Are 70s Strats Really Hot Garbage? | 1976 Fender Stratocaster Hardtail Mocha Brown | Review + Demo
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- čas přidán 13. 07. 2024
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Episode Guide:
0:00 - Intro - Check Links In Description!
0:37 - Fender History
1:55 - Why They're Hated
6:49 - Bonus 70s Info
8:48 - First Impressions + Story
11:07 - Inside Look / Specs
21:38 - Tone Demo
25:10 - Final Thoughts
29:14 - Condition
33:10 - Blacklight
34:35 - Case
Mentioned Videos:
Vintage Strat Market By Number Reverb Article: reverb.com/news/the-vintage-s...
Antigua Strat Video: • 1979 Fender Antigua St...
Date Codes Website: www.strat-central.com/70sstrats/
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Stratocasters have a really bad reputation of being hot garbage in the 70s and that's turned a lot of new comers away from giving them a shot. Today, I got a 1976 Fender Stratocaster in Mocha which is a translucent brown color that is heavily associate with the 70s to give it an informed opinion.
I think these 70s strats are just misunderstood. A lot of changes happened in 1971 that made these instruments less desirable than the 60s models. This includes things like the 3-bolt neck, micro tilt adjustment, bullet truss rod, two string trees, poly finishes, heavy multi-pieced bodies just to name a few.
In today's episode we will look in-depth at a 1976 Fender Strat Hardtail and discuss fender history.
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70s Strats definitely have some quirks to them and wouldn't be my first choice if I had to pick one strat, but they are a cool piece of transitional Fender history
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Episode Guide:
0:37 - Fender History
1:55 - Why They're Hated
6:49 - Bonus 70s Info
8:48 - First Impressions + Story
11:07 - Inside Look / Specs
21:38 - Tone Demo
25:10 - Final Thoughts
29:14 - Condition
33:10 - Blacklight
34:35 - Case
Hi, have you or would you consider doing a video on how you clean up an old guitar, fret polish tips, cleaning up the electronics, what you use to clean up neck etc? It would be great to see what products and techniques you use.
I haven't even watched the video yet I'm 12 seconds into it... but I had to pause it and say something" 70s strats get a bad rap, but what people don't realize is that most of the music they love was played on a 70s Strat or 70s Les Paul( depending on the player and the band). I've had a 77 strat my entire life and I'm 47 years old and I am emotionally attached to it.It will ALWAYS be my #1"
And by the way that one there is in pristine condition. I would lose my mind if somebody were to put that in my hands.....(time to shred Texas blues)
@@davidstout4826 if you look at his work bench he mostly uses Dunlop cleaning materials... I'm sure he has a couple other things off camera that he can speak for.
I want to marry that Strat. That one in your hands (the 76 one) is my IDEAL Strat.
Anyone who thinks their 70s Strats are garbage can feel free to use my house as a guitar garbage dump.
I wanna Life there. Playing the Hobostyle
Let me know if you get too many of these "terrible" guitars, and I can swing by and pick up a truckload or so. I'm a fan discarded garbage also!
If you ran out of space you can send them to me.
I agree!!!!use my home too!
Im free to get some too
I worked for CBS Musical Instruments from 1970 thru 1983. I started at Electro Music in Pasadena manufacture of Leslie Speakers. I ended working at Fender/Rogers/Rhodes in Fullerton Ca. I was senior buyer responsible for buying all the lumber used in all production lines, as well as buyer of other commodities. Solid body guitars were made from Mississippi Delta Swamp Ash. Guitar necks from New England Maple (after the seasonal sap run the trees are harvested). Rosewood fret boards from India (whenever I could get them to answer my telex). 4 quarter hickory for drumsticks, American Plywood Association approved solid and joined plywood, birch shells from Keller Drum Shells. BTW I was buying ivory from Africa for Rhodes keyboards (I forget the vender's name). I was also responsible for all plating and product finishing. It always gets under my skin when I read things as the title to this post. The engineers that were working for FRR during the CBS years were the same as who worked for Leo Fender in particular Freddie Travares who was the principal designer of and engineer for the Stratocaster. CBS was not like AMF who bought and then let Harley Davidson product quality go down. Product quality at Fender was also foremost. Fact is the following musical products were part of CBS Musical Instruments: Fender Guitars, Rogers Drums, Rhodes Keyboards, Steinway Pianos, Gemeinhardt flutes, Lyon Healy harps, Gulbranson Organs, Leslie Speakers. I never read about elitist remarking that any of these products were of lower quality just because their parent company was CBS. If anything, many of these companies were on the brink of going under and it was CBS who infused them with much needed cash that allowed these American companies to continue to flourish.
