i bought this strat in 1986 and never seen another one like it, can anyone tell me more about it, the serial number is E 340011
thanx

I think that is an "Elite Stratocaster." I'm no expert, but I have seen those out there. Is the output jack on the edge of the guitar as opposed to the front?

*edit* My bad the elites have 3 knobs as well as a jack on the edge. Sorry about that.

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What time is it??

Time to Rock!!!!!

Is it american? or japanese?

Is it a standard S/S/S pickup configuration or is it H/H? I thought there was a series around the mid to late '80's that was a two humbucker with only one tone knob. For some reason I thought it was called a "California Series" or something like that.

If it is like mine; E 338833, it should be American, one Volume, one Tone, S/S/S, with the jack on top. Made in the Fullerton factory between 82 and 85.

It's a 1983/84 standard Stratocaster.

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It's a mix between Jazz and Funk, it's called "Junk"

Weren't those marketed down toward the 'end of days' with CBS

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"Another day in paradise!"

Dan Smith was pressured to redesign the strat for cost-cutting purposes. One of the things done was to eliminate the standard strat jack plate and replace it with a regular jack mounted in the pickguard. This saved some component costs as well as reducing labor costs, since the pickguard now countained everything and could be assembled separately and just popped in to the guitar body. One of the tone controls was dropped as well. Bill Carson called this design "the strat in it's worst-ever configuration". Thankfully, they eventually came to their senses.

That's one of the 80's MIJ strats. One volume, one tone... jack in side of body like a tele or LP... with a whanmmy bar that screwed in with two nibs like a flashlight bulb. I had one, but the whammy bar would fall off when I did some chuck berry style duckwalking. Replaced that with a Kahler and some major body work first chance I got because it was jaust plain bad/

They had the push buttons too...one for each pick up. A buddy of mine had a whte/gold one and a black elite tele.

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AmDlx HSS
62 Hot Rod
Luke w/Piezo
Carvin Belair

Check out this web site: http://www.stratcollector.com/scn/base.html

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I agree with this man.

Yes. That was the Very Bottom for the Stratocaster, the Lowest Point in it's history, for sure.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I am curious. Do you guys own, or have you owned one of these, (like the one I have picutred above)? I keep reading the comments and i am trying to figure out did I get the ONLY one of these made that was worth a damn, or do you guys not know what the hell you are talking about.

Sound, tone, play-ability (action), sustainabilty, staying in tune, what ever... the ax I have is way better than the MIM standards on the racks nowadays. And I also play a MIA standard H/S/S and I really don't feel or hear a great deal of diffierence, other than obviously the bridge pup is a bunch different. But I'm no pro, so what I know.

Peace,

84