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Post subject: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:27 am
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I was just wondering to myself,with all the different choices we have in Strats today excluding the Vintage reissues which one of these do the Strats of yesterday come closest to,as far as material,quality,parts used etc. In your humble opinion of course .Thanks


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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compared to Strats today
Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:13 pm
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Dewie69 wrote:
excluding the Vintage reissues


Why exclude those when they come the closest, in terms of specs and features, to the strats of yesteryear? Okay, maybe the Custom Shop Time Machine guitars come even closer, but I bet you'd want to exclude those too.

Among the "regular production" models, the Highway One line is pretty close to some Strats of yesteryear. The American Standard is supposed to be the most direct "cousin" along the Strat evolutionary line, but the changes are substantial (as far as changes to Strats go): bi-flex truss rod, two-point trem.

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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compared to Strats today
Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:06 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Dewie69 wrote:
excluding the Vintage reissues


Why exclude those when they come the closest, in terms of specs and features, to the strats of yesteryear? Okay, maybe the Custom Shop Time Machine guitars come even closer, but I bet you'd want to exclude those too.

Among the "regular production" models, the Highway One line is pretty close to some Strats of yesteryear. The American Standard is supposed to be the most direct "cousin" along the Strat evolutionary line, but the changes are substantial (as far as changes to Strats go): bi-flex truss rod, two-point trem.
I was wondering for conversation sake only.Just a thought I had and was thinking along the "regular production" models.Thanks for responding. P.S My next purchase I plan on the '57 Reissue anyway. Pease


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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 9:53 pm
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Dewie69 wrote:
I was just wondering to myself,with all the different choices we have in Strats today excluding the Vintage reissues which one of these do the Strats of yesterday come closest to,as far as material,quality,parts used etc. In your humble opinion of course .Thanks


Orville still has his vintage Stratocaster.

I grew up with a '58 Strat purchased from a band mate the year the Fender Jaguar was released.

Among things I can think of off hand....the neck profiles and radiuses have gone from U's and V's to 'modern-C'' '7.5 to 9.5; changes in tuning keys, string trees, bridge saddles, trem designs, string width is narrower in the new guitars and so now the low E no longer falls off the finger board.
The guitar's voice has changed. There is much greater variety.
In '58 you had a R and L handed model, a non-trem, and a small choice of colors.

Today, you have' the world, and everything in it'. (I guess that would include "The Scarface Signature Series Stratocaster" :P )

Just kidding. Many people feel that, minus the 'romance' of the vintage market, todays guitars are better. The RI's give the nod to days gone by, but if you want the real vibe you're going to have to put your hands in your pocket like our contributor and amazing collector AlainLaFrance does, and have the Custom Shop build you to vintage spec, the guitar of your dreams.

If you search for his posts, and get into his website, you will find a dimed
'58 Stratocaster replica and, having owned one, it's like going back in time. It's my old guitar to the 'nines.'

Doc :wink:

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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:55 am
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There's another interesting side to this question. Consider the "trickle down" concept in design and technology: for instance, once upon a time only top end cars had electric windows and air conditioning (believe me, kids, it's true). A long time ago those features moved down the range till they are found on cars at all price points. Presently, top range cars have other pricey features, which in time will trickle down.

(Saw a great item on TV where a modern Honda Accord beat the pants off a 60s Aston-Martin and E-Type Jag.)

The analogue to this is the American-Mexican axis. Many MiMs present features that used to be found on top-end Strats of the past: 21 frets, no tone control on the bridge pickup, six-screw trems, non-locking non-staggered tuners, unrolled edges to the fingerboard. Of course, that process continues, and two-point trems have been arriving on the Mexican guitars for a while.

So in some ways, the MiM is the MiA of the past - which is a valid point made by MiM supporters in the endless debates over the relative merits of the two.

Or to put it another way, if you want tomorrow's MiM, buy today's MiA...

Cheers - C


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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 6:59 am
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Quote:
So in some ways, the MiM is the MiA of the past - which is a valid point made by MiM supporters in the endless debates over the relative merits of the two.


Good point, Ceri.

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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:01 am
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Miami Mike wrote:
Good point, Ceri.


Very good day to you, Sir, nice to see you around. Good luck on the Rocker!

- C


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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:02 am
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zzdoc wrote:
Dewie69 wrote:
I was just wondering to myself,with all the different choices we have in Strats today excluding the Vintage reissues which one of these do the Strats of yesterday come closest to,as far as material,quality,parts used etc. In your humble opinion of course .Thanks


Orville still has his vintage Stratocaster.

I grew up with a '58 Strat purchased from a band mate the year the Fender Jaguar was released.

Among things I can think of off hand....the neck profiles and radiuses have gone from U's and V's to 'modern-C'' '7.5 to 9.5; changes in tuning keys, string trees, bridge saddles, trem designs, string width is narrower in the new guitars and so now the low E no longer falls off the finger board.
The guitar's voice has changed. There is much greater variety.
In '58 you had a R and L handed model, a non-trem, and a small choice of colors.

