There was a time not long ago when a 'vintage' guitar was just called a 'used' guitar. When I was a teenager I played a blonde 1961 Stratocaster at Chuck Levins in Washington DC that was expensive, about $1200. This was around 1984. You could buy a new top model professional guitar for about the same price or buy this 'vintage' instrument.
That was a lot of money for me then, I was a kid throwing the Baltimore Sun newspaper on Sunday morning, cutting lawns for ten bucks and really, a later not fancy Fender could be had for half that or less. A re-painted one for even less. Point is you could buy the guitar of your dreams for an attainable price.
I got to enjoy a few over the years, refinished ones that could be had at a players price. There was a lot of them around then. They may have been modified by a good player to their liking, nobody cared then, these were just tools. Practice, learn, get a good instrument and join a band. If you could improve it for your needs all the better.
Prices went up and up and up then 2003 happened. A second war started, easy credit and an older generation that would pay anything to get some good memories back skyrocketed prices. The last 2 vintage Fenders I sold were my '61 Stratocaster (refinished) for $3500 and my refinished '66 Maple Cap Telecaster for $1500. I double my money on both of those and only owned them for about 5 years each. Today that Stratocaster would command $10k and the Tele around $5k. I can afford one now but have no interest in paying that kind of money. Fender guitars are the Lego of the guitar world, easy to fake parts and with all that relic jive going on, you need a sharp eye and a lot of experience to make an informed purchase. And I'm a musician. I want something I can carve up, change colors on and make my own should I choose without the 'vintage guitar' police telling me I'm an idiot for lowering the value.
Fender over the years has attempted to capture the spirit of the old guitars by making 'reissue' series and now 'custom shop' and 'relic' guitars. They've been getting better over time. The first series to me, completely missed the mark. Details.... the way the necks feel, the finish, the 'Fender Fender' saddles rather than the 'Fender Pat Pend' saddles, just weird enough pickguards. Little silly things like that. They just seemed to refuse to get it right.
So that drove other parts makers to get it right. You could buy 'Pat Pend' saddles on the black market, decals on the black market, better pickups, better necks and better bodies. Fender would often clamp down and you'd wait a year to find some other counterfeiter to sell you saddles that looked right.
Other builders got better, but the trend was 'relic'. I prefer to put my own dents in my guitar. My scratches=my story. And todays Custom Shop stuff, feels too perfect for me. A great Fender should be just janky enough and not one bit more.
So the goal for me since I like nice things but don't really play Stratocasters these days, is to build something that's as good or better than what other builders make, something as satisfying as the top flight instruments Fender makes with a budget of less than a grand. Something I can schlep to gigs and lessons, enjoy and not be worried about.
I've always liked Fenders made between '64 and '65. I like the transitional logo, the curved rosewood fingerboard, clay dots, green guard and lacquer finish. That's a sweet spot for the necks, not small but not huge.
I have a thing for black Fenders.
We live in a real renaissance period for parts. I like it. Just like the amps I've built, speakers and transformers have gotten so good I lost my lust for old amps.
About this build. The most expensive part was the neck. It was built by Musikraft. I think it cost me around $300. I ordered it unfinished with only a sealer, post '64 dot spacing, real clay dots and with a curved rather than slab fingerboard. I could buy the Allparts '62 neck for about a third of the price and been happy too, those are great. The buy I wanted those clay dots (even though a real old Fender never used clay!) and didn't want to go through the process of replacing those plastic ones. And I gotta say, Musikraft knocked it out of the park with this one. Great product, well worth it. There is something just a little extra special with the detail. The difference between a good guitar and a great one is often the person with a piece of sandpaper. I'll gladly buy another one and may even buy one for my beloved Esquire.
A word on the Fender Custom Shop. They've gotten better at their dots, the older 60's Custom shop models used dyed plastic. The more you played them the newer they got!
Only one company has mastered those mysterious dots and that is:
http://precbsguitars.com/
These guys do such a great reproduction I'd be afraid to buy a vintage one. Apparently they are closing shop. Do read about their dots! It's rather fascinating!
