It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 1:37 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: help identifying my old strat
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:24 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
I bought this strat way back in 86. give or take a year. I don't really remember. I was playing a les paul jr back then as my main guitar and wanted that chimey strat sound too. after all these years of people raving about the sound of the old girl and how great the intonation is (really the best intonation of any guitar I've ever played) I've gotten curious about the details. first things first, # is E815055, she has a factory kahler trem, locking nut and gotoh machine heads. anything else I need to help with an ID? I'm going to try to stick some pics on here too. wish me luck...Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Image

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:28 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
man, i'm sorry about the size of the pics! didn't mean to stretch the screen out so bad! but check out the slight figuring on the back of the neck...


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 8:34 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:43 pm
Posts: 523
Location: Oakland Tennessee
Isn't that a MIJ strat.

_________________
"Damn Right I Got the Blues"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 5:33 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:33 am
Posts: 1397
That's the long-lost sister of my Strat mate. I bought mine new in Australia in the mid eighties.
Factory fitted Kahler Spyder trem and locking nut.

Gotoh machine heads.

Serial number E819948

Mine is Classic White with rosewood fingerboard and like yours,has no country of manufacture on the headstock.

I have tried before to find out more about this model,but with little success.

http://s674.photobucket.com/albums/vv10 ... G_5609.jpg

She's in pieces at the moment. Check out the above Photobucket album.

GOODONYA .....Mark


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:33 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
I've never had mine apart. never had any reason to break her down.
yours is the first strat I've seen that's the same model (apparently) as mine.
Any idea what pickups are in yours? I am really not interested in taking mine apart, might be like letting the magic smoke out of an amp.
Definately not going to mess with what's working.
anyone have a clue as to model or whatever?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:09 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:58 am
Posts: 2187
If we're talking mid 80's guitars, you have MIJ strats. Those are vintage specs, but with what was "modern" back then tremolo system ment to keep up with the Ibanez/Jackson guitars. Yours might be considered a "Superstrat".

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


facebook.com/313DBC


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:54 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
so any clue as to pickup specs?
I'm assuming the finish is polyurethane but the finish on mine, especially the neck, has aged to a really pretty amber tint.


Last edited by cjpeck on Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:28 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:43 pm
Posts: 523
Location: Oakland Tennessee
I'm pretty sure it's a MIJ. a At least thats a MIJ neck. The tell tell sign is the dot spacing on the 12th fret. If I'm wrong on this someone please correct me but I think American strats pre 1998 all had narrow dot spacing on the 12th fret.

_________________
"Damn Right I Got the Blues"


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:46 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
DetroitBlues wrote:
If we're talking mid 80's guitars, you have MIJ strats. Those are vintage specs, but with what was "modern" back then tremolo system ment to keep up with the Ibanez/Jackson guitars. Yours might be considered a "Superstrat".


what do you mean by vintage specs? can you elaborate a bit?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 2:03 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
I'm sure DetroitBlues means it has 3 single coils instead of say a bridge humbucker - which you would normally find on a guitar with a Floyd-type bridge.

I'm pretty sure these fall into a grey area that I've heard called a "Contemporary Standard" - meaning they have the "upgraded" trem and modern tuners but still have the 3 single coils. I've seen 3 versions of this based on the trem used:

1st version - used the Fender System I trem (which had roller saddles and a behind-the-nut string lock)

2nd version - used a Kahler fulcrum trem (non-locking bridge with roller saddles and a behind-the-nut string lock)

3rd version - used the Kahler Spyder locking trem and a Kahler locking nut

All were MIJ; however, version 3 typcialy doesn't have "Made in Japan" on it anywhere. I've heard 2 stories - one story is that like the HM Strats these were assembled in the USA from MIJ parts. Story #2 is that these were 100% MIJ but FMIC didn't decide to import them until the last minute so "Made in Japan" paper/foil stickers were added to the back of the headstock which were easily removed by either dealers or owners.

