"I just love playing guitar, so that’s what I’m going to do."
— Anne Erin Clark
Yup — another one. I've been looking for a 1950s re-issue Stratocaster in 2-tone sunburst for some time and finally found a keeper from Willcutt Guitars in Kentucky. I wanted one that had very even wood grain without obvious seams or knots on the body sections — this one is gorgeous. An original in mint condition might fetch $50,000.00 or more, which is just a tad out of my price range.
Ever since the American Vintage II series was released last year, I've had my eye on the 1957 model. Introduced by Fender in 1954, these are essentially what the very first Stratocasters looked like, quickly becoming revolutionary instruments that helped shape the sound of modern music.
The three above photographs show the guitar with pure-white plastic parts from a genuine Fender vintage parts kit I purchased from Sweetwater. Early Strats off the shelf had pure-white plastic parts and I wanted mine to look like that rather than a 70-year old cased/closet model. But out of the box, this guitar's pickup covers, tone controls, and tremolo arm tip were aged-white with a parchment pickguard. This is kind of a Fender faux aging thing to have guitars look unused but decades old.
Freshly opened with the original plastic parts:
See the difference?
Features of the American Vintage II 1957 2-tone include:
- Alder body
- Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish
- Pure Vintage '57 Single-Coil Strat pickups
- V-Shaped Neck Profile
- Pure Vintage Synchronized Tremolo with Bent Steel Saddles
- Pure Vintage Single-Line “Fender Deluxe” Tuners
- Vintage-style Butt Truss Rod
- Bone Nut
Here you can see the 1-ply pickguard:
And a decal over rather than under the finish:
I restrung the guitar with D'Addario EXLs 9/42 for my very bendy style of playing. I do OK with 10s, but my aging fingers appreciate the lighter gauge strings. Some of my guitars still have 10s, like my EOB Sustainer Stratocaster and American Original Stratocaster.
I'm pretty happy with the addition of this Stratocaster to my collection, which is a bit worrisome. I'd like to say I know what I'm doing and I am cognizant that it isn't normal to have so many guitars. In a meager attempt to rationalize this ongoing addiction, I will say there are guitarists on Strat-talk.com who have collections vastly larger than mine!
In other news, this is Mr. Chatterbox ...
A House Wren, of course. I'm sure most of you are familiar with their unabating singing all late spring and summer long. Morning, noon, and evening — on and on he goes. He's singing right now, in fact. I put up a wren house late spring and almost immediately a pair began stuffing small sticks inside it.
As much as I convey (or feign?) annoyance, I'll miss his big voice reverberating throughout my apartment once he's gone. I've had thoughts about not putting the house out next year, but it's nice to have avian company even if their stay begins to wear on ya a little. Though just a little brown job, he's actually an amazing little creature.
So far this summer the little oasis on my patio has rendered two American Robin clutches, and House Finches nested in my hanging begonia. This is the robins's second clutch — all four fledged about two weeks ago:
I have Ruby-throated Hummingbirds coming and going throughout the day. There's a Gray Treefrog somewhere on my patio, but I have yet to find it. From my bedroom I've heard it calling, but as soon as I I get to my patio door it becomes silent — I sense tiny concerned eyes peering back at me.
Alas, there was no nature outing this weekend — Mr. Graceful broke two toes by stubbing them into the leg of his astronomical telescope. Wearing shoes is a tad uncomfortable yet, but it's a lovely morning after a storm moved through last night; drinking coffee, listening to Mozart, and being somewhat lazy.
All images © 2023 Mike McDowell