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The VG is unquestionably the most forward-looking Stratocaster since Fender launched the model in 1954. Yet aside from one extra knob and a sliver of discrete electronic augmentation in front of the bridge, it could be the same guitar that first appeared all those years ago. Fender - perhaps more than any other musical instrument company - knows that guitar players tend to like things just as they were.

Japanese electronics giant Roland - partnering Fender in this project - launched its first digital modelling guitar product, the VG-8, back in 1995. However, this innovative technology was a complex and expensive piece of kit.

Digital modelling became mainstream for guitarists largely because of Line 6. Slowly the company found its mark and the POD - the world's first 'desktop modeller' - revolutionised the way we recorded guitars.

Line 6 went further in 2002 and unveiled Variax: the world's first digital modelling guitar that recreated the sounds of numerous electric and acoustic instruments. Fast-forward to 2007 and Fender join the digital march with the VG Stratocaster.

In terms of the instrument itself, the VG is essentially an American Series Strat. The VG employs a two-piece alder body, with a maple neck and either rosewood or maple fingerboard. The neck's satin polyurethane finish is kept natural and looks a little anaemic, but the three-tone burst to the face of the guitar is rich and flawless, even if the back and sides here are all black.

We get generous fretwire, dual-height enclosed tuners and the two-post vibrato is distinctive with its large, rectangular, powdered stainless steel saddles. It's a good yet substantial weight, the set-up is immaculate, and details like the rolled fingerboard edges prove that Fender takes great care with its instruments.

Along with the three single-coils we get a Roland 'VG pickup' (basically Roland's GK divided pickup) close to the bridge. It's these two systems that are the heart of the guitar: the standard magnetic pickups allow the guitar to function as an 'analogue' Strat; the VG pickup takes care of digital modelling.

Instead of a second tone control, two smaller knobs control mode and tuning. The mode control starts with normal mode (indicated by N on the knob) in which the magnetic pickups are selected and the electronics function as normal, even when the batteries are spent.

The other four positions on the mode control are fed from the VG pickup and are modelled sounds. First up is modelled Stratocaster (S). Next is modelled Telecaster (T), the fourth position is humbucking pickups (H) - on these two settings the five-way acts like a three-way pickup selector switch so you get three sounds: bridge, both and neck. Finally acoustic (A) has five sounds simply referred to as Acoustic 1-5. On this setting the master tone acts as a reverb control.