Open Box Fender Artist Series Eric Johnson Stratocaster Electric Guitar Level 2 2-Color Sunburst,Maple Fretboard 197881319786

I've owned my 2008 EJ Strat for 14 years now I can say without a shadow of a doubt is the best guitar ever. I switched from a 1972 Les Paul Custom that Ive played since I was 16 years old. Once I got used to the EJ I never went back. It was harder to play compared to the Les Paul. But I improved my playing significantly because of that. Hendrix, SRV, EJ, any Strat players can be done on this EJ regardless of what some players say that it's only for EJ. I can't speak to what's been coming off the assembly process today regarding this instrument. There's been discussions that they're not as good as the older models. The nitro finish is really sticky and humidity is a big factor. I've not sanded the neck down to remove it rather let it wear naturally. There are 2 minor nuisance's. These are real single coil pickups and yes they are noisy so what? I don't get peoples negative comments on these pickups cause they sing with a great tone. There is no tone control on the middle selector switch it's wide open and some people may not like that. It's my favorite position because it's pure raw Stratocaster. My EJ runs into a Marshall JVH 410H 100W with 1960 cabinet. I typically do not use pedals to alter the tone and I've found I don't need them with this guitar.

While some artist series instruments are quite fine tuned to the specific needs of a single person, this one is basically what you would get if you took a '57 Strat and revised it by an alternate universe Leo Fender that isn't a cheapskate. Quartersawn maple may not yield as many necks per log, but wow does it assist the top end sparkle and sustain. Neck, middle, and bridge pickups each have different magnets, again adding complexity to the manufacturing line (and purchasing), but the resulting versatility is a masterpiece. Add features like the missing backplate, the flatter fretboard radius, and the staggered tuners that could only really be informed by the sophisticated kind of player that didn't yet exist, and you have the pinnacle of Strat design that never was. This is less EJ's Strat and more the world's. It's EJ's slam dunk by way of standing on Leo's shoulders. This guitar, a good Les Paul, a good clean amp, and a good dirty amp, and any desert island player would live like a king (our queen) for the rest of their days. I ended up returning the first one I got due to a sizable melty-looking scar on the pickguard, which I'm guessing was caused by melted wax as there was a small dollop of it hanging out of the neck pickup. Who knows. The second I received was in proper as-new condition and happened to have not-so-subtle figure in the neck's maple, the kind for which one would expect to pay extra. Score! I wouldn't knock Fender for the first gaffe, these things happen. If anything, they could hire a few more folks and ease the pressure on the ones they have. Battle scar aside, the build quality on both the instrument I returned and the instrument I kept is immaculate. My experience with vintage Fenders has led me to believe that most are just above average guitars and only a few have that "lightning in a bottle" quality. Fast forward to today, and I'd say a higher percentage leave the factory now with that magic built-in than ever before.

All good

To be honest, when I pulled this guitar off the wall (GC) I did not know which model I was playing. I liked the feel of the neck and the variety of tones that I was hearing, so I decided to take it home. I was not until they brought out the white/black tolex case that I realized that this might be something special. Most of the rest of my Strat collection are AVRI models and are all exceptional guitars, and this one certainly fits the description as well. All it needed was new strings and a quick setup and it's been great ever since. And I get a lot of offers for the case just by itself.

I've owned six other Fender-made Stratocaster guitars over nearly 30 years. The Eric Johnson has some of the features I really loved from some of my favorites - like the "soft V" neck shape. But the true single-coil pickups with EJ's spec's are some of the most balanced, best-sounding Start pickups I have ever heard. The pickup wiring scheme is very practical, and the bridge pickup in particular has the "beef" that a lot of other single-coil pickups are missing - whether playing with a clean tone or a lead/crunch tone. And while you can set up a Fender electric with 7.25" or 9.5" fingerboard radius to play well - even with vintage-spec fret wire - it's still a struggle sometimes with bending notes and keeping the playability "dialed" as the frets wear over time. The 12" fingerboard radius w/ med-jumbo fret wire deals with both sides of that challenge - and it frees you up to obsess over your phrasing and tone... so you can forget about buzzing or choking off notes. The lightweight body hangs comfortably on the shoulder, and even the GandG hard case is top-quality. Overall a GREAT guitar and likely the finest model that isn't part of the Fender Custom Shop line.

I have had somewhere around 25 different strats in my 40 years of playing and this is one that I'm going to hang onto I say my wife hates it because i go up in my studio to play it and disappear for hours- just feels and sounds great. - well worth the money- it's not cheap, but if you can afford it get one - if you're more inclined to the vintage feeling and sounding guitars it will be the last strat you'll ever buy.