Identifying my old Stratocaster
- Thread starter Jim Johansson
- Start date
Butcher of Strats
Senior Stratmaster
Kind of sad for shoppers that Fender and Fender style guitar value is tied to production model and year while those things are hard for shoppers to confirm before buying.
Even neck dates do not date whole guitars, especially where the OP reported the pots are not original, which is at least slightly red flag on a good condition USA Fender that is really not that old.
Certainly helps to get that neck date we hope is there, but then confirming the body is both USA Fender and came with that neck, is a whole new concern if the OP wants to confirm he got what he paid for.
I was looking at a 57 and a 59 Tele in a good shop circa 1990, liked the 57 neck better and the 59 body better.
Both were priced at $1400.
The shop owner who I bought from often, always vintage gear, offered to swap parts and sell me the 57 neck on the 59 body for the same $1400 price. Kind of a friend deal but we were not that close, just shop owner customer friends.
Happened more often than we might like to think.
Even neck dates do not date whole guitars, especially where the OP reported the pots are not original, which is at least slightly red flag on a good condition USA Fender that is really not that old.
Certainly helps to get that neck date we hope is there, but then confirming the body is both USA Fender and came with that neck, is a whole new concern if the OP wants to confirm he got what he paid for.
I was looking at a 57 and a 59 Tele in a good shop circa 1990, liked the 57 neck better and the 59 body better.
Both were priced at $1400.
The shop owner who I bought from often, always vintage gear, offered to swap parts and sell me the 57 neck on the 59 body for the same $1400 price. Kind of a friend deal but we were not that close, just shop owner customer friends.
Happened more often than we might like to think.
combatguitar
Strat-Talk Member
Before 96 or 97 the neck on AVRI's was not the 57 shallow boat neck. At least he will know if it is before Fender started the correct 57 neck carve.
stratman323
Dr. Stratster
That's not exactly specific. He wanted a specific date. We told him where to find it.
Job done.
No one will ever be able to get a specific date, even taking the neck date, pot dates, pickup dates & every other date into account, it will only ever be a rough date, possibly narrowed down to a part of the year. Fender were not interested in us dating our guitars, everything was dated by them for their own records & from a business point of view, parts were dated & some of those parts like pots were dated by the outsourced manufacturer, the whole guitar was never given a date it was made.
stratman323
Dr. Stratster
You can nit pick to that extent if you choose to. I choose not to. This is close enough for my liking.
This is a 1983 62RI - that's all I need to know. I really don't care when the pots were made.
Bane
Strat-O-Master
We need neck date pics now-
I can sell you a case for $ 43.00To get a cert issued I had to send detailed pics to the CS & take it to be examined by a local CS dealer. That inspection took all of two minutes. Eventually the cert arrived - this A5 piece of paper cost me £100. Nice work if you can get it.
but it would be letter size and shipping about $120
Nadnitram
Most Honored Senior Member
When I searched "online dating," I was not expecting to end up here.
Rufustelestrat
Senior Stratmaster
I am not nit picking, I am telling it like it is, like the truth ! You cannot state your guitar was made on 12-2-83, because that date only applies to the neck, you can believe all you want to, but there lies the problem & why there is so much misinformation on the internet & most people do not like the truth.
stratman323
Dr. Stratster
You're being ridiculous. You're looking for a date that doesn't exist....
So what date would satisfy you?
mattier303
Strat-Talker
So did we ever get a neck date picture? I’m invested l,,,
Jim Johansson
New Member!
No date near the truss rod screw on the heel?Hello again. I finally removed the neck, I attack som pics. Sorry for delay ..
The pots are not original, so no luck there ..
Jim Johansson
New Member!
Ok, now I saw the stamp, the Photo is too bad. I think I see 89 as the first numbers. I come back again with better pics. Sorry.
I have now updated it with Crazy parts trem block, highwood saddles, raw vintage springs and Mark Foley "number one" pickups. It now sounds and plays amazing.
I have now updated it with Crazy parts trem block, highwood saddles, raw vintage springs and Mark Foley "number one" pickups. It now sounds and plays amazing.
Attachments
That does not look right for a 1989 U.S. Vintage. The "57 ST" I would assume to be Japanese. Someone please confirm or refute that.Hello again. I finally removed the neck, I attack som pics. Sorry for delay ..
The pots are not original, so no luck there ..
Also, in '89 there should be two jig holes in the neck pocket, diagonal from each other like in the image below. In looking closer at your images it looks like there may be a hole under the shim on the right side. Is there a hole there??? And the second should be close to the lower left side neck screw.
The neck looks right and the case looks right, but the neck pocket stamp gives me pause. Now I am curious to see the pots. Let's see them.
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stratman323
Dr. Stratster
I'm also not sure. I'm leaning towards what you are saying, but wasn't Hector Montes a Corona employee? It sounds more likely than him being a Fujigen employee.
Välkommen!Ok, now I saw the stamp, the Photo is too bad. I think I see 89 as the first numbers. I come back again with better pics. Sorry.
I have now updated it with Crazy parts trem block, highwood saddles, raw vintage springs and Mark Foley "number one" pickups. It now sounds and plays amazing.
Yes. That's one of the reasons I said the neck looks right.
It looks like Mejia (??) stamped in the neck pocket.
