Mr. Lemmo was fantastically on point tonight!! Love the guitar, love the colour, love that you managed to incorporate Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" in the mix!! Jen, your participation in the upcoming Podcasts is just one of the many reasons I'll be catching them on the All Guitar Network!! Cheers Everyone, and have a great weekend!!
Even though it doesn't have the "Bullet" truss rod adjuster, it's still adjusted at the headstock end. That's why there's a hole in the walnut plug below the nut.
As others may have pointed out among all the 225+ replies, Michael in incorrect that the truss rod adjusts at the body end of the neck. Although it is true the bullet above the nut is gone, there is a hole in the walnut plug there, and that's where the allen wrench goes to adjust the truss rod. Thanks for the nice playing. Middle pup demo was my favorite.
Just found this because i have an 83 i got new long story had several strats this one so different in good and bad ways . This guy could make any thing sound good talent has so much to do with tone .
picked up one of these in blue a few years ago. I've owned a lot of Strats both USA and Japan made, but something about this 83 model just spoke to me. I didn't even notice the weird bridge setup at first, or the input jack being routed on the edge of the body, because something about the pickups and the body wood just resonates so well. mine has black bridge saddles and a brass nut, as well as noiseless pickups, and some really weird discoloration on the back of the neck (probably from play wear or sanding). Definitely the best playing and sounding Strat I've owned so far. This one definitely stands out among the others. Despite all the criticism I've seen of it amongst purists, it absolutely rips with the best of them.
I have that same guitar. Same color. Same whammy bar (though mine doesn’t lock in place, it just hangs down). Same case. I have had it a long time. Have never played it even a fraction as well as Lemmo just did. It’s an odd duck in the Strat world, but I love love love the neck on it.
Lemmo is always good, but he was really on it today! Glad we had a 5 position switch to take full advantage. Lemmo seems to really get along with that guitar. Sounded great!
Holy Shit Mike it’s 7am here in the U.K. I’m just about to head for my Sunday morning bike Ride .. But I just want to go up stairs a play my guitar.. that was a killer GOTD as always...Hey Jen you da Boss for sure....
@@tannerharrodguitar I think they both have good and entertaining playing with their own authentic ways they play covers ..but Mike is just on another level I think
Great guitar with an awesome color tonite. Very interesting guitar work Michael. I would love to hear you play some of this with a band. I was pleasantly surprised by all your phrasing as well.
soulagent79 I was hoping someone would mention that fact. It’s a two knob standard from the smith era. Lemmo got the chops but needs to brush up on the history side of things.
Finally someone notices it! The "real" dan smith has got the normal 3 controls, and a standart tremolo. Love mine ( E207431). Best strat i've ever played..
I have this exact Stratocaster in black. The pickups are the best sounding single coils I've ever heard, superbly clear and glassy. Paid £373 (about $430) for it in 1994 and it's really a great guitar.
@@Grahambhuyan It's a drummer thing. Invokes syncopation in the mind of the reader. Strap in. I'm about to invoke the semicolon; gettin' all Joe Morello on yo' ass...
Not a favorite era for most Fender fans, but that guitar sounds great in its own way. The hotter pickup in the bridge (X1) was a good design decision that would be copied for decades after by replacement pickup vendors.
I bought one of these in 2016 and sold it this year (for a small profit too ;)). I was drawn to it for its uniqueness, and the possibility of it increasing in value. Didn't see that happening. It had a very warm tone due to less routing but the pick ups also sounded a little hotter than your typical American strat. I also didn't find the guitar very playable. The neck didn't feel great. Feels of a lesser quality comparing it to an American standard from the nineties. The person I sold it to was a good home for it. They share the same birth year! (I also saw this guitar in person when I visited the shop)!
I have the Sunburst 83 2 knober. I replaced the neck and the bridge pick-up with Seymour Duncan JB‘s. I didn’t realize the bridge pick up was a hotter pick-up. I still have it so I may have to get it and replace the middle pick up with the hot one. I bought the guitar around 85, I gave $500 for the guitar and a fender twin reverb amp. I gave the fender amp to a church but I still play the Strat it’s my number one.
