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Post subject: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 8:30 am
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As many members of the forum might know, I answer a lot of validation questions here on the forum. What I'm trying to do is collect as much information as I can about Stratocasters from 1970 - 1980. Any help from the forum is greatly appreciated.

If possible, please post photos of your Strats from 1970 - 1980 with the following information:

Year:
Modifications if any:
Odd or interesting things about the guitar:
Case type:

One than one photo, say front and back would be great. Feel free to blur out any serial numbers. I'll start with mine.

[img][IMG]http://i1068.photobucket.com/albums/u457/parist1/DSC_0063_zps2b36d245.jpg[/img][/img]

Year: 1975
Modifications (if any): 5-way switch added and tone pots were replaced. I refretted it and changed out a brass nut with a bone one. I also changed out the original white pickguard (still have it) with an era correct black one. The guitar was shielded with copper and one tone knob was is not original.
Any intersting or odd things about it: For some reason the neck pickup is from '74. Due the year listed on it, I'm inclined to believe that this is original to the guitar. Fender is famous for mixxing and matching parts during transition periods (between '74 and '75 pickups went from being staggered to flush).

Thanks in advance, Paris


Last edited by paris on Mon May 25, 2015 8:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Thu May 21, 2015 12:48 pm
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https://www.dropbox.com/s/h11vup8v9kzktqf/2015-05-08%2017.55.45.jpg?dl=0

Here you see my 1974 strat only owned 2 weeks or so, and my Japanese 72 reissue from 2013


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Fri May 22, 2015 10:10 am
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here's my 4 70's strat's
1972 Fender Stratocaster
1974 Fender Stratocaster
1978 Fender Stratocaster
1979 Fender Stratocaster 25th Anniversary
http://s1212.photobucket.com/user/skull ... sort=3&o=0


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 7:38 pm
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Hi, here's my 1972 Strat, bought new for me by my dad when I was in 11th grade. He bought it for me after I made a B average in school. We purchased it brand new at West LA Music if memory serves. I was a petty bad student in high school but thanks to that Strat, which I still have today, I made it through UCLA (bachelors), U. Iowa (masters) and Boston U. (MBA). I now have 8 other guitars but this 72 Strat is my "number one."

The neck, tuners, and body are original. The neck was refretted twice, once in the mid-80s and again in the early 90s. I upgraded the bridge to a standard 60s steel bridge as I hated the cast bridge; couldn't intonate the damn thing. I also replaced all the electronics myself several times during the years, including the 5-way switch upgrade I performed myself in the late 70s. It now has three Seymour Duncan SSL-5s which I think sound the best of all I've tried (Fender 57/62s, Klein S-5s, Dimarzio HS1/3s). I also installed a little toggle switch that keeps the bridge pickup on no matter where the pickup selector switch is, giving me all 7 pickup selections. I use D'Addario 9s on all my Strats to allow easier string bending (I use 11s on my Gibson electric and acoustic). This guitar will stay in the family long after I'm gone. I hope. Enjoy
[url][URL=http://s563.photobucket.com/user/sandyfriedman21/media/Sanfords72Stratocaster.jpg.html]Image[/url][/url]


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 7:54 pm
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Beautiful example from the '70s!

8)

I assume the original pickguard remains unmolested?

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 2:42 pm
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Location: Near The City By The Bay
Year: 1975, though one of the pickups has “…74” and all of them are flat-poles, the rest of the innards say 1975 and I bought it in early 1977.

Mods: I bought it when I was in high school, and not recognizing perfection as it lay in my hands, I replaced the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio SDS-1 – at the time, louder was thought to be better. A horrible thing to do. I eventually replaced it with a SD SSL-6T. While I was inside replacing the second tone pot for one with a push switch controlling the tapped outputs, I replaced everything under the pickguard as the volume control was scratchy beyond contact cleaner. I also swapped out the zinc-ish bridge for a real piece of steel from the Fender catalog. Other than the original bridge pickup, I’ve got the old parts in a box. Original tuners, nut, frets still installed.

Odd/Interesting: The original bridge/trem block is stamped “MADE IN JAPAN” on the bottom. I asked Rob Schwarz, he said it didn’t happen on his watch…and admitted it could have been an engineering sample that got to the showroom…it happens. Made from nearly one piece of ash, I loved that you can see the core of the tree - there are two small additions on the bottom bumps but you really need to look for them...one goes right by the lower edge of the input jack plate...and even that is really well-matched. Speaking of not matching, the "Volume" control has aged to a golden color, while the "Tone" controls have taking on a greenish hue over the years. Never had a problem with it staying in tune. Odd?

