I get the nostalgia now

[newpedals]

I started listening to older music since Stranger Things came out. Lots of wonderful artists and songs to listen to.

I recently played a Telecaster made in the 1980s which my friend's dad has in his collection. He told me that it was the most high end, mass produced Telecaster they made back in the day which he bought used from a guitar store almost a decade ago. He told me that he was lucky to find it because the quality was inconsistent back then. He has maintained it properly ever since he acquired it. I feel that the workmanship is worth the hype. I was scared that I will damage the pick guard if I play harder, so I mostly fingerpicked. Could not put it down for almost an hour.

My friend told me that she will request her dad to allow me and her to plug in to a 4x12 cab which he has, also maintained well and it is also from the 1980s. He has connected it to a 50w head which he also found on the used market place. I will borrow the ear protection stuff from her, if he agrees.

 

[maguchi]

I started listening to older music since Stranger Things came out. Lots of wonderful artists and songs to listen to.

I recently played a Telecaster made in the 1980s which my friend's dad has in his collection. He told me that it was the most high end, mass produced Telecaster they made back in the day which he bought used from a guitar store almost a decade ago. He told me that he was lucky to find it because the quality was inconsistent back then. He has maintained it properly ever since he acquired it. I feel that the workmanship is worth the hype. I was scared that I will damage the pick guard if I play harder, so I mostly fingerpicked. Could not put it down for almost an hour.

My friend told me that she will request her dad to allow me and her to plug in to a 4x12 cab which he has, also maintained well and it is also from the 1980s. He has connected it to a 50w head which he also found on the used market place. I will borrow the ear protection stuff from her, if he agrees.

Yep, I remember them days. Fender had just changed ownership and they came out with fresh "modern" versions of the Strat, Tele and P Bass, maybe a J Bass too, although I don't remember for sure. But unlike today, Fender only had those 3 or 4 U.S. models back then. Maybe they had the Standard series (without the word American) not long after. Those were made in Mexico or overseas.

Anyway the U.S. guitars were called the American Standard series and they had slightly bigger frets, a 9 1/2" radius instead of 7 1/2" and 22 frets instead of 21. The pickups had "Delta Tone" electronics. Not sure what that was, but they sounded great.

They were really nice. I bought a '87 or '88 Strat at Guitar Center Sherman Oaks, and a couple years later a '89 Tele. A couple of the 1st pro quality guitars I owned. I wished I still had those guitars! I do still have a later swamp ash bodied American Standard Strat that I bought new at Sam Ash Canoga Park in 1999. And I'll never sell that because it's so nice.

Anyways, the moral of the story; if you find a 1987-2016 Fender "American Standard" Strat or Tele for a good price, they're great guitars and have been going up in value.

 

[FuzzyAce]

My first electric guitar was a very used 80's, MIJ Fender Strat. It was black, a white pickguard and a maple neck. Someone had messed around with the headstock shape and put large "Misfits" stickers on the body. Other than the neck having a downward bow/warp it played pretty good lol. Maybe that guitar is why I have soft spot for the MIJ models and strats in general. If I recall correctly, most players in the earlier 80's were preferring the quality of the MIJ models (even the Squiers) to the USA counterparts. So it forced the US manufacturing to step up their game and I think that was a turning point. Fwiw, my '86 Squier plays just as well if not better than most modern strats I've tried.

 

[Chocol8]

After the buyout in 1985, the new owners put more of an emphasis on making quality instruments but there was a learning curve. There was some inconsistency with the early American guitars but the good ones were pretty good.

 

[Chocol8]

My first electric guitar was a very used 80's, MIJ Fender Strat.

When I was in HS and couldn’t afford a quality new guitar, I got a job at a community college bookstore. In the days before Reverb and Craigslist we had a weekly classified booklet called “The Swapsheet” and as the kid who unloaded them off the delivery truck the night before release, I got to see the ads before everyone else.

Anyway, one night I saw an ad for a lightly used MIJ Strat with hardshell case for less than $200 and I couldn’t get to the guys house fast enough!!! 35 years later and it is still one of my favorite guitars.

 

[metropolis_4]

I don’t know why, but the older a guitar is the better and more inspiring it feels to play.

 

[DrewJD82]

Just wait until you hit your 40's.

My nostalgia chasing ended up changing how I played and what I've been doing musically for the last 3 years. Building my Gilmour Strat was a complete exercise in snorting rails of nostalgia and I haven't shut up about it since. I'm actually feeling bad because I've barely touched it in the last month.

And in regard to first guitars and nostalgia, @Iron1 will be happy to hear I added the paint for my BC Rich Warlock to my To-Buy list at Home Depot for tomorrow. I had so much for my first guitar I spent over 20 years looking for the exact model I had and low and behold, Iron1 had it sitting in a room. Maybe I'll actually get it put back together this week.

 

[Stone]

My Guitar Nostalgia goes back say about 5 years lol