I went into my local shop and saw the American Special Mahogany Strat HSS in Crimson Red Transparent yesterday, and it looks amazing. I love the look and the way it plays, but the guy at the store said it was a limited edition. Can anyone tell if this guitar is really a limited edition or if he is just giving me a sales pitch.

I couldn't find any info on this thing on the fender website and I don't know if i'm allowed to post a link to an online store with pictures, so if its not okay, just let me know and i'll take out the link.

http://www.music123.com/Fender-American ... 0.Music123

Looks great, probably a guitar that can't decide if it's a strat or a lp, probably get a little of each out of it, I have not played it, it could be the greatest thing going, for a grand you could also consider getting, a USA made SG (575 range) to get humbucker sounds and a standard strat (400 range) and have 2 quality guitars one a true single coil axe and one a true humbucker axe, just a thought,

Ray

Can't say as I have ever seen one like it.
That thing is a knock-out!
It looks legit to me, but then, I'm no expert.
I just play the darn things.
I'd say it looks worth the tag to me, though.

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There ain't no stupid questions...
But there are stupid answers.

it looks okay. if it plays well and you like the way it sounds it shouldnt matter. if it suits you than its YOUR guitar. besides fender always makes good quality. especiallly on that strat. its made in the usa so you cant really go wrong with that. even the mexican strats are good! go for it.

thanks for the help. and great suggestion about the gibson sg faded model. at 579 thats a great deal, but i already have one of the 400 mex strats, sonic blue with maple neck from '97, and i really wanted to go american with any guitar i go with. so now i'm really torn about which way to go between the SG and the mahogany strat. i'm gonna go to my shop and play the SG today and make up my mind.

out of curiosity, does anybody know if the 579 SG is an american handmade like a lot of the other gibson's?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=517222

I've played the SG at the music store and liked it a lot, very nice fret board, and nice weight and balance,I seriously considered it but in the end I decided on the es 335, here is my 2 cents and remember Im no expert, first if you like the sound of that Strat then by all means get it and play the hell out of it, but if you are looking for one tool to do two jobs you might end up being disappointed, if it does neither well, it might not give you the Strat sounds or the humbucker sounds you are looking for, play them all before you spend if you can

Good luck

Ray

Does it sound good? does it feel good? Its realy a question for yourself. customize! customize! customize!
Stick a PRS dragon pickup in the humbucker slot, a fender blue lace sensor in the top single coil slot and a fender silver lace sensor in the middle single coil slot! the sound will rock!
I like the coler but it might not look to hot with those lace sensors, there white!

Yeah, that's a very interesting piece of work. The classic Strat wood is Alder with Ash a second. Mahagony is usually Gibson's choice. No reason Fender can't use it too though. If you check out what Fender says about the woods, you'll see why they like Alder as a primary choice, but Mahogony has some different tonal qualities for a unique sound. Should be a really interesting and unique guitar, and you've got Texas Specials in the neck and mid plus the hot humbucker in the bridge for a lot of different tones. I play an Alder sss Highway One and love it. That should be a really interesting guitar.

I bought a Guitar center special mahogany crimson red strat with black headstock a few years ago.
it has all of the features found on an American Deluxe strat. Locking tuners. Roller nut. contoured heel for easier access to upper frets. I think it has the SCN pickups and S1 switch.. it is real quiet. sounds a little darker than a regular strat. seems a little heavier than a regular strat.
The neck is great. real smooth and fast. To me , it feels like an American Deluxe. finish is perfect. best feeling neck that I own.
keeping mine forever.

they feel a little bit more like a gibson to me...and seem to have a sound that's really not quite like a normal strat...personally I'd rather have the Alder or Ash body

Special edition delivers a hot humbucker at the bridge and a mahogany body! The American Special HSS guitar features three incredible-sounding Fender pickups: a Diamondback humbucker and two custom-staggered Tex-Mex single-coils. With the original Strat guitar body shape and tremolo bridge, it rocks with a traditional vibe and screams out modern sonics with the hot humbucker at the bridge. It has a fast, modern C-shape maple neck with rolled edges on the fretboard and 22 medium-jumbo frets. Crimson red transparent finish looks killer and highlights the mahogany wood grain. this is what guitarcenter.com has to say abaoute the guitar

