Conference napalm::guitar

    A Strat + can be had over here for about $800 U.S.  .  $2200?  Can
    you get one mail order from the U.S., even with the shipping charge,
    it would cost less than half of the price over there.
    
    
    
    
    Don

    Actually, Fender has 3 Strats in this series. 
    
    They offer the Strat+ which has 3 golden lace sensor pickups, 
    Fender/Wilkenson roller nut, Fender/Schaller locking tuners, 
    A Hipshop Trem-setter, American Std. tremelo, bi-flex truss rod,
    and TBX tone circuit.
    
    They also offer a Deluxe Strat+. This has all the same features
    of the regular Strat+, plus it has a "finely grained Ash body,
    with transparent finishes", and 3 differant lace sensor pickups.
    It has a blue lace sensor in the neck position, a silver in the
    middle, and a red lace sensor at the bridge. The tremelo on the
    deluxe is not the American Std. It is Fenders' deluxe tremelo
    with snap-in arm.
    
    Then there is the new Strat Ultra. This has a highly figured
    curly maple body with transparent finishes, deluxe tremelo
    with snap-in arm, and four lace sensor pickups. It has a blue
    lace sensor at the neck, silver in the middle and two reds
    placed together at the bridge position. It also has an ebony
    fretboard with pearl dot markers. The pickup selector switch
    is 3 position, instead of 5, but it has an extra mini-toggle
    which provides even more flexibility than the + or deluxe+.
    The Ultra also features Fender's deluxe tremelo with snap-in
    arm.
    
    I was quoted about $600 for a Strat+ without case. Figure about
    $50 for a plastic molded case. I would guess the deluxe is
    about $750, and the Ultra is anybody's guess. I doubt if the
    Ultra is even available in most stores. Once it becomes available
    it will be a hot item for a while.
    
    I am currently in the market for a Strat, and I have come full
    circle. I am currently trying to make a decision whether to buy
    an American Std. (with the most gorgeous woodgrain/sunburst finish
    I have found) or hold out for a Strat+. I'm itchin', and there's
    smoke rollin' out of my pockets right now.  The problem is I'm
    leaving for vacation, and if I don't make a move today, this Strat
    will most likely be gone when I get back. Stay tuned !!
    
    Mark
    

    Strats here in the UK seem to range from 225 pounds for a Fender Start (made
    in Japan) up to about 700 pounds for the most expensive US Fender
    Strat commonly seen in the shops. You can of course pay lots more for
    various specials etc. What I'm referring to is the type of
    Strats you'd see in your average music shop over here. Either way it
    would appear they're a lot cheaper here than in Australia from what you
    say.
    
    Richard
    Basingstoke, UK

    Sorry guys I mucked up the exchange rate, that should have read $1275
    U.S.  My next question is what is a transperant finish? does that 
    include sunburst.  You see over here I can't even get my hands on
    a palette of colours even from Fender.  Also the fender twin 100W amp
    sells here for $2200 Aus [$1650 U.S] how much over there?
    
     maybe I should move to the states???????
    
    
                         thanks Peter Knight {Aust}
    

    This may be in the wrong topic, but since we are on the topic of
    "STRATS"...
    
    I have recently been fortunate enough to play both a STRAT HM, and
    a BLADE STRAT.  Without sounding to enthusiastic, the Blade blew
    away any strat that I have played in the passed.  
    
    It was natural finish, twin single twin pickup config, Floyd Trem
    (the only questionable point).  The neck appeared to be polished
    maple, and it played slightly better than my Les Paul!
    
    It retails around �850 in the UK, which comperes faverably with
    most strats, with the exception of VALLEY ARTS strats at around
    �2500.
    
    The Blade is hand made in either Switzerland or Sweden, and if I
    had to replace the LP it would be with one of these honeys.
    
    Bob (if only I can con the SO again   }8^]

    I've been playing my American Standard Strat with woodgrain/sunburst
    finish for two months now and I love it better than ever!! Everyone
    who I've shown it to says it sounds great... on any setting!!!
    
    Don't just take one because of the finish alone though...
    I played 3 different Am Std Strats at the store before I found
    the one I bought. I didn't like the others that I tried because
    the actions were slow and poor harmonically. I left
    the store and came back two weeks later set on buying an Ibanez
    550 that I compared them too (100$ more)....but I noticed another
    new Am Std had come in and Yes!!!! The elusive Stat perfection was
    there!!! I got it for $425 on sale without the case. It keeps tune
    so well that after a month of regular jamming the strings still
    "ring" and stay in tune after the first adjustment. It's a real
    pleasure to play and listen to. Why pay more? It's all there!!
    Tom %)
    

    
    Re: .5
    
    If by Blade you mean the Levinson Blade, the ones sold in the US are
    made in Japan, although the company is apparently based in Switzerland.
    The one review I've seen of it was highly favorable.
    
    							Brian

    still you can get a bottom-of-th-line strat for a fraction of the
    blade.

    
    
    .4  If you send me your mailing address, I'll send you my (drooled on)
    Fender catalogue (ahem.. notice cool british spelling).
    
    
    Regards,
    Steve

    I bought a New Fender Strat about four months ago at Advance Music
    in Burlington, VT.   I paid $695 and included was a case, the Fender
    strap and a high-quality chord.
    
    My Stat has the Fender/Wilkenson roller nut, Fender/Schaller locking
    tuners, Trem-setter, Lace-sensor pickups, TBX tone, Bi-flex truss rod,
    locking strap mounts and a grey metalic finish (similar to the finish
    on the Strat Clapton was playing at the American Rock Awards last
    week). 
    
    I believe they told me it was a Deluxe Strat+ but I don't have three
    different lace sensor pickups; I have one blue and two silver and the
    arm on the trem screws in, it doesn't snap in.     
    
    Other than being confused with what model I have I like this guitar a
    lot.  I plays really quick and the maple next feels great.  The
    Trem-setter seems to work for the most-part, too.  The locking tuners
    and the Trem-setter make string-changing fast and almost fun....now
    that I'm use to changing strings on the Strat it's a real drag changing
    the strings on my other guitars that have traditional tuners.  (^:
    
    Kevin.
    

    It sounds like you have a deluxe Strat+. I believe Fender changed this
    model recently. Either that, or their latest catalog is wrong. I have
    seen a few deluxe Strat+'s in stores with 2 silver and one blue lace
    sensors. The latest catalog indicates that the deluxe has one blue,
    one silver, and one red.  It could be that the original pickup com-
    bination wasn't selling, and Fender decided to change it...Who Knows ??
    
	Anyways, it sounds like you got a fairly good deal.
    
    	Mark

    Maybe it was a limited production model.....and it will be worth millions 
    in a few years.
    
    (^:
    
    Kevin.