Great info man, keep it comming
I have read articles stating that Fender made solid body guitars from ash only through 1956. That is unequivocally nonsense. Fender made only ash body guitars beyond 1956 and into the 80s. Never once did I buy Alder. Fender's 25th anniversary editions of Strats (& I think some bass guitars too) are with walnut bodies and gold plated hardware, (there was a problem of gold rubbing off the keys, I do not know if that issue was solved after I left the company). BTW I left the company in 1983 before the Yamaha team closed the Fullerton production line in 1985. At that time old time employees of Fender believed CBS' recruitment of John McLaren, Dan Smith and William Schultz from Yamaha Musical Instruments and their decision to stop production of Fenders was more a marketing strategy of Yamaha to eliminate or at least reduce competition against Yamaha's guitars than it was due to slow sales and/or poor quality of Fender guitars. The Fullerton production line was running at maximum production capacity of (if I remember correctly) 1500 guitars each week to keep up with sales when the production line was stopped.@@javio4636
What a great comment and history! At one point in 1975, I got my first Strat- a 1968 model with a 3-way switch! - and I had people telling me that it wasn't cool because it wasn't pre-CBS...but my dad told me just what you've said here...the same folks still worked at the factories and cared just as much about their jobs, and took just as much pride in producing guitars...
Thanks for speaking up on their behalf and your own. I agree with you, and if people's view of Pre-CBS Fenders makes them less expensive, I"M ALL FOR THAT! I just bought a Limited Edition 70's Hardtail and it's NOT a 70's Strat, but it's cool that Fender factory builds hardtails again! I will find an affordable ( for me) authentic original 70's hardtail Strat at some point too...
.
70s Strats are definitive for me; the beautifully big headstock, the logo, the F tuners, the bullet, the neck profile, the radius, the micro tilt, the quacky pups, the block saddles, the ash bodies, minimal routing, and the classic tones.
Blackmore, Beck, Edge can't be wrong ;)
.
fast eddie clarke also had 70s strat with humbuckers
Bullet rod nuts are easy as pie and nowhere near as "goofy" as removing your neck screws just to adjust your action.
100%!!!!
Right angle screw drivers help.
I have two identical 71 black hard tail strats that I tour with ,love the practical “bullet adjustment”..and they sound great and built like tanks.can spill as much beer on them and they fire up for the next gig everytime
Plus I would never take my pre cbs stuff over seas ,too much theft and problems w/airlines
My 90s Washburn it is tucked away near the neck pickup, a tiny hole. Brilliant. No fudging covers etc. Love the bullet.
They sell a tool that allows you to adjust the rod without removing the neck. Not so goofy after all.
Hendrix’ most famous guitars were CBS Strats.
Yeah that's true ! I always think of the 3 bolt CBS Strat alongside Ritchie Blackmore.
They were plenty good enough for him ☺
add Ritche Blackmore, Robin Trower, Huie Thomasson.
Yeah Hendrix used cbs era strats, but the pickups changed, Robin Trower preferred the the earl cbs era pickups. Notice how these pickups don’t sound very strattty
Not relevant. He was Jimi Hendrix. He was incredible and paid someone to set up his guitars on a full time basis. Also, the 60s was not the 70s.
Most '70s Strat have this funny quirk: the face of the headstock is in nitro lacquer, while the rest of the neck (and whole guitar) is coated polyurethane. It took Fender years to figure out how to put logos on a poly headstock! As a result the face of the headstock ages differently and is usually much darker than the rest of the neck.
Jeff Beck has recorded and performed with every era Stratocaster, and never complained.
He modded his Strats, so he must've complained some.
@@chrismorgan7494 Where can I read that fact. Look on Reverb.com and see what 70's Strats are priced and sold for.
@@deuteronimus750 people pay stupid prices for stupid things all the time... Just saying...
@@chrismorgan7494 He mods his hot rod cars too. Does that mean he complains about his wheels?
@@SmelOdies Yes. Beck is known to bitch about his wheels. Ask Gary Moore.
I never got the hate for these, if they're good enough for Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Uli John Roth, Robin Trower, and Glenn Tipton then they're good enough for me.
Probably just the flared out headstock tbh.
I was stupid, and sold my ‘79 before the collector’s market ruined everything. Not gonna blow 2 grand to get another, but I do miss it, great guitar.
I don't think anyone that You listed played 70's Guitars.😄
I wasn't aware that anyone hated them. I have noticed that there is a lot of bitching and nit picking over nothing of real concern, but, do remember that these instruments are 40yrs old so are unlikely to be perfect, in fact you're lucky that they still play.
Also they probably had them set up extremely well by the best technicians around. Every instrument with a little bit of love can be fairly decent!
