What ya' got?

[Bill]

A chance for folks to weigh in with what vintage Strats they have.

Mine are a refinished '56 and a '63, some parts changed.

[Escotia]

Bill, you should be locked up for owning those guitars under the "Way too cool" act !! Beautiful pieces of art...both of them !!

[64Strat]

I have 3 pre-CBS Strats. All sunbursts. '63 '64 & '65
They all have there own individual personality.

[Bill]

Hi 64Strat,

Could you tell us what the physical differences are and the resulting personality differences?

Based on your handle, I can guess which is your fave.

[64Strat]

Originally Posted by Bill

Hi 64Strat,

Could you tell us what the physical differences are and the resulting personality differences?

Based on your handle, I can guess which is your fave.

Actually, a '64 was my first love!

Just a brief overview.......

They are all 100% completely original. No changed parts.

The '63 is really nice and tonally, all three pickups are useable. It's the only one of them that I can stand to use the bridge pup by itself without major control intervention. ;-) It's neck pup is not as strong as my past '64 though. Killer 2/4 position tones. I would classify this Strat as darker toned overall. This one has everything, including hang tags.

I've had two '64s and they were very different too. The first one had a killer neck pup and a glassy bridge pup. This was a blues machine! The current '64 is almost as good tonally but in way better condition. Great playing guitar. Not nearly as dark toned as the '63, I would call it a chimey Strat.

The '65 is a great guitar, the neck pup is good, the bridge pup is almost useable and can be controlled, the mid pup is very good and so it also has the nice 2/4 position tones. Overall, I would classify this guitar as glassy.

How 'bout your two?

[Bill]

Mine have changes to them:

The '56 was refinished many years ago, and the electronics came out of a 57-59 Strat. It is glassy sounding, has a great soft V neck, and all the pickups sound wonderful--complex chords ring clear, and all that. Very strong in-between tones in positions 2 and 4 (when I can balance the switch there) It weighs around 7.5 pounds.

The '63 is also refinished, and has some changed parts, most importantly, the front and back pickups are Custom Shop '54s, and the middle is a gray bottom--maybe that makes it an early 70's, I don't know. The guitar is darker sounding than the '56, probably a combination of the rosewood neck and the different pickups. The bridge pickup sounds fine until I run it through a Blackstone Appliances Overdrive--there's something about that pedal and the pickup--it sounds really thin and transistory. But only with that particular pedal. The neck is incredibly comfortable to me, really friendly--fairly slim front to back. It weighs around 7.2 pounds.

Overall, I'd say the '56 has the better sound but the '63 is slightly more friendly to play. I find myself gravitating to the '63.

[64Strat]

Gray bottom pups started in late '64, my '65 has them too. Don't remember how long they ran gray bottoms though. My impression is they sound just as good as the black bottoms from the same era.

by the way, here is the link to my little collection of "junk".
http://www.tdpri.com/telephoto/showg...00&ppuser=4593

[Bill]

Beatiful guitars you got there! I was wondering, how do you find the '54 Callaham Strat compares to your vintage originals?

[64Strat]

The Callaham is simply a fabulous Strat. It has the feel of an old Strat with the super big contours like the originals.

It's my daily driver instead of putting wear and tear on the originals and it's actually better from a playability stand point. Tonally it's better in the bridge pup postion with the 3% underwound Fralins, than my others, especially through a wound up old Marshall. I'd say it's weakest position is the neck pup and there is nothing that beats my '64 from that point of view.

Simply, I love it and they are worth the long wait to get one.

[tjpsr]

Mine is a Jan. '65 sunburst, with original finish. It's pretty beat up, but it sounds fantastic. All pickups and pots are original. The only replaced items are the pickguard and switch tip, but I still have the originals. The old pickguard has that common crack above the neck pickup, and I was having trouble adjusting the pickup height.

[JWells]

I had this '60 Strat until last Christmas when I gave it back to my brother. I had originally given it to him in 1968. He gave it to me about three years ago. I refinished it. It had been refinished once before.

.................................................. ...............

[Troubleman]

A 1961 Sunburst, stock except for a refret to jumbos, 5-way switch, strap locks, and a Callaham trem/inertia block (still have original parts). Okay, technically I'm not using the original case any longer, but it exists as well. She has dings a-plenty, cigarette burns on her headstock, belt buckle rash, a very "greened" pickguard, a wear spot where my arm drapes over the body, and tarnished/semi-rusted hardware. She smells like cigarette smoke, beer, and sweat, and I refuse to clean or polish any of her parts. That said, I've not played a Strat her equal, and I've played literally HUNDREDS of them. I've played some very, very cool vintage Strats, some really great Custom Shop models, and a few great Strat clones (Suhr), but she reigns surpreme. She's a really incredible tone-monster. I've been trying to find/assemble a Strat that'll allow me to retire her from gigs... Well, I don't really gig with her much any more (three FrankenStrats serve gig duty), but I've yet to find/build anything close to her in tone and feel... Vibe is asking too much. If you wanna see a pic, check my band's webpage. I'll get more pics up soon; the page ain't that old...

