I have a Stat that does not have the cutaway back, different type of tremlo spring, it has two knobs-one for volume and one for tone, and the output jack is not cut away, straight in, 5 position switch and sounds great. I am wondering if anyone knows anything about this series, i.e. was it manufactured only one year, is it worth much, ect...

First of all, Welcome to the forum. If you could post some pictures I know some of these knowledgeable posters can answer any of your questions!

Some of them will know without pics.

Just off the top of my head it sounds like one of the Prodigy or Bullet Strats that Fender put out in the 80's and 90's. If you can provide more detail or a picture I'll check my reference material at home in a couple of hours and get back to you,

Or maybe a 'STRAT' from the early 80's. If memory of forum posts serves me right they go for up to $800 if its that one. Pic's would be nice.

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No no and no

You know something, I think I owned one of them. It was a white strat,3 pups (don't know what kind) and said " Strat " on the headstock, also Fender , all in Gold Leaf and 22 carot gold hardware. I know it was a early 80s model because I bought it with some winfall money and just bought the prettiest strat I could find. At the time I did not know anything about strat specs. at all. I paid $1,300 at that time which was a lot for the 80s. No telling what it was ,but several years later I tried to buy it back from the buyer and he said he would not take double the money.
Sorry if I hi-jacked the thread it just made me think of it.

Just thought of something, it had a built in phase shifter on it too!!

It sounds like a 1983-85 Standard Strat. They had a Freeflyte tailpiece and no vibrato cavity and 1 tone 1 volume knob the the cord goes into the pickguard. I hope when you say no cut out in the back you dont mean the belly cut but that you mean no vibrato cavity which they dont have.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Mine looked like a regular strat of today ,same shape ,same plug-in etc. I don't think it was the same guitar ya'll are talking about but it said "Strat" not stratocaster but was in gold leaf!? MIA! If my memory is right it was an 81

Fhopkins,
regrets over long gone gear seems to be the curse of every guitarist. I even regret getting rid of my first guitar despite its terrible pickups and the fact that i twisted the neck using 13 gauge acoustic strings to compensate the poor sound. You could fire arrows from it by the time i sold it. The only guitar i dont regret being rid of was a marlin sidewinder. Bodywood so soft the tremposts were constantly moving towards the headstock.

From what i've seen of the 'Strat' its trem is very similar to a early kahler trem and operates on a cam system rather than a springs and claw setup.

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No no and no

1981-82 would be the Dan Smith Stratocaster which was phased out for the revised Std Stratocaster with the tone/ volume knob and pickguard plug in. Also in 1983 they started making and Elite Stratocaster that had the 3 knobs and the freeflyte vibrato and no vibrato cavity.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

You sure are a learned person!!

I got my first Strat in 1969 when in 3rd grade. It was used and my parents got it from Bills Music House. Wish I still had it now!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I have to see a picture and/or get a serial number ... before I dare to guess which model it was.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

[quote="fhopkins"][quote="nikininja"]

"The Strat" according to A.R.Duchossoir, was introduced in 1980, initially marketed in 2 colors...Candy Apple and Lake Placid. Headstock of vintage design painted to match, 4-bolt neck and traditional truss rod. Wired for 9 basics sounds, and sporting gold hardware.

Does your old guitar fit this look??

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"Another day in paradise!"