Played a 1972 Strat some time ago, killer guitar! 3T Sunburst, rosewood board and really awesome playwear. Sounded absolutley good, just like you'd expect an old strat to sound!
Lol....I'm the same...er...well not so much 20k worth of vintage guitars...but similar vibe...13 various fenders and Gibson...with a epiphone casino and ibanez George Benson GB10...then a old 80s Japanese westone thunder 1A bass for recording basslines on demos...with 20+ year old strings ..and even then sometimes I'll just use my strat via my Roland gr55 guitar synth because it's easier lol
@@MatthewScottmusic what dirt pedal were you using...you just said "among other things" and that really has cause sleep issues for me now. Lol. Great playing and holy shit...you should extend your jams and make side videos of nothing buy that.(please tell me what dirt pedal u used)
I have a 73 Blonde tremolo strat which was re-fretted with medium size frets (the frets were removed sideways). It has original pickups and pots, it plays and sounds great. It has a 3 bolt neck, and I've never had a issue, and love the micro-tilt feature. I think after about 75 or so they began becoming much less desirable as well as sounding sharp and piercing. I own quite a few vintage Gibson and Fender guitars, and this 73 stands up very well.
Bought a 79 strat in 1979 loved it. Played it for many years. Traded it for a 65 Jazzmaster and traded the Jazzmaster for a 91 strat ultra. Still have the Ultra.
Truth is that it's now almost impossible to judge how good/bad any vintage models were - the good ones have survived, the mediocre ones have been modded until they became good, and the ones that were just firewood with dreams have been junked. If you really want to know if '70s guitars were any good, you're going need a time machine.
@@billhannum4117 I sold them in the '70s. Yes, the bridges were pot metal and people did not care for the bullet truss rod adjust. But we had a first class recording studio right next to the store, and I was engineering and producing a song one day when a kid from Quincy, FL came in and heard what we were doing. He grabbed a Stratocaster off the wall and tuned it to what we were doing. This guy then walked into the studio and plugged up to an amp and cut two tracks that blew us away with a guitar that sounded incredible. After 61 years of playing, I have come to conclude that pickups are the key to a great electric guitar sound (and of course, a great amp!) ... the rest is aesthetics and playability (which matter a lot to me! 🙂). My first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster; my second was a 1964 Stratocaster. I now happily own an American Original '50s version which sounds incredible and plays wonderfully and is a real beauty in White Blonde. But I also play a 1991 '62 reissue and love it, too! They all have their own sound ... thankfully! Cheers and all the best!
... no.... no one would put them to firewood they are all here I have one and.... it s a real good guitar... I changed the tremolo... because this was cheap material....the tuners too and you have a new guitar... sounds much better than the original.... the wood has much potential
I bought a 1979 root beer hard tail for $400 in the late '90s. It looked great, but looks aren't everything. It was discouraging due to the crap bridge and awful pickups and heavy assed ness. My ignorance of soldering and self maintenance at the time didn't help. I traded it. It would be worth a lot today due to its hard tail and last year of big headstocks.
@@billhannum4117yeah but...I love my Strat and mid '80s Tele. I'm also a time machine, I got lucky and got a good 78-79 Srat that I've played 45 years...thanks brother appreciated.
The appeal of GEAR is it's measurable. What isn't measurable is the magic of great playing. Jimi Hendrix could have played the worst, cheapest, dirt cheap guitar and still sounded amazing, still sounded like Hendrix. The tone was in his hands. Still, it's fun to talk about gear. I love it and you do a great job of it. (Great playing too, by the way!)
hendrix did play the worst, cheapest, dirt cheap guitar, he learned to play on a danelectro 59dc, a guitar made of cardboard and surplus garbage. today they are collector's items and have been reproduced overseas but back in the day they were the lowest of the low junk guitars available.
One of the best Strats I've ever played and own, is a mid 80's MIJ made in the Fujigen factory with the System 1 locking tremolo. Awesome Strat, Rosewood fingerboard, 3-tone sunburst all original, and it's showroom condition.
That's true of most fenders man. Picked up a MIM and everything about it was wonderful except the neck moved anytime you looked at it wrong. 120 dollar 3.75 lb body off eBay and its soaring
True , hit and miss . I had a 79 cherry sunburst that was amazing . Some bastard stole out of my car . Had other 79s that were no where near as good 🤔. Man I miss that sunburst ☹️
Coming from a thrash metal background (played numerous gigs thru the mid 80's to early 90's), I have come to love and appreciate the Fender Stratocaster guitar. I recently bought a newer Fender Player Plus HSS. I really love it. I am used to playing BC Rich/Dean/upgraded clones guitars that mostly have humbuckers. But I have come to appreciate what the Fender Strat has to offer. If I could afford it, I would LOVE to buy a vintage Fender. But damn....5 digits for a guitar is a bit steep for me. I guess the newer Fenders will have to do. I stumbled upon your channel and have been binge watching all your vids since. LOVE the info you share on these vintage instruments. And love the guitar lessons. They're very helpful. Thanks for existing and keep up the great work.
Haha, well in that case it would be "If the player sucked or not!" Lol ..not the guitar,lol🤣 funniest comment I've read all day! No offense...I really don't think you meant it that way,thats just the way I took it!😅🤣
@Wesley alan Your comnent makes me think of guitarists in denial about how good they really are because no matter what guitar they play it's never them it's always the guitar! Guitarist: "This guitar ain't working for me . IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE GUITAR! How can it be me? 😂 Me: "Errrr yeah its you
I bought a Jaguar, my first and only Fender, and when I got it I thought it made everything sound like Hendrix. That Fender tone man. I found it very inspiring.
I own an early'77 strat with the bullet trussrod, 3 bolt neck & 3 way switch. As I'm both a gigging musician & a luthier, custom guitar builder & pickup winder I took care of a few things to make it reliable & gig worthy. Firstly I refretted it with 6105 fretwire & I tightened up the loose neck pocket. As mine is the first of the serial number removed from the neck plate & made into the headstock decal, it also wears a sticker on the underside of the pickguard. The pickups were microphonic & the 3 way not working for me, I wound a set of pickups & loaded a new pickguard with cts pots, 5 way switch and removed the original loaded pickguard with original pups, pots & switch all untouched along with the matching serial number sticker & installed my pickguard. This guitar is a beautiful sounding, playing & feeling guitar that pays for itself most weekends. Love it without the massive price tag of others.
I have a ’75 strat which is kind of my ultimate number one. Its already been through a lot of hours by the previous owner and has a lot of wear even on the back of the neck. It is the single most fantastic guitar that ive ever played even with the 3 bolt neck and the bullet trussrod (which never bothered me) even the grayback pus are fantastic sounding sparkly goodness. Its of course not competable with a 50s or early 60s fender qualitiy wise but the feel and sound dont lie ✌🏻
I have owned several 70's strats. I had a 79' --- not the anniversary model though it was all black body/pickguard with a maple neck/fretboard it was gorgeous ! All the 70's strats I had came with the bullet truss rod. I see yours doesn't have the bullet truss rod or the s/n on the face of the headstock. All the 70's strats I owned were HEAVY... 9-10 lbs heavy ! all had big boat necks too. Which I liked. I didn't like the laquered fret boards though. I didn't like the 3-bolt neck either. It seemed to effect the tuning stability. The tuners kinda sucked too. The tone of those 70's strats were a little darker than my other strats too.
