H(a)NGD! '90s MIJ Fender strat

[Olav]

Hej, just last night I drove across the country (I know, I know, small country) and back for this beat-up strat in a case that looks like it's been on a bumpy ride. I stumbled across the add when looking for a small tube amp for my GF, you know how it goes. I immediately fell for the color of the body and the big headstock, I really dig that style. Seller says it's a '90s he bought from a known picker in Netherlands that decided to make a little room for whatever he felt more important than guitars... (takes all kinds). I tried it on his KittyHawk in his livingroom with his enormous Irish Wolfhound for an audience. The tone is crystal clear, every note you hit, sings. Here's a couple pix;









I'll change the pup covers and knobs for new, white to match the pickguard and offset the creamy melted vanilla icecream color of the body even more, but that's about it.

[crawdaddy]

HNGD.

It looks like you've got an early 70's RI strat (I think '71 or '72) from mid 80's according to Fender's site. They note the "E" series + 6 digits as being from '84 to '87.

I wouldn't change a thing on her if it were mine. The off white covers and knobs are what give that guitar some cool flavor.

Good Luck and enjoy

[lostinthemasses]

i wouldnt change anything either

the only thing that i'd put on there is a black pickguard that the holes match up perfectly on and save the white one somewhere safe

that's a very very nice 70's RI

those tuners dont look stock though

[Olav]

Thanks you guys, the same was suggested on my regular forum in NL. Got some flack there on the changing pup covers remark. Can you tell me some more on this series? Wood in the body? Is this a special kind stagger these pups have? What would you recommend to change them with? If at all. They sound a little flat when playing with high gain, clean they're just my thing.
@Lostinthemasses; the tuners say 'Fender japan',

Aren't these the regular kind for this series?

[crawdaddy]

Here is a great site were you can get some very useful info regarding MIJ strats:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/john.blackman4/index.htm

[Olav]

Thanks crawdaddy, I'll check that out.
Hahaha, since I mentioned the pup cover swap on my regular dutch forum, people have been falling over themselves trying to get a hold of the old ones! WTF?

[lostinthemasses]

since that's a european market fender i guess the tuners are different because that era had klusons on it

[Olav]

@lostinthemasses; MIJ's sold US are different from MIJ's sold in Europe? Or did I get that mixed up there? Or do you mean it should have been with Klusons and the ones on mine are 'upgrades'?

[lostinthemasses]

no, i'm almost positive those are the original tuners