A new Strat was developed in 1986, unveiled to key dealers, and introduced to critical raves at the January 1987 NAMM trade show. Details included typical features (three-layer pickguard, one-piece maple neck, etc.), plus a small headstock, 4-bolt neck, a 9 1/2” radius fingerboard with jumbo frets, a TBX tone circuit, a redesigned tremolo with two bearing points instead of six screws, flat-polepiece pickups, a hum-reducing, reverse-polarity pickup in the middle position, a silver transition logo, and a urethane finish. I saw this guitar at my local music store. Asking the "manager" if I could look at it I already knew it would be mine. It was used, of course, so I only had to pay £250 for it. The Master Built Strats that we’ve had have been very popular and always sell well. I think these have a better chance of being future collectibles. As a range of guitars, they are not so limited in numbers and more people are aware of their build quality and pedigree. They are readily available to those prepared to wait for an order, and when used ones come onto the market they sell quickly - always a good sign. At the dawn of the Schultz era, things began to come back into focus, and in 1985, with Schultz and his investors now owning the company, Fender faced one of its most daunting design challenges yet: Build a better Stratocaster. Not a reissue, not a cost cutter, not a “Cadillac,” not an import — just a basic U.S. Strat. However, they are relatively quiet compared most other acoustic instruments and many ABGs retain pickups to enable them to function with louder ensembles while still maintaining some of the acoustic characteristics of the sound. See The Violent Femmes' first album for an example of acoustic bass playing in modern rock music. The construction of the guitar is very good, esp. for a Mexican Strat. I would've thought that I'd prefer an American, however I really have fallen in love with this guitar. It's constructed like any other strat. Hendrix is known to have owned and played approximately 32 Strats, as guitarists fondly call them. Tying for distant second place are two Gibson models, the Flying V and the SG, of which Hendrix owned two each. The sainted grandfather of electric guitars, the Fender Stratocaster, famously cradled on stage by music legends from Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, is turning 50. Also, the likes of Rickenbacker, Gretsch, National and Epiphone, which have increased less quickly until recently, now seem to be making up for lost time. Child Electric Guitar.