I too have a 79 hardtail, all original, absolutely love it! You’re right about the neck pickup, that’s where the magic is on these. I do like the middle position as well. Positions 2&4 aren’t as creamy as pre-cbs Strats. Mine is 8.4 lbs, not too hefty.
I am a bassist and have owned many 70's Fenders...as time has marched on, the 70's models have become more appreciated probably due to the fact they are becoming harder to find. They do have a vibe all their own.
I own a ‘79 Silver Anniversary Strat. I saw one in a guitar magazine and wanted one ever since. Anyway, I found in 2005 that is in amazing condition. AND, it only weighs around 7.5lbs!!! I had it re-fretted with jumbos, and the bridge pickup had gone completely microphonic, so I changed it to a Lollar “Blackface” bridge pickup. It is a pretty nice instrument. Thanks for the great vids. Very informative, and plus, you are a hell of a player. I’m a fan. Keep the vids coming!
I had a 70s Strat reissue that I replaced all the electronics on. I put Lindy Fraillan hots in it, Emerson electronics pots/switch and it was a an amazing guitar at that point. It was stolen along with 40 other guitars last year while we were moving... it was one of the cheaper guitars that I’d customized to fit me and it really was a terrific playing and sounding guitar. I miss it, but I’ve moved on and have an entirely new arsenal of guitar weapons to enjoy. Thanks Matthew for another great and informative video! Best! ✌🏼
My very first guitar is a 79 sunburst strat with a bullet truss rod and a 3 bolt neck. All original. That my dad and uncle got me. I really don't play it much anymore because it's not as easy to play as other strars I've picked up. Also, it has a few quality issues. The neck joint is loose and the bridge isn't completely centered, but it's still a beautiful strat and I will never get rid of it. Thanx for all the amazing videos man!!!
The price on ‘70’s Strats has gone out of control the last few years, even the bad ones. A bad ‘70’s Strat is a terrible guitar. They can be worked on, but I’d rather play a decent ‘70’s reissue (even MiM) than a bad ‘70’s Strat.
My '79 blond ash Strat sounded very harsh with little sustain. I refretted mine with larger frets, stripped the thick poly finish from neck and body with a heat gun and applied an oil finish, wired the bridge pickup to the tone pot, added a switch to combine 2 or 3 pickups in series (with capacitors wired to jumper wires to clear up the muddiness), swapped the cheap bridge for a steel one, made a maple plywood pickguard, and blocked the tremolo cavity with wood. I did keep the vintage tuners and pickups.....it was a great little project. Mine only weighs about 7.5 pounds.
No guitars actually suck. People are just brainwashed to think certain ways about specific decades or models of guitars. If you can get sound out of it, you can make it do whatever you need for the most part.
True, but there are some peices of junk, and some guitars that not only sound better, but also feel better when playing. Most will get the job done, even the bad ones
Just because I can take a vehicle apart and put it back together with a cheap set of bullshit made in china tools doesn't mean that I want to do that. Using the correct, industrial grade, tool for the job makes it a helluva lot easier, faster and safer. That analogy applies to all tools, including guitars. Generally the more "collectible" guitars are ones that are simply better instruments, for whatever reason. No musician has been "conditioned" to anything here, that is an absolute myth.
Yes, try playing a First Act or a Harley Benson where the necks after ___ years propeller no matter how good care you take for the instrument and would never be in tune for more the 1/2 a song then go exactly 1/2 step down out of tune then do that again so by the end of song you had a metal guitar that sounded like the type of punk that uses instruments that are actually falling apart on them as they are playing that by the end of the short punk style show no longer work the wood is cracking just from regular use and are worthless.
The lead guitarist in a band I used to play in played one of those. He got amazing killer fat Strat tones. He loved it. So did we! Many thanks for posting.
My first guitar purchase ever (back in 1978!) was a used 1973 hardtail, black with white pickguard. Rosewood fretboard. I still play out (until COVID) and record with it to this day, and it's on its 3rd set of frets now. All I knew about guitars back then was that Jimi played a strat, so I was going to have to have one. It cost me $300, which was all I had. I didn't have enough for the fancy ones with a whammy bar. (I used to hit a lot of rock shows back in the day and saw plenty of guitarists pushing on the back of their headstocks for vibrato, so I started doing that! The neck has held up even after almost 50 years of doing that...no big EVH-divebombs, though.) I love the big headstock, I love the bullet truss rod nut, I even love the 3-bolt neck plate...it never occurred to me that these were "bad" things. So, to the question of do 70's Strats suck...depends on who's playing...as Matthew clearly demonstrated here :) - oh, and by the way, it weighs less than 8 lbs.
I have a '74 hardtail Strat. Only owner. It's very light and stood me well playing in New Orleans in the 70s and 80s. Lots of guys loved both the sound and the weight. It has needed a fret job for decades. I also have a 74 Tele Deluxe that sounds amazing. I haven't played these guitars out in a long time. (I'm retired)
@Wesley Taylor Massive respect to Hansen on doing his thing but Julijan is truly on another level. I just noticed you're the one I always see on the comments section on Julijan vids lol. I posted a new cover yesterday would appreciate it if you checked it out!
My friend that taught me the guitar back in the 80s still has his one of these. I think it’s the reason I always wanted a Strat witha 70s headstock as this was my first experience of a real Fender Strat. I did achieve this last year by picking up a MIM 70s reissue at the UK Guitar Show. I ended up getting some Radioshop ID63GTs made and installed as the pups that came with it where a little thin as you mentioned, with the bridge.
Electric guitar tone is 40% the amp, 30% the pickups and 30% you. Plugging into an amp that doesn’t respond the way it should totally throws me off and keeps me from playing my best. The amp changes everything.
Think some more.. Then come across a Kemper and leave the amp GAS for ever behind. Trust me :) Yes owning a Twin Reverb will sound better than the profile of a TR (slightly), but if you need multiple amps for different styles, get a Kemper. Thank me later
Really enjoyed this one and your comments. Not a big fan of the big 70s headstock myself. I can only hit the like button once on my device for your videos so I just watch them again on my wife's phone, my mum's phone, mother in-law's tablet and our 2 daughters phones when I can get hold of them. Thanks for sharing Matthew. PEACE 🎸🤠
Oh yeah, the "3-Bolt" Myth: If you keep the bolts snugged up once a year, AS YOU SHOULD DO WITH ANY BOLT-ON NECK, you will have no problems with Fender's 3-bolt design.
I agree. 2 screws would probably do the job if the neck pocket is a snug fit. Loose neck pockets can be a problem. I cut 1/2" tubes that go over the screws and act as locating dowels, half in the neck half in the pocket.
