If it's not a 3 bolt with a hardtail and a bullet, it's not a 70s strat to me. I love me some 70s, 3 bolt, hardtail, bullet strats.

Has 20,000 dollar strats and a bass less than 500 dollars. Man knows his priorities 😁

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly right! 🤣

@paulcartwright2810

3 жыл бұрын

Lol....I'm the same...er...well not so much 20k worth of vintage guitars...but similar vibe...13 various fenders and Gibson...with a epiphone casino and ibanez George Benson GB10...then a old 80s Japanese westone thunder 1A bass for recording basslines on demos...with 20+ year old strings ..and even then sometimes I'll just use my strat via my Roland gr55 guitar synth because it's easier lol

@tonybrooks476

3 жыл бұрын

I picked up my bass for £30 from a charity shop. It works fine.

@timaves1504

3 жыл бұрын

@@paulcartwright2810 Those Westones were very well made, with really good hardware and pickups.

@Wolf_K

3 жыл бұрын

Vintage gear isn’t a necessity, it’s a desire. Thus the Squier bass and vintage Strats. lol

everytime that i see the 70's large headstock i remember david gilmour playing echoes in pompeii

@MrJoshEsc4p3

3 жыл бұрын

yes yes yes!

@antaresguitar

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! Even though Gilmour did not like the larger headstock and went back to the smaller headstock

@Martrex296

2 жыл бұрын

@@antaresguitar I definitely prefer the larger headstock, looks much better IMO.

Truth is that it's now almost impossible to judge how good/bad any vintage models were - the good ones have survived, the mediocre ones have been modded until they became good, and the ones that were just firewood with dreams have been junked. If you really want to know if '70s guitars were any good, you're going need a time machine.

@billhannum4117

Жыл бұрын

I am in my 60s I am a time machine ....played many 70s strats and I can tell you the specs were not as good as they are today.

@Tonetwisters

Жыл бұрын

@@billhannum4117 I sold them in the '70s. Yes, the bridges were pot metal and people did not care for the bullet truss rod adjust. But we had a first class recording studio right next to the store, and I was engineering and producing a song one day when a kid from Quincy, FL came in and heard what we were doing. He grabbed a Stratocaster off the wall and tuned it to what we were doing. This guy then walked into the studio and plugged up to an amp and cut two tracks that blew us away with a guitar that sounded incredible. After 61 years of playing, I have come to conclude that pickups are the key to a great electric guitar sound (and of course, a great amp!) ... the rest is aesthetics and playability (which matter a lot to me! 🙂). My first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster; my second was a 1964 Stratocaster. I now happily own an American Original '50s version which sounds incredible and plays wonderfully and is a real beauty in White Blonde. But I also play a 1991 '62 reissue and love it, too! They all have their own sound ... thankfully! Cheers and all the best!

@kurtlonde5892

10 ай бұрын

... no.... no one would put them to firewood they are all here I have one and.... it s a real good guitar... I changed the tremolo... because this was cheap material....the tuners too and you have a new guitar... sounds much better than the original.... the wood has much potential

@djhoneylove5710

8 ай бұрын

I bought a 1979 root beer hard tail for $400 in the late '90s. It looked great, but looks aren't everything. It was discouraging due to the crap bridge and awful pickups and heavy assed ness. My ignorance of soldering and self maintenance at the time didn't help. I traded it. It would be worth a lot today due to its hard tail and last year of big headstocks.

@jammininthepast

8 ай бұрын

​@@billhannum4117yeah but...I love my Strat and mid '80s Tele. I'm also a time machine, I got lucky and got a good 78-79 Srat that I've played 45 years...thanks brother appreciated.

I would like to see/hear Chris Buck and Matthew jam!

@mikeellis9720

3 жыл бұрын

I have been thinking that too. The World would probably blow up.

@joebryant8500

3 жыл бұрын

+1 Throw a Lemmo in there too.

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Chris is a good man! ✌🏻

@silviaparro5882

3 жыл бұрын

that would be awesome👌🏼

They were good enough for Richie Blackmore, so if anyone hates theirs I'll have it. Lovin' the vibes, man.

