Bruce Welch Strat up for auction

[JimN]

You say 'the bullet' headstock end truss rod adjuster was 'circa 1974'? I have a 1971 Stratocaster with a 'bullet' adjuster..... or am I reading this wrong?
Regards,
Baz.

It could have been as early as that at the factory. You can't put anything past CBS as far as the Stratocaster went. But it wasn't selling then like it did later, and stock in the UK was still of the older style as late as 1974.

Hank bought a brand new Strat from Barratt's (Manchester) in 1972 - no bullet, and four-bolt neck joint. I can remember seeing one just like it on the wall in Dandelion (Huddersfield) in 1974 - marked "Last of the old-style truss-rod".

By the end of 1974, all UK new stock had the bullet adjuster. For most of is, 1974 was the first time we ever encountered the feature on a Fender (it was also used on the Jazz Bass and some of the humbucker-equipped Telecasters).

[Uncle Fiesta]

CBS Strat chronology:

1964 - 'spaghetti' headstock logo replaced by 'transition' logo.
1965 - company sold to CBS and large headstock replaced small.
1968 - polyester finish replaced nitrocellulose.
1971 - new headstock logo with larger 'STRATOCASTER' lettering appeared, together with 3-bolt neck, neck tilt adjustment and 'bullet' truss rod adjuster.
1975 - white/black/white 3-ply scratchplate replaced by black/white/black
1977 - other white parts (pickups covers, knobs, trem and switch tips) became black to match scratchplate. 3-way selector replaced by 5-way.

Interesting points: The bullet truss rod adjustment was a great idea - no need to remove the neck anymore. Why do people not like that?
The neck tilt was a good idea too, no need for shims. The reason it didn't work was because Fender's quality control at the time was poor.
1968, the year of the changeover to poly finish, was also the year they started lacquering over the headstock decal. But because the new poly lacquer reacted with the decal, the headstock face was still finished in nitro. This is why they sometimes look different as the two finishes age differently.

[bor64]

71 larger stratocaster lettering....errrr my black 1970 4 bolt maple neck ( no bullet) Yes same as Hank, has that already....furthermore the famouse white strat on woodstock played by Jimi had that too .....


Cheers Rob

[JimN]

I'm sure you can find various contradictory versions of Fender history on the web.

The one a few posts above mentions the CBS move to black plastic parts (pickguard, pickup covers, switch and tremolo tips where appropriate) in 1975.

That might well be what happened at Fullerton, but was well into 1976 (the second half) before Dallas-Arbiter started selling them in the UK. This was after the summer BMI Fair. In contemporary magazine press releases, the change was explained as a move to "established professional standards", presumably as an oblique to the black pickguards on most Gibson and Guild guitars. The three-way switch was replaced by the five-way at about the same time.

[JimN]

CBS Strat chronology:

1964 - 'spaghetti' headstock logo replaced by 'transition' logo.
1965 - company sold to CBS and large headstock replaced small.
1968 - polyester finish replaced nitrocellulose.
1971 - new headstock logo with larger 'STRATOCASTER' lettering appeared, together with 3-bolt neck, neck tilt adjustment and 'bullet' truss rod adjuster.
1975 - white/black/white 3-ply scratchplate replaced by black/white/black
1977 - other white parts (pickups covers, knobs, trem and switch tips) became black to match scratchplate. 3-way selector replaced by 5-way.

Interesting points: The bullet truss rod adjustment was a great idea - no need to remove the neck anymore. Why do people not like that?

Because in conjunction with the larger headstock, the chrome tuners, the heavy black decal and the polyester finish (doubled on the front of the headstock) it looks terrible and is a constant reminder of a period when Fender quality control was poor.

The neck tilt was a good idea too, no need for shims. The reason it didn't work was because Fender's quality control at the time was poor.

Actually, it did work (and quite well at that). But it became associated with the other bugs... er... I mean features... of the period.

1968, the year of the changeover to poly finish, was also the year they started lacquering over the headstock decal. But because the new poly lacquer reacted with the decal, the headstock face was still finished in nitro. This is why they sometimes look different as the two finishes age differently.

Exactly (as I mentioned above). Seventies Fenders don't even age well. They're like a crude copy of the real thing.

[Uncle Fiesta]

71 larger stratocaster lettering....errrr my black 1970 4 bolt maple neck ( no bullet) Yes same as Hank, has that already....furthermore the famouse white strat on woodstock played by Jimi had that too .....


Cheers Rob

Come to think of it, it was probably 1968.

Regarding the change to black plastic, JimN is probably correct. But I know the all-black parts had appeared by 1977, because in September of that year a friend of mine bought a new Strat, and mentioned to me at the time that it looked better with everything matching.

Gibson pickguards were white (well a sort of creamy/pinky white really) on Les Paul Standards and Deluxes, and black on Customs, with matching pickup surrounds.

[StuartD]

One of the biggest changes was the use of the alloy block and welded on Bridge plate on Strats.

The quality was appalling. Trem thread used to strip the alloy block.

Of course there were some good guitars made at that time but in general they were very poor

Stuart

[JimN]

One of the biggest changes was the use of the alloy block and welded on Bridge plate on Strats. The quality was appalling. Trem thread used to strip the alloy block.

Yes - I had one (bought new in 1975). I remember it all very well.

Of course there were some good guitars made at that time but in general they were very poor

Stuart

Despite the CBS toffee-apple finish and the poorer-quality tuners, the Telecaster didn't suffer as badly as the Stratocaster. It still had solid metal (rather tham Mazak) bridge saddles, for a start. And the Standard solid models (with traditional Tele pickups) didn't get the bullet headstock-end adjuster.

[StuartD]

I bought a Tele Thinline in 72 and its a lovely guitar.

Great neck

[JimN]

I bought a Tele Thinline in 72 and its a lovely guitar.

Great neck

1972?

Was that the original Telecaster Thinline like this one (with trad. Tele pickups)?