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Post subject: Re: Fender Stratocaster American Standard or Special?
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2015 5:53 am
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John C wrote:
....

I think these are the differences between the American Special and the American Standard:

1. Trem bridge is 6-screw instead of 2-post (but not the American Vintage steel-block 6-screw trem)
2. Regular truss rod instead of Bi-Flex truss rod
3. Uniform-height tuners instead of staggered-height tuners (may or may not be a cost difference here)
4. No micro-tilt instead of micro-tilt neck attachment
5. No rolled fingerboard edges instead of rolled fingerboard edges
6. Production-line pickups instead of Custom Shop pickups (I don't believe the Am Special has CS Texas Specials)
7. Gig bag instead of hard case

Not a lot of differences, not sure if they add up to $300 worth of difference.


Thank you John. As informative as always.

Think yourself lucky it is only $300 for you (which noting all the differences I think is probably worth it). In the UK we are looking at £300 to £400 difference. It does fit in with my usual rule of thumb though - what ever the stated price is in $ is what we ultimately end up paying in £

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Post subject: Re: Fender Stratocaster American Standard or Special?
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 1:42 am
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I was just looking at the Fender Strat listings (in price order) and there seems to have been a recent change and price aligning:-

There are only two American Specials listed currently - an HSS and the 70s Hardtail. The latter (only 500 produced) and are now like hens teeth - I've got one :D.

With the exception of these two all MiAs are over £1000. There are a couple of signature MiM's over £1000.

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Post subject: Re: Fender Stratocaster American Standard or Special?
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 8:34 am
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Oh, I don't know, John - the surf green SSS model seems plentiful, also C/A red, from what I see online?

Although Andertons have no stock at their £699 advertised price, there are several other sellers at around £750 - a substantial saving over the AmStds, as you say. From the sound of it, though (forgetting the MIA decal), a Mexican standard Strat is similar to a Special for even less money?

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: Fender Stratocaster American Standard or Special?
Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2015 9:50 am
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Thomanns seem to have stock of about six variations of American Specials, all just shy of £780.

I've bought two guitars from them and, while I don't have any complaints, I think Andertons would do a better job of setting their guitars up; if indeed Thomanns even take them out of the box.

Thomanns were always markedly cheaper than anyone else but perhaps not with the last of the American Specials if, as it would seem, Fender are cleaning their cupboard of them.

I love my Am Special "70's Hardtail" and would buy another in a blink of an eye. That aside, of a conventional Strat, I think I would hold out for an American Standard.

MiM's seem to have increased in quality recently and I agree that MiM's at American Special money offer much better value for money when comparing specs. But, there is that specialness of a MiA :wink:

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