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Post subject: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 5:38 am
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This just sold on ebay for $987.78. Not the most sought after Strat model, but interesting for its...ahhh...elusiveness?

Sellers description:
Up for auction is this 1983 Fender Elite electric guitar. The Elite was first introduced in 1983. Fender introduced several innovations on this model including new push button pick up selector system allowing for 7 combinations of pick ups. Other new features include a bi flex truss rod, TBX and MDX electronics with an improved noise reduction system and a Freeflyte tremolo.

The guitar is ash and has a maple neck with rosewood fret board. The guitar has a very good action and sounds great. The pick ups provide the traditional strat sound with a range to the fat sounds of a humbucker. The guitar is clean with one small nick on the back of neck. Included is a used Fender tweed case in good condition. The model sold for $895.00 in 1983 compared to the standard strat at $550.00. This guitar is a genuine piece of American Fender history.


Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words, so here she is:

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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 6:18 am
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Hmmm... :?: I've seen a couple of these at Empire Guitars, not what I would choose, they felt sort of clumsy, like Fender went on vacation and the temps built the guitar ... :wink:

Question is.... What was above the nut, judging from those 3 telltale screw holes :?:

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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 7:54 am
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Some Elites were shipped with a Kahler String Lock nut to compensate the issues associated with the Freeflyte tremolo.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:00 am
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danagos wrote:
TBX and MDX electronics with an improved noise reduction system


The circuit was upgraded from 12 to 25dB, the dummy coil has been removed and Gold Lace Sensors replaced the Low-Z pickups as suggested by Eric Clapton.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:05 am
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I don't know who made that string lock for Fender but it was an odd thing; it even had "fine tuners" on it. It was an option for most of the run of the Elite; I think Rob said that one of his jobs in January 1985 (when he was part of the temp crew that worked that month) was to install that device on a bunch of Elite Strats that were in the warehouse.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:12 am
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John C wrote:
I don't know who made that string lock for Fender but it was an odd thing; it even had "fine tuners" on it. It was an option for most of the run of the Elite; I think Rob said that one of his jobs in January 1985 (when he was part of the temp crew that worked that month) was to install that device on a bunch of Elite Strats that were in the warehouse.


The String Lock was intended to reduce the problems associated with the Freeflyte; the assembly itself was an unwieldy, unworkable piece of hardware.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:24 am
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I think the Elites are interesting, but much overrated. As noted, there were sever problems with the Free Flyte. I much prefer my Ultra with ebony fret board and Wilkinson nut. :D


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 10:17 pm
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Fender Japan did their own version of the Elite Strat with a 22-fret neck and a 9.5'' radius. This guitar lasted about two years before the Elites being dropped as of 1986.

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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:40 am
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chromeface wrote:
Fender Japan did their own version of the Elite Strat with a 22-fret neck and a 9.5'' radius. This guitar lasted about two years before the Elites being dropped as of 1986.

Image


I had never heard of these until I joined this forum and you started posting them. They were not imported to the USA; those of us here thought the Elite series ended when FMIC bought the company from CBS in February 1985.

Since seeing these I've wondered if Fender had run out of Elite model necks but had left-over bodies that either CBS or FMIC shipped to Fender Japan for completion (around the time FMIC bought the company) and Fender Japan just kept on producing them for another couple of years. I also suppose that there were enough unsold Elites in the Fender warehouse and in store stock that FMIC didn't see the need to import an MIJ Elite to the USA in 1985 or 1986.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 8:34 am
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Seems hardly a strat to the purist. These will never be very sought after.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:51 am
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John C wrote:
I don't know who made that string lock for Fender but it was an odd thing; it even had "fine tuners" on it. It was an option for most of the run of the Elite; I think Rob said that one of his jobs in January 1985 (when he was part of the temp crew that worked that month) was to install that device on a bunch of Elite Strats that were in the warehouse.



Hi there!

