CBS Fenders, crap or a natural progression on where Leo was going?

[Flatpicker]

I wonder why Yngwie goes after all the 70's strats as opposed to the 60's stuff? He is, after all, The Greatest Strat Player Ever.

He mods them with 4 bolts on the neck. One is under the plate.
New pups and reworks the trem. Plus the scalloping.

Not much stock when he is done.

[mudkicker]

I traded my semi rare transparent SG maroon77 strat for a new Charvel Model 375 Deluxe back in the 90's. I sometimes regret the deal now. The Charvel is never played and until recently I wanted to get another strat. It's mexi strat and plays circles around my old 77.

I remeber all of the pre CBS snobs telling me the 70's strats would never be worth anything. Wish I had held onto it now.

[WarPig]

[quote=Bengal65;1210492]CBS shortcuts, 3-4 piece heavy Northern Ash bodies, heavy, heavy poly finishes and sloppy, poorly executed automated machinery for routing, attributed to a lot of the downfall in the instruments.

I can't believe that these instruments are demanding vintage prices.

+1

It wasn't the changes as much as it was the poor quality control. A bandmate of mine purchased a new Tele in the early 70's. After replacing three bullet necks that warped, they finally dug out a custom '57-spec neck and bolted it on. I bought the thing from him a few years later for $75, and it's one of the best guitars I've ever played.

I also can't believe what prices "vintage" instruments are commanding! I guess some crap sweetens over time....

[1trussell]

I thought the big thing for Yngwie and the 70's Starts was the large headstock. He likes it for the tonal character the extra weight has.

[John C]

Leo developed the micro-tilt 3-bolt neck during that period where he worked as a consultant to Fender (1965-1970); he developed the bullet truss rod adjuster as well; that's why you see them on his later guitars (Music Man and G&L).

As Bengal65 says, the problem isn't the design, it was in the execution. CBS/Fender started cutting corners to boost production; eventually it reached the point in the late 1970s where you really had to search to find a "good" Strat as the body contours had all but disappeared' some bodies weighed a ton; and most importantly the neck pockets weren't tight, allowing the neck to move around. The design got a bad reputation because of the sloppy production. Other cost-cutting changes weren't good either - like the cast bridge with pot-metal saddles (instead of steel saddles and solid-steel block). I'm not going to completely rip the 70s Strat; there are some good ones out there - you just have to look long and hard to find one.

One big difference is the shape of the neck heel - by the time you get to the G&L models they were using 22-fret necks with the heel extened all the way to the end of the neck (a 22-fret Fender neck has an extended fingerboard for the 22nd fret; the heel is the same length as a 21-fret neck). The neck pocket was deeper to accomodate the longer neck, leading to more stability.

[Rupe]

I've bought and sold dozens of these when I was a dealer...I would say about 1 in 10 is any good. Multi-piece bodies (7-8 pieces was not uncommon) with super thick poly finishes equaled "no resonance". The flat pole pickups (post-'74) were completely lifeless and devoid of character. Sloppy neck pockets, crappy hardware, and boat anchor weights completed the package

You can find the occassional "good" one (especially '74 and earlier) but overall they were garbage.

[rattojack]

70's Fenders are not good quality guitars. Aside from the rare gem, these guitars were built to cut costs and it's pretty obvious. Thick poly finishes that feel like crap. No contours on the body. Cheap sounding pickups. Etc.

I personally like the looks of the 70's Strats more so than those from the 50's or 60's, but there is no comparison in quality, playability or sound.