Fender Made in Mexico

The Special and Deluxe Series

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COVER - Special Deluxe Series

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Fender’s Ensenada factory expanded beyond the Standard line with the Special Series, later evolving into the Deluxe Series, to offer higher-spec Mexican-made instruments positioned between standard MIM and U.S. models. Special Series guitars featured Alnico pickups, upgraded hardware, and more elaborate finishes. The short-lived Tex-Mex Stratocaster stood out with Tex-Mex single-coil pickups, jumbo frets, vintage tuners, spaghetti logo, and bent-steel saddles. Bodies and necks were built in Corona and finished and assembled in Mexico using poplar bodies with veneer tops and backs.

Tex-Mex pickups used Alnico 5 magnets, staggered poles, and an overwound design for higher output while retaining Strat clarity, offering an affordable alternative to Custom Shop Texas Specials.

The lineup also included the Tex-Mex Strat Special and the Strat Special with humbucker options and simplified controls.

The Deluxe Series added premium electronics such as active mid-boost circuits, noiseless pickups, and experimental features, expanding Fender’s Mexican range into performance-focused, modern “premium” territory.

Fender’s Ensenada Factory

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COVER - Ensenada

Fender’s Ensenada facility in Baja California emerged in the late 1980s, initially producing strings before expanding into amplifier parts and guitar manufacturing. With crucial support from Japan’s Fujigen, which supplied machinery, training, and production methods, the plant adopted a distinctly Japanese-style manufacturing approach. By the early 1990s, cross-border collaboration with the Corona factory blurred distinctions between U.S. and Mexican builds, and the first “Made in Mexico” Stratocasters appeared in 1991 as affordable, genuine Fender instruments. A devastating 1994 fire destroyed the plant, but Fender rebuilt a larger factory within 100 days, significantly increasing production capacity and cementing Mexico’s role in Fender manufacturing.