In addition to the more familiar Mexican Standard line, Fender’s Ensenada-built range also included the Special Series, which evolved into the Deluxe Series, offering a higher-spec Mexican instrument.
These guitars featured AlNiCo pickups rather than ceramic, more ambitious finishes (veneer tops/back in select sunbursts). It occupies an interesting position between the standard MIM line and the U.S. instruments.

FENDER SPECIAL SERIES

The Special Series consisted of the Strat Special, the Tex-Mex Stratocaster, and the Tex-Mex Strat Special.
The Tex-Mex Stratocaster was a short-lived model. It stood out from the Standard Stratocaster with Tex-Mex single-coil pickups, jumbo frets, vintage-style tuners, a spaghetti logo, and bent-steel saddles with a double “FENDER” stamp.

Tex Mex headstock: Spaghetti Logo, vintage style tuning machines and Standard truss rod with black plastic insert

The Tex-Mex pickups used AlNiCo 5 magnets instead of the two ceramic bar magnets found on the Standard single coils. Their staggered pole pieces delivered a well-balanced tone, and the reverse-wound, reverse-polarity middle pickup canceled hum in switch positions two and four.
In some respects, the Tex-Mex pickups recalled the Custom Shop Texas Specials; however, while the latter employed vulcanized fiber top and bottom plates, enamel-coated magnet wire, and were wax-potted, the Tex-Mex pickups had plastic top and bottom plates, used polysol-coated wire, were not wax-dipped, and—like the Texas Specials—were overwound for higher output. The bridge pickup was significantly hotter with more treble. Overall, the Tex-Mex pickups were a more affordable alternative to the Texas Specials, bridging the gap between high-end features and affordability.
The bottom plates featured the part number “016730” for the molded plastic bobbin—also used on other Fender pickups—along with white markings: “50657” for the neck, “50658” for the middle, and “50659” for the bridge pickup.

Describing their sound, Mike Lewis, Fender’s Marketing Director for Guitars, explained, “They’re very high output, very punchy, with a lot of guts. But they still have the high-end sparkle that a strat should. They're extremely aggressive, but not over the top.”

The construction process for these models was also significant. The body and neck were manufactured at Fender’s U.S. factory in Corona, California, but were sanded, finished in polyester, and assembled at the company’s plant in Ensenada, Mexico. The body was constructed from multiple blocks of poplar with a veneered top and back.
It’s worth noting that Jimmie Vaughan took an early interest in the Mexican-made Stratocasters of the mid-1990s and proposed the idea of a signature model to Fender.
​Following an endorsement agreement in 1996, Vaughan collaborated closely with the company to develop what became known as the Tex-Mex Stratocaster. The following year, Fender introduced a few minor refinements, and the model was officially released as the  Jimmie Vaughan Tex-Mex Strat. ​

1997 ad: Jimmy Vaughan and the Tex Mex Stratocaster

In addition to the Tex-Mex Stratocaster, the Special Series also included the Tex-Mex Strat Special, which had a bridge humbucker with Tex-Mex single coils, and the Strat Special, notable for its unique pickup configuration and control layout.
The Strat Special had a poplar body with an ash veneer on top and back. Its pickup configuration included one Special Design humbucker at the bridge and two Special Design single-coil pickups. Unlike the other models, it featured only two control knobs—a master volume and a master tone—and a coil-split mini toggle switch.

FENDER DELUXE SERIES

The Deluxe Series Stratocasters were premium versions of the Standard Stratocaster. They often came equipped with enhanced electronics, including active mid-boost circuits and upgraded single-coil pickups. Among the first models in this series were the Powerhouse Stratocaster and the Deluxe Super Strat, both of which were introduced in 1997.
The Powerhouse Stratocaster delivered upgraded performance with Ultra-Quiet Single-Coil Strat pickups featuring flat Alnico pole pieces, a 12 dB active mid-boost circuit, and an additional dummy coil for enhanced hum reduction.
The Deluxe Super Strat featured Super Fat “Super” Strat pickups—essentially overwound versions of the American Standard pickups—and included a push-pull switch activating the bridge pickup in positions four and five. It was later replaced by the Deluxe Players Strat, which was fitted with Noiseless pickups.

Powerhouse Stratocaster electronics: MDX and dummy coil, Courtesy of Robert Nordvik, Strat Talk

Body of the Deluxe Super Strat: the push pull switch between tone knobs activates bridge pickup in positions 4 and 5 (Courtesy of Reverb)

In 2007, the lineup expanded with two hot-rodded Deluxe models: the Roadhouse Stratocaster, fitted with three Texas Special pickups—not to be confused with the similarly named U.S.-made Roadhouse Strat—and the Lone Strat Stratocaster, distinct from the U.S.-made Lone Star Strat. The Lone Star featured two Texas Special single coils and a humbucker, which evolved from a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Plus to a Fender Twin Head model in the 2014 update—splittable via the S-1 switch on the volume knob.

In addition to core models, the Deluxe Series introduced noteworthy experimental variations, including the 2005 Big Block Stratocaster, the 2006 Power Stratocaster, and the 2014 Deluxe Stratocaster Plus Top with iOS Connectivity.
The Big Block Stratocaster featured a black finish, a chrome pickguard, chrome Telecaster-style knobs, and large rectangular fret markers.
The ​Power Stratocaster incorporated a Fishman Power Bridge with a piezo pickup, delivering an acoustic-like sound.

Big Block Stratocaster

Fishman Power Bridge

The Deluxe Stratocaster Plus Top with iOS Connettivity could be connected to any Apple iOS device.
Finally, another notable model was the 2014 Fender Fishman TriplePlay Stratocaster HSS. It featured a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates humbucker, two Vintage Noiseless single-coil pickups, and a Fishman Hexaphonic pickup. Along with the TriplePlay D-pad controller and wireless system, these components enabled MIDI signal transmission to the included USB receiver and a computer.

Antonio Calvosa

Fender Fishman TriplePlay Stratocaster