This may be a crazy question, but does anyone know if Fender sells new Strats without the electronics (pups, pickguard, etc.)?

I'm thinking about buying a new Strat but like DiMarzio pickups, maybe even one of their pre-wired kits. Doesn't seem worth buying a new Strat just to immediately tear the pups out.

Anyway, probably a crazy question, but figured there's a remote chance that it's an option someone would know about.

just sell whatever you take out on craigslist or ebay

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......Or buy the individual parts you need on Ebay or from an aftermarket vendor then assemble the guitar yourself.

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

well it's not that crazy a question but prepare yourself for a wicked crazy answer... i'll start with the bad news nope fender does not sell strats without electronics and hardware... now here comes the good news fender does allow companies to make official strat/tele bodies and necks (in some cases other models as well) for them (i think this is the whole idea of fender guitar parts being 100% interchangeable) some of the companies are: mighty mite, warmoth and all parts

i suggest you google fender licenced bodies and necks and see what you come up with

'Ralf" - Thanks! That helps a lot!
.... I sense that I'm at the beginning of a journey here, but thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

I agree with the previous poster....just sell the parts you don't want on Ebay.

I bought a new 2008 American Standard and immediately replaced the neck with a Warmoth neck with ebony fingerboard and stainless frets, etc.

Replaced the trem with a Wilkinson VS 401.

Replaced the entire pickguard and pickups with Dimarzio Area pickups, and a blender pot setup.

Replaced tuners with Schaler locking tuners.

The guitar was new old stock, so I had gotten it for $795.00. Ebay treated me well because the parts I sold were mint.

By the way, the only thing left from the original guitar is the body.

I ended up with an amazing, custom Strat for notalot.

anything for a guitarrist looking for the perfect guitar if you don't find anything you like you could do as the others have said and go for the whole e bay option

DiMarizo and Seymour Duncan has pre-loaded pickguard you can buy with the pickup configuration you are looking for. Just about every professional guitarist out there immediately swaps pup's when they first get a strat.

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That sorta depends on what Strat these "professionals" get, I would think.

I doubt that anybody is gonna heave the vintage pickups in an otherwise all-original guitar from 1957.

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

He ought to be made aware that if Fender logo matters to him, the Fender-licencees won't be able to provide him with that sort of thing. I personally don't care to pursue further discussion on the other resources.

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"Another day in paradise!"

Back about 7 yrs ago Fender did sell bodies and necks, but they stopped at some point. I'm not sure when.

Warmoth makes nice bodies.

Hi, Im on my fourth strat now and i build them to suit my tastes. I use Dimarzios and you might want to try the new Paul Gilbert Injector model for the neck or bridge. I used Areas and found they are best suited for middle like Paul suggests. If you run a humbucker in bridge i just put that D'Activator in my strat and it stomps on my Les Paul now. Also there is an ebay seller I used for my latest strat called fenderreliable on there, he has millions of necks bodys bridges etc. I wanted a deluxe with a roller nut in black with a real Fender floyd rose. Well those options dont come together and they dont even make a fender floyd anymore. Unless you got custom shop money build your own out of real fender parts that way.

Donny....though you may be satisfied with your ebay seller , that particular website does not enjoy the welcome of many on this Forum. Its a very lonnggggg story, going back many years, and too long in the telling, but there's been a lot of heat generated in these pages with respect to that business enterprise over there, and most of it not good. It was the self-same which I alluded to in my last comment.

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"Another day in paradise!"

After having countless guitars come my way, I now can honestly say it makes no difference to me what name is on the headstock, if one at all. I play strats Ive built, not just assembled, but actually worked the wood to a degree, and Id put them against a Custom Shop any day of the week.

I'd recommend Warmoth or All Parts. I go with Warmoth because I think they have the most consitant product, and they use really good pieces of wood. All-Parts too, though IMO to a very slightly lesser degree.

I would recommend staying away from Mighty Mite though. I know, there are a lot of people who bought and use their stuff and love it. I've seen several come into the shop. They arent consitant at all. The last one; the guy bought a Jackson Solo type body and neck from Mighty Might, and NOTHING fit together correctly. It seemed like some of the holes they put in it were meant for totally different guitars. We had to fill in holes, make new ones, shave wood, and shim the hell out of everything.

Long story short, the guy might have saved maybe a couple hundred in the parts costs between the MM and the Warmoth or All Parts, but ended up spending more than he would have with Warmoth or AP because of the bench hours that went into getting it together. And even then it wasnt worth the $ that went into it.

Just a few months ago I bought a 2011 Am. Std. Strat. At the same time I got two per-loaded DiMarzio pick guards (Fast Rails in black,HS in white. I had the pick-ups and knobs swicthed out on both...so they are black w/white, white w/black) The reason for this in two fold.
1. I already have one 2008 Am. Std. with stock pick-ups
2. If I ever decide to sell it (and I see hell freezing over first) I can put the stock pick-ups back on.

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2008 Am. Std. Strat
2008 Am. Deluxe Strat
2010 Am. Deluxe Strat
2011 Am. Std. Strat
2011 Am. Std. Strat
Hot Rod Deluxe
Hot Rod Deville 410