I have a question which I hope you could help me with. I have a 2000 Fender standard stratocaster made in Mexico. I was looking online and I have seen that the American models of this year included a small packet. The package included a wrench, Fender Polishing Cloth, manual, advertisement, and other items. The American models also came with a hand tag that was attached on neck of the guitar by a cloth or a plastic wiring. When I bought the guitar it didn't come with anything. My question is what originally was included with this year Mexican Fender Stratocaster? Did they also include a packet? And Did the Mexican include a guitar neck tag too? I received a general owners manual from Fender but that's it. I was hoping somebody could help me, maybe somebody else has the same year Mexican guitar or knows the answer

I don't have an answer for you but I can tell you this much, there are some larger chain stores like GC for example that would take product received and separate the package into individual items and sell them separately. The most glaring example of this is the separation of the case and guitar when they came from the factory as a set and were intended to be sold together as a set. I don't know if they still do this but they certainly used to do it in 2000. Perhaps this somehow relates to your situation? I don't know.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Your 2000 MIM Std came with a couple of hex wrenches (for truss rod and bridge saddles), inspection tag hanging off the neck, and possibly the manual. I think that's all, I haven't worked in a guitar store since 1999 so I'm testing my feeble memory here. Maybe I was exposed to too many silica gel packets back then when I was unboxing MIM Stds back then in my youth

Most guitar stores (Guitar Center is the worst offender) throw away all of the hangtags, literature, hex wrenches, etc on all guitars that ship without a case. They just unbox them and put the guitar on a rack in the showroom and throw the other stuff away. The only way to get the swag for those guitars is to ask for it at purchase or buy a guitar still in the box. None of these items impact the value of a MIM though. You're not losing out by not having this stuff. It's when you get into Custom Shop territory and other guitars that ship with COA's where the swag is important to retain value.

MIM Stds have been shipping with a gig bag since 2006 I think, but Guitar Center and many other big retail places still don't keep track of what shipped from the factory with the guitar and you have to ask for all of it or else they don't bother with it.

MIA Stds are a different story because they have always came with nicer swag as you found out. Still many stores don't keep track of it all or throw it away or sales people take the stuff home for their own guitars (I've seen it happen many times ).

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

+1

Some years back I bought a new case from GC as part of a package deal for a used instrument that did not originally come with one. The case they gave me contained all of the hang tags, wrenches, bumper stickers, etc that one would expect when purchasing a new Fender. As well, the case was designed either for a lefty or a Strat with a reverse headstock -- the bolsters on the left end of the case were configured differently than a standard tweed G&G case and the part # on the shipping box was different. Which means that the customer who ended up buying that guitar ended up without a proper case, the neck and bridge adjustment tools, or the documentation for the guitar. I tried to give the case candy back to the salesman and he seemed totally unconcerned and oblivious to the situation and refused to accept it. The case never did quite accommodate my Telecaster correctly but I discovered that it fit my 12-string Strat perfectly.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

+1 Arjay!
Isn't that one of many the reasons why Rickenbacker pulled its guitars out of Guitar Center about 10 years ago or so? Rickenbacker ships a warranty card with every guitar that references the serial number. GC always mixed up the Rick cases and you would get a case with a warranty card that referenced a different serial number than the new Rick you got. Rick policy states that you need the original warranty card. After years of complaints, Rick gave GC the boot. Well there were other reasons too.

But the constant case switcheroo at GC makes my blood boil, especially when GC ripped off my wife when she bought a Tele. grrrr....

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

I know all about it. Just purchased a MIA Strat Special at GC. Got a good deal but when checking out was handed just the guitar. I was like! were is the kit, wrench, wam-bar and lit, for the guitar? It states on-line you get a case too. But what you get is a soft case. They still charged me for it. I took it back and got the money back. All said & done, I am in love with my new Strat.
Keep Jammin! Enjoy Life!

What happened with the tele?
My wife bought me a mia strat last year, returned it because I wanted a 2010 strat. The best part was I was the one who opened the package from Fender factory to my hands
Feels so nice that only my hands have played it since it left Fender

That must be what happened to me. I've purchased two American Standard Strats from GC in the past month, and I haven't seen hide nor hair of any tools. Both came from the GC central warehouse, not from the stores themselves. That must mean they opened up the cardboard outer box, removed the tools, then resealed the box. BS if you ask me.

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American Standard Strat, Sienna Sunburst
Gibson Les Paul, Desert Burst
Gibson SG '61 Reissue, Heritage Cherry

Reliable Music, NC has been closed for years

When I bought my 2000 MIM Strat I kept everything that came with it in the case I bought for it that day,all that came with it were an owner's manual and warranty card for recording the purchase date,serial# etc.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

When I purchased my American Tele in 1994, I didn't get anything but the guitar. No case, no candy, nothing. I wish I knew better back then. I had to cough up an extra $60.00 for an aftermarket case.

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