@hansolo989 Very, very little. It is the speaker that is not designed to take the low frequencies. The amp will handle it fairly well, but it also is not intended for the low frequencies, so it will not allow those frequencies to be amplified. So, just not a good idea all the way around.
@kaffemax920314 Thank you so very much Max! I love doing these things as much as I like collecting them. It's kind folks like you and your nice comments (that I'll actually post) that make doing them fun too! Thanks so much for checking them out. That's really cool of you!
Hi Scott, love these videos. I bought my Strat Plus Deluxe back in '97 - beautiful vintage blond, maple neck, red, silver and gold lace sensors and with Fender's mini-Floyd Rose Blanda bridge. For years, I felt a little self conscious about my guitar because it was so different than other Fenders, but I always believed it was a better guitar. Looking at your amazing collection and listening to you, I feel lucky to have my guitar. I've bought, sold and traded several guitars in my time, but never let this one go. Truly was a golden age for Strats. Thanks for spreading awareness of these awesome instruments! - Gus
@zamanakhan Thank you very much. Yeah, my PewterBurst is on the ground on a stand there in the video. It's one of my favorite colors. I've got the PewterBurst Jazz Bass Plus also. Amazing, especially with no pickguard to mess with that cool finish. The amp is a Johnson Millennium JM-150. I really love those things. I've got a few of them around since they are long discontinued. Yeah, the Razz is quite the groovy finish too. Not many around and not even listed on Fender's color chart.
@FloydRoseDiscovery Exactly, so you know what I mean about having to have different straps with the locks placed different ways to fit different axes with the buttons located in different places. It's scary to play out with an axe that doesn't have them huh?
I am the owner of a 1987 E4 Strat Plus. I got mine in 1988 from guitar store in LI NY after the original owner sold it back after removing the Lace Sensors and putting in Dimarzio Fred Humbuckers. It sounds amazing though. Still rocking it after all these years. Its Antique White with the Schaller locking tuners. Split Wilkinson nut. stress cracks in the neck joint but not the wood! only the paint. it is not a BOB body but a diamond body.
@FloydRoseDiscovery Hi my friend. Yeah, these leather straps are all over Ebay for only $15 . I've got about 6 of these. Most are the black with the white bolt. A couple are white with the black bolt. I have to have so many because they are the ones I like to use the most and so many different guitars I have came with different strap lock systems stock on them, so another strap was needed for that one axe. lol Some had to have one lock installed forard and one backwards, so, another strap.
Pretty cool! Thanks for your review. Just found out that the Strat Plus I have is the 1st year series with the E-4 serial #, the original half roller nut, and the original Sperzel locking tuners. Though mine have a star in the center, not the hole. It also has the is sunburst finish/rosewood fret board. I scored this axe off off CL absolutely pristine w/ the plastic still on the pick guard. It is my main gigging axe now, so not quite so pristine, but I know that all of the road wear is from yours truly! Thanx again Scott!
AWESOME! That is too cool that you found one! They are truly a great gigging axe. They do everything and then some, that you could ever expect from a Strat. Plus, being the first year will always have the COOL factor going for it and will still command a bit higher price. I hope you got a GROOVY deal on it too!
WOW. thanks man! I have an 1993 Strat Plus Deluxe I bought new. I'm the one and only owner and ever will be. Love the guitar. Love the Laces.....you make me wanna seek out and scoop up all the Plus Series I can!!!
@1234deedeeramone You should see the color under the pickguard! This thing has been in some smoke for a while. I went as far as trying to get some of the smoke residue off with fingernail polish remover. That stuff will melt plastic parts, so be careful if you ever use it, but it won't harm a poly finish. So, it takes off about a years worth of nicotine stains, but a couple of decades....nah. But it still is pretty huh? Thanks my friend!
@kamaboko1 LOL, thanks. When you love a guitar as cool as these, you really dig in deep and learn a lot about them. I've had an awful lot of them and now that I actually get to keep more than a few around, I'm really enjoying picking up the really hard ones to find and then learning the stuff that usually isn't found in print about them from other folks that know a lot more about them than I do. I love it when they are cool enough to share their brain power when I buy their axe! Cool folks!
Looking hard for one of these Strat Plus guitars now Scott, thanks to your great reviews. I am gigging now with a "supposed " 83 Strat that I bought new in 1985. Had to put EMG's in it because the original pups were crap. My whammy is locked down too....never stayed in tune. Gotta go and watch more of your vids. Thanks again, B
I have an E4 made in Nov 87 according to the neck pocket sticker I've always I've always wondered if it was the first Corona or last Fullerton model. It has Fender branded non locking tuners .
I always loved these, especially after your reviews. I modeled my humble Squier after one. No roller nut, but I hand cut a hefty brass one. Found some smooth, stainless block saddles to replace the lightweight stock junk. The pots, caps, and wiring are all upgraded to standard Fender components, and I plan to add the TBX tone control to it, when I can. Pickups are still stock, but not bad(with everything else upgraded), and they are pretty low slung, to keep away from the strings. Sensible stuff, to me. Never fully understood those who buy a guitar, claim to love it, then proceed to change every single thing about it, before they've even spent real time with it.