Peace,

jb

[Troubleman]

Originally Posted by 64Strat

The Callaham is simply a fabulous Strat. It has the feel of an old Strat with the super big contours like the originals.

It's my daily driver instead of putting wear and tear on the originals and it's actually better from a playability stand point. Tonally it's better in the bridge pup postion with the 3% underwound Fralins, than my others, especially through a wound up old Marshall. I'd say it's weakest position is the neck pup and there is nothing that beats my '64 from that point of view.

Simply, I love it and they are worth the long wait to get one.

Please gimme all the hairy details about Callaham Strats. I'm trying to find a Strat that'll enable me to retire my '61 from gigs entirely. I've tried LOTS of Strats, and even taken to mixing and matching parts. I thought about getting a real vintage neck, but heck - a preCBS neck alone'll set you back $4500 or more. The whole idea is to build a beater with the feel and tone, and maybe a bit o vibe as well. No luck yet. I've tried Fralin blues pickups, but not the underwound variety. I've never measured the output on my Strat's pickups, but judging by ear and feel, they're a bit hot. The neck has lots of growl and snarl, but it doesn't get harsh (one more change - I did wire that pickup to the bottom tone control) at all. Gimme the skinny on the Callaham please....

jb

[Old Wood]

.
[size=6]I need to get some pics of my harem but
here's a pretty cool example from 1954...[/size]

[Bill]

That's awesome, Old Wood!

But that's only half the story. Can you also tell us:

Any changes that have been made to the guitar.

The feel and sound compared to other Strats you've had.

Your home address and dates you're likely to be out of town.

[Old Wood]

.
LOL!

Particulars are... Old Refin, Middle P/U rewound, one tuner replaced w/ a Single Line Kluson.

Otherwise it's straight. Actually not bad for $450 (many moons ago).

Plays like a good Strat should... makes you work for "the tone" but rewards your effort in spades.

I'm a fan of big maple necks on lightweight ash bodies with low-output pickups and this guitar proves why.
HUGE, clear, piano like lows and that chimey top end that somehow still seems fat.

Carry a picture of it in my wallet (OK, just kidding).

Your home address and dates you're likely to be out of town.

North Pole, never leave.
.

[Malicious Matt]

Wow, you folks are priveledged, those are some beautiful gitfiddles! I love Strats, but the closest I got to a pre-CBS is an American '62 reissue "Frankenstrat". Some day I hope to get either a '63 or a '64, refinished because that'll make it cheaper. I cant afford any 100% original mint axe, and I'm not terribly interested in that either. I'm a player more so than a collector.

[joelynch]

Nice guitars Bill, I have a 1982 57 strat reissue. bought it new and just started playing it again. Been in the case since 92. It just gets sweeter with age.

[Orlando Mike]

Originally Posted by joelynch

Nice guitars Bill, I have a 1982 57 strat reissue. bought it new and just started playing it again. Been in the case since 92. It just gets sweeter with age.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Fullerton

[bobthecanadian]

C'mon! Pictures guys, pictures!!!

[knokimov]

Hello there,
i got this nice Alexis Korner Strat from a friend, but i dont know much about this business. He said it was bulit and played by him till he died and all parts are original an well working, maple neck 2/4/54 and body 1964. Can someone tell me weather this is the treasure he always told me, and by the way, i want to sell it;)

[Old Cane]

I wish I could post here. I have a barely CBS Feb. '66. Maybe i should start a thread. You guys keep posting pictures.

[worldoftone]

1958:



Stock w/refret

1963:



Refret, new nut (have an original for it. It plays so well now, I'm not messing with a good thing).

1964:



Stock but stripped finish

- WOT

[Strat-Talk]

Very good looking Strats you got there. Welcome to Strat-Talk!

[worldoftone]

Jason hates Strats. So, no, not him.

- WOT

[Strat-Talk]

Originally Posted by worldoftone

Jason hates Strats. So, no, not him.

- WOT

I figured it out, saw your intro post and Googled you. Jason hates Strats? I didn't know that.

Glad to have you here. This site has been around over a year and is just barely starting to get some traction.

Thanks for posting.

[worldoftone]

Jason hates Strats? I didn't know that.

Yeah. he is a Gibson man all the way. Although he does have one Strat that I know of he is hanging onto. He won't sell it . . . yet . . . LOL!

- WOT

[StratDen]

Some great looking old wood here!

[64Strat]

Neck date OCT63


here's the '63....



and in the case....



under the hood....



the backside.....

[Strat-Talk]

Oh man that is a great looking '63. I have an uncle (wife's side) that has a '63 like that only not a mark on it. He bought it in '63 new.

Uncle Ted's getting older too. He's 85. I hope he remembers how much I like playing his Strat!!