This is my first posting of any sort on any forum. I just purchased a used sunburst Strat with a serial number that indicates it was made in Corona in 1995, so I know it's American. The seller told me it was an American Standard - I have no reason to doubt him, but just out of scrutiny, how do I verify that? Also, any suggestions on getting the neck to have a well broken in feel (e.g. road worn ... sort of) without thousands of hours of playing? Many thanks.

Hi

You can try to send a serial # to customer service and hopefully receive the details.

For the broken it feel of the neck you can try this procedure
http://tinyurl.com/3ssvc2a
Follow the link and you will see how to go about it on page 19-20 if I remember correctly.