Forgotten Guitar: A Close-up Look at Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Number One” Strat

Here’s it’s Rosewood fretboard difficult to photograph well: Mar 21, 5. Thanks guys, I’ve been looking all over to see the difference but it seems like it’s really hard to tell when they are so dark that I can barely see the grain. I’m going to take off the neck tomorrow to see the date. Any info on the pickguard letters not being white? Mar 21, 6. The pickguard letter cutouts get kind of grey from dirt.

If a played to death pre-CBS Stratocaster is your fantasy guitar, this example A neck date stamp of ‘Jan 64’ more or less ties in with the yellow ‘April wire, I can’t help wondering if this is what SRV’s favourite Strat may have.

Some people are turned off by the idea of playing an artist signature model guitar. Their logic usually follows that because there are so many amazing instruments on the market today with so many ways to mod and customize, why would anyone bother playing someone else’s guitar? But this sentiment overlooks the underlying appeal of the great signature models out there. Many artist guitars include innovations and special features that their standard equivalents lack. Others offer a totally unique concept or design which, in turn, spawns its own lineage of variations and special editions.

Just look at the Les Paul. These instruments often draw a cult following of players and collectors, with a micro—market built around the twists and turns of their production history. Today, we’re going to investigate the stories behind and markets surrounding five of the most popular and recognizable signature models ever made. We’ll explore what makes each unique and what you should consider when thinking about picking one up for yourself. Perhaps the most famous and simultaneously underrated artist guitar to come out in the last 30 years is the Fender SRV Signature Stratocaster.

With its fat, asymmetrical neck, brand new Custom Shop Texas Specials, and gold reverse tremolo, there was simply no Strat like it at the time.