Smith Strat
Dan Smith was the man chosen by Bill Shultz at the beginning of the '80s to reinvent Stratocaster. In August 1981, in accordance with CBS, Fullerton industrial plant was reconverted in order to produce much less than the daily 250-300 guitars realized in the '70s, thus improving quality control.
Finally, at the end of 1981, Dan Smith restructured Stratocaster, definitively abandoning the 3-bolt neck plate and the tilt neck which was replaced by the classic neck plate with four screws and with the truss rod regulation to the neck heel. There was a return to the small headstock – although not the same as the pre-CBS one -, called Smith headstock, on which the word Stratocaster was printed in large letters. The tuning machines had the letter “F” printed on the back, while the pickups were still flush poles; the pickup X-1, already present on the Strat, stood out in the bridge position. The body, more contoured than those of the end of the '70s, was covered by a clear coat in polyurethane; it was usually made of alder, but, with some transparent finishes, hackberry was preferred for its grains.
The bridge was still die-casted as in CBS era, but clearly it was a temporary situation and it would soon change.
Since Stratocaster was no longer a Fender guitar model, but it represented itself a whole line of Fender guitars with different names, including Strat, Gold Stratocaster and Walnut Strat, this basic model was named Stratocaster Standard.
Its first version, known as Smith Strat, was marketed in December 1982 and it must not be confused with its second version, marketed in June 1983.
Finally, at the end of 1981, Dan Smith restructured Stratocaster, definitively abandoning the 3-bolt neck plate and the tilt neck which was replaced by the classic neck plate with four screws and with the truss rod regulation to the neck heel. There was a return to the small headstock – although not the same as the pre-CBS one -, called Smith headstock, on which the word Stratocaster was printed in large letters. The tuning machines had the letter “F” printed on the back, while the pickups were still flush poles; the pickup X-1, already present on the Strat, stood out in the bridge position. The body, more contoured than those of the end of the '70s, was covered by a clear coat in polyurethane; it was usually made of alder, but, with some transparent finishes, hackberry was preferred for its grains.
The bridge was still die-casted as in CBS era, but clearly it was a temporary situation and it would soon change.
Since Stratocaster was no longer a Fender guitar model, but it represented itself a whole line of Fender guitars with different names, including Strat, Gold Stratocaster and Walnut Strat, this basic model was named Stratocaster Standard.
Its first version, known as Smith Strat, was marketed in December 1982 and it must not be confused with its second version, marketed in June 1983.
Smith Strat (Courtesy of Mario Cicciocelli)
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2 Knobs Stratocaser
Freeflyte Tremolo Patent
The worst Stratocaster ever, as Bill Carson defined it, was born in June 1983 with the aim of lowering Stratocaster’s cost: the Standard Stratocaster second version, not to be confused with the Dan Smith, known as 2 Knobs Stratocaster.
It was really a controversial instrument. According to many, the guitar had obvious tuning problems due largely to the new Freeflyte Tremolo, still made on mold and, at first glance, worse than the classic Synchronized Tremolo. According to others, the bridge worked well as long as it was properly tuned. In this "inertia bar-free" device, springs’ tension was regulated by the front face of the body that, consequently, had neither back cavities nor back plate.
On this guitar appeared, for the first time with regard to a Standard Stratocaster, the new Biflex Truss Rod, already present on the Elite model, whose regulation to the headstock allowed to adjust its curvature to make it concave or convex; this system was so successful as to be used, years later, for the American Standard and for other Stratocasters made in US.
In this new Standard Stratocaster the four (not three) screws neck plate with micro tilt and a twelve screws 1-Ply pickguard, on which the input jack socket replaced the third knob, stood out; the new saddles were stretched and equipped with an intonation mechanism and the tuning machines were in die-cast metal. Bigger frets and an almost flat fretboard with a less rounded neck were adopted to attract guitarists.
It was really a controversial instrument. According to many, the guitar had obvious tuning problems due largely to the new Freeflyte Tremolo, still made on mold and, at first glance, worse than the classic Synchronized Tremolo. According to others, the bridge worked well as long as it was properly tuned. In this "inertia bar-free" device, springs’ tension was regulated by the front face of the body that, consequently, had neither back cavities nor back plate.
On this guitar appeared, for the first time with regard to a Standard Stratocaster, the new Biflex Truss Rod, already present on the Elite model, whose regulation to the headstock allowed to adjust its curvature to make it concave or convex; this system was so successful as to be used, years later, for the American Standard and for other Stratocasters made in US.
In this new Standard Stratocaster the four (not three) screws neck plate with micro tilt and a twelve screws 1-Ply pickguard, on which the input jack socket replaced the third knob, stood out; the new saddles were stretched and equipped with an intonation mechanism and the tuning machines were in die-cast metal. Bigger frets and an almost flat fretboard with a less rounded neck were adopted to attract guitarists.
Antonio Calvosa
1983 Two knobs Stratocaster
