50th Anniversary American Stratocaster

Dennis Tinsman · Post by **Dennis Tinsman** » 30 Aug 2008 9:19 am

The following comments of distription are from an email I received from Fender.

"The American Series is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster guitar as well, with the 50th Anniversary American Series Stratocaster guitar. This 50th anniversary model features three new Custom Shop Vintage 1954 single-coil pickups, a special commemorative 50th anniversary neck plate, and “Parchment” knobs and pickup covers. This model also utilizes the “Delta Tone” system, which includes a high output bridge pickup and special no-load tone control for the middle and bridge pickups. Shown in 2-Color Sunburst." $1200 is the ammended price

Series: American Series

Body: Ash

Neck: Maple, Modern “C” Shape,

(Satin Polyurethane Finish)

Fingerboard: Maple, 9.5” Radius (241 mm)

No. of Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo Frets

Scale Length: 25.5” (648 mm)

Width @ Nut: 1.6875” (43 mm)

Hardware: Chrome

Vintage Tweed Case Crushed Gold Interior and Red Embroidered Commemorative Anniversary Patch Sewn in the Top of the Lining of the Case

INTRODUCED: 1/2004
DISCONTINUED: 1/2005

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 30 Aug 2008 11:39 am

Just to be clear, this is the Fender 50th Anniversary American Series Strat and not the more expensive Fender Custom Shop '54 Masterbuilt 50th Anniversary Strat, correct? Thanks.

Dennis Tinsman · Post by **Dennis Tinsman** » 30 Aug 2008 4:41 pm

Hey Steve. I'm not sure if I should say," Your welcome". When I sold my Mullen a few months back I called Mullen steel and they gave me a value. They had built the guitar for me and were very helpful in giving me a value and endorsing this guitar on the Forum for me. It sold immediatly. When I called Fender Matt Martinez sent me the entire spec list on that guitar but wouldn't give me a value so I looked in a book a friend of mine had and the only ones listed with chrome were $3200. Our local Fender store rep. told me all 50th anniversarys were gold and that I had a nice guitar but it was not a 50th of any kind. So I figured he wanted to buy it cheap. At any rate If someone could give me a fair market value for this guitar It would be much appreciated. Call me ignorant but I never heard of a 54 Masterbuilt until your reply Steve. A few weeks ago I saw an add for a Fender steel and I wasn't intrested in the steel but some of the members cruicified the guy selling it. I was careful to try to find a value so this wouldn't happen to me. The guitar was a gift from my wife and the selling it wouldn't be an option but a Tornado distroyed our business last Feb. and I needed to put resources into equiptment that I can use. Others share there web on the forum so I guess It is ok. www.dennistinsman.com I love looking at the Forum and resouces on it it is my favorite pastime next to playing my good ol dekley. I have met some awsome people on the Forum just in the small amount of business that I have done on it. Hopefully one of you guys can give me a hand with establising a value on it.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 30 Aug 2008 5:10 pm

Dennis - check your e-mail.

Dennis Tinsman · Post by **Dennis Tinsman** » 30 Aug 2008 7:42 pm

Hey Steve. There is a Huge difference in $ value on the different types of 50th anniversary Strats. I have ammended the price and do apprecite your followup on this for me. I will try to sell this on the forum first. I would rather send them a donation than anywhere else. By the way what is the appropriate amount on items sold on the forum. I plan on doing a once a year at Christmas but that is separate from selling items on the forum. Thanks again Steve. If somebody had paid anything close to what I was asking it would have been a real hastle.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 31 Aug 2008 4:29 am

Good luck Dennis. Like I said, I think it's a great guitar and a real beauty. Shame you have to sell it.

ajm · Post by **ajm** » 2 Sep 2008 5:05 pm

That's one of my gripes with Fender these days. There's about 50 bazillion different models of Strats, and it's hard to keep track of what is what. But I guess that if no one bought all of the different models they wouldn't offer them. Anyway, now that I'm done venting........

I think Steve was hoping this was one of the "real" (for lack of a better term) 50th Anniversary Strats. Those originally sold for around $5000 each if I recall and there was a limited number of them. However, those were dead on recreations of a 1954. They would not have had a hot bridge pickup, or a Delta Tone system, or the tuners shown (they were probably Klusons). They probably also would have had a 3 way switch, and I'm guessing that this one is a 5 way.

However, make no mistake, this does look like a fine guitar.

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 2 Sep 2008 7:57 pm

ajm wrote:That's one of my gripes with Fender these days. There's about 50 bazillion different models of Strats, and it's hard to keep track of what is what. But I guess that if no one bought all of the different models they wouldn't offer them. Anyway, now that I'm done venting........

I think Steve was hoping this was one of the "real" (for lack of a better term) 50th Anniversary Strats. Those originally sold for around $5000 each if I recall and there was a limited number of them. However, those were dead on recreations of a 1954. They would not have had a hot bridge pickup, or a Delta Tone system, or the tuners shown (they were probably Klusons). They probably also would have had a 3 way switch, and I'm guessing that this one is a 5 way.

However, make no mistake, this does look like a fine guitar.

AJM, you're right that they have made a bajillion models, but Dennis' guitar IS a real 50th Anniversary Strat - just the American Series, not the '54 Masterbuilt, which originally listed for $3400. I suspected that Dennis had this mistaken, and I tried to help him out with some info.

Stephen Wells · Post by **Stephen Wells** » 2 Sep 2008 8:07 pm

Dennis, I'll put this nice and simply say that your local Fender rep is very poorly informed. I hope you mean he works for a store and not for Fender. It was the 50th anniversary reissue of the '57 Strat that all had gold hardware. Fender has gone crazy with 'anniversary' guitars, it seems there is one every year.
Stephen

Dennis Tinsman · Post by **Dennis Tinsman** » 3 Sep 2008 2:03 pm

I am getting an education on this guitar. My dad had a 54 strat that I sold in high school to buy a car. That was 1971. Definatly not one of my brighter moments. The Fender rep was a salesman at a music store and I said was. Fender sent me 1 1/4 pages of specs on this guitar. Thanks to Steve Feldman he was able to fill in the Blanks for me as to the varity.With a little more research using the info Steve gave me I was able to establish a realistic value. Thats whats awsome about the Forum. Great people with unlimited resorces. Matt Martinez at Fender was very helpful. They just don't give out values and that is understandable. I think the guitar is sold to a steel picker in Canada. We gotta talk him into joining the forum. How about it Ray ?Want to join the neat and elete?

Dennis Tinsman · Post by **Dennis Tinsman** » 24 Mar 2009 7:22 pm

I thought that I had this guitar sold last year and when things fell through I found out weeks later. I figured I would just keep it and play it. I am too busy playing my steel and have only played it once since so I am re-posting this guitar. I decided to keep all the original comments so whoever buys the guitar will have all the info. It was also a miracle that I got the pictures to load the first time.