The body I found on Reverb.com. It's made of pine and built by Guitar Mill. I put an offer of around $250 and got it. No, I realize it's not proper alder, I just like pine. And it's about 3 1/2 pounds. My back prefers a light guitar. I also like Clearfork Designs. He lets you know the weight of each body. You want light, order it! Heavy, yes. You get to choose.
I did order an MJT body. Truly great craftsmanship. I just didn't want the checking and scratches. Plus I decided to just do my own finish. It's the most challenging part and I'm still buffing it. But it keeps getting better and it's starting to check naturally. Plus I could put those silly dowel holes in it and do the whole 'lazy Susan nail hole' method of finishing like they used to do. Now of course I didn't set up a spray booth, this was finished on my rooftop in Greenpoint!
Silly dowel holes:
In a few years this body will just look like an old body. The only difference may be in how we see it. Is it something special or not? Older I get the more I realize it's just a matter of perception.
For the finish I used real nitrocellulose lacquer from Guitar Re-ranch:
http://www.reranch.com/
They have great products and if you follow their instructions patiently you'll have a world class finish. I'm not all that patient so mine is second class but, in a year it will just look worn. I did the 'desert sand' primer coat like they did in the old days, with black over that and high gloss over that. I got it so it's like a black mirror on most of it!
The hardware is mostly Fender. They have that great new 'True Vintage' series. Yes, they make my "Pat Pend" saddles finally and they cost about $30 for a set as opposed to up to $100 for black market ones.
I also used a Fender "True Vintage" tremolo block. I could have spent a lot more but why? I do like the Callaham stuff. I was a dealer a long time ago. Today I'm actually happy with what Fender is doing. It shows someone cares at the Fender company. That's all it really takes, someone to listen to their consumers and respond accordingly.
The pickguard was believe it or not, the next most expensive part:
It was made in Italy. I don't know if they make them any longer. What's so great about it? Why spend $150 rather than $39? Details. It's thick and like the old ones and flammable too! It's the right material and color. This guitar has been in service for all of 8 months now and it's starting to show signs of shrinkage. The old ones age organically, there is a beauty to them. The new PVC ones frankly look cheap to me. I simply can't tolerate cheap looking stuff!
The pickups........ugh. There are so many people making pickups today. I was a Fralin and Chandler dealer years ago, Great stuff. Never liked some of the bigger builders and definitely not crazy about the Fender product. I don't know why cause at the end of the day it's just some magnets with some wire wrapped around it.
I refuse to pay a lot for pickups...... Yeah, I'll pay a lot for a pickguard but that's cause I need to feed my vain streak!
So I like the number '59. I looked on EBay, punched in '59 Stratocaster pickups and up popped a few sets. I chose the one that was around $89 and bought them. I'm happy with them, they sound great!
I simply didn't want to think and do a bunch of research. That's a rabbit hole I don't have the time for. I'm a good player. I've played cheap crappy Strat copies and made them sound just like a Strat!
I used CTS potentiometers and a 3 way CRL switch. The tone cap is an Aerovox .1.
A word about tone capacitors. You can spend a fortune on one. Paper in Oil yadda yadda. It's jive. You're literally rolling off a little bit of highs to ground. The difference is the value. I know a lot of people beg to differ, but the power of suggestion has quite an effect on the brain.
I used a bone nut. I never really enjoy making nuts so I'm glad to say there are pre slotted ones available with perfect spacing. Just deepen them, cut it down to size and polish it out and you're done.
The decal I bought online from a dealer in Europe. Nice product. Not too pleased with how I did the head of my guitar so I may do it again. I've thought about doing a matching black headstock like the John Lennon '64.
And another parts maker is making decent serialized neck plates. Gotta to the L number!
The font is a bit weird but whatever! Like I said, Fender is the Lego of the guitar world.
Under the hood:
Nail holes!!!
So overall I have about $850 invested in this guitar. The more I play it the better it gets, it's starting to really warm up and it keeps getting better looking. I've gotten exactly what I wanted. It plays and feels like an old Stratocaster and is starting to show nice wear, not like a cartoonish 'relic' guitar.
So I encourage anyone to try this. It's fun and in the end you'll have an instrument that is every bit as good as any top flight guitar old or new. Resale value? I'm a music maker. I don't really care though I get the feeling I can sell it for more than I paid for it to the right buyer. But, not concerned about that, I'm just enjoying it now.
