ICESTORM Strat Plus???

Xhefri · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:45 pm

John C wrote:

You found one!!!

In answer to your question - yes, I did actually see one in a store along with a matching Tele Plus in a really odd store on the east side of Cleveland back in say 1992 or maybe 1993 (we lived in Akron Ohio from the fall on 1991 until early 1994). I used to occasionally go through the yellow pages and pick out a few Cleveland stores to go check on on days off, etc. This was an old store that had a bunch of odd new and old guitars - wierd stuff like 3-4 Micro-Frets guitars; I've only seen about 7 Micro-Frets in my lifetime and half of them were at this place and they looked like they had been in stock since the 1970s.

At any rate both Ice Storm Fenders had rosewood boards; for the life of me I can't remember if the Tele was a Plus or a Plus Deluxe with the trem.

Funny John C, I found where you talked about both of these finished back in June of 2009 on another Forum:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=569628

You thought this finish was called Ice Storm or Blue Fire Storm back then! Cool....

Triskele · **Joined:** Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:18 am **Posts:** 3084

ExiledonMainSt wrote:

Wow, cool find! Congrats!

+1

cheers

Xhefri · **Posted:** Tue Mar 06, 2012 5:03 pm

Well, the body arrived today. Very nice. No dings. Just a light scuffing that a good polishing should take care of. This is a 1989 loaded body. The good thing about this purchase is that I have a very nice 1989 Strat Plus that has a maple fretboard that I can transfer everything over to this body and end up with a completely era correct Icestorm Plus. Disappointed that I never heard back from Fender about this body. I answer a lot of their questions for them! And it was the first time i ever asked them a question and absolutely no response. Seems like they could have at least emailed back and said, We received your email and do not know, or we are looking into it!

I will post more when the body is polished and the parts are in waiting!

Andybighair · **Joined:** Tue Dec 01, 2009 9:22 am **Posts:** 2175

Howdy X man!

Nice find! That bod looks so cool! You really don't see many of those... at all. Good to see it found its way in to your expert care.

I'm quite surprised Fender hasn't got back to you. Might be worth contacting Rob Schwarz (Fender Staff) via a PM maybe. He checks in on the Forum every now and then and is a seriously helpful chap!

Andy

Xhefri · **Posted:** Thu Mar 08, 2012 8:31 am

John C wrote:

In answer to your question - yes, I did actually see one in a store along with a matching Tele Plus in a really odd store on the east side of Cleveland back in say 1992 or maybe 1993 (we lived in Akron Ohio from the fall on 1991 until early 1994). I used to occasionally go through the yellow pages and pick out a few Cleveland stores to go check on on days off, etc. This was an old store that had a bunch of odd new and old guitars - wierd stuff like 3-4 Micro-Frets guitars; I've only seen about 7 Micro-Frets in my lifetime and half of them were at this place and they looked like they had been in stock since the 1970s.

John, could you fill us in on what a Micro-Fret is?? Also I took Andy's advice and PM Rob Schwarz to see if indeed Fender called this Icestorm. When I have it all together, which should be tonight, I want to post it on my website and want to make sure I call it by the right name!! Thanks for both of you giving input!

ted j · **Posted:** Thu Mar 08, 2012 12:22 pm

Hi Jeff
Just had a look myself at Microfrets
They were a make of guitar produced in limited numbers in the sixties , with some very innotive ideas
(Built in wireless!, Movable nut , special lock down bridge saddles etc), years before modern builders used these ideas
Take a look
http://www.toneshed.com/documents/microfretspages.html

Ted

Xhefri · **Posted:** Thu Mar 08, 2012 2:18 pm

ted j wrote:

Hi Jeff
Just had a look myself at Microfrets
http://www.toneshed.com/documents/microfretspages.html
Ted

Hey Ted, thanks! I got off my lazy laptop fingers and did a Google search and found a lot of picts. When I think I have heard about most of the USA made guitars, I find more. Look pretty interesting. Not my type but, interesting!

Also I heard back from Rod Schwarz at Fender and he related this too me about the Icestorm Plus': "I searched through all of my database files as well as some old memos, I have around and price-lists that I keep in a binder and did not find any evidence of that color. Firestorm Red is indeed in several price-lists especially 1991-1992 but no blue to go along with it. Personally, I remember the Firestorm Red...do not remember the same in blue. So...no records of that color...no pictures that I can find.

