Hi all, Well today I did a test drive on a CP60 Sonic blue Strat,
a CP Jazzmaster and a Fender 2009 Deluxe Stratocaster with select Alder body in the colour of Amber with Maple Neck.

In the beginning I was shopping for the CP 60's Strat, however I ended up grabbing the 09 Deluxe by asking the guy to hold it for me after realising that this was the queen to behold.

I have been quoted $2200 AUD for the Deluxe which is off the wall, not out of the box. However this strat is in mint condition.. the sales guy and I both agreed that it was in immaculate condition because it was out of range for most people at the retail price...that's why it was not taken off the wall until I showed up.

Beside my 08 Am Standard Strat this deluxe would be my top end purchase.

What is your opinion of such a purshase at this price?

2009 AM DELUXE STRAT SELECT ALDER AMBER BODY MAPLE NECK. $2200 AUD...

Thanks.

Sorry to say this, but I think you got ripped off a bit. I have the exact same guitar as you, and it's a beast of an instrument. I purchased mine for $ 1,500.00 CAD. That's a whole $ 700.00 less than yours.

Hi kineman karma: just to help this thing along...

AU$2200 = US$2023 = Canadian$2055 = UK£1322 = €1504.

Sounds quite steep to me. It would be a good 25% cheaper in the UK, for example.

However, a quick Google will help you compare it to the local market price in Australia - and that's the bit that matters to you.

Great guitar, anyhow.

Cheers - C

Currently the Am Deluxe in Canada is running at $1650cad+tax. I think it's the same for the US dollar since they're basically at parity.

Regardless of what you payed, you just pulled away from there with a stellar instrument. If you felt that was the guitar you wanted and you're happy, then that's all that matters. Life puts too much emphasis on money.

G'day Guy's and thanks for your response.

Hmmm Interesting as to how much the prices vary in different countries.

Just to further clarify my purchase, I have the guitar on hold at the moment.

I will be dropping into the store this Thursday to put money on it.

Where I live in Australia there are only 3 major stores that are licenced Fender dealers.

Between the 3 of these stores all of the Deluxe's that I played were priced for retail at $2890 AUD.

One store offered me a 3 tone sunburst Deluxe strat with rosewood neck for $2379 which was a sale price of theirs and the other store was the same.

When I played the rosewood neck deluxe, it didn't even campare with the Maple neck deluxe because the maple has a faster action and I believe has a better build finish on the particular Strat that I will be buying.

The store that has won my money, has dropped it down to $2200.
Compared to the two other stores I think I will run with this one.

I specifically like the 09 model, I had the guys from the stores check the stock pile of Fender Australia to which they only have one left in stock of the 09 Deluxe Strat in the warehouse. Once this is gone then the 2010 series comes in.

I am not much of a fan of the 2010 model having perloid neck inlays instead of abalone.

So the wash up is that this Thursday I actually purchase the Amber body Maple Neck Deluxe Strat.

I will post pic's once I have fully purchased the Lovely.

Congrats again on your purchase! Will be looking forward to pics!

You need Blertes on the case with this one mate.

My past discussions with him completely persuaded me that, for me buying a guitar in the southern hemisphere is a bad idea. Some places in NZ were up to 30% more expensive than the UK so 25% sounds about right to me.

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No no and no

Just in regards to the price, especially down under, we get lugged a MASSIVE amount for shipping which sucks the biggen. But also the other issue with buying an 09 is the AUD was performing particularly poorly mid last year.

http://www.forecasts.org/ausd.htm

As you can see, Mar 09 it was about the .65 mark. Which could have been when the shop bought it. Comparing apples to apples now aint correct, as you should have been comparing apples to oranges.

Having said that. Right now, Highway One Strat in Perth AUS (website asking price) = $1350 AUD. Which means $1250 actual price when you buy it instore.

Guitar Centers price $700 US (no idea what you'd get in store, I live in perth).

