1994 Fender 40th Anniversary American Standard Stratocaster Midnight Blue

Up for sale, a 1994 Fender American Standard Stratocaster 40th Anniversary Edition in excellent condition and in perfect working order, finished in Midnight Blue. Featuring special cosmetics to celebrate the 40th year of Fender Stratocaster production, the American Standard Strat features a number of player-friendly modern touches including a satin neck finish, 9 1/2“ fretboard radius on the 22-fret maple fretboard, Schaller tuning machines, a two-point vibrato, and TBX tone control.

Featuring the classic tonewood combination of an alder body and a maple neck, this Strat has a clear, balanced natural acoustic quality faithfully captured by the original trio of single coil pickups. The alnico magnet single coils deliver plenty of Strat sparkle, spank and bell-like cut, the TBX Tone control further expands the tonal palette. From 1-5, the center detent TBX functions like a normal Tone knob, and from 5-10 it provides a treble/bass boost for added richness and sonic heft. This Strat weighs 7lbs 12oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

The maple neck has a fast-feeling, slender C-shaped profile carve with good shoulders and lightly rolled fretboard edges, measuring .810” deep at the 1st fret and .850” at the 12th. The 22-fret fretboard has a modern 9 1/2“ radius, and the original medium jumbo fretwire has plenty of meat, benefitting from a light level and crown, playing cleanly up the 25 1/2“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod. The nut has been upgraded to bone, measuring 1 11/16” in width. The headstock face features the “40th Anniversary of the Stratocaster” badge, and the Fender-embossed Schaller tuning machines turn smoothly and hold accurate pitch. The four-bolt neck plate is embossed “1994, Stratocaster 40 years …and still rockin’” text, and the neck heel is dated to December 1st, 1993.

All of the electronics function as intended, with the pickups governed by a five-way pickup selector switch, Volume, Tone, and TBX Tone knobs. The wiring harness is untouched with CTS pots (date codes are obscured by the original solder). The TBX is a center-detent, stacked 250k/1 Meg control that acts like a standard Tone control from 0 to 5; dialed up past 5, the control decreases the resistance, which allows more bass, treble, presence, and output to flow to the amp. The chrome-plated hardware has plenty of shine, including the jack cup and bridge base with steel block saddles, and the two-point vibrato actuates smoothly and bounces quickly back to pitch. Plastics comprise the original trio of knobs and the three-ply pickguard, which exhibits some requisite scuffing along the pick path.

The custom color Midnight Blue finish is dark and rich with a purple-ish hue, and cosmetic wear is limited to some light finish scratches and a few minor marks on the body, largely concentrated on top at the lower bout and on the back, as well as faint, concentrated buckle rash. The neck profile retains its smooth satin finish.

A modern Fender gigbag is included.