I called Fender Customer Relations the other day to ask about an '08 American Deluxe Tele I'd just bought.

The Rep told me the entire line would be discontinued. I've 3, an '07 Strat, '09 P-bass and now this '08 Tele. They're all phenominal. Don't understand but he told me the reasoning and any replacement line is still a company secret.

A few days later I got the latest Musiciansfriend catalog in the mail and saw the newest Fender ad. Introduced the American Special for 8 hunerd and the new pricing on the Standard, back to a grand.

Surprised I've not been able to find a thread on this. Have I just searched poorly and is this now old news?

Curious of thoughts or a link to an exsisting thread.

Well this is the first I am hearing about it and am totally shocked. I think the Deluxe is just an amazing ax and cant see the reasoning for dropping it. This year was the first I bought a new Fender in 7 years and picked up a new Tele Deluxe in cherry burst with S-1 switching and I felt Fender raised there game a notch that I had to get a Strat Deluxe to. If this is true it would be hard to believe that sales were poor. In any case at least I an
m set in this department and maybe they have something even more wicked to unleash. But after seeing the American Special I hope they are not taking a step back as that ax does nothing for me and was a letdown.

First I've heard of it. Mind you if they are and you have a deluxe I'd hang on to it as a family heirloom. Betcha they'll be a good long term investment.

At the very most, I'd say the line is probably getting some serious over-haul. Since the late 80's, Fender hasn't gone wrong delivering a line of guitars and basses a cut above the rest of the line-up.

It's been 13 years since the last major over-haul over the plus, plus deluxe and ultra line, I'd say it's over due.

I wouldnt go believing that the line is going to disapear entirely, it's just a case of "watch this space"

I wonder what will be next?

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You gotta be joking!

I bet it's more of a renaming thing. 2007 (or '08?) the American Series was renamed American Standard. They did a couple of little changes to the line at that time - but essentially it's the same guitar.

I shall publically eat this hat [holds up a large and untasty looking hat] if there does not continue to be a premium production line model above the American Standard with all those swanky little extra features we associate with the Deluxe.

If they start calling it something else, well never mind...

Cheers - C

The guys at my local guitar shop (Redbone Guitar Boutique in San Antonio) mentioned to me right after NAMM that the American Deluxe was being discontinued. So maybe it is.

However, it still appears in the 2010 Fender Frontline catalog. So maybe it's not.

However however, the Frontline catalog also has a little chart to help you choose which guitar is right for you. The chart contains information on Standard, American Special and American Standard. It omits American Deluxe and Highway One (which also appears elsewhere in the catalog). So maybe the AmDlx is being discontinued after all.

The American Special is being touted as a "guitar for the times"--presumably a reference to the depressed economy. Maybe they're scaling back for a while.

It is indeed a mystery.

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I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

Got mine so I'm really quite pleased its going away.

Its going to be replaced with something, they wont leave that niche unfilled.

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No no and no

the Special is alright from what ive seen but i should think they must have another series to introduce as a replacement besides the Special because the Deluxe was the name suggests the Luxurious one...
i hope so anyway, also whilst we're here the the Deluxe series replace Strat Plus series? its just both are kind of special and have things like the S1 system and such

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A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski~

I better raise some cash quick, before the price of a used deluxe, start to go up. been lookin' for the past year, missed out on a 2004 50th. anniv. deluxe strat $900. tobacco-burst, didn't want to trade up my A.S sienna-burst, as its lite weight is well under any others I have played/tried, plus the fact of limited income this past year. , over 1700 men laid off in my local union. I'm sure the next model will be great too! To a better year with more gear for all. dutch

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2012 American Vintage Telecaster 1958
09 Fender american deluxe strat.
97 Gibson les paul special P90's double-cut
65 Princeton reverb re-issue
2010 Guild Gad-F40e

The Am Dlx bass line has been gradually disappearing for ages.

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Rated "M" for meaty.

Got my 06/07 ? aged cherry burst AM dlx so im glad i have. Intended to use the other strat mostly but i seem to leave that guitar in the deluxes case and always reach for the mia.

Love that strat.

I think it would be a shame if they discontinued the American deluxe.

I am so happy I got my hss qmt last year!!

I think they will have a similar offering though just called something else. if it was true and you wanted/needed something better than an american standard, it would be just the excuse you need to just buy a custom shop model

They'll come up with a comparable offering. There will always be a market for a guitar of that quality. Adds a little mystery wondering what it might be....... Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

I'd guess everyone knows this by now, but since I started this figured I'd comment. Looks like no one has to eat their hat and those who stowed them away can once again play.

From the Strat description in the products page, similar verbage with the Tele and Bass;

...Fender’s new American Deluxe Stratocaster® has...compound radius fretboard (9-1/2" at the nut, 12" at the 12th fret, and 14" at the 15th fret)...new N3 noiseless pickups ...Reconfigured S-1 switching ...

looks like some of the color options have changed as well

Long as we're at it, here's my American Deluxes, how about showing yours.

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