Any comments on these? I may be taking one in trade.
Gun metal blue with rosewood board.
Gun metal blue with rosewood board.
1987 USA Strat with TBX
- Thread starter charlie chitlin
- Start date
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Ringo
Poster Extraordinaire
I had a silver Am Std Strat from around that era, it's been a long time, as I recall the guitar played and sounded great. I didn't care for the feel of the shape of the neck, only reason that I sold it.
The TBX tone control, if you are not familiar with it, is a dual pot, it has a detent at the halfway point, from halfway to zero it's basically a 250k pot. If you turn it up towards 10 you get a bit more treble as that part of the pot is 1 meg.
Post a pic when you get it, sounds like a cool axe.
The TBX tone control, if you are not familiar with it, is a dual pot, it has a detent at the halfway point, from halfway to zero it's basically a 250k pot. If you turn it up towards 10 you get a bit more treble as that part of the pot is 1 meg.
Post a pic when you get it, sounds like a cool axe.
Interesting.
What was the neck like?
What was the neck like?
I had a 91 or 92 Am Standard, rosewood neck back in 1992. It didn’t have TBX though. I think it had no load tone pots. The neck on that one was good for Rythm but it felt cramped for lead. I did not get along with it. It was beautiful to look at. I often wonder if it was just me and wish I could play it today to see if I still don’t like it. Today I’ve got a Strat with 1-piece maple neck and another with rosewood. I like the rosewood fretboard a lot.
My Telecaster has a TBX. I like that tone control a lot too. I may build a pickguard for one of my Strats with TBX. It provides a great deal of control.
My Telecaster has a TBX. I like that tone control a lot too. I may build a pickguard for one of my Strats with TBX. It provides a great deal of control.
I have a '91 Strat plus which has the TBX tone control and a rosewood neck. AFAIK, the neck is the standard modern/thin Fender neck with a 9.5" radius and jumbo frets. I like the neck, it's very playable and you can get fairly low action for a strat. When it comes time to refret I may replace the jumbo frets with a slightly smaller fret.
The TBX tone control is pretty nice once you figure out how it differs from the standard tone control. From 1-5 it works like a standard strat tone pot -- i.e. the middle detent at 5 is the same as a regular tone pot turned all the way up. From 5-10 it functions similar to a no load pot with 10 being close to no load. For me, the sweet spot is roughly from 4 (slight roll off) - 5 (traditional open tone) - 6 (a little extra sparkle).
I'm admittedly biased, but I think the late 80s - early 90s USA strats were pretty great guitars.
The TBX tone control is pretty nice once you figure out how it differs from the standard tone control. From 1-5 it works like a standard strat tone pot -- i.e. the middle detent at 5 is the same as a regular tone pot turned all the way up. From 5-10 it functions similar to a no load pot with 10 being close to no load. For me, the sweet spot is roughly from 4 (slight roll off) - 5 (traditional open tone) - 6 (a little extra sparkle).
I'm admittedly biased, but I think the late 80s - early 90s USA strats were pretty great guitars.
hrstrat57
Tele-Afflicted
I had an 88 and a 89 American standard. 88 was Sunburst with Rosewood neck jumbo frets and tortoise guard....the 89 was black with maple neck. So basically I had a modern blackie and SRV. That pair gigged together with me for quite a few years. They were quiet, stayed in tune fabulously even with moderate trem use and produced great tone in every switch setting. The in between tones were especially fantastic.
Both went in lieu of my vintage strats to fund promises I made to my family for ski trips.
Both are sorely missed. Both were bone stock Am Std electronics and parts and both were absolutely killer.
CC u gonna love that guitar.
Jelly.
(I did manage tho to put some Am Std pups and wiring from in my 80's Tokai pink dawg. Eases the pain of loss quite a bit as it is magnificent)
Both went in lieu of my vintage strats to fund promises I made to my family for ski trips.
Both are sorely missed. Both were bone stock Am Std electronics and parts and both were absolutely killer.
CC u gonna love that guitar.
Jelly.
(I did manage tho to put some Am Std pups and wiring from in my 80's Tokai pink dawg. Eases the pain of loss quite a bit as it is magnificent)
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Necks are modern C with the 9.5 radius and medium jumbo frets.
Fender stamped tuners were made by Schaller and are great.
Bridge plate is chrome plated brass with a decent block. Block steel saddles.
The bodies of those years are a little clunky to me. They're thicker at the contours than a vintage style strat. In '95, they started putting the "original contour body" decals on the headstock again, and the contours were much more correct.
FWIW- I love the TBX control, and the '87-'98 pickups are my favorites in the line. In '99, these guitars became the "American Series" instead of American Standard, and there were some significant changes. Most of them were awesome, but I liked the older pickups better. FWIW, Fender swears the pickups didn't change, but I can tell the difference. Just so you know I'm not crazy, I once had a conversation about those pickups with Dave Rodgers, and he agreed they sounded different than the earlier American Standard pickups. The neck pickup in particular is wicked sweetness.
Gunmetal Blue is one of the rarer colors if that matters to you. Pretty hard to find.
