Fender Ed O´Brien Stratocaster

Electric Guitar

Artist series Ed O'Brien
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple
Neck profile: V
Fretboard: Maple
21 Narrow tall frets
Nut width: 42 mm
Vintage machine heads
Scale: 648 mm
Vintage style synchronised tremolo
Pickups: Duncan JB (bridge) and Texas Special (middle), Sustainer Driver (neck) (requires 9 V battery)
5 Way Switches
Original Strings Fender 250L (Article Nr 133191)
Gig bag included

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since November 2017

Item number 417370

Sales Unit 1 piece(s)

Colour White

Body Alder

Top None

Neck Maple

Fretboard Maple

Frets 21

Scale 648 mm

Pickups HSS

Tremolo Vintage

incl. Bag Yes

incl. Case No

Artist Ed O´Brien

Style ST-Style

Incl. Bag 1

18.090 kr

Free shipping incl. VAT

259

Sales Rank

in ST Style Guitars

Signature Strat with a Sustainer pickup and an attractive price tag

The list of big-name musicians who have become devotees of the Fender Stratocaster is a long one, and Ed O'Brien, guitarist with British Alternative band Radiohead, is one of a select group who have also received their own signature instrument from Fender. Though it may initially pass for a completely "normal" Strat, there is much more to this guitar than first meets the eye: This workhorse of an instrument features a Fernandes Sustainer pickup in the neck position that makes it perfect for Alternative Rock experimentation as well as a "10/56 V" neck profile that ensures outstanding playing comfort. Alongside the Sustainer neck pickup, the guitar also features a Fender Custom Shop Texas Special single coil in the middle position and a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. - a humbucker in a single coil format that delivers a cutting, dynamic sound - in the bridge position. The guitar's basic construction comprises an alder body and a bolt-on maple neck with a compound-radius fingerboard as well as a vintage-style vibrato unit, a combination of features that has proven itself to be solid and reliable.

Endless sustain, even for clean sounds

The highlight of this signature Stratocaster is undoubtedly the Fernandes Sustainer pickup, which makes the strings vibrate on its own and thus allows completely new sounds to be created. Even completely clean lead lines and chords can be infinitely sustained and thick, textured sounds achieved without even striking the strings, so musicians who love to experiment will feel right at home here. And when a grittier, heavier sound is needed, the middle and bridge pickups are of course on hand to push any amplifier into saturation: The Texas Special provides the "typical" single coil tones with which the Stratocaster is synonymous, while the JB Jr. provides the power and punch needed for chunky riffs and singing lead sounds without producing unwanted noise. And the vintage-style vibrato unit provides the buttery-smooth feel that guitarists have come to expect from this design and brings out every nuance from the player's right hand.

A luxurious Strat that not only fans will love

Fans of Radiohead and Ed O'Brien probably won't need to be asked twice, especially in the light of this signature Stratocaster's attractive price tag. Its varied and extremely versatile pickup combination makes this guitar suitable for a wide range of musical applications that encompass eveything from experimental textures through to sounds that will suit every style even remotely connected with Rock & Roll. Its versatility is further enhanced by the comfortable playing feel of its maple neck, which has been designed according to the artist's specifications and has a smooth satin urethane finish on the back. This wealth of features clearly sets the Fender Ed O'Brien Stratocaster apart from the company's standard models and, thanks to the resulting flexibility, makes it ideal for use in the studio and for musicians who want to cover a broad tonal spectrum with a single instrument.

About Fender

Fender is without doubt one of the most legendary guitar and amplifier manufacturers of all time. The company was founded in 1946 by its namesake Leo Fender († 1991), whose innovative ideas brought a breath of fresh air into the musical world. His Telecaster, Stratocaster, Precision Bass, and Jazz Bass are not only classics – they also continue to shape the styles of musicians in countless genres to this day. Timeless Fender amplifier models such as the Bassman, Twin, Deluxe, and Princeton also enjoy a stellar reputation. Besides maintaining its classic product portfolio, however, the company is also constantly developing new products that make Fender a driving force in today’s music industry.

A truly flexible musical tool

The Fender Ed O'Brien Stratocaster can do everything a "normal" Strat can do and puts everything from pearlescent, shimmering clean sounds to punchy overdrive at the player's fingertips, all delivered with Fender's customary playing comfort. However, the Fernandes Sustainer pickup makes it a very special instrument and a powerful tool for players who want to escape the mainstream, experiment with different sounds, and set new creative boundaries. This guitar will thus delight sonic explorers as well as musicians who often need to be very flexible in the studio and even top 40 guitarists who have to cover a range of different styles during their performances without constantly changing instruments. Electric guitars don't come much more versatile than this!

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28 Customer ratings

5 20 Customers 4 4 Customers 3 3 Customers 2 1 Customer 1 0 Customers

4.5 / 5

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25 Reviews

Good instrument with one single design flaw

Karl M 21.11.2020

The EOB Stratocaster is a really good choice for the guitar player who wants a Strat-type guitar with a Fernandes sustainer.

The sustainer and the choice of pick-ups sets the guitar apart from any ordinary Stratocaster, and if it's the classic Strat sound you're after, this guitar won't satisfy you. But if you are looking for a guitar designed to help you shape your own tone, it's a really good guitar for the money.

This guitar has a really fat neck, and if you are accustomed to a modern, very slim neck, it will take some time to get used to this one.

It's a well built guitar with nice body resonance, and the pick-ups are first class and well balanced with lots of bite and power.

