Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH Electric Guitar (Maple)
The Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH offers a classic Fender model with added punch. With a Maple fretboard and dual humbuckers, the Blacktop Strat rocks.
Overall User Ratings (based on 19 ratings)
Submitted December 31, 2014 by Lawrence K in Frackville, PA
"Very Super Excellent"
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Wow. I don't say that much but in this case, I am super impressed. First of all by far one of the best set ups right out of the box I have ever received. Perfect intonation, string height, and neck relief. What a pleasure in being able to receive a guitar and not have to do a set up immediately. Received mine in sonic blue, the finish was flawless and believe me, I checked and checked for some sort of a flaw in the finish but couldn't find one. What an awesome pick up configuration. Fender should have done this a long time ago. This sucker really growls. I am impressed with the tones this puppy is able to produce. In pick up positions 1, 3 and 5 I kind of sounds a bit Les Paulish with lots of crunch and volume. In positions 2 and 4, you actually get some of that old Strat, bell type, quacky tone, very versatile tone. Got mine with the maple fret board. Only other Strat I own is a 80's Jap build and the necks are quite different. This Strat seems to be a bit on the thinner side, with lots more lacquer on the fretboard. I really like it, it's very, very playable. As for a weight comparison, this Strat seem to be a bit lighter than the my 80's strat but not drastically different. This thing really stays in tune. While I don't usually use the whammy bar, I put it on just to test it out and I gave it a really good beating......stays in tune quite well I am impressed. I feel like a kid all over again with this guitar. I don't want to put it down. Very nice job by Fender on this one. Very playable, a tone monster, well built and great looking at a great price.
Musical Background:
25 + years, have played professionally, now jamming just for fun
Musical Style:
Rock, Metal, Classical, Blues
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Submitted September 23, 2010 by a customer from optonline.net
"ONE SWEET INSTRUMENT!!"
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As I said before, I actully prefer the sound of this instrument to my $1500 custom Strat.
Sound
For the price, they are almost giving it away. Even better, the quality, finish, and sound are outstanding. I actually now prefer this as my main strat, rather than my $1500 custom strat. Finally, a strat with the sounds of a strat and a Les Paul all rolled into one, and with the balance, thin neck, and playability of a Strat. There's just nothing bad to say about it.
Features
It's like having a Strat AND a Les Paul, but with the whammy bar included!
Ease of Use
Easy as pie.
Quality
Fit, finish,tuners, etc: all good.
Value
$450 for this? I feel like I stole it!
Manufacturer Support
Whenever I've contacted Fender, they always respond soon and are helpful.
The Wow Factor
If it's that good at that price...I call that sexy.
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Blues and classic rock
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Submitted May 3, 2013 by Jeffrey Campbell in Amelia, OH
"Fine guitar, but no "bell" tone"
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The second and fourth positions on the toggle switch give you either the 2 inside single coils or the neck position single coil. These, of course, are a softer sound, but they ARE not the same as single coil Strat pickups. There is no bell-like quality to their tone, and they sound more muted than anything. I like the guitar overall, but I will need to get a $129 Bullet Strat just to get the single coil tones. The Bullet Strat, by the way, is the best $129 you'll ever spend on anything.
Musical Background:
Play guitar and bass for 47 years.
Musical Style:
Whatever.
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Submitted October 8, 2012 by a customer from hotmail.com in Boston , MA
"Evil Strat.Solid,Sweet...(don't have time to write more gotta go back and play it)"
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zZounds are the best no only they give you the option of paying easy non high payments but they Ship your instrument perfectly set up so you can just start playing a good instrument right out the box without having to wait as you save and only dream of that instrument you have always wanted.
Musical Background:
Guitarist playing for about 5 years
Musical Style:
Metal
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Submitted April 5, 2013 by Carlos Santoyo in El Paso, TX
"Good Value"
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My wife got me this guitar and i must say this guitar is awesome and a great opportunity to own a real fender. Came set up pretty good right out the box. Pickups are ok but i plan on swapping them out soon as this is a great guitar to mod and upgrade. I got the sonic blue finish and the mint pickguard really looks awesome. If you're looking for a quality guitar and great value look no further!
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Submitted June 1, 2012 by Izzy Roland in NYC, NY
"Great Guitar!"
