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Actually,
this isn't about accurately pinning a guitar's
date of construction down, it is more an overview
of varying construction techniques over the
production run of the Fender® Stratocaster® model line. When I
first started getting serious about wanting to
know about my Fenders. I heard a myriad of terms
like 'slab board, lam board, big
head, little head, spaghetti logo, big logo,
black logo, gold logo' -- I was
lost. I had owned a Fender for almost thirty
years and was in the dark! Even after reading
descriptions of what these terms meant, I still
needed a visual. A picture is worth a thousand
words, a sample is worth a million. I gave my
wife that reasoning so I could begin collecting
guitars!
First
allow me to introduce you to my Fender® Telecaster®, purchased new in 1972
from Manny's Music on 48th Street in Manhattan,
it is a 1971 model, as determined by the date on
the heel of the neck. The only modifications
made are the addition of Strat knobs (I like
having the numbers) and an old-style barrel
selector switch cap. The original cap broke after
twenty-five years in service. Think I should try
to claim it on warranty?
The
American flag on the upper bout was installed in
1972 as a show of support for the American troops
then stationed in Viet Nam. The flag came off in
1975, but was reinstalled on September 12, 2001.
It will stay this time. The headstock of this
guitar is of interest as it displays the large
black Fender logo and bold script that I believe
was introduced after the CBS takeover of 1964,
probably around 1967. Before I write another
word, here is a link to the absolutely most
thorough site I've seen regarding Fender
finishes. This guy seems to be the man when it
comes to this info. http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fenderc.html/
 As the seventies wore
on, the TELECASTER® font got more bold.
Note the 'flame' or 'teardrop' of walnut on the
headstock. This leads me to a crucial, though
misunderstood topic of Fender construction. This
guitar, although sporting a rosewood fingerboard,
is still routed for a truss rod from the back of
the neck. The contrasting skunk stripe of black
walnut is the giveaway. The fingerboard is a very
thin laminate of rosewood, not an actual
fingerboard at all. The teardrop is a plug
filling the access hole where the non-adjusting
end of the truss rod is anchored during
construction. Please note only one string tree or
retainer. Later models had two. Correct string
winding is all that is required to keep the
tension correct, another tree isn't all that
necessary.
The
1961 Fender® Telecaster® and Stratocaster® also had a rosewood
fingerboard, but this board is an actual slab of
rosewood. These guitars sport no teardrop or
skunk stripe.
 LEFT: lam board,
rosewood is arched and comes no where near the
truss rod adjusting bolt, neck has skunk stripe
on back. (1971 Telecaster®)
RIGHT:
Slab board is true separate fingerboard. Neck is
plain on back. Truss rod bolt touches or intrudes
on fingerboard. (1962 Stratocaster)
 LEFT: Skunk stripe as
seen on the back of 1971 Fender® Telecaster® neck. When I was a kid,
the stripe, to me, meant it was a real Fender®! More fool me, the
pre-1964 stuff, what everyone dreamed
about owning, had no stripe, unless you went back
to the 1950's models, which none of us poor Bronx
kids ever got to see!
When
Fender® reintroduced maple
fingerboards in the late 1960's, they didn't as
much reintroduce it, they reinvented it. Rather
than go back to the skunk stripe and one piece
neck, they took their production rosewood necks
and merely added a maple board rather than a
rosewood one. This gave us a neck with no skunk
stripe, no teardrop, great stability, and if you
look closely you can see the separate board. See
below:
 Sorry about the
fuzziness of the picture, this was a tight shot!
You can indeed see the separation of neck and
board, though.
Let's
talk about heads! Now we all can tell a
Telecaster® from a Stratocaster® by the profile of the
headstock. Tele's have always looked strange and
definitely funky to me. That headstock is just
too small for the rest of the instrument. It
appeals now, but I was turned off by it as a kid.
Didn't keep me from buying one though!
Stratocaster® heads are much more
graceful--until 1968, then they went bug-eye big.
