Strat advice needed

skullfunkerry

My boss knows that I play the guitar so he's asked me for advice. His sister-in-law wants to buy her fella a 1978 (year he was born) Strat for his birthday, so he's asking me for advice/where to get one/what to look for...

I've literally never owned a Strat, so all I know is that some are better than others. Help!

Jonathanthomas83

Just eBay or reverb Strat 1978 and see what's about.

fendergibson

EBAY, just type in 1978 Strat. See what comes up. 

Beware though, vintage guitars and seventies Strats are a mine field, approximately the size of China 

guitars4you

skullfunkerry said:

My boss knows that I play the guitar so he's asked me for advice. His sister-in-law wants to buy her fella a 1978 (year he was born) Strat for his birthday, so he's asking me for advice/where to get one/what to look for...

I've literally never owned a Strat, so all I know is that some are better than others. Help!

will be no shortage of 78 Strats for sale - Options then were :- Colour, rosewood or maple fingerboard, trem or non trem

I'd opt for the trem option, even if you don't use it - Colour option or maple/rosewood fingerboard is up to you

It is not the best period of guitar building - To be honest one of the worse and prices of models in this era are rising

Try and get one not to heavy and find one with a decent neck/body join - Some during this era have a wide gap that you can get a 1p down the side of

As to where - then try Reverb, Ebay, google and see what dealers have in stock as well - £1200/1800 is what they are going for as an all original clean example - Are they worth it is a different question

ICBM

skullfunkerry said:

My boss knows that I play the guitar so he's asked me for advice. His sister-in-law wants to buy her fella a 1978 (year he was born) Strat for his birthday, so he's asking me for advice/where to get one/what to look for...

I've literally never owned a Strat, so all I know is that some are better than others. Help!

Yes.... and '78s are among the very worst.

Seriously, if he wants a Strat then buy anything other than a '78 (or any '77-'81), and if he wants a '78 anything, buy almost any other guitar than a Strat.

It's true that it's not impossible to find a (rare) quite good one, but letting someone who wants to buy a present for someone else go shopping is just asking to be ripped off with the heaviest, lumpiest, ugliest and most overpriced example any dealer really wants rid of.

That said, a friend of mine is selling a '78 Antigua burst Strat, so if you want to see how bad they can really get, I can forward his number .

Roysterdoyster

You’d be better trying Strat-talk.....this is a Les Paul forum! 

chris78

I’m also born and 78 and I’ve looked for a few years for a 78 strat or tele. Everyone I’ve tried or seen has been utter junk. Bad neck pocket, boat anchor, horrid thick slippy poly finishes, often flaking on the neck. Often need a refret. Pickups are pretty terrible too.

Id love a birth year guitar, ideally a tele, but I haven’t felt the need to spend close to 2k on a lousy guitar

guitars4you

Can get some ok 78 Gibson LPs - granted not all are good or bad but more likely to find a decent LP from 78 than a good Strat

Or a Made in japan Yamaha SG or Ibanez Artist - solid body or semi acoustic

a 78 Rickenbacker 330 or 360 will be okay

ICBM

Actually, you could probably find a '78 *Tokai* 'Springy Sound' Strat... they started in 1977.

Half the price, twice the guitar.

thermionic

There’s a 1978 Fender Mustang in the classifieds now...

Iamnobody

Late seventies Fenders are all over the place - lots advertised as such but can be ‘79’s or even early 80’s guitars.

If I was buying one just because it was a ‘78 I’d want a lot of evidence before buying. Here’s some decent info:

https://www.strat-central.com/70sstrats/

If if you see a sienna burst advertised as a ‘78 I’ve been told it’s incorrect as that colour wasn’t available until the 80’s. There’s probably more colours like that...

In terms of ‘78 guitars in general it’s also my vintage. I haven’t found anything worth buying/keeping in many years of looking. Mainly it’s overpriced shit that’s about.

sweepy

What about a 78 Yamaha SG2000

ICBM

Iamnobody said:

Late seventies Fenders are all over the place - lots advertised as such but can be ‘79’s or even early 80’s guitars.

That’s correct. The S8 serial number was supposed to designate a 1978 guitar, and most sellers/dealers will describe any guitar with one as a “78”, but Fender printed the decals in bulk, applied them to the necks in bulk, and only later were the guitars assembled. You can find S8 decals on guitars that were actually made at least as late as 1980. (Equally you will find S7s that were actually made in 1978.)

Fender’s production was actually slowing down in this period - due to falling demand, because players were becoming aware of the awful quality and improving Japanese competition - so the later years have even more overlap.

To accurately date a Fender from this era you need to look at the stamps on the neck heel, neck pocket, back of the pickguard, and the pot date codes. All of them will most likely be different, and the latest is roughly the date of assembly, or at least the closest you can get to knowing it.

boogieman

I had a 78 Strat. Biggest pile of crap I’ve ever owned. I bought it before I knew much about guitars at the time and thought it looked cool. Now they’re stupidly priced,  and it’s just because they’re old. Seriously, get something different.