I have 2 MIA standard Stratocasters. One is alder body / maple neck / rosewood fretboard and was made in 1999. The other is ash body / maple neck / maple fret board and is a 2004 model. Both are completely stock just like they left the Fender plant.

Now I have noticed that the difference in these 2 are night and day as far as playing and sound go. The sound is a LOT more bright and kind of "twangy" but great sounding non the less on the 2004. The maple neck actually feels a good bit "chunkier" in a good way also. It feels like you could do shred type runs on this thing , if that makes sense.

Now the 1999 has its own sound as well, although still bright, she also has kind of a deeper, darker sound. Sound is awesome on this girl as well, just a totally different beast as opposed to my 2004 model. Now the neck on the 1999 feels considerable smaller, especially at the nut. Very good feel as well, just a night and day difference when wrapping your hand around it.

Both Stratocasters are awesome in my eyes as far as looks, playability, sound and feel.

But at the same time they both sound, play and feel totally different. This is an awesome trait that I love about Strats, no 2 will ever be exactly identical.


hotrod

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1983 Gibson Explorer 1 (main axe)
2004 Fender American Standard Stratocaster (Butterscotch on ash 1 piece maple neck and fretboard) (my baby)
2008 BC Rich Assassin neck thru(fun toy)
Peavey 5150 212 combo (early model) FREAKIN CRUNCH MONSTER!

I've been lucky enough over the years to have had played & owned several different strats. My main MIA strat is a 2001, which I've modded (hot noiseless pups & locking tuners) to be sort of a "not quite american deluxe". But when I was picking out this guitar while at Guitar Center one day, there were three of these exact models - two tone burt w/ maple neck/fretboard. I A/B/C'd them all for about an hour, and finally settled on the one I now call "Sophi" because, while all the guitars were the exact same specs, the one I picked just felt the best to me. The others weren't bad or anything, they just weren't clicking for me.

That said I have CS '57 that has vintage specs (7.25 radius, stock CS pups, 3-way, V neck) and it also plays & sound fantastic.

You would think after finding the perfect guitar for yourself, you'd be able to stop, but alas, I'm headed to my favorite store just to see what Fenders they have gotten in the last few weeks, and see also if one of those "scratchs the itch"!

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SG.
"Walls" video from Zero in the Sun by Villains of Yesterday

It's positively amazing how different Strats are so similar-different and owning more than one makes perfect sense to many owners.

'Guess that's why the Fender Stratocaster is SO iconic, famous, immortal, timeless, sought, imitated, coveted, played, varied, heard, continuing, refined, backdated, modified, reliced, customized, sensible, arousing, recognizable....

I have experienced the same thing.I used to play Gibson SGs and such and was looking at a second guitar back in 2001 .I tried strats from time to time, but i never got excited about them.They always seemed too bright for me.I sat down with a bunch of MIMs , MIAs and such.I started to realise how crisp and sweet the single coils sound if you played around them.I ended up buying a MIA strat that day.Since then I have bought 3 more.I ended up selling the 2001 because I really wanted a Texas Special and the only way I know my ex would go for it is if I sold the other.Since then I have bought a SRV and a 2008 American Standard.All three sound so different.The Texas Special was originally a Fat Strat and i bought a pickgard and bridge pickup and converted it into a SSS.I play my Texas Special and my SRV and they dont sound too much alike.So its nice to have 3 different sounding guitars.Guitars are so unique from one to another.

If you can...you should play several different Strats and you will find one that you just love. This can be a long term project, but when that right one ends up in your hands, you will love it forever.

My son has been playing professionally for years and has always shared the stage and the studio with Gibson Les Pauls, and Ibanez Prestige models. I would always tell him that he had to have a Fender Stratocaster in his toolbox, and for years he would play different Strats at music stores all over the place. He always would hang them back up, but continued this quest for quite a while.

One day he called me on the phone and said "Dad...I'm playing this Am Standard Strat" at one of our local music stores and I think I have to buy it. I was pretty excited about this. He did buy that Strat and has been using it regularly ever since. It has been his teaching guitar as well.

In his opinion, and my opinion also agrees....remember these are opinions...if you pick up 10 of the same model Strats they all feel a little different...this doesn't make sense ( with all the machined stuff etc ) but it has been the case. The Gibson Les Paul does not seem to have this same phenomenon going on. Pick up a handfull of these ( same models ) and they all feel the same.

I fell in love with the Am Deluxe Strat and it became my daily player. I have a bunch of Strats, and I hope I can get a few more, although I only look at Am Deluxe.

Play lots of Strats
Noodles