What a great purchase! This guitar plays great and fits my hands like a glove. Awesome tone that you would expect from a strat. Some people are complaining about the price, but I think it is a steal. There are plenty of guitars out there way more expensive. Buy it, you won't regret it! : )
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Submitted March 18, 2011 by a customer from gmail.com
"Find a better deal I dare you."
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I would just get another. This guitar makes me sound like a seasoned pro.
Sound
Ok, I too have spent a lot of dough on instruments over the years. For years I have only played guitars with humbuckers...but that has always created a problem. My fingers arent long. So i love the sound of humbuckers but love fender necks. I decided to give this guitar a try. Actually, I played one in a guitar store and had a good time with it but it wasn't set up, but I saw potential. I had 650. in my pocket and almost bought it, but the sales guy was a jerk and thought I had no money plus I don't like black. I found my self thinking about the guitar and since ZZounds is my home page I looked it up and pulled the trigger. While waiting for the guitar to arrive I was already on the Warmouth page picking out high quality replacement parts. I was going to slowly rebuild it figuring I would be unhappy with the overall quality. Then it arrived. It desperately needed a set up. Truss rod adjustment, action set, intonation, and the screws for the whammy in the back had to be screwed in about 3/4 of an inch. I did all that in about 1/2 hour. Once I did this thing rocked!!! Just sweet in every regard. Stays in tune, its a breeze to play, great frets, great sound. Like the previous reviewer said, they are giving this one away. I once bought a Japan made Mustang for double this and it was horrible. This was made right. I have 25 years on the guitar.
Features
All great. If you want a fender neck and humbuckers. Steal this!
Ease of Use
Again, has to be set up, but once you do look out!
Quality
I have a hard time figuring out what they could have done better on this one.
Value
Wow, is about all I can say. Way to go Fender.
Manufacturer Support
I am not figuring I will need it.
The Wow Factor
Fenders are not sexy, sorry. It's not an Ibanez S. It's a strat body. Has the lines of a vintage car. But who cares? Function than form I say.
Musical Background:
25 years.
Musical Style:
funk, blues, progressive rock, shred.
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Submitted June 13, 2011 by a customer from live.com
"The BLUES never sounded so GOOD!!!"
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Love it if lost stolen I would replace it.
Sound
sounds good for over drive and playing hard core blues. no buzz and no hum love it!! clean sound is good a bit hi on tone side. But with good amp with EQ cannot go wrong sound is mind blowing. 5 way sec. is good but some pos. play lounder than others. Not a big deal.
Ease of Use
plays well a bang for your buck.
Quality
not a blemishes on it! Love the finish.
Value
This axe is worth what I payed it and more. This is a good axe compared to over priced gibsons. THANK YOU FENDER and ZZSOUND great buy
The Wow Factor
Red on white head turner looks good!!
Musical Background:
Hobbyist
Musical Style:
Blues
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Submitted November 26, 2012 by Brandon Bell in Hampton, VA
"Amazing Guitar!"
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I got this guitar today (i just became the lead guitarist of my band) and i needed a solid main ax but i don't have a ton of cash to spare so i went with this blacktop with the maple fretboard because i had read a bunch of great reviews on it. I am NOT disappointed! It is an amazing guitar! The first time i picked it up it felt like butter in my hands, it plays so smooth, it sings so beautifully! I'm in love with this guitar.
Musical Background:
Gigging musician. Lead Guitarist.
Musical Style:
Blues/Folk Rock. Hard Rock. Southern Rock.
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Submitted October 3, 2012 by William LaRock in Utica, NY
"Fender Blacktop Stratocaster HH Electric Guitar (Maple)"
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I was reluctant to purchase a Fender that wasn't made in the USA, but the unique pickup configuration definitely got my attention. I thought the all black model with so much chrome, and the maple neck just looked so cool. When I received the guitar I wasn't disappointed. A few minutes to tune it up and it played and sounded awesome. The fit and finish is as good as any USA strat I've had. The pickups are hotter than I usually like, but remain clean and clear with excellent definition. For the money this guitar is a great buy.
Musical Background:
Playing guitar and some bass 30 years but still learning.
Musical Style:
I love blues based rock and roll.
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Submitted September 22, 2011 by a customer from yahoo.com
"Best Fender Strat Value under $999!"
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
Like any guitar, the Black Series can benefit from a few upgrades, but overall it is an excellent guitar and I wouldn't trade it for any other Fender made Strat under $999. If it were lost or stolen, I would probably have to spend double to replace it with a USA made Strat if the Blacktop Series was discontinued.
