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Post subject: Guitar identification
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 7:26 am
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Hobbyist
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Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:56 am
Posts: 2
Location: York, UK
Sorry that this is yet another identification query but this board looks like a good place to get some help.

I have a supposedly 1980's stratocaster but I have my doubts. There are no stamps on the body or neck and seemingly little info if you remove the neck.

Some photos .....

http://s1304.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... c.jpg.html
http://s1304.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... f.jpg.html
http://s1304.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 3.jpg.html
http://s1304.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 7.jpg.html
http://s1304.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... f.jpg.html
http://s1304.beta.photobucket.com/user/ ... 1.jpg.html



The numbers on the neck are written rather than stamped which makes me think it has been changed at some point.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

Nigel


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Post subject: Re: Guitar identification
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:20 am
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Professional Musician
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Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
Now that's an interesting beast you have there.

My best guess from the photos - circa 1979-1981 sunburst hardtail Strat modded with a bridge humbucker and a replacement neck with a fake "transition" era decal (modernish script in gold with black outline and small font "Stratocaster" but no patent numbers). It looks like the replacement neck has the original neck's "F" tuners and they attached only one of the two round metal disk for the micro-tilt. Normally there is one round disk screwed into the body (in that hole in the neck pocket) and one recessed into the neck. This neck has one of the discs on the surface of the neck heel - they probably screwed it onto the neck to help stablize the 3-bolt attachment. Also the neck plate is probably some kind of replacement because it doesn't have the patent numbers for the micro-tilt along the lower edges. Now someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the 3-bolt neck plates still had the patent numbers all the way through the end of the 3-bolt era (some were as late as early 1982).

As for the neck itself it's not a Fender and based on that writing I'm not sure who might have made it, but it looks like a nice neck with a really thick rosewood fingerboard. I'll admit I've not seen that kind of writing on a neck heel; it might be some kind of marking from whomever modded the Strat.

Sorry, I'm not the best at figuring out the stamps in the body; based on the look of the sunburst I'm thinking '79-'81 but it could be earlier since they are using a replacement neck plate. Taking a look at the routing under the pickguard would be helpful in dating the body - for example, if there is black shielding paint in the cavities then it would a later body as that started circa 1979.

EDIT: By the way here is a really nice page from the Strat-Central site with lots of photos of stock late 70s Strats for comparison to your Strat:

http://www.strat-central.com/70sstrats/index.htm


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Post subject: Re: Guitar identification
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:35 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:03 pm
Posts: 637
Location: Rockcity - Germany
Hi Nigel and welcome,

Body could be legit (looks good from what I can see - more pics). All other things not.
I don´t know sure it has been hacked to put in the humbucker etc., etc.
The neck is firewood.
More pics if you have them, please.

All the best,
Robin

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Post subject: Re: Guitar identification
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:07 am
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Location: Connecticut
I fixed for you to make it easier for all of us when viewing a thread.... :)

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "


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Post subject: Re: Guitar identification
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:28 am
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Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2009 7:27 pm
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Location: Connecticut
The micro tilt adjustment on this is deleted since there are shims in the body cavity and there is no metal stop for the adjustment screw to push or pull against ( that I can see ).
Furthermore if this was a legit Fender neck the heel above the 22nd fret should be rounded, not squared. Plus Fender did not provide 22 fret necks for this era...
Additionally the low E string post is at an angle and on Fenders all the strings stay in a straight line from nut to tuner post.

The three screws for the neck/body are incorrectly sized, since the head on one is almost thru the plate hole, the screws beveled head should sit flush in the plates beveled hole...
Pickguard screws are also aftermarket as the pickguard screw holes are also not properly beveled.

I suspect the neck plate is also recent since it has no signs of either wear or/and corrosion.

The body looks like a Two piece so it's worth keeping, I would find the appropriate 70's style neck even if it's an MIM, you can upgrade those tuners to a better quality period correct style.

Personally if the price was reasonable $250 to $300 no more than that at best since it is a partscaster and you need to procure a new neck with the correct adjustments. Nevertheless it will always be a partscaster so value is limited to the actual final result ...

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Post subject: Re: Guitar identification
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:16 am
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Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 6:56 am
Posts: 2
Location: York, UK
Thanks for the interest. I've learned a lot in just a few posts. It would appear I have a hybrid of an instrument which actually plays very well.

Here are some additional photos now that I have understood how to display them.

Thanks again

Nigel



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