1970 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: Headstock logo decal now has one patent number: 2,741,146.
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Type: 1970 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Black custom color, maple neck with rosewood fretboard. | ||
| Above photo credits: Found on Guitar Base | ||
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Type: 70's Vietnamese fake Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Why a fake Strat here? Well, because it's a bit of a unique guitar and it's got authentic-looking Fender decals on the headstock... The story: During the Vietman war, Fender Stratocaster copies were made in Vietnam. The tremolo unit even has Fender stamped on it, though even those not initiated can clearly see it's not a Stratocaster tremolo unit at all! The servicemen occasionally brought them back to the US. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
1971 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: Introduction of the three-bolt neck plate with Micro-Tilt adjustment system. Truss rod adjustment switched to the "bullet" style at the headstock instead of at the body end of the neck. Bridge saddles are no longer stamped and bridge becomes a one-piece die cast chrome, replacing the two-piece bridge. Most of these changes occur in late 1971.
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Type: 1971 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: 336425 | ||
| Remarks: This one has a 22OCT71 neck date. One of the first three-bolt necks. | ||
| Above photo credits: Found at Guitar Base | ||
1972 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: A second "butterfly" string tree added in late 1972. This year also saw the introduction of the natural finish.
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Type: 1972 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: This is Yngwie Malmsteen's most popular instrument, a.k.a. the "Play Loud Strat" or "The Duck". It's often been used on his albums and on stage, and was the subject of an August 1994 "Guitar World" special. | ||
| Above photo credits: A Japanse guitar player special 100% about Yngwie. | ||
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Type: 1972 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: A standard 1972 Stratocaster. The staggered pole pickups have grey bottoms (not visible, obviously). Serial number on the neckplate. | ||
| Above photo credits: Found at Guitar Base | ||
1973 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: Sees the first use of a black pickguard from the factory, but only in the new-for-1973 Custom Color, "Mocha Brown".
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Type: 1973 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Staggered pole pickups, factory hardtail (no tremolo), rosewood fingerboard, non-factory brass nut. The finish is Mocha Brown (a.k.a. Walnut). | ||
| Above photo credits: Found at Guitar Base | ||
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Type: 1973 lefty Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Low 400,000s | ||
| Remarks: Lake Placid Blue, original except for 5-way selector switch modification. Three-bolt maple neck. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1973 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: This one had a different finish, has been refinished to natural. Staggered pole pickups, maple fingerboard. | ||
| Above photo credits: Found at Guitar Base | ||
1974 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: Around mid-year, the pickup poles become level (flush), replacing the uneven or"staggered" poles. However, staggered pole pickups have been found in Strats with pots dating as late as the 39th week of 1974.
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Type: 1974 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: 532486 | ||
| Remarks: A very nice natural finish Stratocaster with staggered pickups and three-bolt neck. This guitar is owned by the Strat Central webmaster, and is his first step into the, um, 'vintage guitar market'. Not necessarily as an investment, but because he really likes natural finish Stratocasters with bullet truss rod, large headstock and 'swirly' decal. | ||
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Type: 1974 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: 569343 | ||
| Remarks: This one originally had staggered pole pickups, but not anymore. Original natural finish over a heavy ash body with a maple neck. The guitar has been modified extensively over the years with very early EMG pickups, a Schechter fulcrum tremelo, a Kahler locking nut and Tele metal dome knobs. It was wired by Anubis Spire resident electronic genius and bass player Tim Costley, and now has three volumes (one for each pickup), no tone control, a specially wired five way switch and a kill switch that shuts off the output. | ||
| Above photo credits: Gracefully made available by Anubis Spire, with permission. | ||
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Type: 1974 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: 655652 | ||
| Remarks: A beautiful natural-finished ash body left-handed Stratocaster. One of the last of the staggered-pole pickup guitars made. Click here for a large detail picture of the body. |
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| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
1975 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: Black plastic begins to replace white: pickguard (three layered), knobs and pickup covers. Transition to black is slow and not uniform, so some Strats from this period may, for example, have a black pickguard and white pickup covers and knobs. The occassional "mix and match" transition will continue through 1977.
