It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:26 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Strat body contours
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:11 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25357
Location: Witness Protection Program
Is there a better or more decriptive set of images that anyone knows of that shows the differences of the Strat body contours as it pertains to different years and models than this?

Image


If so, please post pics or link. Thanks!

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

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:14 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26419
Location: Tombstone Territory
That's a GREAT pic, Mike!

Thanks for posting (it's going into my archives).

Arjay

_________________
"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


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 5:59 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:28 pm
Posts: 1956
Very interesting Mike - thanks for sharing. The 56 looks like it could double as a boomerang!!!

_________________
Robert Moog - "Hey... where do all these patch cables go?"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 01, 2010 6:00 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur
User avatar

Joined: Mon May 03, 2010 6:27 am
Posts: 140
Location: Japan
I can add a '55 to that if you can wait about 2 weeks....and I don't forget.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:53 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
Mike - very cool; thanks for posting! We always hear about how much the contours varied over the years; it is nice to have photographic evidence.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 3:56 pm
Offline
Fender Staff
User avatar

Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:40 pm
Posts: 746
Hi Mike and all,
...and guess where I spent my first year at Fender? Dat's right!! The woodshop on the body line. Since all modern body fab is computerized ( i believe since the late 80's) the contours throughout that time are pretty consistant within thousandths I'm sure.
I've told this story before (and probably will again LOL):
Before that time there was a great deal of variance because it was done by hand. In 80/81 we would get the body, place a pressboard template over it, trace a line with pencil, get this little wooden stand to put the body on, and bandsaw the contours. We would do about a stack of three hundred at a time. We would then bring the stack to a big belt sander and sand the countour smooth. I don't remember seeing anyone measuring the results of those operations, and consequently each body was just a bit different. The same goes for the Front contours as this operation was done at the same time.
Another reason for variances was that during the CBS years it was a union shop and had Quantity standards for each operation. Punch in to start sawing. Punch out when completed sawing. My recollection is that the standard (in my time) was 150 an hour to do contours. The belt sander was 300 and hour.....but much easier to sand then to saw, right?
SO what inevitably happened (my observation anyway) is folks couldn't hit 150 on the saw easily and you started seeing very minimal contours. Some would saw a bit off, then do the rest on the sander. Some would do the minimal amount of work on both operations.....hence alot of 70's and early 80's guitars ended up with barely a contour at all.
Anyway.........just a bit of history from my own perspective.
All the best,
rob


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:05 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:37 pm
Posts: 4750
Location: My Piece Of Red Dirt
Great documentation. Contour me baby.............. :wink: Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:15 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25357
Location: Witness Protection Program
Rob Schwarz-Fender wrote:
Hi Mike and all,
...and guess where I spent my first year at Fender? Dat's right!! The woodshop on the body line. Since all modern body fab is computerized ( i believe since the late 80's) the contours throughout that time are pretty consistant within thousandths I'm sure.
I've told this story before (and probably will again LOL):
Before that time there was a great deal of variance because it was done by hand. In 80/81 we would get the body, place a pressboard template over it, trace a line with pencil, get this little wooden stand to put the body on, and bandsaw the contours. We would do about a stack of three hundred at a time. We would then bring the stack to a big belt sander and sand the countour smooth. I don't remember seeing anyone measuring the results of those operations, and consequently each body was just a bit different. The same goes for the Front contours as this operation was done at the same time.
Another reason for variances was that during the CBS years it was a union shop and had Quantity standards for each operation. Punch in to start sawing. Punch out when completed sawing. My recollection is that the standard (in my time) was 150 an hour to do contours. The belt sander was 300 and hour.....but much easier to sand then to saw, right?
SO what inevitably happened (my observation anyway) is folks couldn't hit 150 on the saw easily and you started seeing very minimal contours. Some would saw a bit off, then do the rest on the sander. Some would do the minimal amount of work on both operations.....hence alot of 70's and early 80's guitars ended up with barely a contour at all.
Anyway.........just a bit of history from my own perspective.
All the best,
rob


Hi Rob, thanks for your input! I know you're busy with other things, but it's always great to have some 'hands on' information!!!

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

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:26 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 12:30 pm
Posts: 145
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Great idea, but to be fair, there needs to be a better set up for taking these pics. Something to hold the bodies and camera in the exact same position. Reason I say that is some of the bodies are tilted and give a false perception of a more curved look. I would love to see a better version of this comparison -- anyone able to do it?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:46 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25357
Location: Witness Protection Program
akstratistic wrote:
Great idea, but to be fair, there needs to be a better set up for taking these pics. Something to hold the bodies and camera in the exact same position. Reason I say that is some of the bodies are tilted and give a false perception of a more curved look. I would love to see a better version of this comparison -- anyone able to do it?


Please tell me that you're not serious - - do you know the value of what's in that picture?

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

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 4:49 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 12:30 pm
Posts: 145
Location: Anchorage, Alaska
Miami Mike wrote:
akstratistic wrote:
Great idea, but to be fair, there needs to be a better set up for taking these pics. Something to hold the bodies and camera in the exact same position. Reason I say that is some of the bodies are tilted and give a false perception of a more curved look. I would love to see a better version of this comparison -- anyone able to do it?


Please tell me that you're not serious - - do you know the value of what's in that picture?


Yes I know. But if you look at those pics, someone did it, they were all taken at the same location. So maybe it can be done again in a more precise way.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 11 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: