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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 11:44 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
ebaysux wrote:
and if I could go back in time would slap myself in the neck with a garden hose.


You are not alone, Hoss!

:wink:

Arjay



I guess we just need a Delorean and a flux capacitor. :mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 10:05 am
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orvilleowner wrote:
Do the pickups have staggered polepieces?


The neck pickup is dated as a '74 (staggered pole pieces).
The Bridge and Middle pickups are dated '75 (flush pole pieces).


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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:21 pm
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paris wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
Do the pickups have staggered polepieces?


The neck pickup is dated as a '74 (staggered pole pieces).
The Bridge and Middle pickups are dated '75 (flush pole pieces).


That can't be common. Not sure it is valuable, or desirable...but I don't recall hearing about that level of parts mixing on a Strat.

It may give you a data point on the whole flat/staggered discussion...how do the neck and middle compare?

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:24 pm
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HeyJoe42 wrote:
paris wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
Do the pickups have staggered polepieces?


The neck pickup is dated as a '74 (staggered pole pieces).
The Bridge and Middle pickups are dated '75 (flush pole pieces).


That can't be common. Not sure it is valuable, or desirable...but I don't recall hearing about that level of parts mixing on a Strat.

It may give you a data point on the whole flat/staggered discussion...how do the neck and middle compare?


The neck pick up sounds better to my ear, but I'm not a middle pickup fan. My first throught was that it was not the original pickup, but with a '74 date on the pickup, I find it hard to believe someone would track down a '74 pickup for a '75 Strat. All three sound really good together.


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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 6:49 pm
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paris wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
Do the pickups have staggered polepieces?


The neck pickup is dated as a '74 (staggered pole pieces).
The Bridge and Middle pickups are dated '75 (flush pole pieces).


If it is original, that would be the first time I have seen that.

If the pickup was replaced in the late '70s, it could have easily happened.
The stock pickups weren't worth very much back then.

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:07 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
paris wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
Do the pickups have staggered polepieces?


The neck pickup is dated as a '74 (staggered pole pieces).
The Bridge and Middle pickups are dated '75 (flush pole pieces).


If it is original, that would be the first time I have seen that.

If the pickup was replaced in the late '70s, it could have easily happened.
The stock pickups weren't worth very much back then.


I agree with you, but I just found it strange that the years are consecutive. What are the odds. Who knows? They sound great.


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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 7:37 pm
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All the 70s original pups are asking a very high price so sometimes if a replacement is required the owner will just use a year "close enough" not to really hurt the value, but it is not 100% correct and no way Fender would have done this at the factory. The neck should be stamped on the heel and that can confirm its year. The body as well should be stamped/written something in the neck pocket that can date it but sometimes those are too worn out to see or got painted over or was left out for some reason. Of course at least by the pup routes you can instantly confirm if it is a pre 76.

The pots as well should be a clue as in the number on the pot will be the year and that tends to be accurate granted pots can be replaced. The serial number on the neck plate using the online Fender guitar dater (granted that could be swapped out also) should clearly indicate the specific year as on those I don't believe there was a "range" so the number will tell you what year it is considered...at least technically as we all know Fender can do ambiguous things for no rhyme or reason and no one from Fender can give you a solid answer.

Now regardless of "opinions" on the 70s pups yes they can be a bit harsh but I have owned and played quite a few 70s that sounded spectacular...all the quack and bell classic Strat sound you can ask for...well rounded tone on chords and fat enough. Most people these days will certainly pay more if it has the correct year pups in it all matching (and they were all date stamped back then so you can tell what belongs and what is replaced). The problem is they are getting rare as not only did most owners do a pup swap almost as soon as they got them and discard the originals, but face it, they are old and go bad so people replace them making originals all the more valuable and harder to find.

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 8:49 pm
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paris wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
paris wrote:

The neck pickup is dated as a '74 (staggered pole pieces).
The Bridge and Middle pickups are dated '75 (flush pole pieces).


If it is original, that would be the first time I have seen that.

If the pickup was replaced in the late '70s, it could have easily happened.
The stock pickups weren't worth very much back then.


I agree with you, but I just found it strange that the years are consecutive. What are the odds. Who knows? They sound great.





My '75 has a mix of '74 and '75 pickups, which I didn't think was so odd at the time since they are all flat...yes, a flat pickup from 1974. (Aren't transition years fun?) The pots say '75...neck/body stamps have long since dissolved into the woodwork so there isn't much else to go by.

