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Post subject: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 12:27 am
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I was searching endlessly tonight regarding Strat body curves in the mid-1980s. I want to update a section on my Strat Plus website on this subject and want the facts to be right. So I come across info about the Fullerton contour and what I guess we call the Corona contour. Here is the thing I find interesting about the Fullerton body curves - as most of you know I deal mostly with Strat Plus guitars. We know that actual shipped production models dated mid-1987. I think the eariest neck date i have seen was like June if i remember right. Yet, i have some Plus guitars with Fullerton body contours... And some people say Fender only made these Fullertons in late 1986 and for a short time on the new American Standards. Ok, i just bought a near mint Strat Plus in Fiesta Red. Gorgeous guitar. I had it on the bench, admiring it as we guitars geeks do and then noticed the contour on the butt (ok ok) and it was fat. Pulled out a newer Plus from the 90s and it was totally different. I pulled the pickguard and it has the swimming pool route as a Plus should have. Then i pulled my 87 Vintage White player out, and sure enough it has the Fullerton contours as well. Tomorrow I am going to pull every 87 - 88 Plus i have out and look. I did pull out a Surf Green E4 Plus that was close to the front of a stack, which might be really an 88 and it has the Corona Cut.

So what the heck? How can there be a mix of 87-88s out there, some with Fullerton cuts and others with Corona cuts? Wish there was some accurate info on this. John C, can you shed some light?

But Fender did some weird things. Like way after the Strat Plus Standard was in full swing production in late 1988 and the dust settled on what they consisted of as far as tuners and a full Wilkinson nut. Then Fender introduced the Strat Plus DX in 1989. The first ones that came out had a split Wikinson Nut, Sperzel tuners and even the E4 serial numbers! The Standard Strat Plus by this time was using E8 and E9 serial numbers. So did some Fullerton cuts get made with swimming pool routes and then get piled up in a back room and then Fender took them out and used them in 88 and even early 89 while most all the American Standard and Standard Plus' were using the Corona cuts????? The couple i looked at late tonight,mi did notice one similarity- the bridge posts were the wood screw type. Fender, in early 88 introduced the pressed in brass insert ferrule in which a steel bridge post was threaded into. So the two Fullertons inhave on my bench right now must be older bodies on a bit newer guitar?

I will post picts tomorrow of the difference between the Fullerton contour and the later Corona contour along with a report of what i find. I really do like the fatter looking, rounded edges on the Fullerton curves.

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 7:02 am
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Xhefri wrote:
I was searching endlessly tonight regarding Strat body curves in the mid-1980s. I want to update a section on my Strat Plus website on this subject and want the facts to be right. So I come across info about the Fullerton contour and what I guess we call the Corona contour. Here is the thing I find interesting about the Fullerton body curves - as most of you know I deal mostly with Strat Plus guitars. We know that actual shipped production models dated mid-1987. I think the eariest neck date i have seen was like June if i remember right. Yet, i have some Plus guitars with Fullerton body contours... And some people say Fender only made these Fullertons in late 1986 and for a short time on the new American Standards. Ok, i just bought a near mint Strat Plus in Fiesta Red. Gorgeous guitar. I had it on the bench, admiring it as we guitars geeks do and then noticed the contour on the butt (ok ok) and it was fat. Pulled out a newer Plus from the 90s and it was totally different. I pulled the pickguard and it has the swimming pool route as a Plus should have. Then i pulled my 87 Vintage White player out, and sure enough it has the Fullerton contours as well. Tomorrow I am going to pull every 87 - 88 Plus i have out and look. I did pull out a Surf Green E4 Plus that was close to the front of a stack, which might be really an 88 and it has the Corona Cut.

So what the heck? How can there be a mix of 87-88s out there, some with Fullerton cuts and others with Corona cuts? Wish there was some accurate info on this. John C, can you shed some light?

