NGD - So I'm a Strat guy now

[UlricvonCatalyst]

This came up locally through the week and I bought it more or less on a whim. The wear is all natural, and the finish brought to mind The Beatles' Rubber Soul Strats.

Assuming the seller wasn't a con man, it's a 1984 Japanese Stratocaster - no visible serial number to confirm that, but as far as I know MIJs didn't always have them at that stage. In any case, it's as much a partscaster at this point as a factory guitar, and the sum of the parts add up to at at least what he was asking in my estimation. I'll investigate the neck pocket whenever I get round to changing the strings or machine heads.

My attitude to it is it's an opportunity to see how I get along with a Strat for a while, but probably definitely maybe the first to go if I need to cash in my assets at some point.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

The strap-locks will be the first thing to go, probably followed by the bog-standard string trees.

[Fiddy]

I didn't think the spaghetti logo had ever been paired up with that style of tuners by Fender Japan? Are they replacements for kluson style tuners or am i just wrong with that statement?

[UlricvonCatalyst]

I have no idea, not being an expert, but given all the other mods it's undergone it wouldn't surprise me if the tuners have been changed.

[Embenny]

I really like the tone of strats, but the placement of the volume knob just annoys the hell out of me. It's always touching me when palm muting.

Enough about me though. Congrats on the NGD, early 80's MIJs are great guitars.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

It sounds alright, but I'm not convinced the fancy pickups are an improvement over standard Strat ones (if such things exist). Then again, I don't get the obsession everyone seems to have with leeching all the treble out of guitar pickups. When I finally take a look 'under the hood', I expect to find caps that will explain the lack of bite that I am seemingly alone in liking.

[sookwinder]

I really like the tone of strats, but the placement of the volume knob just annoys the hell out of me. It's always touching me when palm muting.

But volume swells are easier

[Embenny]

But volume swells are easier

Sure, but I use palm muting all the time, and volume swells very rarely, which is probably why I don't like strats.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

I didn't think the spaghetti logo had ever been paired up with that style of tuners by Fender Japan? Are they replacements for kluson style tuners or am i just wrong with that statement?

After digging around I found one on Reverb with the same Gotohs, so I'm a bit less concerned about those than I am about the absence of a serial number and skunk stripe. From what I've read though, necks for early MIJs came from more than one factory, so that could account for it.

Or maybe it originally had a maple board and someone swapped in a Rosewood neck out of preference? Or else a former owner removed the Japanese branding at some point when that would have made it seem like 'not a proper Strat'? Am I overthinking all this???

After tribi9's comment made me somewhat paranoid, I couldn't resist a look in the neck pocket.

I'm guessing the pencilled date means the body was made in April 1984, and the "ST - 362 V" = '62 Vintage (Reissue) Strat. Anyone have anything to say on this score?

[Fiddy]

I really like the tone of strats, but the placement of the volume knob just annoys the hell out of me. It's always touching me when palm muting.

Enough about me though. Congrats on the NGD, early 80's MIJs are great guitars.

I always strum really close to the neck, so they make no difference to me at all. You can always do a custom guard, and get rid if one knob if you wanted to join the dark side?

[Fiddy]

Anyone have anything to say on this score?

I wasn't questioning the tuners but the combination of logo/tuners.

I've seen lots of Fender Japan guitars with those tuners , just not ones paired to the spaghetti logo.

The one you posted does not have the "spaghetti" logo.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

I've seen lots of Fender Japan guitars with those tuners , just not ones paired to the spaghetti logo.

The one you posted does not have the "spaghetti" logo.

It's the eagle-eyed eyes of OSGers that always keeps me coming back for more.

[UlricvonCatalyst]

P.S. When I said "Anyone have anything to say on this score?" I was really asking about the 3, 5 & Z components of the stamp(s), or for someone to correct my decoding attempt, because if the suggestion is that this guitar's not Kosher I'd really appreciate the lowdown on why it isn't.

[s_mcsleazy]

im curious about the quarter pounder. my bandmate sticks them in everything and always sings their praises as "the normal guitar's pickups but beefier"

[MattK]

The stamps on the neck heel look fine for a MIJ Fender of the era. I think it's had a body refinish (duh) but here's another marked up pretty much the same way, with a spaghetti logo and the same tuners:
https://reverb.com/au/item/31894817-fen ... cale=en-AU
However, that decal is noted as a replacement, and I think it is on yours too. I reckon the front of the headstock has been stripped, and that's where the original serial number would have been, like these ones (same model again):
https://reverb.com/au/item/31894817-fen ... cale=en-AU
https://www.northsidebuysell.com/listin ... 7/32121720