Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

El Supremo

El Supremo

New member
Not really in the market for another guitar (I'm in denial here I guess), but I was wondering on peoples views on these.

There's some love/hate situation when it comes down to 70s guitars (particularly Fender and Gibson). Even though great guitarists (like Hendrix and Blackmore) played these CBS era strats, some folks seem to feel the quality (control) went downhill at the time. Complaints about the weight, dead sounding wood, etc. are pretty common. The Micro Tilt feature does seem handy though and is also included with the Fender Classic Series.

Seeing that late 70s strats ultimately go for little over a grand and a brand new MIM Fender Classic Series goes for around 700 bucks, what would be the more interesting option for you?
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

For $300 more, I might go for the real 70s, BUT it would depend on the actual guitars themselves. Like in a side by side comparison. If all things were equal, then the 70s one.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

I can tell you any recent guitar will be a LOT more consistently made than anything from the 70's. (I went thru a 72 Tele Custom phase a few years ago, played every one I could find, and ended up buying a reissue 'cause they were 50% cheaper and ALL of them played better.) Lots of guitars from back then were hit&miss, 50% boat-anchor dogs, 25% "just OK" and the rest being the awesome "vintage" (seems silly calling something from "the dark ages" vintage, but there you go). Prices were all over the map, though-some dogs priced higher than the nice players. The 3-bolt thing was a good idea, but the neck pockets (and everything else, really) were so haphazardly made, that the parts didn't go together right, and gave the 70's stuff the bad reputation they have. Lots of them were fine, though so if you really want something old, by all means go search them out. I went thru a "birth year guitar" thing a while ago, so I had to find a 69-71 Strat, but again I was rejecting more than I liked, while pretty much every re-issue guitar I played seemed fine. And were all cheaper, too. Back then was the "heavier guitars sustain better" era, so they all seemed to be heavier than I like now, too.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

daan said:
I can tell you any recent guitar will be a LOT more consistently made than anything from the 70's.
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+1

Try many. Do not simply buy the first one that you find.

My brother has an original late Seventies Jazz Bass. I have an AVRI '75 model from the Noughties. The US-made re-issue is considerably better built than the original. The weight of them is about the same.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

Not only are the MIM Classic Series better built guitars IMO, but they don't have 35 to 45 years of wear, tear, abuse, and mods on them.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

I would say get a newer model unless you find a vintage one you really gel with. Modern construction techniques just trump the cost saving methods from the 70s, unless it's oozing mojo.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

Good advice and info from all.
Found a store which stocks some big head strats, though the prices move more towards 2 grand. Might check that out.

The used original 70s strats I've seen didn't have that much wear and tear on them. A little suspicious as your main guitar would probably suffer some battle scars in the course of 35+ years. Fender did use a ployester coating of 11 layers, so that could also contribute.
I do feel some dissapointment that Fender didn't do the Mocha finish. Kinda suspect I'm alone in this though :).
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

You can usually find a Classic Series 70s Strat used for $400 if you are patient. Let it sunbathe for a few days if you really need the aged/yellowed look.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

El Supremo said:
I do feel some dissapointment that Fender didn't do the Mocha finish. Kinda suspect I'm alone in this though :).
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I thought I was the only person who actually LIKED the Mocha color... (I secretly love Antiguas too, but don't tell anybody)
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

daan said:
I thought I was the only person who actually LIKED the Mocha color... (I secretly love Antiguas too, but don't tell anybody)
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Cool. Those Antiguas are pretty rad looking. Never saw one in the flesh, errr wood though.
Those silver coloured 1979 anniversary models are nice too and pretty common somehow. Don't have the micro tilt feature though.
But yeah, Mocha with a black guard and aged knobs and covers just sits right with me.
 
Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

I actually like Antigua bodies quite a bit. It's the matching pickguards that make them hideous. I think they'd look good with a black guard, knobs, pickup covers, etc.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

Personally, I would choose a G&L Legacy over either of those guitars.

But, if you're set on a '70s Fender, I'd approach it like this...if you are looking for an investment, then I would go with the vintage guitar, IF you can find one in clean, original condition, with a good case, case candy, documentation, etc. But this is a guitar that you're probably not going to take out or play a lot.

If you're just looking for something to play, then I'd go with the new instrument, or perhaps a used version.

That would be my approach. Good luck.

Bill
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

Consider also that buying a 70s fender might also require you refret it, which, depending on the finger board, may be very expensive. If you can find an original for a good price in great condition, mostly meaning the neck/fret wear, I'd grab it. I've seen a few go for 700 or 800 because they had bad electronics. That's ideal because that's the easiest thing to restore.

