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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 18, 2019 10:50:17 GMT -3.5
I may have mentioned my penchant for a Sage Green Strat, that being the lighter of the MIA/MIM Sage Greens. Said hue showed up locally (5 mins away) in the form of an MN serial '94 MIM strat. Bit of folklore around this serial run, 'cos the Ensenada factory burnt to the ground in February '94. This Strat has manufacture date of April '94 stamped on the neck heel, along with the name Hector Montes. These deets weren't known by the owner, I snapped it up after seeing the body was mint, and the neck was a perfect player, even with cowboy-chord fretwear in the first 7-8. 9.5" radius, medium jumbo frets, Graphtec nut and saddles, vintage Kluson copies and Spaghetti logo. CTS pots, I think original Mex ceramic neck and middle pups, and a mystery alnico bridgey. I originally thought the lighter Sage was MIM, but recent swotting has indicated it is a discontinued MIA colour, but now on the Mex Strat Player. Senor Montes was in charge of necks for the SRV and Clapton sig models before this was made, and went full-time to the US Custom Shop in '96 or so. The body has all the hallmarks of an MIA Strat Plus blank of the era, and the neck has possibly been finished from a '57 RI blank. Story is, Corona sent many random necks and bodies to be finished/assembled in Ensenada, to keep production up until the new factory was finished, in May or so. Some on forums are calling bullshit, but this thing is so tight'n'tidy I can't help wonder. It has the Micro-Tilt neckplate, but is not needed at all, the neck/pocket fit and angle is perfect. Perfect neck relief, absolute dream to play, the ST62 is hard work in comparison. This Sage Green is also reportedly a mismatched Inca Silver, which somehow got the tinge of green. A mystery wrapped in an enigma, I fuckin' love it ![[thumbup]](//storage.proboards.com/6901257/images/wAlNBUVNonBWAbPUSHJw.gif) For your perusal, Amigos       |
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Post by GammyBird on Nov 18, 2019 11:17:24 GMT -3.5
Cool unit!
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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 18, 2019 11:19:26 GMT -3.5
The white sticker that fell out of the neck pocket has "SERVIR" (I serve) stamped on it, had to enlarge pic on my phone, thought it was some date...
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Post by GammyBird on Nov 18, 2019 13:14:20 GMT -3.5
What's the neck profile?
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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 18, 2019 18:25:06 GMT -3.5
www.fretboard.com/fenderneck.jpg Measurements similar to ST62's, which has the "oval" profile in fig.3. Sagey has the profile of fig.1, with 0.09" taken off the top. I reckon Ensenada finished an untrussed maple blank of a '57. Other MIMs of this era had thick black Fender logo and serial on front, and non-vintage tuners. Called Strat Specials, they had Poplar bodies and were derided for gaps in neck fit at pocket, and roughly finished bodies/duco.
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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 18, 2019 20:38:23 GMT -3.5
Umm, all 3 pups are Alnico? Ceramics have 1 or 2 strip mags on the base, with steel slugs, yeah? None of the attributes of this match the Strat Special specs, neck pocket looks like Alder (no stripped-out PG holes as reported with Poplar) Neck tint looks to be Nitro, with all the checking. "I never knew just what it was, and I guess I never will..." ![[grin]](//storage.proboards.com/6901257/images/UnqRUvpWMKBmfGqItsNr.gif) |
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Post by GammyBird on Nov 18, 2019 21:02:04 GMT -3.5
lol...I guess you can always take it to the strat forum  |
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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 18, 2019 21:17:11 GMT -3.5
Wearing me flame suit  Some of 'em savage anyone who suggests any Corona parts could be involved. Happy enough I got a great player in my favourite metallic, and it is it's own thing ![[cheers]](//storage.proboards.com/6901257/images/SjZceeTTQxkQVrnBIYLz.gif) |
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Post by GammyBird on Nov 18, 2019 22:52:27 GMT -3.5
You gonna upgrade the pups?
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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 19, 2019 1:32:10 GMT -3.5
Not atm, bridge and neck posis sound good, and I don't usually bother with the others. Unless somethin' appears local-like, scored some goodies over the years.
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Post by jimmyjames on Nov 30, 2019 10:41:29 GMT -3.5
Update, neck appears to possibly be '94 Strat Plus spec, but black plastic truss rod sleeve instead of MIA woodie. Seen Plus necks set out the same, with the Hector stamp. Curious shape for a more modern one, nitro prob standard at Corona, the Plus being the top non-Custom Shop model at the time.
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Post by GammyBird on Nov 30, 2019 13:01:39 GMT -3.5
Cool. Strats can be a mystery sometimes because it's easy to swap necks and bodies.
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Post by jimmyjames on Dec 3, 2019 9:46:16 GMT -3.5
Body is Corona, single CNC body hole below neck pup. Can sorta make out 1997 on a stamp, which lines up with the start of these CNC holes. So likely 'murican Standard body. MIMs had 3 of 'em in a row when they started the CNCing. Body was redrilled for the pearly guard, still was 11-holed, but coupla mm off on each...
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Post by o0mobius0o on Dec 4, 2019 11:42:42 GMT -3.5
I found this if it helps.  |
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Post by jimmyjames on Dec 4, 2019 18:39:56 GMT -3.5
Pearloid must be vintage-spec 11-holer
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Post by jimmyjames on Dec 7, 2019 20:43:18 GMT -3.5
Nope, pearloid is a modern 11-holer. Bright chrome vintage tuners and spaghetti logo were also on the '94 Clapton neck, only differences here are the plastic truss sleeve and the neck is more a "U" than a "soft V". So, Strat Plus or EC, the neck is top-spec Sis-in-law's husband is bringin' his new Strat over this mornin', we're gunna have a Stratfest. Girls are goin" out, will be gloriously loud |
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Post by jimmyjames on Dec 8, 2019 6:37:40 GMT -3.5
Good jammin' was had, Sagey conceded nuthin' to the Olympic White American Professional Strat, he loved the 8fiddy |
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Post by GammyBird on Dec 8, 2019 11:48:12 GMT -3.5
That 8fiddy keeps stealing the show.
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![[thumbup]](http://storage.proboards.com/6901257/images/wAlNBUVNonBWAbPUSHJw.gif)
For your perusal, Amigos 
![[grin]](http://storage.proboards.com/6901257/images/UnqRUvpWMKBmfGqItsNr.gif)
Some of 'em savage anyone who suggests any Corona parts could be involved. Happy enough I got a great player in my favourite metallic, and it is it's own thing ![[cheers]](http://storage.proboards.com/6901257/images/SjZceeTTQxkQVrnBIYLz.gif)
