I played both side by side and bought the Am. Deluxe.

The feel of the neck alone is worth the extra money!

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Support your local guitar shop.

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Glad you enjoyed it. "It sounds delicious"

Similar to what CKFoley mentioned earlier in this thread, I've got a 2005 Am Deluxe HSS that I just haven't really bonded with it. Its a great guitar and I got a great deal on it -- it just doesn't speak to me.. I think I'm more of a SSS kinda guy..

I'm selling the Am Deluxe and then consider replacing it with a 2012 Am Std. I do like the locking tuners on the Am Deluxe so I'll probably add those to any guitar I purchase.

If the Am Std speaks to you, I'd get it...

I emailed Gary Hoey asking what he thought, he said right now he is using a 2004 50th Anniversary Deluxe to record his new blues album, he said it's a really amazing guitar and if you can find one on eBay, "you won't be sorry".

I know both Deluxe and 50th Anniversary Deluxe are sweet guitars - but I have read that the 50th ann. is just a tad bit sweeter.

Anyone own one of these and can comment?

I'd email Clapton and Gilmour just to get a couple more opinions other that Gary Hoey 's.....

Gary has always been great about having a rapport with his fans - your sarcasm is duly noted.

This is the only place I've ever found that once carried the Fender Locking Bridge and they've been out of stock for some time. I have contacted them twice about it and they tell me they continue to try to order them from time to time. I hope that if enough people request them then perhaps they might make another small production run of them. They are an excellent bridge. The only thing I don't care for is the rough surface on the saddles which requires periodic cleaning as they pick up grime from your hands during chugga-chugga palm muting.

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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.

I wonder why they don't make them anymore

Those gold-plated Mini Floyds are pretty rare



I believe Fender also make them in black.

because they are a pain in the $@! to adjust the intonation on I still don't have it set perfect on mine. but I cannot think of any other reason than that.
you would think it would at least be a custom shop option.

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Sorry, didn't mean to offend -- feeble attempt at humor, not sarcasm. Good luck with your guitar search.

Dick Dale will also return emails. He's also friendly with fans at shows..

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Ultimately the decision is yours. It all depends on what speaks to you. After 20 years of humbuckers I wanted a guitar that was SSS because I needed something that didn't sound like anything else I owned.

I got the 2011 Deluxe SSS because 1) I hate the hum of traditional single coils (lots of people bash the N3's but, personally, I love them); 2) I liked the idea of locking tuners as a stock feature (just this alone helps tuning stability - the sss model has no roller nut); 3) I LOVE the versatility offered by the S1 switch; 4) Compound Radius neck is really comfortable in my hands.

There are a few other things that make this guitar entirely different from the Standard. Most recent Standards are a 3 piece body and the Deluxe uses a 2 piece body.

That "Passing Lane" switch is a by pass for the tone control so you can get those EVH type humbucker sounds like he had in the 80's when he used guitars with only a bridge humbucker with only a single knob for volume. Removing the tone control from the circuit adds a bit more output and it's a bit brighter since the tone control doesn't color the sound any.