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1979 Fender Stratocaster 25th Anniversary

youngneil1

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Joined
May 6, 2009
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29
Does anybody have one? I'd like to know the general consensus.

The first few hundred had a finish issue and needed to be refinished. Is there a price difference between the first hundreds and the rest with original finish?
What about the neck size?
What about the pu`s?
Weight..on the heavier side?

Thanks Guys
 

Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
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20,853
Very typical for the period. Very heavy. Roundish necks. small frets. No big whoop.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
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1,592
Great guitars. I almost bought one down in Florida a few years back in great condition for a grand. But, the Twin Reverb was the better deal. It wasn't until recently that I learned they were silver, we always called them the green strats! The ones I've played were not by any stretch the 9+ pounders but I'm sure heavier are out there. Also, they have heel adjust nut construction, chimey pickups but no staggering on the poles IIRC and a 4-bolt neck. Cool period pieces and if you find one that sings it will sing with you.

Some folks are asking stupid money for them, keep searching if that's the case as there's plenty out there.
 

akstrat61

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Feb 16, 2004
Messages
1,845
I got my old '79 back a couple of years ago. One of my first guitars and sold it to a friend 25+ years ago. He was gracious enough to sell it back to me a couple of years ago. Although not a 25th, still the same materials and build. Neck is slim, frets are small, guitar is heavy, and the finish is thick. I have one small piece of the finish missing, chipped out. The pickups were shit and I replaced them with noiseless ones back in the day. It now plays well and can get the Strat tone pretty well in most positions. Would I buy one today for what they are going for? Nope, there are better Strats out there for the money. MHO
 

deytookerjaabs

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Here's a decent demo:





The sound almost reminds me of the old Donahue custom shop Tele I played for a while, twang machine!
 

Rich R

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Jun 4, 2002
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They really were no different from the stock Strats of that era. I saw/played many, as I initially worked in a busy, rock-oriented music store, then became a rep, and that took me to dozens more. Personally, I think they're so, um, "distinctive", they're kinda cool--very similar in appeal to the "Silverburst" LPs of the same era--not sure of the exact nature of that appeal, but hey...

The new Gibsons and Fenders of the mid-Seventies just sucked, as did everything else: the worst cars, etc. It was a completely fucked-up time in the U.S. economy. Very difficult to even get a job! American manufacturing, which was literally the best in the world in the post-war years, had been hollowed out. Ironically, it might have been THE best time to be a rock musician, because you had nothing to lose--at least that was my point of view--and I had a grand old time! I actually think the spirit of Seventies Rock is superior to the Sixties, although the earlier instruments were far superior! Certainly the Seventies concerts were beyond description! :spabout

There are two movies that really capture the shitty, gritty, nature of that era, if you want a taste: Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam", and "Invincible", w Mark Wahlberg.
 

somebodyelseuk

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Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
454
My first Strat is a 79 hardtail in Antigua finish. Still got it.

I don't know what what I was thinking. Theygo for about four times what I paid for it back in the 80s. Spend £300 on any Asian knock off and you WILLget a better guitar. If 70s style Strats are your thing, buy a reissue. They're better made, better sounding and play better.
 

samsdad

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Joined
Aug 21, 2015
Messages
406
Here's a decent demo:





The sound almost reminds me of the old Donahue custom shop Tele I played for a while, twang machine!

I remember back in 1979 When the 25th Anniversary Stratocasters Came out and when they where New
Nobody wanted them Because of the weight and a lot of them hung around unsold for a long time well through 1981/82
They had a Bad Rap and Paint Problems and seemed High Priced at that time 1979-1980 was a bad time with the
Iran Hostage Crisis consuming people 3 Mile Island Rising Gas Prices and High Inflation Plus a Presidential Election
 

ElectricGuitarM

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Jun 24, 2020
Messages
8
Well one thing is for sure. 1979 was a legendary year in rock history. I wish I were alive back then. Amazing albums like In Through the Out Door would have been nice to listen to, especially with a Strat
 

samsdad

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Aug 21, 2015
Messages
406
Well one thing is for sure. 1979 was a legendary year in rock history. I wish I were alive back then. Amazing albums like In Through the Out Door would have been nice to listen to, especially with a Strat

It Was A Good Year For Rock and Babes and Burnout's
we listen to in through the out door on the cassette
camping out at the beach and while disco was still alive
on the radio i was 24 at that time and having Fun
because i was young and now 65 no more fun
just a messed up time these days 79 world events
seem tame now compared to daily events and corruption of today
 

ElectricGuitarM

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Joined
Jun 24, 2020
Messages
8
They really were no different from the stock Strats of that era. I saw/played many, as I initially worked in a busy, rock-oriented music store, then became a rep, and that took me to dozens more. Personally, I think they're so, um, "distinctive", they're kinda cool--very similar in appeal to the "Silverburst" LPs of the same era--not sure of the exact nature of that appeal, but hey...