Case: OHSH, more orange than red plush lining. Needed to replace one of the latches rather early due to metal fatigue.

Weight: What discussion of these artifacts would be complete without at least mention of this? Mine bears down on my shoulder to the tune of 14 pounds.

Image

Image

Image

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1967 Epiphone Madrid EC-30
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: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 3:49 pm
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x


Last edited by my56strat on Fri Jul 03, 2015 7:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 6:27 pm
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HeyJoe42 wrote:
Year: 1975, though one of the pickups has “…74” and all of thefm are flat-poles, the rest of the innards say 1975 and I bought it in early 1977.

Mods: I bought it when I was in high school, and not recognizing perfection as it lay in my hands, I replaced the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio SDS-1 – at the time, louder was thought to be better. A horrible thing to do. I eventually replaced it with a SD SSL-6T. While I was inside replacing the second tone pot for one with a push switch controlling the tapped outputs, I replaced everything under the pickguard as the volume control was scratchy beyond contact cleaner. I also swapped out the zinc-ish bridge for a real piece of steel from the Fender catalog. Other than the original bridge pickup, I’ve got the old parts in a box. Original tuners, nut, frets still installed.

Odd/Interesting: The original bridge/trem block is stamped “MADE IN JAPAN” on the bottom. I asked Rob Schwarz, he said it didn’t happen on his watch…and admitted it could have been an engineering sample that got to the showroom…it happens. Made from nearly one piece of ash, I loved that you can see the core of the tree - there are two small additions on the bottom bumps but you really need to look for them...one goes right by the lower edge of the input jack plate...and even that is really well-matched. Speaking of not matching, the "Volume" control has aged to a golden color, while the "Tone" controls have taking on a greenish hue over the years. Never had a problem with it staying in tune. Odd?

Case: OHSH, more orange than red plush lining. Needed to replace one of the latches rather early due to metal fatigue.

Weight: What discussion of these artifacts would be complete without at least mention of this? Mine bears down on my shoulder to the tune of 14 pounds.

Image

Image

Image

Great story. I've noticed that the gold letter goes green with age. Must be copper in the paint. The same thing happens to old gold top Les Pauls.


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 6:29 pm
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my56strat wrote:
Dug out this old photo, this was my 1st real(and good strat) early 1971, before all the changes, 4-bolt neck, pat.pend saddles, no bullet truss, basically the same as a 69', she was blonde with rosewood.It is long gone, many, many years, but I always remember it as my 1st "real" strat, forgive the pic quality it's about 33 years old.I paid about $300 for her at the local music store, mint and all original.Image

My 1st real Strat was an '87 Strat Plus. I still mis that guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 6:31 pm
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By the way, I was born in Jan '71.


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 7:09 pm
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I had strats before the 71' , but feel this was my 1st "real good one".


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 11:55 pm
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Hi Arjay,

Unfortunately, I had drilled holes in my original pickguard to accommodate 3 toggle switches with the DiMarzio HS1/HS3 setup (single, double coil, in phase, out of phase, series, parallel, etc.) I had done this surgery in the late 80s and frankly was never really happy with it. After I built the new pickguard with the SSL-5s (around 2002), I reassembled the original pickguard with the original pickups (which I NEVER liked, extremely weak and twangy) and simply put decorative round-head screws where the 3 holes were. I also kept the original cast bridge assembly with those crappy cast saddles, just in case I need to reassemble the guitar to original spec. I never plan to sell my 72 Strat, unless I end up living in a van down by the river.

HeyJoe43, I love your natural Strat. When the natural finishes came out later in the 70s, I was really tempted to sand mine down and have it refinished. Years later, I'm glad I left the sunburst finish the way it is.

sandy


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 1:50 am
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That original one-piece cast-Mazac bridge was a miserable piece of crap so there's no love lost there -- at least, for me. Best to save it though for "posterity".

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: Post photo of your 1970s Stratocasters
Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 3:25 am
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It seems like with Strats from the 1970s it's hit or miss. I've owned 5 thus far and two sounded and played great and two sounded awful. The 5th was gutted and Van Zant pups and new electronics installed.


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