Hey I have a 1983 Strat! Mine has a rosewood fretboard but otherwise is identical to that one. Mine is E 335888 - a number I've always thought was very cool :D
Lemmo first of all I’d like to say that you’re a great host and a fantastic player and I apologise for being pedantic but as mentioned in some of the posts below this is not what collectors refer to as a Dan Smith Stratocaster. When Dan Smith joined Fender in 1981 one of the first things he did was to try and restore Fender’s reputation. To do this he revamped what they referred to as The Standard Strat. This version of the Strat was only made for a short period of time, 1982, and was nicknamed “The Smith Strat”. It had a smaller 50’s style headstock with the black Fender logo and Stratocaster in huge black capital letters. The bullet truss rod was dropped as was the three bolt neck. The F stamped tuners, flush pole pieces and one piece die cast vintage style Trem were retained. This version of the Stratocaster would be referred to from then on by collectors as the “Dan Smith Strat”. After complains from customers about the cost of the Stratocaster Fender decided to produce a low budget Strat to reduce costs and this is the one in the video. Produced from mid 83 to late 84 it had a Biflex truss rod, Freeflyte Trem, single ply pickguard with 12 holes, die cast tuners, smaller Fender logo in silver and of course no jack socket plate and only two control knobs. Fender named it the Standard Series Strat. Bill Carson referred to it as “The Stratocaster in it’s worst configuration”. Yes it was Dan Smith’s concept but not the guitar nicknamed “The Smith Strat”. I feel it’s important to point this out because Smith Strats are rarer and cost more, over here in the U.K. they tend to sell for at least a £1000.00 more than the Strats with just two knobs.(All information obtained from Tom Wheeler’s book The Stratocaster Chronicles”.) Check out this video on RUclips “Big Country - Porrohman (The Tube 17.2.1984)” here you can see Big Country’s frontman Stuart Adamson playing a Dan Smith Strat.
I remember in the mid 80's finally having saved enough money to buy a real fender stratocaster, going to the music shop here in Melbourne, Australia (hi, by the way) and trying just about all the new ones they had, and they were really terrible. One had a badly routed bridge so that all the saddles had a slight angle.... quality control, anyone? I ended up buying a '84 Squier which I still have and play although it's seen some work over the years. The Squier range from those early runs were great.
I had one of these guitars in the same colour ,took it into a shop to have some work done and the shop closed down and I lost the guitar . To say I was gutted was an understatement 🤯
looks like they were heavivly inspired by the Ibanez Blazer Strats from the early 80s.... same control layout, input instead of tone and that bridge looks like the bridge on my 81 blazer...
@@malcolmhardwick4258 still have to find a fender thst is better then my 81 bl470. It has the most perfect neck ever and the pickups sound like they came from a 50s strat
Vappo Riesat it's funny Ibanez were forced to stop making copies of Fenders guitars. So what do they do ? Build a better guitar ☺ they have very good tremolo units. Really well though out and functional guitar ☺
@@malcolmhardwick4258 definatly. but i am not sure about ibanez guitar after 1985, i heard several people say it went downhill from there on. although their az guitars are great, but kind of pricey. about tripple the price of a used vintage ibanez
Yah!! Michel many fingers Lemmo letting er rip , that was awesome , the funkiest I've heard you play in a while , luv it when you get n a grove and just go , insane. Great guitar too , luv the 5 switch strats and you're right this one does have a bit extra twang , luv the yellow also , beautiful , and a classic SRV sound , thanks guys.
I find the concept of a Strat neck with that radius fretboard in maple strangely both intriguing and appealing. Those bridge saddles are from the Elites of the same year.
I remember when people used to hate on this era. It’s always funny how we as guitar players come full circle to appreciate (what once was thought of as) crap. The tones coming out of this gem are stunning. Of course, the amp and especially the player play a sizable role. Still, sounds like some sizzling Strat tones.
