I guess I'll have to settle with an early 1990s HM Strat with HH, but it's really difficult to trace. There are a few HM Strats in HSS, but I can't tell if they're American or Japanese, or alder/basswood. One ad, according to some HM Strat members (a teal HSS), is a scam.

There actually is a heavily modified HM Strat with HhH selling on eBay! I'm not sure I want that one, though.

Another option I have is any Floyd Rose Strat made in USA, and there's always the odd one that turns up. Highway-One Showmasters, though, are difficult to trace (I'd love to catch more links). With Jackson opting for decorated, feature-laden, imported Dinkys and Soloists at USA prices, I feel Fender should reintroduce the HM/Showmaster as an American-made guitar (American Special series) that just sounds and feels right, without the fancy hardware, inlays and quilt tops, in the American Special price range.

Then another big question- once I import one, what are the repairs and restorations needed?

Three (or two and a half) humbuckers in an HM Strat? Here's one. He's routed out space near the neck to fit a full humbucker.

Plenty of HM Strats on sale are the HSS variants. I've yet to find the HH one.

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Arjun - to me the country of origin of the HM Strats is a point of contention. The first year of them (1988 if I'm remembering correctly) were clearly marked as "Made In Japan" on the neck by the serial number even though they had those neck plates that said "Fender USA" and of course they have a lot of USA parts like pickups, Kahler trems, etc.

By 1989 the "Made in Japan" was removed but they did not add a "Made in USA" anywhere other than that kind of nebluous "Fender USA" neck plate and on the price lists they were now called the "U.S. HM Stratocaster". Regardless of year the HMs to me look like MIJ guitars; it's possible that after the first year they were assembled in the USA but the bodies and necks were cut and finished in Japan. I'm pretty sure all the bodies were basswood regardless of year.

I do like your idea of having a Floyd Rose model as part of the American Special line - that would put a basic Floyded Strat out there at a nice price point - make them available in HSS and HSH and I think Fender would have a winner on their hands.

Why not make an American Special Showmaster HHH with three humbuckers and an original Floyd Rose?

Mainly because the Showmaster is a completely different model - different body shape, set neck, and I believe they have 24 frets. That's a major retooling to get to that model as opposed to modifying the existing American Special HSS model by adding the Floyd (or using the American Standard routing so they could also make it HSH). I was just thinking of what Fender could do pretty easily to get it into production.

They did a Highway One Showmaster a couple of years ago. It was available in HSS and HH configurations with a kill switch but not in an HHH layout.

An American Special Strat with HHH pickups and an original Floyd Rose is promising!

Fender sells HHH pickguards for Stratocasters, but doesn't make HHH guitars in a regular production basis.

Not all Showmasters were set-necks and full 2-octavers. Some Custom Shop Showmasters used a bolt-on neck construction and a 22-fret neck with abalone dots (except the Showmaster Elite which featured tribal markers).

I'd say something like HhH or Hhh would be more appropriate.

There is a 2003 Highway One Showmaster selling at a Guitar Center store. It is in chrome silver, but the paint at two places has been chipped and covered only by black tape strips. It is priced at $449. Would you recommend buying that?

Good memory! I had completely forgotten about those Highway 1 Showmasters and was only thinking of the MIKs.

I remembered the USA CS models but figured that the cost of a production line version of them would be too high for this discussion.

Only three CS Showmasters were shipped with an original Floyd Rose.

This graffiti yellow Floyded Showmaster features a single SD Invader humbucker in the bridge.

I also have a showmaster QM top in tobacco

I bought it in 2007 It plays just as good as it looks absolutly awsome

Can someone ID this Showmaster? They don't say it is a Highway One, the one I'm seriously interested in. This one appears to be a hardtail. I've emailed the store manager (this one is located in the GC@Sioux Falls, SD) and hopefully I'll get a reply tonight. Highway One Showmasters are rather hard to catch, and we often end up facing these MIK Showmasters, likely made in Cor-Tek.

I have the same QMT Showmaster as gypsy80y's. I also have close to 40 other guitars. This one by far has the best looking quilted wood. One of my most impressive looking guitars, and also sounds great totally stock.

The MIK Showmasters did not feature a locking tremolo.

This option was only offered on the MIA models (Highway 1 and Custom Shop) and their Squier counterparts with the reverse head.