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Post subject: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 5:57 am
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Hi all! I'm really hankering for a black, big-headstock Strat, ala Hendrix and Blackmore. What's the best route for this, any user experience, if a Custom Shop '68 or Blackmore tribute is out of budget?

A friend of mine had a Japanese '68 reissue in Sunburst years ago. It was OK, but VERY heavy.

[img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tR7syZmPaKI/UENlagYxQYI/AAAAAAAAAYQ/yLLG3ngpxHM/s320/BlackBeauty-JimiHendrix.jpg
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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 10:20 pm
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Well if you have the money then custom shop.
I prefer a c neck but most around the 68 69 vintage have a u neck but the cs can make you one in black with any type of neck and hw pickups.
There are a few recent editions with a c thoughlike the paisley and mitch maker.
Around 66 onwards have the large headstock but not many cs reissues in black.
How about the edge strat if you want that color with a large headstock and dont want to pay too much.
Then theres mexi and japan... :D


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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Tue Jul 09, 2019 11:17 pm
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Inexpensively, the MIJ and MIM guitars are quite viable options as far as the furniture goes (both are available in black). If Japanese, make sure it has an alder body. The MIM 70's Classic Series is ash so you'll have to be content with that. Use Fender's Custom Shop '69 pickup set and replace the trem block with one of all-steel construction.

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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:15 am
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How accurate do you want to be? I mean, if it's "all about looks", an Affinity Strat would do the trick. On the other hand, going all in would call for things like scalloping & new electronics for a Blackmore tribute (and then, those wouldn't belong to a Hendrix tribute...).

The weight of any Strat model varies quite a lot, so in the end it poors down to the individual guitar. I've met some very light MIJ's...


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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 12:58 am
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I think it's more about the look than hardware accuracy. Although of course I want it to sound like the best Strat I ever had. :). More interested in it sounding like Deep Purple Fireball era, than Hendrix, but I'm guessing that Blackmore was dialled in like Hendrix anyway, it was just that he fattened up the sound with a PreAmp and didn't bother to use the 'out-of-phase' options. It is reasonably important that the headstock logo is period correct, or at least the Squier version which kind of looks right from a distance.


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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 2:03 am
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If it is just the big headstock then American Specials have them and Mk II Highway Ones.

Granted they have the adjuster in the head not the heel but you would be starting with a sound guitar in the first place.

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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 2:32 am
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John Sims wrote:
If it is just the big headstock then American Specials have them and Mk II Highway Ones.


That's great! I wasn't familiar with either of these ranges and the only models I found previous, with large headstocks were the:

Squier Affinity (Yuk!)
Squier Standard Stratocaster (the black offering is slightly metallic though..)
Squier Classic Vibe 70's.
Fender American Performer Stratocaster


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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 4:20 am
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This looks rather tasty. Satin finish to the body though?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-USA-Fender-Stratocaster-American-Highway-1-BLACK-With-unused-hard-case/333232185132?hash=item4d962f9f2c:g:j18AAOSw6o9dAhjO


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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:27 am
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That could be a nice choice, considering the heated up pickups - and of course looks. I dug the specs from the wonderful Wayback Machine 2008 Fender pages:
Quote:
Model Name: Highway One™ Stratocaster® (Upgrade)
Model Number: 011-1160-(Color#) and 011-1162-(Color#)
Series: Highway One™ Series
Colors: (300) 3-Color Sunburst, (306) Flat Black, (367) Honey Blonde, (375) Midnight Wine, (Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple, Modern “C” Shape, (Satin Polyurethane Finish)
Fingerboard: Rosewood (p/n 011-1160) or Maple (p/n 011-1162), 9.5” Radius (241mm)
No. of Frets: 22 Jumbo Frets
Pickups: 3 Hot Single-Coil Strat® Pickups with Alnico 3 Magnets and Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity Middle Pickup
Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Greasebucket™ Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass) Tone 2. (Bridge Pickup), Greasebucket™ Tone Circuit, (Rolls Off Highs without Adding Bass)
Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade: Position 1. Bridge Pickup; Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup; Position 3. Middle Pickup; Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup; Position 5. Neck Pickup
Bridge: Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo
Machine Heads: Fender®/Ping® Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
Hardware: Chrome
Pickguard: 3-Ply Parchment
Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)
Width at Nut: 1.6875” (43 mm)
Unique Features: Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Body Finish, Parchment Plastic Parts, Large ‘70s Style Headstock Shape, Large ‘70s Style Headstock Logo, Original Body Shape, “Original Contour Body” Decal on Headstock, H/S/S Pickup Routing, Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity Middle Pickup
Strings: Fender® Super Bullets® 3250L, Nickel Plated Steel, (.009 to .042), p/n 073-3250-003
Accessories: Deluxe Gig Bag
Case: Deluxe Gig Bag
Introduced: 7/2006
Notice: Product Prices, Features, Specifications and Availability Are Subject To Change Without Notice


And the Highway One's "satin" body can be polished. (It gets shiny on the touched-when-playing areas even if you don't want that...)


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Post subject: Re: Best Route for a '68 Black Strat ala Hendrix / Blackmore
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 5:30 am
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John Sims wrote:
Granted they have the adjuster in the head not the heel but you would be starting with a sound guitar in the first place.

Even that changed on the originals, with the addition of the Bullet adjuster.
MiM necks are available with the Bullet for around $250US, however, for a heel adjust CBS headstock, we're out of luck in the Fender line.

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