Is this really a 1983 Fullerton Strat?

Modellista

All Black 1983 USA Fender Stratocaster (made in Fullerton plant USA) £650

It just looks a bit too normal and clean to me.  This page says in 1983 they were only making the cheapo Standards with one tone and the jack on the scratchplate.  The earlier Smith versions have the big curvy STRATOCASTER logo and truss rod adjustment at the body end.

Any thoughts?

musicman100

modellista;71921" said:

All Black 1983 USA Fender Stratocaster (made in Fullerton plant USA) £650

It just looks a bit too normal and clean to me.  This page says in 1983 they were only making the cheapo Standards with one tone and the jack on the scratchplate.  The earlier Smith versions have the big curvy STRATOCASTER logo and truss rod adjustment at the body end.

Any thoughts?

I'm no fender expert but regarding you saying it looks to normal n clean. I have guitars from the 60s that looks that clean so can't see that been an issue.

thebreeze

I'm no expert either.  Did they use the vintage style bridge saddles in 1983?  I've seen the flatter ones used on guitars from this era.

thebreeze

Ooops - looking at your page they obviously did.

Modellista

thebreeze said:

Ooops - looking at your page they obviously did.

The bridge is one of the things that doesn't look correct for the period.

impmann

It could be legit.

They did make some 'normal' Strats before going down that dodgy road of the jack socket on the plate in 1983. A mate has a Precision with an "E" serial that is one of the finest bases I have ever heard or played.

JCA2550

The "E3" serial number should place this 1983 -1985 US made. At least the neck is I'm pretty sure?

http://www2.fender.com/en-GB/support/articles/u-s-instruments-product-dating/

GuitarMonkey

I think that the walnut plug makes it an early Corona neck. They kept using the E3 serial decals in 1985 after the move.

If it were an 85 American Standard though it would have a 2-point tremolo and a white pickguard so I'm saying probably a parts guitar.

Modellista

JCA2550 said:

The "E3" serial number should place this 1983 -1985 US made. At least the neck is I'm pretty sure?

http://www2.fender.com/en-GB/support/articles/u-s-instruments-product-dating/

I know that but it could just as easily be a fake, or a 1983 neck on a newer body.

Modellista

GuitarMonkey said:

I think that the walnut plug makes it an early Corona neck. They kept using the E3 serial decals in 1985 after the move.

If it were an 85 American Standard though it would have a 2-point tremolo and a white pickguard so I'm saying probably a parts guitar.

Interesting about E3 being possibly Corona.  I can't find any photos of a genuine Fullerton neck with that truss rod / headstock / decals combination.

I reckon it's not all original, just doesn't look right to me.

Neil

FMIC carried on using the  E3 serials after they took over from CBS and until they ran out so the prefix covers more than one year.

The 21 fret neck with the walnut plug is right. It's if the body matches the neck (always a worry on Strats).

richardhomer

The neck looks like it's from a Fullerton 'Standard' Strat - the walnut plug has an access hole in it - hence presumably it has a Biflex truss rod - the short-lived 'Smith era' 21 fret neck (with small headstock) had vintage-style adjustment on the heel and CBS-style 'thick' logo.

The body 'should' be the 'two knob' variant - with top routed trem and the output jack on the scratch plate. Either it's been modified, or it's a 'Smith' era body (circa '82) which had four bolt neck fixings. Black plastics weren't standard on most colours by this point. The body has the thicker top horn characteristic of Smith era guitars - though it could be a reissue - or even non-Fender....

It could be a factory built 'bitsa' - it could have been assembled at a later stage.

The price is in the 'almost too good to be true' range - as the very final Fullerton guitars are at least pieces of history, even if they're not the greatest guitars Fender ever made.

Hope this helps.

matone

`Almost too good to be true ` is a good description of that one !

Modellista

Thanks for the detail, pretty much backs up what I was thinking.  I'm going over to see it tomorrow and will have a look in the neck pocket.  Not sure what I expect to see but it might shed some light on things.  The owner was told it was all original when he bought it 15 years ago and isn't an expert so has had no cause to doubt it.

richardhomer said:

The neck looks like it's from a Fullerton 'Standard' Strat - the walnut plug has an access hole in it - hence presumably it has a Biflex truss rod - the short-lived 'Smith era' 21 fret neck (with small headstock) had vintage-style adjustment on the heel and CBS-style 'thick' logo.

The body 'should' be the 'two knob' variant - with top routed trem and the output jack on the scratch plate. Either it's been modified, or it's a 'Smith' era body (circa '82) which had four bolt neck fixings. Black plastics weren't standard on most colours by this point. The body has the thicker top horn characteristic of Smith era guitars - though it could be a reissue - or even non-Fender....

It could be a factory built 'bitsa' - it could have been assembled at a later stage.

The price is in the 'almost too good to be true' range - as the very final Fullerton guitars are at least pieces of history, even if they're not the greatest guitars Fender ever made.

Hope this helps.

richardhomer

modellista;1022290" said:

Thanks for the detail, pretty much backs up what I was thinking.  I'm going over to see it tomorrow and will have a look in the neck pocket.  Not sure what I expect to see but it might shed some light on things.  The owner was told it was all original when he bought it 15 years ago and isn't an expert so has had no cause to doubt it.

One other detail - the 2 knob Fullerton Strats had four bolt neck plates with a hole in for micro tilt adjustment - like current Fenders. There should be a metal disc inlaid into the heel which takes the load from the Micro Tilt hex screw. The neckplate on the picture is the 'Smith era' Strat four bolt/CBS Tele style.

ICBM

I agree with richardhomer. The neck is definitely a 1st series USA Standard, from the guitars that had the Freeflyte trem and the pickguard-mounted jack. It's fairly common to find these necks on other bodies now.

The body looks exactly like a Dan Smith era - there are a lot of details which indicate this and not a later reissue or a non-Fender body.

So it *could* be factory original since these two eras are at least consecutive, in early 1983. I also thought they'd stopped using the black plastics by then too, but it is just possible that it's an "accountant special" to use up left-over parts, or an employee's guitar.

If the body is a Smith Fender, the whole lot is easily worth more than the £650 even if the neck and body didn't leave the factory together.

richardhomer

ICBM;1022312" said:

I also thought they'd stopped using the black plastics by them too, but it is just possible that it's an "accountant special" to use up left-over parts, or an employee's guitar.

I remember playing a hard-tail Smith era Strat (when it was brand new) with black plastics - it was a natural Ash finish. I don't ever remember seeing a solid colour guitar with them on - but as you say, it IS possible, given what was going on at the time with Fender.

I've looked at the pictures again - and noticed something else which suggests it may have left the factory like that. The string trees are normal vintage style 'butterflies' - as used on Smith era guitars. The first series of Stsndards had the 'new, improved' Easyglide cast ones - as per modern Standards. They require two holes drilling - one for the screw and one for a locating lug which keeps it in position. The second screw hole would be visible, if the headstock had been drilled for these.

So there is a possibility that it's some weird, factory assembled amalgam of what was round at the time.

It's amazing I'm still single, with this kind of knowledge to share, isn't it?

ICBM

richardhomer said:

I remember playing a hard-tail Smith era Strat (when it was brand new) with black plastics - it was a natural Ash finish.

A lot of the hardtails were done in that colour combination, it may have been on purpose to catch the disco/funk market .

richardhomer said:

I've looked at the pictures again - and noticed something else which suggests it may have left the factory like that. The string trees are normal vintage style 'butterflies' - as used on Smith era guitars. The first series of Stsndards had the 'new, improved' Easyglide cast ones - as per modern Standards. They require two holes drilling - one for the screw and one for a locating lug which keeps it in position. The second screw hole would be visible, if the headstock had been drilled for these.

Excellent work richardholmes .

richardhomer said:

It's amazing I'm still single, with this kind of knowledge to share, isn't it?

Absolutely. I'm surprised you aren't having to beat them off with a stick.

richardhomer

^ So what we could be looking at is a rare - possibly unique - transitional model.

I think I'd better buy it quick....

matone

Perhaps someone took it home `one piece at a time` !

richardhomer

matone;1022881" said:

Perhaps someone took it home `one piece at a time` !

That is quite a likely explanation....