Help me ID This Strat Model

[John C]

Originally Posted by jb4674

It's a Strat Plus Deluxe I believe with gold lace sensors. Mine's the same blueburst Cid's talking about. I think $975 is a bit high for the guitar but, I can definitely attest to the fact that it plays superb and you can get a lot of sounds out of it.

Here are some pics of mine:













Jimmy

Jimmy - I'm going to have to look at your photos tonight (they're blocked here) but if the upgraded Strat has gold Laces it is called a "Strat Plus"; the "Deluxe" part means it has the different color Laces like yours. Does yours have the snap-in arm?

And to further confuse things there was an "American Standard Deluxe" in circa 1988/89 that had the gold Laces but didn't have the roller nut, locking tuners, and tremsetter. Of course, the one he is looking at is either a Strat Plus (if it has gold Laces) or a Strat Plus Deluxe (if it has the other Laces).

[jb4674]

If I recall correctly, the regular Strat Plus had all 3 gold lace sensors. The Strat Plus Deluxe had a Gold at the neck, Silver in the middle and Blue at the bridge. The Ultra had either two reds or a red and blue in a humbucker form at the bridge plus a silver in the middle and blue at the neck. The Ultra also came with an ebony neck and a snap-in arm. During its last few years, Fender put the floyd single locking trem on them.

The Plus and the Deluxe came with regular screw-in arms. I also remember seeing the Deluxes with the lsr nuts during their last years of production. Schaller locking tuners and straplocks were standard in all models and came with the buttons to install it in your strap of choice or in the included fender strap.

Hope this clarifies some things....

Jimmy

P.S.: I'm going to take a look at the catalog and see the variations of the models tonite, hopefully I can scan it too.

[John C]

Originally Posted by jb4674

If I recall correctly, the regular Strat Plus had all 3 gold lace sensors. The Strat Plus Deluxe had a Gold at the neck, Silver in the middle and Blue at the bridge. The Ultra had either two reds or a red and blue in a humbucker form at the bridge plus a silver in the middle and blue at the neck. The Ultra also came with an ebony neck and a snap-in arm. During its last few years, Fender put some the floyd single locking trem on them.

The Plus and the Deluxe came with regular screw-in arms. I also remember seeing the Deluxes with the lsr nuts during their last years of production. Schaller locking tuners and straplocks were standard in all models and came with the buttons to install it in your strap of choice or in the included fender strap.

Hope this clarifies some things....

Jimmy


P.S.: I'm going to take a look at the catalog and see the variations of the models tonite, hopefully I can scan it too.

Jimmy - hopefully the catalogs can refresh my hazy memory also. As I recall them:

Strat Plus - 3 gold Laces, screw-in arm

Strat Plus Deluxe - started with gold/silver/blue, went to blue/silver/blue, and finally ended up with blue/silver/red by 1990. Screw-in arm until 1990, snap-in arm until late 1993, and Fender/Floyd single-locking (no fine tuners) bridge from late 1993 until end of production.

Strat Ultra - blue/gold/dual red pickups, chrome-plated tuners, saddles and roller nut, snap-in arm until late 1993, then Fender/Floyd until end of production. I never remembered seeing any red/blue duals on the Strat Ultras, but I do remember them on the Tele Plus Deluxes of the early 1990s.

That Fender/Floyd bridge (which was used as the optional "Locking Trem" on American Deluxe HSS Strats until recently) was something I never liked so I really never paid attention if it had a snap-in arm or not.

Fender switched to the LSR nuts in late 1993; the change to LSR nuts and the Fender/Floyd bridge happened at the same time. I'm very sure of the timing on this; I was living in Akron, OH at the time and these started hitting the stores before Christmas 1993. We moved to Louisville in Feb 1994, and by the time I made my last guitar shop "rounds" in Akron all the new ones had the LSR and the Deluxes/Ultras had the Fender/Floyd Rose.

Edited to add: Jimmy, your photos finally made it through our firewall; very nice Plus Deluxe. Based on the serial number (N1XXXXX) yours is a 1991; I'm surprised it doesn't have the snap-in arm; I remember them having them by then. Maybe that was a 1992 change? However, I did play a few of them circa late 1992 that had the same snap-in arms at the Ultras.

[CosmicDebris]

This such good info and one beautiful guitar. I will probally end up getting it and it will make a nice match to my RGT220A.

Thank you much fellas.

[jb4674]

Originally Posted by John C

Jimmy - hopefully the catalogs can refresh my hazy memory also. As I recall them:

Strat Plus - 3 gold Laces, screw-in arm

Strat Plus Deluxe - started with gold/silver/blue, went to blue/silver/blue, and finally ended up with blue/silver/red by 1990. Screw-in arm until 1990, snap-in arm until late 1993, and Fender/Floyd single-locking (no fine tuners) bridge from late 1993 until end of production.

