Quick disclaimer before I get into it - this is my first big brand guitar, and a red Strat happens to be my dream guitar, so take my review with that in mind.
The Color
It's not as red as it looks on most screens. There's an orangey, "tomato soup" quality to it. Like a vintage fiesta red that's lost some of its redness over the years. That's exactly what I wanted, so for me it's a win. If you're after that classic, slightly orangy red without waiting decades for a nitrocellulose finish to mellow out, you'll probably like this. It does depend a lot on the lighting, though. The direct sunlight reveals its true color.
Build Quality
Excellent across the board. The finish is flawless, the frets are polished with no sharp edges or high spots, the tuning machines are smooth, and the neck pocket is tight with no gaps or finish cracks. Nothing to complain about here.
Factory Setup
I don't judge this guitar by how it arrives, but I still think it's worth mentioning. Mine came detuned a full step with the trem decked, and the action was higher than I'd like. But none of that is a flaw. Fender sets these up deliberately to survive shipping across different climate regions, and it's expected that you'll dial it in to your own preference. A quick saddle adjustment sorted the action for me.
The Neck
Incredibly smooth and comfortable. I have small hands and prefer slim, thin profiles, and this one feels just right. I can even wrap my thumb over to fret or mute the low E without any issues.
Sound
It sounds like a Strat. That's all that needs to be said. No need to change the pickups.
One Minor Issue
The B and high E strings had some binding in the nut, which was noticeable while tuning. It seems to be a common thing on these guitars, as well as much more expensive ones, but it took me less than five minutes to fix.
Overall a great guitar. Bias acknowledged, but I don't think it's clouding my judgment on the build quality.
