about 1 1/2 years ago i walked in to my local used guitar store (no longer open ) i looked at the wall a saw a 1985 black mij e series strat and i just so happened to be looking for a nice mij strat so i picked it up and she sang to me unplugged and just felt right so i had to have her. he wanted $700 for it and i got him down to $480 still a little more than i wanted to pay for it for a couple of reasons it had a vintage style bridge and 22 frets he said it was a prototype 62 ri i said no it couldn't be it had the wrong neck he took a closer look and agreed and then said oh that's a e series strat i said cool and bought it it just had to much vibe to it not to buy it. now here is were i screwed up i really didn't take a real close look at her because this guitar shop was in a old house and not well lit but like i said she was just to right for me. when i got home i went to change the strings and notice the vintage bridge had a skinny squire type trem block not right then i looked closer the bridge was crooked it was almost 1/8 of an inch closer to the bottom than the top i could slide my pinky behind the block on one side and not the other Ouch! that wasn't very cool. It gets worse so then i went to take off the bridge to replace with a thick block mij vintage bride i found out who ever messed with this guitar was not to smart the bridge was held down get ready for this Pickgaurd Screws! yep real smart move there. so when i got the old bridge off i saw that it originally had the 2 point khaller on her but i plugged all the holes and made my measurements drilled my pilot holes and installed the thick block vintage bridge and now she is all good and she one of my main 3 gig guitars. so after i discovered all this and fixed it i took it back to the shop i got it from to talk to the owner operator he felt so bad that he said we should check under the guard and see if the pups were stock a no they were not they were mim pups not bad sounding but could be better. after this he said hey Ive got some pups hidden in back i was saving for one my strats ill give you so he went and got them and they were 2 82 mij 62ri bridge and middle just pure bell tones and a very hot bridge at that and then a custom shop 59ri neck pup they sound killer he also gave me 3 cts pots and a vintage cap so i wasn't to mad about the deal it turned out good at the end
sorry i lost the pics of crooked bridge but here is a couple of after pics

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Well done mate. To the victor go the spoils, so the saying goes. I think it equates to a guitar as 'when you put in your paid back tenfold'. I always seem to enoy guitars ive had to struggle with more than ones that play great with no sweat. I love great playing guitars dont get me wrong. I just feel ones i've had to slave over attract me more.

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No no and no

well said nick

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I guess that's true.

The sweat really makes it yours.

Thanks for the story Stratohawk.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Wow, doing that must have taken quite a bit of time...
glad it came through for you!

Nice surgery congrats

How did you plug the holes I need to do the same thing with a Mij Strat I picked up it had the same bridge as you discribed as the squire thin block bridge.

with wood dowel rods

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Thanks