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For various reasons I'd let all my guitars, with single coil pickups, go.
Even my semi with P90s had been sold.
Pretty stupid for someone with a passion for surf and 60s guitar music.
Didn't have a lot of cash but after a lot of 'net perusal, I went out today, to my local, Aire Valley Guitars.
Their stock a little depleted, being in the post Xmas, crap weather, no cash, part of the year.
But they always have a good range of Fenders, mostly teles and strats.
Well my eyes were drawn to a fiesta red strat, with a maple fingerboard and nice, aged, cream pickups and knobs.
Turned out it was a Classic Series '50s model, with a soft V neck profile and 7.5 inch fret board radius.
So we put it through a Blues Junior, upped the spring reverb and I was away.
Lovely clarity and sparkle with a good amount of body and that classic Fender, single-coil sound.
Add some shimmering whammy bar and it's a kind of heaven.
Just another Mexican strat, I suppose.
Well yes but it's well made, looks very nice, sounds vintage and plays like a nice strat should.
All that for not much cash and I got it for a knock down price.
Cool.

very nice, peter

I had one and one problem was the trem assembly wasn't the correct narrow version which meant the 1st string was far too close to the edge of the fingerboard. I rectified this by fitting the correct bridge assembly which solved the problem.

I have owned this model for over five years and played many Shadows Tribute gigs with it , great guitar.

Lovely appearance and as you say a great Fender sound... obviously a great buy

regards
tony

Hi Graham,
Congrats on your new Classic series F.Red Strat. Yes, they are good value for money & do the job well at a reasonable price. I myself recently bought the Fender 'Classic series' FSR '56 Strat in F.Red. It is basically the same model as yours, but with Gold Hardware & Fender '56 Vintage pickups.
Great guitars.

Tony.

Excellent guitars, I also bought the FSR, it took a while to set up properly though, I suppose this is how they keep the cost down a bit, I never thought I would be paying around 700 for a Mexican strat but to be honest there is very little difference in this and the USA guitars, I've checked the electrics and they are the same, pickups, cloth covered wires and same pots and switch.Could be 2 or3 piece body not sure but finish is flawless and great build quality.The Tweed case is a nice bonus.
Dave

I absolutely love the Classic Series. I've had a Fiesta Red 60s one for several years - it started off as Shell Pink but I swopped the bodies with a 50s one I also owned.

It's now fitted with Fender 57/62 pickups but to be honest the standard ones will get you near enough to the Shads sound if you know what you're doing. Mine also has a steel trem block, which I'm not sure has any effect on the sound, and a set of 12-52 strings, which definitely does.