Anyone Else Play an '83 Strat 1V 1T w/FreeFlyte Trem and Solid Back?

[ottobahn]

I bought that model brand new back in '83. It is the only Fender solid body Strat.

Mine is a sunburst model with a maple fingerboard.

[ottobahn]

Nobody? :confused:

[Marty Horne]

One guy here in Florida has an off white one and like you he bought in new back in the early 80s. I played it once and it was heavy but played well. The pickups sound closer to Lace Sensors than regular strat pickups to me but I thought it was a nice guitar.

[Ron Thorn]

This short run had one of the nicest shaped necks I've found on a Fender, with a 12" radius which is very odd for a Strat.
The trem was a little touchy and adjustments required a 15 page manual but I like them and still have one.

Ron

[boog204]

is it one of the dan smith strats? w/ the input jack on the pickguard?

[ottobahn]

Originally posted by boog204
is it one of the dan smith strats? w/ the input jack on the pickguard?

The input jack is on the pickguard.

Who is Dan Smith? Was he running Fender back then?

[boog204]

im far from an expert but he was some part of fender that introduced a bunch of changes to the strats of 81-83. among those was the changed control layout....


http://www.stratcollector.com/newsdesk/archives/000098.html

[Ron Thorn]

The '83-'84 American Standard (2-knobs) are not Dan Smiths. Those were earlier.

The 2-knob was also used on the Bowling Ball series from the same era.

[voodoohippie]

i have one as my main strat, a lefty in sunburst with maple neck.....and it has the best feeling neck ive ever felt, its the main reason i bought the guitar......i ended up replacing the pickups with Duncans, and it sounds top notch as well, good balanced sound, not too bright and not too warm

as for the bridge, it can be finicky, and ive never had the tremelo bar for it, but ive played around with it a bit and ive found a good spot where the thing stays in tune and the action is great, low and with no buzzing

[Glowing Tubes]

I have one!! ;)
Bought it new in 83-84.
I need to get a fret job done on it as its been played to death.
I have a crack in the trem and have never been able to find a replacement. :(
I put in a new pickguard and some Suhr V60 pickups. She sounds great!! Love the feel of the neck. I remember when I got it, it was the only Strat I had played that had this particular feel.

Great guitar.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Andersonguy/blackstrat.jpg

[Ron Thorn]

Originally posted by Andersonguy

I have a crack in the trem and have never been able to find a replacement. :(


Funny you should mention it :)
Drop me an e-mail AG.

Ron

[Glowing Tubes]

Originally posted by Ron Thorn
Funny you should mention it :)
Drop me an e-mail AG.

Ron
:D email sent

[ottobahn]

Here's mine:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/ottobahn/PICT0012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/ottobahn/PICT0013.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/ottobahn/PICT0014.jpg

[Marty Horne]

My mistake. The guitar I mentioned earlier had pickups that looked like EMGs but were Fenders and had 3 pushbuttons instead of a 5 way.

[NyteOwl]

Originally posted by Marty Horne
My mistake. The guitar I mentioned earlier had pickups that looked like EMGs but were Fenders and had 3 pushbuttons instead of a 5 way. That would be an Elite Series Strat. I still have an `83 in walnut that I bought new and it's seriously heavy. It was this guitar that finally sold me on Strats. I'd had a few but didn't keep them long, but after getting this one I sold my Les Paul and still don't miss it. As I understand it, the pickups were allegedly the forerunners of the Lace Sensors.

[theelectic]

How does the Freeflyte trem work? Like a regular trem, except the block is smaller, and the springs are inside the body cavity, so no back route?

[voodoohippie]

is there any "better" designed bridge types that could be fitted into one of these without having to do the back routing?

[tybone]

I have a two button strat. It is red with a maple neck. The pickups have been changed to fat 50's.