I just took delivery of a '75 sunburst hardtail. I have to admit I was wary about it, but man!...The wood grain is gorgeous, it is 7.6lbs and I just love it - it rings!! Three bolt doesn't bother me, although the neck pocket on mine is good. The bridge pickup is thin sounding, but the only slightly odd thing is the neck is very skinny at the nut - width ways. Compared to my other Strats it feels a little strange, but playing at rehearsals I didn't notice or think about it. I think I may have got lucky, because my experience (of my first 70's Strat), is one of being really pleasantly surprised. I guess I got lucky, I know that there are a lot of heavy ones, and there is sloppy craftmanship on some, but even in the 70's there were some great guitars made.
I had a sunburst Strat with a maple neck that I bought new in a small rural town in Minnesota1977 when I was 17. Not sure if it was a 77 model or earlier, I know it had been in the music store for a while because I'd been eyeing it and hoping to get it. It was the only one they had and the next nearest music store was probably 40 or 50 miles away. Paid $550 for it and I played it for about 10 years and loved it. I don't have much prospective on whether it was a good one because I didn't really get much chance to play other ones at that time. I really learned to play on that guitar so it holds a special place in my heart.
As usual Matt another very cool video and I think the star is that 70's Strat. Your riffs definitely reminded me of Hendrix. Actually I saw him in concert circa May 1969 at the Waikiki Shell at night. The moon was out and magic was in the air. "Play On" man....
I have a 1979 Hardtail Strat with a maple neck. I love it so much. It's considered heavy, 9.3 pounds, but that doesn't bug me. Now, it doesn't have the original pickups. But it's EXTREMELY playable and sounds WONDERFUL. It has the 3 bolt neckplate which I love, and also the bullet truss rod. I also replaced the tuners with 70's style F tuners which are locking, and same design (looks-wise) as the original. I replaced them because somebody put Ibanez tuners on it.
I have a late 78, early 79 3-bolt Strat. I bought it last year and swaped the pickups out and added a Callaham trem. Absolutely awesome guitar. It's heavy but manageable and a joy to stand a play two sets with. Affordable vintage!
My dad gave me his 76 Strat, it’s a secret weapon in the recording studio. A while back I took it along to a session as an option for the guitarist (I was playing bass). It absolutely blew her modern USA Strat out of the water and was used for the whole recording. I also took it to the studio of a friend who owns plenty of 50’s and 60’s fenders and Gibsons, and who was a snob about anything 70’s. I played it through his tremolux and the sound was unbeatable. Great guitars in my experience
Dude I knew before I watched this you'd make anything sound great. You have such a great understanding of tone and your equipment, you are a joy to watch and listen to. You have a beautiful vibrato. I agree fully about OD pedals sounding shit unless the amp is on 6-7 or more. I don't think I've seen anyone get as close as you do to SRV's tone. Of course you cop hate from the jealous but I trust you are smart and talented enough to not be upset by this (although I've seen plenty of super talented people who are mega insecure - self criticism and self doubt go hand in hand with high standards and performance). One thing I find curious is you manage to play fast and fluid blues lead without using your pinky finger! Well of course Django only had 2 fingers. Keep on rocking, stay sane and healthy friend - you have a long life ahead of you so look after yourself and have compassion for the haters.
I’ve got a 78’ black one. You have to have some luck but there are some good ones out there. I’ve bought mine from the original owner who had played the heck out of it forever. He had handwired pickups put in it. I only had to refret it. It sounds and plays amazing, great Hendrix vibes. I’m digging the tones you get out of this Matthew! You never cease to inspire. Because of you I started my own guitar instagram and I’m going to start a youtube channel too. Thanks for all the great content!! Cheers from The Netherlands ⚡️🙏🏻✌🏽
I have a 79 Strat, and I love it. Although it's been modded with Fralin Blues specials, and jumbo frets. The weight is tough to get used to, however the original trem stays in tune and the tone is killer with a swamp ash body.
I had a 1979 pearl white anniversary Strat. It was a great guitar. It was my first Fender. I had an LP Custom and an SG. I don't remember it being that heavy. I guess the 18 year old me didn't mind. Wish I still had it.
When I was in my teens i got to play a brown and black 79 Strat (25 years ago) with band practice. The father of the drummer lend me his, while It probably sounded awesome, the only thing I remembered was the massive weight.. funnily enough I was waiting for a comment about that.. you didn't disappoint.
My girlfriends dad pulled one of these out of his attic the other day. One of the original 500 white ones with the defected cracked paint. Been up there for like 40 years with its original tremolo and certificate of authenticity, unused packs of strings from the 80s. Like opening a time capsule. Something about the cracked up paint that I absolutely love, it’s got a story. Would love to clean that up and put it in the hands of someone like you. Anyway, great video, nice to hear your thoughts!
I've had a '76 Strat since I started playing 30 years ago and I love it. I found that the original pickups were a bit thin & weak for my liking and didn't have great tone to my ears so I changed them to something more desirable and better suited for playing live (David Gilmour EMG Loaded Pickguard). The guitar is also a bit heavy compared to my other Strats. That said, it has a FANTASTIC neck and never NEVER goes out of tune and has an extremely resonate body and sounds like a dream with the upgraded pickups. I love the fat headstocks as well and mine has a rosewood fretboard which I personally prefer over maple (but ebony is the best in my opinion). I can not play it for months and pick it up and it's always in perfect tune. The most dependable guitar I've owned and I own and have owned many even more expensive ones and brands. I gigged it extensively for 25+ years and it could handle an entire gig without ever going out of tune which is a really important thing when playing live and I can't really say that for most guitars I've played over the years. I normally have to tune up during a gig at some point with other guitars but not my '76 Strat. It also fell over off a guitar stand for a really hard hit on a concrete floor when I was a teenager and didn't even leave a ding or knock it out of tune Thanks drummer for that! I love it and will never sell it because it's one of the best sounding and playing Strats I've played to date with the upgraded electronics and pickups. It never needs adjustments and has only bee.n setup when I wore the frets and nuts down from extensive playing. But like any other guitar brand, year or model there are gems and there are clunkers. I've played a handful of 70's Strats and a few were crap and a few felt good but mine honestly had the best feeling neck and resonated the best out of the handful I've personally played over the years. I didn't like the pickups on any of the 70's Strats I've personally played and they were all a bit heavy. Mine started out black but the original owner stripped the paint and its natural wood color now. I would have preferred black but I was gifted this guitar as a kid and couldn't really complain. Besides this guitar plays and sounds so good that it was destined to be a players guitar as opposed to a collectors guitar. It was really well built and I've played it so much over the years that I've had to have it re-fretted 2 times and new nuts put on twice. These days I play my Les Pauls or my HSS Strat more as I've grown to enjoy the versatility of humbuckers a bit more. I still play it at home semi regular though but I've retired it from playing live and just keep it at the house and studio to enjoy. Rock On!