@Miteour17 Yeah, they will just go to the highest bidder when the time comes. I gave $1,300.00 for the surf green one, $2,000.00 for the Razz Berry one, I gave $1,800.00 for the shell pink one, $900.00 for the Silver Burst (Black Pearl Dust) one and $900.00 for the Blue Burst (Blue Pearl Dust) one. So, we'll just have to see what they are worth at that time. They'll still be in the same condition and with all original cases and all case candy etc. So, they should appreciate some.
@hansolo989 No problem my friend. They don't snag at all. They are amazing. no friction to be had at all. Why anyone would build a guitar with a "normal" nut is beyond me. They are superb nuts, as are the later LSR ball bearing style nuts that I showed on the last example. I love these things on there.
I bought one of these (metallic-green 'Caribbean Mist' I think since new in '94-95. Always thought it was a great guitar, but never knew the history of them. Very informative vid - on loads of things. Thanks Scott.
Totally agree about the Strat Plus. I have a 1991 blue frost deluxe Strat Plus with the pop in arm and the red, silver, and blue lace sensors. Most versatile strat ever! I once had a 1989 razz berry and a 1989 Bahama green Strat Plus that I wish I still had because they are super rare colors. I can't stand the vintage snobs who put down lace sensors - you can get so many different sounds out of them. Thanks for doing a very cool demo of the greatest Strat ever!
I love watching your videos for some reason. 30 mins go by in no time. Very informative videos about the guitars. I remember all of those Fender guitars. I saw them in catalogs when then came out, and read the info, but never got to try many out. : ( I loved that sweet bending chords around 10 mins in. That was totally b-bender licks without the b-bender! I love playing stuff like that so I have to watch that again and steal . . . I mean "borrow" those b-bender chords/bends. : )
Wow, I got an 87 in 87, love it. BlackE433500 Best for feedback and sustain to bleed notes, never squeals. Ever since I heard Jimi, thats all I wanted to do, get sustain to bleed. NEVER knew that about the tone to 5 is 10. Thanks so much!!! I have a 69 SG and a 82 LP. But my 87 is my true love, got a 2nd one, found another mint black 87 in 2008 paid $1100.
These are definitely among my favorite strats ever made. I've tried these back in the day. Wish I had the money at the time to buy one. If I come across one, I'll definitely pick it up.
@MrFenderteleplus I would love love to find the Tele Plus in the Firestorm finish. The Strat too. That is a great finish. I remember when those first showed up. Who knew that I would never see another one in all these years. lol
@Catfisheyeballs I'm so glad that you do. Most people don't know the truth on most things or they simply won't take the time to share their "secrets" for some reason. lol Thank you for letting me know that you enjoy the effort I put into it! Scott
@TheMAJofficial Same here. I hate when the strings would hit those pole pieces and let off that ultra loud pop. With my style of playing, I would constantly be slamming the strings downloard and popping them against the pole pieces all the time. So, these Lace Sensors were a real God send for sure.
Great video. Back in 87 I held a surf green Stratocaster Plus at the local music store in Springfield Mo. It was the shit back then. Cool seeing one again. I screwed the spring claw down on my Mexican Stratocaster years ago to.
@WTig3r Actually, it's still set up with the 3 springs and on and on. I've owned over 1,000 Strats and not a one can stay in tune unless it has a Floyd on it or it's a hard tail. lol Physics.
Hi, my E4..has the split nut and the Fender locking tuners. It'a Candy Apple red with a maple finger board. I'm the first owner. The quality stamp says April 88. My trem stays in tune by the way: Netherlands climate I guess.
@ravenshield56 Yeah, some of the RG's are great axes. If it does what you want it to, then you are set. You can always want more, but one good one is all you need. You actually play yours. I only play a couple of mine, the rest are only played once for the review and they won't be played again until I sell them in 13 more years.
Hi buddy, you know your stuff on the Strat plus no question about that. So my question to you is simple which years where the best of the best made in your opinion? Your response would be greatly appreciated over here across the pond in England. Thanks again for your channel.
Hi,,, Great informative video ,,,,,, I have a question I hope you may know the answer to,,,, on the 1987 Strat Plus are the bridge posts a screw in type or are they the brass inserts? I have an early 87neck and would like to put it with the correct body ,,, thanks in advance.
Those are really fine instruments. I'm hoping to grab one of these out of college and keep it forever. I've looked on the internet and they really are the more harder to find guitars. I hope I'll be able to get mine one day.
@WTig3r Yeah, the Gold Laces are legendary for sure. I like the Silvers even more in all 3 positions. They are even better sounding than the golds. Nobody has ever used them for a complete set, other than me, that I'm aware of. They've always just been advertised as the "Middle" pickup. If I weren't such a stickler about keeping everything original, I would put silver Lace Sensors in each and every single instrument I have and nothing else.
Oh yea, I have the exact same guitar, Surf green, E4 serial, fender locking tuners, maple neck, build date March 8, 1988. Bought new at Rhythm City, which was bought out by Guitar center. Walked into store, and there it was, hanging on the wall, had to have it
Hey Scott, is it true that the wilkinson nut makes the high harmonics on the 3rd/4th fret ring out perfectly? You see guys like Jeff Beck make them sing...
