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Post subject: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 11:26 am
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I’ve got a Tokai AST-40 Goldstar Sound Strat (1960’s replica with 7.25 radius) that I’ve slowly been assembling upgrade parts for. I freshly soldered a Seymour Duncan Quarter pound pickup set with CTS pots and a mini toggle to get the 7 sound start mod. Also I have a Fender steel block upgrade to do next. I figured it would be my hard rock Strat and my 1986 Fender Contemporary 22 would be my vintage sounding single coil Strat.

But then….there is Craigslist. Picked up this gorgeous 1985 or 1986 Fernandes. I believe to be a RST-50. Original owner with almost no play wear! Even has raised pole pieces which I hope means Alnico magnets, unlike my Tokai’s original ceramics. The neck was not what I was expecting as I know Tokai used V necks on their 50’s replica, so I figured Fernandes would to. Nope, it’s a very fast playing thin C, with a hint of D and the radius seems less than a 7.25”, but not quite 9.5”. Hmmm. The neck is way more comfortable for me than my Fenders thin / wide D profile. As of the moment the Fernandes just needs fresh strings and a 5 way switch cleaning or replacement to get it playing again.

I’m contemplating giving this guitar the Quarter Pound pickups and harness instead, then making my Tokai my “vintage” Strat and then selling the Fender Strat.

Anyone have knowledge about this Fernandes and what pickups this has stock? Are they worthy of transplanting into my Tokai to get a true vintage Strat tone?

Is a 8 hole Fender pick guard compatible with the Fernandes?

Advice and info please!

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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 12:22 pm
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If I understand your sitrep, you have a Fender Strat plus two "SLO" guitars made by two different *competitors* and you seek advice from Fender's own corporate forum on how best to hotrod/upgrade the phony instruments then dump the real Fender.

You got chutzpah, I'll give you that!

:shock:
Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 1:11 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
If I understand your sitrep, you have a Fender Strat plus two "SLO" guitars made by two different *competitors* and you seek advice from Fender's own corporate forum on how best to hotrod/upgrade the phony instruments then dump the real Fender.

You got chutzpah, I'll give you that!

:shock:
Arjay


Got to go with the guitar(s) that have the neck that makes you wanna pick up and play!

OR I could do some serious sacrilege and swap the Fender Strat neck for the Fernandes lol

I'm primarily a player of necks with vintage 7.25" radius C necks, so for me to find an alternative I will use is surprising.


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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 3:48 pm
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warmachine wrote:
OR I could do some serious sacrilege and swap the Fender Strat neck for the Fernandes lol



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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 4:09 pm
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Some more sacrilege for ya ;)

I have a project where I’m going to install a 1962 reissue Fender Strat neck onto a stock Fender Telecaster.


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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 4:13 pm
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warmachine wrote:
Some more sacrilege for ya ;)

I have a project where I’m going to install a 1962 reissue Fender Strat neck onto a stock Fender Telecaster.

That shouldn't be a problem.
You'll need a chisel to put the Tele neck on the Strat.

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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Fri May 25, 2018 6:34 pm
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CB91710 wrote:
That shouldn't be a problem.
You'll need a chisel to put the Tele neck on the Strat.


Strat onto a Tele def worked for Clapton. Very cool.

https://youtu.be/LF7FAn8j6-s


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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Sun May 27, 2018 6:56 am
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I have plenty of experience with Fenandes Strat copies.

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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Sun May 27, 2018 9:18 am
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For decades, Billy Joe Armstrong's main guitar was a blue Fernandes Strat (probably Tokai-built, but possibly Kawai). When he decided to retire it from road use, the Fender Custom Shop made him a couple of exact copies (except they had Fender logos).

So, Fender copies of a copy.
-------------------
Semi-related: Back in the late '80s/early '90s, Charley's Guitar Shop had a sign on the wall that said something like "we don't deal in Japanese guitars - don't even ask".

Which struck me as really weird considering their most famous customer had been a Tokai endorser, posed with a Tokai Strat for the cover of the "Texas Flood" album, and put a Japanese neck (with a Fender decal) on Lenny.

And full circle -- when the Custom Shop did the Lenny replicas, they made exact copies of that Japanese neck.
------------------
It's odd that when Tokai builds guitars for Fender Japan, we accept them as "real" Fenders. But when they make the exact same thing for Fernandes or with their own logo, some people dismiss them as "Strat-Like Objects".

Also odd how much Strat-Like Objects have contributed to Fender's reputation and sales. SRV, EVH, Knopfler, Nile Rodgers, Armstrong -- some of their most famous, most used "Strats" on some of their biggest hits never saw the inside of a Fender factory.


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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Mon May 28, 2018 12:46 pm
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strayedstrater wrote:
For decades, Billy Joe Armstrong's main guitar was a blue Fernandes Strat (probably Tokai-built, but possibly Kawai). When he decided to retire it from road use, the Fender Custom Shop made him a couple of exact copies (except they had Fender logos).

So, Fender copies of a copy.
-------------------
Semi-related: Back in the late '80s/early '90s, Charley's Guitar Shop had a sign on the wall that said something like "we don't deal in Japanese guitars - don't even ask".

Which struck me as really weird considering their most famous customer had been a Tokai endorser, posed with a Tokai Strat for the cover of the "Texas Flood" album, and put a Japanese neck (with a Fender decal) on Lenny.

And full circle -- when the Custom Shop did the Lenny replicas, they made exact copies of that Japanese neck.
------------------
It's odd that when Tokai builds guitars for Fender Japan, we accept them as "real" Fenders. But when they make the exact same thing for Fernandes or with their own logo, some people dismiss them as "Strat-Like Objects".

Also odd how much Strat-Like Objects have contributed to Fender's reputation and sales. SRV, EVH, Knopfler, Nile Rodgers, Armstrong -- some of their most famous, most used "Strats" on some of their biggest hits never saw the inside of a Fender factory.


Sort of like Gibson made a copy of a Kris Derrig Les Paul copy for Slash.


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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Mon May 28, 2018 8:33 pm
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And Gibson makes a Tony Iommi SG Signature, even though his primary guitars since the early '70s have been Jaydee and John Birch SG copies...


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Post subject: Re: Snagged an awesome 1980's Fernandes Strat! Need advice
Posted: Wed May 30, 2018 7:21 am
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Mark Knopfler apparently played a blue Fernandes Strat just a few years older than mine. Pretty cool!

“The guitar was made in Japan. Mark used it on the Love over gold album (1982). Click here and here for another picture of this same guitar. And click here for two pictures of Mark with this guitar in the studio.”

http://www.oneverybootleg.nl/MK_guitars_fernandes.htm


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