Conference napalm::guitar

    I think the secret's in the serial number. Something like the 76xxxxx
    means its a 1976 model. However I thought the serial numbers always had
    a letter preceeding which had something to do with year.
    
    I have an authoritative book at home on this sort of thing. I'll post
    any info I get here if you don't hear sooner.
    
    Richard
    Basingstoke, UK

    Thanks !  I'll be checking back in ...
    
    
    				Scary
    
    	(who's gonna go home and build some Strat-patches on the GP-8)
    

    
    If the output jack has been replaced by a rectangular plate with a jack
    and microswitch, you probably have an Alembic Stratoblaster preamp
    installed.
    
    Maple fingerboard means it's definitely post-1968, which is when maple
    boards became available again.  Have fun.
    
    							Brian

    Then again if the output jack has a red release lever and is plastic,
    the pickups,are dual blade humbuckers,and the plate is the same shape as a
    standard strat output jack plate then it's probably the active Dimarzio
    Shock Wave system....
    
    							Rick

    The serial number puts this from mid-'76 to mid '77.
    
    Danny W.

    Thanks guys !!!  The jack plate fits the standard jack slot, and YES it
    does have the red release tab on it.  Hmmmm .... I think I did OK !
    
    
    
    				Scary

    I checked the serial number again too, and the first 2 numbers (76 ...)
    are larger than the rest, so I guess that means it's a 1976 model, huh?
    
    
    				Scary

    
    Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
     Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
    Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
     Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
    Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
     Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
    Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    
     Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  Scary bought a Stra-at!  
    

Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

 Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

 Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

 Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

 Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

 Pat learned how to do Cut And Paste  ;)

    Sounds like you got a Good Axe for a decent price, Scary. 
    I am interested in the strange Dimarzio set-ups mentioned inm previous
    notes, my bich has Dimarzio and I like them better than a SD I have.
    
    Hope U enjoy it !

    I'm tickled blonde by this thing !  It had bad springs in the Kahler
    when I bought it, and more (heavy duty) were on order.  Well, I picked
    them up today and threw 'em in.  The sustain is MUCH better now.  I had
    no complaints before, but it's definitely in good shape now.  I prefer
    the feel of a Floyd Rose, but the Kahler certainly is a lot more user
    friendly.  I'll live with the trade off !	8^)
    
    
    				Scary
    
    (with a grin as big as Pat when he got his Kitty Hawk !)

    I consulted my oracle....
    
    It was manufactured between Sept and Dec 1976. Assuming its a standard
    finish with tremelo it retailed for $565 then.
    
    Richard
    Basingstoke, UK
    

    WOW ! Thanks a bunch.  I think I got a pretty good deal here.
    
    
    				Scary
    
    		           (MIDI Bluesman)

    Another dumb question ...OK, I guess this beast has active Dimarzio's
    in it.  I've never had an axe with active's, so I *assume* they need a
    battery, right ?  So where might this little jewel be located ?  Under
    the jack plate maybe ?  That's the only place I can think of.  The
    battery must be low, because I have to have the boost "on" in order to
    use my Sabine tuner.  With it "off" I don't seem to get enough signal.
    
    
    
    				Scary

    
    I looked into getting EMG's for my 440 w/pickguard and the only 
    place on it that would fit was under the pickguard.  I could have 
    routed the jackplate, but declined to...
    
    J.

    WTF, I need to change strings anyway ... hopefully the jackplate has
    been routed.  I'll know in about an hour and a half !
    
    
    				Scary

    re -1
    
    	The batteries(notice plural) are contained in the jack plate,and
    are similiar to watch batteries or some camera batteries.(silver disc)
    
    							Rick

    So where do you grab one of these beasts ?  I looked in the jack plate,
    saw what you described, wasn't a 9V, so I put it back together and
    proceeded to rip into the pickguard.  Luckily (I see now...) my
    screwdriver was too big so I only got 2 screws out.  
    
    OK, I just removed 2 disc type batteries which were stacked on
    each other (3V each).  Is this battery set up sound right ?  I'm
    definitely in the dark on this one ...
    
    
    
    				Scary
    
    (who thought the world ran on 9V and was held together with duct tape)

    	I'd try a jeweler,or a camera store,maybe even the Rat shack
    may have them. They should have a part number and manufacturer
    stamped on them. Duracell,Eveready,Ray-ovac etc lithium or zinc.
    	Also pay attention to polarity..... And if all else fails
    call Dimarzio/technical service for a Part number.......
    
    							Rick
    

    Bought a couple from Jap Shack, $2 each.  The salesman checked out the
    old ones and they were completely dead !  Sound check should be a blast
    this afternoon !
    
