RETURN TO FENDER

Fifty years after the introduction of the revered 1957 Stratocaster guitar, we’re honored to welcome original design pioneer George Fullerton back to the Fender family for the release of a limited edition run of 150 50th Anniversary 1957 Stratocaster guitars bearing his name. each master-built guitar is paired with a Relic Tweed Pro Junior™ amplifier.

The project is a creative collaboration between George Fullerton and the Fender Custom Shop master builders that evokes the original spirit of devotion to craftsmanship on which Fender was founded in the late 1940s. Fullerton went to work for his close friend, Clarence “Leo” Fender, at the Fender Electric Instrument Co. in Fullerton, Calif., in February 1948, becoming a key collaborator who played a pivotal role in the design and manufacture of the revolutionary instruments and amplifiers that later went on to change the world.

“Leo and I used to go out and sit in these nightclubs, beer joints and smoky rooms to talk to musicians, to listen to what they had to say,” Fullerton said in 2007. “We were trying to learn what players really needed for their instruments. We listened to them rather than tell them what we were doing—we used a lot of what we learned in our designs for the market.”

In 1954, Fender released what would become the most popular, recognizable and influential electric guitar of all time – the Stratocaster. Featuring a comfortable contoured body, three pickups—which allowed for a multitude of tones never heard before—and a tremolo system that allowed players to mimic popular lap- and pedal-steel tones, all while remaining in tune. After three years of production and design improvement, the 1957 Stratocaster was introduced and is still widely considered to have achieved design perfection.

Since then, with Fender Stratocaster guitars in the hands of artists such as Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, to name only a few, entire genres of music took form; indeed, more popular music over the past 50 years has likely been made using the Stratocaster than perhaps any other electric instrument.

The Limited Edition George Fullerton 50th Anniversary Stratocaster features a two-color sunburst lacquer finish on its three-piece blade-cut alder body. The one-piece ’57-style soft V-shaped maple neck has a lacquer finish and 7.25”-radius maple fingerboard. The guitar include ’50s-style pickups hand-wound by Abigail Ybarra, who Fullerton himself hired in 1956 and who continues to work at the Fender Custom Shop today. The guitar also features a three-position pickup selector switch mounted on a single-ply white pickguard, plus vintage hardware, a commemorative neck plate and a certificate of authenticity signed by Fullerton. The guitar’s accompanying 15-watt, single-channel Relic Tweed Pro Junior amp evokes the revered ’50s era of small Fender tube amps such as the Champ®, Princeton® and Harvard; it features a single 10” speaker, vintage pointer knobs and period-correct vintage-style tweed covering.

“George Fullerton’s contribution to Fender is immeasurable and to have him come home to be part of the Fender family again, is an incredible honor for every employee here at Fender Musical Instruments,” said Mike Eldred, Fender Custom Shop marketing director. “For the Fender Custom Shop team to be able to sit down with him and work on these projects together has been like getting an incredible first-hand glimpse into history.”

Visit the website for the George Fullerton 50th Anniversary 1957 Stratocaster Guitar and Pro Junior Amp set here.