Loaded 80s MIJ Fender Strat body value?

DefaultM

I have an Olympic white Strat body from about 1987 I believe. There don't appear to be any markings on it that say Fender, but I bought the full guitar from a well respected member on here and the neck has markings. Is this normal? I don't want someone on eBay requesting a return because they expected markings even if it's original.

Assuming everything is okay with it, what would be an okay price to ask? It has a wilkinson trem and saddles, the pickups have been upgraded to Catswhisker ones and the wiring to all USA parts. So not all original, but all are improvements as the original parts are rubbish. It's got lots of little dings and paint chips etc.

I'm not under any impression of it being worth a tonne, but I've never parted out a guitar before and I don't want to get it wrong.

timhulio

It should have a stamp in the neck pocket. Got a pic?

DefaultM

Yes I'll take one when I get home.

I'll inspect it in a bit more detail as well, as I suppose there could be a shim in there or something that's covering it. 
The neck just says ST-62 and then the serial number.

streethawk

What Wilkinson bridge is on there?

The trem screw mounts should be just over 11mm apart (centre to centre) or 56mm (ish) from the two outside holes. 

Not a definitive answer but might help narrow things down.

welshboyo

I might be interested in that, let me know how much when you have decided

DefaultM

Will do. I'll check ebay completed listings but it usually throws up nothing similar.

Maybe it would be easier to say how much the neck is worth? Because I paid £400 for the full guitar.

robinbowes

I presume you're keeping the neck?

DefaultM

That was the plan, but it won't fit the new body I've got so I'm going to look at how easy sanding the body down would be before I decide.

robinbowes

What's the body like? ie. weight, finish, condition?

streethawk

Does the body have the '62 pickguard screw mount? 

darcym

I'd like to know about the neck please if you're parting out.

Funkfingers

DefaultM said:

The neck just says ST-62 and then the serial number.

A rubber stamp reading ST-62 would be period correct for a mid Eighties MIJ Stratocaster - Fender or Squier. I have the same thing on the heel of a neck from an '87-ish System 1 model. 

DefaultM

robinbowes said:

What's the body like? ie. weight, finish, condition?

Its quite heavy, but it does have a massive steel block in the back so I'm not sure how much that is adding on. 
Olympic white poly. Condition is well used. The top has lots of little dings from one of the owners wearing a watch.

streethawk said:

Does the body have the '62 pickguard screw mount? 

I'm not sure what this means, but I took off the pickguard yesterday and it has a sticker on the back from the mid 2000s. So it's perhaps not original. Might have been a pickguard that came with the replacement pickups.

Funkfingers

DefaultM said:

streethawk said:

Does the body have the '62 pickguard screw mount? 

I'm not sure what this means

This refers to the position of one the pickguard fastening screws, on the upper edge of the plate, between the neck and centre pickups. 

The screw was half way between the two pickups until the 1963 model year. Then, it shifts nearer to the centre pickup - more or less where it started on the eight hole 'guards.

DefaultM

https://i.imgur.com/73wuDDk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QTw086u.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JmlHsmw.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/l0urwhi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ngOCFI6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RObtTUk.jpg

DefaultM

In that case I don't think it has the 62 screw layout.

The body does actually have markings, they've just faded and aren't done very well. I think it says st-62 again though.

streethawk

DefaultM said:

In that case I don't think it has the 62 screw layout.

The body does actually have markings, they've just faded and aren't done very well. I think it says st-62 again though.

It's got the '62 screw pattern and an extra hole added for the later screw pattern.
  

I would measure those screws on the trem, if they're 56mm then you most likely have a genuine MIJ ST62 body. 

Is that maple neck the one that came with the guitar? '62 should be rosewood but I'm far from an expert when it comes to MIJ stuff. 

DefaultM

Hmm replacement pickguard then. I'm surprised it's aged that quickly to match the rest of the guitar.

I've just remembered that I purchased a Callaham trem for it and nothing lined up, so it will be a genuine MIJ body.
The maple neck is to go on something else. I took the rosewood neck from this and put it on an SCRelics body (or tried to).

streethawk

DefaultM said:

Hmm replacement pickguard then. I'm surprised it's aged that quickly to match the rest of the guitar.

I've just remembered that I purchased a Callaham trem for it and nothing lined up, so it will be a genuine MIJ body.
The maple neck is to go on something else. I took the rosewood neck from this and put it on an SCRelics body (or tried to).

The Callaham trem not fitting is not a sign of authenticity. They come in different sizes.

Normally, an MIJ vintage trem is full size vintage USA spacing. A ruler will tell you everything you need to know. 

darcym

That's not a Jap Strat body, certainly not a re-issue in my opinion, more so when I look at my own Jap bodies.

DefaultM

darcym said:

That's not a Jap Strat body, certainly not a re-issue in my opinion, more so when I look at my own Jap bodies.

Oh ok... it is real though. The only reason I questioned it was because I thought it had no markings in the neck pocket, but it turned out I'd just remembered wrong. When I later got home and actually checked I found that it did in fact have a faded stamp.