Help w/Fender strat ID

[Twisteramps]

Found this today on one of my used gear expeditions... was curious though if anyone could help me ID it.

It obviously is a 'foto flame' Japanese Strat, but check out how thick the maple cap is on the body! All of the foto flame strats had fake tops on the body, correct? Or did they ever do ones where the neck was fake and the body was real? Or is this an aftermarket body?

I haven't taken it apart yet, but so far it seems pretty cool. If I keep it, she's getting a hot rails in the bridge. ;0 Guitar plays great and has a really nice tone, with hum cancelling in the 2 and 4 positions. I just wish the frets were bigger.

Pete

[jtr]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

It probably prototype or a mistake,early 80's . It might be one that they used in their adds back then. A photo flame was just a picture kind of like the old paisley Strat' &Tele's. Take the neck off it should give you a good idea if the body is aftermarket or not. Japanese Strat's from that period were better than most USA Strat's IMO.

[jtr]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

Foto flame were on just the body not the neck also.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

Took the neck off... body and neck MATCH. both read:


ST-62DT

So I guess it's a '62 reissue? but with that thick maple top? It's NOT a foto flame on the body, unless they wrapped it around the edge somehow. The foto flame bodies I've seen were opaque on the edges.

Pete

[jtr]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

The Foto Flame is just a sticker and I got my decades wrong early 90's. When you take the neck off you should be able to see if it a maple cap or not.

[Twisteramps]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

'94 to '95 from the 'S' serial number (found a fender japanese strat website... but they don't have any info on 'real' maple capped guitars)

Pete

[Superfly]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

Employee project maybe? Does it have anything on the neckplate?
I think it's great. If you decide to sell it, hit me up !!

[Newc]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

Some chick at work brought in a crappy digital pic of a similar Strat that a friend of hers has - natural highly flamed and thick-ass maple top. She had described it to me a while back hoping I could ID it, but the description she gave sounded like one of those Andersons with the painted top and natural armrest.
Anyhoo, the pic she brought in the other night looked a lot like yours, but the top was way more flamed. Can't recall if the back of the neck was flamed like that, and she had a crappy lo-res pic of the head. I tried to zoom in with her camera to see the serial, but I don't think it had one (looked a lot like yours).

She said the guy gave $300 for it, and wasn't interested in selling it, he just wanted to know if he got a good deal.

Guess now I'll tell her it's a crapass photo-slopped top on it [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

As for it being so thick, I'd agree that it's probably just wrapped over the edges - maybe they finally figured out how to print it so that it doesn't curve and they didn't have to paint over it to hide it.

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

The photo-flamed tops actually looked OK, they just didn't have any depth. No 3D effect like a real flame top will have. Like Pete, the photo-flame tops I've seen are all opaque around the edges, I'd always assumed that was to hide the edges of the printed / paper / decal / whatever flame.

[Newc]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

A good flametop is what, $300-$400 extra? Were these $300-$400 LESS than they woulda been had they had real flametops?

[jeff300]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

I've never seen a Fotoflame like that. Like everyone else said, I don't think it is. Maybe the neck was intended for another body and then was swapped in the shop at the last minute.

In any case, its beautiful. If you don't want it, I'd be happy to buy it!

[Twisteramps]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

Well, looks like real maple on BOTH pieces to me. Dang, this is confusing...





Pete

[Superfly]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

Dude, i emailed a Fender freak and fellow member. He'll hook you up....
He'll be posting shortly...

[mystic]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

My bro Superfly pointed this thread out to me, and I think I can clear up some confusion and verify that this is a standard '95 fotoflame. Nothing abnormal about it except that the pickguard has been replaced.
First,there were two types of fotoflames produced, one type had adler with a basswood cap, treated with the fotoflame. From what I understand, the fotoflame isn't really a picture, there's some chemical process involved. Don't hold me to that. These guitars had the fotoflame necks and standard s/s/s pups and vintage style bridges.
The other, less desirable fotoflames had the fotoflame treatment on both front and back of the guitar (think they were all basswood), s/s/h pups, and floyds (or some variant, not sure if they're OFR bridges).
As for the amount of "flame" on this one, the natural fotoflames I've seen usually have more subtle flame. Mine is a cherry burst with a quilt pattern. The flame pattern does wrap around, tried to photograph it, but it's tough to take pics of this finish for some reason.

Here's some pics. At first, this guitar didn't do it for me.. the vintage frets blow (I had a Kramer neck on it for the longest time). Finally came to my senses and had some med. jumbos installed and this guitar kills in playability and tone(if you're into the strat tone, anyway).

[mystic]

Re: Help w/Fender strat ID

I ain't no fender freak! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]