@tjatkinson88

3 жыл бұрын

Yep, tons of players used them without issue.

@visionsofhere3745

3 жыл бұрын

There's a lot to be said for a natural finish, big headstock, '70s Strat, like he used at California Jam.

@theshapeexists

3 жыл бұрын

Malmsteen loves them too

@henrybridgeman8898

3 жыл бұрын

In my opinion the strat was reinvented sonically in the 70s

@michaeldorrenbacher8977

3 жыл бұрын

Dont forget Walter Trout

I love the look of the big headstocks. To me they just look better that the small ones.

@CarstenGoeke

3 жыл бұрын

Same here ✌🏼

“Heavy is good, heavy is reliable. If it don’t work, you can hit them with it”.-Boris The Blade

@jarrusjenkins

3 жыл бұрын

"why do they call him that then?"

@Wargasm644

3 жыл бұрын

@@jarrusjenkins “Because he dodges bullets Avy”

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Keith Richards knows..

@jcon2357

3 жыл бұрын

My 1970 strat is really light....

@jarrusjenkins

3 жыл бұрын

@@MatthewScottmusic Do you know what we talking about?

Played a 1972 Strat some time ago, killer guitar! 3T Sunburst, rosewood board and really awesome playwear. Sounded absolutley good, just like you'd expect an old strat to sound!

70's strats are hit or miss. sometimes the neck pockets can be wonky, but not always.

@voided76

3 жыл бұрын

That's true of most fenders man. Picked up a MIM and everything about it was wonderful except the neck moved anytime you looked at it wrong. 120 dollar 3.75 lb body off eBay and its soaring

@steviec67

3 жыл бұрын

True , hit and miss . I had a 79 cherry sunburst that was amazing . Some bastard stole out of my car . Had other 79s that were no where near as good 🤔. Man I miss that sunburst ☹️

man i wish there was more of you playing in that video

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Until next time!!✌🏻✌🏻

@anthonynicholson5523

3 жыл бұрын

Yea...u should have kept playing. Also what dirt pedal was that?!?

@anthonynicholson5523

3 жыл бұрын

@@MatthewScottmusic what dirt pedal were you using...you just said "among other things" and that really has cause sleep issues for me now. Lol. Great playing and holy shit...you should extend your jams and make side videos of nothing buy that.(please tell me what dirt pedal u used)

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Lol! I think I used a kingtone soloist in this video.

This is why the 70’s “Strats” from Japan are so popular.😉

@eddiejr540

3 жыл бұрын

The “re-issues”??...cuz I think japan didn’t start making fenders until the early 80’s...I could be wrong!!!

@bPcrazydave

3 жыл бұрын

@@eddiejr540 He said “Strats”, not “Fender”. ;) Sorry, couldn’t resist the sarcasm. He’s referring to the lawsuit era guitars.

@Bluestilyoudie

3 жыл бұрын

Some of those japan strat copies like tokai, greco and others can be very high quality.

@Monomonmamon

3 жыл бұрын

I have a 90s japanese strat copy and the wood and the build quality feels so premium

@BuzzcutGtr

3 жыл бұрын

​@@Bluestilyoudie Agreed. Some REALLY good guitars from those companies! Aria and Hohner did some damn nice ones, too.

In my opinion, determining whether a guitar sucks or not depends on who's hands it's in. 🤔👍

@wesleyalan9179

3 жыл бұрын

Haha, well in that case it would be "If the player sucked or not!" Lol ..not the guitar,lol🤣 funniest comment I've read all day! No offense...I really don't think you meant it that way,thats just the way I took it!😅🤣

@briano.5746

3 жыл бұрын

@@wesleyalan9179 Right on Wesley! It's cool that I got your attention. PEACE from Southwest Michigan!!! 🐉💀👽🎸🎶🎵🧠

@wesleyalan9179

3 жыл бұрын

@@briano.5746 Love from West Atl Ga! ✌🤟

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

This can be true..✌🏻

@thefog7067

3 жыл бұрын

@Wesley alan Your comnent makes me think of guitarists in denial about how good they really are because no matter what guitar they play it's never them it's always the guitar! Guitarist: "This guitar ain't working for me . IT'S OBVIOUSLY THE GUITAR! How can it be me? 😂 Me: "Errrr yeah its you

My 72 is one of the best sounding and playing strats I've even encountered

I have partscaster Strat with a 70s body. The poly finish is ridiculously thick and it weighs the same as a small moon.

