Purely hypothetical... Fender strarted making ONLY the 1954 Strat again... Perfect copy.

When did they start expanding the product line?

I think they should add a new model and call it "The Original" and have it be a dead copy of the 1st batch of 1954 Strats... Ash, Maple, 2 tone SB, etc. This should definately be offered... this was the guitar that started it all and is still basically what everything is based on today... why not offer "The Original"

Doesn't CS do that already ? you can ask CS to build you one or its easier just to steal orvilles 1954 hahahahahhahahahahahahahaha sorry orville

Sure, ha ha ha, very funny.



Fender started expanding the Stratocaster line in 1979.

The Telecaster line already had a few different versions.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

The Telecaster line always had variations, or at least from near the beginning.

Tele/Esquire. The esquire was originally available in single or dual pick up variations.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

[quote="davidos"]When did they start expanding the product line?


It depends on your definition of 'expanding'. I have a personal recollection from the catalog of 1958 that they were already making a hardtail, a lefty, starting custom colors, had a gold hardware option. You can find it all in 'The Stratocaster Chronicles' which is required reading 'round these here parts. Also...A.R.Duchossoir's paper back.

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"Another day in paradise!"

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Your Fender HSS Standard Stratocaster in Electron Blue was made at the Fender Ensenada Plant in Mexico in the Year: 2008.
Final Assembly Date: July 30th, 2008
Model Number: 013 4700 587
Serial # MZ8031252

ya sure... it would make it sound a bit better.

it is a better strat.

Hi davidos: well if you literally mean the first batch then I'm not sure I would want an exact replica, no.

They were still working on certain aspects of their production techniques and those early Strats can be very variable in their features. Ask Orvilleowner how the strings sit on the fingerboard of his '54, for instance.

I'd sooner have an exact replica of something like a '56 or a '57 - when many (more expert than myself) feel the instrument reached it's first high point.

Mind you, I prefer the five-way switch on my modern American Strat. And the rolled fingerboard edges. And the back of the neck. And the nut-end trussrod adjuster. And the 9.5 fingerboard radius. And the modern finish. And the two-point trem. And the more reliable capacitor. And the bigger frets. And the staggered tuner poles. And...

Hmm. I might stick to my modern Strat after all. You can have the replica!

Cheers - C

The romantic in me hankers for the days of less choice within model, simply because of woolimindedness.
Its never going to happen. CBS then FMIC took the most appealing electric guitar in the world and made it appeal to more players. You can say whatever about QC under CBS. I wont argue, i dont know enough of 65-82 guitars to form an opinion. However i will always be greatful to CBS for making more options available.

On a purely hypothetical level, i think FMIC could benefit the strat by focusing all the upgrades and improvements into one model. The deluxe, ultra and plus all touched on it, but all seem to lack something one of the other three has.

Suppose thats called sales/business sense.

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No no and no

Different strokes for different folks, I'd say. To pick up on Ceri's observations, Alain has a dimed '58 the Custom Shop offered some years back which they called "Buddy"....likely after the 4/58 Holly guitar they restored. You can search out his pics and find it. As I've said before, that's precisely what I had at the start, and then, after 10 years, made the dumb move to send it to CBS-Fender in 1969 to restore it to looking like that again.

Doc

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I believe the "market" would agree that the 1957 Strat is the most desireable year. Those commanded the highest prices of any non-celebrity-owned Strats. And still do, I believe.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Likely the reason they chose for the "Road Worn" series. Makes me wonder why they didn't carry that sharper V-neck as an option for certain later models instead of the softer version they have on the JV and the MIA Deluxe. Certainly has always been my preference.

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In a direct answer to your question, if I was in the market for a brand new Strat for whatever reason and I only had that one choice, the answer is yes and I'd modify it as my requirements dictated.

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You dig?

See, if they were going to do that Forum guitar, on order, they should use the Road Worn '57 and '62 as the platforms and give us the option of ordering one or the other.

From what Brad had said about the shirts, it gave me the impression that FMIC feels there would not be an intense enough demand for the guitar to warrant their gearing up for it. If they can produce a one-off for a giveaway, they certainly could produce an on-demand Forum Strat.

Doc

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If they only made one model the prices would surely drop like a rock!

NBG