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Type: 1975 Hardtail Stratocaster |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: A hardtail strat has no tremolo bar, the strings are attached through the body. The bridge pickup and and pickguard on this model are not stock. The second photo clearly shows the three-bolt neck, which was actually considered a step further away from perfectionism when compared to the four-bolt neck. |
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| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: Early or mid 70's Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S776154 | ||
| Remarks: This 'Sticker Strat' was Steve Vai's first real electric guitar. His mother bought it for him when he was 15 at Matthew's Music at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York. It was used exclusively on early demo recordings, Frank Zappa records & tours and much of Alcatrazz. It was in safe storage for some time before being smuggled back into the studio in 1999 during the "Ultra Zone" sessions. It's been modified quite a bit, judging by the Floyd Rose tremolo (not of the 70s) and the plug jack. Although Steve claims it's early or mid 70's, the serial number indicates it's a 1977 Strat. | ||
| Above photo credits: The Official Steve Vai Web Site | ||
1976 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: Headstock logo decal now includes serial number, the letter representing the decade ("S" for 1970s) and the first number representing the year ("S6"=1976).
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Type: 1976 Stratocaster |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Ash body. The new 3-way switch, one pot and tremolo arm are not original. The picture of the back clearly shows the so-called 'skunk stripe', where another type of wood is used to fill up the neck after the truss rod had been inserted. | ||
| Above photo credits: Found on Guitar Base | ||
1977-1980 STRATOCASTER CHARACTERISTICS
Specs: No substantial changes from 1976 except the 5-way pickup selection switch becomes standard. Transition to black plastic continues. Some Strats still leave the factory with variations. The year 1977 also saw the brief return of the Antigua finish, originally concocted in 1966.
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Type: 1977 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Natural finish hardtail (non-tremolo) Stratocaster. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1977 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Gorgeous black-black Strat with, I think, cool fretboard wear. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1977 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S7xxxxx | ||
| Remarks: All black, but with gold-plated brass controls and bridge, and a black tremolo (not painted, but black metal). Apparently this one is all original, in which case it's pretty unique. | ||
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Type: 1977 Lefty Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Black finish, maple neck, rewired so second tone pot works for bridge position pickup. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1978 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: None | ||
| Above photo credits: Picture ruthlessly lifted off Ed Roman's Guitar Site | ||
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Type: 1979 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S99xxxx | ||
| Remarks: The original pickups have been replaced by black bobbin DiMarzios. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1979 Hardtail Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: Wine red Stratocaster with a 'hardtail', i.e. no tremolo system and through-body string. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1979 Hardtail Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S969270 | ||
| Remarks: Maple neck, no tremolo (hardtail). The actual colour is a kind of orangey-red, transparent so you can see the wood grain. The picture doesn't do the colour justice. | ||
| Above photo credits: Picture provided by Agusti Magnet from Fendermania in Spain | ||
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Type: 1979 25th Anniversary Stratocaster (original colour) | |
| Serial #: 250354 | ||
| Remarks: The first 500 of these guitars were finished in pearl white, supplied by a bicycle company. That cracked really badly, so they changed manufacturer to Porsche and colour to silver metallic. Click here to see the body in bigger detail, with cracks. |
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| Above photo credits: Provided by its current owner, Charles W. Pettit IV. | ||
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Type: 1979 25th Anniversary Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: 255056 | ||
| Remarks: Only a limited number of these guitars were made. They all feature silver metallic finish, the 'anniversary' writing on the upper 'horn', black knobs and pickup covers, chrome hardware and a 1954-1979 commemorative neck plate. The colour is 'silver', however it ages to this 'tarnished green' you see. Click here for a worked open body detail of such a guitar (not the same one). |
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| Above photo credits: Provided by its current owner, Charles W. Pettit IV. | ||
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Type: 1979 Stratocaster |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: This guitar features all the much-treasured eye candy. Nice wood grain, too. | ||
| Above photo credits: The former Strat Collector site, cheers to Tom Watson | ||
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Type: 1979 Antigua Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: Unknown | ||
| Remarks: This rather rare colour is called Antigua. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1979 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S960977 | ||
| Remarks: This natural finish guitar is made from rather striking wood - northern straight grain ash. It's famous for its weight and 'powerful sound'. | ||
| Above photo credits: The owner, Ivan Popov. | ||
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Type: 1979 or 1980 Hardtail Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S906XXX | ||
| Remarks: Natural Stratocaster with a 'hardtail', i.e. no tremolo system and through-body string. | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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Type: 1979 Stratocaster | |
| Serial #: S965751 | ||
| Remarks: This is a very rare colour, called "Mexican Red". | ||
| Above photo credits: An Ebay auction | ||
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