I was looking thru the Fender site on the products and the American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS is no longer shown. I bought one in 2008 and think it's an awsome guitar. Does anyone know what the deal with this model is. Maybe they discontinued the HSS in the American Deluxe because they offer an HSS in the new model they just came out with. Can't remember the name but it's not the same quality.

American Special HSS.

You're quite right, because this guitar has a horrible-sounding Atomic humbucking pickup in the bridge. And the most annoying, it comes only with a rosewood fretboard, cheaper hardware, no S-1 switch, the infamous CBS large headstock, a black pickguard and only two colours!

On the cons side, a Greasbucket tone circuit, a gloss urethane finish for the bodies and lots of pure Texas blues grit, thanks to the two Texas Special single-coils in the neck and middle positions. I would replace the Atomic with a better-sounding humbucker - such as the Pearly Gates - to get more of a Lonestar flavor.

The SCNs and the DH1 bridge humbucking pickup of the Deluxe were bland and sterile.

No I didn't want nor do I have an American Special HSS. I have the American Deluxe HSS and I love it. I think it is a great guitar that I can produce about any sound I want. I just wondered if they quit making it in the Deluxe Model. Funny you should mention the Pearly Gates Humbucker. I have thought of putting one in my Deluxe but I'm not sure how it will sound and I hate to spend the money and find out I liked it better with the original in it.

It's the "normal" HSS or the HSS LT, i.e. your guitar had the Fender/Floyd Rose locking system installed?

Fender stopped making the HSS LT in 2007. They also stopped offering the Fender/Floyd locking system the same year.


If you decide to replace the stock DH-1 humbucker with the Pearly Gates, you have to replace the SCNs also. Stick two Texas Specials in the bridge and middle positions or their Tex-Mex cousins as an alternate option if you want more spice into the mix. Keep the S1 switch to split the Gates humbucker.

Yes my deluxe has the Floyd Rose locking tremelo, the locking tuners and the roller nut. It's actually a nice setup. I like to play the blues, with changing to the Pearly Gates and the two Texas single pickups how do you think that will sound in comparison to the current pickups? Do you think they would give it a better blues sound? Also any idea why they discontinued the HSS in the American Deluxe? Maybe low on sales?

Ahh I checked the site the other day and Fender no longer does the Pearly Gates Plus pickup. Bummer I thought, I heard however it isn't quite like a progressive PAF-more of a slightly juiced vintage.

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The Texas Special/Pearly Gates combo gives you a nice blues sound with lots of Texas grit from the two single-coils and a huge dose of snarl from the humbucker. Recommended if you want to transform your American Deluxe into a Lonestar (Fat Texas Special) guitar.

The S1 switch will give you an endless array of tones. If you press the switch down, the humbucker is splitted up, producing a more Tele-like sound (if you're familiar with the signature tones of blues & country artists such as Roy Buchanan, Albert Collins, Danny Gatton and James Burton).



Unfortunately I didn't have any idea about the reasons for which Fender decided to stop the American Deluxe production. They dropped the locking bridge option a couple of years ago. The regular HSS model is no longer produced.

One possibility is the whole line is currently undergoing an overhaul with new features. I hope the newly revamped American Deluxes having satin necks with glossy fretboards and a glossy urethane undercoat for the bodies like the American Standard.

Another possible scenario shows Fender stopping the American Deluxe Series to reduce production costs and save money due to the global credit crunch.

The Pearly Gates pickups are available from SD website. Check out this link:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/humbucker/vintage/shpg1_pearly_ga/

Ya know that sounds pretty good, I going to have to check into those pickups. Not sure of the price but I think I'm going to change them out. I should get a sound more of what I'm looking for. I appreciate the advice. As for new models and such I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But I think down the road the Deluxe HSS will be a sought after model and I'll have one. Oh and I can always put the original pickups back in it if I'm not happy with the Texas style.

Of course, you can revert the HSS setup to the stock DH1/SCN config if you're not satisfied with the gritty SRV chirp.

Eventually you can try different pickups from other manufacturers.

From my understanding you're mostly a blues-rock player, but you play also various other styles, Los Angeles/Nashville-based rock (Dann Huff/Mike Landau/Steve Lukather) for example.

