In 2014, the Fender Stratocaster turned 60 and it never grow old.
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Fender remarked on its catalog how important this guitar was: “It proceeded to revolutionize popular music as an indispensable tool of phenomenal creativity. It then transcended that role to become a cultural symbol, too. It became the whole world’s archetypal electric guitar. It was the future in 1954. Sixty years later, in 2014, it’s still the future. It is the world’s greatest electric guitar. It’s called the Stratocaster guitar.”
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In celebration of the Diamond Anniversary of this iconic instrument, Fender announced Strat Madness, an online voting tournament where 64 time-honored Stratocaster hits – selected by Fender and consumers – battled it out in a grueling head-to-head bracket challenge for the coveted title of “best Strat song of all time.” Players were encouraged to vote by going to Fender’s website beginning March 17, and the winner was Jimi Hendrix’s Little Wing.
Fender decided to celebrate the Stratocaster by offering special anniversary Stratocasters for players of every stripe and budget, from a Squier import to a Custom Shop instrument costing at least 10 times as much, and fitted many factory-built guitars produced throughout 2014 with a commemorative neck plate featuring the silhouette of a Stratocaster and the words “STRATOCASTER 60 YEARS 1954-2014.” These regular production instruments should not be confused with the official anniversary Stratocasters.
Fender decided to celebrate the Stratocaster by offering special anniversary Stratocasters for players of every stripe and budget, from a Squier import to a Custom Shop instrument costing at least 10 times as much, and fitted many factory-built guitars produced throughout 2014 with a commemorative neck plate featuring the silhouette of a Stratocaster and the words “STRATOCASTER 60 YEARS 1954-2014.” These regular production instruments should not be confused with the official anniversary Stratocasters.
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation executives and employees were joined by artists and VIPS during the annual Fender Custom Shop NAMM kickoff ceremony on Jan. 22 to commemorate 60 years of the world’s greatest electric guitar, the Fender Stratocaster (left to right: Elliott Easton, Reggie Hamilton, Sean Hurley, Marcus Miller, Greg Koch, Janie Hendrix, Larry Thomas, Phyllis Fender, Jim Root, Hugh McDonald, Abigail Ybarra, Don Felder).
60TH ANNIVERSARY CUSTOM SHOP GUITARS
The Fender Custom Shop celebrated the diamond anniversary of the world’s greatest electric guitar with the 60th Anniversary 1954 Heavy Relic Stratocaster, which was classified as a member of the Time Machine Series.
Differently from the 2004 1954 Anniversary Stratocaster, which was a Master-built instrument, this guitar was team-built and was not a faithful replica of the original 1954 Stratocaster because it was designed with the modern player in mind.
Differently from the 2004 1954 Anniversary Stratocaster, which was a Master-built instrument, this guitar was team-built and was not a faithful replica of the original 1954 Stratocaster because it was designed with the modern player in mind.
The Custom Shop 60th Anniversary 1954 Heavy Relic Stratocaster (courtesy of Max Guitar Store)
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Historic details included nitrocellulose lacquered two-tone sunburst 1-piece ash body, a large “U”-shaped quarter-sawn maple neck (known for its strength and stability) which had a tinted lacquer finish, “FENDER PAT. PEND." saddles, and a serial number stamped on the tremolo back plate, while updates included a 9.5” radius fretboard, modern wiring that allowed to control the middle and bridge pickups with the second tone knob, and 21 narrow jumbo frets to make it more player-friendly.
Its 1954 Single Coil pickups were based on the original pickups and delivered real ‘50s Strats tone. |
Mike Lewis said: “Chris Fleming and I spent many hours with original, unmodified 1954 Strats, and the pickups for the American Vintage Anniversary ’54 were newly designed from scratch to duplicate the originals.”
The guitar came with in a tweed center-pocket case with Stratocaster 60th anniversary embroidery and an included 60th anniversary commemorative book and was retailed at 4,720 dollars.
Even though the first guitars sported a heavy relic finish that evoked decades of use, abuse, and hard-fought wear and tear, as the year progressed a NOS model was also available at 4,000 dollars. Furthermore, other colors were also offered to those who attended the 2014 Roadshow.
The guitar came with in a tweed center-pocket case with Stratocaster 60th anniversary embroidery and an included 60th anniversary commemorative book and was retailed at 4,720 dollars.
Even though the first guitars sported a heavy relic finish that evoked decades of use, abuse, and hard-fought wear and tear, as the year progressed a NOS model was also available at 4,000 dollars. Furthermore, other colors were also offered to those who attended the 2014 Roadshow.
Another version was named 2014 Limited Edition Golden '50s 1954 Stratocaster, which differed from the 60th Anniversary 1954 Heavy Relic Stratocaster for the anodized aluminum pickguard and the gold-plated hardware. It was available in three relic finishes: Cimarron Red, Dirty White Blonde, and 2-Color Sunburst.
The 60th Anniversary Custom Collection model sported gold-plated hardware and gold anodized pickguard
THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY AMERICAN VINTAGE 1954 STRATOCASTER
The 60th Anniversary American Vintage 1954 Stratocaster honored the Stratocaster’s very first model year and is finely crafted with a rich selection of features and appointments.
It featured a deep-cut two-piece side-seam ash body with a flash-coat lacquer 2-Color Sunburst finish. The one-piece maple neck had the date stamp just below the truss rod adjustment nut and was topped with a vintage correct 7.25” radius fretboard with rolled fingerboard edges for a "broken-in" feel and 21 vintage-style frets. The instrument also featured vintage-correct polystyrene “short skirt” knobs, bone nut, 1-ply 8-hole white pickguard, round string tree, and “FENDER PAT. PEND." saddles, while the switch was 5-way like that of the modern strats, complemented by an included optional three-way switch for original wiring.
This guitar was equipped with the same 1954 Single Coil pickups used on the Custom Shop anniversary model. Fender described the 60th Anniversary American Vintage 1954 Stratocaster as an “exciting new instrument with a tone as new and different as tomorrow.”
It featured a deep-cut two-piece side-seam ash body with a flash-coat lacquer 2-Color Sunburst finish. The one-piece maple neck had the date stamp just below the truss rod adjustment nut and was topped with a vintage correct 7.25” radius fretboard with rolled fingerboard edges for a "broken-in" feel and 21 vintage-style frets. The instrument also featured vintage-correct polystyrene “short skirt” knobs, bone nut, 1-ply 8-hole white pickguard, round string tree, and “FENDER PAT. PEND." saddles, while the switch was 5-way like that of the modern strats, complemented by an included optional three-way switch for original wiring.
This guitar was equipped with the same 1954 Single Coil pickups used on the Custom Shop anniversary model. Fender described the 60th Anniversary American Vintage 1954 Stratocaster as an “exciting new instrument with a tone as new and different as tomorrow.”
60th Anniversary American Vintage 1954 Stratocaster (reverb.com)
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Only 1,954 units were made, all available in 2014. Priced at 2,500 dollars, it retails for ten times the cost of the original 1954 Stratocaster - this comparison shows how expensive, not how cheap, the original was, given calculations for inflation.
The guitar came with a vintage-design single-stitch center-pocket tweed case and reproduction 1954 paperwork, and the first 54 units gained a special “1st 54” engraved neck plate. |
THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY AMERICAN COMMEMORATIVE STRATOCASTER
The US-made 60th Anniversary Commemorative Stratocaster was classified as a member of the American Standard series and combined a conventional Strat vibe with modern features.
Fine appointments included a gloss urethane two-tone Sunburst ash body with a comfortably contoured heel, three Special-Design 1954 Single-Coil Strat pickups, a no-load tone control, a Modern “C” shaped satin maple neck topped with a 22-fret compound-radius fingerboard with rolled edges, micro tilt, and 2-pivot bridge with vintage saddles.
Cosmetic touches appropriate to the anniversary celebration included gold hardware, black pearloid dots, pearl-button tuners, a commemorative medallion set onto the back of the headstock, and the commemorative neck plate.
The guitar was available in 2014 at 1,499.99 dollars.
Fine appointments included a gloss urethane two-tone Sunburst ash body with a comfortably contoured heel, three Special-Design 1954 Single-Coil Strat pickups, a no-load tone control, a Modern “C” shaped satin maple neck topped with a 22-fret compound-radius fingerboard with rolled edges, micro tilt, and 2-pivot bridge with vintage saddles.