They do ring out very well for sure. I really love the Wilkinson nut. They only stopped using it because of people who were trying to cram HUGE strings through there and they wouldn't fit. So, all of the dropped tuning guys would be out of luck using the Wilkinson if they go to put bass strings on there like some of them do. lol
@ravenshield56 If you grab one of those old Ibanez Roadstar II's from 1984, the RS 130 or RS 135 or the Blazer from 1981, they are just as good as this for only $200-$300. These Strats stay home on a gig and the Ibanez guitars and stuff go on the gigs and do every bit as great as these Strat Plus' do. Ibanez was just a much better guitar builder back in the day than Fender usually was and is. lol But, these are for sure the best that Fender USA ever put out IMHO.
I have not played one. I really want to get to a music shop here that sells some more oddball guitars. But my main focus is bringing my Gibson les Paul trade pro home this Christmas. Uve got a review on it and its the exact opposite if the Italia. Its extremely versatile.
@ddayxable I know that you'll love the Trad. Pro so much that anything less will be just sitting in the corner. It does so much more than other guitars that an axe like the Italia will seem so amazingly boring once you pick one up.
@UKToneKing Yes, John did do a lot of the early Strat Plus guitars. He's quite the monster for sure. I've got a few of the guitars he did and some that are one off's that he built in his spare time that are AMAZING compared to anything else Fender was putting out to the public. What a talented guy he is.
@UKToneKing I like Maple fingerboards a lot better. Of course neither one sound any different, but with a good few coats of poly finish over a maple fingerboard, the sweat just rolls off of the fingerboard and doesn't get all gunky like rosewood, which will allow all of that mess to get on your fingers and then you rub all of that dirt back into the windings on your strings, causing them to go dead. Plus, the maple can be painted and then finished. Looks too cool that way.
@tinmansgarage Hello my friend. The person who I bought most of my Strat Plus guitar from (Paul at Xhefri Guitars) will be able to 100% confirm that for you. I would be happy to except for I've honestly never pulled any of mine apart enough to say for sure. I have a few 1987's and the ones like this one with the split nut, has different screw heads than the other 1987's that I have which have the full Wilkinson nut. So, there may well be 2 different methods of the bridge mounts? Paul will know.
@xrayzerox Thank you my friend! It goes by fast for me too. I could talk for hours about any given guitar. lol Yeah, that steel lick.......I have to give credit where it's due. I learned that from a Steve Travato series of cassette tapes years ago. Those bends came in very handy when Diamond Rio came out and all that B bender stuff was going on from Jimmy Olander. So, this was an instant fix for 90% of his licks. Now we have Brad Paisley with his G bender and gotta learn all new stuff.
@groovydjs ok, Thanks. Yeah I hear you on the strap locks. I bought some for my guitar, I love them. I don't have to worrie about the strap popping off on me. because both of my strap buttons are on the back of the guitar.
I'm not sure why but the design just grows on me. And I've decided I don't just wont to fill my collection with the usual strata and Paul's. I just was looking at some more oddball axes.
@Sunambra Man, you can't beat that deal with a stick. If you find anymore on the floor, be very careful, they have a deadly stinger on them. Only a qualified Strat-O-Catcher like myself is licensed to wrangle such critters and I do not charge for my services. I do have to take them back to the ranch with me though in order to tame them.
Hi Scott... are they all Silver Lace Sensor pick-ups?And, by the way, you recommend a Japanese Strat over an American, and trusting you, as I do, any tip on buying one?
@1991stratplus Thank you very much my friend. You've got all you need and one guitar more than you can play at a time. I had pretty much the same rig for nearly 20 years before I started to collect a few things over the past couple of years. I'm just buying guitars instead of making bank deposits. Somehow it seems to be the safer thing to do these days. lol I'm really glad I didn't buy that house in 2006. lol I'd be BROKE!
Different woods make zero difference to the tone of an electric guitar. It's all hype. The weight. maybe a half pound or so one way or the other. They might use 20 differenty types of Ash, so you just never know until you pick it up. Thanks for checking out the videos! Happy holidays.
@hansolo989 Is the nut worth it? Worth what? I would rather have this nut on every single guitar I own if that's what you're asking. It sounds like all of the fretted notes and gives you more sustain. Metal strings ring against your metal frets and they sustain forever. So, you don't want your open strings ringing against plastic or bone and dying out really fast. You want the nut made out of the same thing your frets are so it sounds the same everywhere. So, yeah...worth it big time.
@UKToneKing My White Iceman style custom made axe is far and above my best guitar. Nothing else comes even close to it. Just the perfect guitar for me hands down.
The strat pluses are the best they ever made. I love them. I put a super distortion in the bridge on two of mine. I would disagree with you on the LSR nut. I like the wilkenson better. Love your videos, hope you are well.
Thank You Scott... I have one of these with the neck dated 10/10/87 black body maple neck with the Wilkinson split roller nut/Sperzel locking tuners/Lace Sensors in 100% mint condition. I bought it from my cousin years ago and always wondered what the hell kind of Strat is this with all these unusual features and now I know because of your video. Do you have any idea what these are worth in mint condition... love that Surf green.
