Steve's Vintage Guitar CollectionSave Shop

I have been buying and selling electric guitars (mostly vintage) on the internet for over 13 years now, but I've owned guitars and musical equipment for almost than 4 decades. I bought my first electric guitar in 1987 while I was still a poor college student - a used '81 Ibanez Musician. I bought my second electric guitar in 1992 from a coworker a couple of years after starting my first career job - a mint condition '83 Fender Standard Stratocaster. I was short on funds at the time because of an engine rebuild on my car and an outdrive repair job on my boat. Fortunately the bank was there for me with a short term loan to fund my important purchase. Both of the guitars are now more than 40 years old, are still in my collection and among my favorites to play [thankfully the car and boat are long gone.] I'm partial to the Dan Smith era 2 knob Standard Stratocasters as well as the Elite Stratocasters and Telecasters from 1983/84 - they sound great and the 12" radius necks are just fun to play. Fender should have stuck with them. Playing on the earlier 7.25" necks and the later 9.5" necks feels slow and clunky.
I've read numerous times that the Standard Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars Fender made in 83/84 were lacking in quality or were poorly made. Having owned several Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters from that era, I disagree. This is the same period that Fender started making the AVRI Stratocaster and Telecaster - at the same factory in Fullerton. I don't see anyone questioning the quality of these early AVRI guitars nor have I seen anyone provide a specific example of this "poor" quality with the Standard Stratocasters or Telecasters. If this really were the case, there should be a whole lot of P.O.S. Fender Standard Stratocasters (or Telecasters) from 83/84 listed for sale on this site, with many at bargain prices due to their inferior quality and poor construction! I don't see that pattern with the listings from 83/84. However, if you see any good deals please let me know because buying a good, well made, fun to play guitar at a good price never gets old.
I'll tell you what I do see happening very frequently - lots of Fender American Standard Stratocasters that were made in 1987 or later at the Corona factory [After CBS sold the company to the new Fender (FMIC)] now listed as from 83/84 just because they have a serial number that starts with an E3 or an E4. I guess no one told them about the "quality issue" (just kidding) with the guitars made during those years? But seriously, you can't date a Fender by its' serial number. If your Stratocaster or Telecaster has 22 frets, is strung through the body, and has a 9.5” radius neck, then your guitar was made in 1987 or later at the Corona factory - not at the original Fullerton factory. If you don't believe me, loosen the strings, remove the 4 screws that hold the neck in place and read the date stamp on the heel of the neck. In fact, if you go to the Price Guide, you'll probably even see a photo of an American Standard Stratocaster (with 22 frets and string through the body) listed as an 83/84. I've repeatedly pointed this mistake out to Reverb, but I guess that accuracy isn't always a top priority in the Price Guide.
The other thing I've learned is that all of the musical equipment that I've held onto all of these years is now considered vintage. I have only ever bought one brand new guitar and probably won't be doing that again any time soon. I've tried newer electric guitars and to me they just don't have the same feel or sound. To me it's ridiculous to spend big $$ on a new electric guitar, especially new ones that have been made to look old with lots of wear when you could spend that same $$ on a nice vintage instrument that has had some real play time, wear and character - not the fake kind.
I'm curious about playing different vintage guitar models that I haven't previously owned and this tends to drive my collection. Occasionally, I sell guitars out of my own collection. If you are buying one of my guitars you can rest assured that it is a quality instrument that has been well cared for, enjoyed and any wear on them is real.

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