[Huey]

yo man, welcome to the boards. This could be a subjuctive thread. Ask 5 times and get five different answers.

I like #3.

The Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster is, of course, great for blues, R&B and a bit of classic rock. Other strats, like an older American Std with 50's Fat Strat pups or a 62' Strat with Lindy Fralins and the tone from this guitar is at least equal with the added advantage of greater tonal variations with the S1 switching. Try it with a reissue Deluxe with a Carl Martin Hot n Boost pedal, and you fall in love. Also this makes for a light weight, compact rig that delivers all the tones.

Also, I'll mention Good sustain and bright (opted for the maple fretboard). If a darker tone is needed you may want a 2nd (or3rd :P) strat but you can more than likely tweak the settings on the guitar. As most of us know, there is a broad variance in tone from strat to strat (ie rosewood fretboart vs maple) but this guitar makes it quite easy to cover the spectrum. I played it through a twin, hot rod deluxe and a Mesa Boogie Lonestar. The guitar performed well with all though I'm partial to the blackface deluxe. I read very mixed comments regarding the new pickups on this guitar but honestly I don't find a problem.

Good Luck!