Awesome axe you have! I still think that they were by FAR the best Strats that Fender has ever made. Being mint is superb, after that............it just gets crazy depending on the color and how rare it is. Some colors were limited to just a couple etc. The black was common and would still fetch between $1,200.00-$1,500.00. Every finish and bit of info on all of them can be found here: xhefriguitars.com/page2.html
@UKToneKing Yeah, I know that guy. He's been trying to sell his for years. He's a hyper guy to say the least. I didn't get mine from him. I managed to grab my for about $1,500.00 less than he was asking. Thanks for the head's up.
Sweet my friend. Yeah, these were the cat daddy of the new Corona, CA factory when the USA fired up the new plant! It sounds like you have your stuff together. Nice having someone that knows their stuff drop on through here! lol
Hi Scott! I was wondering if you could review an italia speedster! This is a very oddball but neat guitar and I would love to see a professional to review it!
I have a black one maple kneck E413.... Superb quality. No Wolf tone but hate the swimming pool rout, the scratch plate vibrates at high gain/volume settings and feeds back terribly by the way mine is a majic tuning strat dive bombs and everything
@ricflairjrs4 Thanks much and you are dead on. You know your stuff and I agree about the Lace over the noiseless pups. I don't know anybody that can stand those things......well, anybody that's ever had an axe with the Lace pups in it anyway. lol Sweet guitars at that time for sure. It seems that Fender always "Reissues" the wrong models. These really deserve to make a comeback!
@ddayxable It just bothers me with the set neck. You can't adjust ANYTHING on that neck. Once it goes bad, it goes bad. A bolt on....you can do every adjustment you need in the world. Humbuckers with no other options? No splitting, nothing but those 3 sounds, not very versatile at all. It's got the racing stripe on it etc. It looks like a typical punk rock guitar to me. I checked out some You Tube reviews on it and there wasn't a usable tone on any of the reviews. Have you played one?
I like the sounds of this guitar. Wish I had ne. I like your blunt method of reality. That is just the way I am with whatever I do. I have to admit I am very inexperienced and have trouble understanding how to have tremolos returning to perfect position after every use. Maybe I am just an idiot and maybe they never do without help.
@ddayxable Yeah, these will always be great investment pieces. I sold a guy a bass a couple of weeks ago. Perfect condition of course, in the gig bag (also perfect) and double boxed, tons of packing peanuts and bubble wrap and it got beat to hell from the big truck place (as usual) and he is trying to accuse me of selling it to him knowing it was beat to hell and even the gig bag was ripped apart. Now that's some heavy shipping abuse. He forgot about the video of the Perfect axe on Ebay ad. lol
@ddayxable Great choice. They really are the best that the USA have ever built. Everything about them just makes sense.....that's why they changed it a decade later. lol Nobody ever gave the current owners of Fender of being brilliant. lol
Yea Im not only looking for one because its a great axe. Its a wonderful investment opportunity and i want something that will appreciate in value when I become an adult. Mabey I could buy that same shell pink from you one day! Who knows haha and ur for real like there's no question whether u take care of the axe. All of ur guitars are in top shape.
I know the exception proves the rule, but I have a 1987 graffiti yellow strat plus, I use the whammy bar a lot, and it never goes out of tune. I must be just lucky.
@stratocatblue Isn't that the truth. It should be on every guitar in the world. The only person that would argue it would be the people that simply don't understand them and love to spend tons of money letting some Guitar Center reject try to fix their axe. lol
@outtacastatv That's for sure! Lost of strange pastels (as you can see) but some really wild ones too....which I hope to land along the way.
@hansolo989 Very, very little. It is the speaker that is not designed to take the low frequencies. The amp will handle it fairly well, but it also is not intended for the low frequencies, so it will not allow those frequencies to be amplified. So, just not a good idea all the way around.
@kaffemax920314 Thank you so very much Max! I love doing these things as much as I like collecting them. It's kind folks like you and your nice comments (that I'll actually post) that make doing them fun too! Thanks so much for checking them out. That's really cool of you!
Excellent review. Taught me a few things about my e4. Mine is graffiti yellow with the split Wilkinson and lace sensors. Thanks for the great video.
Great to hear!
You have the Strat Plus version I'm looking for. Let me know if you ever want to sell yours.
Hi Scott, love these videos. I bought my Strat Plus Deluxe back in '97 - beautiful vintage blond, maple neck, red, silver and gold lace sensors and with Fender's mini-Floyd Rose Blanda bridge. For years, I felt a little self conscious about my guitar because it was so different than other Fenders, but I always believed it was a better guitar. Looking at your amazing collection and listening to you, I feel lucky to have my guitar. I've bought, sold and traded several guitars in my time, but never let this one go. Truly was a golden age for Strats. Thanks for spreading awareness of these awesome instruments! - Gus
@zamanakhan Thank you very much. Yeah, my PewterBurst is on the ground on a stand there in the video. It's one of my favorite colors. I've got the PewterBurst Jazz Bass Plus also. Amazing, especially with no pickguard to mess with that cool finish. The amp is a Johnson Millennium JM-150. I really love those things. I've got a few of them around since they are long discontinued. Yeah, the Razz is quite the groovy finish too. Not many around and not even listed on Fender's color chart.