Today, you have' the world, and everything in it'. (I guess that would include "The Scarface Signature Series Stratocaster" :P )

Just kidding. Many people feel that, minus the 'romance' of the vintage market, todays guitars are better. The RI's give the nod to days gone by, but if you want the real vibe you're going to have to put your hands in your pocket like our contributor and amazing collector AlainLaFrance does, and have the Custom Shop build you to vintage spec, the guitar of your dreams.

If you search for his posts, and get into his website, you will find a dimed
'58 Stratocaster replica and, having owned one, it's like going back in time. It's my old guitar to the 'nines.'

Doc :wink:
Doc do you not have that '58 anymore?


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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:05 am
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Ceri wrote:
Miami Mike wrote:
Good point, Ceri.


Very good day to you, Sir, nice to see you around. Good luck on the Rocker!

- C
Now I know alittle about alittle but Im guessing 2point tremolo is better then 6 point? and why.excuse my ignorance


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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 7:48 am
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zzdoc wrote:
Orville still has his vintage Stratocaster.


Make that "Stratocasters."


zzdoc wrote:
... you will find a dimed '58 Stratocaster replica and, having owned one, it's like going back in time. It's my old guitar to the 'nines.' Doc :wink:


Does the low E string fall off the fretboard too?

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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:26 pm
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Doc :wink:[/quote]Doc do you not have that '58 anymore?[/quote]

I will save this one when I can write at length. You're just gonna 'luuuvvvv'
this story...but it begins...."A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away"....

Doc :wink:


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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:27 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
zzdoc wrote:
Orville still has his vintage Stratocaster.


Make that "Stratocasters."


zzdoc wrote:
... you will find a dimed '58 Stratocaster replica and, having owned one, it's like going back in time. It's my old guitar to the 'nines.' Doc :wink:


Does the low E string fall off the fretboard too?


Nice to know you still have your favorites...and, yes... that string did not sit well high up the neck.....a characteristic of that vintage. More to come.

Doc :wink:

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Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:52 pm
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I read somewhere the old fender manuals gave instruction on sorting the E string run off problems that involved, loosening the neckplate screws, holding the body and headstock of the guitar putting your knee on the ribcage cut out and creecking the neck round into place.
I followed this method in sorting out my 95 squire series when i got it and it worked a treat. I find it hard to believe that fmic ever advocated the method on their guitars though. any truth in it?

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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:05 pm
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zzdoc wrote:
Doc :wink:
Doc do you not have that '58 anymore?[/quote]

I will save this one when I can write at length. You're just gonna 'luuuvvvv'
this story...but it begins...."A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away"....

Doc :wink:[/quote]
We will be waiting on this story. I love a long good reading post! 8)


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Post subject: Re: The Strats of yesteryear compaired to Strats today
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:53 pm
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We will be waiting on this story. I love a long good reading post! 8)[/quote]

USA...Summer 1969; "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times!"
"Vietnam, Woodstock, Apollo XI, aside, remember where Fender was at this juncture re: CBS. For those of you needing reference>>'The Stratocaster Chronicles', please.

I had just completed 10 years jockeying music and higher education and had hung up that guitar for awhile to pursue the latter. I was teaching general science and planning on professional school. I had registered at the University of Vermont to study 'Quantitative Analysis' that summer.

The guitar had taken a beating and musicians at that time were not generally disposed to displaying unfashionable looking instruments on stage. We were moving into that genre, but not completely. Our concept of stage presence then was quite different. "Vintage" was a thing not yet coined and we know so much more these days about the details of these guitars than we ever did back then.

I sent it to Fullerton, California to be refinished. Fender did not have the kind of network as today. They had what were referred to as "Authorized Fender Service Centers," and they were not in general, guitar dealerships.
So I plodded my way out to some designated dinky electronics repair shop in Brooklyn NY which was the closest, even though I lived in another borough, distant.

In addition to a refinish, I had the center pickup replaced because I thought it was 'broken''. Actually, it was only the cover. I had a bad volume pot replaced and had a trilam pickguard replace the original.

Unbeknownst to me, Fender had changed their concept of the three-color sunburst. What was ultimately returned to me was not the characteristic soft fade like water color, but the more definitive expression of the three. The pickup had the flat across pole pieces. The pot was OK and the neck was the same. I did a double take on the finish, but there was little I could do.

Now for the rest of the story. Fast forward some thirty odd years and I am interested in having this guitar appraised. I take it to "Mandolin Brothers'' on Staten Island.( For those of you who do know of them, do some research. It's where people like Paul McCartney trust their gear.)

After totally disassembling the guitar, the diagnosis was:........a '58 neck, on a '64 body. The company of 1969 replaced the body, they did not refinish it. They kept my '58 body, and returned a mongrel.

Greatly disappointed and disillusioned, I kept the guitar for awhile, and then traded it for newer gear.

And now you know the rest of the story.

Game, set, match.

Doc : :cry:

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