Newest Additions
This page is where I will post the newest guitars to be added to my ever-growing collection. Eventually they will be moved to their respective category on the various pages of the site, but initially they will be featured here. Enjoy! -JB
1995 Electric Blue American Standard
1995 "Electric Blue" American Standard Stratocaster
This one grabbed my attention due to the color. While I already have a later "Chrome Blue" American Series Strat in my collection, I had never seen an Electric Blue Strat in person until this one. It was actually described to me as being Chrome Blue, but I knew that color didn't exist in 1995 and with a bit of research i realized it must indeed be the rare "Electric Blue". While this was a regular production color option, it seems to be quite scarce, and this one is by far the cleanest I have ever seen. It's still got the protective film on the pickguard and zero fret wear. Every original piece of paperwork and tag is still inside the case, even the inspection tag for the case itself! The original "red label" molded hardshell case is in exceptional condition and it looks to have been played very sparingly since 1995. The rosewood fretboard really makes the color pop too!
2001 Hot Rod Red American Series Strat
This one is another somewhat rare color, offered on the standard USA model for only a couple years. "Hot Rod Red" is a very bold color, similar to and often misidentified as Fiesta Red, but differs by its lack of an orange hue. It's brighter than Torino Red, and unlike Candy Apple or Chrome Red, this is a non-metallic/non translucent color. This one is a pristine example that does not look to have ever been played more than a few minutes since being sold new in 2001. It's got a solid maple neck, and parchment plastics for a classic Strat look. The Mark Knopfler Signature Series Stratocaster is currently the only production Stratocaster to still offer this particular shade of red.
1989 American Standard Stratocaster
1989 American Standard with flamed maple neck
While I'm admittedly not usually a fan of sunburst strats, I had been looking to add another early American Standard to my collection. Ideally I was hoping to find another early '87 in a solid color, but someone contacted me with this one and when I saw it I just couldn't pass it up. It's 100% original, and in just about perfect condition... and the coolest feature is the nicely flamed solid maple neck. It's very rare to ever find a flamed neckof any sort on a USA Standard Strat of this era, and this one is just gorgeous! It's also an amazing player, with a great tone and overall balance. The fact the original case is as clean as the guitar itself was just icing on the cake. I still believe these American Standards from the late 80's are some of the best built, and best sounding Stratocasters ever produced!
1987(1st Year)American Standard Strat
1987 American Standard Stratocaster in Vintage White
.I'm always on the lookout for exceptionally clean examples of cool Fenders, and this one spoke to me.It's a first year "E4" American Standard Strat in my all time favorite Strat color of Vintage White which has further yellowed to the perfect shade of "banana pudding".
The condition of it is incredible, and aside from the nice aged/yellowed look of the original plastics and amber shade the neck has turned over the years.. it otherwise looks like it came out of the factory yesterday. It's a one owner Strat that has never been gigged, and still has all the original hang tags, inspection card, and assorted case candy. Even the original Strap and cord were included, although I forgot to include them in the pics below. The really amazing part about this guitar is how it plays! I have had literally dozens of American Standard and American Series Strats from the one I bought new in 1991 through present day models... but NONE have a tone like this one. I can't explain it, but it has the perfect Strat sound to my ears. I was in love with it within 30 seconds after getting it tuned up. I may be crazy, but I think these early American Standards are destined to be classics, and are a blast to play and enjoy in the meantime!
The condition of it is incredible, and aside from the nice aged/yellowed look of the original plastics and amber shade the neck has turned over the years.. it otherwise looks like it came out of the factory yesterday. It's a one owner Strat that has never been gigged, and still has all the original hang tags, inspection card, and assorted case candy. Even the original Strap and cord were included, although I forgot to include them in the pics below. The really amazing part about this guitar is how it plays! I have had literally dozens of American Standard and American Series Strats from the one I bought new in 1991 through present day models... but NONE have a tone like this one. I can't explain it, but it has the perfect Strat sound to my ears. I was in love with it within 30 seconds after getting it tuned up. I may be crazy, but I think these early American Standards are destined to be classics, and are a blast to play and enjoy in the meantime!
