Bill Alston

SSS Strats Made in Mexico


Standard in LPB pre 2009s model

The intention is to cover in detail all of the SSS Stratocasters Made in Mexico. They were first produced at the beginning of the 1990s and are still being produced, at the time of writing Donald Trump hasn't taken any drastic anti Mexican action, there are a huge number of varieties and models.

Standard Series

There are too many colour changes to attempt to list these so I won't. Specifications changed many times too and I will try and list these changes although in some cases the exact year isn't clear or different sources claim different years.

Headstock

Small with a single string tree and truss rod adjuster at headstock

Logo

Modern thick silver changed to Black 70s style in 2009

Pickguard

White laminated 11 screw white controls, changed to parchment 2009

Bridge

6 pivot vintage vibrato unit

Neckplate

4 bolt no micro tilt

Neck

Fretted Maple or Maple with Rosewood satin finish tinted from 2009 profile see below 9.5" radius

Frets

21, vintage until 2002 medium jumbo thereafter

Body

Poplar changed to Alder around 2003 veneered until 2011 see below for left handed models

Pickups and controls

3 white single coil ceramics 6 polepiece 5 way selector

Switches and Pots

Cheap switch and small pots until around 2000 when switched to CTS pots and better switch the same ones as the US standard

Some specification notes
In the 90s the neck profile was described as shallow U, the first reference to it being modern C is in 2003, whether this represents a drastic change or just a terminology change is hard to tell without getting hold of two guitars of the different periods and comparing.

Strangely the body of the early left handed models is made of Basswood changed to Alder in either 1997 or 1998. Maybe the bodies for these were imported from Asia.

The trem block was changed to a high mass block in 2002. In 2006 full shielding was included

 
Pre 2009 headstock and post 2009 headstock
Note also the truss rod cover, that type is on all MIM Strats with truss rod adjustment at the headstock end

Variations and Special Editions
There were many of these here are the ones I can find details of at the moment:

Model Name

Dates

Features

Splatter

2003

Body painted in splatter colour with matching pick guard

Satin

2003-2006

Satin finish 3 black six polepiece pups and black 11 screw laminated pickguard

FMT

2005-6

Satin finish with black laminated 11 screw pickguard in Candy Apple Red, Gun Metal Blue, Midnight Blue and Midnight Wine. Maple or Rosewood Boards

60th Anniversary

2006

Silver Grey Body, Maple neck and commemorative neckplate

Roland Ready

1998 onwards

Rosewood on Maple board Roland pickup and controls added

Tex Mex

1996-7

Vintage style thin logo in gold, 3 white tex mex pickups

Plus Top

2014

Flame Maple Top  3 ply parchment pickups and controls Rosewood Board and Tobacco Sunburst or Maple Board with Cherry Burst

Satin

2014 onwards

Satin Finish, Rosewood Board with Flame Orange or Ocean Blue, Maple with Arizona Sun or Blaze Gold

As at February 2014 the SSS Standard is available in the UK in Arctic White, Black, Brown Sunburst, Candy Apple Red or Lake Placid Blue. Retailing at around £500 or so.

Squier Series and Traditional

Classic Series and Classic Players

Roadworn

Deluxe Models

Artist Models

A word about available colours
I have shown what colours were available at different times for some of these guitars if you see one in other colours it doesn't mean it isn't genuine, there are lots of FSRs and short runs of colours which never appear in catalogues.