So what's the design flaw? It's the truss rod, which can only be adjusted if you first remove the neck. This design was used on some very early Strat models, but it's impractical and should not have been used on any modern guitar. Hopefully, the neck is so fat that it won't need truss rod adjustments very often, but it's a totally unnecessary design choice.

Apart from that, I really like this guitar. I find myself playing the middle pick-up a lot, and with the sustainer and a few of my favorite pedals, it's easy to get inspired to go into experimental and ambient soundscapes.

If the truss rod adjustment hadn't been such a backwards design, I would have given the guitar five stars, no doubt. But it's still a very good instrument for the money, and it doesn't really have any competition in being a Strat-type with sustainer.

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First Impression

Michael Carrier 12.04.2020

I've had this guitar for 1 week. So this is my initial impression which might change over time.

Out of the box, I plugged into my Interface (DAW) and was immediately impressed with the sound and the sustainer. I'm using this guitar a non-traditional way (no amp), to make weird noise and melodies for more electronic based music, so the sustainer was the main featured I liked. I used pedals before the interface to boost the signal and cab sounds.

I plan to set it up more to my own taste, but this is probably expected with any new (or old) guitar. Fatter strings etc, lower/higher action. But I can complain how it came out of the box.

Pros.
Sustainer no.1
Nice Humbucker picked sound.
The Neck is great to play on.

Cons.
Battery for the sustainer can run out quickly if left on.
Comes only with gig bag, it needs a hardcase.
Will need additional setting up for personalized playing.

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Hoffentlich eine Ausnahme

Bobo-san 17.11.2020

Nachdem ich mehrere Reviews zu der Ed O?Brien Strat gesehen hatte, war ich absolut von ihr angetan. Das gelieferte Produkt war jedoch hoffentlich eine Ausnahme, da die allgemeine Qualität den Preis leider nicht rechtfertigte.

Pros:
Die Gitarre ist extrem vielseitig: der Sustainer benötigt etwas Übung, wenn man noch keinerlei Erfahrung mit ähnlichen Produkten hat, aber ist das Herzstück der Gitarre. Der normale Sound des Sustainers hat mich ebenfalls äußerst positiv überrascht, während die anderen Pick-Ups eine beeindruckende Klangvielfalt liefern.
Der JB Duncan hätte aber gerne noch etwas mehr Kraft haben können, aber das ist eher eine subjektive Anmerkung.
Zudem liegt der Gitarrenhals sehr gut in der Hand.

Cons:
Die gelieferte Gitarre zeigte mehrere Mängel auf; darunter fiel mir zuerst auf, dass die tiefe E und A Saite vertauscht wurden und dementsprechend war die Gitarrenmutter nicht korrekt geschliffen.
Viele Bünde waren recht scharf oder spitz, die Saiten waren über die Bridge so schief aufgezogen, dass die hohe E-Saite ab dem 9. Bund fast von der Gitarre hing und die mitgelieferten Schraubenschlüssel, die das Problem hätten lösen können, haben nicht mal gepasst usw.
Am meisten hat mich jedoch der Batterieverbrauch des Sustainers enttäuscht. Die mitgelieferte Batterie sowie zwei Varta Longlife- Batterien waren nach 12 Tagen unregelmäßiger Nutzung leer, obwohl der Sustainer nach dem Spielen immer ausgeschaltet war und das Gitarrenkabel entfernt wurde.

Schade Ed, vielleicht hat der Nächste mehr Glück mit und Spaß an der Gitarre.

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Erg fijne gitaar

Taste 99 19.12.2020

Heb deze gitaar gekocht als aanvulling op een stuk of zeven andere elektrische gitaren en moet zeggen dat ik deze het meest bespeel. Wat me bevalt:
- Erg fijne nek
- Sustainer
- Drie zeer bruikbare pickups
- Bescheidenheid van de Signature

Was van te voren benieuwd hoe deze hals met 10/56 V profiel zou aanvoelen en ben er erg blij mee. Vult de hand op een prettige manier en speelt heel comfortabel. Ik ben niet zo heel gevoelig voor verschillende profielen, terug naar een Fender C of een Gibson HP is eventjes wennen, maar dan is dat ook weer okay. Toch, als ik de EOB dan weer oppak denk ik meteen: fijne nek!

De Sustainer is cool, werkt prima, sustain zolang je wilt, verschillende instelmogelijkheden en je kunt 'm ook gewoon uit laten. Ik heb niets gemerkt van een hoog batterijverbruik, maar zet hem wel weg met de schakelaar op uit en zonder kabel er in.

Ben ook tevreden met de pickups. Er is een goede variatie mogelijk, 5-standenschakelaar natuurlijk, een Duncan JB humbucker in de brugpositie, die overigens ingeschakeld wordt wanneer je de Sustainer driver aanzet, los van de stand van de 5-standenschakelaar. Als de driver niet aanstaat is de Sustainer in de nekpositie gewoon een prima pickup. De Texas Special in het midden maakt het af. Natuurlijk blijft ook het geluid een kwestie van smaak. Wanneer je andere geluiden wilt dan heb je misschien een andere gitaar (erbij) nodig.

Het is een Ed O'Brien Signature en dat is prima, maar de gitaar schreeuwt het niet van de daken. Je komt zijn naam of initialen nergens tegen, wel een fraaie 'bloem des levens' gravure op de plaat om de hals vast te zetten.

Kortom, ik ben er erg blij mee, zou hem niet meer willen missen.

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Fender Ed O´Brien Stratocaster

Electric Guitar