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Post subject: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 9:43 am
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I picked up a used Strat that is supposedly a Fender USA 57 Strat reissue.
However the body's finish is hard and appears to be polyurethane, not nitro as it should be.

How can I tell for SURE that this Strat body is poly or nitro finish?


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:24 am
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You got 8 screw pickguard? Take it off and see if there's extra holes in the body, and if the paint is glossy, thick and hard as nail it's poly.


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 10:31 am
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atolleter wrote:
You got 8 screw pickguard? Take it off and see if there's extra holes in the body, and if the paint is glossy, thick and hard as nail it's poly.


It's hard allright! Not sure what you mean by extra holes in the body...


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:23 pm
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Well 57 Strat had a pickguard with 8 holes, whereas today they have 11 holes, if someone switched the body to a non 57 Strat, it would have 3 extra holes underneath.


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:49 pm
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I have a '91 '57 reissue and the finish seems very thick and poly like. Don't know if they changed the finish in later years as my '07 '52 reissue is very easy to mark. I am sure mine is 100% original so I decided to test if it is poly or nitro by digging my fingernail in hard in an inconspicuous place and it marked quite easily unlike a poly finish. Think the earlier ones were a different recipe, perhaps more plasticiser or something. There is a Fender reissue website that shows and compares corona and Fullerton reissues, try a search as I am hopeless on this kindle. Hope that helps in someway.


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:51 pm
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You sure called that one, atolleter - it does have extra screw holes, and I suspect it isn't genuine USA 57 reissue, but don't how to prove it if I can't tell for sure if it's poly or nitro.

I'd attach pictures but don't see how to do it here.

dragonkoi: I gave my 57 body the fingernail test, and even tried jabbing it with a pencil. No mark at all. My 92 AVRI '62 Strat is nitro, that finish will dent or flake if you even look at it funny, LOL. But that was a refinish with nitro...


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 12:59 pm
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Yea, try to post pictures of the body cavities if you can. Poly will resist dents but also lacquer thinner, dont try that on nitro.


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:03 pm
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How? I don't see a way to add pictures.


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:20 pm
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The control-cavity routs are different between the '57 body and that of the '62. The latter has a "shoulder" added to the bottom edge to accommodate one of those extra pickguard screws.

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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 1:48 pm
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Take a picture, host it in some site like photobucket or whatever and paste the link here.


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 2:25 pm
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Here ya go!

http://s1124.photobucket.com/user/mcmacguy/library/WhatIzzit


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:06 pm
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Seems right to me, the routing seems US 57 with the little elbow on lead PU. Maybe someone added an 11 hole PG at some point then removed it?


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Post subject: Re: How can I tell if a Strat body is poly or nitro finish?
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 5:17 pm
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Everything looks right for that to be 57 AVRI. The worm route in the lead pickup cavity, the lack of a shoulder on the route near the pickup switch, the pickups and their wiring, along with the CTS pots and American steel block. If it isn't someone went to a huge amount of trouble just to fake one. I think you have exactly what it was purported to be. It does look like some had a different pick guard on from the extra holes.

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