83' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

[LesPaulCustom]

<font color="yellow">Wow...I can finally spill my guts!! I've been goin nuts for a couple of weeks waiting to see if this would come to be...so here's the story (in my usual news-reporter style [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img])

I guess HippieTim was in a chatroom and was talking to 442w30, and talking about Fenders. I guess Davie (442) said he had a Elite that he was thinking of selling, and Tim said that I was actively looking for one as I had one years ago and like a total complete moron, let it go [img]/images/graemlins/refuse.gif[/img].

Anywho...Dave contacted me and I immediately rogered up saying that if he decided to let it go, I would like to have first go at it, as I was very interested in obtaining another.

The Fender Elite was available only in 83' and 84', with several models, the Gold being the higher end (gold hardware, pearloid tuners) over the "standard" Elite. It features Alnico II pickups w/special covers and a unique pushbutton system for the pickups for total control over them vice the 5-way blade switch usually used. It also has a "dummy" coil under the pickguard which acts sort of like a humbucker to cancel hum (cool idea of Fender). It is active electronics with the (then) new TBX and MDX tone circuits (the predecesor of the Eric Clapton Strat).

It doesn't have the normal vintage trem, but a trem named the Freeflyte trem. It has mixed reviews, but, I don't recall having any probs with mine for tuning or function...and, I'm not really a big trem guy, so, it should be fine.

It also has the Fender neck tilt adjustment for adjusting the neck angle for the desired action.

From what I can remember of mine, they sound terrific and mine played very well!! Classic Strat sounds with very little noise and much more control of tone than that of a "normal" Strat.

I'm very excited to get it and add it to my collection, which it should be here by Friday (please, please, please [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]).

Here's some pics that I lifted from Dave (sorry man [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img])...this one is a cool sunburst...(yeah, I have to remove the stickers his daughter placed on the pickguard [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]).






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[markD]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

cool!! ty tabor from king's X used those on their early records. i have never seen one in person. congrats!!

[Rupe]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

Very cool score as these are difficult to come by. One of my best friends still has one...it was his main live guitar for years (he added a humbucker and a Kahler). All of the old King's X albums were recorded with one of these.
Good thing you don't use the trem as they are pretty poor functionally.
Congrats! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[Budman68]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

<font color="aqua">Sam, just a bit of info, that isn't the FreeFlyte, the freeflyte looks like this one:



From what I have found, it does use the same type of bar. </font>

[yabba]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

that's a nice solid looking trem; looks like more metal than a fender standard trem; might translate into better coupling

[442w30]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

Treat her right Sam [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
There is are a lot of options in that pickup setup.

[Mr Graphic]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

Looks GREAT, enjoy! [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img]

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

<font color="yellow">I'm stoked about this one!!

I just tracked it and it should be here on Thursday (whoo hooo!!!!)!!

Unfortunately, I am here at Lejeune till Friday night [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

In the original booklet on the Elite's which I got offline, the Trem was described as the Freeflyte....maybe there was a different model of the Freeflyte for the Elite...I dunno [img]/images/graemlins/scratchhead.gif[/img]

In the Stratocaster book (can't remember the name of it verbatim), there is a good section dedicated to the history of the Elite.

I did not know that Fender switched to Urethane vice Poly for these, which is cool...I like urethane better....I think they sound better...maybe it's just mental.

If it needs fretwork or whatever, it will go to Raleigh this weekend when I pick up my Strathead. </font>

[LesPaulCustom]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

<font color="yellow">It's here...it's here!!

I haven't seen it yet, but, the wife says it made it ok...no visible signs of being killed in transit (KIT).

I won't see it till tomorrow night.... [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I'm also picking up my Strathead this weekend from a grind/polish and setup [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Good week [img]/images/graemlins/toast.gif[/img] </font>

[Superfly]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

Beautiful geetar LPC !!!!

So THAT's what you got rid of to get the Nagel.... [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[hamerguy]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

Both trems from the Standard Strat and the Elite Strat were called Freeflyte. It is basically the same design, just the version of the Elite has a thicker bridge plate, otherwise identical. The same trem was also later used on the japanese Contemporary Strats as the System II tremolo.

[Budman68]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

[ QUOTE ]
Both trems from the Standard Strat and the Elite Strat were called Freeflyte. It is basically the same design, just the version of the Elite has a thicker bridge plate, otherwise identical. The same trem was also later used on the japanese Contemporary Strats as the System II tremolo.

[/ QUOTE ]

<font color="aqua">actually the system II is a tiny bit different in how it pivots and the saddles are a bit different as well. Not only that but the bars a bit different too because the System II has the built in allen wrenches for the bridge lock (which the Elite did not have). Have a look at the pics below, notice how the Elite (gold)has the full bar pivot point? And if you look really close to the System II, you'll see that it only has 2 smaller pivot bars, not completely across like the elite. Also notice the saddles, the System II has little "lugs" fro the string to go under while the elite does not. Ok, so it's not a tiny bit different, it's a lot different- [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]



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[thebisch]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

Speaking of Free Flytes, I need one for a project. Anyone know of any laying around for a decent price? I have a kahler hardtail as bait!

[thebisch]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

I have an Elite. I don't use it much, because I don't care for the buttons. Mine seems to hum in all positions, maybe my dummy coil is shot. I might have a pickguard made that has normal strat pickup mounting and a normal 5 way and take the original guard and electronics and pack them away. Anyone have a reccomendation for a pickguard maker that doesn't charge an arm and a leg?

[hippietim]

Re: 83\' Fender Elite Gold Strat Inbound!! (w/pics)

i played it today - it's kickass! it has a soft v neck like a clapton or buddy guy sig. model. the neck was great and sam had the action dialed in really low. it sounded great too!