That's awesome Axe!!! Glad it finally worked out for you.

Yes, the maple fretboards on strats are unlike anything else I've played. So smooth and easy on the fingers!! I think they look great too.

I'm not surprised that you see a big difference between this older strat and the newer one you had. When I was guitar shopping a few months ago, I picked up an American made strat and the neck just felt like crap in my hands. It didn't have the solid smooth feeling mine has. It wasn't a cheap guitar either. I'll never be letting to of that strat...my kids will inherit it, or bury me with it :-). Now there's an image for a viewing at a funeral - dude laid out with his guitar with him.