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Post subject: 1982 Fender Bullet
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:08 pm
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I have a 1982 Fender Bullet and love it. It has the three pickup configuration, 5 way switch, black finish, Strat body and Tele neck.
I have had this guitar for over 20 years now but it just doesnt go up in value. Every time I go to see what they are going for its 200 - 300 dollars.
Why are these guitars not valued more for an Fender American Made Guitar?
Mike


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Post subject: Re: 1982 Fender Bullet
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:38 am
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fourstringer57 wrote:
I have a 1982 Fender Bullet and love it. It has the three pickup configuration, 5 way switch, black finish, Strat body and Tele neck.
I have had this guitar for over 20 years now but it just doesnt go up in value. Every time I go to see what they are going for its 200 - 300 dollars.
Why are these guitars not valued more for an Fender American Made Guitar?
Mike


The Bullet series were, "entry level" guitars made by Fender back in their very worst days. Consequently, they will probably always mimic the price of used MIMs unless someone has a special 'thing' for them.

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Post subject: Re: 1982 Fender Bullet
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:47 pm
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Martian wrote:
fourstringer57 wrote:
I have a 1982 Fender Bullet and love it. It has the three pickup configuration, 5 way switch, black finish, Strat body and Tele neck.
I have had this guitar for over 20 years now but it just doesnt go up in value. Every time I go to see what they are going for its 200 - 300 dollars.
Why are these guitars not valued more for an Fender American Made Guitar?
Mike


The Bullet series were, "entry level" guitars made by Fender back in their very worst days. Consequently, they will probably always mimic the price of used MIMs unless someone has a special 'thing' for them.


And quite frankly--while there were some well made Bullets--for the most part they were quite cheap. Previous Fender models like the Musicmaster, Bronco & Duo Sonic, as well as the more upscale Mustang were replaced by the more cheaply made Bullets, and the former--overall were better than the Bullets.

So deserved or not, there is a stigma attached to all of them.

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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 1:10 am
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You have a fantastic guitar !!! Don't believe the headstock label snobs who insult your guitar. It's body should be as mine "laminated hardwood" (NOT plywood). These models like yours and mine are highly under-rated and made in relatively low numbers thus scarce. The superb "tone" is where it's at and don't for a second let anyone tell you otherwise.

I own two with that type body material along with a Fender Lead II and some top of the line '08 Squiers, a Tele Custom and Deluxe Stratocaster yet my Bullet "1" like yours and it's "sister" my laminated hardwood bodied SSH pickup equipped '90 Squier II Stratocaster puts them to shame.

Check my posts here as I'm still trying to figure out if there was another designation or model name to our guitar and I've posted pics. You can also message me either here or at the Squier '51 modders site where I post under the screen name "blackheartsfan" I'd be happy to pass along all I know including where to get parts, (Angela Instruments for the five way DM-50 spring switch) and other valuable info. Just do NOT let anyone belittle your fine example of Fender engineering and craftsmanship.


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:38 pm
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JerseyJettFan wrote:
It's body should be as mine "laminated hardwood" (NOT plywood).


Well actually "Laminated hardwood" is a type of plywood.
Plywood is made of laminated layers of wood.

But "Plywood" has more negative connotations than "Laminate"

Any way--I did outline some reasons Bullets have a lesser reputation--deserved or not.

But bottom line is--Do you like your guitar?
Does it do what it's supposed to do?

Hey if the answers to those are yes--then hey, great.

But there are many reasons why people like Bullets less than other Fenders.

But I've never been one to go along with the majority, just because they're the majority.

If that were so I wouldn't have a Mustang.
My main amp wouldn't be a Roland, etc, etc.

Part of playing guitar is about finding your own style and voice--if a cheap guitar does it or an expensive one-or something in between--then great.

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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 12:56 am
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Both on here as well as some of the other Fender related sites like Strat-talk and the Telecaster oriented site there are those with NOTHING between their ears but space who insist that a guitar MUST carry the "name brand" logo or it's crap. That reasoning itself is flawed in so many ways but it's late here on the East Coast so I can't stay up to rebut all the slurs against Squiers and the early Bullets in particular.

I'm 46 yrs old & have heard it all, and/or rather seen the repeated disinformation from those who repeatedly resort to name calling on a regular basis so I wanted to reassure the person that he indeed has a guitar of "quality" and not to feel that what he possessed was second rate. There were those that scoffed at my Fender Lead II when I first purchased it in '88. Just look a it's performance when measured against other guitars of that era not to mention it's "collectibility" (which means nothing to me) now.

I appreciate that you didn't join in the bashing in response to the original post or my reply. There is as I've learned (I'm a bus/diesel mechanic) a difference even betwen "plywood" and the "laminated hardwood" used by Fender/Squier during the construction of the Bullet Series guitars. Where as most plywood is soft wood of inferior quality/scraps and gets its' strength from multiple layers but more so from the "adhesive" used to secure the layers, the "laminated hardwood" used by Fender/Squier is just that, HARDWOOD layers. These hardwood layers are cut then planed to uniform thickness (unlike plywood which is inferior material of various thicknesses shaped under "compression") and the glued to each other, more layers creating more stiffness.

I've never ever seen plywood with layers as uniform in thickness as the three "laminated hardwood" bodied Squier Bullets I have in my home at this time. The Bullet "1" "laminated hardwood" bodies ARE heavier than their solid bodied brothers and in my experience produce more "tone".

Recently I've had work done on my home, replaced seats in my rowboat and watched cabinet makers as they built my neighbors walk-in closet and cabinetry noting that only the most expensive and highest quality "laminated hardwood" was used where the finish was to exposed and that regular "plywood" was used for "general" construction.

As for your Mustang, I too sought out the "orphans" of the Fender line, thus it should explain my much loved Lead II, my now gone Squier '51, including the new additions of late, my '90 Korean Stratocaster in "aged" white pearl and '85 Bullet "1" w/Tele body and stock SSH pickup configuration.

I think so highly of these "laminated hardwood" bodies that when given the chance here in N.J. I bought a '87 MIK Squier Bullet "1" by Fender with smaller Stratocaster body of that era for a good friends nine year old son who has recently expressed an interest in playing. I'm sure this guitar will serve him well for a very long time. It's pictured here, black body with white pickguard.
[/url][img][img]http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz130/blackheartsfan/th_koreanmadesquiers007.jpg[/img]

[/img][url][URL=http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz130/blackheartsfan/?action=view&current=koreanmadesquiers006.jpg]Image[/url][/url]

[url][img][URL=http://s820.photobucket.com/albums/zz130/blackheartsfan/?action=view&current=koreanmadesquiers013.jpg][img]http://i820.photobucket.com/albums/zz130/blackheartsfan/th_koreanmadesquiers013.jpg[/img][/url][/img][/url]


Last edited by JerseyJettFan on Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:14 pm
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Nothing wrong with good quality laminate.


Anyway--the Lead series had some decent stuff.

I did consider one before I bought my Iceman.
The Mustang came after that when a store was moving, and decided to get rid of the Mustangs they'd had for a while. With the lowered prices I could afford one at that time (I'd just started a job.)

So if things had gone a little differently, I might have had one of the Lead series.

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