I have what I think is an odd strat...

It's a '95 MIM strat with the small "squire series" logo on the ball of the headstock. What I find odd is that it came stock in an HSS configuration with a Floyd Rose II tremelo and a micro-adjuster for the neck.

I had heard that these "squire series" MIM's were basically MIM strats with cheaper electronics but I have seen other '95 MIM's (non-squire series) that did not have all of these "deluxe" options.

Has anyone seen similar builds?

I have a 96 MIM Black Fender logo also, although the Squire Series logo must have been taken off. Black basswood body or poplar, maple neck, vintage frets. There's US PUs in it, I had to change the crappy tuners and saddles but the neck felt great, it now play and sound great. Fender only made those MIM for a few years in the late 90's. I've seen a few of those and lots of them have different configurations. Some have 1 ply pickguard, mine has 3. They arent so many of those around for sale, I guess because they never made that many to begin with.

double post

got one too. its my number one guitar, despite every other guitar i own costing way more. Its now modded with a new body and pickups. I've often heard complaints about the tuners but never had any problems myself. Even when i bought the thing 13 odd years ago i remember trying out several guitars (20+) and finding my squire series the most playable in the shop entirely down to the smaller width neck and well rounded frets. What i find unusual about the guitar is the neck shape. I was of the opinion of it being a generic shape, after com parison to several C shaped necks and my hotrods soft V shaped neck, i believe its somewhere inbetween a C and U shape.
Wanna sell it, let me know.

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Marking on the sticker of the neck heel says D shape. I agree, the neck on it feels better than quite a few strats I have tried. A great player under $200.

A lot of good points listed to help you figure it out. Just a thought, that maybe it was a predecessor of what was to become a HRR strat. A pic of the pickguard, and any markings in the neck pocket could help. Atolleter has a point about the different configs, basswood, vintage frets, etc. If it's what I think it is you definately have a keeper on your hands. Officially I think they stopped doing that configuration in 95'.

You guys are making me want to play your guitars.

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explorationx

Here are some pics

Interesting, mine has the black Fender logo, 3 knobs and 3 single coil PUs . I dont have the micro tilt but I had the same tuners. My serial is MN6129852 which checks to be 96-97.

I like the color, vintage white?

I'm starting to believe that during that period Fender has some leftover parts

dunno whether it was leftover parts or what, that kind of talk can stir up trouble here.
Mine was the same arctic white, single ply scratchplate, 3 singlecoils and a mexican take on the vintage trem. I cant remember seeing a floyd equipped one when i bought mine and i was in the biggest guitar showroom in europe. If i'd seen a floyd job i'd have bought it at that time

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Did yours have the micro tilt? That was the part I found to be more surprising than the Floyd... I've seen a bunch of non squire series MIM strats from that same year and I haven't seen another micro-tilt (I don't even know if the current MIMs offer it).

No micro tilt. mines black logo'd too, MN58xxx serial no'.

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Can't be a predecessor the HRR(MIJ Floyd Rose Strat). The MIJ Floyd Rose Stratocaster and MIJ Floyd Rose Squier were discontinued in the mid 90s.

My best guess is it's a predecessor for the MIM Floyd Rose Strats which Fender began manufacturing when the MIJ Floyd Rose Strats were discontinued. I've read that the Squiers from that era were better quality than the squiers they make today. So they probably simply stopped printing "Squier" on the headstock.

As far as the pick up and knob configuration. It's identical to the MIJ Floyd
Rose Squier. Also known for being superior to modern Squiers.

I would say "rare" is a good word for describing this guitar.

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HRR 50's Floyd Rose (2Tone Sunburst)
HRR 50's Floyd Rose (Crimson Fotoflame)
HRR 60's Floyd Rose (Custom Brown Fotoflame)
HRR 50's Floyd Rose (Daphne Blue)

Really nice guitar, it looks wayyyyyyy cool, I haven't seen a MIM like that before congrats!!

Their all quite rare. Some years back i approached several notable uk sources for info on mine and got the reply 'never seen one' from all of them.

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