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Post subject: John Birch Custom Strat
Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:03 pm
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I have a 1960 Fender Strat which is customised by John Birch. Does anyone have any information on John Birch Custom Strats or does anyone one else out there own one.

Thanks


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Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:56 pm
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Hi a friend of mine worked for John Diggins and (I think) for a short while before Diggins left Birch, for Birch.

Other than getting intouch with John Diggins (Market street, Digbeth Birmingham UK), you could get intouch with my friend Alan (a very very nice chap).
Heres his site, take a look at his pedals too, their something else.
http://www.projectguitarparts.co.uk

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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 8:18 am
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I read this and I was like "no way!" A John Birch Strat? Well a case of mistaken identity. One "John Birch" is the founder of, what has been described by some as an "ultraconservative" political group here in the USA.....I had seen Harley Davidson and Playboy Strats, so what not a John Birch Society Commemorative Strat??? :oops: :oops:

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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:31 am
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Here's the Birch Strat you're talking about:

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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 10:36 am
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nikininja wrote:
Hi a friend of mine worked for John Diggins and (I think) for a short while before Diggins left Birch, for Birch.

Other than getting intouch with John Diggins (Market street, Digbeth Birmingham UK), you could get intouch with my friend Alan (a very very nice chap).
Heres his site, take a look at his pedals too, their something else.
http://www.projectguitarparts.co.uk


John Birch Guitars began in Birmingham UK in the early '70s with its founder members John Birch, John Diggins and Arthur Baker.

They introduced a new way of guitar building with redesigned body construction giving better playability, a new range of pickups and some advanced switching options, which surpassed any other guitars at that time. These quickly found favour with bands of that period and many went on to become world famous in later years.

In 1993 John Birch and John Carling restarted the business from Nottingham UK and again came up with a new more advanced range of pickups and using modern paint process improved the finish still further.

In 2000 John Birch died and left the business to John Carling to carry on and this is the business today offering a range of products and services.


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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:02 am
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That guitar is a JB HB not a 1960 strat.

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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 1:05 pm
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Hi

Thanks for all the replies and info...really helpful, I'd post some pictures if I could work out how to insert them. I'll have a go tomorrow.




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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:11 pm
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[imhttp://s783.photobucket.com/albums/yy115/wbba/g][/img][img]

Hi Link to photos.....hopefully[/img]


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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:44 pm
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here you go mate

Image

Image

As a very rudimentary guess I'd say its a genuine 60 strat that Birch has laminated a maple board onto. John Birch was a builder of the highest quality. Theres no way in this world he would have added a fender decal.
Either fender put it there or someone else did.
On further inspection the decal isnt anything like a fender decal of the time and the maple on the headstock looks very unfender.

I'd have to say from the photo's you've shown its a Birch built guitar with a decal added. Price anything from £800-£1300 depending on year. A 60 strat modded to such an extent I'd estimate to be worth around £5-8K. I priced a 61 with a series1 neck around 18months ago and got that to 8K by the time a neck of that time was added then the price deducted from the current sale price. I'd like to see that bridge in person though, it seems far too shiney for a 50 year old guitar to me.

I like it, I played a early Birch Vee a year ago. The thing was stunning the action was about 1.5mm at the 22nd fret. No fret out and a creamy sound to make you melt.

The current Birch workshop under Carling is only 20 miles from me.

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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:47 pm
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Very interesting nikininja!

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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:23 am
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Thanks nikininja.....maybe I should take some more and try focusing the camera next time....!

Thanks for the info to...very interesting. I've only dated it as a 1960 by the number on the back plate which is 55348. I used the Guitar Data Project site which dates it at 1960 from Fullerton, so not sure how accurate that is. On the other hand could this number be something to do with John Birch ?

I did send pictures to John Carling but he just said it was probably an early job from Rubery but was earlier than any records that he had.

He is in Nottingham, where I used to live strangley enough, I'm now in the Cotswolds so not a million miles away either.

I'll also contact the other people you mentioned nikininja in case they have any further info.


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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 1:27 am
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By the way nikininja...If we're in similar location then I'd glady meet up at some point if you'd be interested in having a closer look.

Thanks again.


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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:51 am
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wbba wrote:
Thanks nikininja.....maybe I should take some more and try focusing the camera next time....!

Hi wbba: I also would like a closer look at the bridge if you feel like taking another photo or two, please?

Anyway, very interesting: thank you.

Cheers - C


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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 4:57 am
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No problem and thanks C...I'll take some new ones plus a couple of close ups of the bridge.


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Posted: Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:32 pm
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The Cotswolds eh WBBA?

I once met a millionaire strat, vox, burns collector from not too far from you (other side of Evesham). That was a very very interesting evening for me.
It completely drew all my attentions away from the girl I was seeing that introduced me to him. We didnt stay together much past that evening.

I'd Happily take a look at the guitar for you, unfortunately the nearest I get to the Cotswolds these days is Redditch. I could well be heading down there within the next week. If your that side of God's country (I'm absolutely smitten with Chipping Camden to Morton in Marsh and all them sandstone, thatched roof buildings)as opposed to the Oxford end, I'll happily make a diversion and maybe meet up in Stratford ( I couldnt resist that little pun).

I'd enjoy just seeing the guitar. It being a early Rubery era Birch is very highly likely. Funnily enough I spent some time with the previously mentioned gentleman (getting my own spec fuzzbox built). He touched on his Birch days.

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