Luckily, I bought it new, so I'm not concerned that it was reconfigured at some time before I got it...

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 9:31 pm
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HeyJoe42 wrote:

My '75 has a mix of '74 and '75 pickups, which I didn't think was so odd at the time since they are all flat...yes, a flat pickup from 1974. (Aren't transition years fun?) The pots say '75...neck/body stamps have long since dissolved into the woodwork so there isn't much else to go by.

Luckily, I bought it new, so I'm not concerned that it was reconfigured at some time before I got it...


That is actually odd I would think as of the dozen or so 70s strats from that era I have owned since a kid never had a mix match of year pickups like that. Not that it really matters if you had it since new since you obviously got use out of it and if kept that long must have been valued but if you ever were to put it up for sale I would bet it would not bring the same price as if the pickups were date matched and would possibly arise suspicion.

A 75 strat should have pickups that pretty much look like they came off the assembly line one after the other... granted sometimes a pup is missing the date be it a bad stamping or faded.. Also the transition year was 76 so having a 74 pup in a 75 eliminates that reason. Well at least logically which Fender is not always known for :wink:

Edit: ah yes as far as pickups it seems 74-75 is when they went from staggered poles to flat. But the pup routes/serial number from plate to headstock is 76...meh..I give up lol.

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 8:43 am
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Just another indicator of unusual parts on this guitar...

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Has anyone else seen a 70's Strat with MIJ metalwork inside? It absolutly came from the factory this way.

I've asked Rob Schwarz about this...nobody at the shop can answer for this.

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:00 pm
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HeyJoe42 wrote:
Has anyone else seen a 70's Strat with MIJ metalwork inside? It absolutly came from the factory this way.


Nope, never seen that. I suppose that bridge found its way into a parts bin, and then onto a guitar. How/why that bridge got into the factory would be the next question.

Maybe somebody at the factory was playing a joke.

Or maybe somebody at the music store that sold the guitar did the replacement.

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:05 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
HeyJoe42 wrote:
Has anyone else seen a 70's Strat with MIJ metalwork inside? It absolutly came from the factory this way.


Nope, never seen that. I suppose that bridge found its way into a parts bin, and then onto a guitar. How/why that bridge got into the factory would be the next question.

Maybe somebody at the factory was playing a joke.

Or maybe somebody at the music store that sold the guitar did the replacement.


+1

Is the block steel or zinc?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 11:30 pm
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The bridge and block appear to be one piece of chrome-plated steel.

When I presented to this to Rob Schwarz a while back, his best reasoning is they were often trying out different components - sampling import bridges for quality and/or cost-cutting perhaps, and sold those guitars when they were done. Could also explain the pickups from different years. Or not.

I've always doubted that someone at Sam Ash had a Japanese bridge (how?) and swapped out the OEM before selling it (why?).

I've also got knobs from two very different bins...the Tone knobs themselves are mostly still whitish, but the letters and numbers have turned from gold to green. The Volume knob has yellowed nicely...but the letters and numbers are still mostly gold.

Every guitar has a story...

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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."


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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 3:40 am
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A 75 Strat with a "made in Japan" bridge is certainly an anomaly. I don't even know what to say nor could I speculate a hypothesis or theory on how it even existed back then. I just know on my 70s builds I use the one with the part number which are correct. However I would love to have that bridge to use on an older Japan build. Did Japan make a 70s reissue in the 70s :lol:

Heck I have not even seen a 79 or 80 trem block that didn't have the number. It seems after 80 they totally changed and started using these large funky bridges (I guess known as the "Smith eras") and then they went to the 2 piece vintage style and that one piece 70s style never returned. So that is a rare bridge..might be the only one in existence stamp MIJ since it should not even exist period. Even the 70s reissue don't use that one piece bridge.

Actually I can offer one hypothesis but it is a shot in the dark. There were some companies in Japan making really nice Strat copies in the 70s before the lawsuits etc....it would not surprise me if they even copied the bridge that exact. Maybe somehow one of those copy bridges ended up in your strat for reasons unknown. Fender Japan did not exist until 1982 so how would they even get a Japan part in stock in the USA in the 70s?

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Post subject: Re: NGD ('75 Stratocaster)
Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2014 5:05 am
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Aging Parts - The pickup covers on my '75 Strat have aged slightly different.


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