Fender American Standard Strat, 50th Anniversary limited model made in USA 1996, lake placid blue with matching headstock. I saw this and had to have it for the shop; it seems to happen a lot lately, but hey, you get it, right? The American Standard Strat launched in 1987 to wide critical acclaim, it certainly marked a return to form for Fender and was the culmination of a lot of hard work to get back to making the kind of guitars players wanted to play. It's great in the hands: well balanced and tightly made with a very intuitive, friendly neck. The modern C shape is akin to a '62 style profile, slim and round, but with medium jumbo frets and a modern bend friendly 9.5" radius... it just works. The tone is especially satisfying on the 'in between' positions; there's a sweet succinct 'quack' on positions 2 and 4; it's very fun. This has that certain precision and snap typical of an American Standard; it's a versatile tone that gets along well with a lot of different amps and pedals. Lake placid blue... my my, what a finish! With 25ish years on the clock its yellowed and mellowed somewhat, which lends the hue a certain depth and warmth. The matching headstock with the spaghetti style decal has a delightful 60s charm; it looks like the summer holidays. There's not a lot of these kicking around, so if you're tickled, don't wait too long.

Model: Fender American Standard Stratocaster
Made: Corona USA, 1996 (serial N6109460)
Finish: lake placid blue, matching headstock, 3-ply cream guard
Body: alder 
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 25.5" scale, 9.5" radius, 43mm nut, modern C profile
Weight: 3.670kg
Mods: Graphtech saddles installed
Pickup: Fender American Standard single coil x3
Case: Fender deluxe ABS moulded hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. Headstock has a chip on the front at the end, some dimples on the actual end and bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and rub wear on the back only. The back has an 'OM' symbol drawn on it that proved a little difficult to remove, so we left it there for all you yoga-bears. There's also widespread light scuffs and surface scratches around the back of the body, nothing nasty. The sides have a few dimples and minor chips on the elbow area around past the rear strap pin around to the knobs area. There's also an extra hole next to the rear strap pin. The front is pretty clean, just a decent chip on the top edge in the elbow area, some dimples behind the bridge and some standard play scuffs on the horns and guard. Overall: good condition (7/10)

Playing condition notes: Neck is straight, action is low, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Frets look nice and even with plenty of height, 8/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10-46 D'Addario NYXL 10-46 strings.