Well, I'm not an expert, but I think that 1970's Strats like these are smack bang in the CBS period so are regarded by collectors as "inferior". Not a bad price for "inferior".
Correct,but have a look at prices of pre CBS models,if you can find one.I dont doubt that they are inferior to the pre CBS instruments,but as the owner of a Strat approx. 10 years old,I can say with absolute certainty that the 1970,s Strats were very superior indeed to a more modern version. 
Yeah, probably right. I wouldn't know. Mine is '94 USA Standard and I've never had any other to compare it with. But it wouldn't make any difference to me anyway as I can't actually do much more than strum a few chords (this not false modesty, it's actually true

). My son who can actually play very well thinks it's nuts for me to have such an instrument.
What I want is a guitar, ANY guitar, that I can pick up and instantly play like Ritchie Blackmore used to
