In 1979, Fender commemorated the Stratocaster’s 25th anniversary (first introduced in 1954) with its inaugural “anniversary” model, also marking the first time a Fender Guitar was released in a predetermined, numbered, limited edition. Approximately 500 instruments were initially finished in Pearl White. However, due to the finish’s instability and excessive cracking, many were recalled and refinished in Porsche Silver (referred to by Fender as “25th Anniversary Stratocaster Silver”), which became the standard for subsequent early production runs. Presented here is one of these second-series instruments in fair condition, its silver finish having matured to a near-golden sheen.
The guitar features the iconic contoured Stratocaster body crafted from Ash, a large headstock, a 3-bolt maple neck, and tuners arranged six-a-side. The maple fretboard spans 21 frets. Its hardware includes a chrome tremolo bridge, an engraved neck plate, and tuners. The electronics consist of three single-coil pickups, a 5-way pickup selector switch, the standard Volume and two Tone controls, and a front-placed jack socket.
My Pile of Guitars & Basses 