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Post subject: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 12:01 am
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I recently acquired a used Strat from a local music store and wasn't able to get any history on it. The serial number matches back to one of the '81 - '83 Gold Edition Standards but a lot has been changed out (floyd rose, vintage noiseless pickups, stripped gold finish). The guitar plays great, has a straight neck, no fret buzz or any other major issues. It has an absolutely cool vibe to it with a lot of wear and finish checking.

From what I can tell this is a Dan Smith era Strat but I'm not sure what that really means. Can anyone tell if it is one and, if so, what exactly does that mean? I'm sure the value has been greatly decreased by the swapped components.

Thanks.
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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:19 am
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Any chance of doing an autopsy?
Usual thing - photos of neck pocket and any stamps, stamps on the butt end of the neck, reverse view of the scratchplate showing the detail stamped onto the pot casings, all that kind of stuff.

It's just a shame that a revious owner saw fit to fit a Floyd Rose on it :cry:


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:56 am
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"Fender Dan Smith era" basically means a movement away from CBS mass production mindset; towards vintage & maybe more quality based guitar production - e.g. smaller headstock, four bolt neck etc.
"Back to basics" one might say. You'll find a lot more (mostly opinions) on the web.

I won't complain about the upgrades - someone clearly had a vision on what he/she wanted, and somehow those era related mods are now just as big a part of the guitar's history as the originals. They do have an effect on the collector value, though.
The guitar seems to need a proper setup (as in: the neck may be a bit misaligned and that highE under the first, over the second string guide...). And is that natural lacquer finish original..?


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:14 am
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This is a Dan Smith-era Standard Stratocaster which has been modified with a gold-plated Floyd locking tremolo assembly.

A proper Dan Smith Strat would have a Freeflight trem and a "bare-bones" output jack.

You'll need to resize your pics, they're too big.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:20 am
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When CBS brought in a new management team in the early 80s Dan Smith was part of that team (as was Bill Schultz).
And the first thing he did was check the specification of already made guitars ready for shipping, and found that the percentage of guitars that conformed to specification was very low.
So he effectively shut down production for a period of staff retraining.
Instead of having 250 to 300 guitars being made daily the number dropped to just a handful, with every aspect of manufacturing scrutinized.
The quality of the instruments went right up towards pre CBS standards.

There were changes made to the instruments during this period.
The 3 bolt neck joint was switched to the 4 bolt neck joint, the headstock shape went back to the smaller pre CBS shape, and the truss rod adjuster was moved back down to the butt end of the neck.
The electrics were modified slightly too, with a hotter bridge pickup.
I can't remember, but it might have been at this time that the 5 way pickup selector switch became the standard fit item it now is.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 5:25 am
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chromeface wrote:
This is a Dan Smith-era Standard Stratocaster which has been modified with a gold-plated Floyd locking tremolo assembly.

A proper Dan Smith Strat would have a Freeflight trem and a "bare-bones" output jack.


The guitar you're referring to came later.
The first Dan Smith Strats were as I described.
I remember them appearing, and it was a pleasure to behold such well made instruments.

The later Standard with the Freeflyte tremolo was not so good in my opinion.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:05 am
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Granted Dan Smith was involved in both the 1982 model and the 1983-84 models with the FreeFlyte but as stratmangler says typically the term "Dan Smith Strat" has been only used to identify the 1982 models.

To the OP - that guitar looks like it was refinished to natural. I suspect it started life as one of the Gold Strat versons of the 1982 model, then modded with the gold Floyd Rose II.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 8:12 am
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stratmangler wrote

[quote][/The guitar you're referring to came later.
The first Dan Smith Strats were as I described.
I remember them appearing, and it was a pleasure to behold such well made instrumentsquote]

Quite correct, I had one, bought new in 1982, long gone now. It was a decent enough instrument and in some regard I wish I still had it. The prices here in the UK are creeping up probably due to the often mistaken belief everything old is better.
In my opinion my 1987 standard strat made when the new factory restarted production is a better guitar and one I won't sell easily.

... Al


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Post subject: Re: Is this a Dan Smith strat?
Posted: Wed Dec 31, 2014 3:12 pm
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John C wrote:
Granted Dan Smith was involved in both the 1982 model and the 1983-84 models with the FreeFlyte but as stratmangler says typically the term "Dan Smith Strat" has been only used to identify the 1982 models.

To the OP - that guitar looks like it was refinished to natural. I suspect it started life as one of the Gold Strat versons of the 1982 model, then modded with the gold Floyd Rose II.


JohnC is 100% correct on both accounts. The Smith Strats were made during 1982, "Smith Strats" were NOT the two knob jobs! And this was a Gold Strat version that was refinished and modified. The peg head shape says it all! Take a close look it has the smaller atrophied peg head.

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