Hi there, I am new and I am looking for some information on my 1976 strat. pictures are here http://www.flickr.com/photos/midiahn/se ... 370562956/


I have dated it using the serial number and pots to late 1976 (pots were made in the 1st week of September 1976) - however, I am trying to figure out what the finish should be. I am pretty certain it has been refinished at least once (some of teh screw holes are "filled in" with lacquer. I'd like to restore her to her original glory - but I would like some expert opinion on what needs done. I'm not convinced the pickguard and volume control knobs are original for instance, and I'm wondering if I should replace them. basically, if anyone can give me any information on the guitar - I'd be very grateful. In particular - what colour of trmelo arm should it have - there are genuine 1970s ones for sale on ebay with the white or black tips - but I don't know which one to get! Happy to provide more detail as needed.

thanks in advance

Malcs

Hi Malcs,

neck is ´77 so maybe it´s a ´78 Stratocaster. Finish is called red wine and seems to be all original. Maybe they used the finish in ´77...

Look in the neck pocket if you can find a stamp (4 numbers).
wwyd
ww - week of year
y - year (8 for ´78)
d - day of the week (1-Monday,...)

Tip of the trem arm can be black or white, they mixed all colors up that years.
Pickguard is not original (seems like a one ply). If it´s 3 ply it maybe original, is there a serial number sticker on the pickguard?

Cheers,
Robin

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http://www.youtube.com/robinstrower
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The serial number and neck stamp put it at a '77, not '76. I'm pretty sure the color is wine and was offered in '77. It was in '79 at least.

I think it was pretty common around that time for the knobs/pickup covers/pickguard to be a mixture of white & black.

Some info on late '70's strats here... http://www.strat-central.com/70sstrats/index.htm

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

thanks guys - I used the http://www.guitardaterproject.org/fender.aspx website - which puts the serial number (7682365) at a 76 build? Is that not correct?

there is something stamped in the neck pocket - but I can't make it all out - there is a big "01" stamped there - and then a smaller and very faint what looks like "15" but I can't make out other numbers next to it.

there are no numbers stamped on the pickguard itself.

there used to be a number on the butt end of the neck but I can't tell what it is except that it looks like it ended in 64 or 54. it looks like it used to be a long number and it was stamped in green ink. there appears to be an imprint of a 23 (doesn't show up in the new photos I'm afraid) but it doesn't seem to line up with the green ink writing - but if it is right - then it is something along the lines of --23-64 (or --23-54) See the new tranche of pictures.

there is also a stamp under the neck pup - I only noticed when I shone a very bright light on it but it says "T. Ortega" or "M. Ortega" Not sure what the first initial is - again I'll upload pictures. withoug a bright light - you can barely see it through the lacquer - I only spotted because I was looking for stamp marks!

finally, there is a stamp on the pickup bobble - it looks to me like "123370" only one bobble has that stamp. All the pictures (that I've just taken) can be found here.

http://s1133.photobucket.com/albums/m60 ... r%20strat/

I have used windows paint to highlight where teh numbers in the neck pocket are - maybe someone else can make out more than I can!

again - so grateful for everyone's help and advice - I love the journey that is finding out about old guitars!

On the colour - it's been suggested it might be "Mexican Red" if it is the original finish - but I understand that is a very rare colour - Wine Red seems more likely.

Malcs - sites like guitardaterproject.com can really only get you an approximation of when the guitar was built. You kind of have to go by whatever is the latest date from what is on the neck, on the body, and on the electronic components.

Never seen a 70's Strat in wine red. A 78 on Gbase, says "custom color":

http://www.gbase.com/gear/fender-stratocaster-lefty-1978-wine-red#

thanks John - I was kinda working on the principle that the pots were made in Septmebr 1976 - and that the guitar would have been made pretty soon afterwards - but I'm a newbie with vintage strats and learning as I go along! So it's more likely a 77/78 then? How does that affect the value (for insurance purposes)? Also, I am certain the pickguard is wrong - the original holes for the screws have been backfilled (which is why I thought it might be a refinish.) - but the pickups seem about right - though they are not the greatest pups I've heard on a fender

The serial number is "high," so while they started with the 76 headstock serial numbers in 1976, they continued them into 1977. 1977 agrees with the codes on the neck and pickup. Do a search on Greg Gagliano (ggjaguar), the guy who put together the decoding of such numbers.

The paint is interesting. The colors in the neck pocket make me think it's a refinish -- that it was originally three tone sunburst. But that name stamp and paint in the pickup route looks original ... I suppose it could have been yellow and just overshot with the red.

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My other guitar is a Strat.

There won't be much difference in value between a '76 and a '77. If it is refinished it probably cuts the value in half anyways.

For what it's worth I love the wine color, the grain looks great like that.

You comment about the pickups seems pretty standard for pups from that era. I'd suggest dropping in a set of CS69's and put the original assembly away.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

thanks guys - I'm not overly concerned about a drop in value - but I need to know roughly how much it is worth for insurance purposes - I'm going to get Gruhn Guitars to do an appraisal. I love the Wine Red finish - i think it looks great - I've had a good close look in the light of day and it if ever had another finish on it - it was a goldish/yellow colour. It's definitely not ex-sunburst - as the red has been put over a thin coat of the yellowish colour. It is a super thin finish - which fender have always favoured - but it could be an authentic refinish. The reason I have issues is because the screwholes where th back plate would be are crudely filled in - but two of them appear to have been wood filled, sanded flat and then refinished. The other 4 look like they've been filled by an amateur and have "countersunk" over time. 3 of teh 4 have what I suspect is polishing compound residue in them. I'm actually looking at few options for pickups - but basically, if I installed CS69s (very nice idea) wouldn't that lower the value of the guitar? It also means unsoldering the guitar - and part of the reason I am confused about the finish is that the soldering looks original which is a good indicator of an original finish. grateful for all the help everyone - it really is great getting to know the instrument!!

Don't unsolder everything, get a pickguard with the new CSs in it and drop the whole thing in. Solder to the output jack and ground wire and there you have it. Mix 'n Match wardrobe for Strats. It's a great looking guitar and will be your friend for years!

@cnsky54 - thanks mate. I wouldn't dream of unsoldering everything but I can see how that came across in my post!! I build guitars in my spare time, so I am very au fait with them at that level - as well as playing them. My point there was really that, when I'm checking a guitar finish to see if it is all original, especially with a strat or many ibanez models etc - part of the checking is the soldering - if the solder work is all original,it is highly unlikely the guitar has been refinished at any point (because you pretty much have to unsolder the jack and the earth to respray. If I was looking to buy, say a 1954 strat where I am going to be shelling out 10s of thousands of dollars - I'd be wanting to check that if I had any doubts about the finish (and therefore, as was posted earlier - the value of the guitar - which can plummet even with a refinish from the factory that made the guitar in the first place!) I don't want to devalue the guitar if teh finish is original - but if it's not, then I can upgrade the pickups as suggested

in your opinion though are CS69s the way forward if I do change the pups? I'd have gone for texas specials myself, but I'm not that au fait with pickups (despite the luthier work!!) Basically, I'd be looking for a nice crunchy rock sound and a smooth sweet clean sound that holds up well under a chorus and a wah. Would CS69s give me that do you think?