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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 11:20 am
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I have a '01 Powerhouse Deluxe Strat. Didn't really know what it was when I bought it, but I loved the color - Lake Placid Blue. The color and the price are what made me buy it. I paid $450 with a Fender hardshell case for it, new in the store in July 2002. I had a lot of problems with the neck - could not get it adjusted so it wouldn't buzz. Finally got it replaced by Fender because it was twisted - took months. Still wasn't happy with it, so I started the inevitable mods, but the right ones. I found a Deluxe Players Strat that I just loved the neck on - 12" radius instead of the Powerhouse 9 1/2", still Mexican made and had the exact same "Deluxe Series" sticker on the headstock as my guitar. Bought the Player's Strat, switched the necks, tuners, etc. and sold the Players Strat on eBay - made $25.00. Then I changed the pickups - first to 57/62 pickups (how can they be both a 57 and 62?) - didn't like them, very brittle, kept the Powerhouse system. Then to 54 Custom Shop pickups - sounded great, kept the Powerhouse system. Then to Bill Lawrence noisless pickups without the Powerhouse system (new pickguard), but a blender pot to allow all three pickups at once or Tele style with bridge and neck. Sounded good, but I missed the 54 Custom Shops and the Powerhouse. (I also acquired a Tele, so I didn't need the blender). Bought another set of 54 Custom Shops and put the original Powerhouse system back in with some RS Guitarworks pots. Sounds fantastic and I will not change them for the life of the guitar - period. Next I worked on the bridge and trem unit. Unfortunately, Fender does shortcut some things with the Mexican made Strats - one of them is the trem block. Recently they have upgraded the trem block on both the US made guitars and the Mexican made ones. The one in mine sounded like it was made of lead. No sustain, notes would not bloom, horrible overtones, just an inferior product. I read about trem blocks from Callaham - high quality, cold rolled steel blocks and saddles - and then heard of a guy in California by the name of Michael DeTemple - check him out. He makes fantastic high-end premium guitars by hand, maybe 5 or 10 a year and they are works of art (also $5,000 +). DeTemple also makes trem blocks and saddles from Titanium. Titanium is lighter and stronger than steel (and, of course, more expensive), but transmits more of the string vibration energy through the guitar to the pickups - or so DeTemple's ads claim. His trem block setup will also trim 1/4 pound off the weight of your guitar which makes a difference if your'e playing a two hour set. Anyway, I called the number and Michael DeTemple answered the phone! Talked with me for about a half hour about my guitar, Strats in general and Teles. Cool guy and very knowledgeable, so I ordered one of his Titanium trem block assemblies with Titanium saddles ($360.00!) and installed it...AMAZING!!!!! Nothing else I did to the guitar made as much difference as that trem/saddle set. Notes jumped off the guitar and bloomed, definition was unbelievable, overtones and harmonics and a full sound that was 100% Stratocaster. If I had started there, I may not have ever changed anything else about the guitar. Yes, by this time I had spent as much as if I had bought a US made Strat, but this one is Lake Placid Blue, plays better, has a 12" radius neck and the Powerhouse system which I have come to realize is one of the greatest pickup systems Fender has come up with - and now it's gone, no longer available new! It really is far superior to the SCN system currently available - better sound and easier to work with. Besides being a noiseless system (and it really works), the ability to boost the signal ala the Clapton Strat (12dB on the Powerhouse vs. 25 dB on the Clapton) opens up tonal possibilities that most people never realize. A lot of people love the tone of a Strat and I'm one of them, but certain songs require the humbucking tone of that G guitar that Mr. Paul endorsed. Not everyone wants to have to schlepp a Strat and a LP to every gig (a lot don't have that luxury), but want to be able to get those tones. The Powerhouse can get really close if you know how to work it. One guitar to cover all the bases, no switching in the middle of a set. Bottom line, I have played literally hundreds of Strats - I travel for my job and have visited 29 Guitar Centers to date - the U.S. guitars ARE better made. There IS a difference. However, for the price, the Deluxe Mexican made guitars rival the US made guitars in quality, sound and workmanship and the standard Mexican guitars are very well made and finished and provide a great value for the dollar. Not everyone would want (or afford) to make the modifications that I have to their guitars, but if you take your time, find exactly what you want and play it to be sure it sounds the way you want it to sound, the Mexican made Strats offer a great value. If you decide you want to upgrade at a later date, the sky is the limit to what you can do and these guitars are a fantastic starting point. I will never, ever, ever get rid of my MIM Strat.


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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 6:35 am
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FarmerMan wrote:
but for now, check out this one.....
Image

haha for a moment I was wondering where are the pickups :P

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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:21 am
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My mexican is a 95 squire series it has the black Fender logo on the headstoc with Squire at the top of the headstock in small letters. Serial number Mn588147, this has to be one of the best Strats Ive ever owned. Its olympic white that has aged so nice the neck has also yellowed perfectly. I was told that these strats were all american parts but were assembled in Mexico. If this is true it would acount for why this is so awsome. Does anyone know if this is true? All I know is I prefer this one to my highway one strat.


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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 10:49 am
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Just got mine yesterday: 2000 Standard Sunburst, almost identical to my MIM Tele (like my avavtar)

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Post subject: Re: The MIM Strat owners club!!
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 4:35 pm
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bluestube wrote:
after Miami Mikes suggestion of making a Mexico Strat users club i have now done it!!

so what MIM strat do you own, and wath are your toughts about it?

im the proud owner of an 2006 Sunburst Strat with RW-freatboard
bought it last summer absolutely love it!!

I Can't believe I've missed this thread all this time!!

I have -

2004 Deluxe Players Strat in Saphire Blue. It's a Great Versatile Workhorse with three Vintage Noisless P-U's and 7 different P-u settings.

2005 Red with White Polka Dot Buddy Guy Signature Stratocaster

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Post subject:
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 5:02 pm
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Here they Are...
ImageImage
...........................................Buddy.................................................and..........................................Blue..........................................

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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 6:57 pm
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dunno if anyone is going to read this but anyway....

i have a 70s ri mex srat 3 tone sunburst rosewood neck.

i like it because it has a big headstock and vintage frets and sss and it has a jimi hendrix vibe.

i'm thingking of upgrading the pickups to scn pickups tho.

blah...
can't wait for new years. i'm going camping with mates for 4 days.

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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 7:16 pm
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excess wrote:
dunno if anyone is going to read this but anyway....

i have a 70s ri mex srat 3 tone sunburst rosewood neck.

i like it because it has a big headstock and vintage frets and sss and it has a jimi hendrix vibe.

i'm thingking of upgrading the pickups to scn pickups tho.

blah...
can't wait for new years. i'm going camping with mates for 4 days.


Do you have any pictures of that guitar? would love to see it!..

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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 7:21 pm
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Location: New Zealand
bluestube wrote:
excess wrote:
dunno if anyone is going to read this but anyway....

i have a 70s ri mex srat 3 tone sunburst rosewood neck.

i like it because it has a big headstock and vintage frets and sss and it has a jimi hendrix vibe.

i'm thingking of upgrading the pickups to scn pickups tho.

blah...
can't wait for new years. i'm going camping with mates for 4 days.


Do you have any pictures of that guitar? would love to see it!..


na :( i dont have a digital camera. but my mate has a real good one, i might try and get around to get some picture someday

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Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2008 7:24 pm
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Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:47 am
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logan57 wrote:
My mexican is a 95 squire series it has the black Fender logo on the headstoc with Squire at the top of the headstock in small letters. Serial number Mn588147, this has to be one of the best Strats Ive ever owned. Its olympic white that has aged so nice the neck has also yellowed perfectly. I was told that these strats were all american parts but were assembled in Mexico. If this is true it would acount for why this is so awsome. Does anyone know if this is true? All I know is I prefer this one to my highway one strat.


Hiya Logan. I own one too, it used to be exactly the same as yours. Now all thats left is the neck :D .
I was told the same as you about the parts, at the time fender mexico weren't making necks. The body and pickups were made in mexico i think. The bridge and tuners are squire and the pickups maybe too.
Dont let that fool you though, the guitar is fender. It says fender squire series, not squire squire series. Also the guitar dater site confirms it to be fender, as does fenders rudimetary guitar dater.

Love mine too, it gets more play than anything else i own, including the stereo, tv and 57 hotrod.

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Post subject: MIM Fat Strat
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:19 pm
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Picked one up a month ago.Talk about a sweet playing guitar set up was perfect when i picked it up from guitar center.Payed 323.00 USD for this Strat.I can't get over the action on this guitar for a little over 300.00.The tone is great although i'm replacing the bridge pickup today with a Lace sensor Red/Silver the mid single and neck single sound fantastic.Wouldn't even consider replacing them. After the install of the Lace pickup i belive this guitar will sound as good as my American traditional stratl.That i payed close to $900.00 for.And the MIM plays easier.The resale on the traditional is better it will go up in price.For a players guitar you just can't beat the MIM strat. All Props to Fender for these high value guitars.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 12:51 pm
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I own a Classic Series 60s reissue in Lake Placid Blue. :D Only mod I plan on doing is some 57/62 pickups.


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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 2:16 pm
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Quote:
I own a Classic Series 60s reissue in Lake Placid Blue. Very Happy Only mod I plan on doing is some 57/62 pickups.


I thought long and hard about buying a Lake Placid Blue Classic Series 60s Strat. There was a Surf Green Classic 50s hanging on the wall next to it and I went back and forth over which one to buy. They're both very cool looking guitars in two of my all time favorite Fender colors. I bought the Surf Green, upgraded it with SCN pickups and it sounds as good as it looks now.

That Lake Placid Blue 60s still calls to me, though. I wonder if it's still there... :D

John


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 6:16 pm
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Location: New Britain, CT.
Just purchased a used 07 MIM Artic White Standard Strat like new for $300, Man this thing is a beauty, My Schecter won't be getting much play time with my Fender now here.

I'll try to get some pics here when I get some time..


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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:47 pm
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Wild_Rose wrote:
FarmerMan wrote:
but for now, check out this one.....
Image

haha for a moment I was wondering where are the pickups :P


That would be cool, a Strat with hidden Pickups.
If anyone wants to know where to get the pickguard like this, email me and I will let you know. They have this kind and the s/s/s/ configuration, loaded and just the pickguard, the loaded come with killer pickups and the single Humbucker has coil splitting vol. knob and is wired that way. The s/s/s has mini humbuckers so you dont get the 60 cycle hum with a 3 single coil config with a big sound, and they are very reasonable. Killer upgrade to your strat, holes line up perfectly, I didnt have to do any drilling or routing of anykind, this is my 06 MIM Strat.

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