Fender underwent a lot of changes as a company, and some of those changes can be represented by the Fender Dan Smith Stratocaster. In the early '80s, Fender's marketing director Dan Smith decided to upgrade the Strat with a smaller headstock and pre-CBS era neck plate. Unfortunately, the guitar only survived production for three years. The Dan Smith name is just a moniker with which the instrument has been dubbed by collectors.

The "Dan Smith" Stratocaster is frequently confused for the later Standard Stratocaster which features a 2-knob control layout, top mounted jack, and Fender's short-lived Freeflyte tremolo system.