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What should I do with my 1975 Fender Strat?
Get it modified before it breaks! 63%  63%  [ 5 ]
Modify it, it's not going to be worth much anyway... 13%  13%  [ 1 ]
Sell it now, before its too late! 0%  0%  [ 0 ]
Sell it later, it could be worth a fair bit in time... 25%  25%  [ 2 ]
Total votes : 8
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Post subject: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 2:18 am
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So I have a lovely 3 tone sunburst 1975 Fender Strat, bought for my 21st Birthday with money saved up all my life by my grandma. It has a lot of sentimental value to me for this reason but it also is my work horse and go-to guitar for all projects. It plays so well and everything from the pickups, the neck and finish have aged beautifully.

The issue is the neck; more specifically the infamous 3 screw connection to the body. Now that It's been gigged pretty heavily I've noticed that bit by bit the neck has loosened from the body. When it budges from its position the strings go out of tune and the intonation goes off. It kind of feels like at any moment with the right amount of force on the part of the body that holds the neck is going to snap off!

I bought this guitar particularly over a custom shop (or any other modern guitar) in hopes that it would retain its value if I ever needed to sell so before I work out how to overcome this issue I thought I'd seek advice on here. From my point of view I feel I have two options:

1, get the body/neck modified so that there are four screws, which in turn could effect any future value by some degree.

2, sell it now before I end up snapping it like a twig at a gig.

I'm aware that I'm making a lot of assumptions on the potential value of the guitar, but I guess thats why I'm posting here. Can anyone give me any more information on the value of my guitar? What shoud I do to sort this problem?


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 2:31 am
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Do not sell it under any circumstances. The sentimental value is such that you would always regret its passing.

It could be a very simple fix to plug and re-drill the screw holes or fit threaded inserts. I wouldn't change the mounting, or the neck unless "plan a" wasn't successful.

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 3:05 am
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John Sims wrote:
Do not sell it under any circumstances. The sentimental value is such that you would always regret its passing.

It could be a very simple fix to plug and re-drill the screw holes or fit threaded inserts. I wouldn't change the mounting, or the neck unless "plan a" wasn't successful.


I agree with you there! I'd be gutted to see it go.

Something I didn't mention in my OP but I did send it to a shop to get the holes re drilled a month or two ago and its happening again, not as bad as before but of course it will only get worse.


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 3:28 am
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John Sims wrote:
Do not sell it under any circumstances. The sentimental value is such that you would always regret its passing.

It could be a very simple fix to plug and re-drill the screw holes or fit threaded inserts. I wouldn't change the mounting, or the neck unless "plan a" wasn't successful.


+1

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 5:09 am
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A possible fix -

I own a '79 Strat with a neck that moved pretty badly. The guitar sounds and plays great, but one jerk at the neck and it moved. You'll noticed I'm using the past tense.

I found that when I placed small shim of card stock around the heal of the neck, the space was shored up and the neck stopped moving when I played. I will say that if I yank really hard, it would move a little bit, but the card stock did the trick. let me know how things work out.

Selling beloved guitars-

I too, have a beloved '75 sunburst Strat. Don't sell it. You're attached to this guitar and IT WILL GAIN VALUE! a '77 Strat back in '04: $750. Today: $1,500 - $2,00 (depdending on where you look).

Back in 2000, I sold my first Strat, an '87 Strat Plus. I've been kicking myself ever since. I loved that guitar and I sold it for very foolish reasons. You will most likely regret it. I currently own a 2000 Candy Green Clapton Strat. I don't use the guitar much, and I've occationally concidered selling it to get an old PRS McCarty. I stop myself from doing this because It took a lot for me to get the Clapton Strat and I just had it refretted. I deep down inside, If I sell that guitar, I will regret it.

I hope this information is useful


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 6:11 am
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Where's the option for "Keep it unmodified"?


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 7:29 am
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I vote as arth1 here. Keep it and keep it unmodified.

The first "fix" (before plugging with wood dowels or threaded inserts) would be to tighten the screw holes in the neck.
Oldschool would be wood glue (TiteBond type) and toothpick pieces.
But my favorite worn-screw-hole-in-wood fix is applying rapid epoxy with a toothpick inside the screw holes & repeating the procedure till the screws bite in tight. The epoxy sort of laminates the wood dust in the hole to practically "mint condition".

If youre worried about any fix harming the future value, just museum the guitar in a box and get a MIM workhorse.


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 9:04 am
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jmattis wrote:
If youre worried about any fix harming the future value, just museum the guitar in a box and get a MIM workhorse.


+1

That's the option I'd recommend. Buy (or build) a new Strat and retire this instrument. Keep it for its sentimentality of course.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Tue May 17, 2016 12:13 pm
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JoeWood wrote:
So I have a lovely 3 tone sunburst 1975 Fender Strat, bought for my 21st Birthday with money saved up all my life by my grandma. It has a lot of sentimental value to me for this reason but it also is my work horse and go-to guitar for all projects. It plays so well and everything from the pickups, the neck and finish have aged beautifully.


That should lay heavily in your final decision. Keeping it will eliminate the likely future regret of selling it. There are a number of suggested repair methods to try and should be considered/attempted. I am always surprised how the value or future value enters as a consideration, when the instrument appears to have a personal value. I am considerably older than you, however, I was not much older than you when I traded my first purchased Stratocaster, not realizing the personal value attached to it, too late. One of the suggestions to consider was to buy an alternate to play. By doing so, you might, as well come to realize its true value to you, and no regrets. Good luck on you final decision....(repair and keep it).

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 12:47 am
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John Sims wrote:
Do not sell it under any circumstances. The sentimental value is such that you would always regret its passing.

It could be a very simple fix to plug and re-drill the screw holes or fit threaded inserts. I wouldn't change the mounting, or the neck unless "plan a" wasn't successful.


+1

Yes, very easy to fix, I'll put wood plug.


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 3:03 am
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JoeWood wrote:
Something I didn't mention in my OP but I did send it to a shop to get the holes re drilled a month or two ago and its happening again, not as bad as before but of course it will only get worse.


Sounds like you should go back to the shop and get the job done properly, Joe! After all, you presumably paid for a service you haven't really had.

Otherwise, it totally depends on what's more important to you. The value of your Strat or its playability. I put string trees on my CS Strat (it wasn't fitted with any, but desperately needed them) because it had to be playable first and foremost. Stuff the future value! At least with your repair (whichever way you do it) it won't show, especially if you stick with the 3-bolt.

Cheers - Peter.


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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 9:30 am
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May consider installing inserts.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLkwGqMMfo

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 12:57 pm
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omar59 wrote:
John Sims wrote:
Do not sell it under any circumstances. The sentimental value is such that you would always regret its passing.

It could be a very simple fix to plug and re-drill the screw holes or fit threaded inserts. I wouldn't change the mounting, or the neck unless "plan a" wasn't successful.


+1

+2
...and I wouldn't take it back to the previous repair man...I don't think he it it correctly. Unless you're doing some massive neck pulls (a la SRV playing "Third Stone From The Sun" in the "Live at El Mocambo" video), that previous repair should have lasted you for 40 more years.

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Wed May 18, 2016 6:52 pm
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
...and I wouldn't take it back to the previous repair man...I don't think he it it correctly. Unless you're doing some massive neck pulls (a la SRV playing "Third Stone From The Sun" in the "Live at El Mocambo" video), that previous repair should have lasted you for 40 more years.


My sentiments precisely.

Re-attaching the neck on a bolt-neck guitar is not rocket surgery.

Find a more competent luthier.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: 1975 Fender Stratocaster: Sell or Modify?
Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 8:14 am
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These guitars must be repairable.
1. Plug and redrill the two body holes to an interference fit with the wood screws. The adjuster screw is already a tight fit.
2. Shim either side of the neck.

MIM Classic 70s seem ok, as these have less play.


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