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Fender Big Block Stratocaster

 

Review of the Fender Big Block Stratocaster by The Man in the Jar

This handsome beast looks even better in the flesh than it does in the picture.

Features of the Fender Big Block Strat

Tuners - Vintage covered types with small tuning knobs which are smooth and easy to use. The capstans are the old-fashioned split type rather than the modern "hole" variety.

Headstock - Small classic vintage style with a black face.

Nut - White set in slot type which is neat and tidy.

Neck - The modern, slim, "C" profile maple neck complete with skunk stripe felt comfortable immediately. The semi-gloss finish makes for slinky movement up and down the neck.

Fretboard - The rosewood fretboard has a very distinctive and attractive grain which looks absolutely gorgeous with the white pearloid block markers that give the guitar its name. The dot markers on the side of the neck actually sit astride the join where the rosewood of the fingerboard meets the maple of the neck. This may illustrate that the rosewood used is of such an expensive grade that the slab employed for the fingerboard is cut slightly thinner than standard.

Frets - Medium frets with a rounded profile.

Action - Great action straight out of the box.

Body - The alder body is the standard Strat shape with the standard Strat contours on the back and the face. The Big Block comes in any colour you like as long as it's Black. It's a very glossy black with a deep, deep shine.

Bridge - Block vibrato bridge with a panel on the back to access and adjust the spring tension screws. Individual saddles have a single screw for intonation and two allen screws each for height adjustment. There doesn't seem to be a string groove on the saddles so heavy-handed players might experience a tiny amount of lateral movement. 

Pickups - One Fender "Enforcer" humbucker at the bridge and two Alnico "Enforcer" single-coils. Basically a "Fat Strat" configuration.

Controls - One volume and one tone. This breaks with Strat tradition and gives room for the volume control to be moved away from the strings. Personally I find it makes this Strat easier to play than most. The knobs themselves are knurled Telecaster types which again I prefer. The five-way switch has a good positive feel about it. 

Pickguard - The chromed mirror pickguard is of traditional Strat proportions and looks rather delicious against the black of the body. The downside is the extra polishing you'll have to do before and after the gig!

Strap-buttons - Smallish buttons are situated on the top horn and the bottom of the body. I'd be tempted to fit fatter buttons for total peace of mind.

Output Jack - Set in the face of the guitar in the traditional Stratocaster dish.

Finish - Immaculate throughout.

 

Sound of the Fender Big Block Stratocaster

The Big Block delivers everything you'd expect from a Fat Strat but with a harder edge. The humbucker alone produces a roaring rock aggression that belies the graceful lines of the Strat. The second switch position taps the humbucker and engages the middle single-coil to add a reedy quality to the voice. The third position activates the middle pickup alone to deliver a surprisingly balanced tone that is enhanced and augmented when the fourth switch position drops in the neck pickup. The last position gives the full-bodied rounded tone of the neck pickup, the traditional station of the blues player.  

 

Overall Impressions of the Fender Big Block Stratocaster

This is a lovely quality guitar that adds a Morticia-like glamour to a well-loved standard. The looks will appeal to Metalheads, Goths and all their various splinter groups. In fact Fender reveal their marketing intentions quite obviously with the rather macho name of the pickups, and the brash and aggressive voice of the Big Block's Enforcers certainly cashes the cheque that the visuals have written. The playability is faultless and the finish is excellent.

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