"Music shouldn't be just a tune, it should be a touch."
― Amit Kalantri
And perhaps a touch of madness. This is what I believe to be my final Fender Stratocaster unless they come out with something I just gotta have in 2022. This hybrid replica of a CBS-era Stratocaster in Inca Silver caps off my collection at eight ― a nostalgic look for a time when odd things were happening at Fender. The larger headstock was designed so the new logo could be more easily seen. Unfortunately, CBS put profits before playability and introduced other cost-cutting and efficiency measures that slowly damaged the reputation of the Stratocaster. But today you can have the look, form, and function from Fender's Mod Shop.
While I prefer the pre-CBS spaghetti Fender logo, a lot of late sixties and seventies artists sported Stratocasters with the new design, including Jimi Hendrix. I almost chose to do this build in vintage white to resemble the Stratocaster Hendrix played at Woodstock, but ultimately thought against it. The bridge is a 2-point Synchronized Tremelo and I went with the Texas Special pickups for a thicker blues-rock sound ― they're pretty spectacular.
Here they are ...
From left to right:
1. American Standard in Candy Apple Red (1994)
2. American Stratocaster Ultra in Mocha Burst (2020)
3. 75th Anniversary Stratocaster in Bourbon Burst (2021)
4. Professional Series II "Dark Night" (2020)
5. Eric Johnson Signature Series in Lucerne Aqua Firemist (2010?)
6. 50s American Original in White Blonde (2021)
7. Mod Shop in Satin Black (2021)
8. Mod Shop CBS-Era style in Inca Silver (2021)
Also new is Fender 75 Years, an illustrated histroy of the iconic and legendary guitars from 1946 to the present. The book includes rare images from company archives, behind-the-scenes views of the shop floor throughout the years, studio imagery of the guitars, rare period advertising and brochures, and performance images of Fender players. An excellent coffee table book!
All images © 2021 Mike McDowell