It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:09 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Go to page Previous  1, 2
Author Message
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:54 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 1339
Location: Denver, CO, USA
I might argue that a "real Strat" has the specs that Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares designed and built. SSS body routing, 6-screw wide trem, heel-adjust truss, 7.25" fretboard radius, Homoclad/Fullerplast sealer with nitro/acrylic top coats.

8 screw 1-ply, 10 screw 3 ply, or 11 screw 3 or 4 ply pickguards are acceptable. One piece maple, slab rosewood, round lam fretboards all acceptable. Because those happened during the Leo era.

Some sources say Leo planned the change to big headstocks, so those may be acceptable.

Anything else is a Strat-variant. A modified Strat-based guitar.

If it's got a 2-post trem and a bi-flex truss rod, it's an updated Strat. Pickups don't make it any more or less "real".

(Somewhat tongue in cheek -- if it was made by Fender and says "Fender Stratocaster" on it, it's a real Fender Stratocaster. Kind of.:wink:)


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 7:55 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:01 am
Posts: 486
Location: Calgary
I kind of go with a real strat is pre CBS

Quote:
For most vintage guitar collectors and enthusiasts, 1965 stands as the single most important year in the history of Fender. It was in 1965 that management of Fender transferred to the CBS corporation who had purchased the company from Leo Fender for 13 million dollars (that’s two million more than they paid for the New York Yankees the year before). Fender guitars and basses from before 1965 are collectively referred to as Pre-CBS Fenders, and are considered far more desirable than anything Fender has built since.


I wonder what made Leo sell his gem Fender


I think now Fender Custom Shop is putting out some descent guitars, mainly cause they are hand made again and there is a great deal of dedication to exceptional quality

_________________
Image
~~~~~~~
https://soundcloud.com/yellowsnakes
https://yellowsnakes.bandcamp.com/


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:43 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:34 pm
Posts: 10760
Location: Athens, Greece
The CBS years were the worst.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:49 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Thu Dec 31, 2009 10:34 pm
Posts: 10760
Location: Athens, Greece
strayedstrater wrote:
Some sources say Leo planned the change to big headstocks.


The change to the larger pegheads was planned by the CBS management. This design was intended to accommodate the black Fender decals which were introduced in 1968.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 3:31 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 1339
Location: Denver, CO, USA
chromeface wrote:
strayedstrater wrote:
Some sources say Leo planned the change to big headstocks.


The change to the larger pegheads was planned by the CBS management. This design was intended to accommodate the black Fender decals which were introduced in 1968.


Except the big headstock was introduced late '65, just months after Leo sold to CBS, while he was still an active consultant.

The big heads had gold transition logos with the same small straight "Stratocaster" for 3 years before the change to the big black logo and huge swooped "Stratocaster".


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 4:12 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Wed Aug 26, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 1339
Location: Denver, CO, USA
yellowsnakes wrote:

I wonder what made Leo sell his gem Fender



The short version is he had health problems and wanted to retire.

The long version: the early '60s were a scary time to be an electric guitar manufacturer. A lot of people thought rock and electric guitars were a fad about to end.

Seriously. When the Beatle's were trying to get a recording contract, one A&R man turned them down, saying "guitar bands are over".

But guitar sales were still booming. Fender had a ton of backorders.

Leo faced a huge decision. Sales suggested that he should invest a lot of money to vastly increase production to meet consumer demand.

But that was a big risk, because if it really was a fad and sales suddenly dropped, he wouldn't be able to pay off the manufacturing investment.

And then he got sick and the doctors weren't sure they could cure him. So he sold the company.

CBS was an even huger conglomerate back then than it is now. They had deep pockets and could afford the risk of increasing production.

And increase production they did. And up until the early '70s they did a pretty good job. Build quality started out just as high as pre-CBS. Nobody really complained about the change to poly finishes, no one complained about either logo.

But they grew out of touch with their customers. In '72 they dropped the original Strat specs and replaced it with an updated revamped Strat.

3 bolt neck, headstock-adjust Bullet truss rod, bodies made out of the heaviest ash they could buy. And they replaced the classic steel trem with a 1-piece cast zinc trem with cast zinc saddles.

And while consumers were looking for amps that distorted more, CBS was busy designing Ultralinear amps that were cleaner than their old amps.

Sales were good enough to demand a little more production, but not good enough to justify another round of manufacturing investment.

So they pushed the workers harder. Raised quotas. So the workers rushed and took shortcuts. Forearm contours and belly cuts got shallower. Neck pockets got sloppy. Lots of mediocre guitars were built in the mid to late '70s. That started the "CBS sucks" idea, even though the '60s CBS's were still excellent.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:49 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:50 pm
Posts: 7998
Location: ʎɹʇunoɔ ǝsoɹ pןıʍ
strayedstrater wrote:

The long version: the early '60s were a scary time to be an electric guitar manufacturer. A lot of people thought rock and electric guitars were a fad about to end.

Seriously. When the Beatle's were trying to get a recording contract, one A&R man turned them down, saying "guitar bands are over".

"one A&R man" was Dick Rowe of Decca.
He went to his grave denying he ever said that but Epstein (Beatles manager) said it in his autobiography and everyone jumped on it and it became a thing.
Actually, it's more likely that the Beatles rejected Rowe's offer due to fine print issues having to do with the costs for manufacturing the records, which Rowe wanted the Fab Four to cover on their dime.
All that aside, it did seem at the time that some labels wanted to see the end of the new guitar music.
It was lucrative but messy and problematic and filled with controversy which some labels were leery of in the early 60s.
Despite the slogan of the times being love and peace, strife and trouble were everywhere and guitar music seemed to be at the center of it all; not the cause of it of course but a definite correlation existed that worried some of the "old money" backing the industry.

_________________
Image
Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: AMERICAN pro SSS of HSS?
Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:48 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:01 am
Posts: 486
Location: Calgary
strayedstrater wrote:
yellowsnakes wrote:

I wonder what made Leo sell his gem Fender



The short version is he had health problems and wanted to retire.



thanks for your excellent input. I was thinking it was either age or money, I didn't know he had health issues. thanks again

_________________
Image
~~~~~~~
https://soundcloud.com/yellowsnakes
https://yellowsnakes.bandcamp.com/


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 23 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2
Go to page Previous  1, 2

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: