upset at first when I got this guitar, but with some love I found the guitar sings beautifully.Nathan

I thought this guitar in the early 2000's I did number of vintage real old fenders Gibsons etc. etc. Let me just say that after roughly 13 to 14 years with this guitar it is my favorite go to strata caster extremely reliable really fun to play, and really need it no upgrades… After all these years, I can honestly say this is one of the best sounding and playing Stratocaster's I've ever owned. I'm surprised they haven't vendor that is, upgraded this one someho i'm surprised Fandor hasn't found a way to upgrade this model and increase the price… I hope they don't. To anybody looking for a Strat check one of these out before you blow your wad on some custom shop thing… This really has all the bang for the buck that you never want. Hey what happened the Sunburst ones in the red ones? That's really cool. I've got a white one I think about it the first or second year came out. I don't by the way, the Neck is wearing very nicely in a vintage fashion… Something I didn't expect but kindly accept.Gipper

I bought the Honey Burst because I didn't have a burst and honestly not a big fan of "bursts." But when I saw this honey, and it lacking a really dark edge like most bursts do I decided to play it. Sounded fantastic, played so sweetly, just as fine as my Miami Blue American Pro II, and my American Showcase. Don't spend the extra money on one of those if you're on a budget, tryin to save some money, but want USA made, this performer stacks right up with them, you won't be missing much if anything. I uploaded a YT vid, its my American Showcase, In the process of making a vid of this Performer, like sub and stay tuned! If you mention this review and leave a link to on of your vids I will reciprocate!CHARLES

Manufacturer Support: Did not contact manufacturer. Overall: I just got done demoing the floor model at my local big box store and I have to same I'm really impressed. For comparison, my main Strat is an American Special with three single coil Texas Special pickups and the new Yosemite pickups and the Doubletap humbucker have a lot more output. I used a floor model Boss Katana amp (distortion) as well as a Marshall amp (clean). The Doubletap humbucker sounds great with light to heavy distortion. Even with max distortion, it is very clear and pronounced and I was able to distinguish all the notes being played without it sounding muddy (first position and coil split off.) The second position (coil split off) sounds amazing. Even with heavy distortion, I was able to get some great sounding blues solos with the first and second position. With positions three, four and five, I was able to get those classic Strat tones that everyone loves. Going from humbucker to the single coil via coil split, the pickup still seemed to have a higher output than the Texas Specials. Just to make sure it wasn't the coil split, I also demoed the traditional three single coil setup and still, they seemed very hot. I played the opening riff and the solo to Paranoid and was very happy by the sounds the guitar made but the clean sounds are what really sold me. I played various chords (major, minor, 7th, different positions, coil split on/off, etc.) and was not disappointed at all by what I heard. To me, it sounds very different from any other Strat I've played. I use my current Strat as an all round guitar but that's soon to change. The finish is satin and for those who haven't played a guitar with a satin finish, the finish may feel a little rough as if it needs to be sanded but it doesn't. I prefer a gloss finish myself but that aspect can be easily overlooked if you want an amazing sounding guitar.Russell

Tim Shaw double tap humbucker with yosemite pickups great combo! Covers a wide range. The humbucker in the bridge gives you that fat extra distortion. And when you want that single coil sound pull up on the tone knob and split the coils. Well balanced. Plus you can still get that Sweet Home Alabama sound in position 2 with the HB in single coil mode ! Yosemite Pu's have classic Strat tone in clean channel. The rosewood neck plays and feels good. Came set up out of the box. Fender did a nice job on their Performer Series. Definitely worthy. Kudos!Mikeb

Sound: The vintage tone noiseless pickups are perfect for what I wanna play on this guitar. All my other are humbuckers, high gain passive and active humbuckers at that, so the vintage tone single coils give me that sound I simply cannot get from my other guitars. Granted, my other guitars have split coil options, but there is a noticeable difference between a split humbucker and a noiseless single coil. Features: The S1 switch serves me no purpose, just turns the tone into mud. Ease of Use: It's not rocket science, but I'm used to 3way pickup selectors, and an all or almost nothing attitude when it comes to my other guitars volume controls, and never touch the tone controls, so for me personally there is a learning curve when it comes to all the tonal possibilities that come with a typical Strat setup.If I could change one thing on the guitar, it would be using 6100 jumbo frets, but generally speaking the guitar is a breeze to play, after a day or so… It's very stiff out of the box.The tremolo has a very nice feel to it, and the pop in arm should be standard on all trems at this point. Quality: The guitar is very well made. This is a professional guitar! Value: This is where my issue is… I just can't see how this guitar is worth $400 more than the Professional series. With everything being made on CNC machines, that little contour on the cutaway and the compound radius fingerboard seem like an unjustified mark up, the only thing on this guitar that should be a logical price mark up are the locking tuners and the pickups, neither of which equate to $400 in parts… But I liked the finishes more, and didn't feel like swapping out tuners and bridge saddles. Manufacturer Support: Never had to deal with Fender customer service. Overall: This guitar is a purists nightmare, but it's a dream to me. Compound radius fingerboard and satin neck finish are up my alley.Rob