I believe Fender® CBS didn't want to cut
many styles of neck and, considering that the
Jaguar and Jazzmaster were their flagship models and had gone to
a larger headstock pattern,
decided to cut Strats to the same pattern. This
is not a criticism, it was a business decision.
Regardless, we lost the svelte, sexy head in
favor of a ping pong paddle.  Don't take my word for
it, see below.
LEFT:
Graceful 1962 Fender® Stratocaster® headstock, sporting
delicate spaghetti logo and small font STRATOCASTER model name. RIGHT: 1968
Strat paddle headstock, still sporting graceful,
though larger gold logo and delicate model name.
A transition to:
LEFT:
Welcome to the Seventies!
Honking big head, big, BIG STRATOCASTER® model name. Two string
trees render the vibrato unit a sticky issue, as
the increased drag of the trees causes strings to
go out of tune if you use the whammy bar at all.
Bullet truss rod end did relieve one Fender® quirk -- you didn't
have to remove the neck from the instrument to
adjust the rod. Adjustment had been hit-or-miss
prior to the bullet, as you couldn't tell the
effect of the adjustment without reinstalling the
neck, tuning up, checking, and then having to go
through the whole process again if things still
weren't right!
And for comparison purposes, here
is a Jazzmaster (CIJ '66 reissue) headstock showing a
transitional intermediate-sized headstock. Note the
slightly more shapely area under the brand name and the
one-piece decal. I like the scroll work as well.
The
Fender® Telecaster® also came close to
sharing a similar headstock to the Strat. This
picture, from Ken Achard's terrific little 1979
book "The Fender Guitar" (Musical New
Services Ltd., London England) shows a Telecaster
Custom with a Strat headstock . Please note:
there is a Telecaster® Custom from the early
seventies that has the humbucker in the neck
position and a normal Tele brid ge/pickup
combination.
This one has the twin humbuckers like the
seventies-era Tele thinline, but no f-hole. I'd
love one of these  Tele's -- it's the
Fender man's Les Paul!
Oh,
and if you ever come across this book by Mr.
Achard, grab it, it has a comprehensive
discussion of the Toronado's, the Antigua's and
the Montego's--frankly I'd only ever heard of the
Toronado's!
Another
item that came along with the bullet truss rod
was the three-bolt micro-tilt neck. Again,
another great idea -- one that could go wrong!
The problem wasn't in the idea, it was in the
execution. Many old Fenders, pre three bolt, will
have small shims placed within the neck pocket to
adjust a bit if angle into the neck joint. Fender
addressed this by making the neck angle
adjustable. Loosen one bolt, turn an allen key to
the desired adjustment, retighten bolt. Viola!
Manufacturing tolerances got sloppy though, loose
neck pockets caused the whole assembly to be
unstable. You could literally shift the neck in
the pocket with you hand, dropping one e string
or the other right off the fingerboard. Many
three bolt necks were converted to four bolt,
eliminating the adjustment, but also fixing the
sloppiness.
 LEFT: Three bolt with
micro-tilt adjustment. This one works, built by
Fender in the 1990's. Dead giveaway, there is no
serial number on the plate. Up until the mid
seventies, Fender® engraved the serial
number here. As this could easily be removed by a
thief or forger, Fender incorporated the serial
number into the headstock decal, which looked
like crap, but couldn't be easily removed. These
days, Fender puts the serial number on 60's and
70's reissues (Mexican) on the rear of the head
and engraves the neck plate once again on American
reissues.
Body
styles have remained fairly constant although in
the late 1960's either because of the amount of
handwork involved or simple aging of the tooling,
the Strat and Tele both got a bit dumpy. The
contouring was not as crisp and deep, the bodies
felt clumsy.
Below are
two shots, one of a 1962 body, the other a 1968.
Maybe you can see what I mean. In person, it's not iceable.