@FloydRoseDiscovery Exactly, so you know what I mean about having to have different straps with the locks placed different ways to fit different axes with the buttons located in different places. It's scary to play out with an axe that doesn't have them huh?
I am the owner of a 1987 E4 Strat Plus. I got mine in 1988 from guitar store in LI NY after the original owner sold it back after removing the Lace Sensors and putting in Dimarzio Fred Humbuckers. It sounds amazing though. Still rocking it after all these years. Its Antique White with the Schaller locking tuners. Split Wilkinson nut. stress cracks in the neck joint but not the wood! only the paint. it is not a BOB body but a diamond body.
@FloydRoseDiscovery Hi my friend. Yeah, these leather straps are all over Ebay for only $15 . I've got about 6 of these. Most are the black with the white bolt. A couple are white with the black bolt. I have to have so many because they are the ones I like to use the most and so many different guitars I have came with different strap lock systems stock on them, so another strap was needed for that one axe. lol Some had to have one lock installed forard and one backwards, so, another strap.
Pretty cool! Thanks for your review. Just found out that the Strat Plus I have is the 1st year series with the E-4 serial #, the original half roller nut, and the original Sperzel locking tuners. Though mine have a star in the center, not the hole. It also has the is sunburst finish/rosewood fret board. I scored this axe off off CL absolutely pristine w/ the plastic still on the pick guard. It is my main gigging axe now, so not quite so pristine, but I know that all of the road wear is from yours truly! Thanx again Scott!
AWESOME! That is too cool that you found one! They are truly a great gigging axe. They do everything and then some, that you could ever expect from a Strat. Plus, being the first year will always have the COOL factor going for it and will still command a bit higher price. I hope you got a GROOVY deal on it too!
WOW. thanks man! I have an 1993 Strat Plus Deluxe I bought new. I'm the one and only owner and ever will be. Love the guitar. Love the Laces.....you make me wanna seek out and scoop up all the Plus Series I can!!!
Loved how bright and clean it sounds when you went past 5 on the tone control.
@1234deedeeramone You should see the color under the pickguard! This thing has been in some smoke for a while. I went as far as trying to get some of the smoke residue off with fingernail polish remover. That stuff will melt plastic parts, so be careful if you ever use it, but it won't harm a poly finish. So, it takes off about a years worth of nicotine stains, but a couple of decades....nah. But it still is pretty huh? Thanks my friend!
@kamaboko1 LOL, thanks. When you love a guitar as cool as these, you really dig in deep and learn a lot about them. I've had an awful lot of them and now that I actually get to keep more than a few around, I'm really enjoying picking up the really hard ones to find and then learning the stuff that usually isn't found in print about them from other folks that know a lot more about them than I do. I love it when they are cool enough to share their brain power when I buy their axe! Cool folks!
Looking hard for one of these Strat Plus guitars now Scott, thanks to your great reviews. I am gigging now with a "supposed " 83 Strat that I bought new in 1985. Had to put EMG's in it because the original pups were crap. My whammy is locked down too....never stayed in tune. Gotta go and watch more of your vids. Thanks again, B
I love it. You give more than just a guitar review. You give a guitar history lesson to boot.
I have an E4 made in Nov 87 according to the neck pocket sticker I've always I've always wondered if it was the first Corona or last Fullerton model. It has Fender branded non locking tuners .
I always loved these, especially after your reviews. I modeled my humble Squier after one. No roller nut, but I hand cut a hefty brass one. Found some smooth, stainless block saddles to replace the lightweight stock junk. The pots, caps, and wiring are all upgraded to standard Fender components, and I plan to add the TBX tone control to it, when I can. Pickups are still stock, but not bad(with everything else upgraded), and they are pretty low slung, to keep away from the strings. Sensible stuff, to me. Never fully understood those who buy a guitar, claim to love it, then proceed to change every single thing about it, before they've even spent real time with it.
@Miteour17 Yeah, they will just go to the highest bidder when the time comes. I gave $1,300.00 for the surf green one, $2,000.00 for the Razz Berry one, I gave $1,800.00 for the shell pink one, $900.00 for the Silver Burst (Black Pearl Dust) one and $900.00 for the Blue Burst (Blue Pearl Dust) one. So, we'll just have to see what they are worth at that time. They'll still be in the same condition and with all original cases and all case candy etc. So, they should appreciate some.
@hansolo989 No problem my friend. They don't snag at all. They are amazing. no friction to be had at all. Why anyone would build a guitar with a "normal" nut is beyond me. They are superb nuts, as are the later LSR ball bearing style nuts that I showed on the last example. I love these things on there.
I bought one of these (metallic-green 'Caribbean Mist' I think since new in '94-95. Always thought it was a great guitar, but never knew the history of them. Very informative vid - on loads of things. Thanks Scott.
Totally agree about the Strat Plus. I have a 1991 blue frost deluxe Strat Plus with the pop in arm and the red, silver, and blue lace sensors. Most versatile strat ever! I once had a 1989 razz berry and a 1989 Bahama green Strat Plus that I wish I still had because they are super rare colors. I can't stand the vintage snobs who put down lace sensors - you can get so many different sounds out of them. Thanks for doing a very cool demo of the greatest Strat ever!
