1971 Fender Stratocaster - one of the earliest 3-bolts!

[@dindjarin1961]

Most modern day Strat players don't like the 3 bolt necks and wide headstocks. I love them and so does Richie Blackmore and Yngwie Malmsteen.

[@dindjarin1961]

And Robin Trower too.

[@yaboidustin2447]

How do you even pronounce that second guys name? I've heard some of his stuff but I ain't sayin that shit

[@dindjarin1961]

@@yaboidustin2447 ING-VAY, MALM like Calm then steen like Goldstein or Weinstein. So it's ING-VAY-MALM-STEIN

[@starsandsoot]

Billy corgan also 👍

[@rizzinthebox7124]

I don't give a fuck. Either the guitar flashes you or it doesn't

[@greenbeaver7100]

Congrats Scott on your dream purchase I still have my very first strat a 1969 and although I have a few very cool strats that one is the best hands down.Take my word for it I have worked on a lot of strats in my time as a repair/luthier and it doesn't have to be a pre CBS to be a great strat. Enjoy it my friend looks like you already are.

[@ginoames]

This is my birth year dream guitar!

[@BlueLou974]

Nice, approaching my 1976 Musicman StingRay II, aka The Truck. 3 bolts. But never unbolted. Neck is hard steel in disguise.

[@davidwernsing8795]

Happy new guitar day! She's a beauty.

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

Thanks David! I am over the moon with her!

[@anthonylv64]

Congratulations! Beautiful instrument!

[@marcusthompson6775]

Congratulations on the gorgeous guitar! You sound great as well, I like your unique style of playing :)

[@roberthorton3952]

Loved my 72. Great neck.

[@SheepOnDrugz]

I had a thin line maple neck creamy white 71 strat for 40 years… sold it for 4 times more than I paid for it new, and have regretted it ever since. Best strat I ever played, by far.

[@dalton7145]

hell yeah! I've wanted the 71 for the exact same reason! Congrats, it's a beaut!

[@gregorygetable]

Wonderful. I bought my white Fender Stratocaster guitar in July 1971, and still have it. Thanks for your post. You did a really nice reveal and video and very nice guitar playing. (3 bolt version )

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

Right on! 3-bolt or 4-bolt?

[@gregorygetable]

@@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907 3 bolt 1971 Fender Stratocaster, bought at Perillo's Music store Norwalk, CT, got end of July ordered end of June

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

@@gregorygetable Right-on, glad to hear of other July 3-bolts!

[@wences71]

​@@gregorygetableif it has the date 27/7/71 that was the day I've born

[@LateBoomerGR]

Congratulations! I got a 75' hardtail which is also my birth year and it's very light which is rare. Absolutely love it!

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

I had a 79 hardtail that was very light! Great guitar.

[@catmakesmusic182]

that big headstock that's the stuff man

[@Tonetwisters]

I have a '73 version with a maple board. Frets are worn slap down. Good on you for your "get"! That was the era where musicians were looking for sustain, so companies were making heavy guitars. Wonder if they made a 1947 model?

[@clintwilson6380]

Dang. That burst is gorgeous☆

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

Thanks so much! Def the jewel in my arsenal.

[@harvey1954]

I started collecting 70s Strat because the prices weren't too silly. The only problem I had was the F tuners slipping. Went and bought some Fender replacement F tunes only to find they were bigger than was on my 77 neck. I would have had to redrill the head to make these new tuners fit. Ended up using some replacement Klusons and they held the string fine.

[@geezberry8889]

my birth year strat. gotta get one

[@rogerrainville1937]

used to wrap mine I a T shirt too, the case was wearing away some of the lower body bout paint

[@greggdespard5282]

Love your video...I did the same thing a few years ago...1971 too...mine is a white/rosewood Sept '71 strat 3 bolt....noticed one thing though - think your case is supposed to have a 'tail' for a 1971 guitar...sweet guitar

[@JoeLongobardiPhotographer]

I have a three-bolt '71 Strat body that is very light ash I bought in '87. Pronounced contours and rounded pickup cavities. It was chemically stripped of its paint back in the 1980s by the previous owner except for the cavities. Inside the cavities is the original paint--Ocean Turquoise Metallic (a custom color discontinued in 1971). Even came with a '69 pickguard and late 70s neck and pickups. A mutt guitar.

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

Sounds awesome! I love them beat up and with history!

[@daviddequasie6816]

This looks exactly like a Strat that I had that was dated Jan 22, 1972. I probably shoudn't have traded that guitar.

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

If only we could all go back in time!!

[@nimitz1739]

Nice man congratulations!

[@lespaulguy63]

I had a 71, but four bolt, must have been a transition year

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

For sure! This was one of the first 3-bolts, but earlier in 71 they were 4-bolts (Which are much more valuable!)

[@TheWGLOVER]

@@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907 I have my 4 bolt Strat from new. Beautiful. I remember seeing the 3 bolt hit the guitar shops, and feeling I had should have bought one later. Glad I bought it now.

[@talaris-uk]

I also have a birth year strat, a 1990 MIJ ST62 in the same sunburst finish!

