I have been searching thru threads here and am overwhelmed with the info presented. Now my question-With all the "look alikes" out there, what (if any) are the tell tale signs that the body is officially a Fender Stratocaster? And how does one tell if the Body is a Classic, MIM, Import from pack rim, Squire Strat, etc? Is there some markings somewhere? If so where? Is there a difference in the bodies overall measurements? Is there a stamp inside the body somewhere?

I am reasonably new to guitars and very new to electric guitars. How does one tell?

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So heres to your survival, swimming up the stream, crossing over one dam after another till we get to Rock and Roll Heavens Gate!

Their are numerous ways BigBike. Not just serial codes, but mounting holes, route shapes and all sorts.

If you post a pictiure of the body your concerned about. You'll no doubt get a million posts explaining whats what with it.

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No no and no

I can tell you that the non standard squires, such as affinity or bullet squires have noticably thinner bodies....

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The MIM "Classic" re-issues are all routed for S/S/S pickup configuration and the vintage trem, with string spacing of 2-7/32" at the bridge. The '50s and '60s bodies are constructed of alder although some older models with opaque (ie: solid color) finishes were made of poplar. The '70s "Classic" re-issue is similar except the lumber is ash and the neck pocket is intended for a 3-bolt neck with the micro-tilt feature.

The MIM "Classic Player" is nearly identical except for the bridge which is of the newer 2-screw design.

The current MIM "Roadworn" series are identical to the "Classic" bodies except the finish is nitro lacquer instead of the more common poly-goo paint.

The MIJ/CIJ re-issue guitars generally follow the MIM "Classic" paradigm except certain editions use basswood for the body.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

[quote="DetroitBlues
I can tell you that the non standard squires, such as affinity or bullet squires have noticably thinner bodies....[/quote]

So how thick should a solid body official Strat be? I recently acquired a basket case Strat with a S serial number on the neck, but the body I am not sure of. I have to put a bridge of some type on it and don't know what to order. I presume the S (in front of the serial number) indicates Standard. The body is a great dark blue, but has been modified and the serial number I have indicates neck was made in the late 70's till 81. The body was routed by a previous owner for an after market bridge, which was sold off long ago. I have some choices-fill in the oversize hole and get a standard trem system bridge. Leave the hole alone and try to find an aftermarket that will fit it-(might have been a "Kramer"-or something close to that, or get another body and then bolt the neck onto it.

Is there much difference between "aftermarket" bodies and an official Fender one? I mean electric guitars do not depend on the wood as much as an acoustic guitar does for resination (in order to produce sound). So my guess-and correct me if I am wrong- is that the sound comes more from the pickups than the wood the body is crafted from. And any patch and fill should not have that much affect on sound.

I would like to try and reuse this body, but without knowning exactly what bridge system was on it, I could search for a long time before I find one to fit the dimensions this body was routed for.

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So heres to your survival, swimming up the stream, crossing over one dam after another till we get to Rock and Roll Heavens Gate!

Well the S could stand for a lot of things depending on when and where it was made.

If it is a genuine American Fender the "S" stands for Seventies for the decade. It can also stand for The Samick Factories if it is a Squier. With that said there are tons of differences between bodies, even those produced by Fender. different woods have different resonating properties. Although I believe electronics play a much bigger role in the sound of a guitar, wood selection does play a part

So how thick should a solid body official Strat be? I recently acquired a basket case Strat with a S serial number on the neck, but the body I am not sure of. I have to put a bridge of some type on it and don't know what to order. I presume the S (in front of the serial number) indicates Standard. The body is a great dark blue, but has been modified and the serial number I have indicates neck was made in the late 70's till 81. The body was routed by a previous owner for an after market bridge, which was sold off long ago. I have some choices-fill in the oversize hole and get a standard trem system bridge. Leave the hole alone and try to find an aftermarket that will fit it-(might have been a "Kramer"-or something close to that, or get another body and then bolt the neck onto it.

Is there much difference between "aftermarket" bodies and an official Fender one? I mean electric guitars do not depend on the wood as much as an acoustic guitar does for resination (in order to produce sound). So my guess-and correct me if I am wrong- is that the sound comes more from the pickups than the wood the body is crafted from. And any patch and fill should not have that much affect on sound.

I would like to try and reuse this body, but without knowning exactly what bridge system was on it, I could search for a long time before I find one to fit the dimensions this body was routed for.[/quote]

You'll have to go to a shop and pick up the two. You see the difference if you hold them up to each other. I believe its near a 1/2" thinner.

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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Sadly the only music shop in town only seems to carry acoustic instruments, as bluegrass and gospel are king here.

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So heres to your survival, swimming up the stream, crossing over one dam after another till we get to Rock and Roll Heavens Gate!

Sorry to hear that.

Detroit:
It sucks, but when surrounded by "these yar hills" and bluegrass, they carry what will sell and by and large electric instruments (save for the entry level Walmart stuff)just do not sell well here. could be our less than reliable power companies, could be that people don't have outdoor outlets on most homes and what good is an electric if you can't sit on the porch and play with friends?

My only hope is about 1.5 hours drive from here-a large -think 2 stories tall, music store that sells everything from autoharps to xlophones down in Seiverville. They might carry electric guitars, when I was there I was not shopping for one so I can't say for certain.

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So heres to your survival, swimming up the stream, crossing over one dam after another till we get to Rock and Roll Heavens Gate!