Battered, but plays well (Vintage Strat Content).

ICBM

HarrySeven said:

Weight-wise, it's actually OK...

Because it lost a pound when the Thick Skin finish was taken off .

Funkfingers

ESBlonde said:

I'd suggest a fret dress rather than a refret. Those maple fingerboards can splinter and delaminate the finish if the refret is not done by a very competent luthier.

The 1976/77 example to which I referred earlier is shedding fingerboard finish all on its own. 

guitars4you

ICBM said:

HarrySeven said:

Weight-wise, it's actually OK...

Because it lost a pound when the Thick Skin finish was taken off .

Valid comment - I've not done it for years - But recall weighing a thick 'dulux gloss' style finish that I took of a refin SG once - Weighing the actual finish/debris etc

HarrySeven

Well, I’ll update when I go back next week...

p90fool

Funkfingers said:

ESBlonde said:

I'd suggest a fret dress rather than a refret. Those maple fingerboards can splinter and delaminate the finish if the refret is not done by a very competent luthier.

The 1976/77 example to which I referred earlier is shedding fingerboard finish all on its own. 

My CBS Strat's neck finish is falling off in sheets...

http://i68.tinypic.com/24mrzhs.jpg


http://i64.tinypic.com/mcgp5c.jpg

HarrySeven

But first...to recap.

What we know so far:

*Stripped finish

*De-laminating body

*Badly chipped neck finish

*Neck - Post-‘71 (3-bolt)

*Neck plate - too late for the neck (no serial)

*Neck - Pre-‘77 (no S-Prefix headstock serial)

*Non-original bridge

*Non-original saddles

*Non-original switch - 5 way (post '77?)

*Pickups/Scratchplate possibly non-original

*Trem cover - non-original

Despite all of the above, plays well.

Body: not *that* heavy
Neck: Slim

Potential dating factors:

*Pot codes (*If* original)
*Pickups (*if* original)
*Neck pocket
*Neck heel
*Body routing

Have I missed anything?

Koa

There’s often a serial number label on the underside of original guards.....

NPP

Koa said:

There’s often a serial number label on the underside of original guards.....

mine doesn't have that but it has a sticker in the neck pocket.

It also has the paint chipping off the fretboard but it never peeled away as in @p90fool 's pic above (but I sanded it off in about 1989)

Funkfingers

My 1978/79 P Bass has a date stamp in the pickup cavity. 

Neck is pre-76 (year and serial number prefix).

Body being ash rather than alder suggests no earlier than 1972.

merciful-evans

HarrySeven said:

But first...to recap.

What we know so far:

*Stripped finish

*De-laminating body

*Badly chipped neck finish

*Neck - Post-‘71 (3-bolt)

*Neck plate - too late for the neck (no serial)

*Neck - Pre-‘77 (no S-Prefix headstock serial)

*Non-original bridge

*Non-original saddles

*Non-original switch - 5 way (post '77?)

*Pickups/Scratchplate possibly non-original

*Trem cover - non-original

Despite all of the above, plays well.

Body: not *that* heavy
Neck: Slim

Potential dating factors:

*Pot codes (*If* original)
*Pickups (*if* original)
*Neck pocket
*Neck heel
*Body routing

Have I missed anything?

Not far off from Trigger's Broom!

HarrySeven

So...a return visit was made...

Funkfingers

... and ...

HarrySeven

http://i.imgur.com/I09uYTS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/CnUUA7H.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/JNPWjAI.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/dFZxbbk.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/j9K1ebT.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/TAWUtQt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jepKMd4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0IyyCGf.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/NyH6QcX.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HoAhrMD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/l3Aqmjn.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Tau7Vhj.jpg

HarrySeven

*Pot codes - Vol and Middle Tone = ‘74

*Pickups - Neck and Middle = ‘75

*Neck pocket - ‘SAGE’ name - matches other examples online (approx ‘75)

*Neck heel - ‘R. BUSH’ name-matches other examples online (approx. ‘74/‘75)

richardhomer

That trem cavity doesn’t look right - never seen a factory one look that rough - even from that period. The ground wire hole is in the wrong place - so my guess is it was a hard-tail which has been converted.

HarrySeven

@richardhomer - this was precisely what I was about to say...

HarrySeven

Summary, so far...


 *Stripped finish

*De-laminating body

*Badly chipped neck finish

*Neck - Post-‘71 (3-bolt)

*Neck plate - too late for the neck (no serial)

*Neck - Pre-‘77 (no S-Prefix headstock serial)

 *Poorly-routed body (hardtail
  conversion). Approx ‘75 - see below.

*Non-original bridge/saddles

*Non-original switch - 5 way (post '77?)

*Scratchplate - possibly non-original

*Trem cover - non-original

  *Pot codes - Vol and Middle Tone = ‘74

  *Pickups - Neck and Middle = ‘75

  *Neck pocket - ‘SAGE’ name
  (matches other examples online - approx ‘75)
 
 *Neck heel - ‘R. BUSH’ name
 (matches other examples online (approx. ‘74/‘75)

PVO_Dave

richardhomer said:

That trem cavity doesn’t look right - never seen a factory one look that rough - even from that period. The ground wire hole is in the wrong place - so my guess is it was a hard-tail which has been converted.

Then blocked off!

Maybe it was a weight saving exercise  

ICBM

That’s a very poor trem conversion unfortunately.

I would not pay a lot for it, it has very little real value other than in the neck and the original electrical parts.

HarrySeven

@richardhomer, @PVO_Dave, @ICBM - I did wonder on my last visit when I could see some kind of ‘damage’ to the body at the side of the trem cover. 

All became apparent once I removed it last night and my heart sank!