Fender have recently introduced upgrades to their flagship American Standard models. Most interesting to me are the upgrades to the Stratocaster. The 2012 model now features Fender Custom Shop Fat ’50s pickups. Check out the press release for all the details:
Fender’s acclaimed American Standard series guitars and basses have been upgraded for 2012, resulting in the latest iterations of the company’s four archetypal instruments—the Telecaster®, Stratocaster®, Precision Bass® and Jazz Bass® guitars. They’re the same great best-selling go-to instruments they’ve always been, and now feature Fender Custom Shop pickups, as well as other distinctive new design touches.
Ideal for every gig from the garage to the club to the stadium, the American Standard Telecaster has been upgraded with a comfortable new body contour and classic-sounding Fender Custom Shop Twisted Tele® (neck) and Broadcaster (bridge) pickups, making it ring more fully, brightly and crisply than ever. Left-handed model also available.
The American Standard Stratocaster has been upgraded with aged plastic parts and full-sounding Fender Custom Shop Fat ’50s pickups for the very essence of Stratocaster tone. Its high-output hot-rodded sibling, the American Standard Stratocaster HSS, has also been upgraded with aged plastic parts, with Fender Custom Shop Fat ’50s pickups in the neck and middle positions and a Diamondback™ humbucking bridge pickup for an added measure of muscle that makes it more graceful and powerful than ever. Both instruments are also available in a left-handed model.
The American Standard Precision Bass and five-string American Standard Precision Bass V are now upgraded with a seismic Fender Custom Shop ’60s Precision Bass split single-coil pickup, making the latest incarnations of the indestructible workhorse instrument that revolutionized popular music, stronger and more indispensable than ever. The four-string version also comes in a striking new Jade Pearl Metallic finish option, and both basses are available in a left-handed model.
The American Standard Jazz Bass, in right- and left-handed models, is now upgraded with Fender Custom Shop ’60s Jazz Bass single-coil pickups and a striking new Jade Pearl Metallic finish option, making the latest incarnation of our timeless bass hit sing, snarl, groove and growl more powerfully than ever. The five-string American Standard Jazz Bass V and the gracefully voiced American Standard Jazz Bass Fretless now feature the Custom Shop ’60s Jazz Bass single-coil pickups; the fretless model is also available in the new Jade Pearl Metallic finish.
If I was currently in the market for an American Strat (I own two), this would be at the top of list. This Jade metallic color is very cool.
I agree, Ed. The Jade Metallic does look cool.
Do you happen to know what the trem block is made from? I had a 1994 American Standard and the block was zinc. I upgraded it to a steel block and notice a measurable increase in sustain and note definition. Wouldn’t think it would cost Fender much to upgrade to a steel block on American Standards considering the bulk they would buy the steel in.
Matt, I don’t know what the trem block is made of. Maybe someone who knows will chime in.