Fender does it again - another Short List entry

The Blacktop Strat.

I've always been a Fender guy. Maybe that's why I've owned three of them (two of which I still have). The company has really done a good job of making quality, affordable guitars with the Fender name - quite the opposite of Gibson, who have really gone downhill, at least in my opinion.

But that's another post. This one is about the latest from Fender that is also the latest on the Short List - the Fender Blacktop Stratocaster.

I have a profound weakness for Strats. If I could, I'd probably have about 50 of them. They are, as I've written in other posts, my guitars. My signature guitar would be a Strat - hence the Johncaster. The Blacktop Strat is probably the nicest Stratocaster I've seen in a while. I especially love it in black with a rosewood fretboard. That's the one that's made it onto the Short List. What amazes me even more is that it's the least expensive Fender-branded Stratocaster on the market, cheaper than even the run-of-the-mill Standard Stratocaster.

And run-of-the-mill, the Blacktop Strat is not. Two powerful AlNiCo humbuckers, a coil-splitting five-way switch, tone controls for each pickup, and 22 frets make the Blacktop not your ordinary Strat. The only thing that's missing a better tremolo system - it's got the typical Mexican vintage tremolo that's on my Strat, and will probably have to be upgraded or blocked off. Still, it ticks off enough boxes - not to mention the all-important "gotta-have-it" box - to easily make it onto the Short List.

I have to give Fender credit for the entire Blacktop line. The Blacktop Tele looks almost exactly the same as my Tele HH, the Blacktop Jaguar is Short List-worthy (and will be re-visited in the near future), and the Blacktop Jazzmaster is a unique take on the classic Jazzmaster. The fact that they're all affordable just makes them even more remarkable.

Here's an updated Short List:

Guitars I've played:

Epiphone Les Paul Studio ($349)
Schecter Omen 6 ($299)

Guitars I haven't played:

Dean Cadillac Select ($479)
Dean Vendetta 1000 ($275)
Epiphone Les Paul Nightfall ($499)
ESP LTD EC-50 ($249)
(NEW) Fender Blacktop Stratocaster ($450)
Ibanez ART100 ($299)
Ibanez GRGA32T ($299)
Ibanez RG350DX ($400)
Ibanez RG5EX1 ($400)
Ibanez S420 ($499)
Schecter Damien FR ($450)
Sterling JP50 ($499)
Sterling SILO20 ($399)

Guitars I can't play:

Agile AL-2000 with Floyd Rose ($279)
Chapman Guitars ML1 ($490)
Chapman Guitars ML2 ($525)
DWG Contender ($299)