USED Fender 1979 25th Anniversary Stratocaster Silver w/OHSC
Solidbody Electric Guitar celebrating the first 25 years of the Fender Stratocaster featuring a Porsche Silver finish and original case.
Diamonds and Pearls... Silver and Gold...
Silver, the colour of 25 years of bliss, and oh what Bliss the Fender Stratocaster has brought to the world!
From Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton to David Gilmour, Jeff Beck to SRV and everyone else. The Strat has been there since 1954.
In 1979, Fender produced what was possibly the first "Official" anniversary model of an Electric Guitar - the Anniversary Stratocaster.
It was also the first guitar from Fender to have a pre-determined limited number supply.
Due to California Enviromental laws, Fender decided to try to experiment with a friendly water based lacquer and the first Anniversary Strats were finished in Pearl White. (approx the first 500)
Unfortunately, this water based lacquer didn't go to well... the finish started cracking/peeling, like an egg shell.
Guitars that were shipped over to the UK and Europe suffered a different fate - the white water based lacquer absorbed the hue of the fake fur interior of the case (!)
A lot were recalled but there are quite a few out there. Some of the British ones were actually re-finished at the distributor and a new "Anniversary" text was applied, but in a slightly different font.
Fender then went with the "Porsche Silver" finish for the models - which is what we have here, and what you mostly see out in the wild. The workd "Porsche" was soon dropped and it was just known as "Silver"
The only issue with this Silver finish is that it oxidizes over time and can fade to a Gold hue, which again is what we have here.
It has been said that the earlier ones had a "25" prefix to the serial numbers, but all of the guitars out there all seem to start with "25" - as does this one.
There were 10,000 Anniversary guitars produced - not very limited by todays limited standards but still you don't see them too often
As mentioned, this was one of the first (if not the first) Electric guitar to have a numbered Anniversary it was also a return ( for Fender) to the 4 bolt neck plate and heel adjustment truss rod (opposed to the Bullet truss rod).
This also features the first use of Fender branded Sperzel tuners - later replaced with Schaller tuners towards the end of the run.
This one features the Sperzel Fender tuners, Maple neck and Fret Board with a Soft "V" neck profile. We find that it's a very soft V - not too much of a V contour.
Northern Ash body - the guitar weighs in at 10lbs 8 oz.
The Neck and Middle pickups are original to the guitar - 1979 Grey Bottoms
The bridge pickup has been replaced with a slightly hotter pickup of unknown origin.
NOTES Along with the bridge pickup being changed, this guitar didn't make it through the 80's without some other mods.
At some point a top moungt Floyd Rose was added, along with a lock nut.
It has been removed, the holes have been dowled up and the nut has been filled and a proper nut has been installed. They did a pretty good job at it too!
Having the Fender Sperzel tuners puts it in the earlier catagory of the limited 10,000 guitars produced.
Original saddles have been replaced too.
Comes with the whammy bar and original hard shell case.
The original numbered certificate is long gone.
It's a cool Fender Collectable!
