Let's call a spade a spade. This guitar was by no means a genuine Fender Stratocaster, as the headstock decal would have you believe. In any case, the mismatched decal script and small headstock was a dead giveaway. This script style was only used on late '60s - 70s "big head" strats. You would think that the guys who made this would've done some research beforehand. Then, there was no walnut plug lining the truss rod access channel, although the neck sported a "skunk stripe." The walnut plug is one of the features that most copiers do not bother implementing.
Yes, it was merely a copy, albeit a well-made one. The body was solid wood with good weight, while the 9.5" radius maple neck was straight as an arrow, and fitted with medium-jumbo frets. I'd rate the fretwork at 8/10, which isn't at all bad for a copy. The neck angle wasn't correct, but a neck pocket shim took care of that. The plastic nut wasn't in good shape cosmetically, and the string slots needed a lot of work. I'd initially planned to replace the nut, but budgetary constraints would not allow that. So out came the nut files and sandpaper.
The guitar hadn't been played nor serviced in years, and the neglect had taken its toll. The scratchy and/or barely-functioning electronics needed to be upgraded, but before doing that I had to deepen and widen the existing control cavity. Once that was taken care of, I was able to wire in a new 5-way switch, Alpha A250K pots, K73-16 cap, and Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack. Hardware-wise, the jammed string saddles, rusty trem claw and trem springs were all replaced. The end result was deeply satisfying, thankfully.
I've never met the owner, as he's a real busy guy. He did, however, call me later to tell me how much his guitar sounded like a "real Fender." Do I support people buying fake/copy/replica guitars? Absolutely not! However, with one ringgit merely worth around 20 US cents nowadays, it's become nearly impossible for the average Joe to own a genuine Fender Stratocaster. And if a copy is all he can afford, the least I can do is to tweak it to its maximum potential.
Yes, it was merely a copy, albeit a well-made one. The body was solid wood with good weight, while the 9.5" radius maple neck was straight as an arrow, and fitted with medium-jumbo frets. I'd rate the fretwork at 8/10, which isn't at all bad for a copy. The neck angle wasn't correct, but a neck pocket shim took care of that. The plastic nut wasn't in good shape cosmetically, and the string slots needed a lot of work. I'd initially planned to replace the nut, but budgetary constraints would not allow that. So out came the nut files and sandpaper.
The guitar hadn't been played nor serviced in years, and the neglect had taken its toll. The scratchy and/or barely-functioning electronics needed to be upgraded, but before doing that I had to deepen and widen the existing control cavity. Once that was taken care of, I was able to wire in a new 5-way switch, Alpha A250K pots, K73-16 cap, and Neutrik/Rean NYS229 output jack. Hardware-wise, the jammed string saddles, rusty trem claw and trem springs were all replaced. The end result was deeply satisfying, thankfully.
I've never met the owner, as he's a real busy guy. He did, however, call me later to tell me how much his guitar sounded like a "real Fender." Do I support people buying fake/copy/replica guitars? Absolutely not! However, with one ringgit merely worth around 20 US cents nowadays, it's become nearly impossible for the average Joe to own a genuine Fender Stratocaster. And if a copy is all he can afford, the least I can do is to tweak it to its maximum potential.
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