Another
noticeable series of changes over the years have
been in hardware. The most noticeable one apart
from tuning machines (and I prefer the slotted
ones over the ones with the single hole as they
do not slip as badly) is the actual bridge unit.
On the Telecaster®, there has been a move
(much appreciated) to a six way bridge rather
than the three way unit. On Strats, there are six
point six ways, the hard tail (not discussed here)
and two point six way bridges. Below are two
examples. One is the vintage unit on my 1970
reissue, the other is the modern six way as found
on my 1994 St rat.
LEFT: Vintage
steel
RIGHT:
1994 steel, heavier, more sustain. I still like
the look of the old bridge saddles though. Call
me old fashioned, I am!
 And speaking of the old
days. (well, I kinda was, after all) do you
remember that little item that came along with
the guitar? The one you never used? Sure, Tele
guys are more apt to speak of the 'ashtray' in
hushed and reverent tones, but so few of us
recall when the Stratocaster came with a bridge
cover. Believe it or not, I never got a bridge
cover with my 1973 Strat back in '73. I guess it
was either misplaced at the store, or Fender had
stopped including them. My 1971 Tele came with
one though, so if it was a factory cutoff, I'd
have to assume it was some time in 1972 or early
1973. The Tele ashtray was/is a big, bulky piece
that totally precludes palm muting at the bridge,
so there are absolutely no Tele players on this
planet that actually play the instrument with the
thing snapped onto the guitar. My Tele has dents
in the finish around the bridge from a few
installations. \The Strat ashtray/bridge cover is
a much smaller, dainty and almost useable item. I
can actually play the instrument with the cover
on. See these pictures. If you look at Fender's
product line in the 1050's and 1960's, you will
note that Leo was interested in streamlining,
cleaning-up and detailing with chrome cover
pieces. The Jazz bass springs to mind as the most
'shy' instrument with covers over the bridge and
both pickups. Even Jaguars and Jazzmasters had
small chrome covers for their bridges! Was it a
modesty issue? The Strat cover is like the Tele
unit in that it clips to the bridge using its own
spring tension to hold it on, However, the Strat
unit snugs up to the bridge base plate rather
than against the finish. This means one can use
the whammy bar with the cover in place and not
chew up the paint. The 1972 advertisement shown
at www.pellegrinlowend.com/fender.html shows the cover in
place on the cartoon Strat. Fender's Mexican
reissue Strats do not come with the ashtray.
Indeed, the ashtray will not fit any modern Strat
bridge or my 1970 Mexican Strat reissue. This is
a very minor detail on a truly fine instrument
and should not be construed as a complaint on my
part. I do like authenticity in reissues.
The Jazzmaster and Jaguar are often maligned
for their vibrato/tremolo system. With proper set-up and
use, the things work just fine.
To the left is a Jazzmaster bridge. It
is built so that each string can be adjusted individually for
height and intonation. Problems? Well, one must take care
when adjusting the intonation as the bridge will rock forward if
you press on the intonation screw(s) too hard. Make sure
the bridge stays centered and upright and you'll be fine.
Change strings one at a time to avoid the bridge shifting during
this process. Some have complained about the strings
buzzing and rattling on the saddles due to the shallow angle the
strings come at the bridge from the tailpiece. A device
called a BUZZSTOP can be used to add some angle to the strings,
but some complain that this changes the distinctive sound of the
Jazzmaster. The best solution seems to be to shim the neck
slightly to allow for a higher bridge setting. My reissue played
fine right from the dealer (Ishibashi -- Kanda, Japan.)
The Jazzmaster tailpiece is a neat little unit that will
allow for good vibrato -- I wouldn't push it past a half step
down, though. With correct set-up and judicious use, it
returns the guitar to pitch perfectly every time. No dive
bombs, but perfect for Sleepwalk and other 1960's
instro's. The trick to the Jazzmaster is to use strings no
lighter than .010's and to adjust the trem as follows.
Place bar in a position parallel to the guitar's body. Lock the
trem with the locking button (seen between the two screws
furthest to the left in the photo.) Tune the strings to
pitch. Unlock the trem lock. The guitar may go out of
tune. In this case, turn the adjusting screw (just aft of
the lock) until the guitar has returned to pitch. The arm should
be in the right spot. How's that for a slice of
fried gold?
Okay, here's, my favorite Jazzmaster feature -- the separate
lead/rhythm circuit. Rather than have to switch pickups,
adjust volume and tone at the beginning and end of a solo, the
Jazzmaster player can preset the lead setting with the normal
knobs and switches and then preset a rhythm sound with a
separate tone and volume control on the upper bout and use a
small slide switch to instantly change from one sound to
another. Leo was a genius! I wish my strats had this
feature!
Elsewhere on
the internet you can find loads of material on
dating a guitar by serial number, it is quite an
involved process now with guitars having been
made in California, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia,
etc. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I urge you
to search for these sites. If you are the
webmaster for such a page and would like to link
to this page, please contact me at sportbike@mybizz.net.
FENDER®, STRATOCASTER® and TELECASTER® are registered
trademarks of the Fender Musical Instrument
Corporation. FENDER® is no way
associated with this website, Low End or Harry G.
Pellegrin
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LOW END By Harry George Pellegrin. The
first in the Gary Morrissey series of mysteries. Dealing
with modern subject matter in the classic style of the 1940's
Mystery Noire masters--think Raymond Chandler in New York in the
1980's... LOW END is the story of a drug addict who is
murdered after he believes he has found evidence of a major
government conspiracy. Is it only drug-induced paranoia?
Might be, except his paranoia could be considered justified: he
was murdered, after all. Friend Gary Morrissey takes it
upon himself to find out just what happened and lands himself in
the crosshairs.
See more info...
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Classic Guitar Method Composed,
written, transcribed, edited and arranged by Harry G. Pellegrin: Now in one volume, much of what the novice classical guitarist will need to know to lead him or her to the recital stage. From proper instrument care and maintenance to the necessary technical skills, musical mind-set, and the standard repertoire—all exposed and explored with enough detail and insight that the student will wish to keep this book handy years to come as a ready reference source.
See more info...
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DEEP END: The Wreck
of the Eddie Fitz
By
Harry George Pellegrin. A mystery novel. Involving a
semi-professional musician and a Kreyol death cult, DEEP END
takes the reader from the bottom of Long Island Sound to the
steamy streets and Blues clubs of New Orleans. Alternative
spirituality does battle with the common working man. Published by
PAB Entertainment Group in association with LULU.com.
See more info...
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Reflecting Pools
Original Music by Harry G. Pellegrin:
Reflecting Pools is a departure for me
as it is totally keyboard. Well, the guitar did show up on one
track...
"...Reflecting Pools is a notable first album [for
Mr. Pellegrin]. A dramatic sense of tonality and mood are
propelled by exemplary musicianship and exciting compositional
exploits."
...And containing nine tracks that are relaxing, inspirational
-- sounds like a snooze. Not really, this is great stuff to
listen to on a rainy afternoon, while with your significant
other (nudge, nudge, know what I mean?)
Please visit the Reflecting Pools
page on this site or
www.bathtubmusic.com.
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Over the past four years I have
posted a number of reviews on www.harmonycentral.com. This is a
neat website where consumers can post reviews of
musical products. Of course, you will have some
reviews penned by folks with axes to grind (sorry
about the pun) so read all the reviews of a
product before deciding if a product is or isn't
worth buying. I have reproduced here three guitar
reviews and a pickup review that I added to the
site
The 1968 Stratocaster Reissue (Made
in Japan)
Purchased
from:
Parkway Music, Clifton
Park, New York
Features:
9
This guitar was made in Japan some time in the
late nineties. I bought it second-hand from
Parkway Music in Clifton Park, New York for
$325.00, which included a Fender deluxe gig bag.