Sound
If you're looking for a Strat with Dual Vintage Humbuckers, you should expect that the sound/tone of the Blacktop Series will be much different than that of a typical Three Single Coil Pickup conifguration Stratocaster. With that in mind, don't expect this guitar to sound like a Les Paul either. With the 5-Way Switching, you'll get a multitude of tone options (including coil splitting of the humbuckers which somewhat mimicks the single coil tone of both the Tele and Strat). My personal opinion is that the Bridge Humbucker is outstanding overall with mist any amp setting (clean or highly overdriven). The Neck Humbucker can be a little "muddy" sounding with high gain amp, but all and all both pickups in any of the 5 positions sounds very nice, yet very unique. The "sound" or tone of a guitar is obviously very dependant on your amp and it's settings, so every user well get various result. I wouldn't say that it's a "love it or hate it" situation, but the Dual Vintage Humbucker Tone in a Strat body may not be well suited for everyone.
Features
As mentioned before, the 5-Way Pickup Switch is an excellent feature which allows for several different tone options. The mint green pickguard looks excellent against the Sonic Blue finish, but not everyone loves the black skirted amp knobs – personally, I don't mind the amp knobs, but I do think the guitar would look "cleaner" with matching mint green knobs (including the switch knob and tremolo tip which are also black). The guitar does not come with a case of gig bag, which is a downside, but most buyers prefer the upgrade to a hardshell case anyway.
Ease of Use
The guitar was setup quite well from the factory, with only a few minor tweaks required. Any guitar will benefit from a professional setup to the owners specification, but this unit was quite playable and stays in tune well, straight out of the box. For my preferences, the guitar plays & feels very well. I played just about every Fender Strat currently on the market (both Made in Mexico & USA), and I found the neck on this guitar second to none – the only other guitar that came close was an American Deluxe Strat.
Quality
Fit and finish on this guitar is superb. As mentioned early, I played (and inspected) several new Strats, and I can tell you with 100% convidence that the fit & finish of my Sonic Blue Blacktop Strat (with Maple neck) was on-par with the USA units, if not better than some. The neck pocket on my guitar in particular looked much better than most of the USA Strats that I held in my own hands & closely inspected. Not a single finish or manufacturing flaw on my guitar. I can't rate it a 10, because I'd have to say that a 10 rating should be reserved for the high-end models. Nonetheless, my guitar is flawless from front to back & top to bottom.
Value
For the price I paid, and considering the quality of the guitar itself, I have no issues with giving the Blacktop Series Strat a high rating for value. It's one of the only "Non-made in USA" Strats you'll find with a 22 fret neck – basically EVERY MIM (Made in Mexico) Strat has a 21 fret neck, whereas basically EVERY MIA (Made in USA) Strat has the 22 fret neck. In my opinion, the necks on these Blacktop Strats are as good as a MIA neck.
Manufacturer Support
I actually emailed Fender regarding verification of my model number (based on the body & neck date stamps). A rep from Fender promptly responded via email with FULL details reagrding my guitar in particular. Excellent customer service & support from Fender.
The Wow Factor
Once you play it (if it suits your style and you get one that has excellent build quality), you'll never want to part with it – I plan to keep mine for life. It has truly become "my" guitar and it feels like an old friend after a very short time. In other word, these guitars are truly keepers.
Musical Background:
Active Musician
Musical Style:
Rock
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Submitted March 20, 2012 by Freddy Stone in Lincolnton , NC
"Best Guitar i have ever had!"
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I'm a proud owner of the fender blacktop stratocaster, I chose the candy apple red with maple fretboard. This guitar played very well right out of the box, but after I said it up all my god. I could not believe the way to this guitar played. And then there was the sound, it was a fender with something special. With the five way selector there is no end to the tones you can get with the right amp. I love blues and this guitar lays it down with that something special I mentioned. I'm here to tell you for the price its a give away, you well not find a guitar anywhere with the quality it has, fit and finish are incredible. I tell you it's like a 2000 dollar stratocaster and to me it plays just the same. I so love this guitar I cannot keep my hands off her, and there's no need to change anytime. The humbucker pickups in this guitar are very good and not some low end humbucker.
Musical Background:
i have played off and on most my life, piano has always been my main instrument or keyboardist. play
Musical Style:
Some bass, and up untilled now some guitar. About 4 months ago I wanted to really learn to play guitar, I need some of the basic
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