The ShadowMusic Web Community

Fender classic 50s Stratocaster,fiesta red, gold H/W,american 56 vintage pickups with tweed case. See adverts ,Guitar guitar,or Andertons.

If Andertons are stocking them, you can expect to see a YouTube video any day now, featuring Chappers playing one with maximum distortion and the bottom string tuned down to D ...

On another forum I use, someone posted a copy of a c.1960 Fender price list - the top model Strat was blonde, with gold plated hardware and vibrato arm- custom colours (e.g. Fiesta Red etc) were 5% extra- total price in the USA back then for Hanks' first Strat ordered by Cliff was therefore about US $380...not sure what the Sterling equivalent and import and mail costs etc were back then, however...

Not sure about the 1960 UK price, but in around 1962, when I was browsing the music stores at age 16, a Strat was 160 guineas. For those too young to know, a Guinea was £1 & 1 shilling, or £1.05. This price was about 3 times what the average young man could expect to pay for an affordable electric guitar at that time. E.G. Hofners, Burns, Futuramas, Rosettis etc.

Tony.

cockroach wrote:On another forum I use, someone posted a copy of a c.1960 Fender price list - the top model Strat was blonde, with gold plated hardware and vibrato arm- custom colours (e.g. Fiesta Red etc) were 5% extra- total price in the USA back then for Hanks' first Strat ordered by Cliff was therefore about US $380...not sure what the Sterling equivalent and import and mail costs etc were back then, however...

In 1960, the dollar pound exchange rate was 2.4:1, so $380 would have been worth about £158. Shipping would have been less than £10, surely? That was a week's net wages for a lot of people in the UK in those days.

The bog-standard Stratocaster with nickel and chrome parts as well as the all-important tremolo bridge sold for $289.50 retail in 1960. That is the equivalent of £120. Then there was shipping and Purchase Tax to add at our end. Really, a UK retail price of 150 guineas (£157.50) was reasonable in those circumstances (more for custom colour of course).

Custom Colours were an extra 10 per cent weren't they?

That extra 15-16 guineas could be a deal breaker - no wonder so many people settled for the sunburst!

Very nice! I have the Classic 50's in Fiesta Red with chrome hardware which I bought a few years ago, but I have since changed it over to gold hardware using geniune Fender bridge with steel Calaham block, original gold Kluson tuning keys, vintage 62 PU's, gold jack socket, and all screws in gold. The guitar cost £449 at the time so I reckon it's cost me less than this new model to upgrade to a slightly higher spec. If I was buying now however, I would definitely get this as the standard Classic 50's is about £649 now anyway so an extra ton is worth it!

Now available, mine arrived today, looking forward to trying it out with my hall and collins ☺