Fender 50th Anniversary American Standard Stratocaster 1996 Sunburst

The American Standard Stratocaster was Fender’s core U.S.-made Strat through the late 1980s and 1990s. Introduced in 1987, it kept the familiar Strat format but updated it with a 22-fret neck, 9.5″ fingerboard radius, Bi-Flex truss rod, Micro-Tilt adjustment and a two-point American Standard tremolo.

For Fender’s 50th anniversary in 1996, the company issued a limited Anniversary American Standard series with gold-plated hardware, figured maple veneer top and back, vintage-style pickups, a commemorative neck plate with edition numbering, and a black tolex vintage-style case. Only 2500 were made.

This example is number 1245 and comes in sunburst with a flame maple top and back, rosewood fingerboard and gold hardware. It has standard minor playwear, frets at approximately 95%, and is loud, resonant and twangy like a good Strat should be. Weight is 3600g.

It includes period case candy and the original Fender vintage-style black tolex case with red interior in very good condition. This is a clean example of a mid-1990s American Standard with the added visual and collectible appeal of the 50th Anniversary edition, and a great guitar to boot!

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Fender 50th Anniversary American Standard Stratocaster
Year: 1996
Origin: USA
Limited edition: Number 1245 of 2500
Body: Alder
Top and back: Highly figured flame maple veneer top and back
Body routing: Swimming pool route
Finish: Sunburst gloss finish
Neck: Maple, bolt-on
Neck profile: Modern C
Truss rod: Bi-Flex
Neck adjustment: Micro-Tilt
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Scale length: 648 mm
Fingerboard radius: 241 mm
Nut width: 43 mm
Nut material: Synthetic bone
Frets: 22 medium jumbo, approximately 95% remaining
Inlays: White dot
Headstock: Small Stratocaster headstock with spaghetti Fender logo
Pickups: 3 vintage-style staggered single-coils
Controls: Master volume, Tone 1 for neck pickup, Tone 2 for middle pickup
Switching: 5-way blade switch
Bridge: American Standard 2-point synchronized tremolo with offset block saddles
Hardware: Gold-plated
Tuners: Fender/Schaller sealed tuners, gold finish
Pickguard: 3-ply white
Condition: Standard minor playwear
Weight: 3600g
Case: Original Fender vintage-style black tolex case with red interior, very good condition