And THAT’S how a strat should be handled!!! On fire!!! I am pretty sure even a 100 bucks piece of wood with strings attached on it, would sound like a Fender vintage if Mr. Lemmo is playing them.
🙄😳🤔🖐🏽WOW...MICHAEL I have one identical. The Whammy DOES NOT HAVE NORMAL SPRING mechanism. Vibrato uses more like a spring scissor. Mark Agnasi did the same guitar last year I believe or at least another identical. KEEP up the Great Playing and T-shirt rotation. 👏🏽😎❤️👍🏼🇺🇸KAG🇺🇸
How can those guys in the background concentrate while Lemmo is carving it up?
Lemmo always plays extra cool on Straturday.
😎😎😎 this guy always makes wanna go play guitar! Awesome video
Mr. Lemmo was fantastically on point tonight!! Love the guitar, love the colour, love that you managed to incorporate Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon" in the mix!! Jen, your participation in the upcoming Podcasts is just one of the many reasons I'll be catching them on the All Guitar Network!! Cheers Everyone, and have a great weekend!!
I swear when this guy plays it sounds like 2 or 3 different guitars.
My favorite Strat of all time. Love the cavity less trem. Pick ups are awesome as well
What the hell. This is some of the best shit I've heard on internet
Even though it doesn't have the "Bullet" truss rod adjuster, it's still adjusted at the headstock end. That's why there's a hole in the walnut plug below the nut.
I believe that is what Lemmo said.
no, he did say the "body end". Probably just a slip.
I think that system of adjusting the truss rod on the headstock came later in the 80s. I think this guitar still has the body end adjustment.
I have a 1985 just like this one except a rosewood fingerboard. My truss rod is adjusted at the headstock.
Lemmon has an endless repertoire! I am surprised every time I hear him play.
Jimi just said " Hey Rory, he ain't bad."
Love this comment!
In another lifetime, Lemmo was an arena rock god. It makes me so mad at how effortless his playing is. Another great Straterday.
As others may have pointed out among all the 225+ replies, Michael in incorrect that the truss rod adjusts at the body end of the neck. Although it is true the bullet above the nut is gone, there is a hole in the walnut plug there, and that's where the allen wrench goes to adjust the truss rod. Thanks for the nice playing. Middle pup demo was my favorite.
Just found this because i have an 83 i got new long story had several strats this one so different in good and bad ways . This guy could make any thing sound good talent has so much to do with tone .
picked up one of these in blue a few years ago. I've owned a lot of Strats both USA and Japan made, but something about this 83 model just spoke to me. I didn't even notice the weird bridge setup at first, or the input jack being routed on the edge of the body, because something about the pickups and the body wood just resonates so well. mine has black bridge saddles and a brass nut, as well as noiseless pickups, and some really weird discoloration on the back of the neck (probably from play wear or sanding).
Definitely the best playing and sounding Strat I've owned so far. This one definitely stands out among the others. Despite all the criticism I've seen of it amongst purists, it absolutely rips with the best of them.
I have that same guitar. Same color. Same whammy bar (though mine doesn’t lock in place, it just hangs down). Same case.
I have had it a long time. Have never played it even a fraction as well as Lemmo just did.
It’s an odd duck in the Strat world, but I love love love the neck on it.
Lemmo is always good, but he was really on it today! Glad we had a 5 position switch to take full advantage. Lemmo seems to really get along with that guitar. Sounded great!
Well you pulled the pin today Michael. Great stuff. Nice guitar and it's Yngwie's colour too.
Please get a 1982/83 JV Squier in (with the Fullerton USA pickups)! Lots to talk about and they're exceptional guitars!
clean and simple, gotta love that, just back from overseas trip, thanks Michael for the warm welcome back :)
Holy Shit Mike it’s 7am here in the U.K. I’m just about to head for my Sunday morning bike Ride .. But I just want to go up stairs a play my guitar.. that was a killer GOTD as always...Hey Jen you da Boss for sure....
Music is a joyous thing not a competition
"In the style of Hendrix" ... then he blows my socks right off!
