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USA Fender Stratocaster Plus 1996 3-colour Sunburst Strat in Excellent Condition

Estimated price for orientation: 2 100 $

Category: Electric Guitars
Class:











Description
Condition: Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections. See all condition definitions- opens in a new window or tab ... Read moreabout the condition Brand: Fender
Body Material: Alder Body Type: Solid-body
String Configuration: 6 String Model: Plus
Soundboard Style: Flat Top Body Colour: Sunburst
Items Included: Case + extra Bridge pickup


 And . Beautiful 1996 Fender Stratocaster Plus in Cream pearl over 3 colour sunburst/rosewood neck. This is a superb guitar that I bought in 1998 from the original owner. It's served me well, but I have to thin the herd and find some funds for house repairs, so this 'top of the range' USA built Fender Stratocaster has to find a new home. I did a ton of research back in '98 when I finally had the cash to buy my first top-level American Strat, and I checked out the best of the best before narrowing my options down to an Alder bodied American Stratocaster Plus with the best technology that the 1990s had to offer.
The Strat Plus was the ideal choice, and the stunning Cream pearl/Rosewood/triple Sunburst my favourite finish. It took me a couple of months to find her, but it was worth the wait and we've been together now for two decades. The USA Fender Stratocaster Plus was Fender's top level guitar for the 1990's era and featured superb quality, 'state of the art' premium fittings and superior craftsmanship. Features include: Classic 3 tone Sunburst finish on an Alder body.Indian Rosewood fret-board on a comfortable, and fast 'C' shaped Maple neck with skunk stripe. The neck is straight as an arrow and the medium jumbo frets have plenty of years of faithful service ahead of them. The neck plays beautifully with a nice low action, zero fret buzz, and no issues of any kind.3 ply cream-coloured pearl scratch-plate. 1990's 'small' Fender headstock with satin finish. Sperzel satin finish Locking Tuners for total tuning stability and quick and easy string changing. The precision bridge saddles are also satin finish to match.  LSR (Linear String Rotation) roller nut for absolute freedom on bends and tremolo use. The stainless steel ball-bearings give zero friction on your strings, eliminating the need for string trees, so your strings always return to pitch no matter how much you hammer the whammy bar.TBX tone control - Boosts treble or bass on the bridge and middle pickups - as seen on Fender's 'Eric Clapton' model Strats. This is excellent for a broad tonal palate. Unlike standard tone knobs which simply roll off your highs until your sound gets muddy or boomy, the TBX actually boosts both Treble and Bass with '5' being the 'zero point' on your tone knob - above '5' you boost treble and add sparkle and shine, below '5' you get bass boost that's tight and deep without the mud, making chicka-chunky rhythm guitar ultra cool and deliciously tone-full. Best bottom end on any Strat I've ever played. 1: Neck - Fender Lace Sensor Gold single coil pickup (5.8k) in cream colour - Think of the early Dire Straits/Mark Knopfler rhythm guitar sound, with no hum.      
2: Middle - Fender Lace Sensor Gold single coil pickup (5.8k) in cream colour - Superb, glassy, bell-like tone, 50's clean sound which can absolutely howl with a little overdrive thru a good amp. You can hear the (clean) lead sound from this Middle pickup on the song link below. And, Lace Sensors are practically noiseless pickups. ~  As the lacemusic.com website says:      
     
"The Gold Lace Sensor Pickup - The Tone that started it all! The Lace Sensor® family has a unique radiant Field Barrier system that surrounds both the coil and magnets, reducing annoying 60-cycle hum. The patented Lace Micro Combs® replace traditional bobbins, yielding a wider tonal range and better string balance than traditional guitar pickups.         
Music Styles: Vintage Rock, Blues, Country, R&B, and Funk.   
Think: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck.            
Sound: A classic 50’s Style single coil sound with a classy bell tone."
   

