'62 Strat Vintage White

jaybonitrane

jaybonitrane

Snickerdoodle Milk
My '62 Strat in heavy relic Vintage White. This was one of the first 3 Heavy relics that Fender produced. It was bought right off the table at the NAMM show. Still have the NAMM show badge in the case candy.

I recently had the original pick guard reinstalled.

For all those night classes with the good reverend of course.
 
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Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

So, how do the heavy relics play and is everything truly new but cosmetically aged or colored, etc?
Thanks for sharing!
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

Diminished Triad said:
So, how do the heavy relics play and is everything truly new but cosmetically aged or colored, etc?
Thanks for sharing!
Click to expand...

This one plays incredibly. ..no complaints at all. The parts are true and correct from Fender. I don't know how they grow patina and tarnish...the procedure for making a good looking heavy relic is some great secret.
The color is where they have deliberately altered the hue but it does look authentic.
This one is very loud even before you plug in to the amp.
 
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Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

You can get the metal to age quite easily.

Put it in a container with some gravel/screenings and shake it about for a bit. This gives you the knocks, scratches and dings.
Sit it in a small open container inside a larger sealed container of Hydrochloric acid and let sit for 10-20mins. The fumes will create an aged patina.

The plastics are harder to age convincingly.

Nice guitar though. I'm going to have to get a blonde strat at some point I think.
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

The color is hard to capture with HD camera phone because its in the case with the orange lining under fluorescent lights .

Try this pic and then imagine that the actual color is somewhere in between.
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

And those are CG saddles for more high end treble and sustain...original saddles stored in case.
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

That's about as good as it gets for strats.

Check the intonation.....the G looks too far forward. :cool2:
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

What are the main differences between playing a NOS, new, or re-issued '62 Strat and one of the relic'd models?
I have the David Gilmore signature strat (NOS) and the relic'd version sells for $500-1500 more.
Obviously there is a good market for relic'd guitars or the Fender Custom Shop would not be dedicating all their time and resources towards these guitars/customers. I don't think intentionally relic'ing a brand new car would improve the quality of the drive, and understand things are different when it comes to playing an old or relic'd guitar. What is the difference between playing/hearing a new '62 (for example) and a heavy relic '62? Thanks so much!
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

Diminished Triad said:
What are the main differences between playing a NOS, new, or re-issued '62 Strat and one of the relic'd models?
I have the David Gilmore signature strat (NOS) and the relic'd version sells for $500-1500 more.
Obviously there is a good market for relic'd guitars or the Fender Custom Shop would not be dedicating all their time and resources towards these guitars/customers. I don't think intentionally relic'ing a brand new car would improve the quality of the drive, and understand things are different when it comes to playing an old or relic'd guitar. What is the difference between playing/hearing a new '62 (for example) and a heavy relic '62? Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

Playing a relic feels different because of the finish but they also try to duplicate the dried out tone of a vintage year so in this case a 62 is very dry and loud. The reissue 62 is not going to have the same tone from the wood...it just looks like a newly made 62 with new paint and the moisture content of modern wood...possibly 6%-8% and im guessing this one to be about 4%.
Less water means faster articulation and more crispy notes with better sustain and resonance.

Your Gilmore strat is medium grade black lacquer over fender surf green???
2 paint jobs...that will change the speed of the resonance and create a thick chewy tone albeit slower response than a strat with a thin paint job. A reliced Gilmore strat would not sound much different than yours. However if you add a few dings to a reliced guitar the value will not change. Adding a ding to a new guitar can cost 50$ each to the resale value. Something to consider if you plan to resell someday.

And this strat was the showroom floor model to announce the new product to the world so you know they did the best they could. Like nobody brings a POS to the NAMM show. Its possible that Heavy relics made on regular production priority are not as good as this one.

You won't like cheap strats after you try this one. She'll spoil you sick.

I named her Isabella after Jimi song.
 
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Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

jaybonitrane said:
And this strat was the showroom floor model to announce the new product to the world so you know they did the best they could. Like nobody brings a POS to the NAMM show.

You won't like cheap strats after you try this one. She'll spoil you sick.
Click to expand...

That's "exactly" why I don't play guitars like that!!!
:p

:D
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

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Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

I guess this thread wont be going to the front page. Thx ptm.

Anyway since im not the one that bought it off table at the NAMM show...I thought I would make sure that I can mention more about the badge by calling the person that did...well.. before the yankees got involved.
Lol.
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

Well it did make the front page after all.

I made contact with the dealership that originally won the right to buy this guitar at the NAMM show...but I will not be showing the badge at this time because it was a prize offering.

This was part of a lottery drawing where dealerships tried to win the right to buy one of the first models.
The winning dealer says this was the best looking one of all the prizes that Fender brought to the NAMM show.
It's possible that this guitar was already a few years old at the time of the contest where by the winners were announced at the NAMM show.
There were closet classsics, VOS, relics and Masterbuilts already on the market in the 90's before this was released. Then came Heavy Relics followed by a line of Very Heavy Relics having more damage and less paint. Then there is also something available called an Ultimate Relic.
This is one of the earliest examples of an official Heavy Relic.

I see some people really enjoy this.
 
Re: '62 Strat Vintage White

Looks like a old Strat? Check.
Plays like an old Strat? No, not in the least.
Sounds a like an old Strat? Not in the slightest.
Plus they botched the paint one the body right around the tremolo...you can see the raised lacquer from where they applied it too thick.
Cool relic for sure though. Sounds better than any of my Strats without question, and plays better I'm sure than anything I own except some of my modern jumbo fret compound radius necks.And nothing plays like a real vintage Strat, not even a modern one.
 
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