Fender Standard Strat HSS LRL WPG CND

Fender Standard Strat HSS LRL WPG CND review

The Fender Standard Strat HSS LRL WPG CND pairs a Candy Cola finish with a poplar body, a maple neck, and an Indian laurel fingerboard. Its pickup layout combines a bridge humbucker with single-coil pickups in the middle and neck positions. That arrangement gives the guitar a broader tonal range than a three-single-coil Strat, while keeping the familiar five-way selector and two-tone-control layout.

Available since January 2025, it was listed at $568. That price and the Fender name are a large part of its appeal. The owner feedback supplied here describes an attractive instrument with a distinctive, assertive sound, but also points to setup work that may be needed before it performs reliably. Experiences varied, so the reported problems should be treated as a reason to inspect the individual guitar, not as proof that every example has the same faults.

Construction and playability

The neck is maple and attaches to the poplar body with a bolt-on joint. Its Modern C profile, 43 mm nut width, and 9.5-inch fingerboard radius give the instrument familiar Strat dimensions. The Indian laurel board has white dot inlays and 21 medium-jumbo frets. The scale length is 25.5 inches. Fender supplies nickel-plated steel strings in a.009-.042 gauge.

One owner found the fret count more limiting than expected when playing in the upper registers. That is a personal consideration rather than a defect, but it matters if your playing regularly reaches high notes. The guitar's overall comfort received positive comments after its neck and setup were adjusted. Another owner reported that the neck did not need a truss rod correction, while adjustments to string height, pickup height, and intonation helped bring the instrument into shape.

The three-ply white pickguard contrasts with the Candy Cola finish, and the hardware is chrome. The color drew strong praise from owners, including one who had specifically wanted a Strat in this finish with an Indian laurel fingerboard. No case or gig bag is included, so budget for separate protection if you need to transport it.

Pickups and controls

The bridge humbucker supplies a stronger, thicker voice than the two standard Strat single coils in the middle and neck positions. Controls comprise one master volume and two tone knobs, with a five-way pickup selector. One owner described the overall sound as confident, gritty, and surprisingly high in output. In that player's view, it suited forceful, expressive parts better than especially refined traditional Strat tones.

That character may be a selling point if you want a Strat-style guitar with some extra weight from the bridge position. One owner initially expected to replace the electronics but decided to keep the original pickups after playing them. Another reported that the second selector position, combining bridge and middle pickups, made the second string sound duller than the others. That may have been specific to that guitar, but it is worth checking during a hands-on trial.

Tremolo and tuning stability

The guitar uses a standard two-point tremolo with satin chrome steel block saddles and sealed tuning machines with hexagonal buttons. The tremolo can be set to float, but one owner found it sitting unusually high and changed its position during setup. Another said the tremolo arm initially resisted threading into place, then worked normally after several careful installations and removals.

Tuning stability drew more concern. One owner said the guitar went out of tune after short playing sessions, even without using the tremolo. The same report identified a nut that did not allow the strings to move freely and a tremolo that needed adjustment. After a guitar technician corrected the setup, that owner found the instrument usable and comfortable to play. A second owner also noticed tuning problems at first, then adjusted the tremolo, string height, pickup height, and intonation, and applied pencil graphite to the nut slots. Once the parts had settled, tuning remained stable for that player.

These accounts make the nut and tremolo worth checking before purchase, especially if you expect the guitar to arrive ready for regular use. Setup needs also depend on string gauge and playing preference. The listed.009-.042 strings provide a reference point, but changing gauges can require further adjustment.

Verdict

The Fender Standard Strat HSS LRL WPG CND has a clear appeal: a striking Candy Cola finish, a useful HSS pickup layout, and a familiar neck specification at a comparatively accessible Fender price. Its sound can be punchy and gritty rather than strictly vintage, and the bridge humbucker adds a different voice to the usual Strat palette.

The main caveat is setup consistency. Owner reports describe tuning and tremolo issues that improved after hands-on adjustment, while the 21-fret neck may not suit players who spend much of their time high on the fingerboard. Inspect the nut, tremolo, tuning stability, and pickup balance on the specific instrument. If those checks go well, or you are willing to have a technician set it up, the guitar offers an appealing combination of Fender styling and flexible, high-output sound.