It was so much easyr in the old days to be a kid in the candy shop. Alot less expensive too! I always remember a keyboard friend of mine sayin you guitar players are lucky that you only have to dish out a few hundred for a top of the line axe( Even nylon stringers like Ramerez) when he has to spend thousands for a baby grand. It's sic that we have to give up thousands for a slab of wood w/pickups.

I just took a quick look on the product page - there are 54 production-line Fender Strat models. That does not include various special runs that occur from time to time or for specific dealers. That also does not include Strats made by the Fender Custom Shop - the CS also does a lot of "Limited Editions" that are only available for 3-6 months, special runs for dealers, etc.

When I started (in 1979) there were two Strats that year - the "regular" Stratocaster and the 25th Anniversary model. The following year there were still two models - the regular Stratocaster and "The Strat" which had brass hardware and some odd wiring designed by Dan Armstrong. I do remember picking up a "The Strat" and that sucker weighed more than the Norlin-built Les Paul Custom sitting next to it (and the LP was no flyweight either).

Blame inflation. Actually (when adjusted for inflation) the basic American Standard of today is less exepensive than the basic Strat of yore when there was only one model to choose from.

And with multiple Strat models at many price points, there are more choices at much lower pricepoints today when compred to in the old days.

"One of the biggest improvements is that the list prices of base Strat and Tele models have actually decreased over the years when you adjust for inflation. For example, the Strat’s original list price in 1954 was $250, which is the equivalent of about $2,000 today. Of course, Fender has offered a wide variety of import versions made in Japan, Korea and Mexico that have sold for much less than that, but even today’s iconic workhorse American Standard model, with its starting [list] price tag of $1,590 offers guitarists financial relief compared to yesteryear’s prices."
from http://www.guitarworld.com/article/fend ... telecaster

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

The pricing is pretty amazing considering how much everything else costs now...

How many models is a hard question...

Do you want to limit it to "standard" models like the "American Standard" or include the variations.

There are "Signature" models, commemoratives, anniversary models, and to complicate things there are "Fender Short Runs" where they make some oddball variant unlike any others made in that year...

Then comes the Custom Shop...

What was the question???<VBG>

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Still looking for that One Guitar To Rule Them All since 1964...
FSR Fender 60 Anniversary Strat HSS MIM, Gibson ES 335, Taylor 555, Ovation Custom Balladeer-12, Baby Taylor, Fender Princeton Chorus (stereo), Fender Champ 600

Then you will either have a Mexico assembled pickguard/electronics or a US one.

Same part just two different crews putting them together.


One model with a few variations<VBG>

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Still looking for that One Guitar To Rule Them All since 1964...
FSR Fender 60 Anniversary Strat HSS MIM, Gibson ES 335, Taylor 555, Ovation Custom Balladeer-12, Baby Taylor, Fender Princeton Chorus (stereo), Fender Champ 600

well, if Fender reverted back to one model then all the other guitar makers will just snatch the market wouldnt they...

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Variety is the spice of life.

I don't think they're overpriced either. Including Squier you have strats at every possible price point.

From the $99 Mini and the $119 Bullet all the way up to the multi thousand dollar Custom shops and $40,000 models on EBAY. Fender has a Stratocaster for every budget.