NGD! Probably the best deal I will ever get on anything.

Hammer

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So I spy this CL ad in York, PA last night. 'An electric guitar for sale, $80' is all it said (paraphrasing a bit, ad is now down). There was a small, fuzzy picture of a black Strat shaped guitar in a purple lined case. You could make out just enough to see that it had 3 single coils, a large Fender shaped headstock and something funky going on with the jack. I email and ask for make, model and better pics. I get a reply with no additional pics stating it is a Fender Stratacaster. I start thinking, oh boy, it's probably a Starcaster or something equally ghetto. I ask for the serial. S782533. No way this is for real. For $80? Meh, what the hell...I set up a time to meet her today. I came home with this:

P7200266.jpg

P7200267.jpg


For $80. I tried to tell her what she had, but she did not care. Her ex had given it to her son, but he hadn't touched it in 2 years and she just wanted it gone, gone, gone. Her current husband evidently plays and he had absolutely zero interest, she said. Oh well...more vintage goodness for me! :lol:

And the funkiness with the bridge? Alembic preamp. Everything else is bone stock. The only thing missing is a switch tip cover and I am picking up a period correct piece tomorrow. I'm in the process of cleaning and restringing now, but I took it apart and everything matches...serial, neck, neck pocket...even still has the serial number sticker on the underside of the pickguard. :mrgreen:
 

twocorgis

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Hammer said:
So I spy this CL ad in York, PA last night. 'An electric guitar for sale, $80' is all it said (paraphrasing a bit, ad is now down). There was a small, fuzzy picture of a black Strat shaped guitar in a purple lined case. You could make out just enough to see that it had 3 single coils, a large Fender shaped headstock and something funky going on with the jack. I email and ask for make, model and better pics. I get a reply with no additional pics stating it is a Fender Stratacaster. I start thinking, oh boy, it's probably a Starcaster or something equally ghetto. I ask for the serial. S782533. No way this is for real. For $80? Meh, what the hell...I set up a time to meet her today. I came home with this:

P7200266.jpg

P7200267.jpg


For $80. I tried to tell her what she had, but she did not care. Her ex had given it to her son, but he hadn't touched it in 2 years and she just wanted it gone, gone, gone. Her current husband evidently plays and he had absolutely zero interest, she said. Oh well...more vintage goodness for me! :lol:

And the funkiness with the bridge? Alembic preamp. Everything else is bone stock. The only thing missing is a switch tip cover and I am picking up a period correct piece tomorrow. I'm in the process of cleaning and restringing now, but I took it apart and everything matches...serial, neck, neck pocket...even still has the serial number sticker on the underside of the pickguard. :mrgreen:

:shock: :shock: :shock:

Holy Smokes! What a score, Hammer! Congrats!
 

adorshki

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All those missing strings. No wonder it was only $80.00. I'll give you $160.00 plus shipping. Double your money. I'm not really a 'leccie guy but I'm sympathetic to your plight. What are fellow forum members for? :D
 

taabru45

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No wonder you got a good deal on it. Now its just an old guitar...now it it were only 3 or 4 years old you'd have paid more.............right! :lol: Smokin' deal.......and I'm no expert....you're happy? :lol: :lol: Steffan
 

Hammer

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Thanx for the offers guys, but I think I may just keep it. :lol:

taabru45 said:
No wonder you got a good deal on it. Now its just an old guitar...now it it were only 3 or 4 years old you'd have paid more.............right! :lol: Smokin' deal.......and I'm no expert....you're happy? :lol: :lol: Steffan

I am. I'd have to be pretty goofy to complain about an $80 USA Strat, any year. :lol: I'm still not sure how I feel about the preamp, so if I come across a proper vintage jack and jackplate, I may rip it out, but for now...it's all good.
 

jp

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Jeez! What a score! I sold my '76 for $1600 last year! Okay, you're second now in the best find. The only thing that beats this find is the member who IIRC found an Artist Award in a dumpster. Either way, those 70s Strats are heavy but big on tone.

Congrats! :mrgreen:
 
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Woooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa!! Nice score, Hammer!

Just don't tell Thunderface. He'll probably *Hulk* out and buy about 4 more vintage solid body Guilds and ship 'em cross country at great personal risk to himself and the guitars. :roll: :lol:

~nw
 

Thunderface

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Nigel Wickwire said:
Woooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa!! Nice score, Hammer!

Just don't tell Thunderface. He'll probably *Hulk* out and buy about 4 more vintage solid body Guilds and ship 'em cross country at great personal risk to himself and the guitars. :roll: :lol:

~nw

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ah, a reputation can be an easy thing to earn and a hard thing to live with. Well, in this case, not that hard to live with because of all the guitars. :D But let's not shift the spotlight off Hammer and his stellar deal. Nice work, Hammeranian. The best deal I ever got was spending $38 on eBay for a slightly rusty 70s metal lunchbox .... and winding up with a wife.
 

Hammer

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Thunderface said:
The best deal I ever got was spending $38 on eBay for a slightly rusty 70s metal lunchbox .... and winding up with a wife.

How the bloody hell did she fit in there?!? :shock: :shock: :shock: :lol:
 

fronobulax

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@Thunder - You have a story to tell, don't you, and you're just waiting for enough people to beg you to tell it...

@Hammer - Nice score although I'm sure you're rather have a genuine Road Worn Strat...
 

Hammer

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fronobulax said:
@Hammer - Nice score although I'm sure you're rather have a genuine Road Worn Strat...

Ya know, funny thing is I'm not a huge Strat guy. Sure, I like some glassy cleans, quacks and woman tone every once in a while, but I'd rather have some buckers in my hand. I couldn't say no to the $550 I paid for the dead mint, bone stock 97 I have...and it has become one of my go to guitars. Now with the 77/78 cleaned up (it'll need a fret job soon, but otherwise it cleaned up nice), I've been playing the hell out of it. Not a huge fan of the road worn series though...I like the wear and dings to come from me and be for real. :wink:
 

Thunderface

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Chazmo said:
Indeed, thunder! That's a story that must be told!

Okay. Here's the story. A few years back, I was having lunch with a female colleague of mine, someone I had known for a few years and who, at the time of the lunch, was just a friend. As we were walking, she was telling me about having a Walton's lunchbox as a kid until some boy made fun of her and she never carried it again. And I was telling her how you can find anything on eBay. After the lunch, to prove my point, I started searching for a Waltons lunchbox on eBay. Eventually, I found one, bought it, and mailed it to her as something of a good gag. Even had my 8-year-old son write her a note of apology from the kid who made fun of her lunchbox years ago to include in the package. I figured she would get a good laugh out of the whole thing.

She was so moved by the fact that I remembered the story and sent her the lunchbox that we became more than friends and eventually got married. On the tables at our wedding reception were ... little miniature metal lunchboxes with photos attached to them. We even got the band to play the theme from "The Waltons" for our first dance. Best $38 I ever spend. Best idea I ever had that I actually put into motion.

All the ideas about buying guitars are a distance second.
 
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