But Fender did some weird things. Like way after the Strat Plus Standard was in full swing production in late 1988 and the dust settled on what they consisted of as far as tuners and a full Wilkinson nut. Then Fender introduced the Strat Plus DX in 1989. The first ones that came out had a split Wikinson Nut, Sperzel tuners and even the E4 serial numbers! The Standard Strat Plus by this time was using E8 and E9 serial numbers. So did some Fullerton cuts get made with swimming pool routes and then get piled up in a back room and then Fender took them out and used them in 88 and even early 89 while most all the American Standard and Standard Plus' were using the Corona cuts????? The couple i looked at late tonight,mi did notice one similarity- the bridge posts were the wood screw type. Fender, in early 88 introduced the pressed in brass insert ferrule in which a steel bridge post was threaded into. So the two Fullertons inhave on my bench right now must be older bodies on a bit newer guitar?

I will post picts tomorrow of the difference between the Fullerton contour and the later Corona contour along with a report of what i find. I really do like the fatter looking, rounded edges on the Fullerton curves.


I've noticed contour differences over the years myself. For instance, body contours of the '70s tend to thicker and less contoured. Especially on the belly cut and where the strumming arm rests. Horns can vary greatly, from very plat to over-rounded.

My '75 Strat has pretty rounded horns, where as the '76 Strat I just sold, has over-rounded with sharp edges where the top of the horms meet the sides. If you goto my guitar photo albums on Facebook, you can see the difference.

In the late-'80s and '90s, it seemed to me that the horns and body contours became much flatter, with very little roundness to them.

As to changes with '87 Strats (I owned an E4 Strat Plus; and loved it!), I think what happened was that when Fender was bought by the current owners, they got a name, machines and leftover parts. No factory. So I suspect that there are a number of early late-'80s Strats with older bodies and necks.

Back in 2000, when the American series was released, Fender addressed the contour issues (the fact that they were not very round). Today, the contours are a bit closer to what they were like in the '50s. But even that is subjective.

By the way, thanks for all of your insite with answering forum members' questions. You're a vailable resource to this website.


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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 7:53 am
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About all that I've turned up on this is that those deeper "Fullerton contours" as found on the Fullerton reissues and the early Corona guitars disappeared some time during 1987. As always with Fender in that era as soon as you have a theory about when changes happen you'll find several examples that disprove it. One theory would be that Fender was using up some stockpiled bodies that were made a bit earlier in the year (from whenever they started the American Standard-style body with the universal rout) until whenever they stopped in early to mid 1987.

Another theory is that Fender had some workers who came over from the CBS/Fullerton era making bodies; these were the people who did the deep "Fullerton Contours". As Fender added more models, these long-term workers trained the new workers and then moved on to developing the newer models. So these workers did the Reissues from the time that Corona opened, then they added the American Standards to their work stream in late 1986 while they trained the new employees on sanding/shaping bodies. Then these experienced workers moved on to doing the Strat Plus models when they came out - at least they did the first ones to "make sure they were right" before the newer workers started on these. Then this group probably moved on to the first Artist models, and if they stuck around they probably wound up in the early Custom Shop.

These are just wild guesses on my part; maybe Rob or someone else from Fender can help us out on this.


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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:00 am
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I did learn something this morning that was insightful. This 89 Fiesta Red Plus i just bought was really an early 1987 with a neck change! I contacted the seller and they emailed me (with the originals in the mail) a Fender repair form showing this guitar had been sent back to Fender and had a neck change done as the original E4 (87) neck was defective, thus a later serial number and neck date stamp. So the Fullerton contours were only on the very early 87 Plus guitars. Later i will dig through my collection and look for more.

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Last edited by Xhefri on Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 8:07 am
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John C wrote:
About all that I've turned up on this is that those deeper "Fullerton contours" as found on the Fullerton reissues and the early Corona guitars disappeared some time during 1987. As always with Fender in that era as soon as you have a theory about when changes happen you'll find several examples that disprove it. One theory would be that Fender was using up some stockpiled bodies that were made a bit earlier in the year (from whenever they started the American Standard-style body with the universal rout) until whenever they stopped in early to mid 1987.