3: Bridge: - NB: TWO BRIDGE PICKUPS WILL BE SUPPLIED:       
> Currently fitted in the Bridge position is a GFS 'Tele for Strat' pickup. (See the pictures) This is a classic  Telecaster bridge pickup built on custom bobbins to fit a Stratocaster scratch-plate and routing. Effectively this gives you a Strat with a Telecaster bridge pickup - It's a brilliant little pup, and absolutely nails the classic Tele sounds of every Bruce Springsteen track and Keith Richards' custom tuned 50's Tele. GFS no longer makes these so it's a rare find.    
> Included separately with the guitar is a BRAND NEW Fender Lace Sensor Hot Gold single coil replacement pickup in cream colour. This pickup has a  slightly hotter output (6.0k) than the original Fender Lace Sensor Gold pickup. Price on Ebay around $99. As the lacemusic.com website says: "The Lace Sensor Hot Gold Sensors have a fat, full bottom end, a singing midrange and all the high end sparkle and class you would expect from a killer Strat, everything is there like never before. There is Gold and there is Hot Gold Sensors - a modern take on the Classic Gold Sensor from the people that brought you the Gold standard in guitar sound - Lace Sensors. Music Styles: Rock, blues, R & B, Country, Funk, Jazz, and Pop
Think: Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy
Sound: A hotter 50’s Style single coil sound with a classy bell tone."
Strings: This guitar will be set-up professionally with brand new D-Addario XL 10-46 gauge strings. OHSC - The guitar will be shipped with the original moulded Fender hard shell case. After 21 years this has some wear and tear, one of the latches broke off as the plastic deteriorated over two decades, and one of the hinges is also cactus. The case still functions quite well, and being moulded to the Strat's contours it provides excellent protection, but I baby my guitars, and I wouldn't trust this case over the long term, or in the hands of a clumsy roadie. It will be bubble-wrapped and boxed for shipping. For 'Buy-It-Now' users I will offer a classic Tweed case with gold fittings as a free alternative. The Serial Number (see pics) indicates she was built at Fender's Corona, California Plant (USA) in 1996-1997; Production Number: 115410. If you're in Canberra you can come and try her out. Pay by: Bank Deposit (preferred); or cash if you pick up the guitar; or Paypal. NOTE: This guitar is advertised elsewhere, and I reserve the right to cancel the listing if sold offline. Condition: This guitar is in great condition electronically, physically and tonally. Everything works as it should and the fit and finish that Fender USA put into this guitar in 1996 was excellent, absolutely first class. This was my first ever top-of-the-line USA made guitar and I made sure I got the best I could find on the east coast of Oz. She plays like a dream. She's been in my music studio for the last 20 years, smoke-free and air-conditioned. I always take first class care of my gear. When I bought her she had one ding on the upper edge of the body near where your arm rests while playing. It's hard to see in the pics, but you can feel it. You don't notice it while you're playing, and neither will anyone else. Apart from that there's some light wear to the finish around the edge of the headstock (check the pictures), and some mild 'shirt-button rash' on the back, but nothing that goes through the paint - just the general playing wear on the body from twenty odd years of enjoyment. Check the pictures to see what I mean, and be aware that the big 'marks' in the pics are reflections of me and my camera. Be aware this is a 21 year old guitar, with the lacquer checking and tiny marks you would expect on a well-loved and played guitar. She looks fabulous in the pics, and in person, bt this is not a new guitar. All in all she's still in excellent condition for a 21 year old guitar just reaching her peak mojo/pre-vintage years.
Payment: Either Direct Deposit (preferred), Cash on pickup, or Paypal.
Shipping: When a sale is finalised I will clean and oil the fret-board, apply some contact cleaner to the electronics (not necessary, but I like to get good feedback) and put some new D-Addario XL 10-46 gauge strings on. I'll check the set-up and intonation are accurate (never been a problem with this guitar, she's steady as a rock).
After a final polish she'll be set snug in her case with the spare pickup and tremolo arm in the pocket of the case. The case will then be fully bubble wrapped and boxed up for shipping.
Ignore the Ebay shpping charges listed above. I'm happy to work with your choice of courier, (I recommend Pack'n'Send) but as always, buyer pays the freight. If you live in Canberra or the ACT you can pick it up for free.Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.