I just brought home, a made in mexico stratocaster, an HSS model, but where the bottom tone pot should be there is a toggle switch. it appears that it's for coil splitting. in all the years i've been playing and have owned MiM Fenders i have never seen or even heard of a factory made guitar like this but when i pulled the pickguard, all the wiring and solder joints look like something that came from the factory this way. can anyone possibly tell me if what i have is some oddity built by Fender, or is this an end user modified guitar? i'm not going to even consider selling this guitar since it is the best playing, nicest neck i've ever owned on a stratocaster and it sounds just phenominal. i'm just curious that IF it's something that Fender built like this, what the model name might be and if it's actually worth something more than a regular MiM Stratocaster. It's black with a 3 ply white/black/white pickguard and white pickup covers and tone and volume knobs with the toggle being black.

Bucky - sounds like you have a circa 1995-1996 MIM model called the "Stratocaster Special". They ran for only a year or two and they did come from the factory with a bridge humbucker and the coil split switch in place of the second tone control.

There was a companion Telecaster Special that had a neck humbucker and if I'm remembering correctly a vintage-style bridge.

These were kind of the forrunners of the MIM Deluxe Series Fenders.

When you get a chance, post some photos!