But those Mexican and Japanese reissues can be fantastic. I've had a CIJ Antigua strat for almost ten years and I'll probably never get rid of it. The only benefit of getting an original is the mojo. Those 70s strats look sooo cool as they've aged. But if you need a guitar you can really use and play out with I'd go with a reissue.


Guitar->pedals->amp
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

Well, being on a Blackmore binge the last 2 months or so, I decided to go ahead and start my quest for a nice original 70's strat. Played my first one yesterday in a store. Looked cooler in real life than on the pictures, some cracks in the finish though no real dings or deep scratches, played great, sounded great, didn't weigh a ton, but...

Upon closer inspection, the 13th fret stuck out a bit making every 12th fret note fret out (and choking when bending). Seeing the frets were already pretty low (and I like tall frets for ease of bending) it would probably need a refret. Furthermore, the gap between the neck and neck pocket was large enough to fit my ATM card between it on both sides. Kinda worried the latter might cause some problems with tuning stability (and it just looks kinda half assed), so I had to walk away sadly as the asking price was unjustifiable to me.

The U shape neck was a more than perfect fit for my hands though, so I'm pretty much set on finding that perfect 70's strat (which of course some of you will argue to be a MIM reissue :)). The quest continues.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

I owned four or five '70s Strats during the 1970s. I can personally attest that they were rubbish, and as that was my experience of Strats, I walked away from them for twenty years.

The 70's Strat that got me back into Strats a few years ago is not made by Fender at all.

The Tokai SilverStar 70's Strat replica is the Strat Fender should have been building in the 1970's but couldn't.

A pre-1983 Tokai SilverStar even has the correct headstock and a logo that, from three feet away, looks exactly like the Fender logo. But more importantly, Tokai got the 3-bolt micro-tilt right, the neck pockets are tight, the Sen Ash bodies are of a sensible weight and sound great, the necks are excellent. The pickups can vary, but they are all excellent, way better than anything I experienced with the originals.

And best of all ... Tokai fans don't care much for the SilverStars, they prefer the replicas of the '50s/'60s models (Goldstar, SpringySound), so the SilverStars can be acquired pretty cheaply. There are various levels in the SilverStar range, and even the lowest is an excellent instrument with great pickups.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

Good opinions shared here so far.

I currently own five (six if you count the '73 that my son has and will likely never return) '70s Strats and one of the reissues.

While the reissue is a very well made guitar, it is not like a real one. Primarily, the neck shape is wrong and the pups do not have the same roundness of tone, they are sharper and brighter sounding. Also, they feel much more plastic than the real ones.

3-bolts started in '72, but they were Leo's design and they are great, if the neck correctly fits the neck pocket.

The '70s were very inconsistent, but the pre-'75 ones tend to be much more consistent and are generally considered better than the late '70s, although I have played some late '70s that were very nice. The staggered pups went away mid-'74. The heavy bodies were by design because many people thought weight equalled increased sustain. This really escalated the last few years of the decade. They do have a fuller, rounder tone, but can weigh as much as a Les Paul (10 lbs).

If you are patient, there are many good ones out there. (I believe many of the "bad" ones were parted out.)

If you can get an all-original one for under $1500 USD, they are a great value.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

All I care about are stamped saddles, a decent trem block, decent frets, decent electronics.

I don't go for the 70's hype. Over the last decade or so, we have been entering the secondary/tertiary phase of collecting. That is, now that all the highly valued
pieces of vintage gear (50s-60s) have been pored over and sifted through... and now that a few decades have passed since then... it's the "in" thing for people to start focusing on later vintage gear that wasn't quite as popular or known to be junk and focus on the sole fact that it is vintage... therefore raising the perceived value.

Just cuz it's old doesn't necessarily prove it's good.
 
Re: Fender Classic Series 70s vs. Original 70s strats

ant_riv said:
While the reissue is a very well made guitar, it is not like a real one. Primarily, the neck shape is wrong and the pups do not have the same roundness of tone, they are sharper and brighter sounding. Also, they feel much more plastic than the real ones .
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With my minimal experience, my feeling is that a MIM 70's is basically a big headstock on a MIM with an amber neck finish and 70's appropriate color choices (a lot more black than before). If you want a 70's Strat (and everything that comes along with it) it's better to do the hunt and peck until you find a great vintage one. Or, if you want an off the shelf, new guitar with those aesthetics, the 70's series does it well and more consistently.
 
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