In 1979 I went to my guitar set-up guru Nick “The Nose” Yanni in Emu Plains (West of Sydney). Nick pulled out of an old case, a 1958 Fender Stratocaster with it’s three tone Sunburst and Maple neck. The guitar was the first fifties Maple neck Fender I had seen up close, or heard where I could reach out and touch it. The ’58 was being set up for the then Ebony Music in Coogee. This experience left a lasting impression on me, plus a burning desire to ad a Maple neck to my already large collection of Sunburst 1959 down to 1975 Fender guitars.
I asked nick why the Green pickguard had been changed …. (There were no decent books to educate a young, thirsty, budding guitar player / collector, the information was all gathered by scouring the trading post and getting hands on). However, a maple neck Fender wasn’t something that appeared in the post until around 1982. Nick set me straight about the one piece Pick-Guard and the bright white appearance.
The 1958 offers all the things that I first saw and heard back in 1979 … The tone is remarkable and unmistakable, the kind of tone that has one scratches their head and turns the guitar over to see where and how that tone is produced. The three tone Sunburst and the white pick-guard was only offered by Fender for a little over a year, making a statement in the timeline of Fender guitar production during its golden age.
With around 98% of the guitars originality intact (bar a few pots), the experience of what an original ’50 Strat is and why Fender are producing so many relics.
How often does one see a 1964 Martin D-28 that was sold new in Australia in 1966? The sales tag is still in the case. The list on the tag is $369.50. The store was Nicholsons Pitt St Sydney.
The guitar itself what you would expect from a Beatles tour era Martin D-28…. Beautiful!
The Martin 28′s from this year still feature the earlier style open slot bridge saddle which open up the sound and add a little more sparkle. The other cool feature that finished in 1966, is the Tortoise Shell Style pickguard, that changed to Black in 1967.
The sound is warm and full like you requested. Have you got a spot for this at your home?
Might be another 48 years before this D-28 is available again!
Schoenberg guitars are hand built in Tiburon California by a dedicated team of luthiers and this beautiful guitar is a superb example of their craft. Robert Anderson was the particular luthier on this guitar.
We were really intrigued by this unique guitar so we emailed the man himself Eric Schoenberg, this was his reply:
“It was part of a run of three particularly successful run of similar ones, the two others of which I’ve owned at different times for my own personal use. So far I haven’t been able to locate a date – it was probably around 4 years ago. Our description was:
“Schoenberg 000C Standard: Koa, European spruce, cocobolo bridge and fingerboard, by Robert Anderson & Eric Schoenberg. We have done several of these; each one has been so good, it has deserved repetition. Nut width is 1 13/16″, bridge spacing is 2 3/8″. It is a beautifully crafted instrument, not at all ostentatious, with a 1930 style Martin neck shape and a glorious tone: very musical, lyrical treble with true beauty of sound, with a strong bass with a great punch yet still plenty of that very satisfying fundamental.”
We were so excited to get a personal description of this guitar from the man who designed and built it!!
This Strat has the sounds you get from a JUNE 1954 highly grained Ash body. Like many old Stratocasters that were in players hands during the early seventies raw wood phase, this one didn’t escape that trend, though, not all revealed such amazing grain. This was one of those Strats.
Before the finish was lost, the ’54 had visited the Fender Factory, a new neck was added in November of 1963. The rosewood was the attraction for the original owner, who stated the maple was just too worn. This was Leo Fender’s invention at work!
If the necks wear out, replace them said the inventor!
Around the finish fall, there was another phase sweeping Strats … Bartolini and EMG pickups. The 1954 body has the remnants of a visit from these pickups. A small chip out of the back pickup cavity and a shallow gutter added in the channel stopping short from the neck cavity.
The owner had kept the original pickups though not the pots. Added to the guitar is a set of 39th week 1958 pots …. they work!
The Block and saddles still have not been found, though the search is still on. The original bridge plate is still with the guitar.
The Bakelite pickup covers and knobs are on the guitar, together with the original pickguard. The pickups have been rewound at some time in there life. The original large three way switch still works! Neck plate serial number is 0350 ….
The November 1963 dated neck is all original with exception of the tuners. The decal is original together with the lacquer and frets.
The body finish was recreated by Frank Grubisa! Whom never ceases to amaze!
The happy meter is very high on this guitar!
Well that is the story of this fifty Eight year old guitar! The next fifty eight years could be your story!
For more pictures of this beautiful guitar please visit our website Jacksons Rare Guitars – Fender.
Welcome to another great video from Jacksons Rare Guitars. Today we have Steve Jackson talking about the famous Fiesta and Seminole Red Fender Stratocasters.
Hi!
There is some great new content on the blog this week, Keith Urban on the cover of Guitar Aficionado posing with a guitar he bought from Jacksons, the January Newsletter on Collecting Anything and Everything is up in the newsletter section AND there is a great cover article with Steve Jackson from the cars guide magazine in the news and media section on his other great love – Cars!!!
Keep an eye out for new videos coming soon and don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter.
We are really excited to see Keith Urban on the front cover of Guitar Aficionado with a black 60′s Fender Stratocaster that he bought from us a few years back!
