![]() So they started selling off the companies they had acquired.ĬBS sold Fender in 1985 to a small investment group that was initiated by then CBS Musical Instruments division president William Schultz. But eventually CBS wanted to divest themselves from producing musical instruments. No doubt CBS had some successes and some challenges. Many people will argue about the quality and changes CBS made during these years. The factory floor space was huge at this point. They immediately expanded production and staring moving to solid state amps and making changes to the guitar line. This was almost $2 million more than CBS had paid for The New York Yankees a year before. Leo Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965 for $13 Million. Around late 1992 to early 1993, the lettering on the pickups was recessed in a oval-shaped area that protected the lettering better like on my 1996 Strat Plus. This allowed the lettering to get rubbed off pretty easy (like this 1989 Plus Deluxe). Interesting tidbit is up until 1993, the lettering of the Lace Sensors were smooth on the top of the pickup. Most Ultras came stock with a Blue/Silver/Red Dually Lace Sensors, but some early models had a Gold Lace in the middle position. The Ultra have 4 Lace Sensor with a Dually Red Lace Sensor in the bridge position wired with a 3-way mini-switch used to select bridge pickup configuration. Some Ultras was the Floyd Rose Type II tremolo system and many had fancier laminated tops and finishes. The Plus Ultra had an Ebony fretboard instead of Rosewood or Maple with medium jumbo frets. ![]() These guitars tend to be more collectable as they are pretty rare. Could have been that Fender was using up old stock bodies on these early ones. The body contours on the early 1987 ones were a bit different as they were shaped more old Fullerton plant style. The Alder restrictions eased and Fender back to Alder somewhere in ’93 or ’94. Some produced in the early 1990s were Poplar due environmentalists concerns. Most were Alder wood, a few transparent finished ones were Ash. All were 22 fret, had locking tuners, roller nut and Lace Sensor pickups. The Strat Plus Series introduced in 1987 started with the Plus, then in July of 1989 the Plus Deluxe,followed in January of 1990 the Ultra arrived with Fender ending production in 1998. This guitar is equipped with the Hipshot Tremsetter. Many of the Strat Plus and Plus Deluxe (but not all) shipped with a Hipshot Tremsetter installed to improve the tuning for the Tremolo especially for when the player does double stop bends. There is an Allen screw under the Fender neck plate that allows for neck tilt avoiding the use of shims. Later all the Plus Deluxe models had Pearloid pickguards. ALL the early models, from 1987 through early 1990 came with a plain white pickguard. Later years Fender moved to a LSR roller nut that made string changes easier. ![]() This one has the newer Wilkinson Roller nut. The very first ones in 1989 came with a “split” Wilkinson Roller nut. They are extremely well built, Lace pickups sound great and are noiseless, tremolo is stable allowing the guitar to stay in tune.įor the first six months of 1989 production Fender shipped with the Silver/Silver/Blue Lace Sensors before moving to the different Blue/Silver (somtimes Gold)/ and Red Lace Sensors pickup combination. These Fender Strat Plus guitars are the ultimate gigging guitars in my opinion. This Fender Strat Plus Deluxe is one of the earlier ones as indicated by serial number, dated pots and the combination of Silver/Silver/Blue Lace Sensor pickups. Fender Stratocaster Plus Deluxe Gun Metal Blueġ989 Fender Stratocaster Plus Deluxe in a beautiful metallic Gun Metal Blue color.
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