Fender Strat Plus guitars! Still the cats meow

[dhuber]

I own a lot of guitars. This Blue Strat Plus Deluxe is a 1993 I bought new in 1994. It's still my most played guitar. I paid $999, that was a lot for a guitar in 1994 and I was told it's crazy to spend that much on a Strat. I was very ignorant when I bought it. I did not know it was a swimming pool route and I've been told it has a veneer top but that's debatable. I removed the Hip Shot Trem Setter. I have moved the silver pickup to the bridge and put gold in the neck and middle positions. I really believe Fender threw the baby out with the bath water when they quit making this guitar. I know a lot of people don't like Lace Sensors but I think they're one of the best thing that's happened to a Strat. Even if you don't like the pickups the roller nut with no string tree is hands down the best thing that's happened to a Strat. I see only a couple signature models that Fender makes have the roller nut. What a shame. In the late 90's and early 2000 no one had anything good to say about these. I have notice the price on these creeping up on eBay. Someday I'd like to buy a white or tobacco burst with a rosewood finger board. If Fender would start making these again I'd be the first in line to buy one.

[bettyseldest]

About ten years ago I had a 96 in Red with rosewood board for a couple of years, great guitar. I have had three other Strats since which have not come near it. Liked the Lace Sensors and have since bought a James Burton tele and also fitted a set in my partscaster.

[tcadam]

I have a '91 but it doesn't look nearly as nice as yours (mine's only a Plus). It's funny how they've appreciated over the years but I didn't pay anywhere near $1K 21 years ago. I think it was more in the $5-600 range, if that.

[TurtleFang]

I have a dead-mint '96 Strat plus in soft pastel yellow with a pearloid pickguard and a rosewood neck.

When I went into the store to buy it back in 97-ish the sales guy asked me who I liked as a player. I said Clapton... so he pointed me to it as the closest without totally breaking the bank with a signature model.

[bbmyers]

Amen brother! These are the best Strats since their inception. TBX, trem lock, laces pups, roller nut , yes the swimming pool route,locking tuners . Awesome . I have an 89 in midnight blue . Bought it used in 91 for 500 but barely used. Plays like butta, never mod'd anything on it.

"Ole Blue" is my #1, it's coming with me...

[SoK66]

I got a new '91 in blueburst that year and really liked its tone. I had problems with the roller nut (had the early style) and the trem setter contraption. The latter was removed and solved that issue,, but the nut drove us wacky. I finally had a luthier get rid of the ahole thing and install a nnormal nut and a rosewood patch on the end of the board.

[bcarter_1]

[dhuber]

Originally Posted by tcadam

I think it was more in the $5-600 range, if that.

I have no doubt I paid top dollar when I bought mine, I don't think I had a clue what they were going for.

[gwjensen]

Even if you don't like the pickups the roller nut with no string tree...

I like the idea of no string tee. Hate the string tee. Sticks out like a sore thumb, especially if you have two Gottoh roller type like on my MIJ strat.

[neilcoates]

mines a'92 in antique sunburst with maple neck. beautiful ash veneer with a lovely grain and finish. Didnt know enough about guitars other than I wanted a strat , it had to be sunburst and it had to be maple. The + deluxe was in the sale at £545. So I bought it.

Boy is it heavy!! Same weight as my Les Paul give a few ounces! Could never get a proper strat tone until I discovered/realised the lace sensors do not give you this , especially in posn 2 and 4. So I changed to a set of custom shop '54s without the RW middle pickup. Transformed the guitar into the real deal.I would reccomend anyone to change the lace sensors if you want to sound like a strat.

I have left the tremsetter in , as it does help tuning stability , and the pickguard has been chaged a couple of times from white to pearloid to tortoiseshell.

beautiful instrument.

[Phostenix]

You'll probably like this website:

http://xhefriguitars.com/page2.html

[Phostenix]

Mine is a '94 Plus Deluxe - 40th anniversary. My avatar is the neck plate.

I've only seen a couple of these over the years setup like mine. It has the mini Flyod Rose bridge, too.

I go back & forth on the Lace sensors. I'm going to try a set of Microcoils in it next.

I read (I think it was in that website above) that these were alder bodies with ash caps front & back. That makes sense based on how the edges & belly contour are all obscured with this sunburst.

I paid about $1000, too.


Here are some pics from a few years ago.

[trev333]

the first Fender I bought back in the mid 90's ... is a '91 with lace sensors and TBX, no roller nut though or deluxe marks...... black on black, RW fingerboard....mid weight, it's a good instrument... it's always in tune when I get it out on the rare occasion, no rattles or fret buzz,.... nice

it looked the same then as it does now... it was never shiny and new lookin', even though it was only a few years old when I got it, it looked older..
.... rusty screws, frets well played... a coastal strat....

[cap217]

I have one of the first ones to come out of the Fender shop in 1987. Its an E4 serial # and its all original. I always want to change the pickups or take the tbx out but every time I play it, I am convinced to leave it alone.

[dhuber]

I have one of the first ones to come out of the Fender shop in 1987. Its an E4 serial # and its all original. I always want to change the pickups or take the tbx out but every time I play it, I am convinced to leave it alone.



The way it looks, if you want resale value don't mod it. It also looks like the 1987's are bringing top dollar. I saw a graffiti yellow sell for $1900 on eBay this week, I know it's a rare color, but unreal that's a lot of money.

It just seems odd that these are bringing this kind of money when you could probably take a regular set of Lace Sensors and stick them in any American Standard and get the same sound. It has to be more due to the fact that these were in production for only a few years.

[zimbo]

I've got a black one with the red, gold and blue lace sensors. I had a guitar tech block the tremsetter and it's been great ever since. I'm seriously into buying another one, preferably blue.

I really like the blue lace sensor, it sounds like a humbucking p/u.

[matt3310]

There by far my favorite Strat models!!!

[david fernley]

Originally Posted by matt3310

There by far my favorite Strat models!!!

me to fantastic guitars

[zimbo]

For anyone interested Jeff from the http://xhefriguitars.com/page2.html website has a couple off very nice strat plus guitars on Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-FENDER-S...item4ab4fb9a96

[wildschwein]

I picked up a Sunburst '89 Strat Plus Deluxe a couple of years ago. It's all stock and in near mint condition. It has the Red, Silver and Blue Lace pup combo, 2 point tremolo with a push in bar, Wilkinson Nut, Tremsetter etc. Great guitar to play - it has super low action and keeps in tune incredibly well but it doesn't really sound like a traditional Strat - although you can pull a huge range of tones out of it and it's awesome in front of a huge pedal board and/or a high gain amp. I have a G&L Legacy for old school Strat sounds!