Hi, I'm a little new to the guitar world and I was wondering, what's the main difference between a 60's and 70's strat?
I was poking around on the custom shop website and printed off the quote sheet for ordering one. I want my next guitar to be a custom shop, but that's a loooong way out as I'm just starting to save up.
Any help would be appreciated!!

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"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

Hey welcome, the biggest difference are the contours are more in tune with your body in the 60's version and the 60's had a 4 bolt neck to body attachment versus the 70's is known for a untraditional 3 bolt neck attachment.

Now there is nothing wrong with a three bolt set up except at the time (70's) CBS owned Fender and as is typical when a huge corporation buys out a smaller one but has absolutely no clue as to what makes it tick, CBS started cost cutting by reduced quality control, as in the neck pocket allowed the necks to shift even when screwed together, by being cut (routed out) to loose tolerances.
I would buy the new reissue's, bear in mind that not all of the 70's strats were bad, but it was often the case. Some have been quite good but those are the exception.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

+1

I'd add that the '60s bridge and its saddles were superior to the pot-metal crap used during the '70s era. As well, the earlier wax-potted pickups performed better than their CBS-era counterparts -- less squeal and uncontrollable feedback.

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

Thank you for the quick replys!!
Is there any specific year in the sixties where the strat really shined?

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"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

About 10 yrs

nice hahahaha

what about the 50's?

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"I'll get up there and do my guitar solos in one of those space outfits." ~ Ace Frehley
My YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/fenderflamestrat?

That way to high for me to add up. I had trouble with the 60s to 70s

I'd say from 1954 to around '66....my opinion.

If it helps, I have a 2001 Custom Shop 56 NOS, a time machine, ironically it belonged to a Fender Rep before me so it saw an additional 10 years of minimal playing if at all. I was told by another rep that basically this guitar was used for promo shows and thus was only shown and played then.

Considering the cost of a genuine 1950's era Strat, if you can find one reasonably priced and/or that hasn't been altered, the CS 56 NOS is as good as it gets.
Fender CS built these as identical replica's and I can honestly say out of the 4 strats I have including my 2 rebuilds, that one is the one which will be the keeper if it ever comes to unloading all instruments. ( don't worry not in this time line ).
I paid or I should say I traded even a 1995 Larrivee Florentine acoustic as well as a Standard Strat. I still believe I got the better deal.
It's the one in my avatar in sunburst. But here is a pic

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

Besides $10,000 ? Well, the early 60's models between 60 and 64 are Pre-CBS, and are more highly sought.....After 1965, the logos were all changed, the headstocks got bigger. Now, comparing these to the 1970's......around 1972 or 73 for sure, the neck mounting went from 4 bolts to a 3 bolt micro-tilt design. The body contours and bevels got a lot less pronounced, another string tree was added, and the bridge went to a solid cast pot-metal unit with cast pot-metal saddles. Also, buy the mid 70's, the polyester finishes on these guitars began to be insanely thick, but shiny!!!! Some say it kills the tone, and some hate the 3 bolt neck design and the bullet truss rod (now at the nut end of the neck). Some of the 1970's strats weigh a ton! But even the 1970's models are becoming more valuable each passing year. That's about it.... Oh year, and the 1970's models had the notorious "F" tuners lol. They are really not so bad....but many a 1970's strat has been modded and hacked up by players.

Buy this and you will learn everything there is to know about the Stratocaster:

http://www.amazon.com/Stratocaster-Chro ... 063&sr=1-1

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Bill

Also, most of the 70s strats were a lot heavier in weight. Around the middle 70s they changed pickup design also.

A lot of changes during the 60s and 70s.

See http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

70 up to mid 73 the strats were fine, more than fine in some cases. You saw the introduction of the 5 way switch, 2 bridge saddles, going back to a smaller neck, as you progressed the first 3 years in the 70's. But after mid 73 til 84, it was definately hit and miss.

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Echoes71

The 5-way switch has been introduced in 1977.