Fender The Strat, candy apple red, made in USA 1981. It's not just a 'Stratocaster'... it's 'The Strat'...kinda like how 'There's Only One Jeep', I guess. Back in 1980, Fender had a problem: the Stratocaster wasn't selling like it used to. Design changes like the three bolt neck joint, the large headstock with bold decals and the lower output pickups were controversial at best, plus there was some ongoing issues around quality control to wrangle with on top. Fender need to win back the affection of both dealers and players, and quickly. Launching at the 1980 NAMM show, The Strat was envisioned as part of the solution. It got some classic pre-CBS style features: skinny 60s headstock, the mid-60s style gold decal, the heel-end truss rod adjuster and a four bolt neck joint. It also got some new ideas for the time: a 9.5" radius fingerboard, three options on neck profile (this one is the slim C), a hot-output X-1 bridge pickup, a rotary switch on the second tone knob with a bunch more tonal options and solid brass hardware plated in real gold. The Strat listed for a significant price premium compared to a regular model Stratocaster at the time, so extra care was taken in the building process to ensure the quality was up to scratch. Because of the added cost of the hardware and wiring, the model was not especially profitable, so it was discontinued in 1983. The added switching is interesting: you can get a humbucker style series tone from either the neck+middle or middle+bridge pickups, as well as a neck+bridge option and an option with all three pickups engaged. That all sounds a bit confusing, but you get used to it pretty quickly. I'm a fan of the tradition neck and neck/middle positions for those classic Strat-spank tones, which this delivers very well: heaps of chime and glassy clear treble, with a fat punchy low end and a very fast attack. The bridge pickup really is pretty hot, it'll get your amp cooking up the creamy goodness and is great for lead stuff. The unusual humbucker-style tones are handy too, you can get an angry swampy growl which is usually pretty tricky to pull from a Strat. The candy apple red finish has plenty of natural rub wear, showing off both the ash body and gold undercoat in some sections, and with that matching headstock... yum. The gold hardware has some clouding and tarnish, which I kinda like, but it's all in working order with no functional issues and the guitar holds tune convincingly. The knobs are comically heavy if you take them off... at 4.6kg this is a relatively light example of the model, but it's still a good bag of sugar heavier than a run-of-the-mill Strat. This is probably a pretty smart investment: at 41 years old it's not getting any younger, it's got all the original hardware and electronics intact, and other Strat models from the Fullerton factory from 1981-4 are fetching very serious cash, I reckon this one is a smart buy at this dime. It's got swagger, no?

Model: Fender The Strat
Made: USA, Fullerton plant, pots date to 1981 (serial E027682)
Finish: candy apple red, gloss urethane, 3-ply red guard
Body: ash
Neck: maple with rosewood board, 25.5” scale, 9.5” radius, slim C profile
Weight: 4.585kg
Mods: none
Pickups: original single coils x3, including X-1 hot bridge pickup 
Case: non original basic hard case, decent quality and condition. No paperwork or tremolo arm.

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has some scuffs on the end and bottom edge, a scratch in the finish only on the back under the tuners, some dimples on the front on the edge near the logo and around the end and some fading and checking in the red. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, just some dimples and rub wear on the back and some balding and checking of the lacquer on the edges of the board. The back has a decent bald patch from rub wear on the top horn, some surrounding rub/heat wear around the belly carve, dimples along the belly carve and back edge from the elbow area right around the to the bottom horn, as well as some scuffs around the cavity and near the neck joint. The sides have a bald patch and some small chips on the top horn, dimples and rub wear in the elbow area as well as near the jack and on the bottom horn and some more rub wear in the middle of the curve on the bottom side. The front has some discolouration, balding and chips from rub wear in the elbow area, as well as dimples behind the bridge and around the jack and some scuffs and dimples on the horns, as well as standard play wear on the horns and guard. Overall: good condition (7/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. The frets have some normal wear including minor pitting, but they're fairly even with no major buzz issues and don't require immediate attention, 5/10 for fret life left. Wearing fresh 10/46 strings.