Yes, It 's what It looks like to me too but the candy apple red looks nice indeed!

yes it does, they are all maple fretboards too

In the year 2010, Fender will eliminate the strings and put in buttons, like in Guitar Hero.

Blertles,(the kiwi)-I love my 09 blizzard pearl-each to his own , I guess.

yeah I love that blizzard pearl, but I got daphne, lake placid, and ocean turquoise guess I'm partial to blues.
I'd like to have a charoal frost strat too

On the website, it says they're "E-guitars"... wonder if that means MIJ?...

maybe, but I thought it just stood for Electric

I have the charcoal frost and its outstanding .They should have kept the chrome silver instead of blizzard pearl.

You buy your gear as a seasoned, informed, player-consumer. I've seen parents in GC too often led astray, trying to do the right thing by their kids. I've actually taken the time to counsel them aside as to what they ought to be looking for. I have personal issues about buying guitars off the wall at street price, which have participated in the weekend headbangers balls for weeks on end. These should now be considered seriously used instruments, and not sold as new. Nor should a guitar with a serial number that dates 1-2 years past, unless it is pristine, out of the case, and never played.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Its the sort of colour that should have a pearl or black pearl pick-guard I think... tortoise shell imo doesnt do it favours.. although I think the fact that my local store should really pick up a rag and clean they're guitars and let the real colour shine.

Tell you what guys, post up a pic and Im sure you will convert me

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Thank you! Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. It's always struck me odd that what's essentially a "demo" guitar can be sold as new. When I bought my 09 Am Std in GC and asked for the original box, the kid looked at me like I was crazy. (I like factory boxes for everything I buy - helps when shipping is needed and IMO, resale value.) To top it off, when I got home, I noticed the serial'd hang tag was for a different guitar! Of course, they had no clue where the right tag was. <shrug/>

On the other hand, guit prices at a brick and mortar GC are cheaper than if you buy from them online ... so maybe they do consider it a demo discount? And of course, since a guitar choice is a very personal thing and "try before you buy" is always best, I guess the demos have to come from somewhere.

I do know this - the two factory-fresh Strats I've purchased online have been returned ... whereas the two I've purchased "off the wall" still live with me and I love them both!

-phil

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Then again, what do I know ... I've only been playin' for 6 months ... !

I feel the same way about my wife

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"Another day in paradise!"

+1 i love my blizzard pearl strat.

Blizzard pearl looks great to me... local music store has an Am Std in Blizzard Pearl with rosewood fretboard.. looks really nice.

In regard to purchasing NOS guitars, I agree the price needs to reflect the fact its been handled over a period of time and isn't equivalent to a new, fresh-out-of-the-box guitar. I picked up an NOS Am Deluxe last year, dated as manufactured in '05, but it was marked way down... I didn't plan to get a guitar of that level but I couldn't resist at the clearance price...

Here's hoping 2010 will bring new colors for the Am Std and MIM Std... Candy Tangerine would be nice....

Please tell me they did away with matte nitro

I like the blizzard pearl- it's the olympic pearl that bothers me, though it would look better in a lighter coloured pickguard

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