For experts - New to fender but not to strats - Have I bought a real, or flawed/fake strat?

[dudiross]

I just bought my first fender strat over the net. Ive owned a strat before, but it wasn't fender. Finally bought the real thing and well, its the real thing. Incomparable to other strats.

Its a 2015 fender american standard stratocaster.

Anyways, there is something that appears strange to me.

my fram of reference was the other strat I had, so I will be talking about it.

On my other strat, it had a wilkinson trem. When the bridge was tight to the body (and not floating slightly up), the trem arm was at a 90 degree angle to the body and it was possible to swing the trem arm in a 360 degree trajectory.

 

However, on the new fender strat, when the bridge is tight to the body, the arm is at an angle of around 75 degrees, which means I cannot swing it round 360 as its trajectory takes it into the jack cable. It screws in at an angle. It is quite annoying...

Is this normal for fender? It seems like a strange design flaw...

Or maybe the guy sold me a flawed one?

 

Thanks very much for your help!

 

I will include some pics:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9wVW7ayPr7xHFFZn9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4KyeuufkJTW5F3fT9

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VmjeqpPzkvcegba76

[Phil O'Keefe]

That's fairly common...

[jtr654]

I see nothing wrong with your Strat .

[bluesmann]

Brand X ain't always the best. Many say 1 in 10. Ambient spring noise, unfinished fret work, shrinkage (the amazing frets that grow out the sides) things not lining up ,intonation and so on. Most of that a easy fix, but still. LG corporations don't give a flying F for you.

[sammyreynolds01]

there's nothing wrong. imo fender strats trems should float but that's just me.

[WRGKMC]

If you wanted to could remove the arm then bend it as needed. I've done it to dozens of guitars, mainly because I like having the arm in a specific position when I play. If you have a Vice it's pretty easy to bend. You'd want to wrap the area you clamp. I've also use a 2X4 with a hole drilled in it large enough to fit the arm then simply tweak the arms angle as needed.

 

You just need to go easy. Some metals will crack or bend in places you don't want them too. Most Fender arms are pretty easy to bend. Your cheaper ones will bend when you're using all 5 springs.

[maltomario]

fender strats trems should float but that's just me.

 

Correct - strat trems are intended to float. There are setup specs on fenders website. Decking your fender trem is popular amongst some players but it alters the strat tone and feel.

[dudiross]

Thanks very much all of your for your help!

Have a great week!