Fender Road Worn '60s Stratocaster Guitar Review

One of the qualities of Fender's instruments I've always admired most is that each line has its own long and storied history. The Telecasters have been at the roots of the Southern Rock and Country genres from honky tonk bars across the south all the way to major record labels and Nashville. The Stratocasters, meanwhile, have seen rock clubs and concert halls across America and Europe in the hands of musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. In an homage to this history, Fender offers the Road Worn '60s Stratocaster. It is made as a salute to what has been seen through the eyes of a '60s Strat. Let's take a closer look to see if it's just a gimmick or if it's part of a great guitar.

Features: The body of the Fender Road Worn '60s Strat is made of select alder wood, much like that of most other Fender brand instruments. The alder gives Strats their distinct feel and unique tone. There are two finishes available, including sunburst and olympic white. The look of this guitar really is road worn. The pickguard is parched and yellowed, as is the finish on the body itself. Also, the headstock is finished with a yellowish color to emphasize the worn look fully. The neck of the Road Worn '60s Stratocaster is made of maple, and has a modern c shape, in contrast to the actual '60s Stratocasters. The fretboard on both finishes is made of rosewood, and has 21 vintage style frets with pearloid dot inlays. All of the hardware, unlike the finish, is polished chrome. This includes the tuning heads, vintage style bridge, and input jack. The polished chrome is certainly a stark contrast from the worn looking finish. Electronically, the Road Worn '60s Stratocaster has three single coil Tex Mex pickups, one volume and two tone control knobs, and a five way selector switch. Overall, it more or less looks and feels just like a real '60s Stratocaster.

Playability: The radius of the neck is a little over seven inches. For those not familiar with what this means, in lamens terms it equates to extraordinarily thin. Guitarists with eve the smallest hands will have absolutely no trouble forming complicated chord shapes and making long reaches or runs. Also, the contoured alder body of the '60s Strat is very lightweight and comfortable to play, whether sitting or standing, for long periods of time.

Sound: The Tex Mex single coil pickups really invoke that sixties Stratocaster sound that many musicians search for. If you're looking to play a lot of Clapton style blues or Hendrix style rock and roll, these pickups will do the job very well. Additionally, the modern make of the electronics means that, with the right equipment, the Road Worn '60s Stratocaster can handle several more genres decently.

Overall: If you're a musician looking for your own style, or just for something very cool and nostalgic, the Fender Road Worn '60s Stratocaster is a great selection. It definitely has its own vintage style, and can play with the best of them. You can find the Road Worn '60s Strat in music stores for about $950.