FS - Fender "the STRAT" Stratocaster (CAR, maple neck)

thebreeze

Details for this guitar below (as I couldn't fit everything in this box).

These are increasingly hard to come by but do come up for sale now and again and, depending on your outlook, are beginning to accrue a "vintage" appeal. 

£1300 

PPG, bank transfer or cash.  Much prefer collection and a try out.  Will travel to meet.  Can discuss postage but unkeen.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/0a9pdhjo8ds9xgs/2016-05-22 14.29.13.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v54m2c3x99b4c3p/2016-05-22 14.32.03.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f6gdu2ozk6goku8/2016-05-22 14.31.54.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/94yjz41t2dak5l5/2016-05-22 14.27.18.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b3d6mznt0k1vihq/2016-05-22 14.30.55.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jjjngv0qbfd61be/2016-05-22 14.32.28.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/kxk6b733u77cf0p/2016-05-22 14.39.24.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d18npphna4jt113/2016-05-22 14.42.40.jpg?raw=1

thebreeze

See above for photos.

This is an interesting and cool guitar.  A lovely sounding and playing Candy Apple Red, maple neck, Fender Stratocaster.  A piece of Fender history.  Built in 1980 at the Fullerton plant in California the Fender "The Strat" was a bold and last ditch attempt by CBS to turn things round after gradually messing up the production of their guitars over the time that they ran the company.  Designed by Gregg Wilson, then chief of guitar R&D at Fender, with the help of Dan Armstrong serving as a consultant the STRAT tried to blend classic features with modern electronics to rejuvenate the Stratocaster concept. With the STRAT model, Fender gave a nod to the past by reinstating the smaller 1954-1965 pre-CBS headstock design. It implemented a new wiring circuit delivering 9 different basic tones: a twin mode rotary selector switch replaced the bottom tone control which when used with the five-way pickup selector switch allowed not only for your standard 5 Stratocaster positions tones but also 4 "new" tones never before or since available on a Fender Stratocaster.

I've owned this guitar since new and it comes completely stock with the original hardcase, original tremolo springs and original whammy bar.  I've had it so long (35 years) I honestly can't remember whether I had a new nut fitted or not or whether I've just imagined it as there is a small chip missing on the corner under the top E string.  Anyway, it has been played but taken care of.  It is a "genuine" relic with paint rubbed off here and there.  The pickup covers have aged with a nice yellowish tinge.  Amazingly, there is very little fret wear for a guitar this age but there is some fret wear on just two frets under two strings.  I think these could be smoothed down without any need for a refret.  It still plays perfectly.  There is also a chip in the laquer on the neck at the 14th fret (photo'd).

The hardware is partly made of gold (!), the guitar is heavy'ish but a manageable 9.14lbs and very comfortable to play.

The important thing to say about this guitar though is that the sound/tone is exceptional. The regular Strat sounds are great and the extra sounds (4 extra positions) because of the electronics and pickups (which I don't understand) give a lot of variety allowing you into more humbucking territory - I've even got very close to the Money For Nothing intro sound.

thebreeze

Pics now in the body of the text bump.

thebreeze

Bump.

monquixote

I've got one of these. 

Great guitars. 

thebreeze

Yep - they really are great.

I've always kept it stock but changing the knobs for aged white plastic would probably give it more of a "contemporary" vibe (would lighten the weight too probably).

thebreeze

Bump

thebreeze

Awesome guitar.

thebreeze

Bump for a lovely guitar.

thebreeze

Still FS.....

thebreeze

Bump

revsorg

The rosewood version was my first good guitar. Got it from Honkey Tonk Music in Hadleigh 36 years ago. I treated mine shamefully and it's now in pieces, some lost. Among my regrets is that Chandler Guitars installed a Khaler trem. The tone switch had a fascinating effect that I could never put into words.

thebreeze

@revsorg John Lennon had a rosewood version.  Called it "the cat's whiskers" apparently. On another thread I spotted Mark Knopfler playing the maple version.  Here they are playing them - I've struggled to embed them but hopefully the link works.

https://imgur.com/a/QKi6W

richardhomer

thebreeze said:

@revsorg John Lennon had a rosewood version.  Called it "the cat's whiskers" apparently. On another thread I spotted Mark Knopfler playing the maple version.  Here they are playing them - I've struggled to embed them but hopefully the link works.

https://imgur.com/a/QKi6W

The MK guitar is a Schecter....

thebreeze

Ah, thanks Richard, I thought he'd changed the term/bridge.

richardhomer

thebreeze said:

Ah, thanks Richard, I thought he'd changed the term/bridge.

He started using Schecters around the Making Movies sessions - that one was used on the Alchemy album/DVD. That photo looks like it's DS's Live Aid performance. Shocking shirt....  

thebreeze

There's a shrewd and canny player out there.....this guitar will astound you.