[quote="53magnatone"]juicefan11

Have you looked at the Custom Shop Deluxe in aged Cherry Sunburst ?? quote]
Cherry is a no-no... I meant RED. Not something from orange to red, but really red from the colourful part, and the edges black...
I meant something like the Gunmetal Red Burst with Jaguars...

Given the same electronics and choices of wood, can't an American Standard Strat sound as good as a custom shop strat? I always assumed the CS strats were about uber-craftsmanship.

NO.. a Standard strat will not be like a Custom Shop, that is like asking if an Audi A4 Avant Quattro is as good as an Audi RS4 Quattro Avant. From the outside they look similar but that is where the similarities end.
No Way did my standard strat with Dimarzio's SSS compare to my CS 56 NOS.
You are not going to get a standard with the same choice of woods, pickups etc...etc... as a Custom Shop.
Custom Shop's are of a limited run and each is gone over with a fine tooth comb. The pick ups as well as the entire guitar is specked as a special design, to replicate like say a 65 strat or a 56 or if you order one to your specs it will be built as you ordered, thus the rather lenghty wait as well as the premium price.
But that is what a Custom Shop guitar is about. Bespoke Tuning

Is the cost worth it ?? Only you can answer that for yourself.

_________________
"C'est parti mon Kiki "