First things first, the manager and the guys at Guitar Center in Pensacola were very helpful. About 3 weeks ago I bought the Plus Top Stratocaster and I loved the guitar but wanted to upgrade to the Ultra so I started shopping around for one and found one at a different music store down the street for a significantly lower price than what was advertised at the local Guitar Center. So I figured I would have to return my guitar to the store. When I got there I asked about the price match guarantee that Guitar Center provides and I brought it up to them that I found the Cobra Blue Ultra guitar at a lower price at another store and after a few minutes and the manager doing some research he pretty much told me " if you're are going to buy this guitar, I would rather you buy it from us " I was very surprised. In my mind I thinking that he was going to come up with some sort of excuse to not match the price. That is what customer service is all about!!!! Middle finger to other stores! From here on out I am a lifelong customer of Guitar Center. Oh and this guitar is the best of the best!! It's like being handed the keys to a brand new Corvette ( or a Ford Cobra, whichever you prefer). So, hands down the best guitar and the best customer service you could ask for!! I'm already looking forward to getting an Ultra Tele this year!Steve

This is my third Fender. I previously owned an "standard" Ultra that I traded towards another guitar, and I also currently own a Lincoln Brewster model strat. While those guitars are very good, the Ultra Luxe is next level. The craftsmanship, feel and sound of this guitar truly deserves the "Luxe" name. Before ordering, my biggest concerns were how the stainless steel frets would affect the tone and how the new neck shape would feel. But I have ordered from Musicians Friend off and on since the late 90's and have always had excellent service, so I figured I could return the guitar it I didn't like it. Both concerns were put to rest within moments after plugging in. The tone is definitely that unmistakable Fender strat sound and I had no trouble dialing a nice funk and a very serviceable SRV tone. You can also get a pretty good variety of other tones thanks to the switching. I was kind of expecting a thin neck shape based on reviews/descriptions that I read, but it is pleasantly thick without being too chunky. I can't stand thin Ibanez style necks and thankfully the neck on the Luxe is not like that. It fits the hand nicely. Not a chunky as the Lincoln Brewster model (which I also really like) but feels a little thicker than the neck on the standard Ultra. I believe it has the same bridge found on the standard Ultra model which is the push-in style. So no thread to wear out over time. Overall, I am so happy that I bought this and it has already become my new #1 guitar.Matt

Overall: Always wanted a Nashville Tele but several things were stopping me from buying it. I could have made some mods myself but that kind of defeats the purpose of a new guitar. No bridge + neck pickup option was a biggie.No locking tuners. All my guitars have locking tuners. 3 saddles instead of 6 individual. I just prefer the 6 even for a Tele.No noiseless pickups. Now they've also done a couple of things I wasn't necessarily looking for but are nice addition. The rolled fingerboard edges are a really nice touch as well as the belly cut. Again, not expected but very nice additions especially since I can roll my own fingerboards but have never attempted my own belly cut on a Tele and probably wouldn't but they are really nice on my G&L's. For the not so great stuff. The neck had entirely too much relief in it but this was rectified with a truss rod adjustment. I did have to do a fret level, crown and polish. The guitar also had a bit of fret sprout and some sharp ends. I easily fixed these issues but would understand others might have to take it to their local tech for a fret job. After a little work on my part the guitar plays wonderfully. The neck is really comfortable. This is every bit as good a guitar as the US produced Fender's I have played recently. The sounds are exactly what you would and should expect from a Nashville Tele. Overall, this is a very well made guitar. Played 4 gigs with it over the New Year break and I gotta say, this is probably going to be right there onstage with my EBMM's. No, it's not as good as my Cutlass and LIII's but it doesn't need to be. I think this guitar is a great bargain and I'm pretty picky. Fender finally got the Nashville Tele right. It's really nice to see.Richie

