FENDER AMERICAN STANDARD STRATOCASTER - FIRST SERIES

1987 American Standard Stratocaster advert

In 1985, following the buyout that made Bill Schultz the new president, Fender became a completely new company that needed to distance itself from the CBS era to survive.
Schultz firmly believed that any business that failed to grow and improve was bound to burn out. In his view, the Fender icon—the Stratocaster—needed to be revived and adapted to modern times to restore the company to its former glory. It wasn’t about creating a reissue or a “premium” model, nor was it necessary to cut costs. The key was to take Leo’s original design and update it slightly—without altering its fundamental structure—to make it more competitive.
Schultz, together with his team, set out to imagine what Leo Fender himself might have done to modernize the Stratocaster.
The new ​​American Standard Stratocaster—named to emphasize that it was made in the USA and not elsewhere—was officially unveiled at NAMM in January 1987, though development had already begun in 1986 under Dan Smith and George Blanda.
It became the symbol of the new Fender, emerging after the difficult years under CBS ownership.

It became the symbol of the new Fender, emerging after the difficult years under CBS ownership.
A small headstock, a BiFlex truss rod (designed by Charlie Gressett), a 4-bolt neck plate, the Micro-Tilt adjustment system, and a new bridge were key features of the new American Standard Stratocaster.
The proud MADE IN U.S.A. label stood on the headstock, right beside the whitish Fender Modern logo.​
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The neck had a 9.5” radius and a fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets—though the addition of the 22nd fret did not alter the position of the pickups on the body.
With the 1988 catalog photo of the American Standard Stratocaster, Fender wanted to communicate a clear message: a new era had begun, but the Stratocaster remained true to its legendary identity.
The guitar is shown with sleek lines, a glossy finish, and the new 2-point tremolo bridge clearly visible. It’s Fender’s way of saying, “This isn’t the old CBS Strat anymore—it’s more solid, more precise, more reliable.”
Despite the updates, Fender didn’t completely alter the iconic design. The photo communicates: “It’s still your Stratocaster, just better.”
The lighting, angles, and attention to detail suggest craftsmanship and pride. The underlying message: “Made in the USA, like the best guitars.”
There are no flashy effects or extravagant settings. The guitar is shown straightforwardly, almost “window-display” style, emphasizing its purpose as a tool for the stage and studio, for real musicians.​

The American Standard Stratocaster as featured in the 1988 Fender catalog

Electronics

The pickups featured flat poles and didn’t have a specific name at first, but they would later be referred to as American Standard Pickups. The middle pickup was reverse-wound and reverse-polarity (RWRP), which made it hum-canceling in the 2 and 4 “in-between” positions.

The first tone control affected the neck pickup, while the second tone control was a TBX tone control system for the middle and bridge pickups. TBX had previously been used on the Elite series and would soon appear on both the Strat Plus and the Clapton Stratocaster.
The TBX tone control “adjusts the damping of the pickup’s internal resonance for tones you’ve never heard before,” according to the catalog. This system consisted of two stacked potentiometers and allowed players to cut both treble and bass frequencies by turning the tone knob—unlike a traditional tone pot, which only cuts treble.

The TBX on the second tone control

Many believed it was an active system, but in fact, it was passive, as it only cut frequencies rather than amplifying them. This led to different interpretations of the acronym: some saw it as Treble Bass eXpander, while others referred to it as Treble Bass Cuts (X).
In 1997, the electronics of the American Standard Stratocaster were revolutionized with the introduction of the Delta Tone System. It consisted of a No-Load Tone Control in place of the TBX and a new high-output bridge pickup.

Two Pivots, One Revolution: Reengineering the Bridge

The most significant innovation of the American Standard Series was the introduction of an all-new bridge for the Stratocaster. The original Synchronized Tremolo—one of Leo Fender’s most iconic features—had been redesigned during the CBS era to cut costs, resulting in a decline in quality due to the use of inferior die-cast metal. The Elite’s Freeflyte Tremolo also failed to live up to the standards expected of a Stratocaster.

