Fender Strat Plus, Bahama green, made in Corona USA 1988. The eighties was a massive decade for Fender: the company was bought back from CBS by a group of employees, Fender Japan was launched, they opened a new factory at Corona in USA and they designed their entire product line. 1987 saw the launch of a couple of exciting new offerings made at the shiny new Corona plant: the long running American Standard models, as well as the Strat Plus. This example dates to 1988, so it's definitely early in the piece, plus it seems to be all original inside and out. The Strat Plus had some innovative hardware: the roller nut keeps the break angle of the headstock sorted without the need for a string tree, the two-point tremolo is smooth and stable with better range than the earlier six-screw versions, factory locking tuners... the details were well thought through. There's two things that really make this pop: the neck, and the pickups. The neck is a gorgeous piece of tightly grained maple and dark choc rosewood. They were carved by hand in the eighties, so the shapes vary quite a lot between examples, but this one is shaped to a perfect vintage C shape that feels like family instantly. The flatter 9.5" radius and taller frets allows for easy big bends up the neck and fast movement: it's still a Strat, but it's got modern sensibilities. The pickups are Lace Sensor Gold single coils, as favoured by both Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. They're delightfully eloquent, with crystal clear articulation on the top end and percussive, punchy lows and a low noise floor. The treble boost on the second tone knob allows for extra cut on your lead lines. The Strat Plus was offered in a bunch of different zesty finishes, but one of the best is surely this Bahama green hue. It's darker than a surf green but not a pearl like an ocean turquoise, so it has a certain sixties coastal aesthetic. It's a finish that you only really see on this model, and only for a year or two, and far less often than the black/white/burst/natural examples... and it looks superbly cool. Tip trick: iconic 80s models like this are going up in value quickly as they edge toward turning forty, so get ahead of the curve now while it's still affordable. Plus indeed!

Model: Fender Strat Plus
Made: USA, Corona plant, neck date 10 Oct 1988 (serial E456750)
Finish: Bahama green, 3-ply white guard
Body: alder
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 25.5” scale, 9.5” radius
Weight: 3.695kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Lace Sensor Gold single coil x3, passive treble boost circuit
Case: original Fender Plus ABS moulded hard case

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has minor marks on the end and bottom edge, plus there's some discolouration on a couple of the tuner wheels. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples on the back only. The back has a couple of dents in the elbow area and widespread light scuffs, no major marks. The sides have some light scuffs on the bottom horn and near the jack and a couple of tiny dimples in the elbow area. The front has a few minor dimples around the bridge and elbow area and some light scuffs from play on the guard and horns. Overall: excellent condition (9/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. The frets have some minor wear, there's plenty of height left and no major buzz issues; 8/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10/46 Moonshiners.