What a absolutely beautiful instrument. I got mine surf green and the online pictures don't do it justice. Guitar arrived flawless and played great out of the box. Action seemed a little higher than I like, but still plays great with the vintage frets to my surprise. Definitely has that telecaster sound with very nice cleans and twang. Also hitting it with a tube screamer or distortion pedal it has a snarl. Playing through a PRRI, 78 SFDR and 67 Vibro Champ. The C shaped neck does seem slightly beefier than other C shapes on my AVRI strats, but I find it just as comfortable and a nice difference. Clay inlays look really good on the rosewood neck also. There is also a tint to the neck that's more than what was on the previous line of AVRI guitars but I think it looks good.Don

This telecaster is legendary. First, the noiseless pickups immediately distinguish this tele from others and result in ZERO hum and stays that way on all pickups. Second, the C-shape fretboard design makes for effortless phrasing. Third, this guitar is impressively light (much more so than my strat) and is therefore my go-to guitar for gigging. And I should add the unique color configuration makes this tele stand out from the rest. Apparently "Aged Candle Apple Red" is Fender's own thing. Finally, I should note that I run this guitar through my Marshall DSL40CR. The combination makes for great depth and a fullness that rivals my strat — including on clean tones. I'm very happy with this purchase and highly recommend it to anyone seeking a compliment to their rig (particularly if you have a strat and want to expand the universe of sounds).Chad the Bad

As a Fender guy, I can’t recommend the Nashville Deluxe Tele more. It pairs perfectly with my American Pro Strat with Shawbuckers. Pros -The flat, 12” fretboard radius is very comfortable -The noiseless pups offer signature Fender tone with humbucker level noise -Locking tuners are a great feature to come stock on this model -The block saddles offer an immense amount of sustain -The guitar was ready to play out of the box. I lowered the action a bit to personal preference but it played great from the time I pulled it from the box Ultimately, this feels like a premium Telecaster and wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from this compared to an American model. The tone and playability is on the same level. Kudos to AMS for quick shipping and flexible payment plans. As a gear head, this was surprisingly my first time ordering from this site as I generally order from other dealers out of habit. AMS has won a new customer over with quality service and availability.Jason S.

I’m age 67 and retired. I have played acoustic guitars since age 10 and had absolutely no experience with electric guitars. Got bored over the winter and decided I wanted an electric. Since I’ve become used to good high end guitars I wanted good quality without over spending. Color is a personal thing…I chose the white. It’s very good looking. Back to the important stuff. It took a while but I am enjoying this tele immensely. I got online and looked at basic adjustments and tweaked the action and intonation a little. It’s just simply easy and fun to play and the quality overall is really good. Simply no complaints or regrets. I do play with friends but we are an acoustic group. This tele is just for my personal enjoyment. I chose the Fender Champion 40 amp for a starter and it served it’s purpose well. Since I know I will stick with this guitar I do want to upgrade to a tube amp to bring out more of what this guitar can sound like. Keep in mind that I am new to electrics, but my 5 star rating is based on not just what I’ve mentioned but the exceptional value that I think this guitar is.Barry in Ohio

It is an awesome guitar and I absolutely love some of the premium features like the locking tuners. Pickups sound great. Guitar had a small chip on the nut and was delivered with a broken string and some scuff marks along the bottom of the guitar. I will definitely need to do a setup on the guitar.Chris

Great buying experience! CME does a tremendous job checking the guitar over and making sure it’s totally right. This Fender short run exclusive was exactly what I was looking for! It does what a Jazzmaster is supposed to do … once you take the time to dial in your setup! The setup is a bit tricky for sure because everything has to be balanced and intonated just so to prevent the strings from buzzing on the adjustment screws OR on the bridge itself. It also helps to have the absolute tiniest amount of relief possible in the neck and to raise the bridge and angle it to the sweet spot for ideal string vibration and a high enough break angle to anchor the strings within the slots. Once you do these things and set the pickup height, the guitar truly sings, rocks, plays great, and stays completely in tune, even with serious tremolo arm use! My pickups are set to spec: 3.5 mm on the bass side and 3.2 mm on the treble side. If you aren’t comfortable doing a detailed setup, be prepared to locate a professional. I have set up MANY Fenders so I was able to do it myself in a couple hours of tinkering. The 65 pickups sound amazing! Cleans are shimmery and huge. Dirty sounds are fat and ringing. Perfect for indie and shoegaze styles. You can also roll off the tone for a darker, blues or jazz lead tone and, unlike the original jazzmaster bridge, the strings will stay PUT and allow you to pick hard and bend as much as you like even with 9 gauge. No need for a rhythm circuit in my opinion. This wiring setup keeps it simple, lowers the cost, and still gives you the full Jazzmaster experience. Buy one before they are gone! Love it!Joseph

