Fender strat Plus and Ultra Plus

[Stevepage]

any one have one of these? I've had GAS for one for ages, even before I bought my Strat about 8 years ago. Only ever come across one but the shop was asking way too much for it. What are they like?  post pics if you can

[Lew]

God! I've always loved them!!! Easily the coolest strats/teles ever as far as I'm concerned. A mate as the ultra with the ebony neck and red swirl finish, I want to find a mint NOS ultra  :D

[Philly Q]

Were they the ones with Wilkinson (or later LSR) nuts and Lace Sensors? 

If I remember right the Plus had gold sensors, the Plus Deluxe had blue/silver/silver (later changed to red/silver/blue) and the Ultra had a red/red "Dually" humbucker at the bridge, plus a flame maple veneer on the body.  And an ebony board, as Lew mentioned.

Or am I thinking of totally the wrong thing?   :?  :lol:

I had a 1989 Strat Plus Deluxe but had to sell it because I was totally skint when I bought my flat.  I really liked it at the time, but I suspect I wouldn't get on with the neck shape now.  It was a brilliant colour - Gunmetal Blue.  :)

[Stevepage]

Were they the ones with Wilkinson (or later LSR) nuts and Lace Sensors? 

If I remember right the Plus had gold sensors, the Plus Deluxe had blue/silver/silver (later changed to red/silver/blue) and the Ultra had a red/red "Dually" humbucker at the bridge, plus a flame maple veneer on the body.  And an ebony board, as Lew mentioned.

Or am I thinking of totally the wrong thing?   :?  :lol:

I had a 1989 Strat Plus Deluxe but had to sell it because I was totally skint when I bought my flat.  I really liked it at the time, but I suspect I wouldn't get on with the neck shape now.  It was a brilliant colour - Gunmetal Blue.  :)

Yep spot on Phil.

I think the main attraction to them for me is the ebony fretboard and lace sensors.

[Philly Q]

I liked the Lace Sensors, even though many people have spent the last 20 years slagging them off.  I've never thought single-coil-sized pickups should have to sound like vintage Strat pickups.  They should just sound good!

My Plus Deluxe had the blue/silver/silver combination, but I changed it to red/silver/blue, which wasn't as nice.

[Ian Price]

My Plus Deluxe had the blue/silver/silver combination, but I changed it to red/silver/blue, which wasn't as nice.

For some reason this comment made me laugh out loud. I still can't stop chuckling about it. Sorry Philly - nothing sinister, it just tickled me a little. :)

[Philly Q]

I don't get it, Ian, but glad you're tickled!  :lol:

(I guess maybe that sentence did sound a bit Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, come to think of it!)

[Lew]

The Teles are great too, bucker in the bridge and a cool trem or hardtail bridge-not the usual Tele bridge bollox.

http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/data/517/Telecaster_Plus.JPG

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-3/122891/Teleplus1.jpg

[Philly Q]

Yeah, I wanted one of those Tele Pluses, but they discontinued them just before I realised it.  :(

That Jonny-whatever-his-name-is bloke from Radiohead still uses one, I think.

[Lew]

I've seen pics of him with one before, I used to be quite the radio head fan!

[Pete24v]

I have a strat plus, an '89 in green, and i love it. The trem stays in tune whatever you do to it, must be something to do with the locking tuners and LSR nut!. I kept the gold lace sensors for years, then added the Cornell Mid Boost to get some Clapton-esqe tones. I briefly had an early Jeff Beck strat which apart from the lamp post sized neck was identicle to the Strat Plus. I had the pickups changed, in fact all new electronics as i sold the sensors + mid boost all pre-wired to the plate. I went with Kinmans, still not sure about them! it was noise free but it lost that sparkle that it used to have.

[Lew]

pics!!  :D