FS American Strat - Crimson Red Transparent - mod w humbucker

jesussaddle

Power User
I have an item like this in excellent, superb condition

https://reverb.com/item/18807286-fe...tratocaster-crimson-red-transparent-2000-s081

but someone put a humbucker in the bridge position (wasn't me :D ).

So its more like this:

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...ss-crimson-red-transparent-1998-s060/11580970

I was thinking of asking $800 but I can't figure out if that is right or too high or low.

Also I don't know if its Alder or Ash. But mainly I don't know if the humbucker mod destroys the value.

Any idea how much the price should be lowered from one without the humbuck mod?

And why is this one below listed for such a high price?

https://www.chicagomusicexchange.co...er-crimson-red-transparent-2000-s098/21949096

I truly would hate to sell this strat. It is one of the more beautiful things I've seen and played. If the humbucker mod reduces the price too much I think I'll talk myself out of selling it!
 
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I have an MIJ Strat with a HB at the bridge. Guitar came with that and a Kahler Tremolo. NO routing on the guitar for Fender Tremolo. I love the HB in the bridge! Using a pull switch pot for single coil drop on the HB. Love this guitar, been a strat player for 30 years, the additional output of the HB gives me more options. I would keep the guitar.
 
The answer is it depends. Is it an American Deluxe Strat? If so, the year makes a big difference. The mod to a humbucker in the bridge position is not a problem. What people are going to want to know is it a newer American Deluxe with noiseless pickups in the other positions, and the modified heel that they instituted. And of course also does it have the compound radius neck. Most people don't care about the S1 switching system.

Otherwise it is just a American Standard Strat. The problem with selling strats is the market is completely saturated with them. Buyers have hundreds and hundreds of choices.

The ones you have listed are from a dealer. The prices are always higher. I would say the going rate for an American Standard Strat is 700-775. The going rate for an American Deluxe Strat of more recent years is 800 to 900. The older American Deluxe will be on the lower end and maybe as low as 775.

I just sold a stock 2014 American Deluxe Strat for 875 and it was in excellent condition.
 
why don't you post pics of the one you're selling
Okay - Thanks for encouraging me. Its apparently a guitar from the year 2000. I'm not sure of all the details of this guitar - do you know what the neck radius is or if its a deluxe or standard.
 
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The LSR nut (if original) makes me think deluxe.

I think all 2000 strats came with 9.5 radius
The radius changes to more rounded at the bridge than at the nut. I think the bridge looks like the deluxe version for this year. I'm beginning to get more sure its deluxe - I should sell it if I can make $1000.

But I was thinking the deluxe had a pull on one of the tone knobs or something - which this does not.

And why does it need to sound so appealing. I'm gonna get used to trying to play the little wing intro. And I've never had 5 pickups (except when I got my first strat and traded it within a week).

Also, from this past week of playing, these strats do so much better with the drive models in the Axe FX. I could never get my BC Rich to work with the Muff and Pi, but this does.
 
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Looking at the serial number .... hmm I believe if that was a Deluxe from 2000 it should start with DZ

My 98 Deluxe begins with DN8 (N = nineties)

They modified the serial format to use a Z for the 2000s but Deluxes would still have the 'D' prefix

Should there not also be a 'MADE IN U.S.A' on the back of the headstock below the Serial Number? Maybe they switched it to the front in the 2000's?

I'm wondering if it might be a 2000 'Fat Strat' - that variant had an option for an Atomic humbucker in Bridge with 2 stacked sc sized pups in middle and neck, LSR nut and sealed non locking tuners.

The humbucker on yours does not look like an early Atomic - so perhaps a new loaded guard was installed later or the humbucker replaced ... or all pickups were replaced.

The compound radius necks were not officially introduced until 2010 (and some late 2009s)
 
they look like Tom Anderson pickups (the humbucker) on a Fender pickguard. Seems to be an American Deluxe neck from 2000. The body could be anything. If you're comfortable doing it, loosen the strings, take the neck off and see what's written on the neck and neck pocket. Also, if you remove the pickguard you'll know whether the body was originally routed for a humbucker or not. And I don't recall that color combination (mint green guard on a red body) but that doesn't mean Fender didn't. Just gotta look under the hood
 
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My (SSS pickup config) 98 Deluxe's body has a 'swimming pool' rout so any pup combination loaded guard would fit - I presume the 2000's would likely be the same.

I also think my guard is Mint Green (guitar body colour is Red) .... but then again I find it difficult sometimes to tell 'parchment' from 'mint green' as they both have a greenish undertone.

The pole pieces on the HB don't look to be that well aligned with the strings - perhaps a trembucker HB?

As @brianv4 says ...... you 'd need to undress your strat a bit for more clues in neck end and pocket and see what routing and pickups those are. There's sometimes pencilled info in the rout too.

I think you can also contact Fender with the neck serial number and they should be able to provide original spec of the guitar it was factory fitted to.
 
Ok .... I looked about and the more I look the more I think it might just be a 2000 Deluxe 'Fat Strat' with modified pickups. Fender dropped the 'D' prefix from the serial numbers for the first 4 or 5 months of 2000 but then decided to go back to adding it later .... so yours is probably an early 2000.

They also did not have Made in USA on the back of the headstock.

Staggered height locking tuners (no string tree)

LSR nut

9.5 radius
 
Hmm. Thank you everyone for all the valuable information. As you say fender changed the way that they did serial numbers on the Deluxe - also its mentioned in this ad on reverb:

https://reverb.com/item/2867041-2000-fender-american-deluxe-fat-stratocaster-hss

The pick guard is white looking to me; the minty cast is maybe just the camera software trying to balance the brightness level of the image, and leaving in too much green.

I could be wrong about the neck radius on this guitar being tapered, but it sure seems to taper (flatten out as it moves towards the nut). If the 2000 fat strat didn't have that feature then its a bit of a mystery.

Anyway, like maxdown advised (thanks - i didn't know they would reply), I should try and email fender with the serial number and see if I can get some more information.

This is probably a good strat to keep then, if it is really that particular, and I like its sound very much. Owning a nice strat feels like being "spoiled".


My new favorite "live guitar album":



(see 13:59 for a near disaster o_O
see "once every minute or two" for originality, style, musicality, and actually tasteful shred, with infusions of ballad, fusion, R&B, and every other valid form of soulfulness.
see 40:01 and 50:40 if you doubt that creativity knobs can get to 11.
 
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It is a really nice looking Strat. Popular color.
I would open it up to see what the body pocket says.
The neck at least looks like a Deluxe. Not a compound radius.

These threads might help.

http://www.strat-talk.com/threads/american-deluxe-strat-differences.218801/
https://forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=101108

Pickups are a little bit of a mystery but if they are quality known commodity you are fine.
If that is a American or American Deluxe body then I would say it would fetch 825 to maybe 875 on the market.

If you like it - keep it.
 
Thanks for the links. Yeah, I think to me its worth more. Maybe prospective guitar students lose perspective as they can watch youtube and things seem so easy. They maybe are not as willing to invest in truly quality musical instruments - I think this is so enjoyable to own (I have a Mexico strat and its alright but it doesn't seem quite as nice. To me that extra edge counts for a lot when it comes to a musical instrument.)
 
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