Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Birdseye Maple Neck

  1. #1
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2023
    Posts
    4

    Birdseye Maple Neck

    Was Birdseye Maple ever used on factory strats? I am looking to pick up a 77-78 strat with a birdseye maple neck with the serial number on the headstock. (With the fender decal)

  2. #2
    TFF Stage Crew
    Moderator
    Cogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Burpleson AFB
    Posts
    7,030

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    Yes, they did, but not normally. Leo Fender did not like the use of figured wood & preferred plain. The use of figured maple became a little more common after the CBS takeover in 1965

  3. #3
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2023
    Posts
    4

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    Quote Originally Posted by Cogs View Post
    Yes, they did, but not normally. Leo Fender did not like the use of figured wood & preferred plain. The use of figured maple became a little more common after the CBS takeover in 1965
    Thank you. Do you know about the neck plate? The guitar I'm looking at has a four screw plate. Should it be three screws?
    Thanks again.

  4. #4
    TFF Stage Crew
    Moderator
    Cogs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Burpleson AFB
    Posts
    7,030

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    77-78 should be a 3 bolt. All the literature out there says the 3 bolts were from '71 to '81, but I once saw a bone-stock 1979 Strat w/a 4 bolt neck. This was in the late 1980s before the current proliferation of clones & aftermarket parts, so I am almost certain it was a genuine Fender. It was a big headstock, maple neck, 3-tone sunburst body. It was also a boat anchor

  5. #5
    Forum Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2023
    Posts
    4

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    Thank you again sir.

  6. #6
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Ten miles from the Mexican Frontier, in Arizona
    Posts
    7,332

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    The 25th Anniversary Strats (produced and released in 1978) were all 4-screw necks and, as Cogs mentioned, were all boat anchors. Mine weighed close to 18 lbs.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  7. #7
    Forum Member Tele-Bob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    6,740

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    My 25th Anniversary was a 4 bolt. Nice guitar. Perfect weight. Got lucky I guess. No Birdseye though.
    If you're bored, you're not groovin'.

  8. #8
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Ten miles from the Mexican Frontier, in Arizona
    Posts
    7,332

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    Despite mine's considerable heft it was the best-sounding Strat I ever owned.
    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

  9. #9
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    New York Finger Lakes Area
    Posts
    8,537

    Re: Birdseye Maple Neck

    Just lookout for the Hamburgler!
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •