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Post subject: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 8:08 am
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https://youtu.be/1MnylRaQC3w

I belive is special cause of head stock and jumbo frets and vintage six screw tremolo bridge...


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:23 am
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The headstock template seen at 2:49 is the best clue.
It's marked as HWY 1 & AM SPEC.

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:35 am
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American "Special" is special, because it is cheaper than a Standard. It's a bit of a misnomer in many respects as "Special" would suggest it is better. I guess "American Budget" is less likely to sell though.

They can also be limited runs, so I guess they are special in that respect as well.

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:00 am
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John Sims wrote:
American "Special" is special, because it is cheaper than a Standard. It's a bit of a misnomer in many respects as "Special" would suggest it is better. I guess "American Budget" is less likely to sell though.

They can also be limited runs, so I guess they are special in that respect as well.


I have a Special Stratocaster in candy apple red, and there's nothing "budget" on it, truly wonderfully built guitar... And I know some guys here that would agree...
Being cheaper doesn't mean a lot since it doesn't come with suitcase but gig bag, deduct the price of standard and they are really close in price around 100$ difference.

And the neck on Special is truly something special, to me at least...


Last edited by WaymoreProta on Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:03 am
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WaymoreProta wrote:
https://youtu.be/1MnylRaQC3w

I belive is special cause of head stock and jumbo frets and vintage six screw tremolo bridge...

So ,what's your point besides you know how to post vids?


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:05 am
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Minnesotastrats wrote:
WaymoreProta wrote:
https://youtu.be/1MnylRaQC3w

I belive is special cause of head stock and jumbo frets and vintage six screw tremolo bridge...

So ,what's your point besides you know how to post vids?


The point is, it's a nice inside into Fender building process...duh


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:21 pm
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WaymoreProta wrote:
I belive is special cause of head stock and jumbo frets and vintage six screw tremolo bridge...

Body and neck are Special, but there is some extra footage, too. E.g at about one minute, the tremolo under assembly is a two point trem.

Nice view - though the build speed just might be a cornucopia of jokes...


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:02 pm
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John Sims wrote:
I guess "American Budget" is less likely to sell though.


At FMIC, marketing hype is Job 1.

:lol:

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 3:38 pm
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WaymoreProta wrote:

I have a Special Stratocaster ...


So do I. I have an American Special Hardtail, one of 500 in last year's 10-15 run. Brilliant guitar, I wish I'd bought another one while I still could. It is/was special in so far as they only made 500....

But, there is a reason they are cheaper, and it isn't just the difference between a case or a gig bag.

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:39 pm
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I too have, and very much like my American Special....yeah, cheaper than a more expensive model, and, more expensive than a lower price model....go figure, "cheaper" is a relative term.

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:49 pm
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I'm not saying anything about the guitars, but selecting the "Special" name for the series was a wrong decision.
First there's the obvious: Standard above Special, really..? Not so long ago, American Specials were more expensive that American Series...

Then, think about what Specials used to be: "Instruments that span the bridge between traditional and modern technology, either in specifications, design or both."
At present, it's (just?) a mix between vintage (bridge, TexSpecials...) and modern (radius, headstock...) features, but a large part of the 'innovation test ground' character is missing.
Remember Strat-o-Sonics..?
:wink:


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 12:49 am
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Lenny1716 wrote:
I too have, and very much like my American Special....yeah, cheaper than a more expensive model, and, more expensive than a lower price model....go figure, "cheaper" is a relative term.


I think you will find Specials are the cheapest MiAs and cheaper than a good few MiMs. This might suggest a top end MiM is more special than a Special.

I have a theory that Specials might utilise components which which, while OK, and fit for purpose, aren't of a level of perfection appropriate for a Standard, or they get the apprentices to build them or something. Why do I say this? Well on my otherwise beautiful Hardtail the undercut of the neck at the 22 fret is obviously flawed. The sanding of the undercut has rounded the underside so at the top edge there is almost no material under the fret wire tail. It doesn't effect the way the guitar plays but when, as the player, you look down, you see this rather unsightly gap. I almost returned the guitar when I noticed it but, by then, was already in love.

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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 12:50 am
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jmattis wrote:
I'm not saying anything about the guitars, but selecting the "Special" name for the series was a wrong decision.
First there's the obvious: Standard above Special, really..? Not so long ago, American Specials were more expensive that American Series...

Then, think about what Specials used to be: "Instruments that span the bridge between traditional and modern technology, either in specifications, design or both."
At present, it's (just?) a mix between vintage (bridge, TexSpecials...) and modern (radius, headstock...) features, but a large part of the 'innovation test ground' character is missing.
Remember Strat-o-Sonics..?
:wink:


I hear what you're saying, but Fender called it American Special, an I personally don't have a problem with it, it's a great instrument, they even tried to stop making it cause it was undermining the sales of Standard, but they couldn't cause of demand in music stores around the world...
I don't get why you find it so bad that they called it Special, it is a Special, it's a mix of different decades of Stratocaster all mixed in one fine instrument...
And 1000$ guitar is hardly a "budget" guitar....


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 1:08 am
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Quote:
by then, was already in love.

Exactly!
I tried numerous Standards and fell for Special.

Also neck pocket is really snug and tight fit, as opposed to many Standards I've tried...

We can ask Fender if Hernandez and Aldo are apprenticst...
Image

Last fret gap seems nicely rounded and finished...

Image


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Post subject: Re: Making of American Special
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:00 am
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Although I've looked at a few, I hadn't seen this particular video, which - assuming no camera trickery - we all agree is a Special being built at Corona (the sticker on the scratchplate reads American Special Stratocaster). Why the 2-point trem appears at one point is odd, though.

I was interested in this as, on another thread, I'd questioned the origin of the body, and it's a bit more confirmation that the whole thing is indeed US-built. Yes, there are foreign bits, but the 'F' logo'd locking tuners on a Deluxe are foreign too!

Incidentally, my surf green Special's currently being refretted with 6130 wire. I can't quite get on with 6100 for lead playing above the 12th fret. I have a heavy/messy technique and the jumbo frets catch my fingers somewhat. I wouldn't say it's a huge problem but much prefer the AmStd wire if there's a choice - and there is!

Cheers - Peter.


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