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Thread: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

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    2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    I picked up a very nice Lake Placid Blue MIM 60s Classic Strat from 2000 the other day. This is one of the nicest Strats I've owned and I've had some choice ones like an '87 Mary Kaye 57RI, a 1979 CBS Strat, and more recently a '61 Thin Skin in vintage white. Actually, other than the pickups and zinc blocked tremolo I like the 60s Classic better than the Thin Skin axe. Im one of the old time Strat guys that actually like the 7.25" radius and the vintage small fret wire on a strat and the fretboard and fret work are just top notch on the Classic. So, before I get ordering I gotta ask here, will an American Vintage tremolo, the whole unit, be a drop in fit as far as the routing and the six mounting screws are concerned on the 2000 era 60s Classic Strat? The stock trem works, but the sound is kinda peaky and ragged. The bridge position pickup especially gets a bit too bright and tinny sounding, kind of like a banjo so I'm hoping the solid steel block in the American Vintage bridge will alleviate most of that. Later I'll do some pickup swapping to further fatten things up but overall, the axe kills for $500 with hardshell case!



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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Nice color!

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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Cool guit! Why not change the block as opposed to the whole thing? I don't know if it'll retrofit, but blocks can be bought separately.
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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    I'd consider just a block unless you have access to a used whole vibrato cheap.

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    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    I meant swapping on the new bridge. They make blocks that'll work.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    I've read that while the MIM bridge has the same mounting holes and string through hole spacing as Am Vintage bridges, the trem arm hole doesn't line up with the MIM bridge plate. Don't know if that's true. If someone can point me to just the block that would retrofit the bridge plate and everything lines up I'll be greatful! One part I do have laying around in my toolbox is a bridge pickup from a 2006 American Standard that I'm going to swap in today and see what happens.

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    All vintage-spec Fender-US hardware is a drop-on fit to the MIM '50s, '60s, and '70s Classic series Strats up until 2006, when FMIC switched from vintage-style Gotoh tuners to the cheaper Pings which are not interchangeable with genuine Klusons. No muss, no fuss otherwise. The early bridge plates will not work with the MIA steel trem blocks as you've mentioned but I believe GFS and/or Callaham now offers a cold-rolled steel block which will correctly interface with your bridge plate. The electronics used in these guitars is the same as their Corona-built counterparts (CTS pots, Oak/Grigsby switch, Switchcraft jack) so there's no benefit to be had by replacing them. Fender's full-size aluminum pickguard shield will help keep the 60Hz buzz to a minimum.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    All vintage-spec Fender-US hardware is a drop-on fit to the MIM '50s, '60s, and '70s Classic series Strats up until 2006, when FMIC switched from vintage-style Gotoh tuners to the cheaper Pings which are not interchangeable with genuine Klusons. No muss, no fuss otherwise. The early bridge plates will not work with the MIA steel trem blocks as you've mentioned but I believe GFS and/or Callaham now offers a cold-rolled steel block which will correctly interface with your bridge plate. The electronics used in these guitars is the same as their Corona-built counterparts (CTS pots, Oak/Grigsby switch, Switchcraft jack) so there's no benefit to be had by replacing them. Fender's full-size aluminum pickguard shield will help keep the 60Hz buzz to a minimum.
    Big thanks for the good info! I did try the American STD pickup in the bridge and there was like no difference in sound. In fact I'd almost say the stock pickups are the same as the 2006 or whatever year American STD pickups as they look exactly the same and have the same stock number on the plastic bobbin bottom. What I've done so far is simply wire the bridge pickup to the middle pickups tone knob and disconnect the middle pickup from the tone circuit completely. The improvement is simply jaw dropping. All the bright harsh tinny banjo tone is GONE from the bridge pickup. Even with the tone knob full up it just sounds right now. Like a good Stratocaster should. I can further sweeten up the bridge pickup sound by rolling the tone knob down slightly but for the most part I'm playing with it on 10 and the low strings even seem to have gained a bit of low end punch and body. And that's with my JCM800s settings set for my Les Paul and Telecaster. No more rolling the amps treble and mids down. Across the range of switch positions this axe is very nearly on par with the best vintage Strat sounds I've ever played or heard as is. I am going to swap out the whole tremolo setup for the American Vintage version and that should clear up the somewhat fuzzy upper mids Im still hearing. This 1960 Classic also has a superb neck. I'd want this ones profile on a $3500 Custom Shop model. It's really wide and just fat enough to be perfect for my big hands.

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    I just finished hot-rodding a Surf Green '50s Classic Series with DiMarzio Virtual Vintage noiseless pickups, new mil-spec wiring, and all US hardware. It's my newest bestest friend that I'll soon be having refinished into Taos Turquoise. I love these MIM guitars!
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Did a fret polish/leveling today. First time ever. The frets were in good shape but I wanted them gleaming to make the bends that much more buttery and smooth. I used one of those three sided fingernail polishing blocks they sell in booths at the Mall around Christmas time in a kit for whatever they can scam you for. They always get me! Anyhow, I did this last night on my Telecaster and it came out fantastic so I wanted to clean up the oxidation and factory finish of my 60s MIM Strat fretwire and here's how it looked.




  11. #11
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Nice!

    Here's how the frets on mine ended up after my luthier worked them over......



    I can see my own reflection in every one (good thing they're not glass mirrors).

    Last edited by phantomman; 08-03-2013 at 04:13 PM.
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Cool, makes a difference don't it?

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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    I don't know any way to prove it, but nice, shiny frets make me think a guitar plays & SOUNDS better.

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Quote Originally Posted by Slammintone View Post
    Cool, makes a difference don't it?
    Absolutely. Full level/crown/polish job, part of his regular set-up protocol. One hundred bucks.

    Worth every penny!

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Re: 2000 60s Classic Stratocaster

    Quote Originally Posted by 71818 View Post
    I don't know any way to prove it, but nice, shiny frets make me think a guitar plays & SOUNDS better.
    They do play better -- easier, actually since there's less drag on your fretting hand when sliding up and down the fretboard. And since there's no "grittiness" between fret and string, spurious fretting noises are minimized so the guitar sounds better as well.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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