Mine arrived looking beautiful but had a lot of hum/noise and I figured it had something to do with the pickups or 1 meg pots. I opened it up to shield it and the bridge ground wire was never soldered to the ground wire on the pot. After soldering it I plugged it back in and it was silent. I went from thinking it was ok to being my favorite guitar at the moment. This guitar looks, sounds and plays great and its priced very low too. It nails that classic Jazzmaster tone and does what a Jazzmaster should do. Before you jump into the Jazzmaster pool understand that these guitars require tinkering with. Saddle rattle can be fixed by adjusting the screws on the saddles. They tend to loosen and tighten when changing strings and if they're even slightly uneven they will rattle. Another way to fix this is to shim the neck so there's a slight backbow to it like a Les Paul. This will increase the break angle and put more pressure on the bridge preventing rattle. Using 11's or 12's helps too but the nut on these ones is perfect for 10-46. The 4th position is actually very usable and I find myself using this position more than I thought I would. This is a great guitar at a great price and CME is the gold standard in online purchases. Besides the ground wire mine came set up perfectly and almost in tune. The ground wire was never even tinned so I know it was never attached but again, it took me 5 minutes and 0 dollars to fix. I'm sure had I complained they would have fixed it for me. I bought the Silver Blue Metallic. The Shell Pink was definitely my favorite color but I wasn't secure enough to buy a pink guitar.john g.

I just received this guitar today. There is a lot of negative talk about the noiseless pickups, but it sounds phenomenal to me. Many complaints include that it sounds too "dark", but it sounds terrific through my 1966 Bassman. There is a tremendous range of fantastic tones that are possible with this guitar, but it is definitely not for metal. It gets a great tone for classic rock, alt rock/indie, jazz, funk, and stoner rock. I've gotten a great Gilmour tone to Hendrix to QOTSA, and it honestly doesn't take long to learn the guitar's wide tonal capabilities. The neck plays so well that I found myself inspired to get into new sonic territories and genres. I own a lot of guitars, and this is my favorite one currently. It's my pick over my Les Paul Traditional, Telecaster, Ibanez S Premium, and the others. Do yourself a fiver and try it out with an open mind. Don't listen to the naysayers. This thing rocks!The Hammer

I've only played the guitar a few hours thus far. I think this is a very high quality, well constructed, finished guitar – as good or better than any other guitar I've ever owned (including many other top USA-made guitars). "Out of the Box" the guitar was set up, in tune and played great – l liked it right away. Of course, the new strings quickly went out of tune (stretching), so I re-tuned and reset the Floyd Rose tremolo and it's remained fully in tune. While the pickups probably lack some of the vintage single coil spank, they still possess a wide range vintage and hard rock tones with zero noise. It's not just an Iron Maiden shredder's guitar – it's far more versatile. Personally, I'm not a fan of locking tremolo systems, but could not find a guitar that put together this package of tone / pickups, playability, and price with a non-locking system. That's a personal preference thing I suppose – not a complaint. What I do have a complaint about is that Fender did not include a hard case with this guitar. This is a 'hard case' caliber guitar, even if it's not 'USA Made'. If you're like me and will want to have case, plan on that additional expenditure (Yes, it has a lightly padded gig bag). It also does not have Schaller strap lock compatible strap buttons, like most of the Fenders I have owned in the past. Overall – a great instrument. If you're looking for a Superstrat or even a Stratocaster with fuller humbucking tonal capability, this is a great option that covers a lot of ground – vintage / classic / hard rock.Ron

This guitar has really impressed me, price to performance is amazing. Handling from the logistics company worried me when I saw a whole in the side of the box when it arrived but the box the guitar was in was undamaged and the guitar arrived in perfect condition. The guitar has a very high build quality, better than other Mexican strats I 've seen and played.and the guitar itself plays amazingly. Negative, the flloyd was set to a floating position which is not how it's meant to be set on this guitar, it should be resting on the body like Dave has it. After fixing that though the guitar tuning stability was perfect! Positives: for anyone who loves maiden this guitar won't disappoint, the sounds this guitar makes from cleans to overdrive are spot on and the playability is fantastic, I own a few guitars in various price and tone catagories and this one is the most versatile and is is to play. And as a big fan of Dave and iron maiden this guitar will never leave my collection. EnjoyRichard