Back in my tech days, I handled a dozen or so of the 70s era Strats, most of them were great instruments! Never really had a problem with them except that the weight was always a crapshoot. Some were Les Paul heavy and some were super light even in the same serial number/year range. I loved the tilt neck adjustment and bullet truss rod from a service standpoint, it cut service time substantially as I didn't have to take the pick guard off to do a neck adjustment. Fender uses that same type of micro-tilt adjustment on later models, although with a 4-bolt neck. RItchie Blackmore used the 3-bolt era Strats, and those were good enough for him. Ed King recorded Sweet Home Alabama on a 3-bolt Strat too if I am not mistaken!
tone is in the hands of the guitarist. and man, that was some seriously nice tone there. i love strat tone, but your touch on a strat just makes them sing so nice
I have a 1977 Fender Telecaster that is the best telecaster I have played. I did have to get the bridge pickup wax potted and a refret job. It now plays and sounds awesome.
I play a 77 mustang in natural. Guitar gets played more than anything else I own. The vibrato on it is dead nuts and the bridge has perfect intonation. I have it in d standard with 11-56 daddarios. Such a massive sounding little guitar.
Thanks for the video. I bought a 1979 Fender Strat last year when I lived in Orlando. Ash body, 2 piece body and maple neck...weighs 7.4 lbs. I absolutely love it, but it can be a little noisy with the pickups, but not terrible.
Love big Headstock 70s strats! Got two of em! 1 buttercream/maple 2 nat alder/rosewood just like fast Eddie's! Japanese tho🤠😀 nothing wrong with 3 bolt plates! That's a myth! If the pockets cut tight it's fine! Walter trout,Richie B,vyngie Malmsteen,Tommy Bolin would agree😉
My first 'proper' guitar (ie, not a copy) was a 79 USA Strat, bought new from Fender Soundhouse in London. What a lemon - the neck slopped about in the pocket, but even at the end of its 'travel' the top e was nearly falling off the edge of the fretboard anywhere above the 12th fret. The bridge pup sounded shrill and weedy. I was so overcome by 'real Strat', 'actual Fender' that I failed to notice these faults before parting with my £300-plus - a fair bit of wedge in 1979! So to answer your question, some of them did - and I bought one!
I'm lucky enough to own a '77 Tele Custom and it's amazing! The versatility that the wide-range Humbucker give the guitar is just immense and the middle position is a thing of beauty. Nothing but good things to say about a 70s Fender!
If it's not a 3 bolt with a hardtail and a bullet, it's not a 70s strat to me.
I love me some 70s, 3 bolt, hardtail, bullet strats.
everytime that i see the 70's large headstock i remember david gilmour playing echoes in pompeii
yes yes yes!
Absolutely! Even though Gilmour did not like the larger headstock and went back to the smaller headstock
@@antaresguitar I definitely prefer the larger headstock, looks much better IMO.
Played a 1972 Strat some time ago, killer guitar! 3T Sunburst, rosewood board and really awesome playwear. Sounded absolutley good, just like you'd expect an old strat to sound!
I would like to see/hear Chris Buck and Matthew jam!
I have been thinking that too.
The World would probably blow up.
+1
Throw a Lemmo in there too.
Chris is a good man! ✌🏻
that would be awesome👌🏼
Has 20,000 dollar strats and a bass less than 500 dollars. Man knows his priorities 😁
Exactly right! 🤣
Lol....I'm the same...er...well not so much 20k worth of vintage guitars...but similar vibe...13 various fenders and Gibson...with a epiphone casino and ibanez George Benson GB10...then a old 80s Japanese westone thunder 1A bass for recording basslines on demos...with 20+ year old strings ..and even then sometimes I'll just use my strat via my Roland gr55 guitar synth because it's easier lol
I picked up my bass for £30 from a charity shop. It works fine.
@@paulcartwright2810 Those Westones were very well made, with really good hardware and pickups.
Vintage gear isn’t a necessity, it’s a desire. Thus the Squier bass and vintage Strats. lol
They were good enough for Richie Blackmore, so if anyone hates theirs I'll have it. Lovin' the vibes, man.
Yep, tons of players used them without issue.
There's a lot to be said for a natural finish, big headstock, '70s Strat, like he used at California Jam.
Malmsteen loves them too
In my opinion the strat was reinvented sonically in the 70s
Dont forget Walter Trout
I'm an older player and I sure appreciate the memories. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Glen.
man i wish there was more of you playing in that video
Until next time!!✌🏻✌🏻
Yea...u should have kept playing. Also what dirt pedal was that?!?
@@MatthewScottmusic what dirt pedal were you using...you just said "among other things" and that really has cause sleep issues for me now. Lol. Great playing and holy shit...you should extend your jams and make side videos of nothing buy that.(please tell me what dirt pedal u used)
Lol! I think I used a kingtone soloist in this video.
I have a 73 Blonde tremolo strat which was re-fretted with medium size frets (the frets were removed sideways). It has original pickups and pots, it plays and sounds great. It has a 3 bolt neck, and I've never had a issue, and love the micro-tilt feature. I think after about 75 or so they began becoming much less desirable as well as sounding sharp and piercing. I own quite a few vintage Gibson and Fender guitars, and this 73 stands up very well.
I agree, I have a 73 sunburst and love it.
Im starting to grow out my hair like yours now. You've inspired me to play guitar more and I've improved a TON in the last 5 months.
Fanboi
Awesome. Its a right of passage. 2 year journey, most never succeed..
@@MatthewScottmusic - rite of passage ya mean! LOL
@@j_freed how much ya wanna bet he won’t make that mistake again. He comes across as a pretty sharpe young man and I’d bet the farm on it.
@@j_freed I know that’s how I’ve corrected a shit ton of my bad spelling habits that are decades old.
I love the look of the big headstocks. To me they just look better that the small ones.
Same here ✌🏼
Yeah, me too. With that being a four bolt neck, you could stick it on a modern Strat body!
I have a 78 antigua stratocaster, I absolutely love it. I did put custom shop pickups in though.
I don't see the problem with the 3 bolt neck.
Bought a 79 strat in 1979 loved it. Played it for many years. Traded it for a 65 Jazzmaster and traded the Jazzmaster for a 91 strat ultra. Still have the Ultra.
Paid £325 for mine in 1979.
i have a '73 strat that i bought used in about '79 for 200.00- ive always loved it
would have been fun to see a comparison the same stuff played on a 50s or 60s strat. I would like to hear that blind sound test you mentioned
Truth is that it's now almost impossible to judge how good/bad any vintage models were - the good ones have survived, the mediocre ones have been modded until they became good, and the ones that were just firewood with dreams have been junked. If you really want to know if '70s guitars were any good, you're going need a time machine.
I am in my 60s I am a time machine ....played many 70s strats and I can tell you the specs were not as good as they are today.