Great work, Mr. Lemmo.
Is Mike Lemmo a better guitar player than Mark Agnesi ?? Im thinkin maybe
but Mark play's AUTHENTIC
That was sarcasm.
@@tannerharrodguitar I think they both have good and entertaining playing with their own authentic ways they play covers ..but Mike is just on another level I think
@@melonface57 you clearly haven't seen Mark's "Play Authentic" rant
Yes.
Michael Lemmo is a better guitar player than Mark Agnesi.
Not sure why you ask? Do you not play an instrument?
Not being a dick, just curious.
Great guitar with an awesome color tonite. Very interesting guitar work Michael. I would love to hear you play some of this with a band. I was pleasantly surprised by all your phrasing as well.
Damn! Right from the very first chord! Lemmo never disappoints.
This is NOT a Dan Smith Stratocaster, it is a Smith-Era Stratocaster, which makes a huge difference!
Why dont you tell me all about it then...
soulagent79 I was hoping someone would mention that fact. It’s a two knob standard from the smith era. Lemmo got the chops but needs to brush up on the history side of things.
@@stecatgfw ...I'm gonna have to do the research on this thing I guess...its interesting
Finally someone notices it! The "real" dan smith has got the normal 3 controls, and a standart tremolo. Love mine ( E207431). Best strat i've ever played..
Yup totally agree not a Dan Smith Strat.
My number one strat is an ‘83 sienna burst… it’s such a fun ride … love to see these things
I have a umm well used 83 black strat with maple neck. It's fantastic
Big smile across my face when he started playing Chameleon
That Hendrix esque tune was amazing
I have this exact Stratocaster in black. The pickups are the best sounding single coils I've ever heard, superbly clear and glassy. Paid £373 (about $430) for it in 1994 and it's really a great guitar.
That's it, I am showing up, early at, rehearsal putting on my headphones, and playing my drums, to all this funky mess ! Thanks, Michael, lovin' it !
Why do, you, use so many, commas, ?,
@@Grahambhuyan It's a drummer thing. Invokes syncopation in the mind of the reader.
Strap in. I'm about to invoke the semicolon; gettin' all Joe Morello on yo' ass...
This demo makes me want to buy that strat even if I can’t make it sound like Lemmo does 👏
Not a favorite era for most Fender fans, but that guitar sounds great in its own way. The hotter pickup in the bridge (X1) was a good design decision that would be copied for decades after by replacement pickup vendors.
I had one just like it. Loved it. Wish I'd a kep it. The neck felt better than any guitar I ever had EVER...
I bought one of these in 2016 and sold it this year (for a small profit too ;)). I was drawn to it for its uniqueness, and the possibility of it increasing in value. Didn't see that happening. It had a very warm tone due to less routing but the pick ups also sounded a little hotter than your typical American strat. I also didn't find the guitar very playable. The neck didn't feel great. Feels of a lesser quality comparing it to an American standard from the nineties. The person I sold it to was a good home for it. They share the same birth year! (I also saw this guitar in person when I visited the shop)!
Lemmo bringing the fire as always 🔥🔥🔥♥️🎸⚡️⚡️
Dude you made justice of that 83’.. fantastic thanks for the demo , I have 84’ wish I knew how to play so I can rock like that 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I have the Sunburst 83 2 knober. I replaced the neck and the bridge pick-up with Seymour Duncan JB‘s. I didn’t realize the bridge pick up was a hotter pick-up. I still have it so I may have to get it and replace the middle pick up with the hot one. I bought the guitar around 85, I gave $500 for the guitar and a fender twin reverb amp. I gave the fender amp to a church but I still play the Strat it’s my number one.
Lemmo is a real inspiration for my guitar playing
SAME
I seriously aspire to play like him
the most important thing was going back to the 4 bolt neck. the 3 bolt necks tend to move apart in the channel
Despite the quirkiness, that one’s a great sounding Strat 👌
Great playing as always, Michael!👍🏻👍🏻
Can we get a late night podcast with edibles at night?
