Fender American Deluxe Stratocasters

Yes, the word DELUXE gets tossed around a bit. You’ll find there are Fender Deluxe (Made in Mexico) Stratocasters and Fender AMERICAN Deluxe; cost and design wise there is quite a bit of difference. Another monkey wrench is that there are different PLUS versions, and limited editions, which make the playing field for identifying Stratocaster models a challenge at times. This article is designed to help point out some of those differences.

The years of the American Deluxe ran from 1998 to 2016 and seemed to run in roughly years of 6 with 3 MAJOR versions and at least 1 PLUS version which was unique. In 2016 the “American Deluxe” was retired and the American Elite and Professional model took over. I’ll save that detail for later.

Inherent variations: There are major variations and then subtle variations in even the same model. One of the subtle differences from guitar to guitar are in the necks. They are cut with CNC then Hand Sanded which means each neck is slightly different. The Fret edges are rolled.

Common Specs:

• MicroTilt
• Spagetti Logo (light colored)
• Nut is SLIGHTLY wider than the American Standard (1.6875 vs 1.685 inch).
• Locking Tuners (original no logo, later Fender logo was added)
• 2 Point Bridge (Modern Bridge) with Pop In Arm
• LSR Nut on HSS
• Curved Heel (started in 2002) and made its way full time in 2004.

Special Release Models: Special color releases are done, limited editions released. Apparently Fender uses the term PLUS whenever something is very different than their usual run, and to promote interest. In 2002 to about 2005 they also had a FENDER LOCKING TREMOLO (verified by Fender Docs). Another locking system was Floyd Rose. Both of those were considered “upgrade” models to the Deluxe HSS and not found on SSS models. The fender locking tremolo system seems impossible to find info on.

Serial Number Accuracy: Occasionally the serial number won’t show up at Fender. They sometimes fat finger numbers in or just miss them, this was what a Fender representative said when I did a look up on a number on a Fender Deluxe that was absolutely period perfect with a color that was released at the time, with all matching specs but wasn’t in the database. I ‘m happy to say, that case is very rare.

Disclaimer: This information may be imperfect and may be missing some details but it’s a great starting point. Even Fender seems to have contradictory info at time but I’ve used web searches and even Fender Catalogs to compile this info and I update this whenever I learn something new.

Misrepresentation: Beware of Fender American Standards masquerading as Fender American Deluxes, they are two different animals! Even guitar stores make this mistakes as to sellers. I see these mistakes all the time on sites like Reverb and at Music store websites so do your homework! Also, beware of “PLUS” models that really aren’t, vendors like to use this term sometimes. The best way to verify is by database search OR by matching the features.

QMT/FMT – Quilt Maple Top/Flame Maple Top – These models are not talked about here but are basically deluxes with Figured tops.

Price Jumps: The prices continuous went up though the years, so even with runs of the same model, they MSRP in the catalogs kept going up.

1998 – 2004 (ish)

Ahhh. The “first generation” of Fender American Deluxe really kicked off a run of nice guitars. The first generation set the core trend and each generation added it’s own twist, changes and even updates. I had a hard time finding any catalog info on these years, only pricing mostly, so the bulk of the info came from examining the guitars themselves (I have a 2002).

There was a HSS configuration called the Deluxe Fat Stratocaster. The Humbucker was a DH-1 (the soup djour humbucker of the day), with 2 Vintage Pickups. I don’t know but I would be surprised if those were “hot noiseless” to keep up with the humbucker. (1998-2003)

Main Features:

• Fender Noiseless Pickups (first Generation, now called Vintage Noiseless)
• Body is Alder or Premium Ash (for finishes that showed the wood)
• Neck: Modern C with Locking Tuners (Schaller with No Fender Logo), 9.5 Radius
• 2 Point Bridge and Pop in Tremolo arm (love it or hate it)
• Medium Jumbo Frets
• LSR Nut on HSS configuration only
• Abalone Dot Inlays
• Detailed Fret Work
• Hard Shell Case (Molded to the shape of the guitar)
• Rosewood or Maple (on most except V Neck which is only maple)
• MSRP:  $1,599.99: Alder Body, $1,749.99

Colors:

ALDER BODY: 3 Color Sunburst, Black, Crimson Transparent (ended in 2001), Chrome Red (02-03), Candy Tangerine (02-03)

ASH BODY: White Blonde, Teal Green Transparent, Purple Transparent, Natural, Aged Cherry Burst.

