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Post subject: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 1:45 pm
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Hi. This is my first post here so please forgive me if this question has an obvious answer.

Within the past two weeks up here in Canada I purchased in person from a Fender authorized dealer a brand new American Standard Stratocaster, maple neck, and the guitar finish is “Charcoal Frost Metallic”. I assume the guitar was manufactured in 2013 because the serial number begins with US13. Was this a limited 2013 run in this finish color, or was a 2012 body in this finish possibly perhaps applied to a 2013 neck in manufacturing near the year end of the manufacturing cycle? I only ask because I noticed that the Fender catalogs list this particular color in 2012 but not in 2013. Any information would be helpful, thank you.

Not really a big deal either way I guess because I did specifically seek out this color. :D

I’ll finish by confessing that my only other Fender guitar is a cheaper MIM Tele, and that I currently own (and once owned in the past) several other Gibsons; this Strat has immediately become my favorite guitar though, period. Someone would have to pretty much kill me to take it from me. The build quality on this thing VASTLY exceeds anything available from Gibson within an even remotely similar price range. It is pretty much perfect in every way and the Custom Shop Fat 50s’ pickups freakin’ rule. Incredible guitar, I’m now a convert.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:09 pm
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Uncle Milty wrote:
Was this a limited 2013 run in this finish color, or was a 2012 body in this finish possibly perhaps applied to a 2013 neck in manufacturing near the year end of the manufacturing cycle?


Quite possible, actually.

Finished bodies of a given year aren't necessarily all mated to finished necks made in that same year. The same holds true for components in many Fender amps, especially the vintage models made decades ago.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:17 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Uncle Milty wrote:
Was this a limited 2013 run in this finish color, or was a 2012 body in this finish possibly perhaps applied to a 2013 neck in manufacturing near the year end of the manufacturing cycle?


Quite possible, actually.

Finished bodies of a given year aren't necessarily all mated to finished necks made in that same year. The same holds true for components in many Fender amps, especially the vintage models made decades ago.

Arjay


Thanks very much for the reply. Am guessing the only way to be sure would be to remove the neck from the body or to check inside the body cavity? That isn't really an option because the guitar setup is pretty much perfect right from the dealer as is, and I don't want to mess with it at all right now out of a fear of changing that!

Thanks again for your reply. Cheers.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 2:29 pm
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Absent some other exigent reason to disassemble the instrument, I wouldn't mess with it at all.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:10 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
Absent some other exigent reason to disassemble the instrument, I wouldn't mess with it at all.

Arjay


Agreed in full. Thanks again for the reply.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 3:39 pm
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Enjoy the new Strat......she sounds like a real beauty.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 7:36 pm
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The general idea with S/Ns and dating process is that Fender makes a bunch of parts during the year and grab what they need to build the guitar. This means that parts from differing times of the year might mixed up a bit.

My '01 Clapton Strat was actually made in 2000, with parts from different times in the year. Even though I odered the guitar in Jan '01 and received in Feb '01, the parts and S/N say, "2000."

My 2004 50th Anniv. Series Am. Std. Strat has a S/N that says, "2003," it I purchased it in 2004.

Factory made, it's what for dinner!


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:49 pm
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Hi. A lot of times the big chain stores have exclusives,or special edition, guitars made in small batches, but in different colors then you would normally find.If you contact fender customer service with the serial number they may be able to tell you.


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:18 am
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paris wrote:
The general idea with S/Ns and dating process is that Fender makes a bunch of parts during the year and grab what they need to build the guitar. This means that parts from differing times of the year might mixed up a bit.

My '01 Clapton Strat was actually made in 2000, with parts from different times in the year. Even though I odered the guitar in Jan '01 and received in Feb '01, the parts and S/N say, "2000."

My 2004 50th Anniv. Series Am. Std. Strat has a S/N that says, "2003," it I purchased it in 2004.

Factory made, it's what for dinner!


I suspect this was the case with the guitar I bought. As you stated, the parts and build times probably aren't completely seamless. Having never worked in that sort of an environment I'd never given it much previous consideration. Your post makes perfect sense. Thanks very much for the reply.

:)


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 7:54 am
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prepaws wrote:
Hi. A lot of times the big chain stores have exclusives,or special edition, guitars made in small batches, but in different colors then you would normally find.If you contact fender customer service with the serial number they may be able to tell you.

That is certainly a possibility as well. I will definitely give that a try next week when I'm on holidays. Thanks for the suggestion.

OT, but I want to expand a bit on the quality of this instrument. This American Standard Strat is some next-level stuff versus anything done by Gibson these days in a similar price range - and above for that matter. Played a whole bunch of new Les Pauls priced $1000 (or more) above the Strat at my dealer and was left a bit uninspired, frankly, meh. Though I wasn’t willing to spend $5,000 on a guitar that day, price wasn’t really all that much of a consideration otherwise, but rather, the quality of the guitar itself was the arbiter.

This particular Strat is freakin’ amazing, both visually and in my hands as well. Thank you, Fender, OMG, thank you. Considering that the tuners aren’t locking, the guitar pretty much stays in tune. The neck itself… perfect execution, like, flawless. I love the radius, the frets are dressed ideally as well; can’t really imagine that a custom shop issue of the same model could be that much better. In fact, that is exactly how this guitar neck feels in my left hand, like I’m playing something that was custom built, by-hand, for me. The neck feels as if it belongs on an $8,000 guitar. The Custom Shop Fat 50s’ pickups are an unreal value on this guitar as well. Playing cleans on this guitar, out of this world, perfect chime in my ear, it just rings and sustains and sings on clean settings and has opened up a whole new world to me. Add a bit of gain though and I can move from a SRV kind of grind into some Jeff Beck-like squeals. Great range of tones; the additional no-load tone control circuit (middle & bridge pickups) is a neat add that will take some getting used to though I can also already see some cool possibilities there as well. Even the finish on this guitar is cool; visually it could be compared to that Clapton Strat available right now in Pewter (perhaps a bit darker). In a neutral light it photographs pretty dark, but given some brighter lights the metallics in the paint take on another life, anywhere from a bluish-almost purplish-tinge is evident at times, and under somewhat darker conditions the guitar almost looks jet black.

Speaking as an older dude it has been a long time since a guitar got me this excited, the feeling is somehow similar to when I bought my first electric guitar; not going through a mid-life crisis either. Am conversely just stunned at how perfect this instrument is given the retail cost. I paid $1099.99 for this thing less than two weeks ago. If someone were to offer me double or triple that in cash right now in exchange for my Strat… I wouldn’t take it, and that speaks to the quality of the build.

Sorry for rambling on and on. :D


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Post subject: Re: American Standard Strat question from a newb
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:53 pm
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^^^^ Yep.....Am Std Strats are my go-to guitars for gigging. Love 'em.


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