All I own is 70’s strats. Love the large headstock and the micro-tilt leveling option. I bought my ‘77 in July 1977, it had a 3-way switch
db Vetter that’s pretty damn cool having a guitar that long! Good for you.
...Have any you wouldn’t mind ending up in my collection?😁
Got one that might interest you
60s spec strats are my favourite... but one thing CBS got right IMO was the truss rod nut at the head. Heel end rod nuts are such a pain
agree
"ahh my set up is almost perfect now it just needs to settle in for a day or two"
"Annnnd nevermind off the neck goes again!"
Good thing I always bring my guitar to our local guitar store, so that he has to deal with it and not me haha
I remember drooling over that bending Stratocaster text on the headstock when I was a kid in the music store. I still think it looks cool
I have the exact same Strat, although it’s ‘75; and a Lefty. Been draggin’ her around for over 40 years, and she’s still my favorite guitar. Really nice review on this one too. Thanks.
People have one track minds sometimes. If it's not the best it must be the worst
Music Sucks what does that mean? There are worse Fender guitars? Which ones?
John O RA People can’t just accept that a guitar isn’t for them, it has to be bad for them not to like it...
@@radio7353 I dont even think it needs to be an ultra budget squire. The entire squire line is wrought with warped necks, bad tone, terrible string action, etc. And you can add on the old Jaguars with the 800 toggle switches on it. I hated that thing.
"Only a sith deals in absolutes"
@@johnora3857 It means people obsess over geeky vintage details instead of playing the sh*t out of the guitar they have in their hands. :)
I’m the kind of person who gravitate towards the things others hate because I feel bad they aren’t loved as much 😐🙁🤗
"wow, that neck pickup sounded pretty weak"
*looks at guitar*
*pickup level with pickguard*
*facepalm*
if you want jungly tone of the strat, that is how you achieve it. Raising the pickups will give you bite at the cost of the bounce and glass.
I played a '74 with an '80 maple neck. It played very well, but the neck pup was very dark and the opposite of what a Strat sounds like.
@Stanko Aksentijević
In my experience, when you lower humbuckers you get more highs and treble. Of course you sacrifice the bass but that’s what the neck pickup is for. I have a Seymour Duncan Invader on the bridge that is insanely low. It works well depending on what sound you want, and again, that’s why you get multiple pickups.
@@dirtydanthesecretsauceman8519 That completely depends on the wiring brother. If you've got a treble bleed circuit then it will sound brighter in a way but without a treble bleed lowering volume will give you a darker tone. That's completely useful for dialing in gain correctly for different tones. The wrong treble bleed gets in the way of your ability to dial in gain with volume cause they retain too much high end. A lot of guys dont like treble bleeds and its ALWAYS because they are either using a Parallel treble bleed circuit(inferior to series but series doesnt look as cool so people use a parallel not realizing it completely changes the way the circuit works) or they are using the wrong values for their guitar. I highly recommend, no implore anyone reading this to try a SERIES treble bleed and try different values using alligator clips. The goal is to not loose to much highs but still be able to dial in gain with your volume. Some pickups are perfect without one and dont loose too much high end when rolling off the volume. Typically bridge pickups that have more highs or more mids fit that category of not needing a treble bleed. I build and mod guitars and pedals etc. Something people dont seem to realize is that treble bleeds are an excellent tool IF YOU USE THE RIGHT VALUES FOR YOUR PICKUPS AND POTS and use the right treble bleed configuration. And COIL SPLITS are an excellent mod IF YOU MAKE THEM PARTIAL SPLITS WITH A CAP OR RESISTOR.....OF THE RIGHT VALUES FOR YOUR GUITAR AND PICKUPS LOL!!! (Im sensing a pattern here) You cant ever look online at what most people use for those two things. You have to make a simple circuit or use a variable resistor so you can find the right spot for your guitar/pickups/pots then once you find it you can use a fixed resistor or capacitor resistor combination. So many people think coil splits sound weak and thin....because they do if wired as full splits which every wiring diagram online uses!! They will sound bad and thin unless you wire them as PARTIAL splits. Partial splits sound JUST as good as singles with various tonal characteristics depending on the humbucker being partially split (full splits will rarely be the right split level for ideal split tone for any given humbucker but sadly most people arent even aware you can partially split a humbucker much less aware that theres two ways to do it each of which go about partially splitting differently and give different results). Anyways my point is it ALL comes down to the way your pickups and pots are wired together with almost infinite variation and values. Never just use what everyone else uses for caps and resistors. Manufacturers do that to cost cut and save time plus they are building the same guitars with the same wiring over and over and picking components that on average work for each guitar type. Anyways. People think a pickup sounds the same in every guitar as long as it's the same guitar type. That's just so far from the truth. If you dont like your pickups I guarantee its can be significantly improved by wiring them differently to better suit your amp, play style and tinsley needs. That is all.
