I bought this guitar off Craigslist the other day. I was told it was a Fender Stratocaster 60th Anniversary. It is an ebony body, with a white pickguard, ebony pickups, and ebony knobs. The fingerboard is ebony rosewood (which I'm told is rare for Fenders) and the pickups are stock, but are not standard. The middle pickup has a completely different -albeit cool- sound. The back of the headstock has a little sliver button on it that says Fender 60 inside a diamond.

I got a fantastic deal on this even if it is just a regular MIM strat. Any idea what it is?

Not sure how to post a picture - any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi duke1agn, weclome to the Forum.

An ebony body? On a MIM? Are you sure?

Wow: that I gotta see. Pictures please!

(Or did you just mean... black?)

Cheers - C

It's black...honestly not sure what wood the body is. I'll post pictures once i figure out how haha.

Does the neck plate have anything on it or is it blank? Hard to say without seeing it but it sounds like a true 60th Annaversary. I had one a while back myself that had the button on the headstock. I found out later that mine was not a 60th ann. model though. Apparently Fender put those buttons on many (if not all strats) in 2006. If it's a true 60th I was told it comes with some upgrades. Just not sure what.

...

Here's a link with some pictures of it.

http://desmoines.craigslist.org/msg/2100071309.html

The neckplate does not have anything on it. However, the neck itself has a much, much nicer finish on it than any other MIM strat I've seen, and the guitar itself is also quite a bit heavier than my other MIM strat.

Ah. See, I was getting all excited at the thought of a Strat with an ebony body. If you could even find a piece of timber big enough to make that body from I go faint at the thought of how much it would cost!

This is more what we call "black".

The neck is a kosher Ensenada Standard 60th Anniversary job. I'm struggling to remember whether any 60th Anni Strats came in black and I certainly don't remember that white-pickguard-black-covers-and-knobs combination. I suspect there has been some user modding going on here. Though I certainly stand to be corrected.

Cheers - C

My apologies, I should have said "Ebony colored" body....or black hah.

So you think the neck was added after market? The seller told me the only change he made was replacing the backplate. I will say, this thing is in PRISTINE condition.

I simply don't know. I'm just saying I don't recall that combination of colors from that year.

Can easily be wrong on that, though. I'm no expert on MIMs. But there's those here that are: wait around and someone will speak up if they remember that one from the catalog.

Meantime, you could always check the date stamps on the end of the neck and the inside of the neck pocket to see if they're close. If not, well that's a clue.

And anyway, if it plays and sounds good... who cares?

Enjoy! - C

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First of all, EVERY guitar and amp made by Fender in 2006 had that little silver diamond button. There was a run of "limited edition" MIA Strat, Tele, P-Bass, and MIM Strat and P-Bass - but this guitar is not one of them since they had very unique features you could spot a mile away (for example they came in a specific color that was NOT black).

Anywho, with that out of the way. It looks like yours is just a regular MIM Standard. But the two things that are concerning are:
1. The silver button is sitting dangerously low on the headstock. The ones I've seen have it placed higher and more centered. Did someone remove it from another guitar and slap it there? Or was a factory worker just lazy?
2. I don't recall a MIM Std coming with black plastic parts in 2006. Are the pickups and knobs stock or did the seller put them on?

Does the serial number start with MZ6....? That would indicate a 2006. Shoot an email or call Fender Customer Service with the serial number and they can give you info about the exact model.

All I know is that what you have is not one of the "special" 60th Anniversary MIM Strats. Maybe someone can chime in on the other details like pickup covers etc.

The "special" 60th Anny MIM Strats look like this and have a special neckplate instead of the silver diamond botton thingy:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--FEN146002

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

serial number starts with MZ5 followed by 6 digits. However, I made a point of asking the seller in person about the button being low and he was very convincing in saying that he bought it like that. I've also found pictures of other ones online that have a similarly situated button. It runs flush with the edge, so I'm not concerned about it falling off. And there is no evidence that it was removed from another guitar and placed on this one...it looks factory.

I questioned the seller at some length about all the parts, and he stated the only part that was not stock on the guitar was the backplate. The pickups and knobs are stock.

Serial number starting with MZ5 is OK for a 2006 also. There is some overal at the beginning of the year. So sounds like it's from the legit timeframe.

And sounds like the button being low is OK if you've saw some more like that.

Maybe the black plastic parts were part of an FSR (Fender Special Run) at Guitar Center or other big retailer. They do that every now and then. I think it might just end up being legit for a MIM Standard. It sure looks cool

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

That's what I'm thinking too.

I just had a quick glance through the 2006 Frontline catalog and no Mexican guitar came with that tuxedo black-on-white plastic combination. The black body Standard had all white parts.

So either it is an FSR. Or it has been modded by a previous owner. Or the neck comes from a different guitar (check the date stamps).

Fender Customer Services will tell you whether it is an FSR from the serial number.

Cheers - C

Just got off the phone with Fender Customer Relations - it's a legit MIM Standard. The serial number showed up as a Black MIM standard with Rosewood fingerboard. So that all checks out correctly.

He said the pickup covers were changed since this model shows having white covers. But he also said that makes absolutely no difference - the pickups are stock.

As for the button, this was manufactured in March of 2006, so that button is stock and legit. All Fenders made during 2006 have the button. He said if the guitars get warm (left in a car or something) the cheap adhesive used for the buttons can actually allow the button to slide a little bit, which probably explains its position the headstock.

So we have a legit MIM Standard with some switched out covers that, in my opinion, make this look like a sweet little machine.

Hi again duke1agn: there ya go then. That pretty much confirms where we'd all got to, doesn't it?

The only bit that is confusing me: how do Customer Services know the pickups are stock? As suspected, the covers (and knobs) have been changed - and maybe the pickups with them, perhaps? An all too common user mod, after all.

And nuttin' wrong with that either. But it's always nice to know for sure what's in there.

Anyhow. Enjoy that Strat!

Cheers - C