I have been thinking for a long time about what my next Stratocaster should be... I currently have a Squier Hot Rails Stratocaster and a Mustang III 100 Watt Amplifier. I play things from Classics all the way down to Hard Rock and SOMETIMES Metal (generally Hard Rock though). I occasionally use the Whammy Bar and I like Maple Fretboards, but Rosewood is also no problem to me. I was highly considering a Fender Blacktop Stratocaster in CAR with a Maple Fretboard. It has pretty much everything I need. But I wanted to ask you guys, should I go with the Blacktop or the MIM Standard with Floyd Rose, or any other guitar. I say this because, even though I like the Blacktop, my favorite color is Lake Placid Blue, then Candy Apple Red (I know, weird reason). But what do you guys think? Which Stratocaster should I go for?
My Price Range is till $700, so I can only get MIMs...
Thanks,
Hyper27

The Blacktop is also available with a FR.

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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.

In the case of the Blacktop FR the humbuckers lack off metal covers.

I am not sure on your budget, so this may be way out of line - But the "Billy Corgan Strat" is a beast of a strat. I know Fender don't list it on their site anymore but I am sure the Shops will still have stock.

My 2 cents worth.
I would like to own one of those.

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GUITAR: Fender USA JazzMaster.
BASS: Fender USA 58'AVRI
AMP: Fender USA SuperSonicTwin - Blonde.

The Corgan Strat was essentially an American Special with a hardtail bridge and DiMarzio rail humbuckers, though Billy himself used a Strat fitted with a Lace Plus pickup set.

Is the Billy Strat Nut width of 43mm also standard on Amercan Specials?

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GUITAR: Fender USA JazzMaster.
BASS: Fender USA 58'AVRI
AMP: Fender USA SuperSonicTwin - Blonde.

I don't want a bridge that is blocked though... Additionally, can you drop tune easily with the Floyd rose fine tuners? I do not use the whammy bar at all times either however, so a standard trem will do fine too. Also how are the standard electronics when compared to blacktop? (HSS standard that is)

Sounds like what you need might be the EVH Wolfgang, which is also a Fender product, sort of. There are two price ranges, one in the stratosphere (Strat pun not intended) and one in the real world where we live which I believe might be called the "Special". Double buckers, easy-as-pie drop tuning, high grade trem.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.