Fender Stratocaster, 1983 Serial No. E327082

Funkfingers

For the sake of clarity, the so-called Dan Smith Fender Stratocaster is the 1982 rejig with the return to a smaller headstock (but still with the CBS-era decal and Schaller-made "diamondback" machine heads) and attempts to sharpen up in Q.A. 

Some Fender management high-ups were sent to visit Fugi Gen Gakki. It certainly bucked up their ideas on how electric guitars should be manufactured.

ICBM

Supposedly even before that, Fuji had sent over a sample of what was to become the Squier JV series, and Fender's management were almost in tears when they saw how much better it was than what they were currently making.

randella

Funkfingers said:

As this photograph provided by H7 illustrates, the Fender Freeflyte vibrato bridge behaves as a two-piece design. Rather like the Ibanez Power Rocker, the knife edge on the baseplate engages with a precisely machined strip of steel that is recessed and bolted into guitar body. (Yes, bolted! There are threaded inserts underneath.)

Running the tension springs in the manner shown makes no great difference from the traditional Fender location. It does save the production line time that it takes to turn a body over to rout the other side. Spring tension is adjusted with an Allen key - rather like some Kahler Pro models.

Yep - I tried to see from the photo but it wasn't entirely clear.  In which case it's not what I thought it was (two-post pivot design), thanks for the info.

As re. the location of the spring claw, I'm guessing there was some way to alter the stretch of the springs like there is with the trad design by tightening or loosening the screws holding the claw plate?  If there isn't then how does the Freeflyte allow for changing string gauges?  This was the flaw that leapt to my mind, but again, hard to tell from the photograph.

ICBM

randella said:

As re. the location of the spring claw, I'm guessing there was some way to alter the stretch of the springs like there is with the trad design by tightening or loosening the screws holding the claw plate?  If there isn't then how does the Freeflyte allow for changing string gauges?  This was the flaw that leapt to my mind, but again, hard to tell from the photograph.

You poke an Allen key down a hole in the bridge, to turn a grub screw that pushes on a cam which the other end of the springs are attached to, altering its angle relative to the bridge and hence the spring tension and bridge float position. Complicated and won't handle any string gauge above 10s properly, if I remember.

Compared to the brilliant simplicity of Leo's original Strat bridge it's a very poor design, basically.

randella

@ICBM - interesting, thanks.  Embarrassingly I do now see that you answered this in the post which I quoted!  Extra info always good though.

Curious how the two most notable attempts by Fender to refine the original bridge were poles apart in terms of success - the Freeflyte vs. the USA Standard two-post with block saddles that my '94 Strat has, which I think is the best modern Strat bridge.

ICBM

The 2-point USA Standard bridge is the *correct* way of updating Leo's design. It uses the same design principle but fixes the minor flaws with the original - mostly the tendency of the bridge to move up and down on the pivot screws, and the saddle height screws to fall out of the bottoms of the saddles if you adjust them too high.

Although a lot of people say they don't sound as good - I think they do, but I'm less keen on the 'warble' which is caused by the lower-friction pivot... at the same time as it improves tuning stability.

rsvmark

Wasn't there an 'Elite' version around at the same time ish? Iirc it had 3 push/push switches for the pick ups, a similar bridge and possibly active pick ups which covered the pole pieces and were slightly elongated? Never seen one of those since although I expect @HarrySeven has several lying about!

HarrySeven

@rsvmark - Indeed...I do have a Tele Elite and I'm looking for a matching Strat. I know where there is one, but the seller has it up for some insane OTT price.

guitars4you

HarrySeven said:

@rsvmark - Indeed...I do have a Tele Elite and I'm looking for a matching Strat. I know where there is one, but the seller has it up for some insane OTT price.

I always preferred the Tele over the Strat on the Elite - still see some at sensible prices but equally some at silly money

nickb_boy

If you're curious about resale before getting it then I wouldn't bother.  The market for these is more limited because of the changes mentioned above so it may not be a quick sale and is unlikely to have much profit onr it for your efforts, unless you're picking it up dirt cheap.

If you're just wanting to know the value so you're not paying over the odds for it then the figures listed above are sensible.  I wouldn't be wanting to pay over £500 for one if I genuinely liked the way it played.

randella

HarrySeven said:

@rsvmark - Indeed...I do have a Tele Elite and I'm looking for a matching Strat. I know where there is one, but the seller has it up for some insane OTT price.