For this kind of music, my personal recommendation would be Suhr or Tyler pickups, a Demeter mid-boost preamp with lead/rhythm circuit, three mini-toggle switches for series/parallel sounds and two push-push buttons for preset and bypass. The S1 switch can be used to activate the special capacitor.

You may also replace the stock Deluxe neck with a Custom Shop abalone-inlaid figured maple neck featuring the famous late 1950s neck profile. The Custom Shop will certainly refinish the body with a wacky paint job for you.

Usually a replacement Deluxe Strat body made from select solid mamywood (jelutong) would fit the bill.

Another solution is to purchase a brand-new James Tyler Studio Elite or a used Dan Huff or Mike Landau signature Classic. This would be a nice addition to your guitar arsenal.

Sounds like some good Idea's but I'll have to start with one thing and maybe do some experimenting. The guitar you mentioned I will have to check that out. Another guitar I want to try is the classic Telecaster 72 Thinline. I believe that's what Tab Benoit is playing and he has a sweet sound. I'm not sure if you have heard of Tab Benoit?

No, I didn't heard about this guy.

As for the '72 Thinline, I saw a couple of folk and rock cops such as Jonny Lang and Bob Dylan playing this Roger Rossmeisl-designed mojo.

Wonderful instrument. Recently, Fender has launched a Classic Player '72 Tele Thinline Deluxe, which is a blend of a '72 Thinline with a '72 Deluxe.

The '72 Deluxe was introduced in 2004, followed by two Classic Player versions featuring a Mazac tremolo and Black Dove soap-bar pickups. These CBS-era recreations were made 5 years later.

The Deluxe, with its "large head" Stratocaster neck, is associated with Buddy Guy and Johnny Greenwood of Radiohead.

Keith Richards of the British rock group The Rolling Stones used a '72 Custom nicknamed "Malcolm" frequently onstage in the '70s. His main axe is the famous "Micawber" (a '52 Tele with a Gibson humbucker in the neck), though he also plays other famous axes, such as a Music Man Silhouette, a Les Paul Junior and an ES-335. The Custom has been introduced the same year with the '69 and '72 Thinlines.

The American Deluxe HSS is alive and well. It's offered in the 2010 catalog. Not sure why the other poster thinks you have to replace the SCN's if you swap humbuckers... That is not true, although it would probably be a better move to set up a whole new pickguard with new pups, wiring etc.. so you can just drop-in a new set of pickups without any wiring issues from the existing S1 switch on the deluxe PG.

If you want controllable gain from the volume knob, you might consider going with a Duncan Distortion or a Custom/Custom hum and SSL 2 single coils. I like the sound of the Fender pups, but then again I have a lot of guitars with Duncan pickups already so it's a nice tonal difference. I don't consider them sterile at all, but then again amp choice is a crucial part of the tonal equation (such a subjective thing!), and my tube amps respond well to a turn of the volume knob on the guitar.

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60th Anniversary AD Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Player's P Bass. Mesa/Boogie Mk IV combo, Marshall JCM800, 1960A cab, Genz Benz El Diablo 60, Genz 2x12" cab, too many neat little practice amps and kit projects!

As above, I recall Fender sold the Pearly Gates Plus, this one had slightly more bite and was better balanced for use with a strat. SD nor Fender make it anymore which is a bummer- it was used in the original Lonestars & Big Apple Strats and was a great pickup I like the custom custom myself or Dimarzio's PAF Pro or Fred models

The above wiring pattern you have suggested seems to me a little complicated for my liking> 3 mini toggles, a pre-amp and two push buttons above a normal strat set-up with an S1 and I will be throwing my strat in the trash before long with fustration no offense I guess Im a traditionalist

Also, Fender Customshop don't refinish guitars nor sell necks

Peace out

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You can order Deluxe replacement mamywo bodies from Warmoth, though I'm not sure if Ken builds and sells jelutong bodies. Better ask him before ordering.

If you plan also to finish the mamywo body with a wacky shmear or drip paintjob and you're not able to do that yourself, you should contact a professional luthier to do the job for you.

Warmoth offers dozens of custom neck shapes to choose from (including the late 1950s neck profile).