Strat Ultra - blue/gold/dual red pickups, chrome-plated tuners, saddles and roller nut, snap-in arm until late 1993, then Fender/Floyd until end of production. I never remembered seeing any red/blue duals on the Strat Ultras, but I do remember them on the Tele Plus Deluxes of the early 1990s.

That Fender/Floyd bridge (which was used as the optional "Locking Trem" on American Deluxe HSS Strats until recently) was something I never liked so I really never paid attention if it had a snap-in arm or not.

Fender switched to the LSR nuts in late 1993; the change to LSR nuts and the Fender/Floyd bridge happened at the same time. I'm very sure of the timing on this; I was living in Akron, OH at the time and these started hitting the stores before Christmas 1993. We moved to Louisville in Feb 1994, and by the time I made my last guitar shop "rounds" in Akron all the new ones had the LSR and the Deluxes/Ultras had the Fender/Floyd Rose.

Edited to add: Jimmy, your photos finally made it through our firewall; very nice Plus Deluxe. Based on the serial number (N1XXXXX) yours is a 1991; I'm surprised it doesn't have the snap-in arm; I remember them having them by then. Maybe that was a 1992 change? However, I did play a few of them circa late 1992 that had the same snap-in arms at the Ultras.

John, one last thing to add to the fire is the fact that mine is actually a Plus because it has all 3 gold lace sensors (though I need to dig up the receipt and see what it says)

The other thing is that I got tired of the plain white pickguard many years ago and bought a Fender replacement pearloid guard to replace the stock one. The nice side effect is that over the years it has aged a bit and it has a bit of a vintage color on it.

Jimmy

[CosmicDebris]

Originally Posted by jb4674

I think $975 is a bit high for the guitar but

Missed this part before. If it is in the year range discussed with the aformentioned features what would it be worth? I asked him if he wanted to trade for my 3120 but he doesn't want another guitar lol. He doesn't know much about Ibanezs. I told him I had a backstop I could put in it he didn't know what that was.

[elcid]

Originally Posted by jb4674

Cid, I'll be your best friend forever if you post a how-to guide along with pictures and idiot-proof directions. The Hipshot directions are simply awful and not very helpful.

Jimmy

I actually stole that whole thing from
http://www.xhefriguitars.com/page2.html

The same site trynyty linked to

[elcid]

Originally Posted by jb4674

Mine is the same one but with a rosewood board. One day I will post pics, I promise. Im still trying to decide if I want to put a JB Jr in the bridge. I bought it because its a Strat and will sound like one, but I like the way it plays so much I want to throw a JB Jr in it since I use humbucker guitars more.

[newbieguitarmaker]

yeah I think it is a Plus Deluxe. I like plus deluxe's so much I might actually put a roller nut on my deluxe, also I was going to put some lace sensors on it and I was thinkin bout getting a repaint because black is boring hah. I want that blue color on my strat like jb4674

[David McCarroll]

Originally Posted by jb4674

The Ultra also came with an ebony neck and a snap-in arm. During its last few years, Fender put the floyd single locking trem on them.

At the risk of being the complete dweeb that I actually am, the Ultra came with an Ebony fingerboard with Abalone dots, not an actual Ebony neck.

I also seem to recall that some, if not all Ultras had either a sunburst or a violet/blueburst finish with a veneer of curly Maple on the front and maybe also the back face of the body - in any case they are mighty pretty instruments......

[CosmicDebris]

heard back from the dude and this is what I have found out through web sites.

S# E470778 The E4 makes it an 88 by what that above site says. Model 10-7500 Did a google search for Fender 10-7500 and came up with good stuff. He is asking a BIT too much for it lol. We will see.

[jb4674]

I wouldn't pay more than 600-700 for the guitar. $975 is close to the price they sold for brand new (if not more) when they were in the stores.

Jimmy

[CosmicDebris]

I got it today and it is in Very nice shape. Bridge has a bit of tarnish and needs a good polishing. Body, neck, pickguard, pickups, knobs are Mint. Bridge need some work. Screw hoding base to sustain block is loose as the hole for the trem arm (which I need to get) is off set a tad.

I see what folks have meant bout the vol knob being close to the bridge. Took a bit of adjustmnet but it really plays and sounds nice. For a 20yr old guitar it was very well taken care of. Good deal at 790.

After a good cleaning, polish, and set up I will post some new pics.

[Ayrton]

I have both an '88 strat plus, and a '89 strat plus deluxe. Both are easily the nicest strats I have played.

Is the neck one piece?

[CosmicDebris]

Originally Posted by Ayrton

I have both an '88 strat plus, and a '89 strat plus deluxe. Both are easily the nicest strats I have played.

Is the neck one piece?

Kinda looks like it. No skunk strip.