Another theory is that Fender had some workers who came over from the CBS/Fullerton era making bodies; these were the people who did the deep "Fullerton Contours". As Fender added more models, these long-term workers trained the new workers and then moved on to developing the newer models. So these workers did the Reissues from the time that Corona opened, then they added the American Standards to their work stream in late 1986 while they trained the new employees on sanding/shaping bodies. Then these experienced workers moved on to doing the Strat Plus models when they came out - at least they did the first ones to "make sure they were right" before the newer workers started on these. Then this group probably moved on to the first Artist models, and if they stuck around they probably wound up in the early Custom Shop.

These are just wild guesses on my part; maybe Rob or someone else from Fender can help us out on this.

Thanks John, i was hoping to hear from you as i read a lengthy reply you left on this topic on another Forum a couple years ago. Please check out the post i just made after your post. Confirms why i have a later Fullerton Plus (89). The seller is sending me the documents so i have them with the guitar. I lean toward old employees making new bodies rather than the old parts kicking around from the Fullerton plant because of the newer swimming pool route. Just does not make sense they would take old bodies and the reroute them...buy hey, one never knows for sure. But one this is for sure, as this becomes more documented we will find the very early Fullerton Plus will be even more collectable.

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 11:37 am
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Xhefri wrote:
John C wrote:
About all that I've turned up on this is that those deeper "Fullerton contours" as found on the Fullerton reissues and the early Corona guitars disappeared some time during 1987. As always with Fender in that era as soon as you have a theory about when changes happen you'll find several examples that disprove it. One theory would be that Fender was using up some stockpiled bodies that were made a bit earlier in the year (from whenever they started the American Standard-style body with the universal rout) until whenever they stopped in early to mid 1987.

Another theory is that Fender had some workers who came over from the CBS/Fullerton era making bodies; these were the people who did the deep "Fullerton Contours". As Fender added more models, these long-term workers trained the new workers and then moved on to developing the newer models. So these workers did the Reissues from the time that Corona opened, then they added the American Standards to their work stream in late 1986 while they trained the new employees on sanding/shaping bodies. Then these experienced workers moved on to doing the Strat Plus models when they came out - at least they did the first ones to "make sure they were right" before the newer workers started on these. Then this group probably moved on to the first Artist models, and if they stuck around they probably wound up in the early Custom Shop.

These are just wild guesses on my part; maybe Rob or someone else from Fender can help us out on this.

Thanks John, i was hoping to hear from you as i read a lengthy reply you left on this topic on another Forum a couple years ago. Please check out the post i just made after your post. Confirms why i have a later Fullerton Plus (89). The seller is sending me the documents so i have them with the guitar. I lean toward old employees making new bodies rather than the old parts kicking around from the Fullerton plant because of the newer swimming pool route. Just does not make sense they would take old bodies and the reroute them...buy hey, one never knows for sure. But one this is for sure, as this becomes more documented we will find the very early Fullerton Plus will be even more collectable.


Yes, that makes more sense that it was an '87 with a replacement neck. Also I didn't mean that any Fullerton bodies were kicking around, just that when the first Pluses were in the second half of 1987 Fender might have used a small stash of bodies they had made from say December 1986 through March 1987 (while the American Standard runs were using bodies in different colors that were made after the "Fullerton Contours" had been dropped).


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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Thu Feb 19, 2015 6:39 pm
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I think you are right John. I just dug through my collection and found only 2 Fullerton 87 Strat Plus'. The rest, all late 87s - 88s onward all had the Corona curves (I like the sound of that!) One Surf Green 87 I have which uses the Corona curves is really flat on the tops, more than a most of my other later Plus'. Like they never sanded the curves hardly at all as the edges are more square.

