What's the "grail" year for Strats?

The_Sentry

The_Sentry

New member
I was sort of curious about this. I know that a lot of Pre-CBS Fender Stratocasters are highly sought, and prized...but is there one year that is sort of "head and shoulders" above the others? In other words, is there a Fender Strat equivalent to the 1959 Gibson Les Paul?

I have some suspicions on this...and it's not so much based on what I've read so much as what I've seen and heard. It seems to me that the year for Strats might be...1962. I've seen a few of these in action and the tonality is amazing. They've also held up well. (and unless I'm mistaken, even the RI's are sought after.)

So is this the "year" for Strats? Or is there another year? Long and short...what's the Fender Strat equivalent to a '59 Les Paul...if there is one?

EDIT: My strat history is a bit fuzzy....didn't CBS acquire Fender in '63?
 
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Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

depends on who you ask. some might say '56 some might say '62

i think cbs bought em in '65
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

jeremy said:
depends on who you ask. some might say '56 some might say '62

i think cbs bought em in '65
Click to expand...

Yeah, you might be right about that. I've only seen on '56 in action....it was a nice guitar, but nowhere near where the '62 is.

I also can't help but wonder if the '62 deserves some special mention because of a certain player who plied his trade on one for many years...

url


Almost forgot...there was also this guy here who plinked on a '62 back in the day...

url
 
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Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

yup CBS bought them in 65 alright... they changed the Fender Logo on the 65 strats... and then by 66 they added the larger headstock but still with the smalled 65 style Fender logo... in 68 they added the larger FENDER STRATOCASTER on the large peg head...

Leo era strats don't really have a single year where you can point too like the 59 Les Paul... some love the early 60's rosewood boards with beefier necks... some like the more V shaped all maple necks from 57ish... apples and oranges
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

The_Sentry said:
Yeah, you might be right about that. I've only seen on '56 in action....it was a nice guitar, but nowhere near where the '62 is.

I also can't help but wonder if the '62 deserves some special mention because of a certain player who plied his trade on one for many years...

url


Almost forgot...there was also this guy here who plinked on a '62 back in the day...

url
Click to expand...

the body in SRV's number one is a 59... the necks were early 60's... he had 3 different necks on it over the years... the last neck was a gift from Billy Gibbons after a PA/Lighting accident crushed SRV's axes on stage...

Blackie was a parts mutt too... various strat parts to make a best of
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

WhoFan said:
the body in SRV's number one is a 59... the necks were early 60's... he had 3 different necks on it over the years... the last neck was a gift from Billy Gibbons after a PA/Lighting accident crushed SRV's axes on stage...

Blackie was a parts mutt too... various strat parts to make a best of
Click to expand...

Well....yeah, you got me there!! :friday:

Hahahaha....Fenders are a bit like that...but the neck is where all the mojo is on a strat anyway...(at least in my opinion...)
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

Blackie was a parts mutt of mostly (if not entirely) 50s Stratocasters I believe. If I'm not mistaken, the body is a '56 and the neck is a '57. Not sure where the electronics are from though.
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

The_Sentry said:
Well....yeah, you got me there!! :friday:

Hahahaha....Fenders are a bit like that...but the neck is where all the mojo is on a strat anyway...(at least in my opinion...)
Click to expand...

well the neck is where you touch and feel the guitar you are playing the most so it is extremely important for sure!
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

WhoFan said:
well the neck is where you touch and feel the guitar you are playing the most so it is extremely important for sure!
Click to expand...

You know....I could add a comment here...but I think I'll refrain 'cuz folks might get the wrong idea.....

:lmao:
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

This is a tough one because difference in years before CBS only seem to matter between the 56 ones and those made late 62 ~ early 63.

After CBS the quality when down and CBS changes did not come out so well, then 69 something changed again for a few months.

As the 90's approached, Fender got back into it and quality rose again....

I would say 1962 would be my choice.

----

Not mentioned are the different variations in body wood, neck wood, changes in capacitors that Fender made, and coating materials...
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

I would stay away from mid 70's Stratocasters. IMO from what I have experienced they were sloppily made. Neck pockets not tight. Terrible fret jobs. Pickups that were dogs.

My 74 had to go in because it was fretting out and I was not even bending the string. :smack:

Back in those days luthiers were rare and most were hacks.

Nowadays, musicians have a lot to be thankful for.
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

Many say that today's Strats are far better than the originals- and if you want classic strat tone it's easy as replacing the pickups
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

^^ This

The beauty of Leo Fender's designs is in their simplicity and the fact that they were designed to WORK and be CHEAPLY and EASILY assembled...that's why you can find some surprisingly good Squiers because the whole concept of the Fender guitar is assembly-line-made.

Any decent Strat that's close to the formula for good strat tone will get you good strat tone. the same could be said about Les Pauls but the Gibson design requires a lot more things to be done 'right' by a skilled craftsman...and i think the 58 and 59 Les Pauls had an unusually high quality of mahogany cuz that 58 I played a few years ago remains completely untouched by any other guitar i've seen...
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

WhoFan said:
the body in SRV's number one is a 59... the necks were early 60's... he had 3 different necks on it over the years... the last neck was a gift from Billy Gibbons after a PA/Lighting accident crushed SRV's axes on stage...

Blackie was a parts mutt too... various strat parts to make a best of
Click to expand...

#1's body is actually a '63. the pickups are '59s that's why SRV thought the body is a '59.

http://www.srvguitar.com/theguitar.html



.
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

As mentioned above the Fender were much more production line items thus quality was more consistent, at least up until CBS got their dirty fingers involved.
They've also been in constant production, unlike the LP.
The most desirable LP's are the '59 standards, but as they only made the standard between '58 and '60 that's not much of a production run. They didn't start making them again until the late sixties once the british blues boom saw all these guitarists playing old Les Paul's which five years earlier you couldn't give away :)
 
Re: What's the "grail" year for Strats?

I'd say 1960 to 1962 for RW neck Strats--and 1957-59 for maple necks. I bought a 1960 Strat back in 1972 for $150.00. I sold it in 1990 to pay the rent after my divorce. The '60 was a great guitar, no doubt about it, but...I really don't miss it.

I've been using G&Ls since 1992. I now own 15 G&Ls, with eight Legacys; and two each of the S-500, Comanche and Legacy Specials; and an ASAT Deluxe. For me, the G&Ls are the best "Strat" I've ever played. They just have all the right upgrades--upgrades I thought about doing to my old Strat back in the day.

Now, if you are really into Fenders, you can get a new Custom Shop NOS, Closet Classic or Relic 1960 Strat that will be virtually indistinguishable from my old guitar. I'm also pretty impressed with the Road Worn Series.

But honestly, Fender guitars just don't do much for me these days.

I'm really happy with my G&Ls.

Bill
 
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