Fender's 60th Anniversary Strat ('54 model...first year)

[Diminished Triad]

http://www.fender.com/guitars/strat...=60th+anniversary&simplesearch=Search&start=1

What do you think of the 60th Anniversary Strat from Fender? A "re-issue" of the first Fender strat from 1954. I haven't found too much about the pickups but have read some decent reviews about the play and feel of the guitar. I play mostly rhythm guitar. How's the price? Thanks for any comments!

 

[St_Genesius]

Re: Fender's 60th Anniversary Strat ('54 model...first year)

The price is on the page you linked: $2499. Given typical Fender MAP, I would expect a street price around $1,750.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Fender's 60th Anniversary Strat ('54 model...first year)

For every single model of guitar that you could ever consider (even if it has the precise specs you could possibly want) you still need to play a few examples in the flesh.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Fender's 60th Anniversary Strat ('54 model...first year)

It's probably as good as any AVRI, which IME is excellent. It doesn't really look like it has the unique characteristics of a '54, though. AFAIK, only CS models have truly gone to lengths to recreate the oddities of the very early Strats. Also, the "Flash Coat" lacquer, while thin, still has a poly sealer underneath it, so it's only really anywhere close to vintage-accurate on guitars that are based on Fenders from the Fullerplast years (starting in '63).

In short, probably great guitars in most examples, but don't be fooled into thinking it's that close of a recreation of a '54, as opposed to a '57 or whatever else. It's hard to tell from the pix whether it has the differently shaped polystyrene knobs, switch tip, and pickup covers, or the roundover on the headstock. Nothing against the guitar as a tool, but if you really want one that is made like a Strat was in '54, you've gotta do it yourself.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: Fender's 60th Anniversary Strat ('54 model...first year)

Thanks for the tips, some good info. One more to add to my small collection of Fenders. I'll let you guys know how it sounds and plays. Never get tired of playing Fenders!

 

[ItsaBass]

Fender's 60th Anniversary Strat ('54 model...first year)

I looked around and was able to find closeup pix and specs. Amazingly, the knobs are polystyrene, and the weird early shape! The pickup covers should be the same material, though they are not specifically listed as such in specs. The covers do appear to have the period-correct roundover, though. Same with the switch tip. It has the correct 1954 "football" shape, but no material is named in the specs. One thing I can't tell from the pix is whether the guitar has the correct roundover on the headstock, which is also unique to '54's. In some photos, it looks like it might actually have it.

So, it still might not be exact (you'd have to have the body fully stripped and refinished in non-catalyzed lacquer for that, as well as getting polystyrene pickup covers and switch tip), but it's as close as Fender has ever come to reproducing a '54 with a high degree of accuracy, outside of the very rare and very expensive Custom Shop versions. Several times over the last two decades or so, Fender had released so-called '54 Reissues, but they are really nothing but renamed '56 or '57 reissues. Used to really annoy me...