Blacky the old Stratocaster

[Rickey]

He looks worn out but I LOVE this old guitar.
I feel that I was blessed the day I was able to get it, and am so thankful.
Blacky looks worn out but plays So good…
Bigger pics here: -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanwilliams/8143105447/sizes/h/in/photostream/

Back of Strat. -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanwilliams/8143106393/sizes/h/in/photostream/
More pics in the stream there. I haven’t used that site much, but there’s a couple on there of my old Acoustic too.
Martin D18 that dad left to me when he died from cancer in 1979…
I put a Fishman natural pickup under the saddle, and it sounds good plugged in.

I did that about the time that I had to redo it when, like a DUMMY I forgot it in the car till 10 AM, and it got too warm, and the glue loosened under the saddle! in 1995 I think or 1994, I worked in a machine shop then, lived in one downstairs in fact.

So, I cleaned the saddle, and the guitar where it had been, very carefully, took all day at it, then made a clamp to reach inside to right position underneath the saddle, and I turned aluminum pins on lathe that were the same taper as the bridge pin holes, and milled them off so as to stick up like .025″ when seated , they aligned the saddle to the original position, luckily, it was bored After saddle was on looked to me like, and apparently so, then put a thin hard rubberry piece over those to ensure all were contacted tight with a little resilience to keep pressure on, when clamp piece was on it, and so clamp wouldn’t mar the surface etc. I had ordered the right glue, or what i read to be from a luthiers supply.
And so I repaired it myself rather than trusting it in shipment to Martin .

I was glad after it was done, but really nervous, worried and apprehensive during, but I got lucky, and it was a tad better than before it messed up intonation spot on, with good strings.

One of the last things my dad ever said to me from his deathbed, was tell me he was giving it to me, and he asked me to promise to [strong]never[/strong] sell it.
The only thing he ever asked me to promise as far as I remember…

a little pic of it is here -> http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanwilliams/3984378217/

Edit:
Found pic of the old pickguard for Blacky, the white one, it only has 8 holes , the EMG one on it now has 11, so 3 screws are missing, I never put more in, doesn’t seem hurt it though.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stanwilliams/11117627154/sizes/l/in/photostream/

[ChordGuy]

Thanks for sharing Stan

Thats a beauty of a Strat. It’s worth some scary big bucks now. Mid to high 5 figures maybe more. The value topped out in the late 1980’s when the Japanese were paying alot for anything 1950’s American. Would have been 100K plus back then.

Gordon

[luther paul]

that is one beautiful strat…

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