 FENDER | | Stratocaster: Early Models (1954-1985 Mfg.) | This category covers the Stratocaster from its inception in 1954 to the end of CBS production in late 1984. No U.S. production of the Stratocaster, other than the Vintage Reissue models, occured in 1985 and the only model standard production Stratocaster was produced in Japan. In 1986, Fender introduced the new American Standard Stratocaster under new managment led by Bill Schultz.
The Stratocaster is Fender's most popular guitar and they produced thousands of them. Changes in production were fairly well documented and they often happened within a short period of time. While the basic information about Stratocasters between 1954 and 1984 are covered here, several books and other articles are written about the topic, and we suggest looking into these titles for more detailed information.
Custom color Stratocaster's are extremely collectible in regards to their standard Sunburst counterparts. Blonde and Black finishes were introduced early on, but most custom colors were introduced in 1958. Below is a list of Stratocaster custom colors. All values listed below are for standard finishes, which is most ofen 2-Tone or 3-Tone Sunburst.
Please note that since there are so many variations of Stratocasters (finishes, body woodes, fingerboards, etc.) that each guitar needs to be individually appraised and evaluated. The following values listed are strictly a general guideline, and we suggest getting more than one opinion when buying or selling a Stratocaster.
Black finish (1958-1984)
Blonde finish (1954-1982)
Blue Ice (1965-69)
Burgundy Mist Metallic (1960-65)
Candy Apple Red (1963-1973)
Charcoal Frost Metallic (1965-69)
Dakota Red finish (1958-1969)
Daphne Blue finish (1960-65)
Fiesta Red finish (1958-1969)
Firemist Gold Metallic (1965-1971)
Firemist Silver Metallic (1965-1971)
Foam Green (1960-69)
Gold Metallic (1958-59)
Inca Silver Metallic (1960-65)
Lake Placid Blue finish (1958-59)
Natural (1972-1982)
Ocean Turquoise Metallic (1965-1971)
Olympic White finish (1958-1980)
Shell Pink (1960-63)
Sherwood Green Metallic (1960-65)
Shoreline Gold Metallic (1959-1965)
Sonic Blue (1960-1972)
Teal Green Metallic (1965-69) | | STRATOCASTER (PRE-CBS, MFG. 1954-1959) | | - offset double cutaway ash (1954-mid-1956, Blonde finish mid-1956-59) or alder (mid-1956-59) body, four-screw bolt-on maple neck, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side nickel-plated Kluson tuners, vibrato bridge, or six-saddle bridge with STB, single-ply white bakelite pickguard with 8 screws (1954 only), single-ply white plastic pickguard with 8 screws (1955-59), or three-ply W/B/W celluloid pickguard with a greenish tint and 11 screws (1959), three single coil pickups with staggered height poles, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way pickup switch, jack angled into the top, nickel hardware, available in standard 2-Tone Sunburst (1954-58) or 3-Tone Sunburst (mid-1958-59) finish or custom colors first appearing in 1957, 25.5 in. scale, mfg. 1954-59. |
| Stratocaster "Mary Kaye" | | - similar to the Stratocaster (Pre CBS Mfg. 1954-59), except has gold hardware and a Blonde finish, mfg. 1956-58. |
| STRATOCASTER WITH ROSEWOOD FINGERBOARD (PRE-CBS, MFG. 1959-1965) | | - offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on four-screw maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with clay off-white dot inlays, small Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, tremolo bridge, three-layer celluloid W/B/W greenish tint pickguard, three single coil staggered height pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way pickup switch, jack angled into the top, nickel hardware, available in standard 3-Tone Sunburst finish or various custom color finishes, mfg. 1959-1965. |
| STRATOCASTER (CBS MFG. 1965-1971) | | - offset double cutaway alder body with smaller body contours, bolt-on four-screw maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with clay off-white dot inlays, large Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, tremolo bridge, three-layer plastic white pickguard, three single coil staggered height pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way pickup switch, jack angled into the top, nickel hardware, available in standard 3-Tone Sunburst finish or various custom color finishes, mfg. 1965-1971. |
