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Post subject: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 2:41 pm
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Hey all,

As you may already know, the 60th anniversary of the Stratocaster® guitar is well under way, and we at Fender have been celebrating with the release of six great new models, from the period-correct 60th Anniversary American Vintage 1954 Stratocaster to our intuitive Fishman® TriplePlay Strat HSS.

But what better way is there to commemorate the diamond anniversary of world's greatest electric guitar than to take a look back at some of your favorite model years from decades past?

Tell us: What's your favorite year in Stratocaster history? Why does that era resonate to you?

Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 6:53 pm
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My favorite year is 1964, 50 years ago. The pickups were nice and warm. The rosewood neck didn't show that wear like the maple. There were plenty of custom colors. The "white" pickguards were the mintiest. And I liked the transition logo.

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 7:44 pm
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My favorite year in Stratocasters used to be "next year's". Innovations that at the time were actual improvements, like locking tuners, choice of neck radius and frets, crackle-free pots, you name it.

Celebrate 60 years by looking forward, and refuse to become a company that only lives on past glory, approximated as cheap as possible.

Perhaps next year's model will have a silent socket, or Tronical tuning, or something else that's actually a useful improvement and not a gimmick. But I doubt it.

Anyhow, my answer has to be the 2018 model. That's far enough in the future that the current downwards spiral of rehashing old models in hundreds of different minor variations might have ended, and new owners demand some forward thinking, not just resting on old glory.


Last edited by arth1 on Sat May 10, 2014 8:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 11:39 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
My favorite year is 1964, 50 years ago. The pickups were nice and warm. The rosewood neck didn't show that wear like the maple. There were plenty of custom colors. The "white" pickguards were the mintiest. And I liked the transition logo.

+1
here is a photo (forgive the photo quality) of that Strat being played by my lead guitarist John R.I.P.
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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 5:28 am
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I like several model year's that I've owned for personal reasons. My '73, despite all the bad talk about the CBS era, was the best workhorse Strat that I ever owned. It went through decades of use & abuse and kept sounding better with age. I liked being able to catch that "notched" position and it sustained very well...go figure. :D

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 7:47 am
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for me it's the '87 to '89 years that jive... Especially my 1988 Tanqueray Strat!


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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 4:07 pm
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got to be 1961. a turning point for strats. they were at the pinnacle. Rory Gallagher is also the reason. his was beat to hell and kept on playing. IMHO the most raw and best sounding. it was a part of him. I feel the same for my strats(not 61's). built to last. his strat proves this.


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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Tue May 06, 2014 10:27 pm
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There's a slab board '63 in my past that I was quite fond of -- a mid-year model in lightly-checkered 3TSB that sounded heavenly through a blackface amp. Tragically and foolishly, I let that one slip away.

:(

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Wed May 07, 2014 11:55 am
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Another vote for the L series. Warm tone, comfort and class.


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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 2:41 am
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For me, late 1959. It was the first year for the rosewood finger board, and 3 ply pick guard. I will most likely never own a original, but the 59 vintage reissue is next on my list, plus it is the year I was born. I think it would be cool to have a guitar from the year you were born! :D

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 5:49 pm
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omar59 wrote:
For me, late 1959. It was the first year for the rosewood finger board, and 3 ply pick guard. I will most likely never own a original...

+1 for many of the same reasons...
However, my own personal favorite is my 1992 Fender American Vintage '62...great light weight, beautiful Fiesta Red finish, rosewood fretboard. It wasn't an accurate reissue, but it is a dang good guitar.

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 3:28 am
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lewddude wrote:
for me it's the '87 to '89 years that jive... Especially my 1988 Tanqueray Strat!


Oh yes. I have a 1988 Strat in Gun Metal Blue and it's just outrageously good, my number one guitar. Covers every style of music I want to play and does it superbly. It's been dragged around several countries over the years and is battered and worn but it's just a sublime instrument. I wish I'd bought half a dozen at the time.

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 6:21 am
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The question asked is 'What's my favorite Strat?' That would be my first Strat. It was a college graduation gift from my brother who plays. It's a cherry red '95, S-S-S, with a rosewood finger board. It took a few years for me to finally take it up, but now I love it. Every guitarist that's played it complements its balance and tone.

If I were to answer with what guitar do I GAS over the most, that's Hendrix's fire-scorched Strat from Monterey Pop. Played by Jimi and handed to FZ (my favorite guitarist), and now owned by Dweezel.


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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 1:10 pm
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My favourite Strat would be the '62-'65 "L" series with the shallow "C" profile neck.I find something puzzling though,the "C" profile neck of a former bandmate's '62 is noticeably deeper than the rather shallow profile on my '65.If they in fact changed the neck profile in the "C" necks during the "L" series ,I much prefer the shallow "C" profile.

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Post subject: Re: What's Your All-Time Favorite Stratocaster? #STRAT60
Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 1:45 pm
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I was playin' bass in the 70's but a guy in another local band had a 76 natural finish with early 60's pickups in it that was just so cool. Our guitar player tried to copy it, he tried all kinds of combinations. Never happened. something special about that strat.
Tom

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