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Willis Music Oxmoor Product Profile
Deluxe Power Stratocaster®
Solid alder wood body, modern ‘C’ profile neck shape, 2 Tex-Mex single coil pickups, 1 humbucker pickup, Fishman piezo saddle Power Bridge, jumbo frets, vintage style “slot top” tuning keys
The amount of sound combinations available here are staggering. Through a Fender Blues Deluxe tube amp the Power Strat’s Tex-Mex single coils offered glassy clean tones reminiscent of 1960 models.
Adding distortion created a bright gritty sound often associated with early Clapton or the Fabulous Thunderbirds. The Humbucker pickup on the other hand provided a gutsy midrange punch on the clean channel and a rich sustained crunch on the gain one. I’d compare the distorted humbucker to Billy Gibbon’s tone in ZZ Top. The three pickups work excellently together; a real achievement considering the varied outputs they have, but the real jewel in this guitar is the Fishman Power Bridge which allows the player to have or add in the sound of an acoustic guitar.
Fender’s choice of Fishman for this certainly cost them more, but clarity and quality were absolute necessities, and though other companies make similar bridges, none stand up to Fishman. The other benefit to the end user is that you aren’t stuck having to buy a separate acoustic amp for this guitar since the Fishman bridge delivers such a sterling tone straight to your current amps clean channel. Those feeling more adventurous will probably enjoy adding the texture of the Fishman into the gain side of things too for a totally unique tone.
Going direct into a personal recorder give you an acoustic tone your ears will swear is coming from a hollow wood box. This is the same bridge Fender has been adding to Pete Townshend’s Strats for years, and it’s easy to see why they’ve decided to make it a part of their production line. The guitar’s natural resonance is wonderful and the neck is a dream to play.
Fender’s recent addition of larger fretwire to many of their guitars is getting rave reviews, and this model benefits from that upgrade as well.
Fans of classic Stratocaster tones will love this guitar. The ability to blend in a humbucker bridge pickup or real acoustic tones make this a go-to guitar for nearly any situation, and the workmanship and materials more than live up to Fender’s promise of top quality gear at real player prices.
Reviewed by: Mike McAfee
Contact reviewer at: oxmoorstore@willis-music.com
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Product:
Deluxe Power Stratocaster
Manufacturer: Fender
Website: www.fender.com
About the Contributor:
Manager Mike McAfee is a 13 year plus Willis veteran who has hand picked each employee on his floor because they excel in providing a superior experience to every customer. The confidence, knowledge and courtesy you encounter lives up to an environment tailored for each department of their store. The home-like piano experience alone is worth a visit, and no other store in town carries the stock or selection of Willis’ Oxmoor location. Please accept Mike’s personal invitation to see first hand how hard we’ll work to make sure you’ll always come back home to Willis Music at Oxmoor Center.
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