Tarun Gonneea
NO NO NO
Makes you wanna buy a guitar! I love this Lemmo. That last one sounded like VanHendrix
Love that Strat’s middle pickup tone, and the bridge tone!!! Bitchin’ playing ML!!! Thank you!!!
I think I would add an input jack like a Tele has and return the second tone knob. It sounds great.
Blender is a nice option for the third knob, too.
Hey I have a 1983 Strat! Mine has a rosewood fretboard but otherwise is identical to that one. Mine is E 335888 - a number I've always thought was very cool :D
Best sounding Strat yet. Great playing. Thanks
I collect the later Plus line and think they were Fender's best guitars and prices are beginning show that.
That was f’n awesome! Great job Lemmo 👍👏🤟
Lemmo first of all I’d like to say that you’re a great host and a fantastic player and I apologise for being pedantic but as mentioned in some of the posts below this is not what collectors refer to as a Dan Smith Stratocaster.
When Dan Smith joined Fender in 1981 one of the first things he did was to try and restore Fender’s reputation. To do this he revamped what they referred to as The Standard Strat. This version of the Strat was only made for a short period of time, 1982, and was nicknamed “The Smith Strat”. It had a smaller 50’s style headstock with the black Fender logo and Stratocaster in huge black capital letters. The bullet truss rod was dropped as was the three bolt neck. The F stamped tuners, flush pole pieces and one piece die cast vintage style Trem were retained. This version of the Stratocaster would be referred to from then on by collectors as the “Dan Smith Strat”.
After complains from customers about the cost of the Stratocaster Fender decided to produce a low budget Strat to reduce costs and this is the one in the video. Produced from mid 83 to late 84 it had a Biflex truss rod, Freeflyte Trem, single ply pickguard with 12 holes, die cast tuners, smaller Fender logo in silver and of course no jack socket plate and only two control knobs. Fender named it the Standard Series Strat. Bill Carson referred to it as “The Stratocaster in it’s worst configuration”. Yes it was Dan Smith’s concept but not the guitar nicknamed “The Smith Strat”.
I feel it’s important to point this out because Smith Strats are rarer and cost more, over here in the U.K. they tend to sell for at least a £1000.00 more than the Strats with just two knobs.(All information obtained from Tom Wheeler’s book The Stratocaster Chronicles”.)
Check out this video on RUclips “Big Country - Porrohman (The Tube 17.2.1984)” here you can see Big Country’s frontman Stuart Adamson playing a Dan Smith Strat.
This is one of the best GOTDs in a while. I had one in the early ‘90s. Shoulda kept it.
You should do a strat plus with lace sensors or the tele plus with lace sensors one of these days!
I remember in the mid 80's finally having saved enough money to buy a real fender stratocaster, going to the music shop here in Melbourne, Australia (hi, by the way) and trying just about all the new ones they had, and they were really terrible. One had a badly routed bridge so that all the saddles had a slight angle.... quality control, anyone? I ended up buying a '84 Squier which I still have and play although it's seen some work over the years. The Squier range from those early runs were great.
That middle slide in the first song sounds like the intro to my milkshake brings all the boys to the yard...
Jen doing squats : now there's an image for ya.
God damn, Mike! Awesome as always. 👍🏻😄
Thank you, Mike the Machine, that was a succulent feast for the ears.
I think the truss rod is still adjusted at the headstock.
I love the sound of this guitar. It sounds like Hendricks to me at times.
Sick playing once again
I had one of these guitars in the same colour ,took it into a shop to have some work done and the shop closed down and I lost the guitar . To say I was gutted was an understatement 🤯
Whaaat?????!!
I would love to see the inside of that guitar. Want to know how that tremolo looks, springs and all.
Crazy tones Mr Mike!! Gonna break out my "Goldie" now!!
looks like they were heavivly inspired by the Ibanez Blazer Strats from the early 80s.... same control layout, input instead of tone and that bridge looks like the bridge on my 81 blazer...
