Restoration of a 1962 Fender Stratocaster
Part 3 - Deconstruction
The Body
Many pictures depicting the various routes and traits of a vintage Strat. There is much talk about "correct" tummy cuts, arm contours etc. This is largely BS spread by the ignorant. While there are certain generalities that stay consistent. These things also change from body to body. Much of the work is done by people on sanders. As such no two will be exactly alike. Only by handling several hundred can one start to get a feel for "vintage spec" and the overall feel changes year to year.
A few consistencies such as hole sizes and telltale tooling marks are constant. These things are largely unknown to the forum "experts" and even many formal appraisal services. There is one hole on every authentic body that is a different size from all others. Perhaps you'll be able to see it. Its one of the details most fakers and so called experts miss.
Dowels (seen on the stripped body) are another largely misunderstood reality. They are always in the same place. Like necks the templates are attached this way therefore they will always be the same. Templates are attached to the opposite side being routed on the pin router. Hardtails will of course lack dowels on one side since the back is not routed.
Before Stripping Paint
001 - neck plate has been paired with this one awhile
002 - Overall back view
003 - Tummy contour
004 - Trem route
005 - 2" Trem claw screws
006 - Classic 60's line
007 - Full front view
008 - Trem route front
009 - Jack route
010 - Wire holes, control cavity
011 - Bit scars
012 - Pickup routes
013 - Close up
Finish Stripped pictures
001 - Dowels on back
002 - Close up
003 - Front dowels. With the extra holes on this one it'd be tough to make out without those red arrows of mine.
004 - the holes are always in exactly the same spot.
