Questions regarding a cool 62RI - stamps? pups? pics

[slack]

As you may know, I'm a far more Tele than Strat. That said, I have maintained an appreciation. And I am always interested in a really good Tele or Strat. It's just that I've bonded with few Strats.

Anyway, I just acquired such an instrument from a music personality. It's easily the best of the 57/62RIs I've picked up. It's a 2001 AV 62RI, in what I believe is Inca Silver. I was really surprised by the neck, as I've read so much about them being slim Cs. This is a pretty full C, measuring: 1.66W @ nut, 2.05W @ 12th; 0.85D @ 1st, 0.93D @ 12th. The guitar weighs 7-1/2 lbs. It shows quite a bit of wear which you don't see in the pics, but the frets and board are exc. The case has cartage stickers all over it, the well traveled guitar having last been throughout Japan.

I've a couple questions for you guys more familiar with the RI Strats than I. Here's some pics.

Check out the stamps in the routs. The "SB" and "F". Of course I would think SB would refer to sunburst, but it was never sprayed sunburst. Maybe it was going to be. And any idea about the F?

Also, I have a question about the pickups. Pups have clearly been unsoldered from the pots (and switch is 5-way). They appear like other 57/62 pups I've seen, including my 2002 AV 57RI. Same beveled poles. However, they have a red "V" on their bottoms, and I've not seen that on any other 57/62 pups or in pics of them on eBay, etc. They also sound noticeably better than my known 57/62 pups. Just curious if the "V" means anything to anyone, just in case they are obviously some other pup and I don't know better.


Thanks

[Sunburst Island]

Originally Posted by slack

Check out the stamps in the routs. The "SB" and "F". Of course I would think SB would refer to sunburst, but it was never sprayed sunburst. Maybe it was going to be. And any idea about the F?

They appear like other 57/62 pups I've seen, including my 2002 AV 57RI. Same beveled poles. However, they have a red "V" on their bottoms ... They also sound noticeably better than my known 57/62 pups. Just curious if the "V" means anything to anyone, just in case they are obviously some other pup and I don't know better.

That's a nice looking guitar Slack, I'd switch out the dots with real clay ones just to do it. But it looks good!

As far as the stamps, I'd assume that the SB would denote sunburst too, but I don't think that's the case. I've got a black ri "replacement" body with the same stamps in it, SB & F, same spot aswell. I've really got no idea, nothing special that I'd imagine. One of my sunburst strats has a hand initialed SB in china marker in one of the cavities. No deep stamps though.

Now the "v" on those pickups...
Those are regular production 57/62 ri pickups for the time frame. Since the joints were altered and the 5 way was put it, do you think he or she put in a different set of pickups that came stock in it? I think I've seen the same colour marker on a few various US pickups. Don't quote me though. Maybe it's just what that particular person does at their wiring station??? Maybe the person that you got it from ordered it with slightly altered pickups, and that denotes that???

Hey, you said they sound better... so there's the gem of it!

[Mark Davis]

If the SB and F is stamped on all these ri bodies and they are not Sunburst it could stand for something as simple as "SB" Solidbody "F" Fender.

The V on the pickups could be who made them or installed them maybe vivian?

I never completly dissassembled the 2001 62ri I had that was Ice Blue wonder if it also had these same stickers?

I know this sounds weird but tortise shell pickguards look great on Inca Silver.

[slack]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

If the SB and F is stamped on all these ri bodies and they are not Sunburst it could stand for something as simple as "SB" Solidbody "F" Fender.

The stamps are definitely not in all the RI bodies. Until Sunburst Island said his has those stamps, this was the only time I've known of it. And I've seen under the PGs of many, and looked at lots of online pics before posting. Maybe many do have them.

Btw, SB stamped in Strat body and meaning solid body, after 50 years of the two being synonymous, would seem a bit superfluous. 8)

Sunburst Island, after finding this great, and dark neck, I'm gonna fixate on the dots now.

I figured the pups were just regular 57/62s, but having not seen that "V" mark either, just wanted to make sure they weren't something else I didn't know about. I had several of the 10K Nocaster Tele pups for a while before I knew what they were, which are from around the same time I believe.

[shadco]

Slack sweet catch

No such stamps in my 05 62'RI. No marks like that on the pups either.

Neck is .83 @ first fret and .93 @ 12th. 1.66 nutwidth and 2.04 @ the 12th.

[Sunburst Island]

Originally Posted by Mark Davis

...it could stand for something as simple as "SB" Solidbody "F" Fender.
I know this sounds weird but tortise shell pickguards look great on Inca Silver.

It could, but whenever has Fender been so easy about deciphering codes?

Doesn't sound weird they do look good, though I like the mint green on it already.



:) Sorry Slack, I didn't mean to ruin the board for you. It looks great! I'm not one to like plastic imbeded into the wood (unless it's bakelite in maple), I usually drill them out and replace them with clay dots. Very easy to do, and very natural looking to me. It's just the way I like 'em.

I bet that guitar sounds good, especially with a slightly bigger neck.

The "F" stamp on mine had some tape over it when they sprayed it too, the cavity looks identical.