@HarrySeven - I know about these guitars only from pictures.  Quick one for you - are the pickups actually active, or are they normal slug polepiece efforts with a cover?  If they are active, what's the circuitry like?

guitars4you

randella said:

HarrySeven said:

@rsvmark - Indeed...I do have a Tele Elite and I'm looking for a matching Strat. I know where there is one, but the seller has it up for some insane OTT price.

@HarrySeven - I know about these guitars only from pictures.  Quick one for you - are the pickups actually active, or are they normal slug polepiece efforts with a cover?  If they are active, what's the circuitry like?

alnico V magnets on the Strat - so regular pick-ups - but a 4th dummy coil 'pick-up' under the scratchplate for hum cancelling - then TBX style master tone control + 12db boost circuit - hence battery powered

Tele - noise cancelling pick-ups with alnico 11 magnets - again active tone pots hence battery for this circuit

Funkfingers

randella said:
are the pickups actually active 

I cannot think of a single Fender production active pickup. Plenty of examples of active EQ and power boosters but no pickups.

Why invest in active pickup research and development when you could simply buy in from established third party pickup manufacturers? 

guitars4you

Funkfingers said:

randella said:
are the pickups actually active 

I cannot think of a single Fender production active pickup. Plenty of examples of active EQ and power boosters but no pickups.

Why invest in active pickup research and development when you could simply buy in from established third party pickup manufacturers? 

I assume his question was based on the 'EMG' style appearance of the Strat Elite p/ups - Going back to the '83' period when the Elite appeared and EMG started to establish a base and indeed Knopfler had established a strong influence in the market place, then a 'trendy hot rod project was what the Elite was about, so you can see such influence behind them

HarrySeven

Talking of two ends of the same axis...

This and this.

Both overpriced, the latter extortionately so (but then again, it is the ever-optimistic KMC).

Funkfingers

That '83 Elite Stratocaster looks almost unplayed. I wonder why?

guitars4you said:
Knopfler had established a strong influence in the market place

The conventional wisdom is that the '83 Elite was intended to answer grumbles from Eric Clapton for more midrange and a vibrato that returned to pitch - no matter how wrecked he was onstage. The Strat Plus was to placate Jeff Beck - vibrato stability and noise rejection.

sticker

I have a 1983 hardtail in Sienna sunburst and I’d never sell it .

I’m the 2nd owner I bought it off a mates Dad who got it new and played it unplugged for about 10 hours before giving it a slight ‘ding’ and then he got the heebeegeebee’s about doing it again so he left it unplayed for the next decade ! 

I love the neck profile and don’t use a trem anyway .
i know the cost cutting history of how this model came about but I love that it’s a quirky non-Stratty Strat from the original Fullerton factory. 

FWIW the last time I saw one at Coda it was listed at £595 (hardtail in faded yellowy white) it was a few years ago when the average USA Strat price on here was £550 , before the price hike and Brexit . 

richardhomer

Funkfingers said:

The conventional wisdom is that the '83 Elite was intended to answer grumbles from Eric Clapton for more midrange and a vibrato that returned to pitch - no matter how wrecked he was onstage.

Not sure this is true - EC’s never used Strat trems - my understanding was that when he started talking to Fender about a signature guitar some years later, he wanted to be able to get a more Gibson-like tonality and actives were offered as a solution.

IIRC Fender did send him an Elite but he didn’t like it - the push-bottom pick-up selectors in particular.

ICBM

sticker said:

I have a 1983 hardtail in Sienna sunburst and I’d never sell it .

I’m the 2nd owner I bought it off a mates Dad who got it new and played it unplugged for about 10 hours before giving it a slight ‘ding’ and then he got the heebeegeebee’s about doing it again so he left it unplayed for the next decade ! 

I love the neck neck profile and don’t use a trem anyway .
i know the cost cutting history of how this model came about but I love that it’s a quirky non-Stratty Strat from the original Fullerton factory. 

FWIW the last time I saw one at Coda it was listed at £595 (hardtail in faded yellows white) it was a few years ago when the average USA Strat price on here was £550 , before the price hike and Brexit . 

I think a hardtail might actually be worth more - it's not only much rarer, it avoids the biggest problem with the trem version - the trem .

I wouldn't be surprised at £600 for one in good condition.