I have a pair of '77 Strats with S/N 475 apart. What's that, a week apart? A day? Same day?
Well, they're night and day. Different tuners, different knobs, one has a 3-way switch while the other has a 5-way. I love to play the rosewood neck one and don't really like the maple necked guitar.
Therefore, I totally agree that you need to play the guitar. If you like it, buy it. If it's not to your likeing, don't worry, the next one off the line might just be your favorite guitar ever.

Love,
Todd

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Up is louder!

That's the way to take one for the team!



hmmmm, I wonder why the landfills aren't full of '70's Teles and Strats ... I'd love to go pick up a few.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I have a double whammy--a 70's Mustang (CBS) and a 70's Les Paul (Norlin).

And I love both.

There were good and bad Fenders in the 70's.
You may have to look harder to find one--but they are there.

Unfortunately I've seen stores price 70's Fenders at ridiculous prices--just because they're old.

So don't be afraid to try it.

You won't know if you don't try it.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

heavy.

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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

Niki,great point about the teles also the thinline was introduced under CBS which especialy the 72 is a fave of mine.Hendrix used the large headstock Clapton went to the Strat in the 70s and never looked back.Now I dont remember what year ax everyone was using but the 70s were one of Fenders best strat decades as far as players,Mark Knopfler,Bonnie Raitte,Blackmoore,Rory Gallagher-we all know Rory used a 61,Robin Trower,Tommy Bolin,Curtis Mayfield,Niles Rodgers,Jeff Baxter,Lowell George,I even think Zappa was using a strat in the 70s,Gilmour did Darkside not with a 70s as we know but it might be Fenders most diverse decade.Most guys I know hated the headstock but that really popped up in the mid 60s and the 3 bolt had to go and there was a lot of complaints about inconsistent neck pocket routing and die cast saddles,but like anything else I know people who have and love them and the price on ebay shows some going for 5 grand but the bottom line is Fender was taken back by the right people and came back stronger than ever as I think we would all agree the product today is Top Shelf and I think the lowest end Fenders today are by far the best bang for the buck guitars they ever made because years ago there low end stuff was really bad now you can gig with just about anything.

CBS Strats to me, the good ones go up to 1973/1974. Those are the one that were made with left-over parts from the pre-CBS ones but with a twist.

I've played a 1972 and a 1979 before. The 1979's neck looks as if it was a baseball bat, and was extremely thick as if it was an acoustic nylon string guitar. Its sound was as if someone attached a 5 dollar microphone close to the strings.

The 72 played exactly like my Squier Affinity Strat with a nice twangy sound. Great neck shape and body. The strings were a bit high but I've seen worse.

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One of God's own prototypes. Too weird to live, too rare to die.

I bet the pre-CBS leftover parts were exhausted by late 1965.
For Strats, that's when the large headstock was introduced ...

Maybe there were pre-CBS leftover WORKERS until the mid-70s.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I have a 72 Strat that comes in at touch under 7lbs. Not all of the 70 Strats were boat anchors. Mine is a great sounding and great playing instrument. I have no neck problems what so ever. As a matter of fact a friend of mine has a 69 that is really heavy. His is also a great instrument. He actually likes mine a little better.

Just play it. If it works for you, buy it, if not, take a pass. Don't buy it for investment value. Most of the garbage about the 70's Fender guitars was nothing but BS anyway. You had good and bad in every manufacturer at that time. There were some nice Strats around at that time and I have one.

His black strat is actually a 69, correct me if I'm wrong.

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One of God's own prototypes. Too weird to live, too rare to die.

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews. It's always either a godly guitar or a piece of garbage.

I do like the headstock, though.

People used to think the big headstock added mass and sustain. I think it just added more real estate for the logo.
I love my 72. I lot of the mixed reviews come from hearsay too.... People that never owned one or even played one but just heard they were bad. One time I had a 20 year old tell me all 70's Fender guitars were crap. I asked him if he ever played one and he just stammered and walked away. Beware of blanket statements.

Which one?

todd wasnt it 1977 when the 5 way switch
became standard with the strat?

People used to think the big headstock added mass and sustain. I think it just added more real estate for the logo.
I love my 72. I lot of the mixed reviews come from hearsay too.... People that never owned one or even played one but just heard they were bad. One time I had a 20 year old tell me all 70's Fender guitars were crap. I asked him if he ever played one and he just stammered and walked away. Beware of blanket statements.

When did AMF take over Fender? That's when the quality was so bad the Japaneese were the only ones making "decent" Fenders. AMF almost put Fender out permanenrly the quality was so bad but I'm not sure of the years..