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Post subject: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:20 am
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I did some research about a guitar I have lying around. I hardly know anything about it.

It is definitely a 1985/86 MiJ Strat, S/S/S routing and all features like the Contemporary Strats from those days, in my case with the Fender/Schaller System 1 tremolo.
SerialNo: A037388 (= Fender Japan, 1985/86) on neck plate.

The only thing which irritates me is the stamps on neck and neck pocket. They say C557 on the neck and st-557 in the neck pocket, which is the model type, as far as I know.

On Wikipedia the Contemporary Strats are listed as i.e. 27-4302 (the model which resembles the one I have).

Everything indicates that it's a Contemporary Strat, except the stamps!
The body shows absolutely no signs of body work, so the Schaller System 1 trem was obviously factory installed. Since you need a wider cut pickguard to fit the trem width, there would be additional holes, because the screw holes of standard pickguards don't match but there aren't any! Hence the pickguard was factory installed as well.

Nothing indicates that this guitar was modded in any way.

Is it Contemporary or were there other Strat models factory equipped with those Fender/Schaller System I???

Image

Image

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STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:56 am
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Ignore the stamps and show us some pics of the guitar put together, front body, back body, headstock front, headstock back.

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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:21 am
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Here ya go and I'll make more tomorrow.

Too bad, bridge pickup and original switch are missing. There's a newer 3-way-switch included.

Electrics not installed yet.

Image

Image

Image

Image

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My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 10:32 am
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Looks like a "Contemporary Standard 22" (Not just Contemporary) or Model 27-4302.

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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:32 am
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the stamp in the neck pocket will be different from the stamp on the heel of the neck,
the stamp in the pocket is for body style, and the stamp on the heel is for the style of neck used.

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2007 Fender Strat MIM Deluxe / 1985 MIJ neck
1990 Epiphone Strat
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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 12:38 pm
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One thing to know about that era was that Fender Japan was putting together those Strat's with parts from different years. Originally the E Series was denoted from '84-'87, but was expanded to '89.

It does look like a Contemporary Standard 22", but two things bother me about it. One is there is no E Series serial # under the Fender logo, and the trem bar should be all metal for that era, meaning no white tip. I'm not 100% sure, but I believe that that white tipped trem started showing up around '89.

27-4302 denotes a maple neck for the Contemporary 22"

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1986 MIJ Strat Contemporary "22" Oly White / Maple


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:50 pm
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wouldn't only the E series have the E in the serial #.?

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2007 Fender Strat MIM Deluxe / 1985 MIJ neck
1990 Epiphone Strat
Marshall JCM 2000 DLS 50 watt / Marshall 1960a 4x12

https://soundcloud.com/jim-slimjim-cassi


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:42 pm
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Sorry guys, I forgot to mention the modern trem arm. I put that one in to see if it fits, because the original one is missing. My bad.

The E-serial number wasn't used on all models. I was confused about it too, but then I found this:

QUOTE FROM WIKIPEDIA: The early Fender Japan E series serial numbers from 1984-1987 follow the Fender USA serial number format of E = eighties and the first digit of the serial number representing the year.

For example E6XXXXX = 1986.

Most of the Fender Japan serial numbers do not follow this format. The Fender USA serial format was used on the Fender Japan E series because most of them were exported to the USA while Fender was undergoing a transitional period.END OF QUOTE

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My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 2:44 pm
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Of course I also checked here: http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#serial

Thanks a lot for your information so far, guys.
Now I know what the stamps mean. :D

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My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:07 pm
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To the best of my understanding, the MIJ Strat Contemporary 22" were all E Series. According to Wikipedia:

The Fender Contemporary models were the first Fender Japan models to be exported as Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters. The previous Fender Japan models exported from Japan were all Fender Squier models. The Fender Contemporary models were manufactured from 1984 to 1987 by FujiGen Gakki and these Stratocasters were designed to be Superstrats (Super Strat) with humbucking pickups and Floyd Rose like tremolos made by Schaller. There was a lower priced Fender Contemporary Squier model produced as well. The Fender Contemporary Stratocaster and Telecaster models were part of the Fender Japan E series model range.

Were there MIJ Strat Contemporary 22"'s mfg'd in '84-'87 that aren't E Series? I can't say 100% for sure, but any of them that I've seen on eBay or read about elsewhere have been E Series.

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1986 MIJ Strat Contemporary "22" Oly White / Maple


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 3:40 pm
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pappajoe wrote:
The Fender Contemporary Stratocaster and Telecaster models were part of the Fender Japan E series model range.


Dang, I must have missed that!
Maybe the neckplate was changed on mine?
But then again: The E-Series had the serial number on the headstock!

Or were there other models manufactured outside the contemporary line but with that Fender/Schaller System 1 trem????

I cannot confirm 100% that the remaining pickups and pots are original but they look like original.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 4:30 pm
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on my neck i just bought, the serial # starts with Axxxxxx,
and has ST-562 stamped on the heel

Image

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1986 Kramer Baretta
1989 Samick "The Samick" Les Paul
2007 Fender Strat MIM Deluxe / 1985 MIJ neck
1990 Epiphone Strat
Marshall JCM 2000 DLS 50 watt / Marshall 1960a 4x12

https://soundcloud.com/jim-slimjim-cassi


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 6:51 pm
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Let's see if the MIJ pic came out:

[img]<div style="width:480px;text-align:right;"><embed width="480" height="360" src="http://static.pbsrc.com/flash/rss_slideshow.swf" flashvars="rssFeed=http%3A%2F%2Ffeed1133.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm597%2Fkenspero%2Ffeed.rss" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" /><a href="http://photobucket.com/redirect/album?showShareLB=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_geturs.gif" style="border:none;" /></a><a href="http://s1133.photobucket.com/albums/m597/kenspero/" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.pbsrc.com/share/icons/embed/btn_viewall.gif" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
[/img]

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2011 American Standard Strat 3TSB / Rosewood
1986 MIJ Strat Contemporary "22" Oly White / Maple


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 12:56 am
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You used the wrong image code, Pappa! ;)

EDIT: aaah, now I got it, here ya go: http://s1133.photobucket.com/albums/m597/kenspero/

It's an E-series oly white :)

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: 85/86 MiJ Contemporary Strat or not????
Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2012 3:36 pm
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Oops, first timer :roll:

Ya, this is a minty (1986) E Series. I bought it new. I consider it a reference piece as it's never been touched. Never opened or modified in any way.

Although the shot of the headstock is blurry you can still see the serial # under the Fender logo. There was no # on the chrome neck plate.

Image

Image

Hope that helps

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1986 MIJ Strat Contemporary "22" Oly White / Maple


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