The neck is maple with a separate glued-on maple
fingerboard. Much the same as my late sixties
Telecaster, the neck is quite narrow at the nut,
but flares out to a more normal width quickly --
sort of like a Jazz bass. The frets are the
period-correct mini wire and even with the
rounded neck radius, seriously steep bends do not
choke out. A very nice fret job and set-up. The
body is (I believe) Ash judging by the weight,
although the finish is a lovely opaque vintage
white - and I have heard that all but sunbursts
are made of Poplar. It has a vintage style
vibrato bridge, which works just fine unless
you're going for total dive-bombs. Tuners are
slotted vintage. I prefer slotted to all others
for ease of use. It is the usual Stratocaster and
a very faithful reproduction of an instrument
from this year (I know, I was around and playing
then!)
Sound:
10
I use this guitar through either a Hotrod DeVille
or DeLuxe depending on the size of the venue with
a 2X12 Marshall cabinet with the DeVille on
opposite stage when in a really big place.
Effects: Blues Driver, DOD Chorus, Dunlop 95Q
wah, Dan Echo. I replaced the stock pickups with
two Texas Specials in neck and mid and a DiMarzio
SDS-1 in the bridge. With this setup I can get
all the ducky sounds, the SRV thwock and a
stinkin' good screaming distortion when the mood
suits. The guitar has that wonderful Strat sound
[ALL OF THEM] and feels great. To me, if I can't
get the sound I'm looking for with this guitar, I
really don't want it! The thing has the normal
level of buzz when sitting next to a fluorescent
fixture and feeds back VERY controllably on the
SDS-1 when I roll into the 95Q a bit. Lots of
fun. It also can be cajoled into a smokey, jazzy
kind of clean sound as well.
Action, Fit,
& Finish: 10
Being a second-hander, I can't thank or fault the
factory for anything. Parkway always does lovely
set-ups on their inventory, so it was a keeper
right off the rack. The pickups were replaced
almost immediately, so they were good straight
away as well. The fit and finish are what you'd
expect from Japan -- flawless. This instrument
has all the character and tactile satisfaction
that the old Americans had/have with all the
sparkle and attention to detail that the Japanese
deliver. What a combo! The previous owner kept
the instrument immaculately; they could have sold
it for new. After three years, the pickguard
screws have rusted where I most often touch them,
but this gives it the same vintage vibe my old
Tele has as well!
Reliability/Durability:
10
Hey man, it's a Fender! Cockroaches Cher's
plastic surgery and these guitars will all be
around after Dr. Strangelove Day. The finish is
as thick as any epoxy job from the late sixties
and will never wear. I've got Dunlop strap locks
because I've dropped my share, but this thing
would probably bounce if dropped -- and stay in
tune. I would depend on this guitar (and do) but
always play with a backup as I will on occasion
break a string (and I use 11's). Beast.
Customer
Support: N/A
Never used them, though on questions they've
always been good as gold. I once worked for a
manufacturer and if I can't fix it, they couldn't
either. So, I guess I have no real opinion.
Overall
Rating: 10
I own four other Strats, two Telecasters, a Les
Paul, a Mockingbird, an Epiphone Lucille, a
Player MDS-1, a Ramirez 1a, a Regal RC-2, a
Fender Jazz Bass and a partridge in a pear tree.
Been playing 32 years, BA in music. If this
guitar were stolen, I'd hire the LA police dept.
to massage the thief. I love this one and wish I
had two.
Submitted by
Vespi Scarpelli at 08/02/2002 17:09
The
1960 Stratocaster Reissue (Made in Mexico)
Price Paid: US $489
Purchased
from: Parkway Music, Clifton
Park
Features:
N/A
Guitar purchased new in December 2000. I wanted a
guitar built this century! Lake Placed Blue with
mint pickguard and aged plastic parts, rosewood
board, maple neck is finished in a honey lacquer
that faithfully reproduces the look of an older
Fender. (The 'yellowing' is less dramatic than my
'71 Telecaster.) The guitar is equipped with a
five-position switch, I was happy to see this, as
that would have been an essential mod. for me. I
am a die-hard Strataholic, this one is number
five. I've owned two others that were sold in
hard times. These five stay! The tuners are very
nice reproductions of the old pre-F style slotted
machines. I use no others. Can't get used to
anything without the slot. The fret wire is the
old style skinny stuff. My '71 Tele sports jumbo
wire.