The new bridge designed for the American Standard Stratocaster wasn’t made using the traditional CBS-era method of pouring molten metal into molds. Instead, Fender used what it called a powdered metal process, in which metal powder was pressed under extremely high pressure. The tremolo block was angled for an extended range of motion and made of low-carbon steel produced through this method. The earliest tremolo blocks were nickel-coated, but this soon shifted to painted finishes, and by the early 1990s, to powder coating. Interestingly, the original design called for the contact point between the block and the base plate to remain bare and uncoated—yet, for reasons that remain unclear, the entire block, including the junction point, was eventually powder-coated.

Saddles were filled and composed of a single block realized through the powdered metal process and featured a small slot for the strings to slide through.
Offset intonation screws on solid block saddles were designed to allow for greater intonation adjustment range without the screw interfering with the string. This is because when the screw is offset, it can be turned further in or out without hitting the string or the saddle itself.
Unlike the saddles from Leo Fender’s era, which were bent, or the die-cast metal ones from the CBS period, these new saddles were a completely different design.
The base plate was made of cold-rolled steel and was punched from a flat sheet of metal.

The new bridge was anchored to the body with two large side pivots instead of the traditional six screws, which is why the American Standard Tremolo is also referred to as the 2-Point Synchronized Tremolo. This design was not only simple and cost-effective, but it also produced a great sound, despite being made through an industrial process.
The first American Standard Stratocasters featured two pivot studs that went directly into the body. However, between April 1987 and early 1988, Fender modified the design, and the new bridge featured two pivot studs that were inserted into threaded inserts.

Body and finish

The body was made of alder, but in the early ’90s, poplar was also used due to deforestation laws in Oregon.
By the mid-to-late ’90s, ash was used for the White Blonde and Natural finishes.
Unlike earlier models, where each pickup occupied a separate cavity, the pickups were now installed in a larger compartment known as the “swimming pool” route.
​In 1998, the first body with HSH (humbucker-single-humbucker) routing appeared, and by 1999, it replaced the swimming pool route.

American Standard Swimming Pool Route

The HSH Routing

When comparing 1986–early 1987 American Standard Strats to later models, it's notable that the earliest units featured a sharp corner between the swimming pool and control routes. These early versions are also identifiable by bridge pivots that went directly into the wood, unlike later models, where the pivots passed through metal ferrules inserted into the body

The body was finished with three successive layers of polyurethane (undercoat, color coat, and clear coat). However, Dan Smith briefly mentioned that, for a short period, a polyester undercoat was preferred over polyurethane to improve color adhesion.
By late 1989, the bodies featured a multi-piece core with very thin veneer layers on the top and back. Sunburst veneer bodies are easily recognizable due to the black coloring on the entire back contour.
George Blanda and Dan Smith justified by declaring that it was just an artifice to make solid colors adhere better and prevent mineral buildup from depositing along the grains.

E4 and N9 Serial Number Confusion and Identification

The earliest American Standard Stratocasters, made in late 1986, featured serial numbers with the E3 (which is quite rare) or E4 prefix. The E4 prefix continued to be used until 1988. Many people mistakenly believe these guitars were built in 1983 or 1984, but the “E3” and “E4” serial numbers were simply decals leftover from the CBS era, applied to the new necks after Fender changed ownership. As a result, E5, E6, and E7 serial numbers were never used. Moreover, the E4 was probably never used in 1984.
There is also possible confusion with American Standard Stratocasters carrying serial numbers starting with N9. The N9 prefix was mistakenly used for guitars built in 1989 and 1990, as well as those built in 1999. The guitars from 1999 are easily distinguishable, as they feature a whitish Spaghetti logo and have the serial number located on the back of the headstock, unlike the guitars from the ‘80s and early ‘90s, which featured the Modern logo and had the serial number on the front—Fender shifted the serial number placement to the back of the headstock in 1995.

N9 American Standard Stratocaster with non-original tuners. The logo is the whitish modern style, so the guitar was made in 1989 or 1990, not 1999.

