MSN serial number on Jimmie Vaughan Strat?

[stratman323]

I just picked up a secondhand but apparently unused white Jimmie Vaughan Strat off eBay (still had the plastic on the scratchplate). Seems great so far, & it looks so cool. I tried to check it's serial number on the Fender website, & I got to this page:

(link removed)

But mine starts MSN615*** and that's not mentioned on the page. Has anyone else come across this? Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Sale83]

S means it's a signature model.MSN6-1996,MSZ6-2006,MSX-2010....

 

[stratman323]

Ah, so all the Jimmie Vaughan Strats will have an S in their number?

 

[television]

I seem to remember that

the "6" in the serial number on these guitars may not be indicative of a year (i.e., 1996, 2006). I know that seems wierd, but I think I remember that some of the MIM sinatures have this issue (I think the Burton standard for instance) where everyone thinks they have a 1996 model but it is not so.

 

[stratman323]

It's strange, it seems like it's brand new, straight from the shop, but there's a stamp of 12 JUN 1997 on the bottom of the scratchplate, so it must be 13 years old. No sign of any fret wear.

A modern Closet Classic?


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[tap4154]

Yep, the date on the PG is the date it was made. Mine has a MSN6 neck (made in 1996), but the PG is dated Oct 2000. I also got mine with the plastic still on the PG and when I took it off there were white spots under the decals (the rest of the PG had aged). I found a new single ply 8 hole white PG locally for it that's a little bit thicker. Great guitars!

 

[stratman323]

I didn't want to take the neck off - it's nice for once to have a Strat that doesn't need the neck removed to tweak the truss rod! So far so good, it seems good. I don't usually like bigger than vintage frets, but I haven't really noticed them when I've been playing. And 9.5" is a much more sensible radius than 7.25" to be honest.

I'm not yet convinced that the tone control arrangement is better than just having a master tone control, but maybe it will grow on me.

 

[tap4154]

I like having a tone control for the bridge pup, but a master would be fine as well. I put an "expander" circuit on mine, using a push/pull pot on the bridge tone control to turn it on. In expanded mode I can get all three pups and bridge/neck, which gives you that great middle position Tele tone.

 

[mellecaster]

the "6" in the serial number on these guitars may not be indicative of a year (i.e., 1996, 2006). I know that seems wierd, but I think I remember that some of the MIM sinatures have this issue (I think the Burton standard for instance) where everyone thinks they have a 1996 model but it is not so.

You are quite correct...at least on the JB Standards I've worked on.

 

[stratman323]

I put an "expander" circuit on mine, using a push/pull pot on the bridge tone control to turn it on. In expanded mode I can get all three pups and bridge/neck, which gives you that great middle position Tele tone.

Yeah I've got that on a couple of Strats. I discovered it years ago, thought it was a brilliant idea, fitted it to my main Strat, & then found I never used it!

Same as the four way switch on a Tele, I thought that was brilliant, fitted a four-way to my main Tele, & then found I never used the extra position.

 

[stratman323]

I was reading The Stratocaster Chronicles last night, & apparently the Jimmie Vaughan Strat was introduced in 1997. So it looks like I have one of the first ones?

 

[birv2]

Can't answer your question about the SN, but congrats on getting a seriously great strat. I love mine. Bought it used and it had CS Fat 50 pickups in it. Changed them for CS 54's, and finally put in the pickups that it comes stock with -- Tex-Mex. The guitar sounds better than ever.

Very versatile guitar, too.

 

[tap4154]

Yeah I've got that on a couple of Strats. I discovered it years ago, thought it was a brilliant idea, fitted it to my main Strat, & then found I never used it!

Same as the four way switch on a Tele, I thought that was brilliant, fitted a four-way to my main Tele, & then found I never used the extra position.

The bridge/neck combo is what I use most on my Strats now. Did a Mega E switch mod on my MIJ '68 RI first (middle position is now bridge/neck), then on the JV using the push/pull. I also bought a 4/way switch to put on my '52 AVRI but never have. I just decided that it's a Tele, so leave it like a Tele is supposed to be... then I read that, like you, most folks who did add one just never warmed to the extra option.