Vintage Strat Advice.

[6stringerguy]

Hi all I’ve recently been made an offer to buy a late 1979/1980 Fender USA Stratocaster.
The guy who is selling it is my tutor at University and is the Original owner.
He bought it brand new in 1982 when he was 18 years old it’s been all across Europe with him as well as being played in various bands and used in the studio.
It’s pretty light for this era about 8.5lbs.
It’s pretty original, the pickup covers and knobs have been changed to white plastics but he still has the original black parts, he’s tweaked the wiring so you can get the Bridge and Neck pickup together and he’s put schaller locks on it but has the originals still.
Has a soft V shape neck, original frets which are very low due to multiple level recrowns but it plays amazing.
Very resonant.
It’s pretty beat up with finish cracks around the neck pocket and some chips in the finish.
He wants £1900-2000 which is about $2500 USD.
Haven’t had the chance to plug it in yet but I’m feeling good about this guitar and I love the history of it.

Any comments, insight or questions would be greatly appreciate.


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[Mincer]

Hmm, I don't know. I don't think late 70s Strats, in any condition are worth that much. That kind of money can buy one hell of a modern Strat from many different boutique companies, and I don't think a 70s Strat is a better guitar.

 

[ehdwuld]

I agree with Mincer
that is a lot for an old guitar with what looks like huge cracks at the neck pocket

 

[jeremy]

those finish cracks are pretty common for that era. i have no idea what they go for these days but that seems a little steep. look around and see what they are actually selling for

 

[beaubrummels]

Nice strat. I'd play it. $2k sounds like a lot for what it is. If you like it and it's worth it to you, then it's worth it.

Funny it's called 'vintage' now. They were just the new model when I was starting out. In 1979 I thought they were weak sounding and limited in what music I could get out of them. The 3 bolt was considered not as good as the 4 bolt for stability/resonance, though I thought the built-in tilt/shim was a cool, useful feature.

 

[Adieu]

No

No frets, DEEP and expanding pocket cracks on both sides, 70s spec > sub $1k

If it weren't fairly pretty looking, I'd be saying offer $400

 

[Artie]

I agree with what everyone else has said. But there is this one little "fly in the ointment."

Haven't had the chance to plug it in yet but I'm feeling good about this guitar and I love the history of it.

It's your money. If you love it . . . get it. But it won't be an investment. It will be your guitar.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

You really need to go look at Reverb for value on these. He's charging a premium for sentimental value on this.

However, I definitely agree with Artie about buying it if you love it.

 

[ehdwuld]

A custom built relic just like it
would cost about the same

 

[Lewguitar]

I think you could build a better Strat from parts for a lot less money. It might not say Fender on the peghead but you could use Duncan Antiquity pickups, a Calaham bridge/vibrato or Fender Custom Shop model, a neck shaped the way you want with the fret size you want, a lightweight ash body...on and on.

There's nothing special about a 79 or 80 Strat. Unless that's one of those rare 1 out of 100 that IS special.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

.There's nothing special about a 79 or 80 Strat. Unless that's one of those rare 1 out of 100 that IS special.

When I was 16 or 17 (25 years ago), I had the opportunity to buy a '73 for $150. I'd been playing long enough to know when I liked a guitar, but not to know why I didn't like one. I hated that Strat, and my dad bought it. A few months ago, I inherited it, and let my brother take it to hang on the wall at his house.

 

[Lewguitar]

When I was 16 or 17 (25 years ago), I had the opportunity to buy a '73 for $150. I'd been playing long enough to know when I liked a guitar, but not to know why I didn't like one. I hated that Strat, and my dad bought it. A few months ago, I inherited it, and let my brother take it to hang on the wall at his house.

Well you know, those are the guitars that created the vintage market. Because most of them were dogs and people started searching for the older ones.

But there are a few I've played from that era that seem to have acquired some mojo over time. Maybe they were the 1 out of 100 that were always special.

 

[Clint 55]

Looks awful

 

[ItsaBass]

It's worth half that, at best. Unless you are talking about the early vintage reissues, the late '70s to early '80s is about the least popular period for Fenders in terms of collectibility/desirability/value. It'd be one thing if it was like new and never modded...but it isn't. It's a beater copy of a guitar that isn't sought after, and likely never will be. It's a $1,000 guitar on the market IMO...and even that is too high to pay for it IMO, even as a user, because you need to immediately put $250 to $350 into a fret job, which will make it playable...but only devalue it more. So you buy a $1,000 guitar...immediately turn it into a $1,300 guitar...which is now worth only $800 or $900. You're already behind $400 to $500 on a guitar that might not even keep up with inflation in the next 20 or 30 years.

 

[Obsessive Compulsive]

The dude selling it shoots for making fat profit after 40 years of abuse and misuse of a crap CBS-era Strat with notoriously unstable neck joint. He probably got it for less than he's asking for.

 

[Mincer]

Those 70s 3 bolt Strats are simply not worth that much. They weren't great guitars like the 60s models. They made several cost-cutting measures that simply didn't make a better guitar. Other than a possible Ritchie Blackmore connection (he used a similar color, although with black plastic), it just isn't a valuable instrument.

 

[jeremy]

ive played some late 70 fenders that were good playing and sounding guitars that id happily own, but not for that kinda money

 

[6stringerguy]

Thank you all for the advice, after asking a few guys at my work and contacts I have they agree with consensus on here so I bought this instead for less than half of the cost of the Strat.

This is MIJ full fat ESP not LTD and I got it for £900 which is about $1200
I’ll do a proper NGD when I get my dirty paws on it.


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[playas]

Over here there's a '79 strat in perfect condition for 1999 euros and it's a 4 bolt (25th anniversary model)
Appears to be as new.

If you REALLY want a '79 strat...and I'd consider even that's overpriced.

 

[playas]

Nice, enjoy!