Okay here's mine. It's a 1972. This guitar is FORTY YEARS OLD. My dad bought it for me when I was in 11th grade for improving my grades. It has had 2 fret jobs, a new "vintage" bridge with proper steel saddles replacing the original cast bridge, and different pickup sets ranging from DiMarzio HS-3s to Seymour Duncan SSL-5 Customs to Klein S-5 Scooped, which are in there now. I had Fender '57-'62s in there and for whatever reason I was not happy with them so I took them out and put them back in the original box after about 6 months. Original neck and body, and tuners. Today, I have 8 guitars in my collection but this was my first real good electric guitar and I will keep it always.

I haven't weighed it yet. I'll get back with you on that. I was just playing it this morning. I can't explain it, but this guitar calls me. I had the same feeling when I got my '87 Strat Plus. It too was a paint stripped guitar. There are just some guitars that when you play them they move you. I owned a black '77 hard tail with maple neck and I didn't connect with it very well. I ended up selling to my best friend.

Thanks for the info on your 72. What's the story with the switch?

The problem I had with the die-cast bridge was with the saddles. After 20 years or so, they turn into string breakers. So I switched to GraphTech saddles. The steel saddles on my almost FIFTY and SIXTY years old guitars don't break strings.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

On a side note, and to completely name drop. Trev Wilkinson told me that the trem unit on those 70's strats came in at a whopping $1.79 cost per unit.

I wouldn't feel bad about ditching it.

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No no and no

Okay, but how much were those vintage steel units?

We need to keep things in perspective.

You know that Fender was paying Callahan prices for the vintage units.

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

Callahan prices... mugs!

Yeah you're right, perspective. Though Mr Wilkinson did say that it was a cost cutting measure that came in over time. So presumably the early 70's were still made in house and the later 70's units outsourced?

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No no and no

Closer inspection yields the familar phrase: MADE IN JAPAN

Sounds like cost-reduction to me

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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."

The toggle switch turns on the bridge pickup allowing me to get the bridge and neck pickups on together, or all 3 pickups on. When the neck and bridge pups are on, it sounds like a telecaster or Les Paul with the bridge and neck pups on.

I hated the cast bridge and saddles, especially after I got more experienced and compared my Strat to a 60s strat with the steel block and bent steel saddles. I also had trouble intonating the guitar. I upgraded the bridge to a steel one in the 80s; it was a Fender after market part upgrade.

A lot of choice guitars from an unpopular era of Fender guitars...

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


facebook.com/313DBC

Here's mine - 76 hardtail. Sorry about the pics, but it's away in it's case. I've been told it's a sunburst & the paint has reacted to a kind of greeny brown burst.

My '70 Antigua.
Very little original stuff left on her.
She's got: Jumbo frets
Graphtech Stringsaver saddles
DiMarzio Area 58(n)
DiMarzio Area 67 (m)
DiMarzio Virtual Solo (br)

The guitar is in GREAT condition in soite of her age....I never really gigged with her!
Too bad I didn't keep it original....I've seen a waay less clean one in G.C. going for close to 3 grand!!

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I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed man!

[/quote]


The problem I had with the die-cast bridge was with the saddles. After 20 years or so, they turn into string breakers. So I switched to GraphTech saddles. The steel saddles on my almost FIFTY and SIXTY years old guitars don't break strings.[/quote]



I agree with you about saddles. I prefer vintage style saddles as well. The originals are toast.

According to the bathroom scale, about 9lbs.

Someone offered me $80 for mine when I talked about swapping it out. I decided to keep the bridge and change the saddles. Anyone want some wornout saddles?

[/quote]

The toggle switch turns on the bridge pickup allowing me to get the bridge and neck pickups on together, or all 3 pickups on. When the neck and bridge pups are on, it sounds like a telecaster or Les Paul with the bridge and neck pups on.

I hated the cast bridge and saddles, especially after I got more experienced and compared my Strat to a 60s strat with the steel block and bent steel saddles. I also had trouble intonating the guitar. I upgraded the bridge to a steel one in the 80s; it was a Fender after market part upgrade.[/quote]

The push/pull pot on '79 Strat does the same thing. I find that when the Neck and bridge are together it reminds me of the Middle position on a Tele. I also like when all three pups are on, but it's not as useful.

I prefer using this ability clean through the amp. What are your thought on this?