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This is probably a "trainspotter" type of question. Does anyone know what brand of tuning keys that Hank had on his 70s black strat?.. They are gold and back then the Fender "batwing" tuners were not available in gold and from the pictures, I can see that the shape of the heads are not F-type. Just wondering as I'm building a replica.

Schaller.

Of course, the F-marked Fender square-button tuners he replaced were also Schallers, but they were made down to a price. The ones that Hank got Sam Li to fit as replacements were better quality and had adjustable tension.

Maybe this pictures helps a little
Schallers M6L Gold and look closely at the black pick-guard

Cheers Rob

Loved this guitar - I would love to have a go at piecing together a (reasonable) replica sometime (as it was around 1979)

bgohara wrote:Loved this guitar - I would love to have a go at piecing together a (reasonable) replica sometime (as it was around 1979)

Finding an original Fender WRHB with magnetic polepieces tends to be the most difficult bit.

Hi Bernard,

It took me almost six years to hunt down all parts I needed(that was in the first half of the 80's).
I did go for all original and genuine parts, because that was all you could get at that time.
So a original 1970 strat in factory black with the four bolt one piece maple neck is as rare as hens teeth.
A four layer pick-guard b/w/b/w was also very hard to find.
Nowadays it's much easier, you can order a neck and a body on the net, pick-guard custom order made, easy as pie.
Golden hardware also no difficulties there...these days.
The SD SSL1 were back then the very first set in the Netherlands (a demo sample set direct from SD).
Hank had SD SSL1's as last pu's on the black strat.
First years Hank used Fender amp knobs on his strat, (black checkers disk type) later normal strat knobs.

The guitar I customized , plays great and sound not that bad...
https://app.box.com/s/3bsx1p4y7zqkdtvkfloc

Cheers Rob

Hi Jim,

For the last few decades,it was exactly what you wrote...a original Fender WRHB was hard to get.
Lucky for us the Wide-Range CuNiFe humbuckers are made again.

http://www.fendercustomshop.com/guitars/telecaster/limited-edition-72-telecaster-thinline-rosewood-fingerboard-aged-blue-flower-relic/
The Fender peeps got it right again!

The other humbucker on Hanks strat, a Gibson "T top" humbucker is nowadays a little higher in prize too.

All above is needed if you go the Paris 75 route.
If you go the later hits route IAW the way the guitar was used the last 5+ years it's easier DiMarzio FS1 and as last SD SSL1's

Cheers Rob

bor64 wrote:

blackstrat2 (133 x 278).jpg

Maybe this pictures helps a little
Schallers M6L Gold and look closely at the black pick-guard

Cheers Rob

That headstock picture is intriguing. Is that Hanks Black Strat? The letters "With syncroniced tremolo" seems different from what I have seen on Fenders from those years. Usually the O in tremolo stops under the A in Stratocaster, and from pictures I see on Hanks guitar it does too.. Im probably very geekish here. but those details are always interesting.