@@michaelinglis8516
Just to let you know, I don’t think all pickups sound the same and also, the L E N T H
Everyone knows that the worst thing Fender has ever released are their hokey stupid Fender Play ads
..we're doomed.. I get about 2 fender play ads every 10 minutes now
and the acoustasonics
@@leochinchillaa Hello Kitty Strats
alwaysopen the squire hello kitty strays are awesome
Why is fender attempting to get a new generation on guitar a bad thing?
Nile Rodgers’ favorite personal Strat, the “Hitmaker,” is a pre-CBS hardtail.
I was just thinking about Nile’s Strat while watching this - lol
"David, am I playing too funky?"
It's 44 years old, I hope it was played. That model is what "Sweet Home Alabama" was recorded with
Dude. Holy crap. I was born Friday, March 26, 1976. I’ve looked at a calendar twice now, and unless I’m an idiot, that is the Friday of the 13th week of 1976. This is insane. That is my birth strat!
That's why I'm so happy I was born in 1964. 😁
Had a 71 sunburst with rosewood fretboard,I giged the daylight out of that thing ,threw it on the floor and hit the term full dive with my foot ,treated it mean as could be and it just kept on playing.sold it to a friend twenty years ago and it still keeps on playing.everthing on it was stock,still is ,holds tune,no maintenance,neck stays straight,a fantastic instrument
I’ve had many strats and my favorite one I’ve ever owned was a 78 sunburst hardtail with a black pick guard with rosewood fretboard. It had more sustain with the hardtail and I believe the large headstock added to every note. Every guitarist who ever touched it wanted to trade or straight out buy it. No complaints on that particular Strat! Though if your playing in a bar band for four hour gigs. It will hurt you for being heavy! But so will a les Paul I have no issues with 70s fenders. This mocha one you have is a beauty. I don’t think it’ll stick around long!
I'd like to go as far as saying, the 70's Strats have a unique sound of their own. Unmistakably unique and quite awesome!
I bought my mocha new in Sept 1974. $279.00 with hard Fender case, and a 20 watt Peavy for an additional $35.00. $325.00 out the door. I wanted a black but none in stock. Still play it daily. Alittle more beat up but stock as a rock. Headstock is completely tanned up. I love it.
As 70s Fenders go, this is super clean. So many people just treated these things like total garbage, you can find then with huge amounts of wear and crazy mods, so it really is nice to see one this clean
70's Fenders always get shit on, but I've never played one I didn't like.
I have a friend who has one of the ones that gave '70's strats a bad name. The neck pocket was so loose if you pull even a little up on the neck, the high strings went sharp and the other way if you push down a little to hard. It simply would not play in tune for any length of time. I filled the neck pocket and recut it, and it plays good now, but it was pretty pathetic. It also weighs a ton
I just picked up a 1979 Fender strat with Floyd and Emgs bit different but i love it chunky neck it rips man. I love 70s strats got a sweet 71 to.
Me too! 😁👍
@@artamussumatra6286 exellent i love mine its awesome
@@onusgumboot5565 I have a '76 and it is a complete embarrassment.....out of all the issues, the neck pocket is way off and the guitar just sounds like crap......no matter what a luthier tries......and they have been trying since '76
That’s a damned nice looking Strat, and I love the Hardtail.
I'm one of those hardtail followers.... looking at the pickups and the height is driving me nuts.
I absolutely love my 78 hardtail. I’ve had it for about 35 years and still love playing it. It’s still completely stock, and a little beat up, but still has amazing tone. Great video as usual. 👍🏻👍🏻
I managed a music store in the late 70s, and the defining characteristic of Fenders guitars back then is that they were *very* uneven in quality. We’d get two seemingly instruments in that felt entirely different. One would play great, and the other was awful. Loose neck pockets were annoyingly common.
I bought my Maui Blue (International Colors) Strat new in 1979 and still use it live almost every weekend. The guitar and its various components have always behaved well and make for a solid, comfortable, great sounding instrument when played in any genre. The sustain is comparable to other older and newer Strats I have played. I happen to prefer the larger headstock. As others have pointed out, the guitar is on the heavy side, but not to the point that a 4 hour gig leaves my shoulder sore. Gorgeous Strat in the video! I still have my Mocha/Maple P-Bass I bought new in 76. Thanks for posting this clip!
My Father bought a Mocha Brown Fender Stratocaster similar to this one. He passed away when I was three; I will always love this guitar. ❤️
I'm a beginner guitarist who knows very little about the details of the history of guitars. That being said, before starting this video, my educated assumption is no...because most guitars aren't hot garbage. You can pick up and play anything. I'm very thankful to have been taught that lesson early on: It's not about what you're playing on.
That being said, I also know there's significant differences in hardware, wood choice, and craftsmanship. I'm playing on a 2010s Squier Affinity Strat and I know for a fact that this guitar will serve me damn well for years to come. But I do have my eye on getting a Schecter Omen Extreme in the near future (my choices are limited due to me being a lefty), for the hard rock/metal side of things.
EDIT: I was right. At least according to what I heard in this video.
I have a 1978 hardtail Strat that is awesome and I love the giant headstock.
I bought a '77 strat (my 2nd guitar), and it had numerous neck issues, but I was young & clueless and thought that was typical. I ended up selling it & bought a G&L (being built by Leo Fender); their guitars were way better than what Fender was making at the time...
wchamberg Agree about the G&Ls. I owned two F-100 models from 1981.
This was fun to watch, thank you for filming and posting!
I bought Fender from 1978 this week and it is perfect I can compare it to the 1969 Fender which I have and I can say that it is excellent
That's a good looking guitar. I like the color and the maple is nicely figured on the neck.
Ritchie Blackmore . Fast
Yngwie Malmstein . Eddie Clark.
Steve Hillage . Adrian Belew
Rick Derringer . Robin Trower
Felix, you forgot Hendrix and the Edge. All the greats played them for some reason. I'm glad they never listened to the "experts"
@J W yep ! Ur absolutely correct
And that Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 kid
Playing the congas is my good friend Gerardo Velez !
I've spent hrs. w him hearing the awesome stories about Jimi 🎸
I've seen Mark Knopfler playing a 70s strat ☺
@J W it is 'valued" at 2 million$...what it's worth? anywhere from $500 to $5M...
Mac DeMarco
In the 80's and 90's people thought they were garbage, now everybody is scrambling to get one of those "vintage" Strats
Yeah what a joke lol. I saw an early 2000's R9 Les Paul on eBay they were asking $12,000 and in my head I was saying, "That's not a classic guitar!"
No one I know is. They’re more likely to buy a Tokai or Burny from the same era at this price point. Far superior, especially the “Springy Sound”
Not me. It's a boat anchor with an inch of finish sprayed on it.
for a guitar from the 70s i expected more "suspicious stains" in black light
And drug test fails....
I LOVE this guitar. I'm huge fan of 70's hardtails. Such a fantastic guitar
The condition is amazing
People probably say they are garbage relative to their price, which is inflated by rarity and a manipulated market. I enjoyed this in-depth history lesson.
I more of a Mustang and Jaguar guy, BUT I love 70 Strats and would have to say they are my preferred era. Or maybe I’m just big headstock biased.
Either way, I love the look. For my Tele partscaster, I got a big old piece of black walnut for a one piece body and an all maple 70’s strat licensed neck; big headstock, bullet truss rod, 7 1/4 radius, etc.
Love your videos - keep it up and happy new year!
Billy Corgan used a 70's strat in the gish era and he sounded amazing
Absolutely! 10 years ago I bought a strat-copy guitar at a pawn shop for 75$ and gutted it out,put all new electronics in it with the Dimarzio Billy corgan pickups in it(awesome strat pickups btw) ..and I put a real 70s strat neck on it...I didn't strip the neck,but I did strip the body,painted it and made it my own...its totally awesome
Gish guitar, bat strat, and that blue hard tail one. Awesome strats
@@N3WBTASTIC 🤘
gish, siamese dream and mellon collie!!
It's just a guitar with pickups. Any guitar will sound better or the same. It just has a sentimental attachment. The wood only makes a difference if it's acoustic and plywood would sound just as good as any PRS.
Excellent info and content!! Thanks for the great vid!!
I've had a 76 Strat hardtail now for about 27 years. Amazing guitar. Stays in tune better than any guitar I have ever played. I think when a negative thread starts on some things it just takes over and becomes the "norm" for many. I have had many other guitarists love the guitar as well over the years.
You're right, they stay in tune forever... I do own a 79.
Same. My 76. Year I was born.
70s headstocks look the best
agreed
I'm with you on that. Definitely prefer it
THANK YOUUUU
Backed!
Same here
I definitely like this one.
Hello Mr. Trogly. Thank you for posting this video. Very informative and you helped me learn a great deal - Thank you.
I have a 1979 Strat with a U shaped neck. Swamp ash and a Maple neck. It's one of the best sounding guitars I've ever played. Period. The neck is huge, it weighs a ton (like 12lbs almost). But it's incredible for recording. It has the 3 bolt plate and the bullet, and to be honest it smokes anything I've played from Fender since I bought it 20 years ago.
No hate here 😉 I love my 74 strat..
Rright on!🤘
Dam Straight, Love the One You're With.....
It not so much what kind or year, it is what the Player does with it.
Damen Smith I got a 74 too and it’s great
I have a 74' vw beetle...its my daily driver when it's not cold outside, lol
Had a 74 hardtail back in the day. Traded it for a copy that was totally reworked. Dont think I would want it over what I play and love now. A 94 Deluxe Plus I've had since 96. Way better Strat than pretty much anything I've ever even picked up. That Fender Floyd Rose is the BOMB!!!
I have a 1979 Fender Stratocaster and whatever some people say I am delighted with it, it is true that they are very heavy but they are made of ash at this time and years, and it is an incredible guitar.
Hi Adrian, the mustangs of that same year also weigh a lot like your Strat?
Great video. Thank you, it sorts out the problems. I have a VERY light ( 6 lbs maybe? possibly lighter) 1974 Fender Stat, 3 tone s/burst..very thin maple neck which I loved since I was 17 yrs old in 1974 .-- It has the tremelo arm, 3-way switch, I replaced the very cheap plastic nut with a solid bone nut which adds huge tone.. Had it refretted about 10 yrs ago since the original frets were very low and tiny. Couldn't get the string height correct until I put the jumbo frets on. Plays like a dream now. Gorgeous tone. It's STILL in fantastic condition since it has sentimental value for me so only very, very minor marks on it. I got it in London, UK in March 1974. Thanks again for the video!
I'm a Fender guy. I really love all the insight you provide during this video. A true gem.
You could definitely sell this to Mac DeMarco. He’s been playing these for the last few years. He also have a habit of breaking them so he’d probably be interested
Interesting topic. Personally I prefer every new feature with these 1970 strats. I'm not really into strats but as you were listing the different features, one by one I found myself realizing that I liked everything about this one.
The headstock is a different color because it has a nitro finish on top (only the front)! It's amazing how even Fender "experts" don't know this. Not sure about this one but those that I had also had nitro on the body as the top layer.
The chipped paint at the fret ends can happen on any old maple fretboard. As the wood shrinks due to humidity changes over the years, the frets break the finish.
I know, right? So many "experts" out there.
Some 70's Fenders also featured 1 meg potentiometers which made for a brighter sound than many people liked.
i instantly clicked like man, cause that is my favorite color combo, i love the look of 70's strats, and im a strat fanboy lmao
I'd love to own that. Problem is I was recently mugged by a bunch of elves and a fat man in a red suit.
Haha!
Oh , thanks for the info . I didn't even know my Family was let out of Prison 🎅
The same fat guy pulled up on my wife. She was waiting at a bus stop and he pulled up on her. She shot him. When the Police asked my wife why she shot him; she said he called her a 'ho 3 times; so she capped him.
first time on this channel. amazingly informative video. thank you! will definitely be subcribing. keep up the good work.
its amazing how the old blues legends became legends by playing on old broken up guitars;cicar box guitars etc. and i agree that guitars may be made inferior to others.but i have to say ;take the guitar u have and nurture it and teach it to make the sounds that u want and use the sounds that its capable of making into music;you have to coax your axe into making sweet sounds.if you have a loose neck or whatever u learn to cope with it and use it to your advantage instead of a tremolo stick or whatever; like its said if u cant be with the one u love love the one your with...just my thought
You're so right, the old and mostly gone guys that were the heroes for our clapton's and kieths weren't playing expensive instruments until maybe well into their careers...they were just guys playing the blues that inspired everything we do now. My first guitar I wish I still had, it was from Sears and I think dad spent like 50 bucks on it, but 40 years ago that was a big deal and I was the most cool little fucker on the block until the chicks figured out that I couldn't play the damm thing....
In the 1930s some of them had to use fencing wire for strings
The micro tilt feature might have been added because then they could make the neck pockets with looser tolerances and still make a well playing instrument.
There's no big conspiracy . They just thought it would be "better" at the time. The poor quality of 70's Fenders can be attributed to the introduction of CNC machining, a workforce not trained to use it properly and a bunch of CBS suits with calculators and no idea or interest in music. Remember, they got the Telecaster body shape wrong for roughly 11 years before anyone at the company noticed !
@@shaunw9270 I wasn't implying there was a conspiracy. And it was a better product from manufacturing standpoint. You're absolutely right that the owners weren't thinking that the electric guitar was some artisanal product where craftsmanship would matter.
@@TheKaappari Yes sorry Mikko , Conspiracy is a little too far lol ! I get passionate about Fenders ☺️
@@shaunw9270 No problem. Have a good one!
@@TheKaappari You too buddy 👍
Antigua = Sinus infection burst.
Pee foam green as mark agnesi says
@@guitarocd9984 that's a good band name
@@berkekaan2808 HAHAHA!😆. I was thinking the same thing, I swear!
“I’m not going back to that decade without Purell.” - Lois Griffin
Is that an anal joke? I know that Purol in the Netherlands is some sort of Vaseline.
Sounds Authentic
happy new year
It amazes me how setting up the action is so mysterious to people. It's comparable to selling a car because it ran out of gas.
What a terrible analogy. It's more like selling a car because it is out of alignment. Setting up a guitar is all trial and error and can be extremely tedious.
@@thecalamaricomebacc If a neck is Warped there's nothing you can do regarding a setup. But average setup it's something you can learn to do in 5 minutes and a little practice. The same can be said about the alignment on a car except that with a guitar you just need a screwdriver and Allen wrench.
I know guys totally afraid to as much as turn a screw on their guitars. Almost like there is a mysticism to setting one up! But on the other hand I have seen people start out trying to make their guitar play better, only to keep going from worse to even more worse! Now, how did I get to this point-the seemingly point of no return. But today with CZcams one can get detailed ideas on proper guitar setup. In reality though, there are people who can not change the oil in their car let along do a front end alignment! LOL!!
Agreed. Pretty much every guitarist I’ve ever talked to is afraid to adjust the truss rod.
Well, Fenders can be expensive. And "expensive" seems to be a block in the road for working on and developing a skill set. I think simply for this reason everyone should have a cheapo before they go "expensive". Nobody's afraid of tweaking on a cheapo, and this is how you develop your skills.
I like the big headstock of the CBS era fender. The 70’s were a rough time for a lot of companies and their products. Look at the American automobiles and Harley’s of the 70’s.
@@guitarocd9984 ..haha,my mother-in-law said the same thing when I asked her about being a teen in the 70s
I had a 77 Strat with the 3 bolt / micro-tilt adjustment and I remember straightening the neck and retuning before each gig. I did so much routing to the original body that it vanished into the dust. The neck became a 4 bolt neck on a new body, pickup, wiring, and Paul Gilbert pickup set, and it's getting the job done !
I have two 70's hard-tails, a '74 and a '79, black and walnut, maple necks. I swapped the necks and upgrade the pickups to DiMarzios and Lindy Fralins and and they are both incredible! They scream with tons of sustain, vibe and expressiveness that no new guitar could ever do. I got lucky in that they're too heavy, not nearly as heavy as my friend's '77. The neck swap made each one resonate better, like they were meant to be paired up that way. I had to tweak some things to get the feel right, they're handmade so not perfect, but they're killer now. I was a kid in the 70's and the 70's rule! Break out the lava lamp and blacklight posters and rock!
Hey Jimmy Page owned a 1979 version of this hard tail looks identical I've seen photos of him playing it and have played it myself, yes the actual one. Not my first preference in strats but if it's good enough for Jimmy it's good enough for me !
Maybe it's because I used to work as a cabinet maker, but I've always loved guitars where you can see the wood grain over opaque finishes. This one looks fantastic. Ok, the "bullet" trussrod end looks goofy, but otherwise a beautiful instrument.
I've own a mint condition '74 strat and it was on of my favorite guitars. And, I've owned over 125 guitars.
I love the big headstock. Bullet truss rod is whatever. I like that color on yours that milk chocolate brown. I'm gonna go get my shovel because I dig it ;)
They continued using nitro on the headstock to seal the decal that otherwise wouldn't stay put on poly; that also contributes to the dark aging.
The problem about opinions on guitars from a specific era (...and a lot of other things...) is, that the people that talk about this topic have no freakin clue. They almost never had a real 70s Fender in their hands or maybe one or two examples from a specific era and conclude this into an overall opinion for ALL guitars from that era.
This is dumb.
You NEED to learn to see every guitar as an individual. That's especially true for old guitars.
Specs don't make a guitar.
This goes for anything on the internet.
Especially CZcams comment sections. Don’t ever listen to anyone on CZcams comment sections.
That includes me.
I’ve played a heavily played and modified 1983 Strat. I love that thing to pieces, even if it’s for sale at my local guitar shop hanging on the wall for $1500
My father bought me a 76 in 76, it was my first real deal guitar. I still own and absolutely love it. Sunburst with rosewood board and 6.7 lbs. the neck is to die for ( for me ) and I’ve put it up against avri and some custom shops. Maybe it’s because I’ve played this for 44 years and the only modification is Lollar pickups 2 years ago. I’m currently shopping for a maple board custom shop but haven’t ruled out another 70’s.
Great deals out there.
