Fender Albert Hammond Jr. Signature Stratocaster Olympic White

General

By introducing the Albert Hammond Jr. Signature Stratocaster, Fender grant all fresh-faced garage-jamming guitarists access to the sound of a contemporary icon and pure vintage Fender detail. Whether striking tight chords and irksome riffs with The Strokes or his solo work, Hammond Jr. is always seen with his hands wrapped around his 1998-made ‘72 Strat reissue. His devotion to his Strat is directly reflected in the authentic '70s elements included in the design of his signature model; from the bullet-truss and 3-bolt neck-plate with F-logo, to the classic oversized '70s-style headstock. The whole is drenched in an Olympic White lacquer, finished with a rosewood fretboard and comes complete with a deluxe gig bag.

The Albert Hammond Jr. Stratocaster: Uncommon Sound

This very particular Strat shares a lot of familiar technical detailing, including three ceramic single-coils that shape a potent, sharp tone. What's strange and much less familiar is the pickup switch. Set to position 1, the middle-pickup is isolated while position 3 isolates the bridge pickup. Everything has been flipped upside-down, so now, you get the fatness of the combined bridge and neck pickup in position 4. Other less-than-vintage, yet welcome details include the 21 medium jumbo frets and synthetic-bone string nut, both of which help raise this guitar to its high level of playability.