@scottstetzer

3 жыл бұрын

Same here!

@wesleyalan9179

3 жыл бұрын

"A small moon' lol

@tjchad1

3 жыл бұрын

"That's no moon... it's a spacestation..." "Cuz, Star Wars is '70's.

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Same with this one!

@Wileylikethehawk

3 жыл бұрын

I just replaced the body on my 70s Tele because I just couldn’t take the weight anymore!

I'm an older player and I sure appreciate the memories. Keep up the great work.

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Glen.

Bought a 79 strat in 1979 loved it. Played it for many years. Traded it for a 65 Jazzmaster and traded the Jazzmaster for a 91 strat ultra. Still have the Ultra.

@thekitowl

3 жыл бұрын

Paid £325 for mine in 1979.

I have a 73 Blonde tremolo strat which was re-fretted with medium size frets (the frets were removed sideways). It has original pickups and pots, it plays and sounds great. It has a 3 bolt neck, and I've never had a issue, and love the micro-tilt feature. I think after about 75 or so they began becoming much less desirable as well as sounding sharp and piercing. I own quite a few vintage Gibson and Fender guitars, and this 73 stands up very well.

@tjatkinson88

3 жыл бұрын

I agree, I have a 73 sunburst and love it.

would have been fun to see a comparison the same stuff played on a 50s or 60s strat. I would like to hear that blind sound test you mentioned

That who knows intro was awesome man

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you✌🏻✌🏻

The appeal of GEAR is it's measurable. What isn't measurable is the magic of great playing. Jimi Hendrix could have played the worst, cheapest, dirt cheap guitar and still sounded amazing, still sounded like Hendrix. The tone was in his hands. Still, it's fun to talk about gear. I love it and you do a great job of it. (Great playing too, by the way!)

@marzsit9833

3 жыл бұрын

hendrix did play the worst, cheapest, dirt cheap guitar, he learned to play on a danelectro 59dc, a guitar made of cardboard and surplus garbage. today they are collector's items and have been reproduced overseas but back in the day they were the lowest of the low junk guitars available.

@millmoormichael6630

3 жыл бұрын

That’s the exactly reason I need the best sounding & feeling instrument.

I do own a 79 strat, probably the best guitar I've ever had. Nice tone and very stable guitar. stays in tune forever... even using the tremolo.

You truly have a gift. Your playing is incredible. Just the perfect touch

Im starting to grow out my hair like yours now. You've inspired me to play guitar more and I've improved a TON in the last 5 months.

@standupstraight9691

3 жыл бұрын

Fanboi

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome. Its a right of passage. 2 year journey, most never succeed..

@j_freed

3 жыл бұрын

@@MatthewScottmusic - rite of passage ya mean! LOL

@benallmark9671

3 жыл бұрын

@@j_freed how much ya wanna bet he won’t make that mistake again. He comes across as a pretty sharpe young man and I’d bet the farm on it.

@benallmark9671

3 жыл бұрын

@@j_freed I know that’s how I’ve corrected a shit ton of my bad spelling habits that are decades old.

My number 1 strat is a 72, amazing guitar. The 70’s starts are my favorite era of strats.

@chrisguiling3546

2 жыл бұрын

I have a ‘72 Sunburst. Just over 7 lbs and my #1 Strat also. Sounds amazing

Dude PLEASE do a complete playthrough of your song “Mirrors”. I absolutely love it

My '79 blond ash Strat sounded very harsh with little sustain. I refretted mine with larger frets, stripped the thick poly finish from neck and body with a heat gun and applied an oil finish, wired the bridge pickup to the tone pot, added a switch to combine 2 or 3 pickups in series (with capacitors wired to jumper wires to clear up the muddiness), swapped the cheap bridge for a steel one, made a maple plywood pickguard, and blocked the tremolo cavity with wood. I did keep the vintage tuners and pickups.....it was a great little project. Mine only weighs about 7.5 pounds.

I have a 78 antigua stratocaster, I absolutely love it. I did put custom shop pickups in though. I don't see the problem with the 3 bolt neck.

I am a bassist and have owned many 70's Fenders...as time has marched on, the 70's models have become more appreciated probably due to the fact they are becoming harder to find. They do have a vibe all their own.

I’m a big headstock fan with a 76 rosewood and 79 maple. Both are amazing in their own way, but the 79 weighs a TON 🤣😷

@juanmanuelperez5684

3 жыл бұрын

That's right the earlier 70s are not that heavy .. a friend of mine has a 72 natural ash and it's hell of a great guitar

Always a pleasure to hear you jam out man!

I have two 25th anniversary Strats. A silver and much rarer white one. The first few hundred were sprayed in white using a paint formula borrowed from the Huffy bicycle company. The paint cracked and peeled causing Fender to switch to silver as the primary color.

I have owned several 70's strats. I had a 79' --- not the anniversary model though it was all black body/pickguard with a maple neck/fretboard it was gorgeous ! All the 70's strats I had came with the bullet truss rod. I see yours doesn't have the bullet truss rod or the s/n on the face of the headstock. All the 70's strats I owned were HEAVY... 9-10 lbs heavy ! all had big boat necks too. Which I liked. I didn't like the laquered fret boards though. I didn't like the 3-bolt neck either. It seemed to effect the tuning stability. The tuners kinda sucked too. The tone of those 70's strats were a little darker than my other strats too.

They don't suck at all. Only the snobs look down on them. That's fine it keeps the price on them lower. Excellent value and still vintage.

@malcolmhardwick4258

3 жыл бұрын

Prices are much more than 10 years ago !

@nicholastotoro7721

3 жыл бұрын

The price on ‘70’s Strats has gone out of control the last few years, even the bad ones. A bad ‘70’s Strat is a terrible guitar. They can be worked on, but I’d rather play a decent ‘70’s reissue (even MiM) than a bad ‘70’s Strat.

I have a '74 hardtail Strat. Only owner. It's very light and stood me well playing in New Orleans in the 70s and 80s. Lots of guys loved both the sound and the weight. It has needed a fret job for decades. I also have a 74 Tele Deluxe that sounds amazing. I haven't played these guitars out in a long time. (I'm retired)

One of the best Strats I've ever played and own, is a mid 80's MIJ made in the Fujigen factory with the System 1 locking tremolo. Awesome Strat, Rosewood fingerboard, 3-tone sunburst all original, and it's showroom condition.

Could have listened to that outro for hours !

I have a ’75 strat which is kind of my ultimate number one. Its already been through a lot of hours by the previous owner and has a lot of wear even on the back of the neck. It is the single most fantastic guitar that ive ever played even with the 3 bolt neck and the bullet trussrod (which never bothered me) even the grayback pus are fantastic sounding sparkly goodness. Its of course not competable with a 50s or early 60s fender qualitiy wise but the feel and sound dont lie ✌🏻

gawd! you play that like its nothin. chills goin down my back. a real delight to hear and watch you play.

Great job dude! Thanks for what you do.

Bro i swear everytime i get a notification from you i get so hyped

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you🙌🏻🙌🏻

Perfect song for the question in the title. ”Who Knows ?“ 😂 awesome vid like always

Every time you catch me again with your stunning playing Good job man

Thank you for showing us this beautiful strat I’m going to look at one on reverb now

Hardtail 70s strats are the way to go, cool vibe, sustain, and less weight!

@visionsofhere3745

3 жыл бұрын

Hardtails are the way to go. Can't understand why Fender so rarely build any - there are so many players that simple don't want a trem.