@@billhannum4117 I sold them in the '70s. Yes, the bridges were pot metal and people did not care for the bullet truss rod adjust. But we had a first class recording studio right next to the store, and I was engineering and producing a song one day when a kid from Quincy, FL came in and heard what we were doing. He grabbed a Stratocaster off the wall and tuned it to what we were doing. This guy then walked into the studio and plugged up to an amp and cut two tracks that blew us away with a guitar that sounded incredible. After 61 years of playing, I have come to conclude that pickups are the key to a great electric guitar sound (and of course, a great amp!) ... the rest is aesthetics and playability (which matter a lot to me! 🙂). My first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster; my second was a 1964 Stratocaster. I now happily own an American Original '50s version which sounds incredible and plays wonderfully and is a real beauty in White Blonde. But I also play a 1991 '62 reissue and love it, too! They all have their own sound ... thankfully! Cheers and all the best!
... no....
no one would put them to firewood
they are all here
I have one and.... it s a real good guitar...
I changed the tremolo... because this was cheap material....the tuners too
and you have a new guitar...
sounds much better than the original....
the wood has much potential
I bought a 1979 root beer hard tail for $400 in the late '90s. It looked great, but looks aren't everything. It was discouraging due to the crap bridge and awful pickups and heavy assed ness. My ignorance of soldering and self maintenance at the time didn't help. I traded it. It would be worth a lot today due to its hard tail and last year of big headstocks.
@@billhannum4117yeah but...I love my Strat and mid '80s Tele. I'm also a time machine, I got lucky and got a good 78-79 Srat that I've played 45 years...thanks brother appreciated.
“Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it don’t work, you can hit them with it”.-Boris The Blade
"why do they call him that then?"
@@jarrusjenkins “Because he dodges bullets Avy”
Keith Richards knows..
My 1970 strat is really light....
@@MatthewScottmusic Do you know what we talking about?
Bro i swear everytime i get a notification from you i get so hyped
Thank you🙌🏻🙌🏻
That who knows intro was awesome man
Thank you✌🏻✌🏻
I do own a 79 strat, probably the best guitar I've ever had. Nice tone and very stable guitar. stays in tune forever... even using the tremolo.
The appeal of GEAR is it's measurable. What isn't measurable is the magic of great playing. Jimi Hendrix could have played the worst, cheapest, dirt cheap guitar and still sounded amazing, still sounded like Hendrix. The tone was in his hands. Still, it's fun to talk about gear. I love it and you do a great job of it. (Great playing too, by the way!)
hendrix did play the worst, cheapest, dirt cheap guitar, he learned to play on a danelectro 59dc, a guitar made of cardboard and surplus garbage. today they are collector's items and have been reproduced overseas but back in the day they were the lowest of the low junk guitars available.
That’s the exactly reason I need the best sounding & feeling instrument.
I have partscaster Strat with a 70s body.
The poly finish is ridiculously thick and it weighs the same as a small moon.
Same here!
"A small moon' lol
"That's no moon... it's a spacestation..." "Cuz, Star Wars is '70's.
Same with this one!
I just replaced the body on my 70s Tele because I just couldn’t take the weight anymore!
Dude PLEASE do a complete playthrough of your song “Mirrors”. I absolutely love it
You truly have a gift. Your playing is incredible. Just the perfect touch
My 72 is one of the best sounding and playing strats I've even encountered
One of the best Strats I've ever played and own, is a mid 80's MIJ made in the Fujigen factory with the System 1 locking tremolo. Awesome Strat, Rosewood fingerboard, 3-tone sunburst all original, and it's showroom condition.
This is why the 70’s “Strats” from Japan are so popular.😉
The “re-issues”??...cuz I think japan didn’t start making fenders until the early 80’s...I could be wrong!!!
@@eddiejr540 He said “Strats”, not “Fender”. ;)
Sorry, couldn’t resist the sarcasm. He’s referring to the lawsuit era guitars.
Some of those japan strat copies like tokai, greco and others can be very high quality.
I have a 90s japanese strat copy and the wood and the build quality feels so premium
@@Bluestilyoudie Agreed. Some REALLY good guitars from those companies! Aria and Hohner did some damn nice ones, too.
Always a pleasure to hear you jam out man!
70's strats are hit or miss. sometimes the neck pockets can be wonky, but not always.
That's true of most fenders man. Picked up a MIM and everything about it was wonderful except the neck moved anytime you looked at it wrong.
120 dollar 3.75 lb body off eBay and its soaring
True , hit and miss . I had a 79 cherry sunburst that was amazing . Some bastard stole out of my car . Had other 79s that were no where near as good 🤔. Man I miss that sunburst ☹️
Coming from a thrash metal background (played numerous gigs thru the mid 80's to early 90's), I have come to love and appreciate the Fender Stratocaster guitar. I recently bought a newer Fender Player Plus HSS. I really love it. I am used to playing BC Rich/Dean/upgraded clones guitars that mostly have humbuckers. But I have come to appreciate what the Fender Strat has to offer. If I could afford it, I would LOVE to buy a vintage Fender. But damn....5 digits for a guitar is a bit steep for me. I guess the newer Fenders will have to do. I stumbled upon your channel and have been binge watching all your vids since. LOVE the info you share on these vintage instruments. And love the guitar lessons. They're very helpful. Thanks for existing and keep up the great work.
In my opinion, determining whether a guitar sucks or not depends on who's hands it's in.
🤔👍
Haha, well in that case it would be "If the player sucked or not!" Lol ..not the guitar,lol🤣 funniest comment I've read all day! No offense...I really don't think you meant it that way,thats just the way I took it!😅🤣
@@wesleyAlan9179
Right on Wesley!
It's cool that I got your attention.
PEACE from Southwest Michigan!!!
🐉💀👽🎸🎶🎵🧠
@@briano.5746 Love from West Atl Ga! ✌🤟
This can be true..✌🏻
@Wesley alan Your comnent makes me think of guitarists in denial about how good they really are because no matter what guitar they play it's never them it's always the guitar!
Guitarist: "This guitar ain't working for me . IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE GUITAR! How can it be me? 😂
Me: "Errrr yeah its you
I bought a Jaguar, my first and only Fender, and when I got it I thought it made everything sound like Hendrix. That Fender tone man. I found it very inspiring.
My number 1 strat is a 72, amazing guitar. The 70’s starts are my favorite era of strats.
I have a ‘72 Sunburst. Just over 7 lbs and my #1 Strat also. Sounds amazing
I own an early'77 strat with the bullet trussrod, 3 bolt neck & 3 way switch.
As I'm both a gigging musician & a luthier, custom guitar builder & pickup winder I took care of a few things to make it reliable & gig worthy.
Firstly I refretted it with 6105 fretwire & I tightened up the loose neck pocket.
As mine is the first of the serial number removed from the neck plate & made into the headstock decal, it also wears a sticker on the underside of the pickguard.
The pickups were microphonic & the 3 way not working for me, I wound a set of pickups & loaded a new pickguard with cts pots, 5 way switch and removed the original loaded pickguard with original pups, pots & switch all untouched along with the matching serial number sticker & installed my pickguard.
