Fender used to have a website that dealers could log on to so they could look at availability.
I ordered a guy an Fender American Standard Strat once. A guitar in the color and with the right fretboard wasn't in stock, nor was it shown to be on the production schedule. He got his guitar almost six months after he ordered it. The only things we were particular about were the color (Black) and the fretboard (Maple), and it took almost six months.
For a freakin' Strat...