The guy who was originally selling the neck/electronics tried to scam me. He wanted $375 for the neck alone. I might abandon this project and just buy a Highway 1 while the price is still good.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Nah don't do that, don't abandon the project. Buy a Highway1 by all means, they are great guitars. Just don't abandon the build.

Anyway the body. I can't see much to ascertain it's origin. If it is even Fender. We could do with a close up of the neck pocket and the body underneath the scratchplate for a better chance.

If it's Fender then I see no reason why a two piece alder body couldn't be American. Though that grain does look very faint. It could be basswood or poplar, hinting towards eastern origins.

On the neckplate corners of the body. Why not do what Ceri did and do away with the neckplate completely. Angle that area of the body allowing for even easier upper fret access. Just make sure you use screws that won't pierce the fretboard.

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No no and no

It's H/S/H. The date in the neck pocket said MAY 84. I accidentally spilled paint thinner on it and it ate away at it. Now what looks like a faint part of the 8 is still visible. Did you check the previous page? I have more close ups there.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Yeah I saw those pictures but they don't really tell us anything. The shape of the pickup and control cavity routes and other markings are the giveaway signs that will help someone discover the origin of the body.

Another thing that will help you at a later date is to measure the distance between the two outer pivot screw holes for the trem. That could well save you a lot of heartache at a later date.

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No no and no

It fits a MIM bridge. I was just test fitting the ones I had before I shipped em off to the lucky auction winner. The MIM fit the best. The Squier was off center.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

I'll have some pics up soon. I got one of the cavity and one of the grain where it's clearest.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Here they are.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

I'd have to say thats a far eastern origin body mate. The HSH pickup route on Fender Mexico guitars is a bit different.

Here's the middle pickup route on a Fender Mexico strat.



Notice how squared off it is. Whilst yours is rounded. I can only assure you that the route on my American Deluxe is the same.
Which explains the Mexico trem fitting the body. Though the Squier trem is the same size. They are both 52mm E to E. Bit of a puzzler there.

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No no and no

The blocks on Squiers, at least every one I've seen are bigger than the MIMs.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Also, what kind of wood?

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Nah both Fender Mexico, Fender Japan and Squier guitars have a near identical trem. Some of the modern Mexican guitars may have a full size inertia block but that won't play any part in the way the trem fits the body. Theres plenty of room in that cavity for either size. The base plate on the Squier trem is the same size as the Mexican and Highway 1 guitar. That is the part that couples to the body. It's only really the saddles and the inertia block that differ (and then hardly at all, or only in some cases). It's when you get to the American 2 point trems and Vintage reissue trems that the problems occur.

As for wood, who knows. Like I said could be alder, poplar or basswood. None of those determine where the body was made only what it was made from. Even the Corona plant used poplar and basswood at one point.

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No no and no

I was confused by the block because it had such an odd shape.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Did it have an indented section at the back of the block, so it's not a symmetrical shape?

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No no and no

Yea, also the block was a bit longer than the MIM one I used too.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic