Fender Strat, black, made in USA 1979. When I bought this, the seller described it to me as 'all original and basically mint'... now, in this industry, you learn to take such statements with a grain of salt, but when it arrived I quickly realised he wasn't joking: holy crap, this is as about as clean as they get. The late seventies was a turbulent time at Fender, so not every guitar left the factory with a tight neck pocket, good fretwork or a tidy finish... but this one did. The The neck is a gorgeous very-soft-V shape, slim and quick and superbly comfy, made from some attractive concentrically grained maple and a dark, streaky piece of rosewood. It's straight and stable and the frets are in great shape, so it's a pleasure to play. The big headstock was controversial at the time, but the black and gold logos, F-key tuners and bullet truss rod make for a bold and confident look. It's easier to find sunburst or natural finish examples from this era, a crisp tuxedo black-and-white is a little less common and certainly a slick, classic look. Tone-wise, this delivers a tonne of classic Strat-spank. The neck pickup is glassy and smooth with a lovely gooey warmth and roundness, perfect for nuanced lead lines. The middle and bridge positions offer more cut, snap, bark and bite, but there's enough low end punch, midrange fullness and harmonic complexity to keep things fat and full. There's a whole lot to love here, and being what it is, you can wager it'll creep up steadily in value henceforth. Long live the Strat!

Model: Fender Stratocaster
Made: USA, 1979, Fullerton plant (serial S995757)
Finish: black, 3-ply white guard
Body: ash
Neck: maple, rosewood board, 7.25" radius, 25.5" scale, very soft V shape
Weight: 4.445kg
Mods: none
Pickups: Fender black bottom alnico single coil x3
Case: non original G&G deluxe hard case, excellent quality and condition

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has a dimple on the end. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, no major marks. The back has a handful of light scuffs around the cavity and on the back edge, no major marks. The sides have some small dimples in the elbow area, a tiny dent and some scuffs near the rear strap pin, some scuffs along the bottom edge from the jack to the bottom horn; again, no major marks. The front has a couple of light scuffs in the elbow area and near the jack, as well as the standard play wear on the guard and horn, no major marks. Overall: excellent condition (9/10).

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electrics tested and working properly. The frets appear to be original and are in great shape, 8/10 for life left. Wearing fresh 10/46s.