The serial number "N9" used on a 1999 Stratocaster. The logo is a whitish Spaghetti and the serial number was on the back face of the headstock (move the muse on the picture to see the back of the headstock)

The Japanese Origin Debate of the First American Standard Stratocasters

It’s interesting to consider what Scott Zimmerman, former senior luthier at Fender, said about the first American Standard Stratocasters. When the Fullerton factory closed in 1985, Fender’s headquarters moved to the Brea building, where guitars could not be manufactured. At that time, the Corona factory had not yet been purchased, meaning Fender was unable to produce new guitars.
A large portion of the guitars Fender acquired from CBS were models that no one wanted—only the reissues were selling well. To address this, Dan Smith and George Blanda designed the American Standard Stratocaster, but Fender did not yet have a functioning factory.
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Bill Schultz and Dan Smith realized they couldn’t afford to waste time searching for a new factory. Smith proposed that the Fujigen factory in Japan could supply finished necks and bodies, while Fender USA would provide the remaining parts and labor, making up 51% of the guitar’s production, which legally validated the “MADE IN USA” label.
Dan Smith and George Blanda provided blueprints to Fujigen, which then produced painted necks and bodies. Fender supplied all the other parts and assembled the guitars in the USA. Fujigen continued to supply bodies and necks until the Fender Corona factory was ready.

However, when comparing the very first American Standard Stratocasters with other guitars made at the Fujigen factory, there seems to be no evidence to support this theory. The headstock shape and routings were typical of American Stratocasters from that period, not Japanese ones. This situation differs from that of the US Contemporary and US HM Stratocasters, where the Japanese origin is more apparent.
It should be noted, however, that because the same Shoda CNC routers and programs were used in both Japan and the USA, the bodies and necks—despite being sourced from Japan—were identical to those made in the USA, making it impossible to find any differences. This was the main goal of the project: no one can confirm whether the very first American Standard Strats came from Japan.
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The Limited-Edition Aluminum Body Stratocasters

Between 1994 and 1995, Fender also produced some American Standard Stratocaster and Strat Plus guitars with aluminum bodies, which were ordered from Spruce Hill Guitars, owned by Marthy Schulte. These bodies were also used for other projects, including the Custom Shop Freddie Tavares Aloha and Harley Davidson 90th Anniversary Stratocasters.
Made in limited editions, the aluminum body American Standard Strat and Strat Plus models were available in three finishes: Blue Metal Burst, Violet Metal Burst, and Stars and Stripes.
Unfortunately, Fender didn’t keep track of how many aluminum body Strats were produced. However, it is known that around 400 models were made.
They are sometimes mistakenly considered anniversary models, because, having been made in 1994, they featured the commemorative neck plate and the anniversary medallion on the headstock, just like all regular American Standard Stratocasters. However, despite being limited editions, they were not anniversary models. 

Stars and Stripes Aluminum Body American Standard Stratocaster

Violet Metal Burst Aluminum body American Standard Stratocaster

20th and 21th Century American Standard Stratocasters

To commemorate the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, Fender produced 100 20th Century American Standard Stratocasters and 100 21st Century American Standard Stratocasters.
These special guitars were accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, hand-signed by William Schultz, confirming that they were the last 100 guitars to leave the factory in 1999 and the first 100 to be shipped in 2000.
Both models featured a special gold insignia on the headstock and a commemorative engraved neck plate. The 20th Century version had a 3-color Sunburst alder body with a rosewood fretboard, while the 21st Century version boasted an ash body in a transparent blonde finish with a one-piece maple neck.
The Century Stratocasters featured the Delta Tone System, as seen on all late ’90s and early 2000s American Standard Stratocasters, and were shipped in a black tolex case with red velour lining.

AMERICAN STANDARD DELUXE STRATOCASTER

It should be remembered that in 1989, Fender also introduced the ​American Standard Deluxe Stratocaster, which joined the Plus Series and the American Standard, remaining in production for only one year. Equipped with three Lace Sensor Gold pickups, this guitar is often confused with the Strat Plus but can be distinguished by the absence of the Roller Nut and locking tuners.

Deluxe American Standard nut is different from the Plus Series one (Courtesy of Mario Cecil)

Antonio Calvosa