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Post subject: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:44 pm
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:wink:
I recently adopted a new Stray-tocaster...
A 1998-99 MIM black, maple necked ( nicely figured ++ ) standard style....

Do I have a real Strat or is this a Fake .. :?: :lol: :wink:

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This was my helper chronicler...... A nose to the grindstone sort of feline.... :lol:

Sorry my friends I just could not resist asking the question.... :lol: :lol:

So initially the white pickguard on black was the " Hey Lookover Here ...!!! "
But on closer inspection the neck and Maple figuring was the clincher...
Priced at a very reasonable $250.... Well what else could I do but be a consumer..

Anyway this guitar was ...Shall I say ..... Grunged.....
Ironically I put a $100 down and returned a couple weeks later to pick up....
In that time I became aware of Fender finally allowing a genuine Fender neck to be sold..
Good On Ya Boys', this means I don't have to cannibalize a cheap buy.....
( My 2 Strat, 1 tele One piece ash bodies and the Figured Maple Strat will be Righteous. )

So I was planning on using the neck for one of my builds but now this guitar will stay whole...
Well sort of.....
So Far these are the mods.....
Out go the pegs .... replaced with a set of Schaller security locks
Out went the white 3 ply ( white/black/white ) pick guard. interestingly there is only sheilding around the control section....
Out went the Neck 4 bolt plate ..... 1st replaced with a ( somewhat generic F logo'd plate ) But yesterday I found a Fender Corona micro-tilt plate.... Twice the thickness of the other so I can live with the slight discrepancy of a MIM sporting a Corona ( :wink: :lol: :lol: )
Out went the standard Fender logo'd tuners.... Replaced with a set of Kluson Deluxe, split shaft
Out went the string tree ..... replace with a roller ball tree.
Last but definitely not least out to pasture for the Trem...... The block is half the size of ther's and the chassis isn't very well finished.. In addition there is corrosion on the steel bent saddles.
On this I picked up a new Fender 6 point, steel Bent saddle trem, only to later realize I did not make sure of the screw spacing dimensions.
A standard US version vintage style trem has a different screw spacing than a MIM.....

I have to upload pics, working from a newly acquired Macbook Pro laptop.....
I cannot stress how much I disliked Windows these last few weeks.... mini rant...

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Last edited by 53magnatone on Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:48 pm, edited 10 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:31 pm
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Grunged? How so?

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:55 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Grunged? How so?


It was grunged in the sense that it was filthy, had been cleaned up but what is seen in the Trem cavity area is reminiscent of some of the leftover detritus...... :|

It just isn't much fun cleaning up a 14 year old guitar that doesn't seem to have ever been cleaned but once or twice......

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Last edited by 53magnatone on Sun Sep 15, 2013 5:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:20 am
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Nice Grain & Flame on the neck, Good Lookin' Tuners and the new Black Pickguard looks awesome, worthy of Xhefri. :D

I'm afraid your "...helper chronicler..." seems to have fallen down on the job! :shock:

One question, how do you like the Pickups?

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 5:56 am
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Thankxx .... Cleaned up and all the guitar is nicer than I was expecting.
Xhefri's recreations are excellent, he's been at it for quite some time and I always look forward to gaining insight from his creations.....

My helper is actually my Mom's cat, I spent a few day's at her house this last month as it was easier to get to and from a work project than from my house......
Between finishing up a project, back to a previous job and back to College, my guitar projects are down to a very limited time allotment...

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:00 am
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As of this morning, I redrilled for the tuners and next is to exchange the standard Trem for the appropriately spaced MIM tremolo.... Almost done...

As for the pups I haven't had a chance to really run it thru the Magnatone so that is a yet to do...
I will probably live with the existing setup for a while just to see if there is a win....

Pics Coming ...

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:03 am
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Here are some current as of this morning pics...

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:09 am
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There are the comparisons for now... as mentioned before next is the Trem exchange, then a bit of playing ......