1989 Fender Strat Plus
I have been a Fender fan and collector for a long time, but
admittedly never owned a Strat Plus. I always remembered them being those
"expensive" Strats that were out of my reach, and always bought American Standards. I never really gave them much thought until recently when I was looking to buy an early American Standard and came across this perfect Strat Plus... From what i can tell it is likely a 1989, (possibly a '90) and is a
total time capsule piece, right down to the perfect original case. I don't think this one ever left anyone's bedroom since new. The gold lettering on the lace sensors is perfect, there is not a nick or even a swirl mark anywhere on the finish, and it looks like it could have been made a week ago. The factory color is called Frost Red or Lipstick Red, and has a definite metallic/pearl(?) undercoat.. essentially like an amped up, brighter version of Candy Apple Red. I have researched this extensively, and believe the 2 names were used interchangably for the same color. Whatever you want to call it, it's bright! I intend to attept to get some better pics up eventually, but for now these will do...
1979/80 Fender Stratocaster
1979/80 Fender Stratocaster in Olympic White (aged)
While a guitar in this condition might not appeal to everyone, I fell in love with it the moment I saw it. Believe it or not, this one started life in Olympic White, and many years of hard gigging, smoke-filled bars and honky tonks "transformed" the finish into what you see here. The guitar itself is very original, and was one of the last "big headstock" strats of the era. Unlike the black on black hardtail '79 below, this one has the full tremolo, and original cast zinc tremolo block. It also has the title of "heaviest" guitar I own, tipping the scales at a whopping 10 pounds, 4 ounces! The tone of this one is worth the weight though, as the solid ash body resonates and rings notes forever! This one was formerly owned by the rhythm player for the Bill Perry Blues Band, and has definitely seen its share of use.
1979 Fender Stratocaster "Hardtail"
Although I have several mid-60's Jaguars, Musicmasters, and other shortscale Fenders, this is currently the oldest Stratocaster in my collection. I'm not sure if it's safe to call a 1979 "vintage", but since it IS well over 30 years old at this point, it'sheaded in the right direction! I have always liked black strats, and my first electric guitar was actually a black '83 featured on the "More Stratocasters" page of this website. I've never owned a 3 bolt neck, or a "big headstock" Stratocaster prior to this one. I saw this listed for sale for what I believed was a fair price, and in a moment of weakness I bought it essentially sight unseen, and without asking too many questions. The main thing was that it was 100% original, with the exception of the white plastic pieces. The good news is, the original black hardware was kept sealed in a bag inside the case, and was included. I sort of dig the David Gilmour look of the white trim, so for now I am leaving it as-is. I'm a big fan of hardtail Strats, and find that they have a unique feel and tone to them that is pleasing to my ears. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this one was no exception. We've all heard the stories of the poor quality control, and ill constructed, poorly playing guitars of the 70's, but I can honestly say I do not believe this myth. While I can believe there may have been more "duds" slip out the factory doors than in the previous 2 decades of Fender, overall I have found that quality was as good as any other era. This guitar has a nice chunky neck, 3 great sounding pickups, a nice tight neck pocket, and an overall feel that is very secure and solid. I'm not sure if the body is ash or alder, but I know that at just over 9 pounds it's a bit heavier than most of my later Strats. I have no regrets about picking this one up, and expect it to stay in my collection for many years to come.
1960's Stratocaster "Relic"
63/64 Sunburst 'Relic' Stratocaster
This is one of those "love it or hate it" guitars... If you're a relic fan, this one should be to your liking... if you hate relic'd instruments it would be best for you to turn away now! I personally fell in love with this one initially because the color and pattern of the sunburst finish. To me it looks very authentic and reminiscent of early-mid 60's Fenders. I'm generally not a sunburst fan, but this one just looked "right". While some may say the finish wear on this is a bit "over the top", I have a friend who owns an original 1965 Strat that looks nearly identical to this one, including the severe wear and bold sunburst pattern. I'm working on getting a chance to take some photos of it, but it rarely comes out of hiding anymore.
