‘86 Corona AVRI ‘62 Strat Restoration

[StratMan1991]

Figured I’d start a new thread for my latest project.

During the pandemic I had bought a partscaster which the awesome members here helped me identify the parts

NGD 80s Partscaster?

Picked up this (I am told) 80s strat. Definitely a partscaster but hopefully the wisdom @Guitarmageddon and @ibdrkn1 passed along re: identifying necks and bridges from my previous posts means I lucked out a little better than my last Covid guitar purchase. Told its a Fullerton neck (the...

strat-talk.com

The neck from that guitar came from an Corona AVRI ‘62 and that’s what I fell in love with. However I never bonded with the aftermarket body - it’s a fantastic and light swamp ash body but the faux relicing bugged me and just one of those things that nagged at me.

Came across an ‘86 ‘62 Strat body on reverb and got the crazy idea in my head to attempt the long and financially ruinous process of restoring it back as close as possible to original.

Planning to start the initial swapping of parts this weekend but will probably have to enjoy it with spare parts while I scour our favourite market sites.

Thanks for listening follow along to check out those sexy Fullerton curves!

 

[StratMan1991]

For those other 80s AVRI fans I’d be interested if anyone found the source of the JC written in the pickup routing, I’ve seen it in lots of other pictures of these bodies.

 

[jayoldschool]

For those other 80s AVRI fans I’d be interested if anyone found the source of the JC written in the pickup routing, I’ve seen it in lots of other pictures of these bodies.

John Cruz would be my first guess.

 

[guitarchaeologist]

This SHOULD have Corona curves based on the date. Have you done a comparison to be certain?
What electronics are you using?

John Cruz is a good guess for the initials. Mine also have those initials on tape on the back of the pickguard.

 

[StratMan1991]

This SHOULD have Corona curves based on the date. Have you done a comparison to be certain?
What electronics are you using?

John Cruz is a good guess for the initials. Mine also have those initials on tape on the back of the pickguard.

Yeah that’s what I thought to, any suggestions to compare to I don’t have anything except my other strats and the documentation found here https://www.fuzzfaced.net/fullerton-vintage-reissue-specs.html which (along with the seller of the body) lead me to the Fullerton curves deduction.

It certainly doesn’t have any sharp edges and the slope for the arm cut doesn’t start until after the strap pin. I know it’s a possibility albeit rare for some leftover bodies to be around in 86. I’ll try and get some better pics and let the experts here have a go.

For electronics I’m gonna keep the current CTS Pots, O&G 3 way switch and fender CS 69s for the meantime.

 

[Intune]

The Fullerton body contours are really deep and rounded so it’s easy tell when looking at it like this


Now look at this custom shop 65. It would be very similar to the Corona body. You can see the difference between the two

 

[joebtone]

The Fullerton body contours are really deep and rounded so it’s easy tell when looking at it like this View attachment 560346 View attachment 560348


Now look at this custom shop 65. It would be very similar to the Corona body. You can see the difference between the two View attachment 560347 View attachment 560349

Every time I look at that CAR of yours I kick myself in the ‘you know what’ for painting mine mine black back in the day.
Still...it is my jewel.
I fixed that warped PG BTW.

No regerts.
Oh well, I can only claim ignorance.

 

[StratMan1991]

I’ll try and get some better pics tomorrow in the sunlight but these were from the ad -which appears to match the deep and rounded you mentioned @Intune

 

[Intune]

Yes it does and has the same forearm contour too. So that to me looks identical to the Fullerton made bodies.

 

[guitarchaeologist]

Yeah that’s what I thought to, any suggestions to compare to I don’t have anything except my other strats and the documentation found here https://www.fuzzfaced.net/fullerton-vintage-reissue-specs.html which (along with the seller of the body) lead me to the Fullerton curves deduction.

It certainly doesn’t have any sharp edges and the slope for the arm cut doesn’t start until after the strap pin. I know it’s a possibility albeit rare for some leftover bodies to be around in 86. I’ll try and get some better pics and let the experts here have a go.

For electronics I’m gonna keep the current CTS Pots, O&G 3 way switch and fender CS 69s for the meantime.

I have not thought about selling them, but I have a couple extra sets of period-correct electronics- correct p'ups, correct 5-way switch, & 1988 dated pots.

