THE RIVALS
Price-wise, rivals to our reviewed G&L’s fall squarely in Fender’s USA production ranges. The Fender American Professional Strats, in either SSS, HSS or HH formats, cost £1,479. They’re the ‘improved’ Strat, if you like, with two-post vibrato (with push-in arm), V-Mod single coils and Shawbucker humbuckers (all conceived by Tim Shaw), a great case and good choice of colours. The more vintage-style American Original series (from around £1,600) come in 50s or 60s styles with all-nitro finishes, six-screw vibratos and Pure Vintage pickups. If it’s more switching you want, and a slightly more modern style, the American Elite Strat in HSS or SSS configurations (from around £1,600) include the powerful S-1 switching, a compound radius fingerboard, fourth generation Noiseless Stratocaster pickups, and that Shawbucker.