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| STRATOCASTER THREE-BOLT NECK (CBS MFG. 1971-1981) | | - offset double cutaway alder or ash body with smaller body contours, bolt-on three-screw one-piece 21-fret maple neck with black dot inlays, or maple neck with 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with clay off-white dot inlays, large Strat-style headstock with two string guides and truss rod adjustment at bottom, six-on-one-side tuners, tremolo bridgeor six-saddle hardtail bridge with STB, white laminated (1971-75, 1981) or black laminated (1975-1981) pickguard, three single coil staggered height (1971-late 1974) or flatpole (late 1974-1981) pickups with white covers (1971-75, 1979-1981) or black covers (1975-1981), three knobs (v, two tone), three-way (1971-77) or five-way (1977-1981) pickup switch, jack angled into the top, nickel hardware, available in standard 3-Tone Sunburst finish or various custom color finishes, 25.5 in. scale, mfg. 1971-1981. |
| Stratocaster Antigua | | - similar to the Stratocaster Three-Bolt Neck (CBS Mfg. 1971-1981), except has an Antigua finish with a matching color laminated plastic pickguard, mfg. 1977-79. |
| Stratocaster International Color | | - similar to the Stratocaster Three-Bolt Neck (CBS Mfg. 1971-1981), except features special International color finishes and a white laminated plastic pickguard with black plated screws, mfg. 1981 only. |
| STANDARD STRATOCASTER ("SMITH STRAT," CBS MFG., 1981-83) | | - offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on four-screw maple neck, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays or rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, small pre-1965-style headstock with black logo and two string guides, six-on-one-side tuners, vibrato bridge or six-saddle, three-ply white pickguard, three single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), five-way pickup switch, jack angled into the top, chrome hardware, available in Sunburst and other custom color finishes, mfg. 1981-83. |
| STANDARD STRATOCASTER (CBS MFG. 1983-84) | | - offset double cutaway alder body, bolt-on four-screw maple neck, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays, small Strat-style headstock with silver logo and two string guides, six-on-one-side tuners, "Freeflyte" vibrato bridge or six-saddle hardtail bridge/tailpiece, single-ply 12 screw white pickguard, three single coil exposed pickups, two knobs (v, tone), five-way pickup switch, jack mounted on the pickguard at a right angle in place of the third knob, chrome hardware, available in the following Standard Colors: Black, Brown Sunburst, Cherry Sunburst, Natural, Sienna Sunburst, or White finish, and the following Custom Colors: Aztec Gold, Candy Apple Green, Emerald Green, Mocha Brown, Pewter, Ruby Red or Sapphire Blue finish, mfg. 1983-84. |
| Standard Stratocaster Marble Finish "Bowling Ball Strat" | | - similar to the Standard Stratocaster (CBS Mfg. 1983-84), except has a streaking blue, yellow, or red finish that resembles a bowling ball, mfg. 1984 only. |
| STANDARD STRATOCASTER FIRST VERSION (JAPAN MFG. 1985-89) | | - offset double cutaway Strat-style body, bolt-on maple neck, 22-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays or rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, two-pivot vibrato bridge, white pickguard, three single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), five-way pickup switch, jack mounted at an angle in face of body, chrome hardware, available in various finishes, mfg. 1985-89. |
| STANDARD STRATOCASTER SECOND VERSION (JAPAN MFG. 1988-1991) | | - offset double cutaway Strat-style body, bolt-on maple neck, 21-fret maple fingerboard with black dot inlays or rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, Strat-style headstock with two string guides, six-on-one-side tuners, two-pivot vibrato bridge, white pickguard, three single coil pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), five-way pickup switch, jack mounted at an angle in face of body, chrome hardware, available in various finishes, mfg. 1988-1991. |
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