I think you're off by a couple of years - it's probably an '88. Kahler didn't make that Spyder bridge until sometime in 1988.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:06 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
makes sense to me. could have been 88, I'm fuzzy about timelines back in the 80's...
def. three single coils, too. I was after the strat sound when I bought her. I think I payed 300 for her, something like that.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:21 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:33 am
Posts: 1397
cjpeck, G'day. I don't think unbolting my neck was exactly breaking it down. I can't help you about the pickups. I just thought the hidden marks may help to identify the model, giving us a clearer picture of what we actually have.

The original pickguard is long gone on mine. It was 3ply white replaced (badly) early on. I'm in the process of fitting an original looking guard. Your photos help me hugely in this regard - it's the only other one I've seen EVER.

You are obviously very happy with it, as am I. It sounds as good as any Strat and stays in tune forever. When I bought it, I was told it was a MIJ with US parts. This makes sense as it was priced midway between MIJ and US Strats of the time- but no country of manufacture- ODD- it's always been a curiosity and has confused many an expert.

I have a few theories-

A) They were assembled in Japan using imported parts.

B) They were assembled in the US during factory changeover (maybe with MIJ body and neck)


C) They are early Prototypes from the newly formed Fender Custom Shop (unlikely)


Serial number searches for E8XXXXX are inconclusive. Good luck mate.

Thanks Dave C. Just read your post. I'm a slow typer. Very informative. Cheers.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:45 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
yeah, I'm happy with it. one of the only guitars I've kept since the 80's. I'm going to blow up the neck pocket photos you have of yours and see if that helps in any way.
I'm just not the strat guru at all, I've never cared too much about anything other than how it sounds and how it feels.
hanging out on this board started to make me wonder what the old girl was since it seems like there are alot of guys on this forum who can tell you what year the screw in the pickguard was made.
It's not like I'm going to sell the old girl, it's the only strat I've ever owned.
I always thought that I got it right the first time and didn't need another strat.
I was looking at a Mark Knopfler sig strat last week, but it really didn't feel nearly as good as mine and unamplified was dead as a doornail.
I didn't even bother with plugging it in to anything it was so lifeless.
I am starting to look around for another strat though, the floating bridge tends to mess with how far you can bend double stops and stay in tune.
Probably get a MIM so I don't feel so bad abotu swapping out the pickups for something with a nice vintage sound.

just looked back at the pics i posted. I really ought to clean the old girl up,
looks like about 20 years of stage dirt and sweat on her.
I can even see a bit of stain from where I cut my right hand on a broken beer new years eve of 00.


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:35 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 1:33 am
Posts: 1397
Yeah mate , I'm the same, certainly no expert, just curious. Yours seem to have a lot more play wear. I had mine on display for many years, hence the discoloration from Aussie UV rays and party atmospheres.

It's your choice mate, but when you give her a clean, you should have a look inside. Taking off the neck is no big deal on a quality instrument. I can tell you whats on mine though. Neck pocket has 562 stamped. Neck has ST-562F stamped in black and a larger E stamped in red, also a small purple dot and a pencil mark which looks like an initial.

The neck and body numbers match indicating that this was not just thrown together as both have been modified in the factory.

It's just good to see another. It seems we have a couple of very rare Strats.

I'll be going for a parchment guard to match the aging on the rest of it (check out the pickup covers- original). There is no way I would have gotten the pickguard route for the trem correct without seeing your pics. I would have just cut straight across, with no step.

I'm just wondering cjpeck, did you buy yours in Australia?


Top
Profile
Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 16, 2010 6:51 pm
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 8:23 am
Posts: 128
nope, I picked the old girl up off the wall at Jim's Guitars in Bowling Green, Ohio.
I had played four gigs on Easter weekend at local churches (I was a trumpet major at the time) and was flush with 1000 bucks.
First 1000 dollars I ever held in my paw at one time.
so the first thing I did on monday was run down to Jim's and buy this strat.
before hitting the grocery store, before paying rent, before buying a fresh fifth of Jack Daniels.
I think I payed 300. worth a little more now. even with all the road wear on her.
Lookiing at all the pics on this site has gotten me thinking about throwing on a tortiseshell pickguard like my tele has (in the background)
by the way, need any other pics?


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 21 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

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: