59 Replica Strat

[jay4321]

Question:

I'm no expert on vintage Strats, but to me, a neck like that would stand out like a roach on a wedding cake. How many nice ones like that came off the production line back then?

If you're gonna do some modern updates anyway, guess it probably doesn't matter. I just can't recall seeing any figuring like that except on custom instruments and whatnot.

 

[Tonar8352]

The first three pictures in this thread are of a real 59.

Jay your correct about Fender using plain maple that is why I ordered 1/4 sawn but they went off and built this beautiful piece so I guess I'll have to suffer with it. I have seen a few vintage Fender necks with flame or birdseye but they are rare.

First let me say that most vintage Strats vary so much that to say any one guitar is the example that should be the standard is crazy.
I took some comparison pictures of a real 64 that a good friend of mine is doing a restoration on to show some of the differences between a vintage Strat and a Warmoth. The Warmoth neck is more like an early slab board with a bigger chunk of rosewood for the fretboard. None of the differences between the Warmoth are a distraction to me because this is going to be a replica for me to play not an exact reproduction that could be passed of as a real vintage guitar.

Here is a shot of one of the dowels

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

If that is the '64 on the right, I have no response to that.  Beat up, it had to be worth more than refinished.  When did Leo sell Fender?  I mean, this was still technically a Fender right?  With an original Fender paint job?  Please tell me it's a refinish being refinished.  If not, bunnies will have to die!

 

[Tonar8352]

The guitar is in fact a 64 and it was purchased with everything intact except the original finish.  We have no idea who removed the finish but it was purchased like you see and sent to my friend to be restored. If there were one drop of original finish left on it no one I know would be touching it. It is being done for a private collector and when it is finished it will be worth more than what he paid for it by far.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

We have no idea who removed the finish but it was purchased like you see and sent to my friend to be restored. If there were one drop of original finish left on it no one I know would be touching it.

The bunnies will be happy to hear that. :hello2:

 

[Kei]

I've been thinking of the same build, and since the guitar will be finish by Mr. Tonar himself, guess this will be the twin guitar? hmm?  arty07: arty07: :rock-on:

 

[jay4321]

In other news, 49 other customers just ordered regular 1/4-sawn Strat necks

 

[Tonar8352]

:laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7: :laughing7:

 

[back2thefutre]

i bet i would start crying if I played a real vintAGE STRAT. :headbang: :glasses9: :binkybaby: :binkybaby: :binkybaby: :binkybaby: :toothy11:

 

[Jusatele]

Turbo, as far as you question about Fender and Leo goes, the official date is some time in 1965, and the guitars took a cost cutting drop in quality almost immediately, it got so bad that at one time the Strat was offered with only 1 tone control. They were bought from CBS in 1985 by employees. At that time their reputation was so bad that they were really only had a few years of viability left if a change did not appear. It was not until the mid 90s that the reputation for a quality instrument was once again established. During the 20 years that CBS owned them they cut cost so much they even introduced a 3 screw neck, imagine considering the cost of 1 screw and the process of putting it in seriously and you will see what CBS considered Fender as. Not a Pretty thought is it. Most 65 through 85 fenders are not worth anywhere near what a pre CBS one is.
I have owned a few pre CBS Fenders and have always been amazed what I got for them. I am not a collector by any means. I just offed my Tele the other day and it needed professional help real bad as the neck joint would not even stay tight, had been plugged already, and had a crack in the body in the joint. They guy who bought it is suppose to bring it to fender for a full restore. I do not know if a repaint would destroy a guitars worth as they do it to antique cars all the time and collectors go gaga over them, I think it would be a color and material thing though.
I think that a bunny needs a pancake on it's head for strip down job though, you can do that can't you?

 

[Watershed]

Wow, I can't get over how thin the fingerboard is on the '64.
Almost a veneer.

Gorgeous neck by the way.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

I've seen the one tone knob Strats.  The jack was moved to the 2nd pot location and the top mount jack was removed altogether.

 

[jay4321]

I've seen those also. One guy on American Idol had one and it took me a good 30 seconds to figure out what was off about it.

http://www.yellowmama.com/1983-FENDER-STRAT-BLUE-PEARL-PICKGUARD.html

 

[rapfohl09]

If you wanted to get super vintage you could use the nail stand method to do the burst. I think they were still doing that in 59, I think they stopped in the 60's.

 

[Alfang]

Ah the power of Tonar. He creates such excitement here that just a simple post, and the board is abuzz with excitement, and 3 pages of posts already

 

[Cagey]

During the 20 years that CBS owned them they cut cost so much they even introduced a 3 screw neck, imagine considering the cost of 1 screw and the process of putting it in seriously and you will see what CBS considered Fender as.

I worked for some years for a major OEM of electrical equipment, and while they were a multi-billion dollar company, they never sold any particular thing on the scale that a consumer electronics company would, but some principles still applied. One of them was "a million of anything is a lot". Highly simplistic and seemingly obvious, but lost on most people. It seems incredible that a company would cheap out on a screw or a bracket or [insert component here] that would dramatically improve a given widget, but when you're making large quantities and are totally removed from the reality of the things, you drive by spreadsheet. The "bean counters" only look at the bottom line of the P&L sheet. If saving $.05 sounds stupid, multiply that by 1,000,000. Now we're talking real money. That's gas for that thirsty corporate jet, or a bonus for Joe Upencoming.

 

[Alfang]

Cagey, you are spot on correct, and unfortunately, that's part of what's wrong in the world today. That's why Dodge & Chevy made crap for so long, saving a penny here and there. Among many other reasons too

 

[Cagey]

I was born and raised in Detroit - the "Motor City" - and spent a great deal of my career in their service one way or another. Don't get me started on what they did wrong. The list of sins is long and has much to do with conspicuous consumption and union capitulation, which invariably leads to politics, which will get me kicked off this board <grin>

 

[Tonar8352]

Back to the 59 replica, I put the real clay dots in both the board and side. Notice the side-dots are not perfectly lined up which would be correct for the way a real 59 would look. Did you know that clay dots have a major impact on the tone of a guitar, that is why the vintage Strats sound so much better.  :laughing3: :laughing3: :laughing3: :laughing3:

I’m taping this one off to match the normal ware pattern of a naturally heavily played neck. I use 3M 1/4" tape to make the curve and then tape and paper up to it.  Also the profile on the headstock has been dramatically rounded to be more vintage correct.

The last two pictures are with it all ready to start spraying along side of nathana's Tele neck.

 

[Cletus]

The guitar is in fact a 64 and it was purchased with everything intact except the original finish.  We have no idea who removed the finish but it was purchased like you see and sent to my friend to be restored. If there were one drop of original finish left on it no one I know would be touching it. It is being done for a private collector and when it is finished it will be worth more than what he paid for it by far.

me likey that Rickenbacker just there. You ladies can keep the Fenders