Fine lookin guitar Scott..thanks for showing it! Keep up the good work, I,m enjoying it!
I love watching your videos for some reason. 30 mins go by in no time. Very informative videos about the guitars. I remember all of those Fender guitars. I saw them in catalogs when then came out, and read the info, but never got to try many out. : (
I loved that sweet bending chords around 10 mins in. That was totally b-bender licks without the b-bender! I love playing stuff like that so I have to watch that again and steal . . . I mean "borrow" those b-bender chords/bends. : )
Gorgeous guitar, and well articulated, thoughtful review - as always.
Thanks for making this info available. Do you have a 1987 Strat Plus for sale?
Wow, I got an 87 in 87, love it. BlackE433500 Best for feedback and sustain to bleed notes, never squeals. Ever since I heard Jimi, thats all I wanted to do, get sustain to bleed. NEVER knew that about the tone to 5 is 10. Thanks so much!!! I have a 69 SG and a 82 LP. But my 87 is my true love, got a 2nd one, found another mint black 87 in 2008 paid $1100.
These are definitely among my favorite strats ever made. I've tried these back in the day. Wish I had the money at the time to buy one. If I come across one, I'll definitely pick it up.
@MrFenderteleplus I would love love to find the Tele Plus in the Firestorm finish. The Strat too. That is a great finish. I remember when those first showed up. Who knew that I would never see another one in all these years. lol
@Catfisheyeballs I'm so glad that you do. Most people don't know the truth on most things or they simply won't take the time to share their "secrets" for some reason. lol Thank you for letting me know that you enjoy the effort I put into it!
Scott
@TheMAJofficial Same here. I hate when the strings would hit those pole pieces and let off that ultra loud pop. With my style of playing, I would constantly be slamming the strings downloard and popping them against the pole pieces all the time. So, these Lace Sensors were a real God send for sure.
Great video. Back in 87 I held a surf green Stratocaster Plus at the local music store in Springfield Mo. It was the shit back then. Cool seeing one again. I screwed the spring claw down on my Mexican Stratocaster years ago to.
@sarinapaparone Many thanks. I love these axes!
@WTig3r Actually, it's still set up with the 3 springs and on and on. I've owned over 1,000 Strats and not a one can stay in tune unless it has a Floyd on it or it's a hard tail. lol Physics.
Great review Scott
I’m looking for one of these guitars now
I have one for sale on ebay bernie
Hi, my E4..has the split nut and the Fender locking tuners. It'a Candy Apple red with a maple finger board. I'm the first owner. The quality stamp says April 88. My trem stays in tune by the way: Netherlands climate I guess.
Sounds like you got yourself a great axe. It's hard to beat these for sure. Great to hear from you.
@ravenshield56 Yeah, some of the RG's are great axes. If it does what you want it to, then you are set. You can always want more, but one good one is all you need. You actually play yours. I only play a couple of mine, the rest are only played once for the review and they won't be played again until I sell them in 13 more years.
Being a Child of the 80s I remember these . That guitar is a thing of beauty. The lace sensors are too cool.
Just a guitar review that is about the guitar itself. Nothing more. Please just enjoy the axe, it's a great one!
Hi buddy, you know your stuff on the Strat plus no question about that. So my question to you is simple which years where the best of the best made in your opinion? Your response would be greatly appreciated over here across the pond in England. Thanks again for your channel.
Hi,,, Great informative video ,,,,,, I have a question I hope you may know the answer to,,,, on the 1987 Strat Plus are the bridge posts a screw in type or are they the brass inserts? I have an early 87neck and would like to put it with the correct body ,,, thanks in advance.
Those are really fine instruments. I'm hoping to grab one of these out of college and keep it forever. I've looked on the internet and they really are the more harder to find guitars. I hope I'll be able to get mine one day.
@prescotian1500 Thank you very much. Yeah, this one is about as groovy as it gets. It's a keeper for sure.
@WTig3r Yeah, the Gold Laces are legendary for sure. I like the Silvers even more in all 3 positions. They are even better sounding than the golds. Nobody has ever used them for a complete set, other than me, that I'm aware of. They've always just been advertised as the "Middle" pickup. If I weren't such a stickler about keeping everything original, I would put silver Lace Sensors in each and every single instrument I have and nothing else.
Oh yea, I have the exact same guitar, Surf green, E4 serial, fender locking tuners, maple neck, build date March 8, 1988. Bought new at Rhythm City, which was bought out by Guitar center. Walked into store, and there it was, hanging on the wall, had to have it
on a second note I have found a E4 serial number from japan does that make any sense? havent bought it yet
Hey Scott, is it true that the wilkinson nut makes the high harmonics on the 3rd/4th fret ring out perfectly? You see guys like Jeff Beck make them sing...
They do ring out very well for sure. I really love the Wilkinson nut. They only stopped using it because of people who were trying to cram HUGE strings through there and they wouldn't fit. So, all of the dropped tuning guys would be out of luck using the Wilkinson if they go to put bass strings on there like some of them do. lol
@ravenshield56 If you grab one of those old Ibanez Roadstar II's from 1984, the RS 130 or RS 135 or the Blazer from 1981, they are just as good as this for only $200-$300. These Strats stay home on a gig and the Ibanez guitars and stuff go on the gigs and do every bit as great as these Strat Plus' do. Ibanez was just a much better guitar builder back in the day than Fender usually was and is. lol But, these are for sure the best that Fender USA ever put out IMHO.