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Sat Feb 21, 2015 2:18 pm
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Ok here iare some picts that show the difference between the Fullerton bodies used on the 86-mid 87 American Standard Strats and a hand full of the very first Strat Plus guitars:

Image Image

First note the butt end of the body. The Fiesta Red 87 Plus is the Fullerton bevel. The 87 Surf Green is the newer Corona bevels (or what I call Corona Curves, love how that sounds!). Note the Fullerton body (Fiesta Red) has a much thicker cut on the arm bevel. Also the Corona cut between the arm bevel and the tummy bevel is thicker and flat on top (top 3 picts). The tummy cut on the Corona (Surf Green) tapers down to a thinner edge while the Fullerton cut is rounder and fatter.

Image Image

Same with the belly cut on the neck side of the guitars. The Corona cut is thinner in the middle of the body and again flatter up to the neck-side strap button. In my opinion, the Fullerton bevels are nicer and more sexy (if i can say that). Also all the Fullerton bodies have the early wood-screw type bridge post. It has a more rounded head with a straight edge screw driver slot. This screws directly into the wood. All the first American Standards made in 1986 and up to mid 1987 used these. All the Fullerton Strat Plus' used them and a few of the 87 Corona Plus' did as well. They were later replaced buy the method of drilling a bigger hole and then pressing in a brass ferrule in, which a flat topped bridge post was threaded into. See Below:

Image Image

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 12:01 am
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Hi Xhefri, JohnC and all,
Hopefully it's not bad form to link another forum ( but hey its all about sharing ain't it?) but this thread might be of some interest to you concerning differences in contours ( and why): http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1234996

At some point, though I'm not sure when, the contours stopped being cut by hand (late 80's?) and have since been done on CNC.....more consistent, obviously....though there is still sanding done to them....though not to the extent that it had been done in days passed.

And um eh err ......."Fullerton" Strat Pluses would be a misnomer.........

All the best,
FRR34

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 2:52 am
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FRR34 wrote:
And um eh err ......."Fullerton" Strat Pluses would be a misnomer.........

All the best,
FRR34

I hear ya.... Maybe a Fullerton beveled or styled Strat Plus?

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 4:03 am
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I think that as far as contours go---that although from 82 on, they were probably "more" consistent, since attention was once again being paid to quality (Schultz, Dan Smith, Darcazallie), they were still being cut on a band saw --then taken to a belt sander, so until CNC use began, the thicknesses are dependent on the individual worker----and the folks further down the line paying attention to any inconsistencies. So accidental "styling" is not out of the realm of possibilities. :O)
Cheers,
FRR34

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:47 am
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FRR34 wrote:
I think that as far as contours go---that although from 82 on, they were probably "more" consistent, since attention was once again being paid to quality (Schultz, Dan Smith, Darcazallie), they were still being cut on a band saw --then taken to a belt sander, so until CNC use began, the thicknesses are dependent on the individual worker----and the folks further down the line paying attention to any inconsistencies. So accidental "styling" is not out of the realm of possibilities. :O)
Cheers,
FRR34

What you are explaining is the same thing I have told people about necks on Strats for years especially those of the era we are talking about. While a machine cuts the rough form out of a blank, much of the finish work is done by hand. I have a lot of Strat Plus guitars and they all have the modern C shape, but they often taper slightly different—some are bit thinner or chunkier. And the reason is the finisher only has to hold the neck a few seconds longer on a belt sander to take off a few thousands more, or even more than a few thousands, thus changing the feel of the neck. I have measured the flat spot on the heel of a lot of necks and some are longer than the others. Again hand sanded!

I have two Fullerton beveled Strats Plus guitars. The bodies are almost identical in cut, meaning they started out with the same template. But there is a slight variation in the sanding of the edges and curves, due to what you are bringing up.

After saying all this, it seems buy the mid-to late 1990s things became a lot more consistent, meaning more machine work and less hand work. That is my guess.

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Post subject: Re: 1980s Fullerton verses Corona Body Contours
Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 4:47 pm
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Early 80's~
after cutting ---contours were sanded on a machine similar-but larger- to this

Image

(below) backs of necks (final sanding I believe)- similar to this (somewhere in size between the small "tumbler" and the larger one to the right)

Image

So, yeh...a bit of "wiggle room" there

Cheers,
FRR34

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