Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar 3-Tone Sunburst

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

Great workmanship, ready to play right out of the box.

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

I have many tools to set up a guitar...but I can not get rid of the fret buzz. I have set the neck relief at .026 and the action at 6/64 at the 17th fret and I still get fret buzz. The nut on the low E is .018 and the A is .022, so it can not be fixed without shimming the nut and filing down the nut on all strings...I do not have the files to do this( it would cost $$ to own these tools to fix one guitar) After setting the guitar up to perfect intonation, I can not play an open G major chord,,,it is out of tune!!!!...I put the guitar in it's case and put it in my closest....I will never buy a guitar again without playing it first!

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

To the best of my knowledge the Robert Cray model is the only SSS hardtail Strat that Fender currently make. My problem is I like maple fretboards and head adjustable truss rods - both of which the RC model does not have. So I bought a loaded Cray body and added a Clapton neck. I absolutely love the finished product. I have a violet Cray body and I was pleasantly surprised by the colour - very stylish, and flawless. More importantly I love the tone - particularly positions 2 and 3. The guitar also holds tune very well.

The Clapton neck is my first experience with a "soft V", and I really like it. It also feels very smooth with its satin finish (back and fretboard). You could also go with a Buddy Guy or Jimmie Vaughan neck to get the V for a lower cost, but I couldn't find either when I was looking. I had to shim the neck. To do this I just cut a 1 cm strip off of a playing card and put it at the front of the heel - worked a treat and the guitar has a great action, and I didn't have to adjust the truss rod. It is great that you can mix and match with Fender instruments because you can make something that suits your needs. However, I still wish Fender made more hardtail strats!

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

The Robert Cray Hardtail comes in three colors. After owning a silver one and loving it I picked up the sunburst and violet ones.The pickups are a big factor. 100% vintage Strat tone. They are a perfect match for a tube amplifier and sound great both clean and overdriven.If they made a fourth color or a maple neck RC Strat I'd grab them too.

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

I've owned several top of the line PRS's, two Eric Clapton strats (one from the 90s and one form 2009), and an American Strat from the late 80s. I've got to tell you that if you want a great blues sound, this guitar is perfect for you. I bought mine in Inca Silver. The finish is beautiful. No flaws whatsoever. And, for blues, this guitar out performs more expensive strats including the Clapton signature models. But, a couple of things to note. Outside of blues playing, you may not have much use for this guitar. Moreover, if you've small fingers or hands, the neck may be too big for you. I love the C-shaped neck, but it also happens to fit my hands. I could see someone with smaller hands and/or fingers not liking it. Finally, you'll need to either set the guitar up or have someone do it. Since the guitar comes straight out of the factory, no one has set it up. I had to adjust the truss road and the action. Just be aware of that before buying it. O... and the pickups rock! Don't worry about the MIM thing...

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

Bought mine in Violet and was pleasantly surprised at the actual color. It's more of a deep blue with red overtones...very complex color. As far as the features, the pickups are a perfect match to the hardtail bridge. Sustains for days, pick attack is precise and punchy with great clarity. Sounds like a million bucks on all five positions, but really nails that sound I was after in the middle position. In my opinion, this guitar sounds better than my last Strat which was an American Deluxe with Kinman pickups. Do yourself a favor and stop searching. Fender has created an instant classic with this one, and it's half the price of many of its direct competition.

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

So my Ibanez died, literally. I went to a guitar shop in town to buy a cheap squier cause I didn't have much money and already have a gibson. Before even touching the squier that I wanted to get, I saw the Inca Silver Cray on the wall used for four hundred. I NEVER buy guitars without reading a ton of reviews but this one spoke to me. I swear, since buying this my playing has improved ten fold. I would suggest anyone get it if you like blues, or strats. If it was stolen I would torture the thief till they begged for death.

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

This is one great guitar, especially for the money it costs. Sounds just killer for blues and jazzy stuff and has none of the intonation problems some whammy-bar Strats have. May be MIM, but is the best I've played from that factory. Way, way better than the previous MIM I had (and got rid of in about a month!).Plays smooth as butter and build quality is outstanding for the money.Solid as heck and will get another in Silver as soon as financially feasible. Would buy online as I trust this guitar and then only lousy one I played was well-used and the previous owner couldn't be bothered to maintain it apparently.

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

I bought this Strat as part of a Fender Friday promotion that Musicians Friend was running. This guitar with the custom wound pickups is about as pure a strat tone as you can get. THe mint pickguard and tinted neck give a nice vintage feel. The neck is slightly thicker than standard but it work really well. I have smaller hands and have had not trouble with it. The setup from the factory was the best of any new guitar I've ever bought. You can't go wrong with this guitar.

Comments about Fender Artist Series Robert Cray Stratocaster Electric Guitar:

I own the inca silver and it is beautiful! Smooth frets, cool tint on the neck, great body, and it plays fantastically. The pickups are the same as the Custom Shop model and they have the best Strat sound ever. Bright, clean, and they respond very well to overdrive. They will play any style of music, except for metal. When played clean, they sound almost like an acoustic guitar. When overdriven, they have a smooth bright tone that makes you cry. I get compliments everytime I play it at out. I only have one problem with the guitar: the noise from flourescent lights. I have solved it, though by star-grounding the guitar and adding a Fender '62 pickguard shield. The combination makes this a guiet, clean, and beautiful-sounding guitar. Go buy one today!