The Mystery of the Strat.

Strum

Here's the story. I took a photo (below) and when I saw it on the PC I spotted that Stratocaster under the Bridge leaning against the wall. Well I was outta here is minutes to go get it and I did.
It was tied to the Wall with a piece of Barbed Wire. Weird eh? And it appears to have been submerged underwater for quite some time.
After a bit of surfing about it appears to be a genuine Vintage or Classic Fender Strat from the early 50's. I think that sunburst colour is a giveaway too from that era but I don't know.















A lot of damage etc but could possibly be restored. I'm drying it out really really slowly so as not to crack the body.

Anyway I would dearly love to know how the hell it ended up in the River and if anybody has any suggestions on restoring it I'd appreciate any feedback.

Cheers.

Daniel S

That's amazing! I'd rather find me a Gibson though

EDIT: Did you photoshop the cig and glasses on? Could just be the lighting though.

Squidgy Black

Don't think that's a strat, it looks like a mosrite, or one of the kay imitations like this one http://www.adverts.ie/guitar-bass/vintage-60-s-mosrite-style-kay/517033

However the wood could've eroded and changing shape etc.

Awesome find none the less!

punchdrunk

that's no strat,it's an asian copy by the look of it
it's also missing one of the most important parts of a guitar-the fretboard!

possibly tied there to "relic" it or artificially age it by some loon!

Strum

Thanks folks.

stetyrrell it is absolutely nothing like that haha

Yeah the fretboard is gone as is one of the machine heads BUT I have a mate who repairs Guitars so we'll see what happens. It IS a genuine strat though.

quicklickpaddy

That'd be a very cool thing to find! Whatever it is, see about getting it fixed up but if it's been submerged for a long time I'd say it's more than likely not even fixable but at the very least it's something with a story behind it that looks nice to hang on your wall!

Would you mind posting up a few more pictures of it so we can try find out what it is? I can't distinguish where the pickguard ends or even any spaces for the pickups?

punchdrunk

strum look at the shape of the pickguard,it's nothing like a strats



don't be getting your hopes up that it's worth anything
still,a cool find though

Strum

quicklickpaddy wrote: »

That'd be a very cool thing to find! Whatever it is, see about getting it fixed up but if it's been submerged for a long time I'd say it's more than likely not even fixable but at the very least it's something with a story behind it that looks nice to hang on your wall!

Would you mind posting up a few more pictures of it so we can try find out what it is? I can't distinguish where the pickguard ends or even any spaces for the pickups?

Thanks Paddy. Do you have a facebook account? Although I think mine is open to public view anyway.

Try here for close-ups of it.



https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150268193796433.329782.531541432

-Chris-

What kind of pickup is on it?

punchdrunk

looks like a teisco of some sort

Dord

My guess is Teisco or something similar. It's definitely not a fender strat.

-=al=-

that's freakin weird alrite!



but this looks something similar

Strum

-Chris- wrote: »

What kind of pickup is on it?

Too rusty to tell yet.


thanks for the feedback folks.

Strum

-=al=- wrote: »

that's freakin weird alrite!



but this looks something similar

That pickguard/scratchplate looks similar alright, but the body is different and it's only a single pickup on the one I found.
Where would the serial number normally be?

eoin5

Class, I wouldn't bother restoring it. Would look cool hanging up in a jamming room.

novarock

To me that would look like it was put there as some kind of memorial or something..

kenon

novarock wrote: »

To me that would look like it was put there as some kind of memorial or something..

I agree.

Strum

eoin5 wrote: »

Class, I wouldn't bother restoring it.

I gotta make an effort. It dried out nicely, no cracks or warps. The stock is part of the body, one piece, would that be a clue?
My mate can do the machine heads, then it's just the wiring and a new pickup.


And a paint job.

Strum

novarock wrote: »

To me that would look like it was put there as some kind of memorial or something..

That's one of the ideas that crossed my mind originally BUT I went through some older photos of the same place and believe it or not it wasn't there two weeks ago, so I reckon somebody found it in the River and tied it up to the wall.
Still a mystery though why somebody would throw it away?

Bono wrote the Joshua Tree near here. Maybe he lost the Rag one day and fkd it over the Bridge haha.

novarock

id still put it back if I were you.. people just dont throw out guitars into rivers, it was put there for a reason.

fearbainne

That is very cool... I would go for the restoration too!

