Stratocaster "Strat" Plus Deluxe Series

The Strat Plus Deluxe Series had some crossover with the Standard Plus. (If you want to know all the info on the Plus Series, click on this link about the Stratocaster Plus.) For instance, some of the DX models came with the American Standard two-point floating bridge while others came with the Fender Floyd Rose Locking bridge.

 

 

The Fender Floyd Rose II Locking Bridge is loved by some and hated by others. Some claim it cuts down sustain and other say it increases it. I personally like them. To change strings, you simply cut off the ball-end of the string and feed it into the bridge saddle under the machines steel barrel and then tighten down the Allen Screw. Fast and east. No feeding strings through the tremolo in the back of the body thus risk scratching your guitar. Thus the back cover is solid as there is no reason for the hole for the strings. Also setting the intonation is tricky. You do it from the underside of the bridge  (from the back of the guitar with the the trem-cover off). There is a set of allen screws that you loosen to move the string saddle back and forth. Again, NOT ALL Strat Plus Deluxe's use these. They are more common from 1996 onward, even though they appear on some ealier models and on some Ultra models.

 

Also, some Plus Deluxe guitars have solid colors on Alder while others used a beautiful transparent color, often with a burst around the edge, on Ash. Some, but not all, had Ash laminated front and back on Alder, thus the burst edging on some transparent colors. Also some of the Deluxe Models came with a pop-in Chrome tremolo bar while others had the screw-in type with the white tip. The pop-in type were most common between 1989-1993. I have seen people get in endless arguments about what a Plus is or isn't—but the truth is, they vary. Remember—with Fender inconsistency is the rule of thumb.

One thing is for sure—even though they vary, all Plus guitars had: locking tuners, a roller nut (which means the neck will not have string trees), and will have Lace Sensor pickups. (I have seen American Strats with Lace Sensors that people try to pawn off as a Plus). The main way you can tell a Deluxe from a Standard is simply by the pickups. A DX will have usually the Blue, Silver, Red Lace pickups. While the Standard uses the Gold Lace pickups.

 

The Strat Plus Series were quite a bargain compared to guitars made from Fender’s Custom Shop. For those looking for the genuine Stratocaster tone but also desiring modern improvements such as low pickup noise and added tuning stability, Fender’s Stratocaster Plus series should be looked at with serious consideration.

 

A Sample of one of the 1st Strat Plus DX guitars:

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This 1987 Gun-metal Blue Metallic Plus DX model was one of the very first DX to come off the Fender production line. (I will talk about the supposed 1984 serial numbers in a few moments). This one came with the Split Nut; silver/silver/blue Lace Sensor pickups and all the amenities of a Strat Plus.

 

From 1987 to 1989, the DXs came with two Silver Lace (neck and middle) with a Blue Lace in the bridge as seen in this model above.

In 1990 Fender changed over most of the DX models to the Blue, Silver and Red Lace Sensor pickup combination. (Which we will talk more about in a moment.)

 

Many, but not all, of the DX models had the pearloid pickguard. The early models, like from 1987 through 1990-1 came with a plain white pickguard. The one above was changed to a Pearloid.

 

Just to sidetrack a little! The red, Silver and Blue Lace Sensors were also used on the James Burton Signature Telecasters. The one below is a 1989 USA James Burton Signature Telecaster in a Frost Red on a very heavy chunk of Ash with all hardware in a Black Chrome. (Serial #E902100)

 

 

 

 

More Strat Plus Deluxes!

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Above you can see a beautiful 1997 Transparent Crimson Red Silver Burst Strat Plus DX on an Ash body. Notice the Floyd Rose II bridge. The above pictures show the Fender Floyd Rose Locking bridge a little better. Many of the transparent models were made from Ash, making them a little heavier in weight.

 

Many Colors!

Here is a little Fender inconsistency, which they are famous for. Fender lists the colors that were available for the Strat Plus models as: Arctic White, Black, Black Pearl Dust, Blue Pearl Dust, Brown Sunburst, Caribbean Mist, Grafitti Yellow, Lipstick Red, Midnight Blue, and Midnight Wine from 1987 till 1997. And then in 1997, Candy Apple Red, Inca Silver, Sonic Blue, and Vintage White finishes were introduced; Arctic White, Black Pearl Dust, Blue Pearl Dust, Caribbean Mist, Lipstick Red, Midnight Blue, and Midnight Wine finishes were supposedly discontinued. Many of the Plus DX models also came in: Antique Burst, Black, Blue Burst, several variations of Crimson Burst, Mystic Black, Natural Ash, See-through Blonde, and Shoreline Gold finishes. Well, where is the Gun Metal Blue as seen above (I have owned a couple of these!), and the Tranparent Red Burst? (not the Crimson Burst with silver around the edges). The there was some CAR (Candy Apple Red), even though that color was not listed till 1997,  as well as Shell Pink in 1987-88! I have also seen several other colors not listed on Fenders Spec sheet. I have a Black body that has a green/blue sparkel off a stock DX Plus! Some special orders? Some bodies left over from CBS era?  Who knows! I love'em, but inconsist.......;-)

Different Pickups!

In the next picture you can see the Blue, Silver, Red Lace Sensor pickup combination. (Some came with a Gold Lace in the middle too, as seen in some of the early 1990's models. It is not common but they are floating around out there!) The Lace Sensor pickup family has a unique radiant field barrier system that surrounds both the coil and the magnets, eliminating the annoying 60-cycle hum so common to single coil pickups. The Lace Micro Matrix Combs replaces the traditional bobbins, yeilding a wider tonal range and better string balance than the traditional pickups. The picture on the left are the later replacement Lace Sensors as they do not have the word Fender on them.

Serial Number Confusion!

Some of the very first Plus DXs will have an E4XXXXX serial number, indicating they are from 1984. Truth is, it is a 1987, as production for the Plus Series started in 1987, while the parts might have been from—who knows??? The photo (upper left) of the nut with the "E4" serial number is off the Gun-metal Blue Metallic Strat Plus DX (that was shown ealier in this page.) The very first used on the Plus and the Plus DX models were a split Wilkinson "roller nuts." As you can see with this one, it has the top 3 strings floating while the other had to feed through an upper pin and was used for only a short time in 1987 and some in 1988. After that the Wilkinson nuts that had all the strings fed through a upper "roller" pin that the string rested on, while it went down under a 2nd pin. These were a problem if you wanted to use heavier strings and feeding them through the two pins was a real hassle. To see examples of these go to the Strat Plus page.

Also it is interesting that even though these are Deluxe Strat Plus', they do NOT have serial numbers that start with a "D" for Deluxe. That was commonly seen on the Deluxe American Strats, but the prefix was not used on the Plus Series (except in 1999 with the Plus hybrid American Deluxe Strats.)

 

In 1995 Fender moved the serial numbers from the front to the back of the headstock.

 

This is a 1991 BLACK JADE DELUXE STRATOCASTER PLUS. (Serial #N1034777). I have owned hundreds of Strat Plus guitars. I have only seen this color 3 or 4 time over the years and this is the only one I have ever owned. Essentially, it looks gloss black. But when the light hits it, it has a fine Jade metallic in the clear coat. This is a very rare finish that only came on a limited number of the Deluxe models. Once again this has the Fender Floyd Rose II Bridge and the Blue, Silver and Red Fender lace Sensors.

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