I just bought a used Strat off Craigslist today and it's not like any other Strat I've ever seen. It's a Mexican Strat or at least the neck is MN5185xxx, 21 frets and rosewood fingerboard. It's an HSS configuration but there's only one tone knob. The tone is located in what looks like the right place but the volume is about halfway between where it normally goes and where the neck tone would normally be. It's a four bolt neck attachment 'with microtilt' - just like an American. The neck plate is plain - no markings at all. It has a locking nut and a Floyd Rose II tremolo. The trem block has five springs on it - I usually only see three, not sure if this was an after factory adjustment. Also has a standard five position pickup selector. I haven't been into the electronics or the neck pocket yet so not sure if there will be clues there. So far I'm confident this is a 1995 Strat from the Ensenada Mexico factory but I'm wondering if it came this way from the factory, if it's some kind of Frankenstrat or if this is possibly one of the Mexican Strats actually made in the USA after the Ensenada plant burned in 94? Has anyone else ever seen one of these or have any idea what I have? It's not a huge deal as I've pretty much decided it's a keeper. Mostly just curious about the history.

Hi Nosugrof,

Hard to say without pictures.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Posted these up to photobucket:

Wow, that is unusual, and nice looking. The serial indicates MIM 1995 to 1996, the decal indicates a Standard, but the tuners look like the same ones used on the MIM Squiers made around the same time period. The tuners look original, indicated by the smaller tuner ferrules and holes. Under the hole in the neck plate, is there also a corresponding hole in the body for the micro-tilt adjust?

I am not sure what you have here, it looks cool though, and probably plays well also. Hopefully, someone else will chime in, to say if this is simply a modded or factory Strat. I do know that the necks from around that time period are really nice on both the MIM Standards and the MIM Squiers.

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

There is a functional micro-tilt under the neck plate. I can see the adjustment bolt behind the access hole. Tomorrow I'll do a full set up so I'll get a look at the neck pocket and the wiring. The neck needs a slight truss rod adjustment and the tremolo isn't sitting quite right so by the time I'm done I will have been into everything.

send the serial number to fender at consumerrelations@fender.com they should be able to let you know what guitar it should be, this will then give you an idea / starting point if any mods have been made.

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ukraider
"money cant buy you love but it can buy guitars!!!!!!"

I'm thinking this is a parts-o-caster made from many different Fender Strats. The whole set up makes me think that the builder knew what he was doing and what he wanted. Odds are you got a really nice guitar.

According to Fender tech support this is a Fender Floyd Rose Standard Stratocaster manufactured in January of 1996. It came stock exactly as pictured. They were produced from 94-98. Thanks to all the contributors that helped figure this out.

You might get lucky there. I have a Tex-Mex strat from 95 that was identified a couple years ago when a friend owned it. When I asked Fender about it, all they told me was its a 95-96 made strat... Not very helpful. Lucky, my friend found the specs Fender sent to him a few days later. Not sure if the person who "helped" me was being lazy or didn't care, but it was disappointing.

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