My pleasure sir!

These are great stories. I feel like that Strat Plus players a breed apart from the run of the mill Strat player.

I don't think the Strat Deluxe really comes close. From my shaky memory I think they were the replacement Strat.

The bottom line is Fender put lightening in a bottle and we got to enjoy it.

If anyone ever runs across a battered old '87 Strat plus let me know:
The body looks very much like Bonnie Raitt's Strat
Rosewood Fret Board
Early Wilkinson Roller nut (the low E and A are not covered)
The Gold paint is warn away a bit on the pickup covers
No "Hip shop" Trem setter in the bridge spring cavity.
The guitar is signed by Stacy Mitchheart, "Stacy" in red marker.

I foolishly sold the guitar to music store in Catonsville, MD. If anyone comes across my old Strat Plus, please let me know.

What a fantastic thread, Ive read every word but unfortunately on my side of the planet, it's now bed time.

My love of the Plus started with an old Torino Red Plus and a red-dialed early 90's Fender Twin Amp. What a monster of an amp!. Anyways, when I was a teenager, Id go down to see my friend play bass in his church band, and the guitarist had the above said Strat Plus. It was the most amazing strat Ive seen. Plain pickup covers, red in colour and it was played pretty loud. Because we were a trusted bunch, they let us have the church the next afternoon for practice- best of all, the guy trusted us to leave his guitar/amp in our care. At the time I was playing a 93 MIM Squire series Floyd Rose HSS Strat that I loved. I really cranked that Twin and let the plus have it. It was amazing. It really sung with sustain, it had a great tone and it set GAS for a plus for a very long time. When they were discontinued, I was dissapointed. But hey, I was 17 so why should I even worry- I couldnt afford one! I allways studied fender frontline since '95- I had a catalogue/poster that had the strat plus, plus deluxe, ultra and the set neck models in. I used to gaze at it for hours. I also loved the array of colours that the line came in too- they were amazing and totally blow todays range out of the water.

In New Zealand, Strat Plus dont come up that often. But last year to my surprise a Stratocaster Ultra came up for sale at a good price which certainly is a rare find down here. I pounced on it and I drove a round trip of about 1200km through the North Island of New Zealand to get it home. I posted photos of the journey through middle earth on the Vinnypop lounge thread as I love showing off my country to the world of Fender geeks I love the Ultra- it has been played a lot and it does show it. Its still a nice guitar and Ill never sell it. I have allways wanted an Ultra too but it was allways out of my league. I never thought when I was a kid that someday I would eventually own one!!

The 'Ultra' Roadtrip:














After that, it got me thinking of a plus and I had been eyeing a '91 silverburst Plus in the South Island, but it sold unfortunately. So I found my current plus, a '93 in Carribean Mist which at best is not a colour that you see too often- it really screams 90's and that is everything I love about this guitar and it plays like a gem too- the wilkinson nut, matte locking tuners, the Gold Lace Sensors are just to die for... and it's mint which is a bonus Why Fender messed with something that was never broken in the first place- I dont know. The 'deluxe' line are a nice line and although I just love my tangerine deluxe, they just dont do it for me like a Plus does. I prefer Lace Sensors over any SCN or Noiseless anyday.

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Blertles,

Thanks for the input. I've actually placed a mid '90s Caribbean Mist Strat Plus. That's a really beautiful color. Mine was originally Gun Metal Blue, or so the inside of mine told me so.

On a complete side note, I was just looking over a map if New Zealand today. I have an interest in maps.

Wow Blerties - now that was an interesting and very attractive tour... love your strat collection... very sweet... thanks for sharing.

very nice Blertles. I think I saw some of those on another thread...but still good to be refreshed....aaahhhhhh

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Hello, this is my first post. I bought my '96 Strat Plus at a pawn shop for $600 back in '97 or '98. I didn't know anything about it, or guitars in general, but I was fed up with my $75 LP copy I had. I saw the "made in US on the headstock and that was it for me. I figured that if I sucked, I couldn't blame it on the guitar. I thought about selling it a couple of times, then I get it out and plug it in and everything is all right. I love it and I'm so glad I didn't cheap out and get the mexican one sitting right beside it.

Just got my first Plus, found it here http://www.propertyroom.com/Default.aspx

I have been watching this site for a long time now and knew eventually something cool would pop up. Finally a real Fender was offered. A sunburst Strat w/black pick guard. I checked the photos a few times and noticed that there was something different about this Strat right away. It had an LSR nut, locking tuners, a two point bridge, and a form fitted case. Some of Xefri's posts immediately came to mind and I thought "could this be a Plus on a police auction site?? . So I checked his site and the serial number and was pretty sure it WAS a Plus Strat. So I checked out the photos again. The neck was beat up, the finish was worn away from sides of the neck and the headstock, a tone knob was missing, a knob from the locking tuners was missing, it didn't have Lace pups in it anymore, and the case looked like it fell out the back of a truck. I thought "I have a set of Lace pups, I have to get it, and rescue it, and fix it up." So I placed a bid and waited a few days. With just a few minutes left in the auction, i raised my bid, just in case.

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People say I'm a nice guy, I can't figure why

My sister buys jewelry from that site. Do you mind if I ask what you paid for the Plus?

were you bidding ??
are you ready for this??
right around $$550 for a usa Strat shipping/handling+tax

so this thing shows up two days after the auction, beat up, rusted parts, missing/rusted strings, busted case and all, and I start to really check it out and think about stuff to do to it. Popped off the strings, wiped her down, noticed it had an eight hole pick guard. Pulled that off to check under the hood, it's got the swimming pool rout plus the conductive paint and the ground wire through back. Next? off with the neck to check for #s. Body is dated late '96, neck is early '97. Checked out the frets and I'm thinking someone really played the hell out of this one 'cause the first five to seven frets are really worn. so, taped off the neck and polished 'em off with some 0000 steel wool, not too bad, but she is going to need a pro fret job soon. Now that that's done i figured I might as well put her back together, just to see how it sounds before i throw in the set of Lace pups i have. Man I am glad I did, because this Strat sounds so good, especially the bridge pup, it Howls. And who ever set her up really knows their stuff, the action is super low, and bends like crazy. Now I'm afraid to touch any of the old parts I wanted to change out, because I know I will NEVER get it set up like it is now. I think I would like to get a fret job done and that's it. Anyone know who could do it out on Eastern Long Island??

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People say I'm a nice guy, I can't figure why

Sounds like ya need to play it till is dies and then look at some kind of fix? Some well used older Strats have Karma!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

No, I wasn't bidding, just wondering what kind of deals you can get on there. My brother told be months ago that I should look for guitars on there.

Looks like my new strat plus should be here at the house on Wednesday the 23rd. I'll get some pictures up as soon as we get some quality time alone.

sheeeeeesh! I sound like some kinda' nut case!

Look forward to some picts!!!

I have two more customs coming up. Should I post a few picts? One is Pewter with Chrome Dome/Ultra with a DiMarzio humbucker in the neck... I finished the Black Ultra one.

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Yeah man, you got it! This one has my mojo up too. I have a lot of guitars and I have not been this excited to play in a long time

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People say I'm a nice guy, I can't figure why