Fender Dave Murray Strat 2TSB

Fender Dave Murray Strat 2TSB review

The Fender Dave Murray Strat 2TSB is a signature guitar built around a familiar Strat-style body and a more forceful pickup setup. Its alder body wears a two-tone sunburst finish, while the maple neck has a rosewood fingerboard and a glossy finish. The listed price is $1,222. Fender lists the model as available since April 2015.

The hardware and electronics give this guitar a clear hard rock and metal focus, though owner reports suggest it can cover cleaner material as well. Three Seymour Duncan rail-style pickups provide the main tonal range: a Hot Rails SHR-1B at the bridge, a JB Jr. SJBJ-1N in the middle, and a Hot Rails SHR-1N at the neck. A five-way switch selects the pickup combinations, with one master volume and two tone controls.

Neck, fingerboard, and playing feel

The C-profile maple neck has a 648 mm scale, a 42.8 mm nut, and 21 medium jumbo frets. Its compound fingerboard radius transitions from 9.5 inches to 14 inches, offering a rounder feel near the nut and a flatter surface higher up. Several owners praise the neck as comfortable and smooth, and some say the compound radius makes bends feel natural. The gloss finish is a matter of preference, but reports describe it as comfortable during position changes.

There is less agreement about fretwork and setup. Some players received instruments that felt ready to play, while others reported high action, uneven or sharp fret ends, and pickup heights that interfered with the strings. One owner also found the strings did not track evenly across the fingerboard. These reports do not establish that every guitar has such problems, but they make a careful inspection and setup sensible, particularly for an instrument in this price range.

Pickups and tonal range

The bridge Hot Rails is the most commonly praised part of the guitar. Players describe it as powerful and suited to heavy rock and metal, with enough output for saturated lead sounds. The neck pickup gets favorable comments for fuller, smoother tones, while the middle JB Jr. Is often valued for cleaner parts and added flexibility. Several owners say the guitar can handle blues, classic rock, and clean passages as well as Iron Maiden-style material.

Expect a more concentrated, higher-output voice than a traditional single-coil Strat sound. The five-way switch still offers useful changes in character, but this model's appeal is its ability to move from clear tones to heavier distortion without changing instruments. Results depend on the amplifier and effects, and some owners recommend adjusting the guitar's volume when using high gain to manage feedback.

Floyd Rose: a key point to verify

The listed specification is a Floyd Rose FRT-O1000 double-locking, two-point tremolo. However, multiple customer accounts say their guitars arrived with a Floyd Rose Special instead. These are not interchangeable descriptions, and the reported difference matters: some owners considered the Special's materials and tuning stability a disappointment and expected additional expense to replace it. Check the exact bridge fitted to the individual instrument before purchase, and confirm that it matches the seller's current listing.

Experiences with tuning stability vary. Some players report that the tremolo holds pitch reliably when properly adjusted. Others describe tuning problems, loose locking-nut screws, incorrect spring tension, or a bridge that needed professional work. A few also reported difficulty getting a suitable action because of the relationship between the bridge and the compound-radius fingerboard. A qualified guitar technician can assess the bridge, nut, fret level, neck angle, and spring balance if the instrument arrives hard to play or unstable in tune.

Finish, accessories, and buying advice

The sunburst finish is a consistent highlight in owner feedback. Players often describe the appearance as striking, and several are pleased with the overall value once the guitar is set up correctly. The instrument is listed with chrome hardware and a deluxe gig bag. A hard case is not included.

The main reservation is quality control at delivery. Customer experiences range from excellent, playable instruments to guitars that needed substantial adjustment or had hardware concerns. That variation makes a return window and a local setup budget worth considering. If buying online, confirm the tremolo model and inspect the fretwork, string height, pickup clearance, and tuning stability as soon as the guitar arrives.

Verdict: The Fender Dave Murray Strat 2TSB has a useful pickup combination, a comfortable neck, and a finish that owners regularly admire. Its sound suits heavy music but can stretch into cleaner styles. The potential need for setup work, along with conflicting reports about the installed Floyd Rose model, is the central caveat. Buy from a seller who can verify the hardware and support an inspection, and judge the guitar after it has been properly adjusted.