Has anyone found a favorite period/era of Fender Strat manufacturing when the body contours were quite different from current models?


Also, if so, in what way and for better or worse?


According to "The Stratocaster Chronicles", Fender had dropped the "Original Contour Body" decal from the MIA Strats as the contour of the body changed. (No I don't know the exact timing.) The American Series Strats that were introduced in 2000 returned to the original body contours and Fender put the decal on headstock again.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Albeit on a reissue i prefer the deep belly contour of the early models.

Does that say something about my shape?

Off to mcdonalds now.

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No no and no

I think around 1976 was the last year for the "Original Body Contour" sticker. This was around the time that things got real hurried and the folks at Fender wanted to crank out all the guitars they could, which meant that a lot of those little deep sculpted body shapes that the Strat started with were gone by the way side.

Compare the belly contour on the back of a 1979 Strat to the one on a 50's Strat sometime. I've seen pictures of 78's and 79's that barely even have a back contour! This tells you how much attention really went in to the shape of Stratocasters back then.

Thats what i like about my 70's Reissue. It has all of those 70's features, a total 70's look since i did a few mods, but still has that original body shape of the first Strats.

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2005 Fender 70's Reissue Stratocaster
2008 Fender Standard Telecaster
2003 Fender DG14S Acoustic
2003 Fender Blues Jr. (Laquered Tweed)
2009 Fender Frontman 15R

I like my guitars 60's body it looks fatter and different to my new MIM body

I recall an early ('73) that had deep contours, more so than anything more recent.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

I think that the 50's Strats are supposed to have the deepest contours.

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Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

Maybe some pictures will help?

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

It says you have a Deep Belly? Me too.

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AmDlx HSS
62 Hot Rod
Luke w/Piezo
Carvin Belair

That makes 3 of us. A pizza pie and a pitcher of beer anyone?

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You dig?