@joybuzzer

3 жыл бұрын

To me a hard tail Strat doesn't sound like a Strat. I think the Strat sound comes from the bridge as much as it does the pickups.

@FR01Z

3 жыл бұрын

with lace sensors

@FR01Z

3 жыл бұрын

and woockers

@lincolnosiris3665

3 жыл бұрын

Yap...mine is a bit over 6 pounds and rings like a bell

Who Knows by Band of Gypsys live at the Fillmore East (1970). Nice jam Matthew 🤘

@wrenchhead4378

3 жыл бұрын

Machine gun was a killer track

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

A favorite tune!✌🏻

@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG

3 жыл бұрын

I had it on 8 Track...

Thanks Matthew! As always, so informative. Been playing a long, long time and have learned a lot from your vids. Cheers man.

I have a 1979 Hardtail Strat with a maple neck. I love it so much. It's considered heavy, 9.3 pounds, but that doesn't bug me. Now, it doesn't have the original pickups. But it's EXTREMELY playable and sounds WONDERFUL. It has the 3 bolt neckplate which I love, and also the bullet truss rod. I also replaced the tuners with 70's style F tuners which are locking, and same design (looks-wise) as the original. I replaced them because somebody put Ibanez tuners on it.

Did you apologize for playing guitar in the intro? Apology not accepted. I need more playing!

@LockStoppageSandwich

3 жыл бұрын

1000000000%

I know Julijan Eric rocks a 70's Strat when he plays Hendrix and he's the best when it comes to playing Hendrix

@burgercentral1451

3 жыл бұрын

Randy hansen is also great at playing Hendrix, would give him a listen if you haven't.

@lansley8621

3 жыл бұрын

​@Wesley Taylor Massive respect to Hansen on doing his thing but Julijan is truly on another level. I just noticed you're the one I always see on the comments section on Julijan vids lol. I posted a new cover yesterday would appreciate it if you checked it out!

My favorite channel on whole Ytb!!! And im glad you played Who Knows in the intro.. my favorite Hendrix song!

Good one, Matthew. Interesting & informative. Nice playin', too.

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ed King on “Sweet Home Alabama” strat is a 1973, Yngwie Malmsteen 74 strat

@stuartcleary8621

3 жыл бұрын

Aye that’s strats for sale at Carter’s it’s very cool

@darthjarjarbinks8953

3 жыл бұрын

@@stuartcleary8621 Yeah, but it’s like $75,000 last time I checked.

No guitars actually suck. People are just brainwashed to think certain ways about specific decades or models of guitars. If you can get sound out of it, you can make it do whatever you need for the most part.

@safenders

3 жыл бұрын

True, but there are some peices of junk, and some guitars that not only sound better, but also feel better when playing. Most will get the job done, even the bad ones

@jomamma1750

3 жыл бұрын

Just because I can take a vehicle apart and put it back together with a cheap set of bullshit made in china tools doesn't mean that I want to do that. Using the correct, industrial grade, tool for the job makes it a helluva lot easier, faster and safer. That analogy applies to all tools, including guitars. Generally the more "collectible" guitars are ones that are simply better instruments, for whatever reason. No musician has been "conditioned" to anything here, that is an absolute myth.

@castorkat4868

3 жыл бұрын

No mine sucked

@marcraygun6290

2 жыл бұрын

Had zenta with misplacee bridge, chords could never be in tune, looked cool though

@caseysmith544

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, try playing a First Act or a Harley Benson where the necks after ___ years propeller no matter how good care you take for the instrument and would never be in tune for more the 1/2 a song then go exactly 1/2 step down out of tune then do that again so by the end of song you had a metal guitar that sounded like the type of punk that uses instruments that are actually falling apart on them as they are playing that by the end of the short punk style show no longer work the wood is cracking just from regular use and are worthless.

Great video man. Lovely playing.

love the gold strat - great playing as always

I just picked up a 71 Strat, best guitar I've ever played.

