The history of Hank's first Strat is pretty well documented. But why red?
The story goes that Hank liked the sound of James Burton on Rick Nelson records, and assumed that Burton would play the most expensive guitar in the Fender catalogue, the red Strat with gold plated hardware. This indicates that there were no photos to hand of Burton with his guitar. But on the cover of the Crickets LP they are shown holding a sunburst Strat. Hank was a big Buddy Holly fan so why did he not opt for a sunburst model?
Was it that red was a custom colour and, unlike sunburst, more expensive? Could this be why may other guitarists also opted for sunburst?
When the Red Strat arrived Bruce and Jet admired it and also decided to equip themselves with Fenders. Did they have to order from the catalogue, or had the import ban on American guitars now been lifted and they could browse the Tottenham Court Road music stores? Jet opted for a sunburst Precision Bass. Did he prefer this or was there no custom option to order one in red?
Bruce chose to use a sunburst Jazzmaster. Had he had the opportunity to try one out, and preferred it to the Strat? Did Bruce and Jet have to buy their own guitars at that point, until later they were supplied by Fender? I am sure that I read somewhere that Bruce later sold his Jazzmaster. Is its whereabouts now known? Interesting that rival band the Fentones chose white fenders, a Strat, a Tele and a Jazz bass.
So were the intial colours produced by Fender only a limited range, and it was only in later years that red in all its variations become the favourite in the UK? When he had to replace his guitars after the Burns were stolen, even Hank gave up on red and chose cream, later resprayed black.
Regards
Christopher