    
    					Scary

    OK, got another stupid Strat question.  My guitar has the DiMarzio
    Shock Wave system on it.  Now, I was *thinking* about putting a Lace
    Sensor in the neck position ... will that work with the electronics
    involved with these stacked humbuckers ?
    
    Scary (who wants to get that signature "Strat" sound ...)

    If memory serves correctly...the shock wave p.u.'s are not active
    and there is a preamp afterwards for all three so you should be
    able to replace any or all w/o a problem..............
   -Bill =8vQ

    GREAT .... now who wants to trade me a Lace Sensor for one of my
    DiMarzio's ?    8^)
    
    Scary

    OK, I need some more info here.  I'm thinking about switching the
    single coils from my Kramer to my Strat.  Is the Dimarzio Shock Wave
    system just stacked humbuckers with a boost switch, or is the switch
    actually a coil tap ?  This guitar sounds great, but it doesn't really
    have that "Strat" tone.  I'd like to know what I'm dealing with here
    before I put both my kids in the shop.  Any help would be GREATLY
    appreciated.  8^)
    
    Scary

	Your "Shock Wave" system contains 3 side by side not stacked
humbuckers with a preamp boost. I called Dimarzio at one point and
talked to Steve or Larry and they specifically stated that these
pickup's were not designed to sound like a "strat" ie clapton,hendrix
etc..... They recommended HS2's for a vintage sound....
	The module under the output jack plate is where the preamp is
    located. 
	Be forwarned the wiring of the preamp is through the 5 way switch
    is non-standard. If you didn't get a schematic with the guitar/pickups,
    it would be wise to write down where the wires go.... 
    The pickups will work without the preamp and can be wired just like all 
    strat pickups.....

							Rick

    I was gonna take the guitars to a music store and let the pros wave the
    solder irons ... I was almost over my head when I put new batteries in
    it !    8^)
    
    Scary (who can't wait ...)

Would a '59 be worth anything ??

All the hardware and pickups look stock, but some clown PAINTED
the guitar (looks like he used rustoleum too).  :-(

The neck is straight and the frets and acceptable... 

I was thinking that if i stripped paint and varnished over plain
wood, the guitar might be worth a bundle.  Comments??

jc

    My experience, jc, is that a pro-refinished strat of that vintage with
    original pickups, neck, decal, pickguard, etc, would fetch around $2K,
    +/- $500.

    --Ron

Oh yeah, this guy also sanded off the original Fender decal on the headstock.
(I wanted to smack the poor slob!)...  I'm looking at it and my eyes are
bugging out...  I wanted to hold off until I found someone in the know...
Thanks!!

    Coop,

    Replacement decals are available. I bought one from a vintage dealer.
    All you need to do is convince them that you aren't up to no good.
    Presenting a detailed photo of the neck that it's to go on is standard
    operating procedure. Some dealer's may want the neck to do it
    themselves. They just don't want to be an accomplice to counterfeiting.
    Lot's of restoration work involves replacing the decal.

    --Ron

Cool Ron!!

Thanks for the info!!  Me thinks I can snarf the guitar for a SONG!
I love it when people don't know what they have...

jc

    No, I don't think that the '59 is worth anything.  It is totally
    worthless since it's been painted.  It wouldn't even make good
    firewood.
    
    But I feel sorry for this poor bimbo who owns this pile of worthless
    junk.  So if you give me his name and number, I'll give him $50 for it,
    just out of pity.
    
    	WW

    
    
    uh, huh...I feel real sorry for this guy, so I'll give him $75... give
    me the number!
    
    

Well, I wasn't gonna rake him that badly...  :-)

jc

    Just bear in mind that quality restoration work = $$$

    --Ron

    Been quiet in here... so here is a stupid strat question!
    
    Just recently baught a USA standard Strat after years with
    Gibsons/Ibanez.  Anyone had a problem with lumpy machine heads on the
    strat when new.
    
    It is making it more than a little difficult keeping tune with these
    D@MN mach heads, so I was gonna swap them for SHallers.
    
    Any views/experience ?
    
    Bonzo

    My Am Std machine heads are fine.  I have to lubricate the nut or my
    strings will go "sharp" after I bend them, but I have had no problems
    witht the hardware......
    
    FWIW,
    
    steve

    RE: .36
    
    Mini-Grovers or Shallers should work fine. I still have my original
    '69 tuners on my guitar, but I remember a friend with a '75 or '76
    that replaced his Fender tuners one month after buying the guitar new
    with Shallers. I hear the Grover replacements are nice too! Kulson's
    are also suppose to be of good quality as well.
    
    It's not the way you're winding your strings right? You have 3 to 4
    minimum wraps around the tuner posts for each string right? You're
    not using anything lighter than .009" right? (.008's tend to go out
    of tune more than .010" for instance since they're slinkier). You're 
    using a named brand/major manufacturer made string (ie; not from KMart)?
    