Overall: First off I'd like to start by saying I've owned a few $1000 strats over the years,sadly they all had to be sold ! To be honest I had kinda stopped playing for a few years and only owned an acoustic, but was really getting the itch for another electric! I'm not a huge fan of the single coil tone so I was sold on the Dave Murray strat because of the stacked mini humbuckers! I had installed the JB in another strat years ago and lived it! I recieved the guitar in great condition gave it a tuning and started to play it! I was happy with the set of 10's that came installed and knew the Floyd rose would take some time so I didn't change the strings until 40 days after I recieved the guitar! When I did i noticed that instead of the normal 6 screw holes to hold the back plate down there was 12! 6 in use and 6 abandoned and not filled,just ignored! The abandoned holes were the original holes drilled. 1 of those holes was way to close to the edge of the cavity and it blew out into the cavity! Noticing this the installer repositioned the back plate,drilled 6 new holes and installed the screws in the 6 new holes! Quality control should have picked up on this error regardless of anything! After all this is a $1000 strat! I contacted zZounds and they had me return the guitar and quickly refunded the purchase total! I just wish quality inspectors could be trusted! Overall it was a beast of a guitar! I was enjoying it very much,but for the cost it should have been perfect!David

VFM – 5/5. Beautiful player. We’ll set up. Flawless construction. Stunning new guitar shape and colour. Humbuckers are sweet and can be split. Highly recommended.Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

I have the Player Plus Nashville Tele and wanted another guitar in the series. I've been enamored with the Meteora since it first came out. This thing is amazing. It is the right mix between a Strat and a Jazzmaster. I love the fireball pickups and the S1 switch gives some awesome tonal options for single coil twang. Weight wise it feels like a strat or a jaguar. Rolled fretboard feels great, neck is a c shape similar in feel to a Les Paul but with a super nice satin finish. Overall this thing is an absolute beast!Dave

I have 5 other fender strat's all usa made and this mex made Meteora is my new "go to" Finish is flawless, neck feels awesome, fret work is better than my new $2,500 ultra strat. Super comfortable to play, The fireball pickups sound great. Way to go Fender Mexico !Don

Great guitar! It plays and sounds like it cost twice the price. The pick up combination is excellent, offering a wide range of tones. The fit and finish is beautiful, Im very pleased.drake5

I always loved the jazzbase shape and i have never had any guitar with tele pickup. So this guitar was perfect. Nice color. but… it is mexico quality. Neck was little loose and i didn't like the strings. Spring for tremolo arm was not included and arm is hitting volume knobs. But still over all quite good.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

The Sixty Six gets two stars just for looking fabulous and one for being a great idea. Sadly, we didn’t really get on and I returned it. For me, my beaten up old Mexi Strat just feels better and nothing about the sound made keeping it as a second best seem like something I needed to do.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

The Fender Rarities collection of guitars is a very exclusive, boutique level Limited Edition, made for only the one year, 2019-2020. I consider these to be the best guitar made in recent years and the Flame Koa Top is the best of them all. I also feel doubly lucky because the guitar I purchased cam with a unique grain direction pattern. Between the guitar, the service from Top40 guitar shop, and ebay, it is obvious the universe conspired on my behalf! Thank you Thank you Thank you! Joey Racanojorac81

I purchased my Fender Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Stratocaster on September 4, 2021 and was placed on a pretty long waiting list. Somehow in January, my order was cancelled without any input from me. I called Customer Service to look into my problem and spoke with Ms. Alice Traxler. Alice was very helpful in getting me back on the waiting list for a KWS Strat in my former position on the waiting list. By the end of my call Alice had taken care of my problem completely! Alice was wonderful to deal with! Thanks to the great efforts by Alice, I received my KWS Strat on April 4th and have been loving this spectacular guitar ever since!!! I can't thank Alice enough for helping correct a mistake and take the actions necessary to rectify it so that I could receive my eagerly awaited guitar!!! Alice is a natural at Customer Service and is an attribute for Musician's Friend! I think she should get a nice big raise for her problem solving and customer service skills!!! Now – The guitar; WOW!!! The KWS Strat is a Blues Machine!!! With its custom voiced KWS pickups it sounds great with tones that are voiced to emphasize bass response (especially with the neck pickup). It still has good treble response even with some emphasis on bass tones. The neck has a modified early 1960's neck profile that is very comfortable and plays like a dream. Because of the hollowed out chamber on the control knob side of the body, this guitar is lighter than the average Strat but has a nice, well balanced feel. With its nitrocellulose finish that is thinly applied over a light blue color, you can see the grain of the Ash body underneath! Beautiful!!! The block inlays in the rosewood fretboard give the guitar it's own distinctive look as there are very few Strats that have block inlays. This new Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster is a fabulous guitar in so many ways! If you're looking for a Blues Machine that's also versatile enough for other styles of music, you should check out the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster!!! Don't wait too long as it's a limited run guitar that won't be available for very long!Bill