Help Identifing A Strat

[Lydon]

HI - I'm hoping someone can help me idientify a Stratocaster, so I can surprise my daughter this Christmas. I want to get her the same guitar her favorite singer uses.

I do not have much info, and do not know much about guitars myself.If I suddenly show a big interest and ask her she might get suspicious.

I'll try and figure out how to attach a picture of it to this message.



I have been told that it is a Stratocaster MIM in blue agave, with a blue moto pickguard but I have no clue if this is all true or not.

I see it has no tremolo arm, black pickups and clear blue toggle switch/knobs. I have not been able to find anything close to this yet.

Thanks in advance.

[10-15-14]

Very possible it is what you mention. I have a MIM in that color and actually happen to have the same color pickguard only I never installed it because the holes didn't line up. It is a tremelo bridge in that picture, just doesn't have the arm installed. I would say everything on it are aftermarket pieces (knobs/pick-up covers) I HAd silver on mine.

[slunky]

Looks to me like a Mexican made Standard Stratocaster in Aguave blue with aftermarket blue moto pickguard, knobs and pickup covers. This colour is unavailable on the current production model (if you look on the previous page there is a thread on which years they were available).
I'm pretty sure that's what it is - basing my opinion on the headstock logo, bridge saddles and colour - someone else might be able to give a more reliable opinion than me though! Anyone?

To find an identical instrument you'd have to search the second hand market.
As for the add-on parts you could probably source most on ebay quite cheaply. The one in the picture definitely isn't stock, so best of luck getting it together!

[Pearly Grapes]

Good for you to encourage your daughter to play the guitar!
PG

[Lydon]

Good for you to encourage your daughter to play the guitar!
PG

She loves it so much it would be wrong to discourage her.

Thanks for all your help guys. I guess the question is how does a non-player like myself tell the diffference between a standared Stratocaster and a MIM? I guess it is hard to tell from that picture.

[phantomman]

What I see is this:

A maple-fretboard MIM standard Strat (2-1/16" bridge) in Agave Blue with a Fender 4-ply blue moto pickguard, black pickup covers, blue knobs an' switch tip (prolly Allparts), an' what seems to be a vintage amber tint applied to the neck.

Should be easy enough to replicate by grabbin' up the parts from "the usual suspects".

[Lydon]

What I see is this:

A maple-fretboard MIM standard Strat (2-1/16" bridge) in Agave Blue with a Fender 4-ply blue moto pickguard, black pickup covers, blue knobs an' switch tip (prolly Allparts), an' what seems to be a vintage amber tint applied to the neck.

Should be easy enough to replicate by grabbin' up the parts from "the usual suspects".

That is great, thanks for all your help.

[John C]

I know I'm kind of late to the game but I remember some FSR models that looked like this from a couple of years ago (2005 or 2006) that were done for some retailer's association anniversary. For some reason I don't think it was a NAMM anniversary but some other organization, but I could be wrong. At any rate I spotted this model at Willis Music, a local GC wannabe chain here in KY and in OH.

They were essentially MIM Standards with the fancy finishes; the one in the picture is not Blue Agave but Lake Placid Blue (with the blue moto pickguard and other blue parts). It was also available in Candy Apple Red (with a red moto pickguard and other red parts).

However, if you can't turn one of these up you could duplicate it with aftermarket parts using a blue agave MIM Standard.

[Lydon]

I know I'm kind of late to the game but I remember some FSR models that looked like this from a couple of years ago (2005 or 2006) that were done for some retailer's association anniversary. For some reason I don't think it was a NAMM anniversary but some other organization, but I could be wrong. At any rate I spotted this model at Willis Music, a local GC wannabe chain here in KY and in OH.

They were essentially MIM Standards with the fancy finishes; the one in the picture is not Blue Agave but Lake Placid Blue (with the blue moto pickguard and other blue parts). It was also available in Candy Apple Red (with a red moto pickguard and other red parts).

