The First HH Stratocaster

Guitar Toad

Guitar Toad

Toadily Stratologist
Just curious about a little history here...when did the HH strat show up? Strat-Central.com seems to suggest that 1997 was the first year for the HH strat and was called The Big Apple Strat. Prior to 1997 was the HH strat strictly a DIYer configuration?

What is the most famous double fat strat? Jake E Lee's? Alex Lifeson's black strat for which he used on Xanadu and Limelight?
 
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Re: The First HH Stratocaster

I'm not positive, but I think the first production HH American Std strat with pickguard was the Big Apple. 1996 or 1997 sounds about right.
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

Fender produced the Contemporary Series in Japan around '85. I had a H-H Tele, and I'm pretty certain there was a H-H Strat too.
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

Studio players in NY were putting humbuckers in the neck slots back in the 70's. That is where Fender got the term "Big Apple" Strat from. Mr. Van Halen popularized the bridge humbucker in a Strat. Wayne Kramer from the MC-5 used a humbucker in the middle slot back in the late 60's!
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

Fender wasn't doing HH strats production-wise, but there were guys doing them back in the 70s, and in the early 80s, people like Ibanez and others were making them too. First H-H strat I saw was Dave Murray of IM and Gary Moore had some parts-o-casters (possibly Charvel or Boogie) around 1979-1980.

Fender..like many americam manufacturers are not prone to change classic design for "fads" until it's usually too late to have benefitted financially. at least back then. Gibson still is much the same way..Fender now of course, has so many variations, you cannot keep track of them all.:laugh2:
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

I'll look at my Fender Book tonight to confirm but I think Stevie hit it right. In the 80's there was that short run of dual bucker Strats before "The Strat" came out. Then they remained fairly traditional until the Big Apple Strat.

Also, Jake's was H-S-S. ;) The most famous double fat Strat (meaning 2 humbuckers in a Fender Strat ;)) to me is Dave Murray's.
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

I don't know who or when the first offical HH Strat came out, but I believe Hiram Bullock played one of the oldest. I think it was a '59 Strat with a Paf in the bridge and a Paf in the neck with an original SC in the middle. Here is a pic of him playing it with some good Company
imgres
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

Dave Murrays was a 57 strat I believe...the one that belonged to Paul Kossof. :D

Glen Tipton was doing the HH strat thing too in the late 70s. I'm sure there were PLENTY of others...Jeff Beck and the tele-gib too (if that counts)
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

Back in 93 I bought a Fender HM strat. Not an ordinary strat per se, but it had two humbuckers and a kahler spyder trem.
 
Re: The First HH Stratocaster

Guitar Toad said:
Carvin, huh? Cool...was that the Craig Chaquito guitar?
Click to expand...

Carvin said:
Carvin offered a pair of Strat-style guitars in 1976, the SS76 and the SS66. Both these models used the 25½" scale model #500 removable maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and Schaller ST6 tuners. Both guitars also had a pair of APH-6 humbuckers with dual volume and tone controls, phase switch and 3-way pickup selector switch. The obvious difference between the two was the SS76 was natural-finished maple, while the SS66 was sunburst finish on non-specified wood. Neither were available in left-handed models, but a Bigsby vibrato was offered on either for an additional $50.00. The SS76 sold for $219.00, and the SS66 sold for $239.00. The HC12 case was an additional $41.00.
Click to expand...

This is all that's said about them.
 
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