I am a Thomann-customer since many years and I have had a lot of equipment and instruments in my life. When I first opened the guitar case of this strad, I had one of the most striking experiences of my musicians-life: I got stunned. Perhaps it was the moment, perhaps the fulfillment of owning an American stratocaster, but I just couldn‘t lay my hands on this instrument. The instrument is delivered in a very chic (unfortunately plastic) case and it comes of course ready to play and adjusted. And when I say „adjusted“ I mean REALLY adjusted. For my taste the strings are perhaps a little to high above the 12th fret, but then again this is an universal adjustment and after six months or so I will visit anyways my guitar-doctor for a small calibration. The enormous palette of sounds this iconic instrument can produce is the main reason I bought it and yes it sounds like a stratocaster... if you want her to! If you don‘t, there is a lot of space for you to find your own sound. I have used her until now only in studio conditions of course, and I am truly happy with the plethora of nuances she can produce. The tremolo is well designed and the intonation holds much more then the older models. Of course don‘t wait any miracles, this is not a steinberger tremolo. But then again if you are the tremolo god, you wan’t buy a strad anyways... The frets are marvelously smoothed out on both ends and the neck is smooth and feels simply fine. The guitar comes with an authenticity certificate. If you think of purchasing a high end guitar which will refresh your love to the instrument and will give you new inspiration, well, you found it. Worth every Euro.
