1983 Dan Smith Strat

[Kelleys Heroes]

This '83 almost literally landed in my lap yesterday, and it cost about the same as the parts I bought for a guitar I'm having built right now. It has a few minor electronics issues, and a weird bridge/useless trem. It plays and sounds sweet. I like it better than my original '77 Strat.

Wondering what people think of these.

 

[Kelleys Heroes]

Of course I posted and then researched further and found it is an '83 "revised" stratocaster, not a Dan Smith.

 

[darkknight91]

Looks like it had the fine tune lock nut that was on the Strat Elites of the time.

 

[Andy Eagle]

Looks like it had the fine tune lock nut that was on the Strat Elites of the time.

That was a third party add on .Fender never fitted them.

 

[Andy Eagle]

Of course I posted and then researched further and found it is an '83 "revised" stratocaster, not a Dan Smith.

Dan Smith is 82, small head four bolt with basically 70s other parts.

 

[darkknight91]

That was a third party add on .Fender never fitted them.

Weren’t they made by Schaller? I had an Elite with one. I know Ty Tabor’s had them. Bulky contraption. Funny all the hoops that were jumped through by manufacturers to avoid the Floyd design back in the day.

 

[Andy Eagle]

Weren’t they made by Schaller? I had an Elite with one. I know Ty Tabor’s had them. Bulky contraption. Funny all the hoops that were jumped through by manufacturers to avoid the Floyd design back in the day.

It was Schaller and also sold under the Fender brand (my mistake sorry I remembered it a Schaller product). But I am sure that they weren't fitted on anything as stock.

 

[darkknight91]

It was Schaller and also sold under the Fender brand (my mistake sorry I remembered it a Schaller product). But I am sure that they weren't fitted on anything as stock.

Remember those lever locknuts on strats around 86-87? Did they actually work well? I never played one. Seems they would since the lock was part of the nut like a Floyd instead of a behind the nut design like a Kahler.

 

[Andy Eagle]

Remember those lever locknuts on strats around 86-87? Did they actually work well? I never played one. Seems they would since the lock was part of the nut like a Floyd instead of a behind the nut design like a Kahler.

Yes but it was quite easy to break the bolt.

 

[Great South Bay]

Those Smith era guitars were really nice.