[@ronlai4802]

I had a 1971 3 bolts Strat also with 3 tone sunburst for a long time. Loved it but seldom use now…

[@denboe2894]

Here it is. THis is the day right now when people are digging on the 70's Strats. Staggered poll pieces....That is a gem right there. Cool, an Austin guitar. How'd you scoop that from them in Austin TX. Right cause I hear that Texas blues sound in there right now.

[@jamesprice6381]

Got a 72, white maple neck the orig front 2 pups were SHOT, one i unwound had 3 breaks, so i putem aside, it has a HotRails in bridge w/250K volume pot, i threw in my spare MIM SC's for mid n neck, It is an AB BEATER, the body literally looks like it was drug downa gravel road, bondoed, n shot w/Krylon, the tone? ITS UN FLIPPIN REAL, i build my own Dumble circuits, w/EJ Fuzz n TS-10 it is flat beautiful... ..The tone of this guitar annihilates my 98 PRS, 55 custom shop tele, MIM strat w/80s T-Top..

[@paulcowart3174]

Congratulations that's special

[@derosa504]

Congratulations, super nice guitar, the one thing I noticed and it's probably nothing, but my dec 1971 strat says "with synchronized tremelo" on the headstock. a bullet single tree definitely narrows down to being correct, but I'm just wondering why mine says it. And yours doesn't. Anyway, enjoy it, the steel block and par pend steel saddles are 2 of many ingredients that make these guitars sound fer better than the cast versions. You have " in my opinion"one of the last great vintage stratocasters made. I've owned countless backup strats over the last 30+ years. Sold almost all of them because they couldn't even come close to the tone of Ole Blackie as my friends call it. I did keep my 2001 custom shop 60 strat because it does come close. But even in 2002 that guitar cost me over 8 times the price of the 71 and head to head I still prefer the 71 regardless of the countless number of people who told me the large headstock strats were garbage. Ps, im also born in 71 , but that was coincidence , or destiny for me. It was just a used strat when i bought in 87. keep th 5 springs. It effects the resonance and the sustain in a negative way in my experience when u use less. Just make sure the springs have a little space in between the coils. .010-020 thousandths.

[@thefreyfactor]

I want a July 71 strat for the same reason. Birth year and month. Now, I have seen july 71 neck stamps on a 4 bolt neck. I always assumed that august was the earliest 3 bolt. Proved me wrong. I guess july was a really confusing time at Fender.

[@rogerrainville1937]

my 3 bolt has a production stamp of November 22nd 71/ B

[@apacheworrier3776]

Congratulations! Looking for a 71 myself. Also my birth year. The price of these have skyrocketed just in the last year or so.

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

Indeed, I did posts on FB and Strat-talk about the price of 71's asking if it was possible to even get a player grade one with some swaps under 4K anymore. Folks said I should be able to get them for $2200 to $3000 for a good one. They must be on another planet from what I've seen. I grabbed this one while I could! I paid more than 4K but it is a pretty exceptional one. So don't wait too long, there are folks from the 60's and 50 who wish they'd grabbed a birthyear while they could. And as you know we are about to turn 50 and that is when it will get really crazy as the 71 babies try to buy back their childhood, lol!

[@elpablosky6300]

Blackmore love the 3 bolt and Yngwie hate this ! But I love both but honestly I only have a Squier stratocaster Affinity ( setup pickup SSS ) is my favorite I don't like the humbucker on the bridge because ruin the image ( vintage style ) and 21 frets not 22 or 24 I respect the original design even the big headstock is the only extra modification for me because if you modified all the guitar with humbuckers and all combinations ( HSS,HSH, HHH) and for Yngwie keep the original pickups setup ( SSS) but with a humbucker singlecoil pickup you update with a heavy tone and looks simple too on his case Seymour Duncan Fury pickups or another singlecoil humbucker pickup.

[@rogerrainville1937]

Mine had a steel block with the cast saddles

[@jltrem]

There were no Stratocasters the year I was born. There's was, however, Gibson Les Pauls. First year. Can't afford one.

[@christopher-miles]

how cool; so, when were you born? 🙃

[@harvey1954]

1971 birth year . . . you're just a pup ! I was born in 1954. What do you think are the chances of me finding one of them puppies ?

[@brennanferguson3537]

Why do 70's fenders always have white powder in the cavities? I never see it in 50's 60's or 80's fenders, but almost every 70's fender I've had has this.

[@1234588001]

hi what's the 72 worth in ok condition,nice video man

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

These days I haven't seen ANY 70's strat under $2000. I am guessing up to 4K for a 72.

[@nathan7265]

What is your theory as to why vintage guitars sound better? On KZbin, even a few notes in, I sometimes think I can tell. Personally, I don’t think it’s the natural aging.

[@jimihendrix3143]

I have a '73. Unfortunately, I was born in 1958.

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

I hear you! I heard from a few folks who were born in the early 60's and 50's who WISH they had bought their birthyear guitars. Glad I didn't wait too long!

[@npeabs]

What would be really cool is if it was also your birth month - so July, you said - how close is that?

[@artcarsandguitars-scottmfi4907]

I tried to find my B-day month! November I am afraid. I will have to get another. I'd like the hardtail and the 4-bolt too someday.

[@alanwoodwind5265]

But can it play Crysis...

[@dezionlion]

Stop fucking with it!

[@yoheff988]

Ahhhh the cult of 2x4 LOL

[@garyvancamp3115]

My 73 is 12 lbs.