The new Gibsons and Fenders of the mid-Seventies just sucked, as did everything else: the worst cars, etc. It was a completely fucked-up time in the U.S. economy. Very difficult to even get a job! American manufacturing, which was literally the best in the world in the post-war years, had been hollowed out. Ironically, it might have been THE best time to be a rock musician, because you had nothing to lose--at least that was my point of view--and I had a grand old time! I actually think the spirit of Seventies Rock is superior to the Sixties, although the earlier instruments were far superior! Certainly the Seventies concerts were beyond description! :spabout

There are two movies that really capture the shitty, gritty, nature of that era, if you want a taste: Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam", and "Invincible", w Mark Wahlberg.

To me, this is a perfect parallel to automobiles. The 1950s and 60s cars were truly classics as were the Gibsons and Les Pauls
 

Aloha_Ark

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Apr 2, 2020
Messages
154
I wonder what the OP finally decided to do. My preference would have been to add 15 years, and pick up a 40th anniversary model. Some of these 1990's era American standard guitars sound fine. The custom shop Fenders are also a good value.
 

agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
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451
didnt the first handfull have a white finish?.
man id love to have a 79 antiga hardtail
 

akstrat61

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Feb 16, 2004
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1,845
didnt the first handfull have a white finish?.
man id love to have a 79 antiga hardtail
I have a white '79. I didn't know they were assopciated with the anniversary models? Mine has a regular S9xxxxx serial number.
 

agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
Messages
451
I have a white '79. I didn't know they were assopciated with the anniversary models? Mine has a regular S9xxxxx serial number.
the first annniversary ones said aniversary on them and were white but there was a problem with the paint cracking so they switched to silver. iwonder if a white one might be pretty rare today?
 

jrgtr42

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Mar 24, 2005
Messages
2,308
I've played a bunch of late 70's Strats. There are some good ones and some dogs, just like any year.
They tend to be heavier than other eras - and I'm talking the '77, '78, '79 ones - but I like a bit of weight on my shoulder (10+lb LPs not so much...)
Slightly bigger necks than others, again, I like that.
Not sure if there's a up-value for the white over silver, and anniversary over standard.
 

deytookerjaabs

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Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
And, they managed to make them even heavier when they did the limited "The Strat" run! I had a student who had one way back when they didn't sell for anything. He hated it, lol, I asked if he would sell it to me but wouldn't sell it either. I even tried to trade for it. Not that it was some amazing player, it was just so unique with the giant hunk of brass for a bridge and the funky knobs.
 

agogetr

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Jan 22, 2019
Messages
451
IMNMO (in my narrow minded opinion) the 3 bolt was not a good move at all. i have some 70's strats that look cool, one blonde has bearclaw on the body, another has bar tan top to bottom all matching nicotene yellow, they were also cheap to buy, however the 3 bolt thing if you really pay ettention allows the neck to flex out of tune easier. i,m going to glue my necks in (stone him!) another thing ive never picked up a 70's strat where the neck just grabbed me like a good 57 neck or something.
the closest one would be a black 72 strat with a maple neck, its decent. the best sounding one is a sunburst 73 hardtail, its feather light too. i knew when i picked it up and plugged it in it was gonna be around a while. it does however have the milktoast average feeling 70's fretboard as so many of those do.
the best fender neck i have with a fretboardt to die for is a 66 bound jazzmaster neck. the body is refinned blue with glitter on it (yay!). and some other kind of pickups.it supposedly belonged to waylon jennings guitar player.
 

El Gringo

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Apr 8, 2015
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And, they managed to make them even heavier when they did the limited "The Strat" run! I had a student who had one way back when they didn't sell for anything. He hated it, lol, I asked if he would sell it to me but wouldn't sell it either. I even tried to trade for it. Not that it was some amazing player, it was just so unique with the giant hunk of brass for a bridge and the funky knobs.
I always liked those and there was a local band that played around the corner from me that had the Lake Placid Blue one with the matching headstock and he rocked it and rolled it and got all bluesy with it and I wanted one so bad in either Candy Apple red or Lake Placid blue . This guy was getting some super twangy sounds and licks out of it as well . Really great sounding to my ears .
 
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