Hey folks.
I just got my hands on a sweet 1996 Fender American Strat. It is sunburst with a rosewood fingerboard. Does anyone know what line of pickups were put in the strats at this time?

The serial number is: N6156380



Thanks a million!
~Flip

Flip,

Your guitar could be one of two models from 1996 - either an American Standard or a Roadhouse Strat. Based on your photo - unless the pickguard has been replaced you could have a Roadhouse because Fender used that shell pickguard and white pickup covers with the sunburst finish on that model. Back then the Roadhouse was part of the "Hot Rodded American Standard" series and was basically an American Standard with Texas Special pickups. A quick way to check the pickups - Texas Special pickups will have staggered height polepieces; regular American Standard pickups have flat polepieces.

It is possible that the guitar is an American Standard with a changed pickguard - in that case it might have either the basic American Standard pickups or it could have Delta Tone pickups because I believe 1996 was the transition year to the Delta Tone but I could be wrong. If it is pre-Delta Tone it should have a TBX control in the lower tone position with a detent at about "5"; if it has the Delta Tone the lower tone control will have a detent just past "10" that takes the pot out of the circuit. Pre Delta Tone all 3 pickups were the same; after Delta Tone the bridge pickup is slightly hotter. Regardless, American Standard pickups had flat pole pieces.

The best way to find out for sure is to email Fender's consumer relations your serial number - it's consumerrelations@fender.com - and they can look it up and verify if you have a stock Roadhouse or an American Standard modded with a shell pickguard.

Thanks for the advice. I'll contact the folks at Fender soon. The guy I got it from originally had a white pickguard on the guitar. He put it on in place of the shell pickguard when he got the guitar. So, I do have a white pickguard I can put on it if I want. Although, I perfer the look of the shell.

It does not have the staggered pole pieces. So, that answers my question. I'll have to look closer at the knobs. I did feel a slight give and take in the lower tone pot. Not sure if that has anything to do with it or not.

All the same, thanks so much for the information. I think I'm keeping this one.

~Flip