Just browsing guitars at the local music store, I noticed a 59 strat with 3-color sunburst and maple neck. Wait a minute I thought... there's nothing fancy about it... it doesn't really stand out in a crowd. At first glance it could have be any one of the dozens of much cheaper stats hanging along the wall of the music store. So why did this one cost so much more? But upon close inspection... there was a certain purity to it that is hard to describe. Maybe it's the single ply pick guard, the thin finish, the lightly tinted fret board... or maybe it's the combination of everything together that makes it elegant in its simplicity. Anyway.. out of curiosity I picked it up and starting playing. I couldn't believe the vibration I felt... the entire guitar resonated with each note. It almost seems as loud unplugged as some acoustics! And the feel of the neck was unbelievable. The 7.25 radius fingerboard along with the medium sized neck felt ridiculously comfortable (the 56 neck felt just a little too thick for me). And the action was as low as any of the deluxe strats. So now I had to plug it in. There's a warmth and clarity that it made me think "now THIS is how a strat is supposed to sound".
2 days later I came back and bought it... couldn't be happier.

surgeon00 owns this item

I have owned many Fender guitars over the years and was a big fan of the now discontinued 62 reissue Strat so I was curious to see how these new 59 reissues would compare.I play Blues and old school Rock n Roll so I want a Strat that delivers that classic vintage tone and vibe.When I played the new 59 model in a shop I was immediately impressed...it was truly a great Strat in terms of looks,tone,playability and vibe.I decided to order a sonic blue 59 and was blown away by the one Fender sent me...she looks so pretty in that color especially with the contrasting mint green pickguard.Mine is lightweight(I guess slightly over 7LBS)and the body contours and edges are sanded really round and smooth just like a vintage pre-CBS Strat should be.I really love the neck profile too...it fattens up slightly as you gradually play up the neck and the D shape feels great.The pickups sound terrific as well...very much like the real 1959-62 era slab-board Strats I have played in the past with that low output quack Strat voicing.They have less high mids than the previous 62 reissue but slightly more low mids and detailed treble.They seem to be a cross of Fender's fat 50s pickups and the custom 69s....the Fat 50s type of voicing but the lower output and transparency of the 69s.These pickups really sound authentic for all the music you would associate with the 1959-62 era Strat tone(early Hendrix,SRV ect).The tone pots are really nicely voiced and musical(although I don't use them much)and the bridge pickup is wired to the bottom tone control which comes in handy at times).The workmanship on mine is perfect.The new flash coat lacquer is really prone to chipping which is cool with me because I love a broken in.naturally relic'd guitar.I do think Fender should put a warning sticker on these new reissues to warn consumers who wish to preserve the newness of their guitars that these finishes are very fragile.The frets are described as small vintage sized ones but they seem to be slightly larger than the ones on the previous 62 reissue.

After playing my sonic Blue one for about a month I found a gorgeous sunburst 59 online with an awesome sunburst.This sunburst had a lot of black on the edges which is how like a burst to be and typical of a 1959-60 Strat.I have seen some 59 reissues that had too little black and too much brown which doesn't look right to me(note to Fender...please make sure the sunburst are typical of a 1959-60 era Strat with a lot of black on the edges).But when I saw this one I jumped on it and like my sonic blue one she is an amazing guitar...equally great in terms of playabilty and vibe.Despite being the same model,they both sound different despite being set up identically.The acoustic voicing is different on each one which proves that a guitar's tone originates in the particular pieces of wood it is built with...no two pieces are ever the same.My sonic blue one is really loud acoustically with a lot of twangy clarity whereas the sunburst one is richer in the lower mids with a rounder,smoother tone.I love both for different reasons.

I really think Fender did a great job with these new reissues...they really feel like an old 1959 mint condition Strat that was brought forward in a time machine.I don't think they are a better guitar than the previous 62 reissues overall...not in terms of playability anyways and tone is a matter of taste as both the 59 and 62 models sound great for different reasons.I do appreciate the new,no polyester undercoat on the 59s which will relic nicer than the older 62 reissue although I can't say the poly undercoat of my older 62s makes them sound any worse then these new 59s quite honestly.I do think the new 59s are over-priced though....quite a huge jump from the older 62 reissue.Luckily I got a good deal on both my 59s!!!Note to Fender...please make the 59 reissue available in fiesta red(and I mean a true red like on a USA flag for example...not reddish pink or orange like I have sometimes seen called fiesta red!!!).I would absolutely buy a 59 in that color and I am sure many others would too.

sonny wolf owns this item

My friends at Fender, I want to thank you so very much for this absolutely wonderfully exact recreation of a beautiful 1959 Stratocaster. I have a friend who owns an actual '59 (albeit with a replacement neck), that he claims to have purchased from Robben Ford, and if you close your eyes and listen, both guitars sound very similar. Although my new reissue is quite a bit brighter, because of its newer age, the wood, finish, pickups, etc are nowhere near as worn in as the actual '59. But looks wise, unless you are in love with the relic look, my new faded Sonic Blue (in my humble albeit prejudiced opinion) wins hands down. But I also have to say, if you had offered one in Shoreline Gold or Dakota Red, I would've opted for one of those two colors. I absolutely love the fretboard, even though usually I prefer my frets with a little more meat, but being a Telecaster afficianado, I have always loved the shorter radius. Lots of people claim a longer radius makes bending easier, and yet that didn't seem to slow down the blues guys from my era and before, so I guess it's just a matter of what you get used to. Awesome sounding, Awesome looking, Awesome playing!!! Thanks again Fender, You've made one of my dreams come true, now if you could just make an American Vintage 1966 Coronado II in Sherwood Green and an American Vintage 1975 Starcaster in Burgundy Mist, I'd be ecstatic!!

chrisM16 owns this item

Hey Guys Thank You SOOOOO much for creating this beautifull guitar. When I picked it up from my local dealer Long & Mquade in Regina Sask Canada after selling my 62 reissiue for 2 Grand I have to say this is by far the best sounding vintage reissiue of any of the Strats I have ever owned
both Jap and American made. You have gone one above my expectations. I did not even know before my salesman Dan and also my cousin who
is an awesome salesman at Long & Mquade in Regina Sask Canada that the bridge saddles were even going to be period correct to a real 59 and
the case is also period correct. My 62 was nice but not as nice as this Faded Sonic Blue baby I got. Just don't stop making this model ever. It is the best thing that could have happened to the vintage reissiues you are making. How do I know? I have studdied Fender Guitars and Basses inside out from the beginning of the Broadcaster up untill now and have owned a few old ones including a 64 Pre Bass which I still have yet and closely
watched over. I have some catolougs dating back to 1968 but looking for a 63/64 catolouge even a reprint and a 59/60 catolouge. Please keep up
your great work.
Gary Harty
Bassist, Guitarist from JD and Whiskey Bent band and bassist for Billy Young and Young at Heart

hartyg owns this item