Cosmetic touches appropriate to the anniversary celebration included gold hardware, black pearloid dots, pearl-button tuners, a commemorative medallion set onto the back of the headstock, and the commemorative neck plate.
The guitar was available in 2014 at 1,499.99 dollars.
The 60th anniversary Commemorative Stratocaster (Courtesy of Guitars Home)
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The 2014 Guitar Center advertisement that introduced the Anniversary Stratocasters showed Buddy Guy with a 60th Anniversary Commemorative Stratocaster
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The Japanese 60th anniversary Stratocaster
The Japanese ST60TH VSP (Courtesy of Guitar Shop Kiss)
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The ST60TH VSP was released from Fender Japan in 2014 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Stratocaster. Only 60 units intended exclusively for the Japanese domestic market were made.
The acronym “VSP”, which stands for “Vintage Special Series”, was given only to the highest-end Japanese guitars. Instead of the lacquer top coating used for the other VSP models, the ST60TH VSP adopted an ultra-thin poly coating. It was a hybrid coating that had both the acoustic characteristics of lacquer and the durability of poly. It has been the first Japanese Stratocaster to feature a Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard. |
60th Anniversary Strat made in Mexico
The Mexican-made 60th Anniversary Classic Player ’50s Stratocaster was the perfect compromise for players on a budget.
Available in Desert Sand finish with a gold anodized aluminum pickguard, it was reminiscent of the Musicmasters and the Duosonics from the mid-'50s. Gold hardware added charm and appeal, while aged knobs, stamped saddles, a vintage-style truss rod, and a gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish warm up the vintage vibe.
It is interesting to note that the Anniversary Classic Player ‘50s Stratocaster was shown in the catalog featuring an 11-hole pickguard (actually they were eight), and, above all, the pickups were advertised as “American Vintage pickups”, but should not be confused with the Pure Vintage pickups used on the American Vintage Series.
They were the Original '57/'62 Strat pickups with Reverse Wound Reverse Polarity middle unit.
Fine features and appointments included locking tuners, a modern 2-point tremolo bridge, and a fretboard with a comfortable 9.5” radius and 21 vintage-style frets.
Available in Desert Sand finish with a gold anodized aluminum pickguard, it was reminiscent of the Musicmasters and the Duosonics from the mid-'50s. Gold hardware added charm and appeal, while aged knobs, stamped saddles, a vintage-style truss rod, and a gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish warm up the vintage vibe.
It is interesting to note that the Anniversary Classic Player ‘50s Stratocaster was shown in the catalog featuring an 11-hole pickguard (actually they were eight), and, above all, the pickups were advertised as “American Vintage pickups”, but should not be confused with the Pure Vintage pickups used on the American Vintage Series.
They were the Original '57/'62 Strat pickups with Reverse Wound Reverse Polarity middle unit.
Fine features and appointments included locking tuners, a modern 2-point tremolo bridge, and a fretboard with a comfortable 9.5” radius and 21 vintage-style frets.
The Mexican 60th Anniversary Classic Player ’50s Stratocaster (reverb.com)
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The Squier Anniversay Strat
The 60th Anniversary Classic Vibe ’50s Stratocaster was the first anniversary Squier model. It featured a gloss polyester Aztec Gold finish, gold hardware, a 3-ply parchment pickguard, a maple neck with a comfortable “modern C” profile, a 9.5”-radius maple fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets, a vintage style bridge, and three custom vintage-style single-coil Stratocaster pickups.
It was the only 2014 anniversary Stratocaster with true vintage wiring: master volume, tone knob for neck pickup, and tone knob for middle pickup.
It was the only 2014 anniversary Stratocaster with true vintage wiring: master volume, tone knob for neck pickup, and tone knob for middle pickup.
60th Anniversary Classic Vibe ’50s Stratocaster (reverb.com)
Antonio Calvosa
MAIN SOURCES
- The Stratocaster Continues: The Sixth Decade of the Fender Strat by Tom Wheleer
- Fender Newsroom: Fender Press Releases & Products Updates
- Fender catalog
- Guitars inspection and photos
- The Stratocaster Continues: The Sixth Decade of the Fender Strat by Tom Wheleer
- Fender Newsroom: Fender Press Releases & Products Updates
- Fender catalog
- Guitars inspection and photos