However, if you can't turn one of these up you could duplicate it with aftermarket parts using a blue agave MIM Standard.

Humm..that is interesting. I have seen a picture of her with a matching candy apple red strat:



I looked into the FSR angle but they all seem to have come with a matching painted headstalk which the one in question does not:



Also, I really thought it was too light to be Lake Placid Blue. I found this pic of the two colours together, and it seems closer to agave to me:




Here are a few pics of the actual guitar if anyone else wants to voice their opinion ...



Hard to tell with the stage lights on it....

[phantomman]

I too am dubious of the Lake Placid Blue assertion.

I'd put money on Agave though......

[Lydon]

As an update, Fender was no help at all:

Not without a SN#, we can not identify this guitar. I could be a custom shop model, or a standard model that has been modified.

Ed Treat
Fender Consumer Relations
Fender Musical Instruments Corp.

I guess I can see their point, but it doersn't help me much.

[John C]

I too am dubious of the Lake Placid Blue assertion.

I'd put money on Agave though......

Sorry; brain fart on my part - I typed "Lake Placid Blue" when I was thinking of "Ice Blue" in my head. These were definitly lighter than Lake Placid Blue, but not as light as Blue Agave. The differences between Blue Agave and Ice Blue are pretty small; kind of like the difference between Candy Apple Red (at least the silver undercoat version) and Chrome Red.

EDITED TO ADD: There are more FSR runs than you can shake a stick at and unfortunately there isn't a public database of any of them. The one Lydon found was a USA FSR run that mixed Am Dlx and AV features. These Strats were more of a cosmetic run, like Guitar Center does a couple of times per year.

[Lydon]

Sorry; brain fart on my part - I typed "Lake Placid Blue" when I was thinking of "Ice Blue" in my head. These were definitly lighter than Lake Placid Blue, but not as light as Blue Agave. The differences between Blue Agave and Ice Blue are pretty small; kind of like the difference between Candy Apple Red (at least the silver undercoat version) and Chrome Red.

EDITED TO ADD: There are more FSR runs than you can shake a stick at and unfortunately there isn't a public database of any of them. The one Lydon found was a USA FSR run that mixed Am Dlx and AV features. These Strats were more of a cosmetic run, like Guitar Center does a couple of times per year.

Yeah, that all fits. I think we may have it:



Now is ice blue lighter or darker then agave blue? Can't tell from the pics. And agave blue is not a "shiney" colour like is blue right?

[John C]

Agave is shiny, but it is slightly paler than Ice Blue. There isn't a lot of difference in the two; Ice Blue is "deeper" for lack of a better description - meaning the metal flake is deep within the pain while Blue Agave the metallic nature of the paint is more on the surface. The shades themselves are pretty darn close.

The two guitars I saw (one blue and one red) also had a medallion on the back of the headstock for whatever organization/anniversary they were made for as the special run.

[Marcondo]

Its an Agave Blue MIM Std. Ice Blue is more metalliac in color as John stated.. The MIM LPB ones were Classic series and all had rosewood fretboards.

There was an FSR series made called the Deluxe Vintage Player Strat.

It was Ice Blue and used a 62ri body and an AM dlx Strat neck with all the S-1 switching and electronics the Am Dlx series used.

[Marcondo]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2003-Fender-Stra...d=p3286.c0.m14

here are some pics of an Agave Blue MIM std

[Lydon]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2003-Fender-Stra...d=p3286.c0.m14

here are some pics of an Agave Blue MIM std

So it is either a FSR Strat in ice-blue metallic or a MIM Standard Strat in Agave Blue.

If I can find a strat in ice-blue or agave blue, as long as it has a maple neck, it should look close enough to the real one right?

I had no idea it would be this hard.

[Marcondo]

http://www.marcondo.com/marcondo/62/index.html

Here are some pics of my ICE Blue 62ri

The pic that shows a closeup of the pickups and pickguard was taken outside and is the best match to the real color.