Top review as always and your determination/dedication to improve as a guitarist (taking lessons with Paul Gilbert) has been paying off. I've noticed improvement in that area. You should just keep on keepin' on there and you'll never recognise the difference this time next year. Good Holidays, man. Good wishes and greetings from Australia.
some of the best strats i have ever played have been from the 1970's
I love 70’s Strats.
Me too
Wow. Fantastic video. You covered everything I was looking for. You concentrated on the guitar, not yourself. So good to that. I enjoyed the video and learned so much Thanks. Will check out all your videos.
I have a 1973 P Bass in that color combo. It's feather light and sounds exactly like a P Bass should. I love it.
Malmsteen's famous "The Duck" Stratocaster is a 70's Stratocaster
I think it's a '70. I love those big headstocks.
It's also a 4 bolt. Not the 3 bolt shit Era
Most of all the guitars that Yngwie used were from 66-79 he used a lot of cbs strats
my 78 tele was heavier than any les paul I've ever played
And not heavy in a good way.
I heard they did not dry them well. Late 70's were way to heavy. My 78 Musicmaster is light but its Mustang brother is too heavy
Still have my 1976 hardtail Stratocaster in black with white knobs. Bought new from The Pied Piper in Huntington, WV. All original with OHSC and all the case candy. Played it for years and it never let me down.
The micro-tilt 3 bolt neck was an invention of Leo Fender's. He was still working with Fender CBS in the early CBS years. Leo later began making G&L guitars and continued using the micro-tilt design in his new G&L guitars
I've had some good ones and seen bad ones(I won't buy a bad one). Mostly the later 70's models were just really heavy. People, especially dealers, trashed them as all junk... Until a lot of the 50's and 60's stuff migrated to vaults in Japan by the early 90's. Then the 70's stuff didn't look as bad to them and became "sought after', "vintage", and "collectable".
I would love to meet a good one, because I like the wide headstocks.
I bought an American Special Stratocaster from 2011 instead. Great guitar.
I absolutely love 70's Strats. The point is not that they're bad, but at the time you could get a Japanese copy that was at least just as good for less than half the price.
Love the new intro ect. Coming along nice buddy
Very well explained and presented. Thanks.
I'm still waiting for Trogly to review Ibanez guitars
he has. Trade Tuesdays season 2.
He had a VERY expensive Iceman.
I love 70's Fenders. My favorite guitar is the 72 Thinline Telecaster. The three-bolt necks CAN have issues. I have seen some that had to be repaired because they start tilting left or right at the micro-tilt side. Overall though they are underrated instruments. I love the big headstocks too!
You can hear a '72 white Tele all over John Fogerty's _Blue Ridge Rangers_ album from 1973.
Great video! Loved it! Im a 70s fender strat freak! However, strat body contours on the back are not as deeply defined as modern day strats, or as strats that came before them. They are somewhat inconsistent, but generally aren't as carved out because they switched to a system where the factory worker was paid for each guitar they finished. Thats what Ive heard, but I certainly see the difference on the 4 70s strats I own with the back body contours! Cheers! Great video!
I've had my hardtail (alder) since I bought it brand new in 1974. Never owned another Strat until about 18 months ago when I bought a used MIM "60's Classic" from 2000-something. I love them both, and can't add anything to what this video tells us except to reiterate this: there is definitely a difference between the sound of a hardtail and a tremelo strat. My hardtail has never had the real jangly, chimey, iconic Strat sound. I've gone thru a lot of different pickups on it and it always sounds rounder, warmer, bassier, even with the 500K volume pot I put in years ago.
I discovered that especially with the neck pup on the '74 I played. The neck I really liked.
I have a couple Japanese 70's strat copies from the early 80's because I couldn't see spending vintage $$$ on the real deal with the bad rep when I could buy a Japanese replica with better materials and QC for fractional prices. Great guitars!
I hear you! My 80-81 Fernandez Strat is still in my gigging quiver--a great guitar, really well made--still solid all these years later. Tokais were nice, too!
And as much as I wanted to join the '70's Strats suck' chorus back in the day, like another commenter said, I really have never played one that wasn't a solid, sweet instrument.
Strats and Teles FTW. :-)
I have that exactly 76 mocha strat (with the bridge springs cavity in the back) and, although there are some finishing issues, I has a KILLER tone, very comfortable (my favorite neck spec) and is not out for sale AT ALL! But I admit... it weights a lot...
74 for my 16th birthday. I just got used to the heavy, much easier and faster playing guitars came my way. But, The 1974 is just part of me, even learned to rewind pickups when one went bad. Never for sale, even my kids know that. I love it.
If it wasn't for the Exchange rate I would buy this guitar in a heartbeat. Love 70s hardtails.