Buying an American Standard Fender Stratocaster Buyers Guide
American Standard Stratocasters herald from the Fender factory in Corona located in California. Originally called American Standard until around the year 2000, then they underwent some changes and were marketed as American Series Stratocasters. This coming year, 2008 some further changes were introduced which particular stratocaster reverted returning to the American Standard name. This label identifies them as the regular standard Fender offering of the Strat model.Buy Fender American Standard Stratocaster
Essentially, they are all the same, identical aside from the chosen color. The American Standard will say Produced In USA right upon the front side of the headstock. An average street value for this particular make of guitar being a ballpark figure could be around one thousand dollars new. For used prices you are likely to pay in the region of $600 to $950, based on factors such as age or condition, this is to get a 1990's to the current year model. If we go further back in time then you can expect to pay more than that. For a fact, if it's a 1950's or 1960's model and isn't a reissue, then you can expect to pay in the region of $25,000 to $35,000.Buy Martin Guitars
However here, we are going to be giving a little bit of guidance for the former models, the 90's to the current year.
The serial number for that American Standard Series Stratocasters is going to be found on the rear of the headstock. The 2000's serial numbers will start with Zx, the 'x' equates to the last number of the model year., if from the 1990's this serial number will start with Nx. For instance a serial number which starts off with 'N3' is a 1993 model and Z3 will signify that it must be a 2003 model. The serial quantities of both could have additional 5-6 digits, shown here, again by way of example; N3255748 or Z3622711. For clarity purposes, sometimes production years will carry forwards to the next season so it is altogether easy to have an American Standard Stratocaster indicating annually other that the actual year that it was produced and made.
The standard American Standard Series Stratocaster will include 3 top quality single coil pickups made out of alnico magnets, or to be much more specific alnico 5, this is among the key differences within the cheaper non USA models. The six pole pieces on each pickup, one for each string, would be the actual magnets. Upon the cheaper single coil pickups, the pole pieces is going to be steel and also the actual magnets themselves will consist of ceramic bars (ferrite) running along the bottom of the pickups, this really is standard on the majority of the Squier and Mexican models. If you really do want that all important vintage Fender Stratocaster sound, the alnico magnets are usually the one's to have.