"What I CAN say is that according to my records as well as the records we keep on hand (which are pretty extensive---but not totally infallible), that color does not "officially" exist, nor did we ever officially sell it to the best of my knowledge... That blue is growing on me...sweet. It being a proto-type sounds like a likely version to me. Just like Leo Fender did with Bill Carson, the "try this" tradition lives on..."

So I guess I can just call it an Icestorm...as that was the name that came with the legend!

Xhefri · **Posted:** Sat Mar 10, 2012 5:26 pm

Was able to get this buffed out and man she is clean! It has a nice high gloss to it now and so I will be putting together a nice 1989 Icestorm Strat Plus prototype or very limited release, what ever it may be. CAUTION! Lots of pictures to follow....

Here is what I did. Some of you might remember seeing this Graffiti Yellow plus I posted on the Fans of Strat Plus and Strat Ultra thread. It was a 1989 too and turns out to be a prefect match for swapping all the parts over to this body. It is era correct almost too the month! I have a less nicer neck for the Graffiti Yellow and some pickups in a guard that are the same era but not as nice to rebuild it with. The Yellow body has a few nicks in it so I will most likely pass it on to someone as a player guitar.

Here is the neck date on the Icestorm body. Oct. 25th and Nov. 14 of 1989. Note the butt end of the neck is Nov. 9th of 1989 as well. 5 day apart so you can't get a much closer match than that! Even better than what Fender sometimes did! LOL!! And the fit was perfect. Tell me, what do you think of the Maple with Blue????

here is the finished product. The pickup guard (Gold Lace) was a 1989 New Old Stock i had kicking around in my shop for a long time. Goes to show you never know..... I have it set up and it plays really sweet. I put it away in the case and will let it settle in for a few days and then check the setup again. Comments????

cnsky54 · **Joined:** Wed Jun 17, 2009 3:21 pm **Posts:** 277

Pretty amazing guitar. Some guys have all the luck...

John C · **Posted:** Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:05 am

Xhefri wrote:

John C wrote:

In answer to your question - yes, I did actually see one in a store along with a matching Tele Plus in a really odd store on the east side of Cleveland back in say 1992 or maybe 1993 (we lived in Akron Ohio from the fall on 1991 until early 1994). I used to occasionally go through the yellow pages and pick out a few Cleveland stores to go check on on days off, etc. This was an old store that had a bunch of odd new and old guitars - wierd stuff like 3-4 Micro-Frets guitars; I've only seen about 7 Micro-Frets in my lifetime and half of them were at this place and they looked like they had been in stock since the 1970s.

John, could you fill us in on what a Micro-Fret is?? Also I took Andy's advice and PM Rob Schwarz to see if indeed Fender called this Icestorm. When I have it all together, which should be tonight, I want to post it on my website and want to make sure I call it by the right name!! Thanks for both of you giving input!

Sorry I didn't bounce back into this thread sooner, but I see that tedj filled you in on Micro-frets. Strange, forward-thinking company that was at least 10 years ahead of the times.

Nice to get the response from Rob Schwarz - perhaps you have the body of the one I saw; maybe they did the set as a test of the finish that never went into production.

Xhefri · **Posted:** Sun Mar 11, 2012 11:17 am

John C wrote:

Nice to get the response from Rob Schwarz - perhaps you have the body of the one I saw; maybe they did the set as a test of the finish that never went into production.

Thanks John! Yes, Rob was very helpful. I think a handful of these must have been made because like you, a few people remember seeing them. Very rare and this body was near mint. The finish is softer that polyurethane, as it buffs easy. Guess I will post this on my website and tuck it away for a a while. Thanks for your input!

greenheart · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 123

It looks just like this fake firestorm strat body that was purchased from tenstarguitars.

It smelled like fresh paint.

greenheart · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 123

Here are some more pictures of the fake firestorm finish strat body.

It smelled like fresh paint.

It came from tenstarguitars on ebay

It looks just like Xhefri's firestorm restoration.

Notice the black spots in the finish.

greenheart · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 123

I will let the fender community be the judge.

greenheart · **Joined:** Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:10 pm **Posts:** 123

It smells like fresh paint.

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