This guitar is a beautiful sounding, playing & feeling guitar that pays for itself most weekends.
Love it without the massive price tag of others.
I have a ’75 strat which is kind of my ultimate number one. Its already been through a lot of hours by the previous owner and has a lot of wear even on the back of the neck. It is the single most fantastic guitar that ive ever played even with the 3 bolt neck and the bullet trussrod (which never bothered me) even the grayback pus are fantastic sounding sparkly goodness. Its of course not competable with a 50s or early 60s fender qualitiy wise but the feel and sound dont lie ✌🏻
I had a 74 strat that was awesome.
I have owned several 70's strats. I had a 79' --- not the anniversary model though it was all black body/pickguard with a maple neck/fretboard it was gorgeous ! All the 70's strats I had came with the bullet truss rod. I see yours doesn't have the bullet truss rod or the s/n on the face of the headstock. All the 70's strats I owned were HEAVY... 9-10 lbs heavy ! all had big boat necks too. Which I liked. I didn't like the laquered fret boards though. I didn't like the 3-bolt neck either. It seemed to effect the tuning stability. The tuners kinda sucked too. The tone of those 70's strats were a little darker than my other strats too.
I too have a 79 hardtail, all original, absolutely love it! You’re right about the neck pickup, that’s where the magic is on these. I do like the middle position as well. Positions 2&4 aren’t as creamy as pre-cbs Strats. Mine is 8.4 lbs, not too hefty.
Mine is 8.4 as well.. usually don't like heavy guitars but this one sounds awesome.
I am a bassist and have owned many 70's Fenders...as time has marched on, the 70's models have become more appreciated probably due to the fact they are becoming harder to find. They do have a vibe all their own.
I own a ‘79 Silver Anniversary Strat. I saw one in a guitar magazine and wanted one ever since. Anyway, I found in 2005 that is in amazing condition. AND, it only weighs around 7.5lbs!!!
I had it re-fretted with jumbos, and the bridge pickup had gone completely microphonic, so I changed it to a Lollar “Blackface” bridge pickup.
It is a pretty nice instrument.
Thanks for the great vids. Very informative, and plus, you are a hell of a player. I’m a fan.
Keep the vids
coming!
Who Knows by Band of Gypsys live at the Fillmore East (1970).
Nice jam Matthew 🤘
Machine gun was a killer track
A favorite tune!✌🏻
I had it on 8 Track...
Every time you catch me again with your stunning playing
Good job man
Could have listened to that outro for hours !
I had a 70s Strat reissue that I replaced all the electronics on. I put Lindy Fraillan hots in it, Emerson electronics pots/switch and it was a an amazing guitar at that point. It was stolen along with 40 other guitars last year while we were moving... it was one of the cheaper guitars that I’d customized to fit me and it really was a terrific playing and sounding guitar. I miss it, but I’ve moved on and have an entirely new arsenal of guitar weapons to enjoy.
Thanks Matthew for another great and informative video!
Best! ✌🏼
Perfect song for the question in the title. ”Who Knows ?“ 😂 awesome vid like always
My very first guitar is a 79 sunburst strat with a bullet truss rod and a 3 bolt neck. All original. That my dad and uncle got me. I really don't play it much anymore because it's not as easy to play as other strars I've picked up. Also, it has a few quality issues. The neck joint is loose and the bridge isn't completely centered, but it's still a beautiful strat and I will never get rid of it. Thanx for all the amazing videos man!!!
Hardtail 70s strats are the way to go, cool vibe, sustain, and less weight!
Hardtails are the way to go. Can't understand why Fender so rarely build any - there are so many players that simple don't want a trem.
To me a hard tail Strat doesn't sound like a Strat. I think the Strat sound comes from the bridge as much as it does the pickups.
with lace sensors
and woockers
Yap...mine is a bit over 6 pounds and rings like a bell
Also enjoyed the SRV meets Hendrix outro. Thanks again for sharing 🎸🤠
They don't suck at all. Only the snobs look down on them. That's fine it keeps the price on them lower. Excellent value and still vintage.
Prices are much more than 10 years ago !
The price on ‘70’s Strats has gone out of control the last few years, even the bad ones.
A bad ‘70’s Strat is a terrible guitar. They can be worked on, but I’d rather play a decent ‘70’s reissue (even MiM) than a bad ‘70’s Strat.
My '79 blond ash Strat sounded very harsh with little sustain. I refretted mine with larger frets, stripped the thick poly finish from neck and body with a heat gun and applied an oil finish, wired the bridge pickup to the tone pot, added a switch to combine 2 or 3 pickups in series (with capacitors wired to jumper wires to clear up the muddiness), swapped the cheap bridge for a steel one, made a maple plywood pickguard, and blocked the tremolo cavity with wood. I did keep the vintage tuners and pickups.....it was a great little project. Mine only weighs about 7.5 pounds.
No guitars actually suck. People are just brainwashed to think certain ways about specific decades or models of guitars. If you can get sound out of it, you can make it do whatever you need for the most part.
True, but there are some peices of junk, and some guitars that not only sound better, but also feel better when playing. Most will get the job done, even the bad ones
Just because I can take a vehicle apart and put it back together with a cheap set of bullshit made in china tools doesn't mean that I want to do that. Using the correct, industrial grade, tool for the job makes it a helluva lot easier, faster and safer. That analogy applies to all tools, including guitars. Generally the more "collectible" guitars are ones that are simply better instruments, for whatever reason. No musician has been "conditioned" to anything here, that is an absolute myth.
No mine sucked
Had zenta with misplacee bridge, chords could never be in tune, looked cool though
Yes, try playing a First Act or a Harley Benson where the necks after ___ years propeller no matter how good care you take for the instrument and would never be in tune for more the 1/2 a song then go exactly 1/2 step down out of tune then do that again so by the end of song you had a metal guitar that sounded like the type of punk that uses instruments that are actually falling apart on them as they are playing that by the end of the short punk style show no longer work the wood is cracking just from regular use and are worthless.
The lead guitarist in a band I used to play in played one of those. He got amazing killer fat Strat tones. He loved it. So did we! Many thanks for posting.
I’m a big headstock fan with a 76 rosewood and 79 maple. Both are amazing in their own way, but the 79 weighs a TON 🤣😷
That's right the earlier 70s are not that heavy .. a friend of mine has a 72 natural ash and it's hell of a great guitar
My first guitar purchase ever (back in 1978!) was a used 1973 hardtail, black with white pickguard. Rosewood fretboard. I still play out (until COVID) and record with it to this day, and it's on its 3rd set of frets now. All I knew about guitars back then was that Jimi played a strat, so I was going to have to have one. It cost me $300, which was all I had. I didn't have enough for the fancy ones with a whammy bar. (I used to hit a lot of rock shows back in the day and saw plenty of guitarists pushing on the back of their headstocks for vibrato, so I started doing that! The neck has held up even after almost 50 years of doing that...no big EVH-divebombs, though.) I love the big headstock, I love the bullet truss rod nut, I even love the 3-bolt neck plate...it never occurred to me that these were "bad" things. So, to the question of do 70's Strats suck...depends on who's playing...as Matthew clearly demonstrated here :) - oh, and by the way, it weighs less than 8 lbs.
I just picked up a 71 Strat, best guitar I've ever played.
I have a '74 hardtail Strat. Only owner. It's very light and stood me well playing in New Orleans in the 70s and 80s. Lots of guys loved both the sound and the weight. It has needed a fret job for decades. I also have a 74 Tele Deluxe that sounds amazing. I haven't played these guitars out in a long time. (I'm retired)
Did you apologize for playing guitar in the intro? Apology not accepted. I need more playing!
1000000000%
Thank you for showing us this beautiful strat I’m going to look at one on reverb now
I know Julijan Eric rocks a 70's Strat when he plays Hendrix and he's the best when it comes to playing Hendrix
Randy hansen is also great at playing Hendrix, would give him a listen if you haven't.
@Wesley Taylor Massive respect to Hansen on doing his thing but Julijan is truly on another level. I just noticed you're the one I always see on the comments section on Julijan vids lol. I posted a new cover yesterday would appreciate it if you checked it out!
My friend that taught me the guitar back in the 80s still has his one of these. I think it’s the reason I always wanted a Strat witha 70s headstock as this was my first experience of a real Fender Strat. I did achieve this last year by picking up a MIM 70s reissue at the UK Guitar Show. I ended up getting some Radioshop ID63GTs made and installed as the pups that came with it where a little thin as you mentioned, with the bridge.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ed King on “Sweet Home Alabama” strat is a 1973, Yngwie Malmsteen 74 strat
Aye that’s strats for sale at Carter’s it’s very cool
@@stuartcleary8621 Yeah, but it’s like $75,000 last time I checked.
My dad has a 71 left handed strat !! It’s absolutely gorgeous! Plays fantastic too
I think I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that the bulk of a players budget should go on a phenomenal amp rather than an awesome guitar....
Electric guitar tone is 40% the amp, 30% the pickups and 30% you. Plugging into an amp that doesn’t respond the way it should totally throws me off and keeps me from playing my best. The amp changes everything.
Think some more.. Then come across a Kemper and leave the amp GAS for ever behind. Trust me :) Yes owning a Twin Reverb will sound better than the profile of a TR (slightly), but if you need multiple amps for different styles, get a Kemper. Thank me later
Really enjoyed this one and your comments.
Not a big fan of the big 70s headstock myself.
I can only hit the like button once on my device for your videos so I just watch them again on my wife's phone, my mum's phone, mother in-law's tablet and our 2 daughters phones when I can get hold of them. Thanks for sharing Matthew. PEACE 🎸🤠
Oh yeah, the "3-Bolt" Myth: If you keep the bolts snugged up once a year, AS YOU SHOULD DO WITH ANY BOLT-ON NECK, you will have no problems with Fender's 3-bolt design.
I agree. 2 screws would probably do the job if the neck pocket is a snug fit. Loose neck pockets can be a problem. I cut 1/2" tubes that go over the screws and act as locating dowels, half in the neck half in the pocket.
Supposed the 3 bolt arrived right around the time the neck pockets got really loose.
I just took delivery of a '75 sunburst hardtail. I have to admit I was wary about it, but man!...The wood grain is gorgeous, it is 7.6lbs and I just love it - it rings!! Three bolt doesn't bother me, although the neck pocket on mine is good. The bridge pickup is thin sounding, but the only slightly odd thing is the neck is very skinny at the nut - width ways. Compared to my other Strats it feels a little strange, but playing at rehearsals I didn't notice or think about it. I think I may have got lucky, because my experience (of my first 70's Strat), is one of being really pleasantly surprised. I guess I got lucky, I know that there are a lot of heavy ones, and there is sloppy craftmanship on some, but even in the 70's there were some great guitars made.
The CBS 70s big headstocks are the best ever designed. Such an amazing look.
I had a sunburst Strat with a maple neck that I bought new in a small rural town in Minnesota1977 when I was 17. Not sure if it was a 77 model or earlier, I know it had been in the music store for a while because I'd been eyeing it and hoping to get it. It was the only one they had and the next nearest music store was probably 40 or 50 miles away. Paid $550 for it and I played it for about 10 years and loved it. I don't have much prospective on whether it was a good one because I didn't really get much chance to play other ones at that time. I really learned to play on that guitar so it holds a special place in my heart.
Who cares, Matthew could make a squire sound like a dream anyway.
yo j early squiers were real good
@@harryw9598 they were, but I was not so lucky to have them lol. My first electric was a squire strat from Costco with action higher than snoop dogg
As usual Matt another very cool video and I think the star is that 70's Strat. Your riffs definitely reminded me of Hendrix. Actually I saw him in concert circa May 1969 at the Waikiki Shell at night. The moon was out and magic was in the air. "Play On" man....
Looks like the guitar fender gifted Rory Gallagher when they felt sorry for him and his no1 strat...that one was white.
Thanks Matthew! As always, so informative. Been playing a long, long time and have learned a lot from your vids. Cheers man.
I’m too early for the comments from the people who know what they’re talking about
Me too
Lol
🤣🤣
love the gold strat - great playing as always
I believe that Dave Simpson is the greatest guitar player of all time.
Very good!! ✌🏻✌🏻
I have a 1979 Hardtail Strat with a maple neck. I love it so much. It's considered heavy, 9.3 pounds, but that doesn't bug me. Now, it doesn't have the original pickups. But it's EXTREMELY playable and sounds WONDERFUL. It has the 3 bolt neckplate which I love, and also the bullet truss rod. I also replaced the tuners with 70's style F tuners which are locking, and same design (looks-wise) as the original. I replaced them because somebody put Ibanez tuners on it.
70's strats are awesome idc what anyone says
Right on!🤟
My partscaster has an original 70s neck and bridge on it!
@@wesleyAlan9179 hell yeah 😎🤘
I have a late 78, early 79 3-bolt Strat. I bought it last year and swaped the pickups out and added a Callaham trem. Absolutely awesome guitar. It's heavy but manageable and a joy to stand a play two sets with. Affordable vintage!
Love everything you post Sir.
My dad gave me his 76 Strat, it’s a secret weapon in the recording studio. A while back I took it along to a session as an option for the guitarist (I was playing bass). It absolutely blew her modern USA Strat out of the water and was used for the whole recording. I also took it to the studio of a friend who owns plenty of 50’s and 60’s fenders and Gibsons, and who was a snob about anything 70’s. I played it through his tremolux and the sound was unbeatable. Great guitars in my experience
It was hit and miss back then. 1 out of 10.