Happy building! JB
That was a lot of money for me then, I was a kid throwing the Baltimore Sun newspaper on Sunday morning, cutting lawns for ten bucks and really, a later not fancy Fender could be had for half that or less. A re-painted one for even less. Point is you could buy the guitar of your dreams for an attainable price.
I got to enjoy a few over the years, refinished ones that could be had at a players price. There was a lot of them around then. They may have been modified by a good player to their liking, nobody cared then, these were just tools. Practice, learn, get a good instrument and join a band. If you could improve it for your needs all the better.
Prices went up and up and up then 2003 happened. A second war started, easy credit and an older generation that would pay anything to get some good memories back skyrocketed prices. The last 2 vintage Fenders I sold were my '61 Stratocaster (refinished) for $3500 and my refinished '66 Maple Cap Telecaster for $1500. I double my money on both of those and only owned them for about 5 years each. Today that Stratocaster would command $10k and the Tele around $5k. I can afford one now but have no interest in paying that kind of money. Fender guitars are the Lego of the guitar world, easy to fake parts and with all that relic jive going on, you need a sharp eye and a lot of experience to make an informed purchase. And I'm a musician. I want something I can carve up, change colors on and make my own should I choose without the 'vintage guitar' police telling me I'm an idiot for lowering the value.
Fender over the years has attempted to capture the spirit of the old guitars by making 'reissue' series and now 'custom shop' and 'relic' guitars. They've been getting better over time. The first series to me, completely missed the mark. Details.... the way the necks feel, the finish, the 'Fender Fender' saddles rather than the 'Fender Pat Pend' saddles, just weird enough pickguards. Little silly things like that. They just seemed to refuse to get it right.
So that drove other parts makers to get it right. You could buy 'Pat Pend' saddles on the black market, decals on the black market, better pickups, better necks and better bodies. Fender would often clamp down and you'd wait a year to find some other counterfeiter to sell you saddles that looked right.
Other builders got better, but the trend was 'relic'. I prefer to put my own dents in my guitar. My scratches=my story. And todays Custom Shop stuff, feels too perfect for me. A great Fender should be just janky enough and not one bit more.
So the goal for me since I like nice things but don't really play Stratocasters these days, is to build something that's as good or better than what other builders make, something as satisfying as the top flight instruments Fender makes with a budget of less than a grand. Something I can schlep to gigs and lessons, enjoy and not be worried about.
I've always liked Fenders made between '64 and '65. I like the transitional logo, the curved rosewood fingerboard, clay dots, green guard and lacquer finish. That's a sweet spot for the necks, not small but not huge.
I have a thing for black Fenders.
We live in a real renaissance period for parts. I like it. Just like the amps I've built, speakers and transformers have gotten so good I lost my lust for old amps.
About this build. The most expensive part was the neck. It was built by Musikraft. I think it cost me around $300. I ordered it unfinished with only a sealer, post '64 dot spacing, real clay dots and with a curved rather than slab fingerboard. I could buy the Allparts '62 neck for about a third of the price and been happy too, those are great. The buy I wanted those clay dots (even though a real old Fender never used clay!) and didn't want to go through the process of replacing those plastic ones. And I gotta say, Musikraft knocked it out of the park with this one. Great product, well worth it. There is something just a little extra special with the detail. The difference between a good guitar and a great one is often the person with a piece of sandpaper. I'll gladly buy another one and may even buy one for my beloved Esquire.
A word on the Fender Custom Shop. They've gotten better at their dots, the older 60's Custom shop models used dyed plastic. The more you played them the newer they got!
Only one company has mastered those mysterious dots and that is:
http://precbsguitars.com/
These guys do such a great reproduction I'd be afraid to buy a vintage one. Apparently they are closing shop. Do read about their dots! It's rather fascinating!
The body I found on Reverb.com. It's made of pine and built by Guitar Mill. I put an offer of around $250 and got it. No, I realize it's not proper alder, I just like pine. And it's about 3 1/2 pounds. My back prefers a light guitar. I also like Clearfork Designs. He lets you know the weight of each body. You want light, order it! Heavy, yes. You get to choose.
