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The USA-made Fender American Special Stratocaster is the workingman's Strat--priced right for people who shower after work. For the cost of a foreign-made electric guitar, you get a genuine domestic Fender.

You'll be hard-pressed to tell the difference between this sweet American Special Strat and the more expensive Fender American Standard. All the crunchy clean sounds are here--thanks to a trio of Texas Special Strat pickups. From the chrome hardware--including a vintage-style bridge--to the '70s-style headstock, to the gloss urethane finish, Fender has not stinted in making the American Special a Strat you'll want to play.

With 22 jumbo frets and a 22.5" scale, the Strat's modern C-shaped maple neck has a 9.5" radius, a single truss rod and a butter-smooth satin urethane finish. Controls include a Master volume, and separate Tone knobs for the neck and bridge pickups. Roll down the Tone controls and you'll notice that you don't get an unwanted increase in bass. That's because Fender has equipped the American Special Strat with their Greasebucket circuit, eliminating a peculiarity of single-coil guitars.