Any strat experts ? Need help

harpo

hi guys, need a bit of help. I know there are a few members on here who know shitloads about strats
What I have is what I was told by the seller (some 10 years ago) is an 82 USA strat which has at some point (probably in the eighties) had a replacement 1984 neck put on it. I should say that there is no serial number on the headstock.
ive not taken the neck off to look for any labels or writing on the body or the neck as I'm not that confident that I wouldn't mess the action up. It's a 4 bolt plate and the truss rod adj is at the heel.

I have taken the scratchplate off and taken pics of the pots and cloth covered wiring. 
What Im wondering is whether anyone is expert enough to give me a solid opinion as to whether the 82 84 thing is correct ......Im looking to sell the beastie and wouldn't want to mislead.
i can send photos by e mail
many thanks 
Ian

Gassage

Mark @guitars4you may be able to assist BUT, because Dan Smith was just reinventing Fender at this time there's very limited info compared to later years.

harpo

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b48hfvp62o3w9tn/2016-11-26 12.03.27.jpg?raw=1

ICBM

It was a period of chaos and transition at Fender - if it's a genuine Fender it could have left the factory as an original guitar even with the neck and body dates two years apart. Would need to see detailed photos of all the parts to have a better idea - PM me if you want to send any and I'll see what I can do! I'm not the foremost Fender expert here I don't think, but I've seen a fair few.

matone

12th fret dot spacing is wide for `84.Could be Jap neck ?

harpo

Yes I was told '84 probably jap' 

Richardj

Would it still have the block saddles in '82/'84?  Those look like bent steel.  More pics of it would be useful.

harpo

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7akczqbflgu44gk/2016-11-26 12.03.44.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/db1fr3azkchu7dp/2016-11-26 12.03.02.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/awpr3wdj98gqx20/2016-11-26 12.02.50.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/h6kucypbjw9he7a/2016-11-26 12.04.27.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pf4evknwdr1iahk/2016-11-26 12.23.18.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/z3t655xs8e5w76z/2016-11-26 12.23.31.jpg?raw=1

Richardj

Isn't that a Japanese one? Based on the headstock logo and bridge.

the_jaffa

Definitely a fake, I'll be kind though and take it off your hands for £100

richardhomer

Vintage style Strats wouldn't have had a serial number on the headstock - but the should have one stamped into the neckplate. In '82 the only vintage style guitars were Japanese built Squiers - it was some years before Japanese Fenders just had 'Fender' on the headstock.

By '84, the US Vintage reissues had been introduced so it 'could' in theory have a US vintage style neck which is an '84. I'm not convinced it has, though.

Unless refinished - no early '80s Strat body came in that colour (which is similar to Daphne Blue). Tokais did - I had one.

I suspect it's a partscaster of Japanese origin - some of which 'may' be Fender.

matone

84 US Vintage would have narrow 12th dot spacing .Agree with rest of your thoughts.

guitars4you

It is a vintage style neck - we know that - Jap versions should have a made in Japan transfer near the butt end near the heel - the absence of this is either based on it has been removed, but should show tell tale signs or it is a USA vintage neck - the vintage USA series kicked in around 1982 but as stated by Richard, above ,not in that colour - markings on the neck will help - and as stated above a vintage based Strat should have a serial number on the neck plate

Trem assembly is not from the early 82 period Strat Std models, so again vintage based

Looks like the butt end of the neck needs to be looked at to acquire further info, or partial info - then can comment further

harpo

Update, sorry I misinformed you earlier. The seller said 1980 body with 1982 (probably jap) neck. 
I do like a good mystery 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pf1lyct4padco7x/2017-01-14 13.35.46.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6w0eloav6iphece/2017-01-14 13.36.39.jpg?raw=1

richardhomer

harpo said:

Update, sorry I misinformed you earlier. The seller said 1980 body with 1982 (probably jap) neck. 
I do like a good mystery 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pf1lyct4padco7x/2017-01-14 13.35.46.jpg?raw=1

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6w0eloav6iphece/2017-01-14 13.36.39.jpg?raw=1

In 1980, Fender didn't make vintage style bodies - they would have had a three-bolt Microtilt neck fixing. The only exception is the short-lived 'The Strat - but they were not made in this colour. The shape is too contoured for a US body from that period - and its before they made any Japanese guitars. My guess (if it really is from 1980) is it's a Tokai - or similar.

From recollection, rosewood board Tokai necks had veneer, rather than slab boards - the neck 'could' be an early Squier, with a replacement logo.

It is not possible to have a 'Fender' made guitar from that period with all of those characteristics. And Fender never made 'any' guitars without a serial number (the neck plates were stamped with a reverse 'F' even when the serial number was on the headstock - so an entirely blank plate cannot be a Fender part).

harpo

@richardhomer when you say 'reverseF ' do you mean on the underside of the neck plate ? I.e. Hidden when it's screwed on ? 

richardhomer

harpo said:

@richardhomer when you say 'reverseF ' do you mean on the underside of the neck plate ? I.e. Hidden when it's screwed on ? 

No - I mean a Fender 'F' stamped on the plate - clearly visible.

harpo

Ah, cheers

ICBM

From these and some other pics that harpo sent to me, it appears to be a refinished Japanese-made body with a few original American electrical parts - at least one of the pots appears to be dated 1980, and the switch looks correct too - but rewired (Fender did not use cloth wire in 1980) and with pickups of unknown make and roughly the right construction but not Fender, and certainly not from 1980 (Fender didn't use staggered poles then). The pickguard is also not a 1980 Fender, it would be black. The neck is probably a Fender Japan from the stamps on the heel base but the pencilled date is fake, and the bridge may also be the same - it's not a 1980 US one as it would be a one-piece cast alloy with block saddles.

It looks like a nice guitar… just not a USA Fender.

robinbowes

ICBM said:

It looks like a nice guitar… just not a USA Fender.

It does indeed look a nice guitar.

I may be interested, depending on what value you put on it.

R.

harpo

Thanks everyone for the info.
@robinbowes I've Pm'd you mate