I did order an MJT body. Truly great craftsmanship. I just didn't want the checking and scratches. Plus I decided to just do my own finish. It's the most challenging part and I'm still buffing it. But it keeps getting better and it's starting to check naturally. Plus I could put those silly dowel holes in it and do the whole 'lazy Susan nail hole' method of finishing like they used to do. Now of course I didn't set up a spray booth, this was finished on my rooftop in Greenpoint!
Silly dowel holes:
In a few years this body will just look like an old body. The only difference may be in how we see it. Is it something special or not? Older I get the more I realize it's just a matter of perception.
For the finish I used real nitrocellulose lacquer from Guitar Re-ranch:
http://www.reranch.com/
They have great products and if you follow their instructions patiently you'll have a world class finish. I'm not all that patient so mine is second class but, in a year it will just look worn. I did the 'desert sand' primer coat like they did in the old days, with black over that and high gloss over that. I got it so it's like a black mirror on most of it!
The hardware is mostly Fender. They have that great new 'True Vintage' series. Yes, they make my "Pat Pend" saddles finally and they cost about $30 for a set as opposed to up to $100 for black market ones.
I also used a Fender "True Vintage" tremolo block. I could have spent a lot more but why? I do like the Callaham stuff. I was a dealer a long time ago. Today I'm actually happy with what Fender is doing. It shows someone cares at the Fender company. That's all it really takes, someone to listen to their consumers and respond accordingly.
The pickguard was believe it or not, the next most expensive part:
It was made in Italy. I don't know if they make them any longer. What's so great about it? Why spend $150 rather than $39? Details. It's thick and like the old ones and flammable too! It's the right material and color. This guitar has been in service for all of 8 months now and it's starting to show signs of shrinkage. The old ones age organically, there is a beauty to them. The new PVC ones frankly look cheap to me. I simply can't tolerate cheap looking stuff!
The pickups........ugh. There are so many people making pickups today. I was a Fralin and Chandler dealer years ago, Great stuff. Never liked some of the bigger builders and definitely not crazy about the Fender product. I don't know why cause at the end of the day it's just some magnets with some wire wrapped around it.
I refuse to pay a lot for pickups...... Yeah, I'll pay a lot for a pickguard but that's cause I need to feed my vain streak!
So I like the number '59. I looked on EBay, punched in '59 Stratocaster pickups and up popped a few sets. I chose the one that was around $89 and bought them. I'm happy with them, they sound great!
I simply didn't want to think and do a bunch of research. That's a rabbit hole I don't have the time for. I'm a good player. I've played cheap crappy Strat copies and made them sound just like a Strat!
I used CTS potentiometers and a 3 way CRL switch. The tone cap is an Aerovox .1.
A word about tone capacitors. You can spend a fortune on one. Paper in Oil yadda yadda. It's jive. You're literally rolling off a little bit of highs to ground. The difference is the value. I know a lot of people beg to differ, but the power of suggestion has quite an effect on the brain.
I used a bone nut. I never really enjoy making nuts so I'm glad to say there are pre slotted ones available with perfect spacing. Just deepen them, cut it down to size and polish it out and you're done.
The decal I bought online from a dealer in Europe. Nice product. Not too pleased with how I did the head of my guitar so I may do it again. I've thought about doing a matching black headstock like the John Lennon '64.
And another parts maker is making decent serialized neck plates. Gotta to the L number!
The font is a bit weird but whatever! Like I said, Fender is the Lego of the guitar world.
Under the hood:
Nail holes!!!
So overall I have about $850 invested in this guitar. The more I play it the better it gets, it's starting to really warm up and it keeps getting better looking. I've gotten exactly what I wanted. It plays and feels like an old Stratocaster and is starting to show nice wear, not like a cartoonish 'relic' guitar.
So I encourage anyone to try this. It's fun and in the end you'll have an instrument that is every bit as good as any top flight guitar old or new. Resale value? I'm a music maker. I don't really care though I get the feeling I can sell it for more than I paid for it to the right buyer. But, not concerned about that, I'm just enjoying it now.
Happy building! JB