Looks like the guitar fender gifted Rory Gallagher when they felt sorry for him and his no1 strat...that one was white.

I had a sunburst Strat with a maple neck that I bought new in a small rural town in Minnesota1977 when I was 17. Not sure if it was a 77 model or earlier, I know it had been in the music store for a while because I'd been eyeing it and hoping to get it. It was the only one they had and the next nearest music store was probably 40 or 50 miles away. Paid $550 for it and I played it for about 10 years and loved it. I don't have much prospective on whether it was a good one because I didn't really get much chance to play other ones at that time. I really learned to play on that guitar so it holds a special place in my heart.

I own an early'77 strat with the bullet trussrod, 3 bolt neck & 3 way switch. As I'm both a gigging musician & a luthier, custom guitar builder & pickup winder I took care of a few things to make it reliable & gig worthy. Firstly I refretted it with 6105 fretwire & I tightened up the loose neck pocket. As mine is the first of the serial number removed from the neck plate & made into the headstock decal, it also wears a sticker on the underside of the pickguard. The pickups were microphonic & the 3 way not working for me, I wound a set of pickups & loaded a new pickguard with cts pots, 5 way switch and removed the original loaded pickguard with original pups, pots & switch all untouched along with the matching serial number sticker & installed my pickguard. This guitar is a beautiful sounding, playing & feeling guitar that pays for itself most weekends. Love it without the massive price tag of others.

I think I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that the bulk of a players budget should go on a phenomenal amp rather than an awesome guitar....

@robertirlbeck8069

2 жыл бұрын

Electric guitar tone is 40% the amp, 30% the pickups and 30% you. Plugging into an amp that doesn’t respond the way it should totally throws me off and keeps me from playing my best. The amp changes everything.

@equaleyez

2 жыл бұрын

Think some more.. Then come across a Kemper and leave the amp GAS for ever behind. Trust me :) Yes owning a Twin Reverb will sound better than the profile of a TR (slightly), but if you need multiple amps for different styles, get a Kemper. Thank me later

Who cares, Matthew could make a squire sound like a dream anyway.

@harryw9598

2 жыл бұрын

yo j early squiers were real good

@Fubbernutt

2 жыл бұрын

@@harryw9598 they were, but I was not so lucky to have them lol. My first electric was a squire strat from Costco with action higher than snoop dogg

My first 'proper' guitar (ie, not a copy) was a 79 USA Strat, bought new from Fender Soundhouse in London. What a lemon - the neck slopped about in the pocket, but even at the end of its 'travel' the top e was nearly falling off the edge of the fretboard anywhere above the 12th fret. The bridge pup sounded shrill and weedy. I was so overcome by 'real Strat', 'actual Fender' that I failed to notice these faults before parting with my £300-plus - a fair bit of wedge in 1979! So to answer your question, some of them did - and I bought one!

That 59’ has the perfect amount of wear. Fantastic guitar

Oh yeah, the "3-Bolt" Myth: If you keep the bolts snugged up once a year, AS YOU SHOULD DO WITH ANY BOLT-ON NECK, you will have no problems with Fender's 3-bolt design.

@derrickderrick4397

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. 2 screws would probably do the job if the neck pocket is a snug fit. Loose neck pockets can be a problem. I cut 1/2" tubes that go over the screws and act as locating dowels, half in the neck half in the pocket.

@BollocksUtwat

3 жыл бұрын

Supposed the 3 bolt arrived right around the time the neck pockets got really loose.

The CBS 70s big headstocks are the best ever designed. Such an amazing look.

Thanks I always appreciate your insights. Rock on!

I loveLoveLOVE the ash bodied 70's Strats. Heavy as hell, but man, do they sustain. The neck shifting problem wasn't because of the 3 bolt mounting. It was the loose neck pocket. I've seen some with as much as 1/8" gap in the pocket. If the pocket is tight, you could get away with one bolt. I believe those are Sperzel tuners.

I’m too early for the comments from the people who know what they’re talking about

@StevenFines13147

3 жыл бұрын

Me too

@wesleyalan9179

3 жыл бұрын

Lol

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

🤣🤣

I believe that Dave Simpson is the greatest guitar player of all time.