 

[StratMan1991]

Yes it does and has the same forearm contour too. So that to me looks identical to the Fullerton made bodies.

Certainly an anomaly though - don’t know how it still woulda been kicking around in November of ‘86 (assuming that’s the date 11/86 in the neck pocket)

But I’m sure glad it was, while maybe not “vintage correct” I love these curves more.

 

[StratMan1991]

I have not thought about selling them, but I have a couple extra sets of period-correct electronics- correct p'ups, correct 5-way switch, & 1988 dated pots.

Well you would certainly have an interested party here should you consider it, shoot me a DM if you got a price in mind!

 

[donm1104]

Some years back on one of the other forums ( I can't remember which) there was a long discussion about 80s reissues. As I recall, 1986 models were all over the place as far as body cuts, and someone in that discussion said that Fullerton parts could have been used into late '86/early '87 per someone who was there. I have one in Fiesta Red, that I know is original, because I bought it in 1986. From the link above, mine matches the early Corona models, but from what I've heard, they are all over the map.

Every time I look at that CAR of yours I kick myself in the ‘you know what’ for painting mine mine black back in the day.
Still...it is my jewel.
I fixed that warped PG BTW.

No regerts.
Oh well, I can only claim ignorance.

Yep, in the 80s, none of us thought that an 80s Fender would ever be worth anything! Some places didn't even want to take 70s Strats as a trade. Mine had issues with the tuners (which was common on some of the reissues), and I didn't think twice about putting mini Grovers on it, since I needed it that weekend, and no one had Schallers in stock - and they are still on there!

 

[StratMan1991]

Well a sad update to this project:

Found a Fullerton era tremolo assembly on the electronic bay to complete the restored hardware.

It made it all the way here only to have the idiot delivery guy at the worst delivery company in the world (Intelcom) deliver it to a wrong address and let some “Rajesh” sign for it (my name is Cam)

Fought tooth n mail to get refunded which I luckily did but I’m more upset that this great piece of fender history is just sitting out there with some mail thief. That and I won’t be able to just buy the part again so some good it all does me.

Might just have to commit to building it without period correct parts…

 

[guitarchaeologist]

Well a sad update to this project:

Found a Fullerton era tremolo assembly on the electronic bay to complete the restored hardware.

It made it all the way here only to have the idiot delivery guy at the worst delivery company in the world (Intelcom) deliver it to a wrong address and let some “Rajesh” sign for it (my name is Cam)

Fought tooth n mail to get refunded which I luckily did but I’m more upset that this great piece of fender history is just sitting out there with some mail thief. That and I won’t be able to just buy the part again so some good it all does me.

Might just have to commit to building it without period correct parts…

It'll likely turn up. Don't give up so easily. If not, that same trem unit was used for decades, so you'll find another.

 

[StratMan1991]

It'll likely turn up. Don't give up so easily. If not, that same trem unit was used for decades, so you'll find another.

That’s true, I’ll be keeping an eye out for a new one, finding this one just felt so serendipitous timing wise.

This one is likely gone though - the shipping company told me to get refunded from the vendor and then literally hung up on me when I called to inquire about it. Clearly they are not concerned with doing a great job, quantity of quality I suppose.

 

[StratMan1991]

Finally an update to this project:

I found another Fullerton bridge and picked up a matching mint green set of pickguard and cavity cover from Fenderparts & Pickguards off reverb!

It is finally complete and I just got it back from the best damn luthier on earth - only have this pic for now - more to follow as I start to jive with it!

 

[stratman323]

Some years back on one of the other forums ( I can't remember which) there was a long discussion about 80s reissues. As I recall, 1986 models were all over the place as far as body cuts, and someone in that discussion said that Fullerton parts could have been used into late '86/early '87 per someone who was there. I have one in Fiesta Red, that I know is original, because I bought it in 1986. From the link above, mine matches the early Corona models, but from what I've heard, they are all over the map.

Yep, in the 80s, none of us thought that an 80s Fender would ever be worth anything! Some places didn't even want to take 70s Strats as a trade. Mine had issues with the tuners (which was common on some of the reissues), and I didn't think twice about putting mini Grovers on it, since I needed it that weekend, and no one had Schallers in stock - and they are still on there!

