Used Vintage 1970s Fender Stratocaster

Sonic Evaluation

We love Big Head Strats around Wildwood, and this seventies partscaster is particularly awesome--it looks clean and it sounds mean! It responds to your attack with a lovely sweet squish that highlights your right-hand technique with exceptional articulation before giving way to that classic bell-like note bloom vintage Strats are beloved for. The bridge pickup is quite snappy with a focused bit in the midrange and twangy lows, and it makes me want to play funk rhythms, aggressive chords, jangly chords, and twangy, snarl leads. The middle position has a broader midrange response and fatter lows for a more muscular, warmer tone. Finally, the neck pickup does that chewy, vocal Hendrixian thing while also being clear enough to use for rhythm parts that need to get down with the thickness. All in all, it's a spectacular example of a vintage Strat, and it will make some lucky Fender fanatic one happy guitar picker!

Condition Report

This '74 Strat is also quite clean, but it does appear to be assembled out of components from different years. The body and neck plate are from '74, but the neck appears to be from a '76, and the pickguard, pots, and pickups look like they're from '77. To accomodate the '77 pickguard, a previous owner enlarged the screw-holes with a tool or drill, and some of the holes can't hold screws. Regardless of what year it is, it's an amazing guitar! It shows less wear than you'd expect from a guitar of this vintage, although there are a couple of noticeable areas of finish disruption on the top and back. The frets look original and have been re-crowned to measure about .085 inches by .038 inches. It comes with a non-original sturdy molded plastic hardshell case, too.