Unknown Partscaster

[CoilSplit]

I am looking to buy a good SSS guitar and came across the guitar bellow. It was labeled as a USA deluxe neck on a 1980s USA body. Now I am a complete novice but that looks like an American Standard neck. As for the body my general search makes me think it is a Squire Bullet. If someone with some greater knowledge could let me know what is going on with this guitar I would appreciate it.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Check it out in store. How thick is the body? That information can rule out some lower end Squier bodies.

What makes you think it's a Bullet?

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

...That looks like an '83/'84 Fender "Standard" US Strat body with Freeflyte trem. And I do believe rear-stamped Z serial = Deluxe, maybe I'm wrong.

Almost no one would fake/forge an 80s Fender body and trem. That's actually pretty cool.

 

[BlueSnMettle]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Looks like an '80s Bullet body. How much they asking?

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Looks like an '80s Bullet body. How much they asking?

How can you tell? Are all black Strat bodies Bullets from the 80s?

As far as I know the Freeflyte only came on Elite and Contemporary Strats, which were both US made Fenders. We can't also forget that it doesn't have a top input jack, also characteristic of Elite and Contemporary Strats.

A not so interesting fact about this particular guitar, it has a 12-hole single-ply pickguard, which is kinda odd.

 

[CoilSplit]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Check it out in store. How thick is the body? That information can rule out some lower end Squier bodies.

What makes you think it's a Bullet?

Well I do not know much about the history of fender guitars and it does seem complex. However, when I searched Stratocaster with one tone knob I got a lot of results for Bullet Squires. Another reason I was leaning towards a Squire was because of this old reverb post of a Squire Bullet that had the same looking bridge.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

The Elite had a somewhat different trem than this one. I forget if it was either called the "System 1" or "System 2," but it was also offered on certain Japanese "Contemporary" branded models. Contemporary Strats were definitely made in Japan after 1985, when few/no US Strats were produced.

I don't believe the actual US Freeflyte (as that appears to be) was ever on a Japanese guitar, but IIRC Elites were made at some point in the US and Japan.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Well I do not know much about the history of fender guitars and it does seem complex. However, when I searched Stratocaster with one tone knob I got a lot of results for Bullet Squires. Another reason I was leaning towards a Squire was because of this old reverb post of a Squire Bullet that had the same looking bridge.

Interesting. That one is a hard tail and has a nine hole pickguard with a slightly different shape to it, but other than that, I agree, they look similar.

At this point, I'd definitely check it out in person. And bring a ruler, to compare body thicknesses. If the body is thinner than a guitar you are 100% certain is a Fender, then it's a lower end Squier body.

 

[CoilSplit]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

The Elite had a somewhat different trem than this one.

Well this shows how little I know about Stratocasters. As far as I was aware Elite was a fairly new term for a Stratocaster. I thought the Fender Elite series that replaced the Deluxe was the only time Fender had used the term elite with their branding.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

So this is what you're looking at (body-wise anyway: )

1983 Standard USA Strat

https://reverb.com/ca/p/fender-stratocaster-black-1983

This is an Elite Strat, which has a slightly different trem and the jack on the side, not the face of the guitar (among other differences) :

https://reverb.com/p/fender-stratocaster-elite-sunburst-1983

This is a Japanese Contemporary System 2 Strat with a locking nut and the same style jack (sorry for the bad/modded example, best I could find on Reverb) :

https://reverb.com/item/2346091-fender-contemporary-stratocaster-with-system-2-bridge-custom-mods

Just for fun, here's a Japanese Contemporary System 1 Strat with a different trem and locking nut (fine tuners) :

https://reverb.com/item/3937350-198...el-27-4302-black-w-system-1-tremolo-hard-case

 

[CoilSplit]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Thank you, that appears to fit with the pictures. I guess the original post is probably correct. Although I would probably have to inspect the guitar in person to be completely sure.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

‘83-‘84 era Dan Smith body with a later standard neck. The last of the CBS era

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

‘83-‘84 era Dan Smith body with a later standard neck. The last of the CBS era

A "Dan Smith" is a different guitar; the Dan Smith had the small headstock and three knobs.

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/i...ignificance-of-dan-smith-stratocaster.562686/

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

A "Dan Smith" is a different guitar; the Dan Smith had the small headstock and three knobs.

Are you thinking of “the Strat”? The CBS two knobs are what most call “Smith era” or transitional guitars. Just Google “Dan Smith era strat” and this guitar comes up

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Unknown Partscaster

Are you thinking of “the Strat”? The CBS two knobs are what most call “Smith era” or transitional guitars. Just Google “Dan Smith era strat” and this guitar comes up

Nope, I edited my link above to provide the history. The Dan Smith was the "Deluxe" version of a two knob Strat in those days, meant to harken back to older Strats and such. This is a Dan Smith (see headstock decal) :

This is a "The Strat:"