"Some people collect out of a desire for an aesthetic, others for prestige, and still others for a sense of mastery. But most theories of collecting elaborate on attempts to define, protect, or enhance the self."
― Randy O. Frost
I was absolutely thrilled to have scored this near-mint condition 60th Anniversary Commemorative Fender Stratocaster last week. All it needed was a little TLC and I went right to work on it as soon as I got it home. I spent a couple of hours buffing and polishing the body, polishing the frets, oiled the neck, re-strung it, replaced some of the screws, etc. Given its condition, it's likely worth at least 2 to 3 times what I paid for it, but I don't think I'm going to flip it any time soon ― it plays like a dream.
This particular Stratocaster was made in 2014 only, when Fender celebrated the diamond jubilee of the world’s greatest electric guitar with this gorgeous 2-tone limited-edition. This guitar honors the Stratocaster’s very first model year (1954) as an "exciting new instrument" with a tone "as new and different as tomorrow," and is reverently crafted with a rich selection of features.
Special-Design 1954 Strat Single-Coil pickups ...
60th Anniversary engraved neckplate ...
It's an Ash body and Maple neck, gloss urethane finish on both.
Fender Deluxe Cast White Pearloid Tuners ...
60th Anniversary Medallion on the back of the headstock ...
Though I feel I've become a fairly proficient blues-rock player once again, recently I've been using TrueFire's online lessons. In particular, Matt Schofield's BluesSpeak course. If you've been keeping score on my Guitar Acquisition Syndrome (GAS), you probably have a pretty good idea how many guitars are in my collection now. As impressive as I find it, I've got nothing on some of the collectors I've met over at Strat-talk.com. For one, I don't have any true vintage guitars from the 50s, 60s, or 70s ― nearly all of mine are reissues made after 2020. The oldest Stratocaster I have is a 1995 American Standard. Though I think my favorite right now is my Mary Kaye, I would really like to get my hands on a Custom Shop David Gilmour NOS Black Stratocaster, but the least expensive ones out there now start around $10K.
All images © 2023 Mike McDowell