[Lydon]

Update:

Someone on an Aly&AJ Forum said that is a FSR Classic Players '50s Stratocaster in ice-blue metallic. He even went on to say that she bought/ordered it at the 2004 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. That is in her neck of the woods...

Does this sound reasonable?

[Marcondo]

Update:

Someone on an Aly&AJ Forum said that is a FSR Classic Players '50s Stratocaster in ice-blue metallic. He even went on to say that she bought/ordered it at the 2004 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. That is in her neck of the woods...

Does this sound reasonable?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-50s-RI-F...d=p3286.c0.m14

There are pics of a Classic Player neck but thats a current model that wasnt an FSR.

I looked at the decal on hers and now that I can see the whole decal its not an MIM std as I first thought the MIM stds have the serial # on front of the headstock.

Classic Playes Strats also have a 2 point tremelo like this one. Hers is a 6 screw vintage trem.

[Marcondo]

The FSR versions also had 22 fret necks with pearl dots its the same neck as the AM Dlx uses.

[Lydon]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-50s-RI-F...d=p3286.c0.m14

There are pics of a Classic Player neck but thats a current model that wasnt an FSR.

I looked at the decal on hers and now that I can see the whole decal its not an MIM std as I first thought the MIM stds have the serial # on front of the headstock.

Classic Playes Strats also have a 2 point tremelo like this one. Hers is a 6 screw vintage trem.

I know I'm kind of late to the game but I remember some FSR models that looked like this from a couple of years ago (2005 or 2006) that were done for some retailer's association anniversary. For some reason I don't think it was a NAMM anniversary but some other organization, but I could be wrong. At any rate I spotted this model at Willis Music, a local GC wannabe chain here in KY and in OH.

I'm sorry, I'm lost...
So, it is not a MIM std, it is not a Classic Playes Strat. Where does that leave us? Are we back to some sort of FSR like John suggested?

[Marcondo]

Fender makes alot of FSR's some stores have special runs made.

There was a Deluxe Vintage Player series that they made for about 6 months most of those if not all had matching headstocks.

Here is a 60's one with the specs.

Fender American FSR Stratocaster Deluxe
2006 USA Model, Lake Placid Blue with Matching Headstock
Features
Lake Placid Blue Finish
Matching color headstock
Raised Silver Fender Headstock Logo
Alder body
9.5 inch radius rosewood fingerboard
22 medium jumbo frets
SCN pickups
Tinted vintage style plastic parts



I thought hers might be the 50's version of this but hers is 21 frets.

[Marcondo]

Fender FSR Stratocaster HSS
2006 MIM Model, Candy Apple Red with Matching Headstock
Features
Candy Apple Red Finish
Matching Headstock
Alder body
Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
1 humbucking pickup, 2 Tex Mex Single coil pickups
Engine turned aluminum pickguard



Here is the MIM FSR I think John was reffering to they made red and blue ones and they had the 60th anniv sticker on the back of the headstock.

[Marcondo]

It could also be a 57 AV ri Strat as they are avliable in Ice Blue

[Lydon]

I'm going to see if I can find any more pics of it and maybe that will help.

[Fripperton]

http://cgi.ebay.com/2003-Fender-Stra...d=p3286.c0.m14

here are some pics of an Agave Blue MIM std

That's my auction.

[phantomman]

It could also be a 57 AV ri Strat as they are avliable in Ice Blue

I enlarged the pics in MS Photo-Draw......it's definitely an asian-spaced bridge (2-1/16"). Likewise the dots at the 12th fret are incorrectly-spaced for the instrument to be a 57 AVRI.

My initial assessment has not changed......MIM Standard Strat in Agave Blue, with some aftermarket pimping.

[Lydon]

I found a pic that I think will end the debate...from what I have learned from you guys, it is a MIM Standard Strat. Right?

Click To Enlarge


You can almost read the serial number. (Maybe someone with younger eyes then mine can)

[Marcondo]

Ya its definatly a Blue Agave MIM std the serial # on the front of the headstock. Phantomman was right all along.