Instrument Review: 2004 Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster

by Douglas J. Rathbun

Introduction

Before I begin discussing this amazing guitar, let me put my review in perspective. I have been playing guitar for almost 35 years; mostly acoustic guitar. The guitar with which I started was a Strat-style 1963 Hofner which I sold many years ago. It has only been in the last six years that I have been playing an electric seriously. To start the exploration, I bought a Korean Squier Stratocaster at a pawn shop for $200 Cdn. When the new 2004 models arrived, I just had to have one so I ordered an American Deluxe Stratocaster, three-colour sunburst with a maple fretboard at the beginning of February. After a long-suffering wait, I received the guitar on June 1.

The American Deluxe

The features of the 2004 American Deluxe Stratocaster (010-1200 010-1202) are:

· three single coil Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups

· S1 switching

· deluxe staggered Schaller locking tuning machines

· strap locks

· abalone fret markers

· deluxe polished chrome bridge with two point synchronized tremolo

· snap in tremolo arm

· maple or rosewood 9.5” radius fretboard

· 22 medium jumbo frets

· 50th Anniversary logo neck plate

· C – shaped maple or rosewood neck with rolled edges

· select alder body

The American Deluxe (SSS) is available in:

· 3-Color Sunburst (mint green pickguard)

· Amber (brown shell pickguard)

· Montego Black (beveled gold vinyl pickguard)

· Candy Tangerine (aged white pickguard)

· Chrome Silver (black shell pickguard)

The SCN Pups with S1 Switching

The SCN pickups and the S1 switch are probably the most talked about features of the new Strats. Let's look at the Samarium Cobalt pickups. The first thing you will notice when you plug these puppies in is they are dead quiet! It is a remarkable feat of engineering to get pickups that sound like single coils and yet are completely noiseless. The pickup covers are as discrete with the logo as they are with their noiseless operation. The "SCN" letters are stamped into the pickup covers with no paint inlay; almost invisible.

The pickup wiring has changed since the first 2004 American Deluxes rolled off the assembly line in Corona. The first ones engaged the middle pickup in series with the special capacitor (no tone control) while the S1 switch was down. After playing this for a while, the folks at Fender decided there were not enough variations in sounds and they changed the wiring to engage all three pups with the switch in position three and the S1 switch in the down position. This produces a very full, deep sound. The guitar arrives with an updated diagram detailing the change in wiring. The Fender website has yet to be updated to reflect the change.

I wish Fender had updated the supplied manual to include pickup height specifications for the SCNs. I used the Vintage Noiseless settings but I’ve heard from others that you can treat these pickups like Lace Sensors and bring them as close as you wish to the strings. I am unconvinced of this. Experimentation might solve the dilemma.

You can obtain an amazing array of sounds with this guitar. Put your tone controls and your amp settings into the mix and you will be lost for days in exploration. With the flick of a switch you can go from a snappy, sparkling clean tone, to a creamy, throaty sound which I particularly enjoy. The S1 switch does seem to pop however, when engaging it in the 3rd position.

The Finish

The craftsmanship on this guitar is exactly what you would expect from a guitar at this price point from a fine guitar maker like Fender. The finish is polyurethane, with a glossy, deep, flawless clearcoat on the body and the headstock, which is adorned with a delicate silver Fender “spaghetti logo”. The neck has a silky, smooth, satin finish. All the hardware is polished chrome. The locking tuners are smooth and easy to use. The guitar comes from the Corona factory in a standard setup and in tune.

I immediately tightened the tremolo so the bridge was almost flush with the body and recalibrated the setup to factory specs. The Strat is shipped with .42 - .09 Fender Bullets installed. The plain strings G, B and E, tended to ping while tuning. A little WD40 on the nut solved that problem. The shorter than standard, snap-in tremolo arm is a nice feature, although mine seems to take a great deal of effort to get in and, especially, out. It is also very loose when snapped in place. I’ve played other American Deluxe Strats with the snap-in arm where the fit is snug; keeping the arm in the position you leave it. I have to reach for mine once I let go. Maybe a bit of chewing gum might help.

The pickguard and tremolo cover, as is normal, arrives with a translucent plastic film attached. The film comes off easily enough around the pickguard screws as the film is enlarge to slip over them, but the pickup adjustment screws sit on top of the film, leaving myriad small strands of film dangling from the screws. Tweezers and patience are required to remove the remnants.

The Neck

With all the talk about the S1 switch and the SCN pickups, the most amazing element of this guitar is being overlooked; the neck. I do not think I have held a more comfortable guitar in my hands. The Stratocaster is already the most ergonomically designed electric guitar on the planet. Add this magnificently sculpted neck, with the new contoured heel, and the guitar is a dream to hold and play. You just want to caress it! The 22 medium jumbo frets are well dressed and polished. The abalone fret markers on the C-shape maple neck with a three-color sunburst finish make this guitar sight to behold. When I am not playing it, I am admiring it sitting in the tweed case with red poodle interior I purchased especially for my new baby!

The Accessories

The accessories provided with the American Deluxe are:

· Fender logo standard molded case (two keys)

· Fender logo 9’ guitar cable

· Fender logo leather guitar strap

· Sample (28ml) Meguiar’s Mist & Wipe Finish Enhancer

· Allen wrenches for setup

The accessories are quite generous. The guitar strap and cable are good quality. My quarrel is with the standard molded case. Fender should be delivering the Deluxe Strats in the deluxe cases - especially for the 50th Anniversary year. When you pay $1425 Cdn. for a Strat, it should come with a better case than the standard issue for made-in-Mexico Strats worth a few hundred dollars.

My Appraisal

How do I feel about this guitar? Elated is not descriptive enough! It is worth every penny of the $1425 (Cdn) I paid for it. The Korean Squier is a toy compared to the finish, quality and tone of this guitar. I am fully of the opinion that a quality instrument will immediately improve the playing of any guitarist, regardless of their level of expertise.

I spent a great deal of time playing many American Strats in five stores around my city. I found I could tell the quality guitars from the dogs by playing them unplugged first. If it felt “sexy” in my hands and vibrated through me when played unplugged, it was a guitar with a soul. Plugged in, the SCN pickups are startling in their clarity and noiseless “Strattiness”. I am sure Leo would have approved of these new pickups.

The S1 switch will keep you from second guessing yourself as to whether you should have purchased an HSS Strat instead. The variety of tone you can squeeze out of this instrument will keep you happy for many, many years. This guitar will never be a closet classic on eBay in 2025! It will be played, and played. I cannot guarantee the quality of the playing, but I can guarantee the quality of this beautiful guitar by Fender.

50th Anniversary American Deluxe Stratocaster

Recommended Links

Official Fender 2004 American Deluxe Stratocaster Specifications

Mr. Gearhead Stratocaster Setup Guide (pdf)