2004 – 2009

For some reason the Deluxe didn’t get a lot of Catalog space in the Fender Catalog some of these years. Probably because they had SOOO many models out.

Main Features

• Pickups: (SSS) Samarium Cobalt (SCN)
• Pickups: HSS – DH-1 and SCN’s singles. But the single coil are wound a little hotter (so they say – I haven’t a guitar to be able to verify this)
• Neck: Modern C, Locking Tuners (Schaller with Fender Logo), 9.5 Radius
• Soft V Neck with a Tinted Neck (special release)
• LSR Nut on HSS only
• Introduces S1 Switching (this adds 5 new settings, most of them with less top end)
• Beveled Heel (love this)
• Larger rectangle molded case.
• Same 2 point bridge and abalone dot inlays
• No Load Tone Pot!
• MSRP: $1,714 – $1857

Switch Positions (Pressed In)

• 1) Bridge + Middle in series
• 2) Bridge/Special Cap + Middle
• 3) Neck/Bridge + Middle
• 4) Neck/Special Cap + Middle
• 5) Middle + Neck in series

2010-2016 (SSS and HSS)

The HSS Models added a few features that the SSS model doesn’t have:

• LSR Roller Nut
• Passing Lane Switch (jump to humbucker with No Volume, No Tone)
• Atomic Humbucker and N3 Single Coils
• Special wiring on S1 Switch

Main Features (SSS and HSH)

• Pickups: Fender N3 (3rd generation noiseless)
• Compound Radius neck with 9.5 – 14
• Modern C Shape (Soft V for V Neck – Tinted Maple on V Neck)
• New Rectangular Molded Case, some came with the older style guitar shaped case.
• Rewired S1 Switching
• Same Fender Locking Tuners
• Same Beveled Heel
• Same Inlays
• No load tone pot
• HSH version (Twin Head Humbuckers and N3 Middle)
• MSRP: $2369 – $2429

S1 Rewiring (Switch down) Switch up is normal stock.

• Position 1. Bridge, Middle and Neck Pickups in Series
• Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup in Series
• Position 3. Middle and Neck Pickup in Series
• Position 4. Bridge and Neck Pickup Out-Of-Phase, and in Series with Special Tone Capacitor
• Position 5. Bridge and Middle Pickup in Series and Out-Of-Phase, and in Parallel with Neck Pickup

2015 Models from Fender Catalog to show you how many variations there are:

American Deluxe Stratocaster® , American Deluxe Stratocaster® HSS Shawbucker™ , American Deluxe Stratocaster® HSH , American Deluxe Strat® V Neck, American Deluxe Strat® Ash , Deluxe American Deluxe Strat® Plus (only this year see below), American Deluxe Strat® Plus HSS

 

2014-2015 (Stratocaster Plus)

Overview: This is an official PLUS model (yes the 90’s had their own PLUS’es). I wanted to mention this because this guitar actually fell under the area of American Deluxes but was a crazy all by itself model that had “Personality Cards”. You either loved them or hated them, you either thought they were a gimmick or brilliant. I have one and it’s amazing. These guitars are a mix of American Standard and American Deluxe with some Vintage features and special circuitry. They didn’t last long, apparently enough seasoned players scoffed at the plug in card ideas and ridiculed them, but in the end, they are a very amazing and a creative success even if they were, originally, a sales turtle. The backlash and push back caused the demand for this guitar to be very low even though the quality of the guitar (and finishes) were excellent. Value wise they go up and down but the trend is up for Mint condition ones and less so for ones that don’t have all the cards or are in less the mint condition. The cards are impossible to find by themselves. I got lucky and got a HSS with 6 cards!

• MSRP: $2099

Ways they are like a Deluxe

• Fender Locking Tuners
• Compound Neck
• Fender Noiseless N3 Pickups

Ways they are more like a Standard

• Rectangle Heel
• No Inlays (just white or black)

Ways they are like not like a standard or a deluxe

• Vintage Bridge
• Special colors (SSS – Mystic Ice Blue, Mystic Sunburst (impossible to photograph well but looks amazing in person)) – (HSS – Mystic Black and Mystic Sunburst)
• Personality Cards (see my new article on these)

Stratocaster Plus and Plus Deluxe

From the 1980s-1990s

This website has a LOT of excellent information on this topic, and rather the repeat it, go here for more information on these

Here’s the Strat Plus Information

Here’s the Strat Plus Deluxe Information