I don't believe that's true. I've been a happy owner of an '86 62RI since 1991 & I keep a close eye on them. I believe that someone here (JohnC perhaps?) had demolished the myth of "left over Fullerton parts" because some 1986 pre-production American Standard bodies had a similar curve.

So "1986 models were all over the place as far as body cuts" is simply not true. Not even if you did read it on the internet...

These '86s RIs are the forgotten gems of Fender history.

 

[John C]

I don't believe that's true. I've been a happy owner of an '86 62RI since 1991 & I keep a close eye on them. I believe that someone here (JohnC perhaps?) had demolished the myth of "left over Fullerton parts" because some 1986 pre-production American Standard bodies had a similar curve.

So "1986 models were all over the place as far as body cuts" is simply not true. Not even if you did read it on the internet...

These '86s RIs are the forgotten gems of Fender history.

Yes that was me. It was my understanding that FMIC pretty much assembled everything they could during their first few months of ownership, so there weren't all that many orphaned/left-over Fullerton bodies or necks to be assembled after the move to Corona. The parts that could have lasted longer were things like pots, switches, etc.; maybe even pickups but I'm not sure about that. From discussions with former Fender employees FMIC had leased space in the CBS Fullerton factory as their base of operations while they were searching for new locations, and they had QC, Assembly and Warranty Repair personnel on-staff (as contractors/temps though, not employees) from immediately after the sale until they moved into their new locations in Brea (business offices) and Corona (instrument production) in early July 1985. So I have been under the impression that they went ahead and assembled as many instruments - at least AVRI instruments - as they could from the parts on hand there in the early months of FMIC ownership.

What FMIC did was try to re-hire as many of the people who worked on the AVRIs in Fullerton when they staffed up in Corona, and they had purchased the tooling and some of the equipment that was used on them in Fullerton as well. While the equipment wasn't part of the initial purchase FMIC did make additional purchases of workbenches, machinery, tooling, etc. after the initial sale. So the Corona AVRIs had that deep contouring through 1986 because it was mostly the same people doing the work as who did them in Fullerton; I think they get less contoured during 1987, but it seems like that was a transition - probably as they ramped up production they hired new personnel to do the work.

And yes you will find American Standard bodies with the deep contours for the first months of production - from the introduction of the model into production in late 1986 through the spring of 1987 - at which point the American Standards move to the less contoured body that are more typical for the first generation models. Most likely they had the same body line doing American Standards there in the pre-production/early production phase; when the model went into "full production" they made the move to the adjusted contours - some say that was to speed production, others say that it was a deliberate design change to make the American Standard look more "modern", like a Jackson/Charvel or Ibanez superstrat body.

 

[stratman323]

Yes that was me. It was my understanding that FMIC pretty much assembled everything they could during their first few months of ownership, so there weren't all that many orphaned/left-over Fullerton bodies or necks to be assembled after the move to Corona. The parts that could have lasted longer were things like pots, switches, etc.; maybe even pickups but I'm not sure about that. From discussions with former Fender employees FMIC had leased space in the CBS Fullerton factory as their base of operations while they were searching for new locations, and they had QC, Assembly and Warranty Repair personnel on-staff (as contractors/temps though, not employees) from immediately after the sale until they moved into their new locations in Brea (business offices) and Corona (instrument production) in early July 1985. So I have been under the impression that they went ahead and assembled as many instruments - at least AVRI instruments - as they could from the parts on hand there in the early months of FMIC ownership.

What FMIC did was try to re-hire as many of the people who worked on the AVRIs in Fullerton when they staffed up in Corona, and they had purchased the tooling and some of the equipment that was used on them in Fullerton as well. While the equipment wasn't part of the initial purchase FMIC did make additional purchases of workbenches, machinery, tooling, etc. after the initial sale. So the Corona AVRIs had that deep contouring through 1986 because it was mostly the same people doing the work as who did them in Fullerton; I think they get less contoured during 1987, but it seems like that was a transition - probably as they ramped up production they hired new personnel to do the work.

And yes you will find American Standard bodies with the deep contours for the first months of production - from the introduction of the model into production in late 1986 through the spring of 1987 - at which point the American Standards move to the less contoured body that are more typical for the first generation models.

Just to add to that, I briefly owned an '88 62RI & the so called Fullerton curve was definitely long gone by then.