This is the ultimate guide - how to buy, maintain and set up the world's most popular Electric Guitar, the iconic Fender Stratocaster.

For over 50 years Leo Fender's legendary Stratocaster has defined the shape and sound of the Electric Guitar. Here, for the first time, is a Haynes practical manual on the Ferrari of its class.

This easy-to-use Fender Stratocaster Manual offers advice on how to get the best from your Strat, be it a budget Chinese Squier or the best the Corona Custom shop can deliver. With step-by-step guidance and clear colour photographs, subjects include changing pickups, adjusting a truss rod and understanding some great stage rigs.

Ten case studies examine in detail everything from a '54 US-built Classic to Indonesian, Japanese, Mexican and Chinese variants. Hank Marvin supplies a foreword and there are Tech Tip contributions from Eric Clapton's and Mark Knopfler's Guitar technicians as well as highly respected Guitar specialists John Diggins and Andy Gibson.

Special Features:

* Buying a 'Strat', used and new options, pitfalls, authenticity issues, getting the right 'Strat' for the job.

* Pre-gig checks, tuning, stageside repairs.

* Routine maintenance and servicing.

* Set-ups and careful 'customising'.

* Safety, electric shocks, hearing damage, paint spray hazards, repetitive strain injury.

* Dimensions and weights, buying spares, model identification.

* How the pros set up their 'Strats' and related hardware.

In Stock
All products on our website are in stock unless shown as 'Call 08452222603 To Order', this means we can deliver your order to you very quickly, subject to payment authorisation. The next dispatch date is shown against each product, and below is an indication of when you can expect your purchase.

All Guitars are Checked Before Dispatch
All Guitars go through our 12 point checking procedure to make sure that it passes our standards before shipping. This helps ensure your guitar will reach you in perfect condition. All guitars are checked against our 12 point check list and once passed, have a Guitarbitz quality control sticker attached. In addition to this we want to ensure that no harm can come to your guitar on the journey between us and you and so we have a rigorous packing procedure involving multiple protective layers. If you notice that this packaging is damaged when delivered by our courier, it is important to check the goods and if damaged, refuse the delivery and call us immediately. For your peace of mind, we have outlined the 12 point check below to show how we are passionate about your instrument.

1) Finish checked for imperfections or damage	2) Strings tuned up and tested for tone and playability	3) Neck checked for bending or humps
4)  Truss rod adjusted for correct positioning	5) Frets examined for playability	6) Bridge checked for position and hold on strings
7) Strap buttons tested for secure fitting	8) Neck joint examined	9) Machine heads turned and tested for secure grip on strings
10) Nut tested for secure fitting and correct string height	11) Switches, volume and tone controls tested for faulty connections	12) Pickups checked for responsiveness

For more details on our checking and packing procedure, please see our 12 Point Check and Packing Procedures page.

When You Will Receive your Order

Guitar accessories - strings, straps, stands, tuners and other small items
• Orders weighing less than 2kg are posted via First Class Royal Mail on the dispatch date shown.
• Orders weighing less than 2kg with a value over £30 will be sent First Class Royal Mail Recorded Delivery on the dispatch date shown.
• We cannot guarantee a delivery date for these orders, but First Class post usually takes 1-2 days.

Guitars, Amplifiers and larger items
• Orders weighing over 2kg are sent via our next working day courier service.

Interlink Express Courier Delivery
The Home Delivery Service You Have Been Waiting For. Interlink Express will provide you with a one hour delivery window so you don’t have to wait in all day for your parcel.

When Interlink Express deliver:
• You are given a one hour delivery window
• You are notified of this by email on the morning of delivery
• If not convenient you can use the email to change the delivery date

International Deliveries
We can deliver to the following European countries,
• Zone 1 - Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Spain - £15 (including TAX) per order.
• Zone 2 - Finland, Portugal and Sweden - £25 (including TAX) per order.
• Zone 3 - Switzerland and Norway - £50 (excluding TAX) per order.
Please note that we can only deliver international orders to the billing address of the credit card used. These orders typically take 3-5 working days to be delivered, you can still track your orders via the Internet in the same way.