A few months ago I bought a '79 Strat and fell in love with it. It's beat up and has been modified, but I love this guitar.

Show us some pictures of yours and tell us you story.

It's only fair to show you mine.

http://s1068.photobucket.com/albums/u45 ... Strat3.jpg

http://s1068.photobucket.com/albums/u45 ... Strat2.jpg

http://s1068.photobucket.com/albums/u45 ... Strat1.jpg

The original owner swapped out the pickups for some Van Zandt "True Vintage" pups and the added a by-pass circuit from the neck and middle to the bridge pickup. When the ciruit is activevated in the neck position it sounds very middle pos. Tele like. A very useful sound.

From what I gather the guitar had been white and was stripped to the bare wood. Then refinished in a clear coat. From the wear of all the exposed wood, on the neck and fret board, I'd say this guitar was someone's main gigging guitar.

Since owning it I replaced the totally worn out saddles with some vintage style saddles, replaced the frets and shimmed the base of the neck to make it more stable.

The guitar plays and sounds wonderfully.

I brought my '72 Strat brand new from 'Bernie's Music' that was located here in Dayton OH http://www.downtowndayton.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=159.

I started playing guitar in late '71 (I was 21yrs). I had been talking about Jimi Hendrix at work with a friend/co-worker, and I told him that I would love to learn to play guitar, but I was broke. He played guitar, still had his first guitar a Sear's Silvertone guitar/amp combo, which he gave me.

Me, daughter and Silvertone guitar


In the mean time, I used to catch the bus in front of 'Bernie's Music', almost every day I went in there, but I didn't have a car and needed one really bad. For about a year, I worked, saved brought a car, and shortly after that I stopped in 'Bernie's Music'.

I had seen Woodstock, and Jimi playing that white Strat, and that's what I wanted, but they didn't have one in stock. So, they made me a deal on a black Strat with a maple neck ($350)


And honestly, I really didn't know anything about amps, and they sold me a Vox Beatles' Bass amp, a Crybaby WAH, and a FOXX Fuzztone. My wife hit the roof when I brought the equipment home!

Well, I don't have that wife, but I still have my Strat.

_________________
Tony Houston

I was born in Jan of '71 and have been playing since '84. My dad's first guitar was a Silvertone. I owned one too.

Thanks for sharing your story and your pictures.

This is my first Fender, my first Stratocaster. It was made at the end of 1975, I bought it new in 1976 (for about $370 out the door). I've taken pretty good care of it. It currently has the Fender reissue "Original '57/'62" pickups in it (because the original pickups are scattered around; long story). It also has GraphTech saddles (to stop increased string breakage from the original saddles).



It once had a DiMarzio Fat Strat (FS-1) pickup in the bridge position and then had 3 DiMarzio Super Distortion Strat (SDS-1) pickups in it (during my heavy metal phase).

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Sweet Strat. Chaging out the pickups on these Strats seems pretty common. A buddy of mine owned a white '79 Strat. GOd only knows where those pickups are now.

it turns out I have another 70's CBS Strat. The neck date on this one is "JAN 71." I bought it used in 1978 (for a whopping $275). The guy I bought it from (Stephen/Steven Dillon, where are you now?) was a lefty player, but he had it strung righty (he also had a "matching" black lefty Les Paul Custom that was strung righty). So I didn't have to do the "flip around" trick on it.

It's got a four bolt neck, maple fingerboard, no skunk stripe, no bullet truss rod, and original style bridge. I had it refretted in the mid-80s. Other than that, it's original (and has seen its share of dings). It's my Hendrix "Black Beauty" model!

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Well, no surprise, there's a third 70's CBS Stratocaster in my family. This one dates to the Fall of 1974. I bought it used in 1978 for a whopping $225. I guess that color (walnut, color code 522 -- not to be confused with the later "Walnut Strat" that was made using walnut wood) wasn't a very popular one.

Walnut was the color Stratocaster that Fender first gave a black pickguard. I don't like black pickguards on Stratocasters, so I replaced it with the faux rosewood pickguard shown in this late '70s photo. That one wore out and I then replaced it with the white pickguard it currently has. The pickup covers and knobs are the original white. It has an alder body. In this picture, it has DiMarzio SDS-1 pickups. Now, except for maybe a changed pot and black GraphTech saddles, it's back to original.

This guitar has been my rehearsal guitar. Not played at gigs, but used to save fret life on my above pictured '75.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Yes, it is very sweet. I can add some more info: it weighs 9 lbs 1 ounce (the heaviest Strat I own). It has a very sweet one-piece ash body, believe it or not. It's been my main gigging guitar for decades.

If I had all three of the original pickups, I would have them in it. But an old friend has one of them. I rewound a second one -- that and its third one are in my double-neck.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

orvilleowner those are some sweet guitars!

paris the natural look is awesome!

I bought this in 1976 when I was in high school for about $375 (including the case). I was heading straight for the Sunburst section when this natural one caught my eye...one big piece of ash cut from the middle of the tree. It was easy to play, and has never had tuning/tension problems. Heavy? Yes, nearly 10 pounds, but sustain that lasts for days.

The bridge pickup has seen its share of occupants...the original (MIA), SDS-1, SSL-3, and now very happy with the SSL-6T. I finally broke down and replaced the original 3-way with a 5-way. While I was inside I replaced the ceramic tone cap with a new Orange Drop...and noticed a dramatic change in the range of the tone control. Apparently the old caps "relax" and the capacitace had dropped from the nominal 0.050uF to about 0.038uF.

I've very happy with it. I just wish I had a groovy warranty card to match...and what did I do with the ash tray bridge cover?

_________________
1967 Epiphone Madrid EC-30
1975 Fender Stratocaster
1981 Rickenbacker 360
2002 BC Rich Bich
2007 Fender Standard Stratocaster
2012 Taylor GA3-12
2012 Squier Telecaster
2017 Les Paul Kit


"Make every song you sing your favorite tune."

My '79 Strat also weighs a ton.

Thanks!

When you look closely at the wood you can see all the dirt and sweet the original owner poured into it. The body feels like old worn wood on a boat on the exposed portions.

hey tony- great story
what part of the state are you in? i am in the nortwest area. good to see a fellow ohioan on board

I'm in the Dayton metro area

_________________
Tony Houston

Do you know what it weighs?

I've taken guitars to a local shop that does a lot of internet sales to use their scales.

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.