Fiesta Red first became available from Fender in 1956, (as a DuPont color, rejected by General Motors), and as an official custom color in 1958, then, thirty years later, was the rarest of the custom color options when the ’62 Vintage Reissues were introduced in 1982. A tricky paintbox color, Fiesta Red is sometimes fondly described as akin to “cream of tomato soup.” (Shortly after appearing on Stratocasters, Fiesta Red was next seen in Ford showrooms on the new ’56 Thunderbirds) When Britain’s Hank Marvin managed to acquire himself a Fiesta Red Strat in 1959, the color immediately gained legendary status.
Total vintage
From the vintage routing, (no massive “swimming pool”), to the vintage-style hardware throughout – all stamped and shaped on Fender’s original machines from the 1950s – this eighteen-month run of late nineties Strats really should have TOTAL VINTAGE emblazoned all over them! (And, of course, 28 years later, 1997’s guitars are now vintage as well)
Retro features
Major retro features include a 1962-style solid Alder body; vintage-style, C-profile Maple neck; vintage-spec slab Rosewood fingerboard, with 9½” radius and medium-jumbo frets; 3-ply scratchplate; and an absolutely killer set of original Tex-Mex pickups.
Jimmy Vaughan
You can see why Jimmy Vaughan fell in love with the Tex-Mex pickups when they were introduced, but these may well be the best set we’ve ever encountered – real bite, plus that top end quack of a true vintage Strat, which lends itself so well to blues-rock and country. (Bonus Just Guitars tip: Roll the neck pickup tone knob almost all the way off, and the middle right up, then check out the awesome tones in the two in-between positions of the selector switch)
John Frusciante
As mentioned earlier, the all vintage-style hardware, right down to the tuners and tremolo arm, was stamped and shaped on the exact same fifties tooling machines that contributed to so many incredible guitars over the years. With the smooooth satin-finished Maple neck about the only concession to the modern player, this really does play and sound like it came off the production line back in 1962. Check out John Frusciante’s ’62 Strat tone across Blood Sugar Sex Magic or Californication and you’ll hear that same, instantly identifiable vintage Stratocaster quack.
Near Mint!
American-built, at Fender’s Corona, California plant, in 1997, your super cool, Near Mint Fiesta Red Strat, in its deluxe RoadRunner tweed hard shell case, will arrive at your door courtesy of our FREE, Australia-wide courier delivery service – generally 1 - 2 days on the east coast, more distant areas slightly longer. $100 airfreight to New Zealand, (usually 2 days), and $175 to the US, Canada, UK and mainstream European countries, (3 - 5 days)
Weight: 8lb 3oz / 3.7kg
Just Guitars