    Just food for thought...
    
    		Fred
    

    I use DR 009's as I have on the Ibanez with no serious problems.  It's
    simply that the Tuining Pegs "feel" lumpy....  I will lub the nut as
    there are a couple of song in with I do tend to do some serious
    bending.  
    
    I had a similar problem with the LP a couple of years ago, and replaced
    the Gibson Mach heads with Shallers, and noticed a marked improvement.
    
    To answer the other questions, I only use 009's see above, I wrap
    minimum of 3 times riund the peg, and also "lock" the string with an
    over/under wrap.
    
    Bonzo 

    RE: .39
    
    	Yep, sounds like the tuners.

    I would like to point out that American Standard Strats come stock
    with Schaller tuners. Although the tuners are stamped with the Fender
    logo, they are in fact Schallers. 
    
    A friend of mine complained that the tuners on his Amer Std were
    very loose. He didn't know that they can be tightened up by tighening
    the screw that holds the knob onto the body of the tuner. Once he
    tightened them up, they are reportedly working fine.
    
    I hate replacing tuners with anything but the originals as it always
    leaves unsitely holes in the headstock. You really are not going to 
    find a better tuner than a Schaller anyways, so there is no sense in
    replacing them. The only tuners I am aware of that are superior to
    Schaller's is Sperzel locking tuners. These are used on the Strat
    Ultra. They seem to be a direct replacement for the Schallers used on
    Amer. Standards. These are the only replacements I would consider.
    
    I don't know what you mean by "lumpy" but I assume you mean that
    they are not operating smoothly. seems like a little tightening, and
    possibly a shot of white grease ought to solve this.
    
    Mark

    Is it normal for a Strat to go totally out of tune when one of the
    strings breaks?  Or should the rest of the strings stay in tune?
    
    -Paul

   A "standard" Strat (whatever that means these days) has a tremelo tailpiece.
   It's very likely things could go out of tune if you break a string, thereby
   changing the tension on the tailpiece.

   I've seen some Strats with (aftermarket?) Floyd Rose style trems.  These go
   totally bonkers when you break a string.  As in, "Don't bother trying to 
   play again until you replace the string and retune everything."

   Some (very few, stock) Strats have fixed tailpieces.  These should not go out
   of tune appreciably if you break a string.  (Well, a little, due to changes
   in neck stress, but not like a whammy.)

   -- Sam

    Actually, if you crank down the springs so the trem no longer
    "floats" (a waste on a strat trem, IMHO), you won't go out of 
    tune when your bust a g-string...
    jc

    re: .44
    That's a good tip!  I'll try it tonight. 
    
    My strat is a japanese version from the early 80's.  I got it for $100
    dollars and it's now on indefinate loan to someone else in my band.  He
    never uses the tremelo - we don't even own the wammy bar to screw it
    there.
    
    I once owned a new 1994 Am Std Strat for about a week.  But since it
    sounded weird and I couldn't get it adjusted within Daddy's one week
    return period - I returned it - rather than risk my $600 on a screwed
    up guitar.  The whole experience has made me shy away from strats.
    
    -Paul (my guitar is a thinline telecaster)
     
    
    -Paul 

   I've got a '91 (?) American Std. and have blocked the tailpiece.  I have
   no problems with it, and really like the sound of the gold Lace Sensors.
   Sounds great through my (relatively) new Fender Performer 1000, as well as
   my 50w Marshall.

   -- Sam

    Where can I get a white American Strat Ultra?

    re a few back
    
    I've been playing around with a Floyd equipped guitar lately (a first
    for me) and have noticed how sensitive those trems really are.  Doing
    the two-string unison bend thang on the B and G strings, I really have
    to compensate a lot bending the B to keep it on pitch; much moreso than
    with a normal Strat trem.
    

   Interesting you should mention that.  I work with a guy that has recently
   purchased a high dollar custom made guitar (he posts here once in a while,
   and I think was on one of the GUITARnotes tapes - and is an excellent
   player, btw) and he had his guitar made with a solid bridge, due to the
   "bending" thing.  Another guy I know just bought a new guitar with a Floyd
   on it, and upon playing it I remembered why I didn't like them.  :-)  I 
   usually rest my hand on the tailpiece, and if it floats, well, "interesting"
   results can occur.

   -- Sam

      
    >Interesting you should mention that.  I work with a guy that has recently
    >purchased a high dollar custom made guitar (he posts here once in a while,
    >and I think was on one of the GUITARnotes tapes - and is an excellent
    >player, btw)
    
    Why, thanks for the compliment, Sam!
    8^)