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Post subject: What make certain strats collectible?
Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:20 am
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Hi fellow strat owners. In '06 I bought my first strat. It's a MIM standard satin Midnight Wine. I just play for fun so it's a great guitar for me. The more I play the thing I realize what a piece of art the strats are. Now I want to know everything I can about them and I would like to collect a few. I would like to know what make a certain strat collectible?

Are there any resources out there (books or websites) that's have Fender production numbers, decodes serial numbers (for vintage and current models), and options for strats? For example some websites say mine is a standard strat (upgade). What is upgaded? My serial number is MZ4223546. Fender's website just tells me the MZ4 means it was made in Mexico in either '04 or '05. What does the rest of the number mean? Is like a car vin that tells virtually everthing about the car? Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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I love this guitar.


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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 11:26 am
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The same thing that makes anything collectible:

An agreement among people with money as to what constitutes desire.

There are plenty of rare guitars that aren't collectible, lots of good-looking, good sounding guitars that aren't, many examples of so called "vintage" guitars that nobody really wants. The collectible guitar market is just as capricious as any other collectors market, and the prices are set almost exclusively by precedent.

This keeps the market in continual flux, which is the very thing that keeps collectors interested in the long haul.


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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:57 pm
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All the serial number is going to tell you is the plant the guitar was made and the date/year. The serial number doesn't contain any info on the features of the guitar. Anything else you need to know you'll have to get from Fender support.

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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:35 pm
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It helps if the specific guitar is rare. Maybe it was a factory special run or something like that, but even then it can't be guarantee a collectors piece. There have to be people out there that want them in order for them to gain value. Anything vintage is a collectors item. Once you buy your guitar the value keeps going down until it's pretty much forgotten about. Then when people want an old guitar that they can't find anywhere else you bring them yours. At an inflated price of course.

I think the hardest part of collecting guitars is predicting what will be worth a lot. You never know what will be valuable until it already is. I think it's mostly luck.

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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:46 pm
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the (upgrade) on the standard strat was that in '04 or '05, fender changed the bridge block design on the standard strats. they make it more bulky, which translates into more sustain. thats all.

as for collectible guitars. if you love it, it is collectible. especially if you put time and money into making it a great instrument.


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Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2008 4:48 pm
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Yeah, it really just depends on a quirky consumer taste. I mean Gibson cancelled the Les Paul because they were't seen as popular. Then people started screaming that they wanted the original LP back. Now those pre-62 LP's are going for huge bucks.

The public decides and the public is fickle. Think Pet Rock.

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"is that a real poncho...i mean
Is that a mexican poncho
Or is that a sears poncho?
Hmmm...no foolin ...." FZ


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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:13 pm
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If you want your guitar to be collectable, or make the value go up. Just become famous, that's all there is to it, hehe.


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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:30 pm
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With Stratocasters a good rule of thumb for general collectibility rule is:

Old guitar in the best shape possible.

If you are buying one new strictly for it's collector potential, go for the limited production runs (special models, US made Artist models) or get something from the custom shop.

The Made in Mexico and Indonesia guitars probably won't turn "collectible" so don't waste your time and money on them. They are Fenders entry level budget guitars for beginners. Yes they are nice enough guitars but they are what they are.

I've got 3 Strats of various ages and configurations and I play them all. The Stratocaster is like a beautiful woman, don't ignore her it just isn't right.


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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:55 pm
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mthorn00 wrote:
They are Fenders entry level budget guitars for beginners.


hehehehe, your hitting below the belt with that one don't ya think. Entry level budget guitars??? Nah, that's the job of Squires.


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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 1:08 pm
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Hey I'm already famous in my own mind.

And I not suggesting my MIM strat will be collectible, I just think for the money it's a really good strat.


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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:33 pm
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Sorry Bro, I didn't mean to offend with the entry level guitar comment.

I just don't see many pro's playing Mexican or Indonesian made Fenders. Everyone I know who has played for more than about a year (and owns Fenders) has moved up to an American made instrument.

The offshore ones are nice and fulfill a market need. Fender gets to sell more guitars and more people take up music which I think is a good thing.


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Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2008 5:05 pm
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If the guitar has a rare feature, or was produced in limited numbers, or is out of production, and it's American made, then *usually* it becomes a collectors items.

For example, take the Fender Telecaster Plus with the 3 lace sensor pickups and the switch for enabling all seven combinations. Collector's item.

The Fender Lonestar strat with the Texas Special pickups in the late nineties: collector's item.

That's my opinion!


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