Sound: 9
I play guitar in a church Praise and Worship
group. Before you laugh, realize that we do much
contemporary music and this entails all the rock,
blues, and pop guitar sounds used for the past
thirty years. This '60's reissue came with the
vintage type pickups that are sweet and clean,
but do not want to drive any distortion unit in
my arsenal. As the volume control is lowered from
the full up 10, the output drops to the point
where the sound cleans up. I run all my guitars
through my Fender Hot Rod DeVille (soon to be
replaced by a Deluxe, as it is too much amp for
the room) with the controls set Main 4, treb 8,
mid 6, bass 8. I use a Blues Driver distortion
rather than the hot channel as I can't bring the
master up past 2 and not injure innocent
congregants. For nasty distortion, I'll use my
70's reissue with three Texas Specials installed.
But I digress. The thing about this guitar that I
love are the two and four pickup positions. These
yield the traditional duckier sound, but with a
lot of character. Good for real world, not just
interesting sound effects. The guitar has single
coil hum worse than my other Strats -- it will
soon be shielded. My greatest fault lies in the
output. It is traditional, so I can't fault
Fender. This guitar delivers exactly what it says
it will -- vintage sound and feel
Action, Fit,
& Finish: N/A
The set-up was excellent, though I personally
can't stomach 9's -- I prefer the tactile 'fight'
of tens. Also, nines sound thinner and 'rubber
band'-like. Pickups were adjusted not to my
taste. The finish was flawless, unlike my other
Mexican Strat, which had a few unsightly blems in
the neck finish -- obvious dings that were
lacquered and smoother. This guitar is beautiful.
I like the Mexican Strats more than some of the
Americans I've owned.
Reliability/Durability:
10
This guitar is obviously new, so I can't say how
well it will stand up. My other Mexican Strats
have withstood all the abuse playing three
services a week (about an hour per service) at my
ham-fisted input. My Tele I've owned for almost
thirty years and I've refretted it twice (jumbo
wire for maximum numbers of grinds). I foresee
similar service. My other Mexican-built Fenders
have stood up wonderfully. You can fight your way
out of a third world revolution swinging a Strat
and still be in tune for the next set.
Strap buttons were replaced immediately with
Dunlop lockers. I've had too many accidents.
I sue this guitar with a backup since I need a
good distorting guitar for about thirty per cent
of our material. Aside from that, the tone is
awesome and I'd use it constantly
Customer
Support: N/A
Fender has always been very user-friendly to me
though I've never had to deal with them for a
warranty problem. I've owned Fenders for thirty
years and have never had anything but
wear-related issues, which isn't their fault!
Overall
Rating: 10
I've been playing guitar for thirty-two years and
I've owned just about everything. I loved Fenders
-- the feel, the tone, the reliability, etc.
since I first played one. I own a '58 Les Paul
for those moods when a dark, lush sound is
needed, but the thing is too fragile (and $$$$)
these days to use much out. If this guitar were
stolen (the Strat) I'd sulk and pout for a month
and try to find another one just like it. The
only thing I hate about this guitar is the
perception that other guitarists have regarding
the Mexican built Fenders. Those that own them
don't have this problem, only those who haven't
played one. These detractors might have something
against Mexicans in general, or they merely
perceive the price as a gauge of quality. If
people wouldn't equate the price with my ability,
I wouldn't have any issues.
