Pots and Caps.

[Graylion]

Well....The MkI Copicat in my 1961 leaflet was £38.10s, as you say - that equates to about £725 today!! Scary eh? Sorry chaps and chapesses - they WEREN'T "the good old days" at all! We had to pay an arm and a leg for musical stuff. Musicians nowadays don't know they're born!! They've never had it so good! (Practicing my 'Old Fogey' attitude!) Checking some of my other hobbies I find the same thing. Some parts for my Norton (bike that is)I bought in 1965 haven't increased much above inflation today.
Cheers, Lionel

[Bluesnote]

Well I'd have to say that we are a lot better off nowadays. If you purchase something like a Squier, it is a fraction of the cost of a Fender. But the build quality is amazing, moreso than the Hofners and all the rest in the sixties. Bottom of the range Ibanez's and Yamaha's and Aria's to name but a few are also brilliant build quality.
So yeah, we were ripped off I reckon.

[ecca]

Wasn't a Strat 160gns ?

[Graylion]

Wasn't a Strat 160gns ?

Yep - that's what I said. =£168 in modern money.
Cheers, Lionel

[ecca]

How much was a Jaguar in 1963 ?
I went mad for one but it was even more expensive than a Strat as I remember.

[Bluesnote]

I always thought that the Strat was the top of the range and the Jazz and the Jag were inferior to it?

But I suppose my judgement was somewhat clouded in these days due to one thing and another

[Graylion]

The Strat definitely wasn't the top of Fender's range - not by price anyway. The only proper priced catalogue I have is Selmer's (the sole UK importer) dated August 1963 but I remember that they hadn't changed prices from 1962. Prices were different according to colour for the Jaguar, Jazzmaster and Stratocaster. The Jag was 190gns in Sunburst and 200gns in White, Red, Cream or Blue. The Jazzmaster was 193gns in Red and 184gns in S/b. The Strat was a bargain at 160gns for Red and 153gns for S/b. So that makes the Jaguar the top price (200gns) the present day equivalent of nearly £3,800! A plush lined case was 8gns extra (but only £7-10s for the Strat case!) - that's another £138! PHEW!!! Pretty scary eh?

For you bass players - the Jazz was 155gns in Red and 147gns in S/b. The Precision was 128gns in Red and 122gns in S/b making the Jazz the top of range.

As far as looks go I reckon the Jaguar does look better and more classy than the Strat - especially in sunburst finish - and just look at all those interesting knobs on it! I don't own one yet but want to just because it looks so pretty. 'Pretty' is important of course - as is the type of wood the body is made from, when and where the tree was cut down, how many layers of paint it has and what type etc. etc.. I know my priorities!
Cheers, Lionel