@MatthewScottmusic

3 жыл бұрын

Very good!! ✌🏻✌🏻

That comment was perfect. You didn’t say anything snarky, or witty, or passive aggressive, just simply „hey, if you don’t mine 10lb guitars, u can look at more than I can.“ Just simple facts and it shut all of the „weight equals tones!!!!“ ppl up

Love everything you post Sir.

70's strats are awesome idc what anyone says

@wesleyalan9179

3 жыл бұрын

Right on!🤟 My partscaster has an original 70s neck and bridge on it!

@blue342

3 жыл бұрын

@@wesleyalan9179 hell yeah 😎🤘

I have a 1977 Fender Telecaster that is the best telecaster I have played. I did have to get the bridge pickup wax potted and a refret job. It now plays and sounds awesome.

My dad has a 71 left handed strat !! It’s absolutely gorgeous! Plays fantastic too

Great job on this, nice playing and spot on from an accuracy perspective. My first Strat was a three bolt ‘79 in candy apple red that weighed over 11 lbs. The neck would shift in the sloppy neck pocket, so I converted it to a 4 bolt. Back in my early 20’s, I really didn’t mind the weight but by the the time I hit 30, I started to gravitate to lighter Strats.

I had a 1979 pearl white anniversary Strat. It was a great guitar. It was my first Fender. I had an LP Custom and an SG. I don't remember it being that heavy. I guess the 18 year old me didn't mind. Wish I still had it.

The lead guitarist in a band I used to play in played one of those. He got amazing killer fat Strat tones. He loved it. So did we! Many thanks for posting.

My friend that taught me the guitar back in the 80s still has his one of these. I think it’s the reason I always wanted a Strat witha 70s headstock as this was my first experience of a real Fender Strat. I did achieve this last year by picking up a MIM 70s reissue at the UK Guitar Show. I ended up getting some Radioshop ID63GTs made and installed as the pups that came with it where a little thin as you mentioned, with the bridge.

I play a 77 mustang in natural. Guitar gets played more than anything else I own. The vibrato on it is dead nuts and the bridge has perfect intonation. I have it in d standard with 11-56 daddarios. Such a massive sounding little guitar.

I bought a Jaguar, my first and only Fender, and when I got it I thought it made everything sound like Hendrix. That Fender tone man. I found it very inspiring.

i have a '73 strat that i bought used in about '79 for 200.00- ive always loved it

Also enjoyed the SRV meets Hendrix outro. Thanks again for sharing 🎸🤠

I own a ‘79 Silver Anniversary Strat. I saw one in a guitar magazine and wanted one ever since. Anyway, I found in 2005 that is in amazing condition. AND, it only weighs around 7.5lbs!!! I had it re-fretted with jumbos, and the bridge pickup had gone completely microphonic, so I changed it to a Lollar “Blackface” bridge pickup. It is a pretty nice instrument. Thanks for the great vids. Very informative, and plus, you are a hell of a player. I’m a fan. Keep the vids coming!

That looks GORGEOUS! You are as good as SRV himself! Your tone as well! 🤘🎸😝

Enjoy the insights, I'm like a sponge for info, but mostly... I come to hear them strings twanging. Makes my day.

I'm lucky enough to own a '77 Tele Custom and it's amazing! The versatility that the wide-range Humbucker give the guitar is just immense and the middle position is a thing of beauty. Nothing but good things to say about a 70s Fender!

