I've been a fan of Mr. Malmsteen for 25 years. I decided to make my dream come true and bought his signature start. This is my 3rd strat (the others are with rosewood fingerboard - this has maple neck & fretboard). I play everything from classic rock to texas blues to heavy metal. This guitar is suitable for all genres, it's closer to blues than metal. The YJM Fury pickups aren't that hot but very sensitive and clear. They have great sustain, especially when you use booster infront of your amp.
This strat took me 2-3 days to get used to the scalloped fretboard. I recall testing the earlier version 15 years ago but had no idea how it would work with my hands. It surprised me positively. The guitar doesn't make you play faster. Scalloping makes some things like hammer-ons / pull-offs, bending and barre chords very easy. I have no problem to stay in tune (some have reported that you shouldn't press the strings too heavily). Very fluid, especially in solos and long bends which makes sense - that's the thing that Yngwie does. Violinlike - like Yngwie says.
I love strat's pickup positions 2 and 4. You can "adjust" the 3-way switch "in between" to test these positions with YJM's. They sound awesome - I am considering to update 5-way switch that is almost only shortage to mention.
Love the colour. The acoustic sound is bright and loud. This individual is bit heavier than my other starts but it doesn't bother me because it sounds great.