They were cool guitars ☺
@@malcolmhardwick4258 still have to find a fender thst is better then my 81 bl470. It has the most perfect neck ever and the pickups sound like they came from a 50s strat
Vappo Riesat it's funny Ibanez were forced to stop making copies of Fenders guitars. So what do they do ? Build a better guitar ☺ they have very good tremolo units. Really well though out and functional guitar ☺
@@malcolmhardwick4258 definatly. but i am not sure about ibanez guitar after 1985, i heard several people say it went downhill from there on. although their az guitars are great, but kind of pricey. about tripple the price of a used vintage ibanez
Oh yes, a lovely guitar and amazing guitarist xxx
Some very hip playing by Michael! Cool funk!
I have one , tone works on all pickups. Inclulding bridge isolated
That was an awesome performance, great job Michael.
Thanks 😎 and always a great thank you too the beautiful Filipina Jen!!!! 😘
Those strats are beautiful
If I could play, I would want all those cool tools. 🎸 Thanks Michael and Jen, great info, you made that Strat rock👍
These are my favorite Strats. If I wasn't so damn broke, I'd have one of these beasts.
Mr. Fister I sort of really dig mine.
My 84 is the same guitar with a rosewood board. The best strat I have ever played.
what a guitarist, very cool
Yah!! Michel many fingers Lemmo letting er rip , that was awesome , the funkiest I've heard you play in a while , luv it when you get n a grove and just go , insane. Great guitar too , luv the 5 switch strats and you're right this one does have a bit extra twang , luv the yellow also , beautiful , and a classic SRV sound , thanks guys.
I love the blonde strat. Gotta get one one of these days
Damn..this really makes me wanna pick up my axe...I haven't played in weeks!
Lovely looking Strat! Great work with this one Mike! However! Gotta do a Maton!
sweet axe! Those chords are ringing so nicely
This guy is one of the best guitarists of all time. Why is he in that music shop?
One just like that was my first guitar. 😀
Cool Stratocaster. '62-'63 were great years for the Stratocaster.
This from the 80's Jimmy bone!
I want some more!
a strat shouldn't exist without the classic strat recessed jack input.. it's unnatural
Same thing I was thinking
Same for no back access to the springs... under the pickups? Say what??
Ha! I failed to notice, now can't *unsee* it. Thanks, D.B. 😜
I find the concept of a Strat neck with that radius fretboard in maple strangely both intriguing and appealing. Those bridge saddles are from the Elites of the same year.
And yet it does, and sounds pretty cool
As always amazing!
I remember when people used to hate on this era. It’s always funny how we as guitar players come full circle to appreciate (what once was thought of as) crap.
The tones coming out of this gem are stunning. Of course, the amp and especially the player play a sizable role. Still, sounds like some sizzling Strat tones.
Everything about that was awesome
That Strat period / design doesn't usually get much respect, but this one sounds real nice, and that's all that matters.
Lemmo raises the bar again.
Lemmo ,you never disappoint with your playing buddy ! Unusual layout on that Strat but, it sounds great ! Thanks Jen ! :-)
And THAT’S how a strat should be handled!!! On fire!!!
I am pretty sure even a 100 bucks piece of wood with strings attached on it, would sound like a Fender vintage if Mr. Lemmo is playing them.
You are a great player.
Amazing talent
Flyers suck(as a Pens fan it is my duty to let that be known) great playing the last couple of days Mr. LEMMO you sir do not suck.
The Funk is strong with this one!
🙄😳🤔🖐🏽WOW...MICHAEL I have one identical. The Whammy DOES NOT HAVE NORMAL SPRING mechanism. Vibrato uses more like a spring scissor. Mark Agnasi did the same guitar last year I believe or at least another identical. KEEP up the Great Playing and T-shirt rotation. 👏🏽😎❤️👍🏼🇺🇸KAG🇺🇸
Nice five songs on the five way switch.
Hey Lemmo, I'm gonna drop your name on one off the episodes of "Brotherhood of Silver". Filming begins again in Feb.
Good grooves, Michael! 👍