George Geddes wrote:There are some photos of Bruce with a sunburst rosewood board Strat in the early 60s, but the consensus seemed to be that it was actually Chas McDevitt's guitar. To the best of my knowledge, there is no evidence of Hank or Bruce using a 60s sunburst Strat. I would be happy to be corrected though...
George
The well-known photograph of Bruce using a sunburst Stratocaster (rosewood fretboard, small headstock, etc) was published on the reverse of the sleeve of the September 1960 LP "Me And My Shadows". Obviously, the photograph must have been at least a month or two old when the album was released and this was a time before The Shadows had the two red Strats and Precision Bass. Bruce's own guitar at the time would have the sunburst Jazzmaster.
I don't know that a consensus is needed... Bruce has actually
stated that this was Chas McDevitt's guitar and was used for a live performance or two when he (Bruce) broke a string (this was approximately at the same time that Hank started keeping his own Gretsch guitar in standby position for the same reason). Chas McDevitt and Shirley Douglas frequently shared a bill with the group (and Cliff). Indeed, the first time I ever saw the Shadows live (getting on for fifty-nine years ago), Chas and Shirley were on the bill, though they too had now changed to red Fenders (Strat and Precision).
The only other times I am aware of any of The Shadows using a sunburst Stratocaster were in the mid-to-late 1970s (a 3-colour s/b Strat with the large headstock and bullet adjuster) when it was used on TV maybe as little as once and was photographed with the group (eg, in the programme for the 1978 London Palladium reunion season) and then later (c. 1982 onward), the 1950s model that Hank bought from Tony Hicks.
Other than Chas's guitar, there is no evidence of The Shads ever using a 1959-1965 Strat like that one at any other time.