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Post subject: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2017 10:41 pm
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Was recently given a couple of guitar bodies, I think one of them is a strat after searching different aspects of the body such as the pickups and bridge. I have found some photos online that look like the one I have but not quite like mine.

Here's a link to images of the guitar!
http://imgur.com/a/ygaXd

thanks folks!


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 5:21 am
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Could you post pics from under the pickguard (body routings + all electronics), and from back of the guitar showing the trem routing.
At the moment I'm a bit puzzled. Level trem cover screws, Micro-Tilt™ and Kahler, end of eighties, stenciled number on the body... :shock:

BTW, People here like pics posted straight on the forum (Likewise I'm sure you wouldn't like the answers behind a link, would you?)
It ain't difficult, just copy the url of the pic and use the IMG option. Like this:
Image


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 5:27 am
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jmattis wrote:
Could you post pics from under the pickguard (body routings + all electronics), and from back of the guitar showing the trem routing.

BTW, People here like pics posted straight on the forum (Likewise I'm sure you wouldn't like the answers behind a link, would you?)


+1
Electronic say lots.


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 7:15 am
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Going out on a limb here - that's from one of the 1988-89 "Comtemporary Standard" models that had no "country of origin" decals on the guitar. It would have had the micro-tilt, the recessed Kahler Spyder, and MIJ Standard electronics. I think the stamp on the back of the body under the neck plate is the part number, possibly from FujiGen. The necks on these were made by FujiGen and had the usual light gray colored serial number decal. However, this version was completely lacking any "Made in ______" decal - no "Made in USA" or "Made in Japan". The original electronics have been replaced on this one.

The "Contemporary Standard" had 4 variations; the first 3 were clearly marked "Made in Japan". Version 1 was from 1985-86 and had the Fender System 1 tremolo; version 2 was from 1987 and had the System 1 replaced by a Kahler 2520 tremolo (Kahler's "drop in" 2-post fulcrum tremolo); version 3 was only made briefly in 1988 and had the Kahler Spyder but it did not have it recessed. Then came version 4 with the recessed Kahler and no country of origin decal. The thought has long been that they were MIJ but didn't get an over-the-finish "Made in Japan" sticker; since this one has a "Wayne" stamp in it we now have evidence that these were assembled in the USA from MIJ parts like the HM Strats were, also starting in 1989. I also can't read the date stamp but I think that May 1989 would work for a version 4 - 1988 might also work but I'm thinking that 1988s would have still been either version 2 or version 3. 1989 would have definitely been during the run of version 4.


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 8:08 am
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I was thinking "Japan" too.
But that body just doesn't seem to fit any of the Contemporaries well enough - trem holes level, (and although it's been long since I had a Contemporary on my work table) I don't remember ever seeing that kind of stenciled numbers on Fenders - plus, I'm missing 'typically Fender MIJ' stamps in the pocket...
Edit: The date (also) is puzzling; it's US style, month-day-year.


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:11 am
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jmattis wrote:
I was thinking "Japan" too.
But that body just doesn't seem to fit any of the Contemporaries well enough - trem holes level, (and although it's been long since I had a Contemporary on my work table) I don't remember ever seeing that kind of stenciled numbers on Fenders - plus, I'm missing 'typically Fender MIJ' stamps in the pocket...
Edit: The date (also) is puzzling; it's US style, month-day-year.


I believe that's a replacement neck plate - as you say the Contemporaries had both offset screw holes and they were recessed. Also with the Kahler the back plate wouldn't have had any openings since it was a Floyd Rose licensed design. That's why I'm thinking assembly in the USA - resulting in the USA-style date stamp and the English name stamp. The Kahler Spyder routing looks too clean to be aftermarket, but I suppose it could have been.


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2017 11:25 am
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If it was assembled in the US, I'd even more expect a Japanese model code stamp in the neck pocket.
With 'holes level' I referred to the middle holes in the trem cover - that ain't typically Fender.
Someone's worked on the guitar for sure, and quite a lot, so anything in it can be non-stock: including the Micro-Tilt, Spyder, neck plate...

All in all, I believe there's too much unknowns (some of which we know, some of which we don't etc...) to affirm this - one way or another. Plus, the monetary value difference won't be gigantic either way, so this is all for fun & background. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 2:53 am
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jmattis wrote:
...

All in all, I believe there's too much unknowns (some of which we know, some of which we don't etc...) to affirm this - one way or another. Plus, the monetary value difference won't be gigantic either way, so this is all for fun & background. :wink:


I agree. There are enough anomalies to strongly suggest it isn't Fender. Unless one could establish it as say a Schecter, Charval (sic) or similar, it is unfortunately worth next to nothing to anybody but a Frankenstrat builder. It would be worth opening up to see if the electrics have any provenance as they might be worth a few bob.

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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:51 am
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As the trem cover does not match the pick guard, pull the term cover and see if there is another screw hole, maybe the original owner decide to put on a cover that did not fit and added another hole
mud


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 10:14 am
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mud wrote:
As the trem cover does not match the pick guard, pull the term cover and see if there is another screw hole, maybe the original owner decide to put on a cover that did not fit and added another hole
mud


It looks to me as if the trem cover is set in flush with the back of the body, but this might be a trick of the light. If it is flush this would perhaps further confirm it isn't Fender.

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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 12:12 pm
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John Sims wrote:
mud wrote:
As the trem cover does not match the pick guard, pull the term cover and see if there is another screw hole, maybe the original owner decide to put on a cover that did not fit and added another hole
mud


It looks to me as if the trem cover is set in flush with the back of the body, but this might be a trick of the light. If it is flush this would perhaps further confirm it isn't Fender.


The trem spring cover is flush fitted, so that's conclusive.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that the horns look unusual - they do to me at least.

So the OP has this SLO body ....

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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:05 pm
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stratmangler wrote:
John Sims wrote:
mud wrote:
As the trem cover does not match the pick guard, pull the term cover and see if there is another screw hole, maybe the original owner decide to put on a cover that did not fit and added another hole
mud


It looks to me as if the trem cover is set in flush with the back of the body, but this might be a trick of the light. If it is flush this would perhaps further confirm it isn't Fender.


The trem spring cover is flush fitted, so that's conclusive.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned that the horns look unusual - they do to me at least.

So the OP has this SLO body ....


MIJ Contemporary series models all had flush back plates. And they also had the micro-tilt mechanism - like this body.


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 2:59 am
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G'day, been away a while.
It's a Fender. Here's my thread on the Contemporary 22 Strats mentioned by John C.
I'm not convinced that the guitar in this current thread has a recessed backplate though, and that pickguard has definitely been changed.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=50058&hilit=eighties+stratocaster+identity+crisis

Image


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Post subject: Re: Help Identifying guitar!
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 3:26 am
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I haven't got the stamina to read through those 20 heated pages again (I did when they were written). Anyway, the same unconfirmed/mystery/opinion problem lies here.
And in straight comparison, your guitar body (if you refer to the white one in the first post on the link) is very different from this one. Middle trem cover holes, trem cover, stamps in the neck pocket, stenciled numbers under the neck plate...

I can't with enough certainty confirm this body one way or another, there's just too little info available.
Mind you, there were quite a few Far East companies making copycat Stratocasters those days - which of course was one reason why Fender started production there. I might add that some of the copies were mighty fine instruments.


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