I don't remember the brand of string locks either but the they were added to the Strats that had the Freeflytes with fine tuners on the bridge to my recollection. Why fine tuners on the bridge without locks....well I guess they figured it out, huh? I still don't get the fine tuners on the bass bridges though. ;O)

The addition of the locks mainly happened after ihad left (and most everyone else too) and were installed by a skeleton crew at night between Sept 84 and Jan 85. When i and others came back to the building (but "new Fender") those folks were let go.

I still kind of liked the Elites---Bi-Flex truss---I like those vol/tone knobs- the Tele Elites had screamin pickups (in a good way), and they tried some different finishes (Strat-o-bursts!! and woods---Walnut) At any rate....some nice features as well as some ill-advised ones.
Cheers!,
rob
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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 12:08 pm
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Rob Schwarz-Fender wrote:
I still kind of liked the Elites---Bi-Flex truss---I like those vol/tone knobs- the Tele Elites had screamin pickups (in a good way), and they tried some different finishes (Strat-o-bursts!! and woods---Walnut) At any rate....some nice features as well as some ill-advised ones.
Cheers!,
rob

I'd say that endorsement alone will improve their collectability!

Somebodys Elite collection just doubled in price!! :lol:

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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 1:12 pm
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I really liked my '83 Elite and don't get all of the hate for them. I decked my bridge because I don't use a trem - so that may have helped my opinion of it.
Image

I loved the range of tones that the mid-boost and active pickups with the TBX could give.
Image

I would still have it if I could have found parts for some repairs (cosmetic) that I wanted to do. It was too noisy to play at church direct to PA. The dummy coil was not working apparently. The previous owner must have rode it hard and had very acidic sweat. The bridge was corroded really bad. Etc. It was naturally reliced and fun to play.

I bought it in a local pawn shop for $500 and flipped it on Ebay a year later for $900 - one day after posting.

I miss it.


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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:28 pm
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Coupl'a things need to be said here.....
-if my eye has it right, this appears to be a walnut finish which was something special for that series of guitar.
-this guitar, its trem system and electronics was the product of Fender's R&D into active electronics and the progenitor of a guitar which has been a mainstay in the line since 1987.
-I would also venture to say that the Strat Plus series, though not having active electronics, was an offshoot of this project.

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Post subject: Re: '83 Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:44 pm
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Rob Schwarz-Fender wrote:
John C wrote:
I don't know who made that string lock for Fender but it was an odd thing; it even had "fine tuners" on it. It was an option for most of the run of the Elite; I think Rob said that one of his jobs in January 1985 (when he was part of the temp crew that worked that month) was to install that device on a bunch of Elite Strats that were in the warehouse.



Hi there!

I don't remember the brand of string locks either but the they were added to the Strats that had the Freeflytes with fine tuners on the bridge to my recollection. Why fine tuners on the bridge without locks....well I guess they figured it out, huh? I still don't get the fine tuners on the bass bridges though. ;O)

The addition of the locks mainly happened after ihad left (and most everyone else too) and were installed by a skeleton crew at night between Sept 84 and Jan 85. When i and others came back to the building (but "new Fender") those folks were let go.

I still kind of liked the Elites---Bi-Flex truss---I like those vol/tone knobs- the Tele Elites had screamin pickups (in a good way), and they tried some different finishes (Strat-o-bursts!! and woods---Walnut) At any rate....some nice features as well as some ill-advised ones.
Cheers!,
rob
Image


Sorry Rob; I thought you had mentioned that the skeleton crew you were part of installed these. So there were two "skeleton crews" then - one during the tail end of the CBS era and then a second crew after the sale to FMIC? Not to be nosy but since those of us who remember that era (I was in between college graduation and grad school in January/February 1985) are getting older and I don't want the Fender history to get lost.

I agree with you - the Elites were a good try by Fender to do something "modern"; it's too bad the guitar buying market wasn't ready to embrace something different and "modern" from Fender at that time. I guess they were looking to companies like Charvel/Jackson or Schecter for something modern but still looking at Fender for traditional designs. Of course by 1987 everyone was ready for "modernized" instruments from Fender as the American Standard series was a winner (and was followed by the Strat Plus and other models).


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