It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:49 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 4:49 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:38 am
Posts: 6
Location: Mpls/St.paul,Minn.
What year was the 1st for the "swimming pool route",on the American Strat? Was it '97,'98',or '99?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 6:40 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:49 pm
Posts: 838
morc wrote:
What year was the 1st for the "swimming pool route",on the American Strat? Was it '97,'98',or '99?

I think the answer may be "none of the above" but I'm no expert. Perhaps this thread will be helpful: http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=67555

Cheers!
BM

_________________
This is the Blues. Are you listening?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 7:32 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
Bluer Monkey wrote:
morc wrote:
What year was the 1st for the "swimming pool route",on the American Strat? Was it '97,'98',or '99?

I think the answer may be "none of the above" but I'm no expert. Perhaps this thread will be helpful: http://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=67555

Cheers!
BM


The answer is "none of the above"; the first year for the swimming pool rout is the first year they were made - so I think we've narrowed it down to the first American Standard Strat bodies being made in late 1986, ahead of the official introduction of the series at the January 1987 NAMM show.

The dates morc has are pretty close to when Fender stopped using the swimming pool rout - that first happened on the American Deluxes, which came out in early 1998 using the HSH routing. Then over the course of the following 12-18 months they "phased in" the HSH routing on American Standards, so that by the end of 1999 all American Standards were using the HSH.

I think it was based on the number of stockpiled bodies - as they used up all the bodies on hand in a specific color that had the swimming pool rout the next batch would have the HSH rout. And any new colors introduced after they began the transition would have the HSH rout instead of the swimming pool rout.

EDIT: Oops :oops: - typed "Bluer Monkey" instead of "morc" above.


Last edited by John C on Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:07 am, edited 2 times in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2016 5:34 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:38 am
Posts: 6
Location: Mpls/St.paul,Minn.
Oh,ok. I guess I was way off,by a few years,& then some. But,thanks for the update. Much appreciated!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 7:29 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:47 am
Posts: 1256
I have a 96 strat plus which has the swimming pool route.

I'm not sure if the plus would have been routed differently then a standard,

the only difference was the pickups (lace sensors) and things like LSR roller nut and spertzel tuners.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:03 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
KidBlast wrote:
I have a 96 strat plus which has the swimming pool route.

I'm not sure if the plus would have been routed differently then a standard,

the only difference was the pickups (lace sensors) and things like LSR roller nut and spertzel tuners.


You are correct - the Strat Plus, Strat Plus Deluxe, and Strat Ultra were all routed the same as the American Standards of that era - the "swimming pool" rout. Since the Strat Plus/Plus Deluxe/Ultra were discontinued when the American Deluxe models came out in 1998 (circa March 1998) they were never converted to the HSH routing like the American Standards were (since American Standards lasted until mid-2000 when they were replaced by the "American Series" models).

Per Xhefri's site Fender still finished and shipped some Strat Plus/Plus Deluxe/Ultras as late as 1999 - I would assume they completed all orders placed before these were discontinued and also built out as many guitars as possible from the remaining parts left on hand.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 4:14 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:49 pm
Posts: 838
John C wrote:
... American Standards lasted until mid-2000 when they were replaced by the "American Series" models). ...
On a related but side note, when did the "American Standard" makes its appearance? Sometimes Fender's choice for names makes me wonder what someone was thinking when they went from American Standard, to American Series, then back to American Standard again. Then there's the ever confusing Limited Edition | Special Edition, Classic Series | Classic Player. If "Classic" is synonymous with vintage, then I don't know how a HH Strat can be part of a "Classic" series but maybe that's just me. :lol:

Cheers!
BM

_________________
This is the Blues. Are you listening?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 5:50 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
Bluer Monkey wrote:
John C wrote:
... American Standards lasted until mid-2000 when they were replaced by the "American Series" models). ...
On a related but side note, when did the "American Standard" makes its appearance? Sometimes Fender's choice for names makes me wonder what someone was thinking when they went from American Standard, to American Series, then back to American Standard again. Then there's the ever confusing Limited Edition | Special Edition, Classic Series | Classic Player. If "Classic" is synonymous with vintage, then I don't know how a HH Strat can be part of a "Classic" series but maybe that's just me. :lol:

Cheers!
BM


Ah yes - Marketing-speak fun!

I believe the story was that Fender had "made so many improvements that they didn't want to call them 'Standard' any more". But everyone still just called them "American Standards" anyway - so they brought back the name with the next major update (2008).

It makes you wonder with them renaming the American Deluxe the "American Elite".


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 10:24 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 8:50 pm
Posts: 4602
Location: ˚ɷ˚
I just think it's wrong to call any Fender Strat or Tele that has a bridge humbucker "standard", but they do that, so I guess it's a New Standard, like New Coke.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Thu Jan 21, 2016 2:05 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:49 pm
Posts: 838
arth1 wrote:
I just think it's wrong to call any Fender Strat or Tele that has a bridge humbucker "standard", ...
Ditto!

When I'm CEO for a day there will be some changes to model names. :-)

Cheers!
BM

_________________
This is the Blues. Are you listening?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Fender American Standard Strat's
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:03 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:57 am
Posts: 2238
Location: UK
Bluer Monkey wrote:
arth1 wrote:
I just think it's wrong to call any Fender Strat or Tele that has a bridge humbucker "standard", ...
Ditto!


Double ditto

_________________
John

After all this time I should be better.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: