Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS - Overview and Best Prices

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Review
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  • From Fender's 2022 Aerodyne series
  • Made in Japan
  • 6 strings
  • 25.5"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Basswood body
  • Maple neck
  • Maple fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Fender Aerodyne Special Humbucking (Humbucker/Passive)
  • Middle pickup: Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • Neck pickup: Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster (Single Coil/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Bell knobs
  • 5-way Switch
  • Babicz Z-Series FCH-2 Point Trem bridge
  • Modern C Bolt-On neck
  • 22 Medium Jumbo frets
  • Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts) tuners
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Specifications
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS
General
Brand: Fender
Year: 2022
Configuration: HSS
Strings: 6
Made in: Japan
Series: Aerodyne
Colors: Green, Gray, Red Burst
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Basswood
Bridge: Babicz Z-Series FCH-2 Point Trem
Neck
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Tuners: Deluxe Cast/Sealed Locking (all short posts)
Fretboard: Maple
Neck Material: Maple
Decoration: Black Pearloid Dots
Scale Size: 25.5"
Shape: Modern C
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.82'' (20.8mm) - 12th Fret: 0.87'' (22.1mm)
Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 12"
Nut: Synthetic Bone
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Fender Aerodyne Special Humbucking (Humbucker / Passive)
Middle Pickup: Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Neck Pickup: Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster (Single Coil / Passive)
Switch: 5
Knobs: Bell
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No
Hardware Color: Chrome
Show Diagram
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS pickups switch selector and push knobs diagram
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's switch options

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 67
Sound 77
Build quality 67
Value for money 70
Overall Score 70
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS
  • Locking Tuners
  • Made in Japan
  • Synthetic Bone Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • No Expensive Woods
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $2200, which means that the Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS is around 40% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Tremolo bridge that are made in Japan.

User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

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Tuning stability

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Neck access to high frets

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Neck profile shape

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Fret edges

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Often Compared With

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's construction favors people with relatively small hands.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Videos

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS RW Dolphin Gray Metallic - Quick test
Exploring the Aerodyne Special Series Guitars | Fender
Aerodyne Series Review & Playthrough
Brand New MODERN Fender Line!! - Fender Aerodyne Stratocaster - Gear Demo
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster RW Chocolate Burst - Quick Test

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's 25.5" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Scale Length Comparison
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the same scale length used in Stratocaster guitars, and it's one of the main reasons they have such a bright sound. It's considered a long scale when compared to most non-baritone guitars.

Since the distance between bridge and nut is relatively long, you'll need to give the strings more tension to get them in tune. This higher tension will allow for a couple of things. First, you can get a lower action (get the strings closer to the fretboard) because the strings won't 'wiggle' too much when pluck and won't cause fret buzz. This can allow you to use lower tunings without increasing your string gauge, and it will make it easier to press down the strings fast.

However, the frets will also have a wider separation between each other, which can make it harder to play, especially if you got small hands. The higher tension will also make the strings feel stiffer, so bending will require more strength.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Neck Profile
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's neck thickness is approximately 0.82'' (20.8mm) at the first fret, and 0.87'' (22.1mm) at the twelfth.

These measurements were taken either from the official Fender website, or, in case this information wasn't provided, by researching multiple online marketplaces and forums where owners of this model have posted their measurements.

It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.

Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS has a 12" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's fretboard radius compared to others

This is the same radius that Gibson uses in most of their guitars. When compare to the other popular radius of Fender Stratocasters, you can see that it's a lot flatter. Guitars with this radius are usually made to bring a good balance between single-note and chord playing.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
D Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
20'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.65'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
V Neck Profile
1.65'' Nut Width
9.5'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Nut Width
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Nut Width

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS has a nut width of 43mm (1.693''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Frets

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS has 22 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.

However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS Fret Size Comparison
Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's frets are Medium Jumbo size. These sit somewhere between a Jumbo and a Medium fret. They're not quite as tall as a full Jumbo, so you'll still feel the fretboard, but you won't feel it as much as with medium frets. This is a good size if you want to make it easy to press the strings but would also like a little bit of ''feedback'' to know when to stop pressing so the notes don't go out of pitch.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 70
Chord Playability 60
Solo Playability 70
Playability 67

Tone

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Basswood wood pattern used for guitar building
Basswood Body
Maple wood pattern used for guitar building
Maple Neck, Fretboard

Basswood Body: This is a soft type of wood that is very light and easy to work with. It's cheaper than many other kinds of wood used for guitar building, but it doesn't mean it's low quality. In terms of sound, it accentuates the mid-range, which matches the frequencies that a Humbucker produces.

Maple Neck and Fretboard: This is one of the most popular types of wood used in all kinds of guitars. It's heavy, strong and compact, which makes it great for necks. However, it's also used for fretboards, bodies and tops due to its light color, resistance and beautiful patterns. When it comes to tone, it highlights the mid and high frequencies.

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Fender. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS's configuration is HSS. If you play a lot with humbuckers in the bridge position, but would also love to have pristine cleans, this is a great configuration to have. The bridge humbucker will give you tons of output for playing distorted rhythm parts, while the single coils will give you a lot of tone options.

More with the same pickups

22 Frets
Tremolo Bridge
Fender Aerodyne Special Humbucking Bridge Pickup
Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster Middle Pickup
Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster Neck Pickup
22 Frets
Tremolo Bridge
Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster Bridge Pickup
Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster Middle Pickup
Fender Aerodyne Special Single-Coil Stratocaster Neck Pickup

Versatility

It gives you a good amount of tone options with its 5-way switch. You can use it to choose at least 5 different pickup combinations.

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with HSS configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Hard Rock or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 90
Sustain 70
Versatility 72
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 77

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS is made in Japan. You should expect a high-quality guitar with excellent quality control. It can be compared to guitars made in the US, which is why they're also expensive.

Bridge

Babicz Z-Series FCH-2 Point Trem: This type of bridge allows you to change the pitch of the notes by pulling the bridge with the attached bar, which gives you better versatility. Also, since the bridge is not fixed to the guitar body, the bridge will move as you bend the strings. So you'll have to increase the distance of your bends to reach the same tension (note) compared to a fixed bridge. This allows you to perform smoother bends but will also make you slower. Finally, remember that this type of bridge requires a bit more maintenance than fixed ones, especially when changing strings.

More with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Fender Aerodyne Special Stratocaster HSS has a Synthetic Bone nut. One of the best nuts you can have is a Bone nut thanks to their rich tonality and resistance. The problem is that they're a natural material, so different bone nuts will have inconsistent tonal properties. In other words, one bone nut might not sound as well as the other even when they're made from the same piece. Synthetic bone helps with this by giving you a high-quality, consistent nut that resembles the tone produced by bone.

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Bolt-On neck joint. Even though this type of neck was looked down upon for a long time, nowadays bolt-on necks are well built and provide just as much sustain as any other join method. First of all, it's cheap to make because it consists of simply 4 bolts that attach the neck to the body. And you can travel with the guitar more easily, swap out the neck if you damage it, or upgrade to a more comfortable neck later on.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 51
Features 65
Quality Control 85
Build Quality 67