Submitted by
Harry at 01/19/2001 13:05
The
1970 Stratocaster Reissue (Made in Mexico)
Price Paid: US $544.00
Purchased
from: Parkway Music, Clifton
Park
Features:
9
This guitar was built in Mexico in the Fall 0f
1999. It is, to look at, a virtual recreation of
a mid-seventies Strat, complete with F-style
tuners, six-screw tremolo, and three-bolt neck
with bullet truss rod. It is, of course, a S/S/S
pickup config. The stock pickups were binned
almost immediately in favor of Texas Specials.
The finish is Olympic White and it sports a maple
fingerboard (actually, the face of the neck is
fretted, there is no separate board like my '68
reissue, and you have the typical skunk stripe.)
The radius of the fingerboard is quite round so
that just like an original seventies Strat, the
bent notes choke above the twelfth fret with a
low action. The frets are the old style teeny
wire and very nicely finished. The guitar came
with a gig bag, but I prefer a hardshell -- which
I bought simultaneously.
This guitar had all the original features, so it
isn't a very complicated piece. This is just what
I expected, so I can't give it a ten for features
unless I add that I expected no more.
Sound:
10
This guitar sounded gutless with the stock
pickups -- couldn't put out enough output to
drive my Blues Driver distortion unit. I play
through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille 2X12 with the
Blues Driver, a Dano Echo, a DOD Chorus and a
Dunlop 95Q Wah. The Texas Specials sounded like
duds through a Peavey Bandit, but made perfect
sense -- and lovely music -- through the DeVille.
This is the hot rig for this guitar and these
pickups. The guitar has always had a bit of a
dark sound. Acoustically (well, not plugged in)
it sounds dead compared to every other Fender I
own (Two Tele's, four other Strats.) The wonderful
thing about this setup is position 2 and 4 on the
selector. 2 is warm and woody -- with the out of
phase hollowness -- at a decently acceptable
output. It is very useable. Position four is all
I use for distorted rhythm work. I kick it over
to pos. 5 for solos in this mode. Otherwise, I
like pos. 2 for distorted solos -- very smooth
and creamy with lots of sustain and voice-like
quality.
Action, Fit,
& Finish: 6
Set-up was ridiculously low from factory (or
store). It played very well though, until bending
in the upper registers. I dislike 9's with a
passion; to me they are gutless rubber bands.
10's are the ticket for my fist and things got
better with the 10's installed and the action
raised. This brings me to the problems part of my
diatribe. This Strat was the only one I've every
bought sight unseen. I ordered it to replace one
my ex-wife sold. Long story, let's not go there.
My other MIM Strats (2) were and are SUPER, so I
had no real qualms. Figures this one would be
problematic! The neck was and is weird. The flat
area that should be in the neck pocket extend out
way further towards the twelfth fret than any
other Fender I've ever seen. It looks butt-ugly
from the player's standpoint and seemed odd right
off the bat. The biggest difficulty was that no
matter how low the micro tilt was set; the neck
angle was too steep. To raise the action above
the frets (really) I had to get P bass bridge
piece allens and use these. Then I had to raise
the pickups. Finally, I tapered the butt end of
the neck so that it sat level in the pocket. This
fixed all -- and the acoustic sound got brighter
as well. Now the guitar plays and feels great,
but still looks funny because of that heli-pad of
a flat spot on the back of the neck! For his
reason I give the guitar a 6 as everything else
was superb.
Reliability/Durability:
10
You can beat your way out of anything with a
Strat and still plat your next set without tuning
up. I love these things for their reliability.
This one gigs three times a week for the past
what? Sixteen months? No problemo. The Mexican
Fenders are built to a cost but I think this
goads the Mexican craftsmen to pour their hearts
into these guitars. Hey, guitars are Hispanic in
origin; these cats know how to carve!
Customer
Support: N/A
Never contacted them. If I can't fix it, they
can't either. Spent five years working in a
guitar production facility.
