Well my Birthday is next Monday and my wife decided that it would be a good idea to go ahead and let me have my very first Fender Stratocaster today when I get off work (God, I love her!!!). For about the past 4-5 months I've been drooling over this guitar ( It's the American Special 3-tone sunburst HSS w/ Rosewood fretboard). I played it and instantly fell in love with it. It was/ is one of those guitars that just feels and sounds perfect in my hands. So she put in on a lay-a-way program at our local music shop ( i didnt know it at the time, but found the paper work in our bedroom . But this will be my very first Fender, and over the past few months I've been obessed with this forum. I love all of you guy's strats, and today I finally feel like I'm part of the Strat family. I will post pics some time tonite. I've got a SSS black pickguard already loaded with a Dimarzio Area '67 in the bridge, and im gonna keep the Texas Specials in the Middle and Neck. I'm gonna make that mod immediately. I'll post pics of the whole process.

Sweet! My wife has bought me many guitars over the years - including an SRV Strat back in '92. Sounds like if you put some white knobs on that black guard, you'll have a great SRV tribute axe with the pickups in there!

Post pics - or it didn't happen - you know the rules!

I have the same guitar (my first fender also) and I love it, hope yours is as good to you, enjoy!

Congrats man. The Mrs. bought me my first Fender last year (72 deluxe RI Classic Player Telecaster) and my first strat this year...American Special. Absolutely love them both. The TS pups may sound muddy at first, just spend some time adjusting your tone and eq on your amp and they will sing. Wonderful guitar and honestly, should get a lot more positive run than they do. The neck on them are fantastic. Enjoy

Heres the before pics.........








Hera are the after pics with the Dimarzio Area '67 mod, I'll post more pics later of the guitar in some better light.

That is a beauty, Jonnyboy! Wow!

Let me be the first to congratulate you on that sweetlooking instrument! I hope your ways shall never part!


-Nutter

Congrats JB. Great looking guitar,..enjoy....... Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

Very,very nice. Looks great !

Thanks you all! I just hate that I havent owned a Strat before now.

Congrats on the new guitar. Looks awesome. You gota love a wife that buys you a guitar. My wife bought me an American Special SSS this year for my birthday and I have been loving it too. Have fun with your new guitar.

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Beautiful man....I totally agree...I have an American Deluxe V-Neck (with a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. in the bridge), and that is a stunning guitar. But when I was at GC this past week (trading in another guitar), this American Special just jumped out at me. I totally agree with the post that this is a great SRV tribute guitar...I didn't even leave the store without buying the white knobs. I'm still waiting for the white (single coil) pickup covers...guess the humbucker is gonna have to stay black.

Anyway...I totally agree. I actually liked this guitar more than the Standards that they had...including an HSS. Something about this neck/pickup combo...it's just sweet, despite the lower price. I'm still trying to decide if I like the over-sized (70's style) headstock....it is growing on me...unfortunately, my deluxe has one of the prettiest headstocks I've ever seen on any guitar...if there's one area this Special can't compare to the Deluxe...it's the headstock.
Other than that..I love this thing...I've bought a lot of guitars in the last 3 or 4 years...this one has been getting a lot more play than some of my others.
Here's a pic:

im def gonna add the white knobs and pickup covers as soon as I wear out the strings i just put on...lol. oh and the pickguard was a pain to get off. i had to take the neck off of the guitar just to get the pickguard off, any advice on a better way to do that?