Fender stamped tuners were made by Schaller and are great.
Bridge plate is chrome plated brass with a decent block. Block steel saddles.
The bodies of those years are a little clunky to me. They're thicker at the contours than a vintage style strat. In '95, they started putting the "original contour body" decals on the headstock again, and the contours were much more correct.
FWIW- I love the TBX control, and the '87-'98 pickups are my favorites in the line. In '99, these guitars became the "American Series" instead of American Standard, and there were some significant changes. Most of them were awesome, but I liked the older pickups better. FWIW, Fender swears the pickups didn't change, but I can tell the difference. Just so you know I'm not crazy, I once had a conversation about those pickups with Dave Rodgers, and he agreed they sounded different than the earlier American Standard pickups. The neck pickup in particular is wicked sweetness.
Gunmetal Blue is one of the rarer colors if that matters to you. Pretty hard to find.
DougM
Poster Extraordinaire
I bought a maple neck one when they came out in '86, and have had rosewood board ones more recently. Good guitars, and the Am. Std. pickups are nice, but pretty bright. Comfy neck. I like them more than the more recent Am. Stds. with Fat 50's pickups, but less than the new Am. Pros.
The guy from craigslist who contacted ME and was so hot to trade (I've had a Flying V tattoo since 1989, but never owned one!), bailed out.
Craiigslist...sigh...
Craiigslist...sigh...
I have TBX on my strats as they are an EC strat, a custom strat and a MIM converted to an EC strat. I'm not all that fond of the TBX myself. But I dont work the tone control that much... so ok.
I hate the detent. The TBX are stiff to turn, so you cant do it on the fly. You really have to dig in to get them off the detent. Also, I only use the 1-5 "normal" section... so you loose having that section spread over 1-10 for finer adjustment. I have a few TBX controls out there as I thought maybe I could get one that turns easy but... nope.
I have tried replacing the TBX with a normal 250k pot but it doesn't work very well with the mid boost for some reason, so I just live with the TBX.
I hate the detent. The TBX are stiff to turn, so you cant do it on the fly. You really have to dig in to get them off the detent. Also, I only use the 1-5 "normal" section... so you loose having that section spread over 1-10 for finer adjustment. I have a few TBX controls out there as I thought maybe I could get one that turns easy but... nope.
I have tried replacing the TBX with a normal 250k pot but it doesn't work very well with the mid boost for some reason, so I just live with the TBX.
hrstrat57
Tele-Afflicted
Was doing a trade for a LP standard supposedly today. Yep bailed...
It is what they do.
Sorry about you loosing out on the strat, more bummer than me loosing out on a LP Std for sure.
3-Chord-Genius
Poster Extraordinaire
I had an American strat with the TBX, but it just seemed to add more brightness to an already bright guitar. If I remember right, the center position is where 10 is on a normal tone pot.
Southpole
Tele-Afflicted
I haven’t seen someone make this observation before but it is an interesting one. My first Tele was a 93 Standard which I still have. What happened after 93?
Yup, they’re no load in the middle position and cut treble one way and cut Bass the other. I’d use it to brighten up the in between positions.
I’ve got a 4-way switch on my Tele and I like to cut the bass a little with the TBX on that 4th series position, especially if I’ve got some overdrive or distortion in the mix.
They overhauled the lines. The necks went from a comfortable C to a flatter more Ibanez shape as a lot of the shredders were becoming bloozemen or alternarockers as fashions changed. The beginning of the end for FMIC making good guitars.
teleplayr
Friend of Leo's
I have a '95 MIA Strat and the neck on it compares to my 2009 MIA Special Edition.
I bought a second pick-guard and wired it to standard Strat wiring, last tone pot was for the bridge., no TBX control.
I bought a second pick-guard and wired it to standard Strat wiring, last tone pot was for the bridge., no TBX control.
Texsunburst59
Friend of Leo's
I own 3 '90 Fender Strat Plus guitars all loaded with Lace Sensors, and all the the TBX control.
I think these guitars have amazing neck and have more tonal variations available than the regular standard Strat.
Some people can't stand the LS's or the TBX control,but I have no problem with them and actually really like the pairing.
Is the '87 Strat a Standard and not a Strat Plus?
I also have an '89 Fender Standard Strat with the TBX tone control, and while it sounds good, I don't like the tone as much as the LS / TBX pairing.
OP, how much trade value are you putting on the guitar your trading?
I'm wondering because I picked up my '89 Fender Std. Strat with the TBX control for $438 with the OHSC about 2 yrs. ago.
I think these guitars have amazing neck and have more tonal variations available than the regular standard Strat.
Some people can't stand the LS's or the TBX control,but I have no problem with them and actually really like the pairing.
Is the '87 Strat a Standard and not a Strat Plus?
I also have an '89 Fender Standard Strat with the TBX tone control, and while it sounds good, I don't like the tone as much as the LS / TBX pairing.
OP, how much trade value are you putting on the guitar your trading?
I'm wondering because I picked up my '89 Fender Std. Strat with the TBX control for $438 with the OHSC about 2 yrs. ago.
teleplayr
Friend of Leo's
You got a bargain.
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