Just out of curiousity, given how great the American Standard line sounds, does anyone know why Fender would have discontinued them? The one I played was excellent, much better sound and easier to play with better controls than a number of others that I tried out in the LGS.

As a side note, I WISH my parents had bought me a strat when I was a kid, not sure if I would have had the discipline I have now to work on it for hours upon hours each day though. In later life I have matured to where I can now concentrate and focus on tasks much more than when I was younger; I wish I could have done so a lot earlier. Regrets, I have many...