Hi All

I recently purchased two new(from the store) american deluxe ash stratocasters,one tobacco sunburst with a rosewood board and the other an aged cherry with a maple board.

The cherry one has a dz9 six digit number,I assume its a 2009 model
Not sure of the tobacco one since its off being tweaked but both were bought within a week of each other at the same store.

What Im trying to find out is if some have slightly different specs,the cherry one has locking tuners that have the fender logo on each locking knob(the knurled wheel on the back of each tuner,that clamps the string down),the posts are staggered,BUT the tobacco one has polished locking tuner knobs without the fender logo on them,plus they arnt staggered.

Anyone know anything regarding this,were there some slight spec changes(both have normal bone nuts,not roller nuts)?

Thanks

Nigel

Welcome to the forum. Are both strats SSS or is the tobacco one a HSS. That may explain the difference,also if they are not of the same year.

Hi, I also just got a cherry deluxe, it's a 2010, serial also starts with DZ9... if u have the N3 pup then it's a 2010 I believe. My tuners also have the Fender logo.

Hi the tobacco is also sss

Thanks everyone

Hi

Im sure the cherry one I bought has been in the store since before 2010,not 100% but I think so


Cheers

When you get them back together maybe you would be kind enough to post pictures for us to enjoy!!

Oh and both the strats have the n3 logo on the pickups but its only visible at certain angles,its not silver

if that's the case then they must be the new Deluxe.

Certainly,

I also have a strat that is made up from a USA standard neck,lightly scalloped maple board,a battered highway one body,that I had refinished in Scott Henderson fiesta orange,but mine is translucent unlike scott's that is a solid color.

Its also got 2 complete pickguard assemblies,one mint green with 3 noiseless JB pickups with aged covers,knobs etc. the other white pearl with 2 chrome covered les paul 1982 pafs,3 way switch and aged parts.
Both assemblies have non-soldered clip connectors so I can do a config change when I change strings without soldering.

Most importantly it has a custom neckplate engraved with the beavis and butthead figures

Should I post that as well?

Hello,

The aged cherry HSS you're talking about was available for only 2 years (2002-2004). This guitar came with two Dual-Coil Ceramic Noiseless pickups (neck/middle) paired with a DH-1 humbucking pickup (bridge), an aged mint pickguard and the optional Fender/Floyd Rose tremolo offered at the time (shown below with a maple fretboard, not mine).



Fender added the aged cherry, candy tangerine and chrome red finishes in 2002 to replace natural, purple and crimson red, which were introduced in 1998.

All American Deluxe Stratocasters made after 2002 came with a contoured neck heel.

Mine is a sss model

Serial numbers aren't a 100% accurate way to date a Fender; they don't just stop using decals on December 31 and then start with the new year's decals on January 2.

Also, Fender has gotten smart with the timing of their new models. Since new models are generally introduced at the NAMM show in January, there used to be this joke that "NAMM" really stood for "Not Available; Maybe in May" since the new models could be ordered but often didn't show up until almost summer. Fender has started making sure they had a supply of the new models in the warehouse ready to fill the orders for them that they take an NAMM. That's likely what is going on with your Am Dlx with the "DZ9" serial number - it was finished at the end of 2009 (so it would have a 2009 serial number) even though it was the new model not officially introduced until 2010; it was just waiting in the warehouse for your dealer to order it. The one with the 2010 serial number was completed in early 2010 after they changed over to the new decals.

Another example - I had a 2004 Am Dlx V-neck Strat. The V-necks were introduced in the January 2004 NAMM show but mine had a "DZ3" serial number and even had a plain neck plate (Am Dlxs actually made in calendar 2004 had the "50th Anniversary of the Stratocaster" logo neck plate). It was made at the end of 2003 so it was ready to ship when they were introduced in January 2004.

Regarding the locking tuners; the ones with the "F" on the locking knob are made by Ping; the ones that are chrome with a plain locking knob were made by Schaller. The Ping ones have staggered height posts just like a Sperzel - you can see that the post itself is shorter. The Schaller ones should also have staggered heights for the string. If I'm remembering correctly the post are all a uniform height but the hole for the string is "staggered" - instead of a shorter post the actual hole for the string is lower on the post. Look for that and please let me know if that is correct or if my memory is just playing tricks on me.