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I can absolutely 100 percent guarantee this is NOT 1962 vintage correct.
I'll explain why.
First of all, there are three types of wood used in the 1962 Strat with a rosewood fingerboard. Look at the picture below and see if you can spot what is wrong with my one.
Not easily, so I'll explain, the three types of wood I’ve used are all wrong. This body is made from lightweight Swamp Ash, instead of American White Ash (also happens to be nearly 2 lb to light).
Indian Rosewood on the left and Rio on the right (my last one)
I've used plantation grown Indian Rosewood for
the fingerboard instead of Brazilian Rosewood or Rio Rosewood. I've also used
white shell (not quite mother-of-pearl) dot inlays on the face of the fingerboard, and
white plastic dots for side markers. The frets are also bit big to be a vintage.
The nut is also about 1mm wider.
White Maple on the right, North Maple on the left (that's becoming more and more difficult to buy). Unfortunately the photo doesn't show how big the differences visually.
I've used Rock Maple for the neck, the only thing being most the Rock Maple being used now is nothing like the maple used by Fender in the sixties. What I've used comes from a more southern area of America. It grows in a much lower attitude in warmer climes. This does make a difference to how the wood looks. Unfortunately the photograph I've used doesn't really show up the difference as much as I was hoping. Basically, the new Maple is very white, the Maple Fender used was more a buff colour. It come from the northern states, or possibly Canada. Growing at a very high altitude. This meant that through the winter Maple trees were held at temperatures will below freezing point for months on end. This maple is considerably harder than what is being used at the present time by most manufacturers. It's most likely far cheaper to log Maple in the southern states at lower attitude. The whiter Maple is still hard.
There you have it, a 1962 lookalike Strat, built from all the wrong materials.
Having said that, in the right hands and using the right hardware this guitar can and should be as good as any custom shop guitar costing several thousand pounds.
A few more photos.
Notice the smooth transition from the flat area, no sudden changes of direction.
I decided to put GSP on my necks and bodies, a little more subtle than most.
The body weighs 3 lb 1oz, far too light for a vintage strat
Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.
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Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.
https://www.facebook.com/grahame.pollard.39/
I think a more modern compound radius say 7.25 up to 9.5 radius is an improvement over standard vintage ones, not sure what yours is
(formerly customkits)
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Shame about the truss rod adjuster position, but I suppose a client that wants "vintage correct" wouldn't accept a sensible solution.
Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.
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1962 was the year when Fender changed from the flat "slab" underside of the rosewood fingerboard and the rounded "laminated" version. In theory, the company could legitimately change between the two construction types without needing to alter the model name.
Other possibly significant details were the neck profile and the fret position marker inlay dot material.
The really big transition for 1963 was the relocation of the fastening screw along the top edge of the pickguard, between the neck and centre pickups. Boy, did that change how those old guitars performed.
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Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.
https://www.facebook.com/grahame.pollard.39/
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(formerly customkits)
Your life will improve when you realise it’s better to be alone than chase people who do not really care about you. Saying YES to happiness means learning to say NO to things and people that stress you out.
https://www.facebook.com/grahame.pollard.39/
(formerly customkits)