Strum

Dord wrote: »

My guess is Teisco or something similar. It's definitely not a fender strat.

Nope definitely not. Remember it's a single pickup. Also it doesn't look like a Strat because the curves on the headstock have fallen off.

Strum

I've cleaned the dried mud off it before I take it apart. I have also trawled the internet and havn't turned up a single thing remotely like it.
The pickguard is unusual, the shape, and what is the hole in it for? (red arrow) Also the black arrows are pointing to holes for whatever kind of bridge was there to hold the strings. Any further ideas?

pinksoir

It's definitely a Teisco/Harmony/Kay/Silvertone guitar. Looks like late 60's. Have a look on ebay for Teisco, there are tons of similar. All those brands were made in the same factory in Japan for Sears. It'd be nigh on impossible to identify the exact model as they produced so many and they're not too well documented. There's a few sites with info, but there were just so many models with slight variations.

It's not worth anything anyway. And it'd be a bitch to fix up it's so damaged, not to mention the expense if you wanted original hardware etc.

The hole at the top of the PG is for the wire from the pickup. The pickups are surface mount, copper foil microphonics. I'd say it had a surface mount tremolo too which explains the holes at the bottom.

Strum

Wow great info thanks Pink. :cool:

I'll keep searchng but the thing is I can't find much on the net with a single pickup like that.
I just joined the Fender Forums haha. Maybe something will turn up.
I know it's worthless and probably irrepairable, it just got my curosity.

Thanks again for the input.

pinksoir

Well that's cos it used to have 2 pickups! I'm pretty sure I can make out the screw holes at the top (can I?). As I said, those pickups are surface mounted so there wouldn't be a hole in the pickguard for them, but there is a hole for the wire from the pickup. Have a look under the remaining one and you'll see.

Which Fender forum did you join? Try TDPRI, there's some knowledgeable dudes over there...

Squidgy Black

pinksoir wrote: »

Which Fender forum did you join? Try TDPRI, there's some knowledgeable dudes over there...

Yep TDPRI and thegearpage.net are pretty big forums with a lot of knowlegeable guys.

I'm starting to think that this was possibly a memorial to somebody who was recently deceased if it was only there a couple of weeks. It'd be a pretty horrible thing to find out that it was.

Strum

stetyrrell wrote: »

I'm starting to think that this was possibly a memorial to somebody who was recently deceased if it was only there a couple of weeks. It'd be a pretty horrible thing to find out that it was.

That also crossed my mind but I doubt it. If you look at the first photo there used to be an enormous Tree that obscured the archway of the Bridge and about a Month ago the Tree was chopped down by the Council to make way for a storm drain, so I reckon one of the workers found it in the River and secured it to the wall. The top of the Bridge is a walkway so I'm guessing somebody threw it over from there.
For what reason is anybody's guess.

Thanks for the feedback.

The fender site I joined is. http://www.fender.com/community/forums/

But I'll join the other aswell. Thanks again.

jimmy99

http://demontguitars.com/Images/Kay%20Teisco%20Tulip/watermarked/images/front-close_jpg.jpg
Is this it.

geetar

id just put the guitar back.

its hardly worth anything, the wood is clearly rotten, the neck is in hoops and has no fret board. no functioning hardware, or pickups... its finished beyone repair. its barely even a guitar anymore

it most likely is a memorial of some sort, not something that ends up in a river too often, let alone leaning against a bridge.

punchdrunk

jimmy99 wrote: »

http://demontguitars.com/Images/Kay%20Teisco%20Tulip/watermarked/images/front-close_jpg.jpg
Is this it.

jimmy I think you've hit the nail on the head,it's one of them thats been modified!

Strum

punchdrunk wrote: »

jimmy I think you've hit the nail on the head,it's one of them thats been modified!

Haha, not a chance, nowhere near it. :rolleyes:

It's maybe an early Japanese 80's copy.

Dord

Take your head out of the clouds. It's not a Fender or even vaguely like a strat. Actually I think the body looks more like a Jazz bass, but it's not one of those either.

punchdrunk

Strum wrote: »

Haha, not a chance, nowhere near it. :rolleyes:

It's maybe an early Japanese 80's copy.

nowhere near it?


guitar by mechanicalapple, on Flickr

same bridge
same tailpiece
same pickup (only one pickup,pickguard mounted)
http://www.cloudyproject.com/potting-teisco-pickups/
(your pickupcovers plating is gone)
same pickguard mounted Volume,Tone,Jack arrangement with no switching

these guitars are both Teiscos of a similar vintage maybe a couple of years apart (which accounts for the different shape to the body horns,but using hardware from the same production line)

novarock

its looking like its definitely 60's japanese anyway.. But not of any value. even the ones one ebay in perfect condition go for around 100 euro.