As for this one, it features a 2 piece lightweight alder body from USACG, Bridge and assorted hardware are original Fender USA and Callaham pieces, and the neck is actually an Allparts vintage spec piece that I previously owned. The electronics are from RS Guitarworks. The bottom tone control is wired to the bridge pickup to help tame the highs. Pickups are Dimarzio Area 61's in the neck and middle with a Virtual Solo in the bridge. A really nice combination of parts makes this one sing just like a Strat should! You can literally feel this guitar vibrate unplugged, and the entire guitar weighs just over 7 lbs. Have a look!
As for this one, it features a 2 piece lightweight alder body from USACG, Bridge and assorted hardware are original Fender USA and Callaham pieces, and the neck is actually an Allparts vintage spec piece that I previously owned. The electronics are from RS Guitarworks. The bottom tone control is wired to the bridge pickup to help tame the highs. Pickups are Dimarzio Area 61's in the neck and middle with a Virtual Solo in the bridge. A really nice combination of parts makes this one sing just like a Strat should! You can literally feel this guitar vibrate unplugged, and the entire guitar weighs just over 7 lbs. Have a look!
1966 Daphne Blue Musicmaster II
1966 1-owner Daphne Blue Musicmaster II - 100% original
This one is almost too good to be true, but it is! It's a 100% original 1966 Fender Musicmaster II in Daphne Blue that was purchased new in 1967 for a 10 year old girl's Christmas gift, along with a Mel Bay Beginner's Guitar Manual. Apparently the little girl preferred her acoustic to this electric, and it was basically put in a closet and was untouched and unplayed for nearly 40 years. I bought it from the girl's son in 2010, and aside from a couple minor spots where the dried out nitro has flaked off due to age (not wear) it remains in pristine condition. The frets have absolutely zero wear, the original lacquer on the neck is still as glossy and new as it was in 1966, and the chrome hardware looks as though it were plated yesterday. I put a fresh set of strings on it and plugged it into my '65 Deluxe Reverb and it instantly came to life! Beautiful rich tone, with absolutely no static or scratchiness in the pots or pickup. This one is as close to new as any vintage Fender i've ever had the chance to play, a true time capsule guitar with no fading, no greening, and no corrosion. Even the chrome plated screws are all still bright and shiny! The white pearloid pickguard is bright with no yellowing, as are the original plastic tipped Kluson "double-line" tuners. The original case is in excellent condition, with perfect latches and hinges, and a totally unfaded and unsoiled bright orange lining. I can almost guarantee this photo shoot was the first time this guitar was ever exposed to natural sunlight! Check it out...you don't see too many in this shape anymore!
Fender AVRI 1962 "Hot Rod" Stratocaster
Fender American Vintage '62 'Hot Rod' in Sherwood Green
This is actually the second '62 Hot Rod Strat I've owned.... I had one very similar to it a few years ago, but foolishly sold it to fund another purchase. Pics and description of my first one can be found in the "Gone But Not Forgotten" section of this website. In addition to the color (Sherwood Green) the feel of the chunky C shaped neck, and the overall build quality of these, what I really liked about the one I originally sold was the beautiful "flamed maple" on the back of the neck. While this is not a standard feature of this particular model, occassionally, (and rarely!) one comes through with a nicely flamed neck. I had not seen another one of these with a neck as pretty as the one I sold, so I always passed on them, even when the price was right. My stubborness finally paid off last week, when I happened onto an eBay auction where this beauty was listed with no reserve. It's a 2006 model, and a very clean one owner piece, with every piece of paperwork, hangtag, and accessory still neatly tucked away inside its original brown tolex case. While I'm always a sucker for a clean and well documented Strat, what really sold me on this was the neck... I actually think this one has a better piece of flamed maple for the neck than the one I sold a year ago. I struck a deal with the seller to add a buy it now price that we both agreed was fair, and purchased the guitar on the spot. In addition to the many cool features of the '62 Hot Rod, including the "Thin-Skin" nitro finish, the exclusive Sherwood Green color, dark rosewood slab board with 9.5" radius, and 57/62 reverse wound,staggered pole pickups... another bonus with this particular guitar is its weight, or shall I say..the lack thereof! I haven't got an "official" reading yet, but I'd say this is one of the lightest alder bodied Strats I've ever owned or played. I'm guessing it is barely over 7 pounds. It took quite alot of searching to find this, and I plan to hang onto it for quite some time!