It's hard for me to get to a shop to check them all out. So, I'm hoping someone can help me.

How much of a difference is there between the Classic Series guitars? 50s,60s,70s. Hard to tell from the website what I should consider.

Do they sound/play much different? I'm big into classic rock, but does that necessarily mean I should focus on a specific era for the guitar?

Thank you.

Well the necks are all different, they are all 7.25" radius but the 50s has a soft 'V' neck, the 60s has 'C' shape and the 70s has a 'U' shape. You really need to try them to decide which you prefer. The 50s is only maple necks, 60s Rosewood and 70s both. From what I can tell they all have the same pups and are all finished in the same way.

I have a Classic series 50s and I can honestly say it's my most used guitar, my other guitar is a John Mayer, it's also a nice guitar but it's not as easy to play. Don't let anyone tell you that because it's Mexican and because it's cheap that its a bad guitar, it's simply not true, I love this guitar. The only thing I've done to it is upgraded the electrics and pickups, otherwise it's totally standard.

You'll need to try them as they're all different in one way or another. Here's a few comments based on my experience of the Classic 50s & 60s models:

The 50s does have a soft V profile neck and a 7.25" radius. The pickups are very bright - I would say they suit clean sounds esp and up to mid gain levels of overdrive. The guitar I'm familiar with is a friend's instrument which I've played many times and also worked on.

The 60s is a C style neck (must disagree with previous post) with a 9.5" radius. The pickups are very different from the 50s - much more mellow and they suit higher gain levels of overdrive. Still sounds good clean, but with slightly less presence than the 50s. I think they're ceramic but I might be mistaken. The guitar I'm familiar with is my own - purchased 2nd hand from a small independant music shop where it lay dirty & dusty, poorly set-up and generally unloved.

The quality of both instruments is more than acceptable. I would say better than standard mexi strats. On both guitars however, the bridge/sustain block is a pretty weedy narrow unconvincing affair. The trems work a treat though. Hopefully the latest ones share the new standard mexi big blocks as standard now on new Mexi's

Hope this helps

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

60s Classic series according to the specs has 7.25" radius. You sure you are not thinking of the Classic Player which does have 9.5" I believe?

The 60s Classic Player has a 12" radius neck.

To the original poster, I wouldn't recommend that sight unseen to anyone other than a classical guitarist.

I do read in the specs and elsewhere that the Classic 60s has the smaller neck radius and maybe thats true for recent models, I don't know.

All I know is that my 1997 Classic 60s Strat has the larger 9.5". I've checked it with a gauge and it doesn't choke out on big bends like the Classic 50s does with a reasonably low action setup.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

The block on new Mexicans is still zinc. Replace it with a Callaham and you will have done a great upgrade.

I've got a '50's Classic and after a few upgrades consider it to be a pro quality guitar. I upgraded the switch to a five-way CRL, replaced the input jack with a switchcraft, removed the little green chiclet cap and replaced it with an orange drop and replaced the stock wiring with cloth push back vintage style insulated wires. I added a Callaham pickguard shield, bridge block and trem arm. Last I replaced the pickups with a set of Fender 57/62's. After a proper set up, I'd put this guitar up against any of the high dollar American versions except for the poly finish.

The maple neck on mine is feels great in my hand and is lightly figured. The ash body finish is flawless, with a beautiful tobacco sunburst.

It a great player and sounds even better, especially with the replacement pu's. I'd get another one in second and heartily recommend it to anyone. The basic guitar is excellent and with a few extra bucks, can be put over the top as far as quality for far less than the initial cost of an American.

Yup.

That's as maybe, but it's a different animal to the American – in particular the neck – so why try to compare?

They always do.

Let me clarify: ...than the initial cost of an American-made Stratocaster. Really, the only way to discover the differences between any models of Stratocaster is play them, compare them and figure out what style suits the individual player. So, yup, they always do. Especially if "they" want to play a guitar "they" like.

But if I put a few hundred bucks and bought a hardshell case for say another hundred I would be starting to get pretty close to MIA territory.Thats if you got a MIM standard at 499.If you got a Deluxe player or a Classic Player there would be almost no difference in price.

First off, I'm not big on buying new guitars or cars. Why spend the extra dough when you could pick up a perfectly good used guitar for sometimes less than half the cost of a new one? I just looked up my cost for the guitar I described. I bought it used with a hardshell case for $400 on Craigslist. Bought the Callaham parts including the capacitor, CRL switch and input jack for $120. The pu's i got on eBay for $85. Total $605.00

So for less than the cost of a new Classic 50's Stratocaster I have what I think is a killer instrument that I'd put up against any new American made Stratocster.

What if you can't find what you're looking for in an American? What if the color options suck? What if you don't like the two-point bridges and all the modern hardware? The list goes on.

You can start looking at Mexicans to avail yourself of more options and choices and perhaps you can find what you want. Or darn close. Then just upgrade the pickups and the bridge and block and you got one great guitar.

I agree that a tuned up Mexican can hold it's own against an American. And there are plenty of American lemons.