Dude I knew before I watched this you'd make anything sound great. You have such a great understanding of tone and your equipment, you are a joy to watch and listen to. You have a beautiful vibrato. I agree fully about OD pedals sounding shit unless the amp is on 6-7 or more. I don't think I've seen anyone get as close as you do to SRV's tone. Of course you cop hate from the jealous but I trust you are smart and talented enough to not be upset by this (although I've seen plenty of super talented people who are mega insecure - self criticism and self doubt go hand in hand with high standards and performance). One thing I find curious is you manage to play fast and fluid blues lead without using your pinky finger! Well of course Django only had 2 fingers. Keep on rocking, stay sane and healthy friend - you have a long life ahead of you so look after yourself and have compassion for the haters.
I’ve got a 78’ black one. You have to have some luck but there are some good ones out there. I’ve bought mine from the original owner who had played the heck out of it forever. He had handwired pickups put in it. I only had to refret it. It sounds and plays amazing, great Hendrix vibes. I’m digging the tones you get out of this Matthew! You never cease to inspire. Because of you I started my own guitar instagram and I’m going to start a youtube channel too. Thanks for all the great content!! Cheers from The Netherlands ⚡️🙏🏻✌🏽
I have a 79 Strat, and I love it. Although it's been modded with Fralin Blues specials, and jumbo frets. The weight is tough to get used to, however the original trem stays in tune and the tone is killer with a swamp ash body.
I had a 1979 pearl white anniversary Strat. It was a great guitar. It was my first Fender. I had an LP Custom and an SG. I don't remember it being that heavy. I guess the 18 year old me didn't mind. Wish I still had it.
When I was in my teens i got to play a brown and black 79 Strat (25 years ago) with band practice. The father of the drummer lend me his, while It probably sounded awesome, the only thing I remembered was the massive weight.. funnily enough I was waiting for a comment about that.. you didn't disappoint.
My girlfriends dad pulled one of these out of his attic the other day. One of the original 500 white ones with the defected cracked paint. Been up there for like 40 years with its original tremolo and certificate of authenticity, unused packs of strings from the 80s. Like opening a time capsule. Something about the cracked up paint that I absolutely love, it’s got a story. Would love to clean that up and put it in the hands of someone like you. Anyway, great video, nice to hear your thoughts!
Email me! Matthewscottlive@gmail.com
I've had a '76 Strat since I started playing 30 years ago and I love it. I found that the original pickups were a bit thin & weak for my liking and didn't have great tone to my ears so I changed them to something more desirable and better suited for playing live (David Gilmour EMG Loaded Pickguard). The guitar is also a bit heavy compared to my other Strats. That said, it has a FANTASTIC neck and never NEVER goes out of tune and has an extremely resonate body and sounds like a dream with the upgraded pickups. I love the fat headstocks as well and mine has a rosewood fretboard which I personally prefer over maple (but ebony is the best in my opinion). I can not play it for months and pick it up and it's always in perfect tune. The most dependable guitar I've owned and I own and have owned many even more expensive ones and brands. I gigged it extensively for 25+ years and it could handle an entire gig without ever going out of tune which is a really important thing when playing live and I can't really say that for most guitars I've played over the years. I normally have to tune up during a gig at some point with other guitars but not my '76 Strat. It also fell over off a guitar stand for a really hard hit on a concrete floor when I was a teenager and didn't even leave a ding or knock it out of tune Thanks drummer for that! I love it and will never sell it because it's one of the best sounding and playing Strats I've played to date with the upgraded electronics and pickups. It never needs adjustments and has only bee.n setup when I wore the frets and nuts down from extensive playing. But like any other guitar brand, year or model there are gems and there are clunkers. I've played a handful of 70's Strats and a few were crap and a few felt good but mine honestly had the best feeling neck and resonated the best out of the handful I've personally played over the years. I didn't like the pickups on any of the 70's Strats I've personally played and they were all a bit heavy. Mine started out black but the original owner stripped the paint and its natural wood color now. I would have preferred black but I was gifted this guitar as a kid and couldn't really complain. Besides this guitar plays and sounds so good that it was destined to be a players guitar as opposed to a collectors guitar. It was really well built and I've played it so much over the years that I've had to have it re-fretted 2 times and new nuts put on twice. These days I play my Les Pauls or my HSS Strat more as I've grown to enjoy the versatility of humbuckers a bit more. I still play it at home semi regular though but I've retired it from playing live and just keep it at the house and studio to enjoy. Rock On!
It ain't the guitar its the player and you do an awesome job of that Mathew.
Had a 74 strat that I bought new. I loved that guitar.
Back in my tech days, I handled a dozen or so of the 70s era Strats, most of them were great instruments! Never really had a problem with them except that the weight was always a crapshoot. Some were Les Paul heavy and some were super light even in the same serial number/year range. I loved the tilt neck adjustment and bullet truss rod from a service standpoint, it cut service time substantially as I didn't have to take the pick guard off to do a neck adjustment. Fender uses that same type of micro-tilt adjustment on later models, although with a 4-bolt neck. RItchie Blackmore used the 3-bolt era Strats, and those were good enough for him. Ed King recorded Sweet Home Alabama on a 3-bolt Strat too if I am not mistaken!
tone is in the hands of the guitarist. and man, that was some seriously nice tone there. i love strat tone, but your touch on a strat just makes them sing so nice
I have a 1977 Fender Telecaster that is the best telecaster I have played. I did have to get the bridge pickup wax potted and a refret job. It now plays and sounds awesome.
I play a 77 mustang in natural. Guitar gets played more than anything else I own. The vibrato on it is dead nuts and the bridge has perfect intonation. I have it in d standard with 11-56 daddarios. Such a massive sounding little guitar.
Thanks for the video. I bought a 1979 Fender Strat last year when I lived in Orlando. Ash body, 2 piece body and maple neck...weighs 7.4 lbs. I absolutely love it, but it can be a little noisy with the pickups, but not terrible.
My favorite channel on whole Ytb!!! And im glad you played Who Knows in the intro.. my favorite Hendrix song!
Love big Headstock 70s strats! Got two of em! 1 buttercream/maple 2 nat alder/rosewood just like fast Eddie's! Japanese tho🤠😀 nothing wrong with 3 bolt plates! That's a myth! If the pockets cut tight it's fine! Walter trout,Richie B,vyngie Malmsteen,Tommy Bolin would agree😉
I've been wondering why there are so many more 70s era Strats available on Reverb than any other decade. Solid vid, thanks dude.
My first 'proper' guitar (ie, not a copy) was a 79 USA Strat, bought new from Fender Soundhouse in London. What a lemon - the neck slopped about in the pocket, but even at the end of its 'travel' the top e was nearly falling off the edge of the fretboard anywhere above the 12th fret.
The bridge pup sounded shrill and weedy. I was so overcome by 'real Strat', 'actual Fender' that I failed to notice these faults before parting with my £300-plus - a fair bit of wedge in 1979!
So to answer your question, some of them did - and I bought one!
Great job dude! Thanks for what you do.
I'm lucky enough to own a '77 Tele Custom and it's amazing! The versatility that the wide-range Humbucker give the guitar is just immense and the middle position is a thing of beauty. Nothing but good things to say about a 70s Fender!