700.00 * 1/0.92 = $760 AUD = Still a terrible deal no matter the exchange rate

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

I have a 09 deluxe maple v neck and its my number one by a landslide.. BUY IT..... you wont regret.....

They are a lovely guitar mate, definitely a lifetime instrument. My Number 1 is a 3-colour sunburst/Maple American Deluxe I bought new in 2000, which I think is still pretty much the same guitar as you're homing in on.

Mine came with the original version of the Vintage Noiseless pickups which I changed to Kinman AVn Blues with the K7 Wiring Harness. You won't regret buying the Deluxe once you square away the price in your mind (and that'll happen pretty quick once you get it and start playing it).

Yeah, it's rough the prices we pay over here.


Cheers,

Snowy

G'day Snowy, Yeah I agree Mate...the prices we pay over here are unreal at times.

However like you said, I reckon once I start spanking it through my Fender Hotrod Deville 410 and even my Blues Junior I won't be thinking about $2200.

I don't even think that is a massive price considering I paid $1800 for my American Standard Strat. At the moment my standard is my #1 but I think after I pickup my lovely Deluxe and take her out on a date with my Rock Blues Band, she "Amber" will become #1.....ohhhh that feeling.lol.

I have always purchased my Strats out of the box and have been lucky so far not to have to send one back to Fender, but this time I actually grabbed the Deluxe off of the wall and test drove it there and then. I think "Amber" and I connected right immediately.

My first observations were that it was set up with 9's which were quite nice to play. I am a 10's man myself.

The feel of the neck was just seductive and I have never ever heard SCN noisless PUPS in my life and overall it made a first time love affair impression on me.

Anyway, as she is the colour I have named her Amber, I wonder how she will go laying under my bed with Sandy, Teresa, Leanne, Natalie, Sally, and the rest...

LOL....once I pick her up I will post the pics...lol....

Hi again kk: that is so much the right attitude. Good for you. When you find an instrument you feel that way about it would just be nuts to leave it behind over a few dollars.

That amber finish is great, BTW. Enjoy your new Strat!

However:

Hi Impulse: I've heard this often enough from Australians here to fully accept what you say. But it does perplex me. Here in the UK we are also an ocean away from Fender and our prices are usually a touch higher accordingly. And we pay higher sales tax than in the States - yet in fact our street prices barely seem to account for that. Allowing for fluctuations in currency exchange our Fenders generally cost a few percent more than North America (though there have been times when they have actually been cheaper...).

So unless your local taxes are bionically higher than ours - which I doubt - I don't see how the sums work out on this.

I think it is something different - I think it is cultural. Different countries just get used to paying certain levels of prices for certain things. For instance, in the UK electric guitars are mostly a percentage cheaper than mainland Europe, though the embedded costs are exactly the same. On the other hand, we pay more for various things such as CDs - for no explicable reason.

I think retail business in a given country just gets used to building itself around a certain level of price and then behaves as if that is set in stone. Till someone upsets the apple cart, that is...

Cheers - C

Ok People, here it is!!

I went to the store today and put down a hefty deposit on it to which I am purchasing by Layby.

Normally at a discounted quote, most stores don't allow you to Layby any goods at all, so if it's a discount it's walk out with it on the day.

So it's a big bonus for me that I not only scored a good quote, but they allowed me to put it on Layby as well.

My 2009 American Deluxe Stratocaster purchase price $2200 AUD.

I will see you in 4 weeks time "AMBER" God I love Fender!!

NICE.... Im excited for you and its not my axe..lol. I was wondering why my 2009 deluxe neck is a yellow tint color neck compared to yours, is it because mines a v neck? I thought they were all v necks.. Nice axe and enjoy many years of playing..

Thanks PeterGrant,

Yes this baby is definately a lifetime instrument that will be passed down to one of my 2 boys.

Lucky buggers they will be, either one of them will have an American Standard and an American Deluxe each from dad when the times right.

Yes this one has a modern C shape neck profile.

Thanks for your positive comments Mate.