So i'm in the market for a strat. My budget has led me too the standard and special. Does anyone have any input on if it is worth the extra cash for the standard. I love the fat 50's and the tex mex pickups but what about overall quality and playability and anything else you can throw at me? Even other models i may have over looked. I would like to stay in the american made strats and would have to rule out the highway one as i have previously owned one. So have at her tear these two guitars apart! I have also had the thought of waiting for 2013 to see what fender has in store if anyone has any info on whats to come i am very interested!

The American Special Stratocaster® features Texas Special™ pickups.

Specials have jumbo frets, and gig bag, no case, I didn't like the frets so I sold my one, they are very good guitars though.

I have a 2012 Am Std. Love it. The Fat 50 pickups are in my opinion better sounding than the Texas Specials. They are hotter than my other Strat with CS69s without being as mid heavy as the Texas Specials.

I have no problem moving from country to blues to rock with my Fat50s. They don't get quite as twangy as my CS69 equipped Strat, but the American Standard is so far completely stock while my other Strat has a blend pot in lieu of one of the tone pots allowing me to use the bridge and neck pup at the same time like a Tele.

My obviously biased vote would be for the American Standard. Great all around Strat tone.

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2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

I think that they are both fine guitars, but I'd go for the American Standard but that's only because I prefer the 2-point trem to the vintage 6-screw version (although it really isn't that big of a deal). The fact that you get a hard-shell case vs. a gig bag doesn't hurt either but I would't be disappointed with either one (especially if I could get the Special for a better price - brand new, I think they are only $200 less that the Standard).

I own an Am Special HSS and love it. But I also want the new American Standard and am saving to buy one.

So I guess my answer is BOTH.

They both are made with American Fender quality, so either guitar should be extremely well built.

Texas Special pickups are a bit hotter and have a vocal midrange to them. While the Fat 50's are very warm and don't have any harshness to their attack. Personally, if I were playing stuff with lots of overdrive, I'd usually prefer the Texas specials...while the Fat 50's would be my choice for playing John Mayer's slower type of stuff.

That's why I want both. The Am Special HSS is a perfect 'rock" and heavy blues guitar for me and the Am Standard is perfect for a great clean tone through a tube amp.

Just my .02

Both the US Standard & Special HSS came with either a Diamondback or a DH-1 (Atomic) in the bridge.

I didn't like the DH-1, sounds very crappy to my ears, so I prefer replacing it with a better-sounding humbucking pickup such as the Duncan Pearly Gates Plus and transform the guitar into an American Lonestar Special.

I'm also considering to replace the Diamondback with a Duncan Trembucker on the Standard and get the same configuration Fender used on their CS Showmasters.

Unfortunately I do not own these guitars to make those mods. But everyone can do any modification which suits their own personal taste.

Thanks guys you've given me some good feedback. If i went standard i would probably go with the candy cola finish and maple neck or jade with maple. however the hard case to gig bag is very nice as well. i think ill go standard as i dont use alot of higher overdrive the fat 50's imo fit my playing style alot better.

I used to have an MIA Lone Star Strat (did I mention that I really miss that Strat) and my initial reaction to the Texas Specials was not favorable. Like you said, they had this harsh mid-range spike that I just didn't like at all. I was looking for something to replace them with and the Fat 50's came to mind. But then I set the lower than the recommended set up and it was like "wow". I thought that they were among the best sounding pickups I've ever heard and while I haven't done a direct A/b comparison to the Fat's, I'm guessing that they sound very similar to each other.