Please put up a better photo of the headstock. Its 100% not a strat copy, without doubt! the lads responding above are experts!

I still very seriously think you should put it back. Its of no real value to you, but could be of extreme sentimental value to someone else.

Dord

novarock wrote: »

I still very seriously think you should put it back. Its of no real value to you, but could be of extreme sentimental value to someone else.

Exactly! you don't want to anger the gods of rock n' roll! :eek:

Parsley

punchdrunk wrote: »

nowhere near it?


guitar by mechanicalapple, on Flickr

same bridge
same tailpiece
same pickup (only one pickup,pickguard mounted)
http://www.cloudyproject.com/potting-teisco-pickups/
(your pickupcovers plating is gone)
same pickguard mounted Volume,Tone,Jack arrangement with no switching

these guitars are both Teiscos of a similar vintage maybe a couple of years apart (which accounts for the different shape to the body horns,but using hardware from the same production line)

completely different body shape!

Strum

novarock wrote: »

I still very seriously think you should put it back. Its of no real value to you, but could be of extreme sentimental value to someone else.

Honestly Nova If it had been put there deliberately as a memorial or something like that I would have been reluctant to take it but like I said in an earlier post, it wasn't there two weeks before that photo but it has been in the River a long time. A massive tree crossing the River had been cut down about a week before I saw it so I reckon years ago somebody threw it over the Bridge into the River and when the tree was cut down I reckon one of the workers found it in the River and tied it to the wall.

Strum

punchdrunk wrote: »

nowhere near it?

same bridge
same tailpiece
same pickup (only one pickup,pickguard mounted)
http://www.cloudyproject.com/potting-teisco-pickups/
(your pickupcovers plating is gone)
same pickguard mounted Volume,Tone,Jack arrangement with no switching

these guitars are both Teiscos of a similar vintage maybe a couple of years apart (which accounts for the different shape to the body horns,but using hardware from the same production line)

Ok they have similariities and it was also mentioned on a Fender site that it might be a Teisco as you say.

I'm curious about the hole in the middle of the pickguard. Do you reckon it might have had a surface mounted pickup there? But there are no screw holes to secure it?

Strum

novarock wrote: »

Please put up a better photo of the headstock.

Will do.

Its 100% not a strat copy, without doubt! the lads responding above are experts!

Ok thanks.

punchdrunk

Strum wrote: »

Ok they have similariities and it was also mentioned on a Fender site that it might be a Teisco as you say.

I'm curious about the hole in the middle of the pickguard. Do you reckon it might have had a surface mounted pickup there? But there are no screw holes to secure it?

because there's no pickup switch for selecting different pickups my guess is it was always a one pickup guitar
but I'd guess the pickup was originally located in the neck (hence the hole) and at some point it was moved back towards the bridge for a more lead guitar sound as apposed to having a pickup in the neck which you'd largely consider a more rhythm guitar sound

if you take the pickguard off you should see something like this


which would have been the channel for running the cable through to the main control cavity

Strum

punchdrunk wrote: »

because there's no pickup switch for selecting different pickups my guess is it was always a one pickup guitar
but I'd guess the pickup was originally located in the neck (hence the hole) and at some point it was moved back towards the bridge for a more lead guitar sound as apposed to having a pickup in the neck which you'd largely consider a more rhythm guitar sound

if you take the pickguard off you should see something like this


which would have been the channel for running the cable through to the main control cavity

Aha. Thanks for that. I'm going to disassemble it over the weekend. Cheers.

Doc_Savage

If you do restore it, it would be a cool story.
"Where'd you get that guitar?"
"Found it in a river!"

RC88

the body and pickguard resemble a hofner galaxie(1st one)/or a 175(second one) to me, plus the bridge seems to fit as well, but then dont forget the water might have warped it into the shape it is now so i might be wrong

captain a

Hi strum, i was just leafing through your facebook pictures there. i'd like to add the speculative theory that its actually two guitars. the way the neck fits into the body, from the facebook pictures it looks like there is a few millimeters mismatch on either side.