'57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

[Vincent]

Hi guys

I thought I might get some advice on a '57 reissue strat MIJ that this guy on ebay is trying to sell. He says that the neck and body are thinner than the usual strat. I have never played a '57 reissue before.

I was wondering if any of you have had experience with this particular model. I am concerned that the thinness of the neck / body will result in a less 'full' sounding strat sound.

Thanks in advance..

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

the body should not be any different that any other Strat, and a 57 should have a pretty hefty neck...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

Actually there are some MIJ Fender Strats that were made stock with a thinner body. I had one. I discovered the body was thinner when I installed a Fender '62 Reissue Vibrato in it and the vibrato stuck out the back of the guitar about 1/4"! I was really disappointed because it was a great playing guitar. It had the best playing and most vintage feeling '57 style V-neck I have ever had on a Stratocaster. But I sold the guitar because I wanted a full size vibrato block, not the cheezy little thin block the guitar came with. Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

Actually there are some MIJ Fender Strats that were made stock with a thinner body. I had one. I discovered the body was thinner when I installed a Fender '62 Reissue Vibrato in it and the vibrato stuck out the back of the guitar about 1/4"! I was really disappointed because it was a great playing guitar. It had the best playing and most vintage feeling '57 style V-neck I have ever had on a Stratocaster. But I sold the guitar because I wanted a full size vibrato block, not the cheezy little thin block the guitar came with. Lew

well, I stand corrected! Lew knows his Strats, and that ^^^^^^^^^^^would be your answer.

BTW...welcome back Lew!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

well, I stand corrected! Lew knows his Strats, and that ^^^^^^^^^^^would be your answer.

BTW...welcome back Lew!

Thanks Christian! I've only seen that one MIJ Fender Strat but I'm sure thay made more than one. If I remember right it was a '92 or '94. It was a very nice budget Strat that I bought used on Ebay. It had not been altered. The factory writing was present in the neck pocket of the body and on the neck itself. Lew

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

Thanks Christian! I've only seen that one MIJ Fender Strat but I'm sure thay made more than one. If I remember right it was a '92 or '94. It was a very nice budget Strat that I bought used on Ebay. It had not been altered. The factory writing was present in the neck pocket of the body and on the neck itself. Lew

thats just strange...aside form the tremolo not fitting, how was it over all? I just have to assume that a tin body Strat would have a pretty wimpy tone...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

thats just strange...aside form the tremolo not fitting, how was it over all? I just have to assume that a tin body Strat would have a pretty wimpy tone...

It did not have a wimpy tone at all! I was amazed by the tone of this guitar.

It had some cosmetic issues in that the previous owner had it refretted and the fret job was horrible. But after I releveled and polished the frets it played beautifully. But it still looked bad: chips from when the original frets were pulled out, etc.

This was one of those guitars that I really regretted selling because it sounded and played so well. The body was black so I couldn't tell what it was made of.

But I just couldn't live with the looks of the hack refret. Besides, I had about six Strats at the time! :smack:

Lew

 

[Vincent]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

Hey Lew,

2 questions:

1. Why did you replace the cheesy stock '57 trem with a '62? Was it supposed to sound better?

2. This guy selling the strat says that the neck is also thinner than what he describes as a 'standard strat' neck. Do you think he's referring to he V-neck you described or is it something different altogether.. like a '60s slim taper???

Thanks again

 

[Vincent]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

Bump-o-rama

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

Hey Lew,

2 questions:

1. Why did you replace the cheesy stock '57 trem with a '62? Was it supposed to sound better?

2. This guy selling the strat says that the neck is also thinner than what he describes as a 'standard strat' neck. Do you think he's referring to he V-neck you described or is it something different altogether.. like a '60s slim taper???

Thanks again

Hey bro...I can not answer the question about the neck, except to say that a current 57 reissue Strat has a pretty beefy V shaped neck. About the trem...lots of MIJ Fenders have the same type tremolo that some of the MIM stuff has...they have a real thin trem block, the 62 rreissue tremolo has a full size block and sounds MUCH better. I assume you are looking for a Strat? What's your budget and what features do you want?

 

[beandip]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

on my 57RI, it has a thinner neck. Still a V though. Not so thin it's a 62, but not like a 57, I would say that it's a 57 profile made in 1960. I think it plays great, sounds awsome (might have something to do with the vintage Fender single coils I have in there). Mines made of Alder, with a LPB thin poly coat and a time correct very very thin white/grey primer. I love it to death.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: '57 reissue strat (Japan) - comments wanted

About the trem...lots of MIJ Fenders have the same type tremolo that some of the MIM stuff has...they have a real thin trem block, the 62 rreissue tremolo has a full size block and sounds MUCH better. I assume you are looking for a Strat? What's your budget and what features do you want?

Yes that's right. Although the thinner "budget" trems don't sound bad if the guitar itself has a nice resonance to it. This guitar didn't have a vintage style tremolo block like a real 57 trem. It was as Christian describes: smallish and thin. To me, the Fender '62 Reissue trems sounds a little deeper and more solid. More authoritive as they say. But the cheap ones can sound just fine if the guitar itself happens to have a nice resonance to it. This one did. It also had a fairly beefy V shape neck...like a '56 Tele or the real '57 Strat I used to own.

Lew