I have a '78 swampash trem and a '79 3 tone hardtail (and a '74 tele custom + a '78 fretless P bass) - the 78 was my main guitar for a lot of years and just never ever failed to impress. I literally wore the frets down to stumps, then wore the damn finish from the maple board ! That guitar sounds better than anything I've bought since, and that's a hell of a lot of guitars ! Very slim neck - plays like butter and looks unreal ! The price of these things is going through the roof now - they will be the next 'pre cbs' type investment. I paid 450 for mine back in the mid 90's, and now it's easily 2 grand plus and rising more every time I look. As for the 3 bolt neck, well people bashed it but as a serious long time user of said neck I can tell you it's a non problem - they are no different to a 4 bolt in terms of stability or longevity - they just work fine without issues, and honestly I prefer the way they look. I will say one thing - these guitars are not like modern ones, not even the so called 70's reissues - the necks are a different beast. If you're used to a modern flatter type board, then the 70's stuff might be a bit of a step for you 'cos they are very curved ! I think the radius is like 7.25 or something. So mush of the music we love and consider to be the classics was recorded with these strats, and I know why :) Edit: My '79 has a fatter neck, so they are not all the same. Like everything - try before you buy if it's not just for the investment.

I had a 74 strat that was awesome.

Love your playing man!!!

Have a couple of 70's Strats. Love them. Only issue I have with them is the cheap and nasty die-cast bridge saddles. They wear down into grooves like trenches pretty easily! I've replaced them with steel saddles. The 3 bolt neck is a slight issue on one of them, I really should convert it to a 4 bolt, but on the other, the joint is solid. I prefer the look of the larger headstock and I think it adds sustain.

I’ve got a 78’ black one. You have to have some luck but there are some good ones out there. I’ve bought mine from the original owner who had played the heck out of it forever. He had handwired pickups put in it. I only had to refret it. It sounds and plays amazing, great Hendrix vibes. I’m digging the tones you get out of this Matthew! You never cease to inspire. Because of you I started my own guitar instagram and I’m going to start a youtube channel too. Thanks for all the great content!! Cheers from The Netherlands ⚡️🙏🏻✌🏽

Great video as always man. When will we hear the complete tone review of the lp special?

I own a 74 strat. When I was doing my research before stepping into the shop I saw many people say 70's strat are hit or miss. So I went in and tried it and it was a big hit for me. I compared it to a 1999 voodoo jimi Hendrix approved strat, and a 79. Neither of those were any close to that 74. It's to this day the best strat I played. Granted I didn't play many of them. It's very very light, I haven't weighed it but it was the lightest strat the store had. The only reason why it was reachable for a broke man like me was that it's a refin and the neck pickup was rewound. If you like the look of the strats from this era and have the opportunity to get one I say try it out before buying and I hope you'll be as lucky as I was that day :)

Spot on Matthew. I have 3 Seventies Strats, a ‘79, a ‘77 and a ‘74. The later ones suffer from all the things you mention, weak bridge pickup, dodgy shifting neck, 9-10lb weight, also shallow contours, and that Mazac bridge. The ‘74 is light, nicely contoured with grey bottom pickups and sounds and plays like a mid 60s model (I also have a ‘64). Hendrix definitely had better guitars available to him than those late seventies examples. I do admit I have a soft spot for my mocha ‘77 though 😁

Loved the sound and the playing was excellent!

Very informative. Thanks!

In 73 I bought a three bolt burst with a maple board. The fit & finish were flawless and it played beautifully. My bandmate had a 64 rosewood that wasn't as easy to play but the tonal quality difference between the two was profound.

My first guitar purchase ever (back in 1978!) was a used 1973 hardtail, black with white pickguard. Rosewood fretboard. I still play out (until COVID) and record with it to this day, and it's on its 3rd set of frets now. All I knew about guitars back then was that Jimi played a strat, so I was going to have to have one. It cost me $300, which was all I had. I didn't have enough for the fancy ones with a whammy bar. (I used to hit a lot of rock shows back in the day and saw plenty of guitarists pushing on the back of their headstocks for vibrato, so I started doing that! The neck has held up even after almost 50 years of doing that...no big EVH-divebombs, though.) I love the big headstock, I love the bullet truss rod nut, I even love the 3-bolt neck plate...it never occurred to me that these were "bad" things. So, to the question of do 70's Strats suck...depends on who's playing...as Matthew clearly demonstrated here :) - oh, and by the way, it weighs less than 8 lbs.

Had a 74 strat that I bought new. I loved that guitar.