The 1959 Stratocaster was the year that saw two of the most impactful changes to the five year old newcomer on the electric guitar scene – a Rosewood fingerboard, plus the iconic 3-tone Sunburst finish. At today’s prices, an original 1959 Sunburst Strat with Rosewood fingerboard will set you back around $50,000. At just one-tenth of that, here’s a super-limited edition 2009 model, produced exclusively by Fender for Guitar Center in the US, to mark the 50th Anniversary of those 1959 innovations. Making it genuinely exclusive, a grand total of just 59 of these Stratocasters were built, (see pic # 5).
Fifties tone
Short of having to sell the house to finance an original, the limited edition ’59 Anniversary model is stringently faithful to the 1959 Stratocaster specifications, bar the essential factory substitutions of a 5-way pickup selector switch, (which wouldn’t become standard until 1976), and a set of Fat 50's pickups, courtesy of the Fender Custom Shop, which deliver that highly desirable fifties tone by the bucket load.
Unique dye
From Fender: “The '59 Strat differed from earlier incarnations with its slab rosewood fretboard, 3-ply mint pickguard, and unique dye in the sunburst finish that caused the red to fade, leaving a unique chocolate burst that resembles earlier 2-color bursts… Ash body with special '59 Chocolate Sunburst in nitrocellulose finish, Maple neck with 9.5" radius rosewood fretboard, medium jumbo frets Fender Custom Shop Fat 50's pickups, 5-way switch and tone control for bridge pickup, vintage-style Stratocaster tremolo. Limited run of only 59 guitars.”
Deliciously playable!
All 59 of these guitars featured specially hand selected light-weight Ash bodies, to get them as close to the originals as possible. With the tremolo arm fitted, it weighs fractionally under 7lb 12oz. The neck is a very slightly rounded ‘C’-profile – perhaps a millimeter closer to the John Mayer shaping than a straight ‘Modern-C’. It is deliciously playable!
Mint condition
The special '59 Chocolate Sunburst nitro finish contrasts beautifully with the deluxe gold-lined brown Tolex hard shell case, and guitar and case are in total MINT condition, complete with Fender hang tags, unopened case candy, (spare tremolo springs, whammy bar, ashtray bridge cover and more), plus original leather strap. The protective plastic is still on the backplate – and case locks.
Free courier delivery
With FREE COURIER DELIVERY to any address in Australia, your super rare 50th Anniversary ’59 Strat will be at your door before you know it*. ($100 airfreight to New Zealand, $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries. International freight added during checkout)
*Slight liberty taken with space/time reality
Weight: A hair under 7lb 12oz / 3.5kg
Just Guitars
