A NGD that surprised even me!

shaunf

So in a surprise turn of events, I ended up trading my Marshall PA20 for a USA Fender Strat yesterday.

Excuse the horrible iPad pic, but here she is:

What I know about Strats is not worth knowing, but here's what I think/know so far:

It has a V prefix to the serial number, which I think makes it an American Vintage Series guitar.

I think it's a '62 Reissue.

I think the colour is called Lake Placid Blue

Under the paint, I can make out that the body is made of 3 pieces of wood, and I can also make out some wood grain. Would it therefore be safe to assume it has a Nitro finish and not a thick poly finish?

It's in pretty much brand new condition. It has one tiny little ding on the back, just behind the rear cover that covers the springs and stuff, otherwise it doesn't have a mark on it. It still has the protective film on the rear cover and pickguard, and the latches on the case do too.

I don't know what year it is, but I've sent Fender Customer Relations an email and hopefully they can tell me, without me having to take the neck off.

So, that's about it. If you have anything to share or contribute about these guitars, please do so, I'd be glad for the education.

Chabenda

It looks a lot like my old '63 Lake Placid blue :'(

Edit: If you get tired of her please let me know.

vic

Hi Shaun...nice find. I love that rw board !

Does it say "made in the usa" anywhere ? If not, it may be a vintage RI with a 7.25" fingerboard radius....

also, is the paint metallic ?

kapepper

shaunf wrote:

It has a V prefix to the serial number, which I think makes it an American Vintage Series guitar.

V is indeed for sure vintage series
pull the neck of, you will find a production date
should be nitro

Reinhard

Oooh, LPB is so damn sexy. Congrats Shaunf !

How does it sound?

shaunf

Thanks for the replies so far guys!

Vic, it doesn't say Made in USA anywhere on the guitar that I can see. In fact, it doesn't mention where it was made at all. And yes, the paint is metallic.

I also checked through all the stuff in the case. Came with some extra springs in a little brown envelope, the tremolo arm, a chrome cover for the bridge, an owners manual and a 5 way switch with instructions how to fit it (the guitar has a 3 way switch fitted).

Metal neck plate has nothing on it except the serial number, which is V14000x

shaunf

Reinhard wrote: Oooh, LPB is so damn sexy. Congrats Shaunf !

How does it sound?

Thanks Reinhard!

It sounds way different to my LP's ?

Seriously though, I'm the wrong guy to properly answer that. I briefly owned a Strat back in the mid 90's, and although many people said it was an awesome guitar, I just couldn't bond with it and so eventually sold it. Since then, I've played Les Pauls pretty much exclusively, and had absolutely no plans to ever own a Strat again, hence the surprise at being drawn to this one.

I took the guitar not because I was looking for a Strat, but because it seemed like a good deal and because I thought it was pretty! ? Sitting down and playing it though, I was surprised at how loud it is acoustically, and how much the body and neck vibrates when you play it. It feels a lot more alive than any other Strat I've ever held and plinked around on (Which is not that many).

I don't actually know if I'll keep it. As far as guitar GAS goes, I've been hankering for a P90 guitar like a LP Junior or a Junior Special or something, so we will see what happens.

warrenpridgeon

Nice! Enjoy!

Reinhard

shaunf wrote:
Reinhard wrote: Oooh, LPB is so damn sexy. Congrats Shaunf !

How does it sound?
Thanks Reinhard!

It sounds way different to my LP's ?

Seriously though, I'm the wrong guy to properly answer that. I briefly owned a Strat back in the mid 90's, and although many people said it was an awesome guitar, I just couldn't bond with it and so eventually sold it. Since then, I've played Les Pauls pretty much exclusively, and had absolutely no plans to ever own a Strat again, hence the surprise at being drawn to this one.

I took the guitar not because I was looking for a Strat, but because it seemed like a good deal and because I thought it was pretty! ? Sitting down and playing it though, I was surprised at how loud it is acoustically, and how much the body and neck vibrates when you play it. It feels a lot more alive than any other Strat I've ever held and plinked around on (Which is not that many).

I don't actually know if I'll keep it. As far as guitar GAS goes, I've been hankering for a P90 guitar like a LP Junior or a Junior Special or something, so we will see what happens.

I think you got a GREAT deal 8)

vic

shaunf wrote: Thanks for the replies so far guys!

Vic, it doesn't say Made in USA anywhere on the guitar that I can see. In fact, it doesn't mention where it was made at all. And yes, the paint is metallic.

I also checked through all the stuff in the case. Came with some extra springs in a little brown envelope, the tremolo arm, a chrome cover for the bridge, an owners manual and a 5 way switch with instructions how to fit it (the guitar has a 3 way switch fitted).

Metal neck plate has nothing on it except the serial number, which is V14000x

Definitely AVR ! great guitars.

shaunf

Thanks guys. What would one typically expect to get if one had to sell this particular guitar? (Hypothetically speaking, of course! ? )

vic

shaunf wrote: Thanks guys. What would one typically expect to get if one had to sell this particular guitar? (Hypothetically speaking, of course! ? )

About R5K....... ?

No serious..... I paid around R12k for mine a year ago.

AlanRatcliffe

Those are great guitars. A wonderful find! I'm not wild about the vintage radius myself, but if you really like the guitar, it's simple enough to get it refretted to a 10 or 12" radius. ?

shaunf wrote: So in a surprise turn of events, I ended up trading my Marshall PA20 for a USA Fender Strat yesterday.

Happens to the best of us (says the man with the recent SC245 acquisition ?).

shaunf wrote: Thanks guys. What would one typically expect to get if one had to sell this particular guitar? (Hypothetically speaking, of course! ? )

R500. Unless you actually take the time to know the guitar and bond with it. Then the value goes up radically. ?

shaunf

Vic wrote:
shaunf wrote: Thanks guys. What would one typically expect to get if one had to sell this particular guitar? (Hypothetically speaking, of course! ? )
About R5K....... ?

No serious..... I paid around R12k for mine a year ago.

Thanks Vic!

shaunf

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: Those are great guitars. A wonderful find! I'm not wild about the vintage radius myself, but if you really like the guitar, it's simple enough to get it refretted to a 10 or 12" radius. ?

Thanks Alan!

Happens to the best of us (says the man with the recent SC245 acquisition ?).

I had to google that! :-[ Congrats!

Thanks guys. What would one typically expect to get if one had to sell this particular guitar? (Hypothetically speaking, of course! ? )
R500. Unless you actually take the time to know the guitar and bond with it. Then the value goes up radically. ?

I'm trying! I'm trying! Problem is, when I saw this guitar, I WANTED it, but I NEED a P90 guitar! ?

andrewjbryson

Congrats! Great find!

I have really become fond of the AVRI Guitars.

I love the LPB so much that I have purchased a 2012 LPB body (that came off a Lipstick Tube FSR Strat) and found a matching RW neck.

Will post pics once it is assembled.

Norman86

Nice guit ?

I wish it was so easy to photograph mine ☹

vic

Great looking guitar there Shaun ! Bet she sounds AS good hey ?

shaunf

I popped the neck off the other night while changing strings. Both the neck and the body were made in 2002. The body in July and the neck in May.

I also took some better pictures over the weekend:

You can make out the little ding in the body behind the cover plate in this pic. That's the only mark on the guitar.