Overall
Rating: 7
I have been playing thirty one years, I own five
Strats, two tele's, a '58 Les Paul, a Player
MDS-1, a home-built Mockingbird look-alike, an
Explorer, a J-Bass, a Lute, and a partridge in a
pear tree. I wish I had had a few to choose from
-- just so I could check out the necks, though it
plays like a champ now. My favorite thing about
this guitar? The way it sounds and the weight and
balance. If someone stole it, I'd replace it
immediately -- then kill the guy. But that goes
for any of my guitars!
Submitted by
Harry at 01/23/2001 14:05
 Here's a review for what
I call the SECRET WEAPON. I install a DiMarzio
SDS-1 in the bridge position in many of my
Strats. The reason? This pickup is almost as hot
as a humbucker and is very P-90-like in sound. It
really thickens up the Strat's tone in that
position--which can be quite shrill and strident
otherwise. This thing ROCKS!
Product Info
Pickup features: Single coil,
passive, adjustable pole pieces
Impedance or other specs: I believe the
impedance is high for a single coil.
Price Paid: US $59
Purchased from: The Only Guitar Shop,
Clifton Park, NY
Instrument
Model of guitar or bass: Fender
'68 reissue Stratocaster, maple fingerboard
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stocker
Other pickups on guitar: 2 vintage Strat
pickups in neck and mid position
Artists using this pickup: Beats me,
unless you count your humble reviewer!
You musical style(s): Blues, rock,
contemporary Christian (this ain't your
grandfather's church!)
Reason for pickup change: Needed a pickup
that could overdrive my HotRod DeVille without
having to crank the amp up to pain level.
Sound
Perceived output level: Output is
much hotter than stick pickups. I'd say it would
stand up to any humbucker.
Tone: Very warm, lots of bass. The pickup
sounds good clean as well. It blends nicely with
the mid pickup for a ducky out of phase sound
that is both hot enough to use live and nice
enough to make you want to!
Sonic evaluation: Like I said, this pup is
in a '68 MIJ Strat reissue (lovely guitar, by the
way) with maple fingerboard. I have a graphtech
nut and bridge saddles. The amp is either going
to be a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe or DeVille
depending on the venue and the size of the
ensemble. I play 150 services a year (including
one a week that is televised) with the Deluxe. I
have two stage guitars, the '68 reissue and a '62
reissue. I found that neither guitar had the
snots to overdrive anything, even with a blues
driver pedal !!!! When the song required a good
grinding distortion, I had a struggle. Many moons
back, I owned a '64 Strat with a '69 Tele neck --
and three SDS-1's in it (my power-punk days) so I
figured that I'd give this pup another try.
For which styles and
positions is this pickup (un)suitable: See
last response. My old SDS's had four-conductor
wiring which (I guess) was some sort of coil tap.
It did give a hollower, lighter sound, if I
remember correctly. This was twenty years ago!
For the contemporary Christian band I play in,
this pickup is great. I wouldn't want the guitar
fully loaded with them, but in the bridge
position, I can easily dial up a good variety of
distorted sounds as well as a very nice and
useful biting clean sound. (Plus the usual
assortment of great Strat tones you know and
love.)
Overall Rating
Comments: If this pup was stolen
it would mean (gasp) that my prized '68 reissue
was gone as well (who steals pup's leaving the
guitar?) So after I'd regained the religion I'd
lost, I'd have to find another great '68. Then
I'd buy another SDS-1 for it.
On a scale of 1 to
10, I give this pickup a: 10 Fantastic value
Submitted by: Harry
Pellegrin <stratocasterman@musician.net>
Or through
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LOW END at your favorite local
book retailer!
Please visit these other fine sites:
http://www.roryon.com/ and http://www.rorygallagher.com/
for more information on Rory Gallagher
Visit http://www.projectguitar.com/ if you are into cool
axes!
http://www.roryon.com/harrystrat208.html to see a Rory Gallagher
tribute guitar built by the author.
LOW END is Published by
Bedside Books, an imprint of American Book
Publishing.
ISBN 1-58982-074-6
LOW END Copyright 2003 Harry
G. Pellegrin
In God We Trust
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