WTB - 60s Strat or Tele - Player Grade

bgmartinsbridge

Long shot I know - pretty much sold all my guitars and looking for a nice player grade strat, tele or esquire.

I stupidly sold my seriously legit refin 63 strat a couple of years ago and someone who will remain nameless sold it for parts a month later on reverb. 

Happy to look at battered refins or near original. Early to late sixties. 

Not looking for ones in shops that have been bought off gumtree or eBay a week earlier, as I've seen recently. 

Cheers all. 

DrCornelius

Have you seen that refin 61 in Vintage and Rare in Bath Brad ?  I know its hardly players grade but it does look beautiful

bgmartinsbridge

Thanks @DrCornelius ;;

https://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/collections/fender-electric-guitars/products/1961-fender-stratocaster-fiesta-red-refin

I do struggle with shops. 

Quote - The body was stripped where it became evident there were no extra routes

Er, but it has got two filled holes in the scratchplate for microswitches. But it has not got any extra routes under the new refin they've given it? 

I actually think I saw that guitar for sale in Wales a few years ago pre refin. 

I will give it some thought as it's not badly priced for a shop. 

MikeS

^ I thought I saw that guitar, pre refin, in an auction somewhere a while back. I'm sure it was parts. And I thought it was mentioned somewhere on the forum, but I can't for the life of me find it or remember the details.

Fishboy7

This is why I don't think I'd ever venture into the vintage market

bgmartinsbridge

And that's why I don't trust dealers and would prefer to take the risk and buy privately, players grade.

Because they can be bolted together. 

ZenOvertone

I think that 61 refin guitar may have been the subject of one of Huw Price's columns in Guitar magazine a while back, the two switch holes filled was the reminder...

TDubs

Keep an eye on ATB’s site and Instagram or drop them a line. They’ve just taken a consignment of player grade stuff and it’s slowly filtering into their site

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPn59YoMP4x/?utm_medium=copy_link

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPlk7_0sU2g/?utm_medium=copy_link

There might be something there for you.

MikeS

ZenOvertone said:

I think that 61 refin guitar may have been the subject of one of Huw Price's columns in Guitar magazine a while back, the two switch holes filled was the reminder...

No, unless there's another post somewhere, that was Chris Bucks very similar Strat

https://guitar.com/guides/diy-workshop/diy-workshop-restoring-chris-bucks-house-clearance-stratocaster/

And if you scroll down and look at the photo of the extra routing, I'd like to know how on earth this one (if indeed the pickguard and body are original to each other) has had no extra routing?

DrCornelius

Wow, great info from you bloodhounds. Just goes to show how much of a minefield vintage guitars are.  I entered the Planet Rock make me a winner contest on Monday and if I won I would have been straight onto V & R to buy that Strat !

GuyR

bgmartinsbridge said:

Thanks @DrCornelius ;;

https://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/collections/fender-electric-guitars/products/1961-fender-stratocaster-fiesta-red-refin

I do struggle with shops. 

Quote - The body was stripped where it became evident there were no extra routes

Er, but it has got two filled holes in the scratchplate for microswitches. But it has not got any extra routes under the new refin they've given it? 

I actually think I saw that guitar for sale in Wales a few years ago pre refin. 

I will give it some thought as it's not badly priced for a shop. 

In the ad they are describing a body, neck and period correct parts, with no reference to the scratch plate being original to the body, or the whole thing being other than a collection of parts put together. Nothing wrong with a bitsa, if priced right. ATBs 66 strat looks ok at a glance.

MikeS

I dunno... A '59 neck, '60 serial number and '61 pots, with a body with no extra routing. Isn't it just a partscaster with the closest parts available that someones put together?. £9k for a partscasters a lot of money don't you think?.

HandwrittenHero

MikeS said:

I dunno... A '59 neck, '60 serial number and '61 pots, with a body with no extra routing. Isn't it just a partscaster with the closest parts available that someones put together?. £9k for a partscasters a lot of money don't you think?.

Was gonna pretty much make that point.

I mean it doesn't take away from how it plays/sounds or not and there's plenty of very famous partscasters through the years...but it is an awful lot of money just to have various pieces that are differing levels of old.

bgmartinsbridge

My concern with shops...

A 64 and 66 strat was on ebay two weeks ago.
Both original and bought from a London shop years back. Best offers - £12500 and 9k.

Was chatting with the seller.

30 mins later he says a vintage guitar retailer put in an offer and had also bought his ac30, without seeing them or asking questions. 

Appreciate the added value of knowing that the dealer has looked over them and can vouch that he now 'thinks' they're genuine - but I'd rather not pay the extra for the weeks journey from a private seller to the shop, and the photos being taken.
(I know! - he's paying vat on the profit he makes and has overheads).

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1964-FENDER-STRATOCASTER-Sunburst-with-rare-WHITE-Tolex-hard-shell-case-/154475028024?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1966-FENDER-STRATOCASTER-Sunburst-with-HARD-SHELL-CASE-/154475026933?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286


Also don't want a partscaster from a dealer, when Im better off getting a partscaster privately.

Appreciate it's all about knowledge but I've seen plenty of dodgy bodies in dealers which are being shown as original..