I know some will be wondering.... But what about the Tele and Strat O Partster projects :?: :shock:
Truth be told I don't have the time to attend to them this month.... Hopefully in October I can really get two of them done...

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 9:22 am
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53Magnatone...nice job, and some very nice flame on the neck. Has a nice Gilmore Strat vibe! And when you get that crappy block out of it, the pickups will have more sustain and a bit better tone! I am always amazed that Fender hasn't just gone to a solid steel block on ALL their guitars...can't add but a couple bucks to the overall price of the guitar!

FWIW

T2

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:04 pm
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Better get some strings on it! And play it

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 8:02 am
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I've never seen a quartersawn maple neck on a MIM Stratocaster. You also have an American neck plate (micro-tilt hole is dead givaway). Very, very few MIM Strats had vintage style tuners in the 90's (Tex-Mex and JV Sig. are the only ones that come to mind). The string guide on the headstock is also not a 90's standard in any Fender. American Strats at the time had two, not one as there wasn't staggered tuners then. How much of it did you replace and how much of it came like that?

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 12:57 pm
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Your cat looks just like my cat, Tamzin, even down tothe orange on the nose and the sleeping on the book.


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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:27 am
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paris wrote:
Your cat looks just like my cat, Tamzin, even down tothe orange on the nose and the sleeping on the book.


Not my cat, but my Mom's, I was taking a sabbatical and staying at her house while I dealt with some relationship issues..... Exit Visa's were imminent and now it's a New Day.....
That is the last I will say about it here.....

Back to the Guitar.....

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 8:48 am
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DetroitBlues wrote:
I've never seen a quartersawn maple neck on a MIM Stratocaster. You also have an American neck plate (micro-tilt hole is dead givaway). Very, very few MIM Strats had vintage style tuners in the 90's (Tex-Mex and JV Sig. are the only ones that come to mind). The string guide on the headstock is also not a 90's standard in any Fender. American Strats at the time had two, not one as there wasn't staggered tuners then. How much of it did you replace and how much of it came like that?


I paid $250 for this MIM Strat, I really wasn't planning on buying another guitar as I have 5 projects in various phases....
But it really had potential and since fender is offering necks ( finally ) I decided to keep it as is ( sort of ).....
The neck plate is obvious, not a MIM but it is thicker than the MIM's and therefore that is what I wanted.. Now I'm still going to install wood inserts and stainless steel screws.... ( I've gone over this on my Telepartster build thread. )
The pickguard is also a replacement, as I feel the contrast is more appealing this way, although trying to mimic a Gilmour Strat was unintentional.
The original tuners are the Fender standard chrome, well they really don't belong with a vintage six point bridge, if it is to resemble the era's set up. The New Kluson's ( they are Kluson, not Gotoh lookalike's ) are really nice......
The last to change is the tremolo, the block is minimal and the actual plate is not very well finished. in addition the saddles and screws are somewhat stripped. For now I believe I have a thick steel and brass replacement block and I'm going to pull the saddles off of my Stratopartster I build as I have to completely refinish that one and add a new neck.... I'm not getting along with the Squier neck. ( It's OK, as this was an experiment... )

As for the pups, time will tell, I hope they'll work or I'll get a set of 60's era Fender's.....
I'm adamant about replacing or switching parts with Fender if at all possible....

The frets have some wear, as does the Low E side of the neck but it is minimal and it won't affect me for year's to come....

I just got a new Mac-Book Pro so as soon as I can get Garage Band up and running I will probably do some sound clip uploads.....
Although at the moment I am swamped with College course work and the rest of life's demands..
So I will be here but only when I have time as the College goal is to acheive a 3.5+ grade point average......

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Post subject: Re: 1998 MIM STRATOCASTER.... SOMEWHAT UNMOLESTED ...
Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 10:03 am
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Must be some reason economies of scale contributed to the anemic mass block on that bridge. It'd be interesting to know exactly what they were saving against the performance value of the part.

As far as the cat goes.... Love me some red tabbies... 8)

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