I have an 87 green strat plus in immaculate condition----i was wondering it's value was.
COOL! They go for an average of $2000-$2500.
Absolutely right about pickup height. SRV has his pickups flat against the pickguard, can be seen on my videos, incredible sustain
do you mean the pickups are flush with the pick guard?
I have not played one. I really want to get to a music shop here that sells some more oddball guitars. But my main focus is bringing my Gibson les Paul trade pro home this Christmas. Uve got a review on it and its the exact opposite if the Italia. Its extremely versatile.
@ddayxable I know that you'll love the Trad. Pro so much that anything less will be just sitting in the corner. It does so much more than other guitars that an axe like the Italia will seem so amazingly boring once you pick one up.
@UKToneKing Yes, John did do a lot of the early Strat Plus guitars. He's quite the monster for sure. I've got a few of the guitars he did and some that are one off's that he built in his spare time that are AMAZING compared to anything else Fender was putting out to the public. What a talented guy he is.
Dig your videos, all the time I’m watching you.
@UKToneKing I like Maple fingerboards a lot better. Of course neither one sound any different, but with a good few coats of poly finish over a maple fingerboard, the sweat just rolls off of the fingerboard and doesn't get all gunky like rosewood, which will allow all of that mess to get on your fingers and then you rub all of that dirt back into the windings on your strings, causing them to go dead. Plus, the maple can be painted and then finished. Looks too cool that way.
Thanks for the info about this model, the serial number always had me baffled. Now I know thanks so much.
@LWRCftw You're the one who has it? I was wondering where it went. It's missing out of my closet!
Just for reference how much did u pay for the shell pink and how much would u sell it for?
@54macdog Thanks a lot! I had all my meds in check today, so......I didn't go off on a major tirade. lol
You got a nice collection of cool guitars
@tinmansgarage Hello my friend. The person who I bought most of my Strat Plus guitar from (Paul at Xhefri Guitars) will be able to 100% confirm that for you. I would be happy to except for I've honestly never pulled any of mine apart enough to say for sure. I have a few 1987's and the ones like this one with the split nut, has different screw heads than the other 1987's that I have which have the full Wilkinson nut. So, there may well be 2 different methods of the bridge mounts? Paul will know.
@xrayzerox Thank you my friend! It goes by fast for me too. I could talk for hours about any given guitar. lol Yeah, that steel lick.......I have to give credit where it's due. I learned that from a Steve Travato series of cassette tapes years ago. Those bends came in very handy when Diamond Rio came out and all that B bender stuff was going on from Jimmy Olander. So, this was an instant fix for 90% of his licks. Now we have Brad Paisley with his G bender and gotta learn all new stuff.
@groovydjs ok, Thanks. Yeah I hear you on the strap locks. I bought some for my guitar, I love them. I don't have to worrie about the strap popping off on me. because both of my strap buttons are on the back of the guitar.
I'm not sure why but the design just grows on me. And I've decided I don't just wont to fill my collection with the usual strata and Paul's. I just was looking at some more oddball axes.
@Sunambra Man, you can't beat that deal with a stick. If you find anymore on the floor, be very careful, they have a deadly stinger on them. Only a qualified Strat-O-Catcher like myself is licensed to wrangle such critters and I do not charge for my services. I do have to take them back to the ranch with me though in order to tame them.
@billysflute Thank you my friend! That is for sure, they simply never, ever made one better and even through the custom shop..........they never will.
I have that exact one, E454 serial, surf green, bought it in March 1988
So do I! Bought from a pawn shop in ‘95 for $460.00
@groovydjs lol I'm sorry I meant "is the nut worth having on a guitar and does it snag " sorry I couldn't explain
Hi Scott... are they all Silver Lace Sensor pick-ups?And, by the way, you recommend a Japanese Strat over an American, and trusting you, as I do, any tip on buying one?
@1991stratplus Thank you very much my friend. You've got all you need and one guitar more than you can play at a time. I had pretty much the same rig for nearly 20 years before I started to collect a few things over the past couple of years. I'm just buying guitars instead of making bank deposits. Somehow it seems to be the safer thing to do these days. lol I'm really glad I didn't buy that house in 2006. lol I'd be BROKE!
Where can I get a Guitar Strap like that one. That reminds me so much of Ace Frehley's.
Very interesting reviews! Is the ash body so different in tone? In weight? Thx
Different woods make zero difference to the tone of an electric guitar. It's all hype. The weight. maybe a half pound or so one way or the other. They might use 20 differenty types of Ash, so you just never know until you pick it up.
Thanks for checking out the videos!
Happy holidays.
@hansolo989 Is the nut worth it? Worth what? I would rather have this nut on every single guitar I own if that's what you're asking. It sounds like all of the fretted notes and gives you more sustain. Metal strings ring against your metal frets and they sustain forever. So, you don't want your open strings ringing against plastic or bone and dying out really fast. You want the nut made out of the same thing your frets are so it sounds the same everywhere. So, yeah...worth it big time.
