Introduced in 2007 the VG Strat won "Best In Show" at the NAMM of that year and yet it was discontinued in April 2009. There is plenty of conjecture about why it disapeared from the radar but I would like to see its return. My new and improved VG would have user programmable tunings and while I'm dreaming I might even include a Floyd Rose tremolo. Anyone else got any ideas for the Ultimate VG Strat?

Now I'm gonna sound like an old fogie......
When I was a youngster.....there was only O-N-E Stratocaster.....O-N-E Telecaster...ect.....
We now have 49 versions of Strats and Tele's!!!!
We didn't need another one!!
The VG was a bad idea....it was trying to G-DEC the Stratocaster.
The Strat is PERFECT the way it is!!!
It DOES NOT need all those new fangled bells and whistles!!
That's like putting Lady GaGa make up on the Mona Lisa!!!

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I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed man!

The VG strat would be equivalent to putting emissions control on a 1965 427 Shelby Cobra. You just don't do it. Some designs just don't need redesigning IMO. However, the VG is still pretty cool.

Well....I'm likely as old fogey as you and maybe older, and until recently I held the age record on the forum That aside, I have a Deluxe VG which I really enjoy noodling around with. I can't take issue with you observations about there only being one Strat. I've addressed that often on other threads, In fact, just today. I can also think of a host of arguments both pro and con as to why there should or should not be so many different versions of the iconic guitar. In this day of tone tweeking, looking at amps like Fender's Mustang III, remembering the days of the old Bassmans, '57 Twins, and the awesome introduction of the Showman Series, I see that VG Strat as being a great carry along to gigs. There's a lot of creativity lying in wait for someone capable enough to exploit it.

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"Another day in paradise!"

As an owner of a VG I have found it to be good for gigs where more than one sound is needed for a variety of song styles. It is not my go to guitar. It would have been better if it were programmable, but if it eats batteries now I can't imagine what it would do with even more power requirements. I think there will be a place for such instruments in the future but I admit I'm old school.

Musicman has come out with the Gamechanger which is a passive system that allows the player to program the coils of the pickups through their website. It was a big hit at NAMM this year. I applaud the new innovations in guitar technology but if someone invents the "do it all" guitar I'll have no excuse to buy another one....

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

I played a VG Strat and I thought it was pretty cool, buuuut I didn't think that it was cool enough to want to buy. I suspect what killed the VG Strat was that not enough people bought them.

As to how many Fender guitars there are, well think about it. There are as many styles of Strats are Teles as there are tastes in guitars. Everyone has a different idea of what they want.

Now on the flip side Fender does thin out the ranks every so often. I remember in the '90s there was poster with so many guitars that you could become dizzy just looking at it.

At the bottom of this post you can see the list of my Strats. They all sound different and I use them all for different reasons.

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1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

The problem wth the VG Strat is not a listed in your poll. It was simply lack of sales and ineffective marketing. Fender did not sell enough coupled with a lack of ads to explain what the VG Strat was all about. I do not see Fender bringing out a new version of the VG under any circumstances. But I'm sure the custom Shop would build an Ultimate VG Strat if you want. Right, Doc?

That would be one for ME to respond to. There may be issues regarding the electronics, but I would be great to be able to. Honestly, with that FSR which Guitar Center commissioned, which I, and a few others were fortunate enough to grab at the selloff. the only improvement I might ask for would be the Clapton neck. The FSR has staggered locking tuners, SCN pickups and an Aged Cherry finish.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Wow, I'm so impressed with the spirited response to my humble post. It gives me hope for the VG revival. The main reason I chose the VG was the fact that it was more than one guitar rolled into one. My little music room is 9 foot by 11 so that was a big plus. As for the battery thing the manual recommends NiMH batteries and I was doing fine with GP ReCyko batteries until I couldn't source them anymore. That happens to me - anything I like and grow comfortable with goes out of production (including the VG). Now I use Sanyo eneloop but I would happily go back to the other. As for the other comments - there was plenty off song but interesting all the same. 65 Shelby Cobra - I can see the attraction.