Mmmmm I like Mahogany... But I love Koa (though it's just veneer on the strat)

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The only guy on FLF who plays reggae

here is a review of mahogany strat
When I bought it a few years ago, it was a Guitar center limited edition Deluxe strat. the serial number begins with a DZ5. That is the letters for a deluxe strat.

http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... ition/10/1

I bought one of these recently and like it alot. The only thing that I want to change is the pickups, I prefer something hotter, real hot! Here are the specs on the guitar straight from Fender Customer Service, and yes it is a Guitar Center special run that started in 2005.

Model Name: FSR American Special Stratocaster® HSS (Mahogany)
Model Number: 017-0040-838
Series: American Special Series
Body: Select Mahogany
Neck: Maple, Modern “C” Shape,
(Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)
No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Width @ Nut: 1.6875” (43 mm)
Hardware: Chrome
Machine Heads: Fender®/Schaller® Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Locking Tuning Machines
Bridge: Fender Deluxe 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo Tremolo with Pop in Arm
Pickguard: 3-Ply Black
Pickups: 2 Tex-MexTM Single-Coil Strat® Pickups (Neck and Middle),
1 Fender DH-1 Humbucking Pickup (Bridge)
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade and 2-Position Push/Push S-1:
S-1 Switch Up:
Position 1. Full Bridge Humbucking Pickup with Coils in Series (Lead Tone Control)
Position 2. Middle Pickup and Inside Coil of Bridge Humbucking Pickup in Parallel (Lead Tone Control)
Position 3. Middle Pickup (Lead Tone Control)
Position 4. Neck and Middle Pickup in Parallel (Lead and Rhythm Tone Controls)
Position 5. Neck Pickup (Rhythm Tone Control

S-1 Switch Down:
Position 1. Full Bridge Humbucking Pickup with Coils in Series (Lead Tone Control)
Position 2. Full Bridge Humbucking Pickup with Coils in Series, in Parallel with Neck Pickup (Lead and Rhythm Tone Controls)
Position 3. Full Bridge Humbucking Pickup with Coils in Series, in Parallel with Neck and Middle Pickups that are Paired in Series (Lead and Rhythm Tone Controls)
Position 4. Inside Coil of Bridge Pickup Paired in Series with Neck Pickup, in Parallel with Middle Pickup (Lead and Rhythm Tone Controls)
Position 5. Middle Pickup in Series with Neck Pickup (Rhythm Tone Control)
Controls: Master Volume (with S-1 Switch),
Tone 1. (Neck Pickup),
Tone 2. (Middle/Bridge Pickups and Neck/Middle/Bridge Pickup Combinations)
Colors: (838) Crimson Transparent,
(Polyurethane Finish)
Strings: Fender Super BulletsTM 3250L, (.009 to .042), Nickel Plated Steel, p/n 073-3250-003
Unique Features: S-1 Switching,
Matching Black Headstock,
LSR Roller Nut,
Highly Detailed Fret Work,
Black Plastic Parts
Source: U.S.
Accessories: Molded Case,
Cable,
Strap,
Straplocks,
Meguiar’s Mist and Wipe Kit
U.S. MSRP: $1,427.99
Specs: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice
INTRODUCED: 2005
DISCONTINUED:
DISCONTINUED COLORS:
COMMENTS: Special run for GC
Uses Case P/N 0059583000
WRENCH SIZES: Truss Rod Wrench p/n 0018622000 (3/32” Hex)
Saddle Height Adjustment Wrench p/n 0018531000 (.050 Hex)

I just purchased this guitar from Guitar Center 2 days ago. I love it so far. It is as heavy as (if not slightly heavier than) my 1987 Gibson Les Paul Studio - definately heavier that your average alder strat.

It plays GREAT - very fast, and set up quite well from the factory. I love the tone of the single coil neck pickup (position 5).

A previous poster stated that this guitar "couldn't decide if it was a strat or LP", but I think it's tone is significantly different from my Les Paul, much closer to that classic strat tone, but still unique (that's what I really like about it).

...and my wife LOVES its looks (FWIW).