@UKToneKing My White Iceman style custom made axe is far and above my best guitar. Nothing else comes even close to it. Just the perfect guitar for me hands down.
Completely off the wall, but roughly how much do you think a guitar amp take from a bass guitar? One with 10 watt and one with 35 watts
The strat pluses are the best they ever made. I love them. I put a super distortion in the bridge on two of mine. I would disagree with you on the LSR nut. I like the wilkenson better. Love your videos, hope you are well.
GREAT REVUE LEARNED A LOT . THANKS AND LUV YOUR PLAYING STYLES .
Many thanks John!
i have owned many Strats, i love my PLUS the most out of any.
Thank You Scott... I have one of these with the neck dated 10/10/87 black body maple neck with the Wilkinson split roller nut/Sperzel locking tuners/Lace Sensors in 100% mint condition. I bought it from my cousin years ago and always wondered what the hell kind of Strat is this with all these unusual features and now I know because of your video. Do you have any idea what these are worth in mint condition... love that Surf green.
Awesome axe you have! I still think that they were by FAR the best Strats that Fender has ever made. Being mint is superb, after that............it just gets crazy depending on the color and how rare it is. Some colors were limited to just a couple etc. The black was common and would still fetch between $1,200.00-$1,500.00. Every finish and bit of info on all of them can be found here: xhefriguitars.com/page2.html
@UKToneKing Yeah, I know that guy. He's been trying to sell his for years. He's a hyper guy to say the least. I didn't get mine from him. I managed to grab my for about $1,500.00 less than he was asking. Thanks for the head's up.
Scott do you still own all your Strat Plus guitars?
do you still own that guitar I think that it was the one that I bought in New Jersey. would you be interested in selling?
Sweet my friend. Yeah, these were the cat daddy of the new Corona, CA factory when the USA fired up the new plant! It sounds like you have your stuff together. Nice having someone that knows their stuff drop on through here! lol
Do these have a Floyd rose??
@wills22nd Thank you, I think it's that guy that teaches you how to paint picures on TV.
Great demo!
Hi Scott! I was wondering if you could review an italia speedster! This is a very oddball but neat guitar and I would love to see a professional to review it!
@groovydjs holy shit i've never been so happy for a piece of wood! this thing rocks
I have a black one maple kneck E413.... Superb quality. No Wolf tone but hate the swimming pool rout, the scratch plate vibrates at high gain/volume settings and feeds back terribly by the way mine is a majic tuning strat dive bombs and everything
Best strat plus tone ever..what amp are you playing through? Thank you!
Thanks very much. I'm playing through an old Johnson Millennium JM150 modeling amp.
@ricflairjrs4 Thanks much and you are dead on. You know your stuff and I agree about the Lace over the noiseless pups. I don't know anybody that can stand those things......well, anybody that's ever had an axe with the Lace pups in it anyway. lol Sweet guitars at that time for sure. It seems that Fender always "Reissues" the wrong models. These really deserve to make a comeback!
Awesome guitar. Do you still own it?
@ddayxable It just bothers me with the set neck. You can't adjust ANYTHING on that neck. Once it goes bad, it goes bad. A bolt on....you can do every adjustment you need in the world. Humbuckers with no other options? No splitting, nothing but those 3 sounds, not very versatile at all. It's got the racing stripe on it etc. It looks like a typical punk rock guitar to me. I checked out some You Tube reviews on it and there wasn't a usable tone on any of the reviews. Have you played one?
I like the sounds of this guitar. Wish I had ne. I like your blunt method of reality. That is just the way I am with whatever I do. I have to admit I am very inexperienced and have trouble understanding how to have tremolos returning to perfect position after every use. Maybe I am just an idiot and maybe they never do without help.
@ddayxable Yeah, these will always be great investment pieces. I sold a guy a bass a couple of weeks ago. Perfect condition of course, in the gig bag (also perfect) and double boxed, tons of packing peanuts and bubble wrap and it got beat to hell from the big truck place (as usual) and he is trying to accuse me of selling it to him knowing it was beat to hell and even the gig bag was ripped apart. Now that's some heavy shipping abuse. He forgot about the video of the Perfect axe on Ebay ad. lol
@ddayxable Great choice. They really are the best that the USA have ever built. Everything about them just makes sense.....that's why they changed it a decade later. lol Nobody ever gave the current owners of Fender of being brilliant. lol
Yea Im not only looking for one because its a great axe. Its a wonderful investment opportunity and i want something that will appreciate in value when I become an adult. Mabey I could buy that same shell pink from you one day! Who knows haha and ur for real like there's no question whether u take care of the axe. All of ur guitars are in top shape.
Any chance of you selling one of your pluses, Scott? :P
I know the exception proves the rule, but I have a 1987 graffiti yellow strat plus, I use the whammy bar a lot, and it never goes out of tune. I must be just lucky.
@stratocatblue Isn't that the truth. It should be on every guitar in the world. The only person that would argue it would be the people that simply don't understand them and love to spend tons of money letting some Guitar Center reject try to fix their axe. lol