Fender "Custom Shop" back in the 50's & 60's?

[Meriphew]

How often did Fender build one off or custom guitars back in the 50s/60s?

 

[Summa]

They didn't build custom or one off's then. You could order a custom color as long as it was from their color chart.

 

[Meriphew]

They didn't build custom or one off's then. You could order a custom color as long as it was from their color chart.

Not even if Hendrix or Clapton requested something?

 

[sahhas]

Hendrix got a lot of his guitars at Mannys in NY. Clapton bought his 5 strats (or was it 3?) in the late 60s somewhere in the US (can't remember if it was famous place or not).
And from those he took the best parts of each and built his black strat he used throughout the 70s and early 80s....
so no. Clapton didn't get his signature guitar until late 80s....

 

[sahhas]

and the other thing to remember was Jeff Beck was using Jackson guitars in the mid-80s...but his signature guitar came out sometime after Claptons....

 

[Heinz W]

Guitarist Eddie Cletro had a custom solid rosewood neck Strat made for him by Fender in 1957. It sported a beige body and gold anodized pickguard. This is the only instance I know of for Fender in the '50s.

 

[drive-south]

Back then Paul Bigsby was the man for custom guitars.

 

[IPLAYLOUD]

There were many "unlisted" finishes and "things" put on Fender guitars for artist, customers, and if Leo plain old liked you. There were many employee built guitars, too, that are super-wacky. I have held a Canary Yellow '55 Strat. Any color was (almost) possible if their supplier had it.

The all-RW neck Strat was given to Eddie by Leo. Leo gave him 3 Strats in the 50's because they were good friends.
A Red one (Fiesta? Fullerton? Cimarron? not known), one in Desert Sand, and another Desert Sand with the RW neck and Gold guard.

This is the "stock" Desert Sand:

Later on in the '60, many one-offs were made, usually as a test but some built by employees. There is a Competition Red 10 string Mustang.
Fender did a lot of guitars for Movies to keep their guitars seen.

 

[Baxtercat]

A, B, and C width necks c/b ordered too.
I once played an earlier CBS Jazzmaster w/ a wider neck with binding. Real nice feel.

 

[bob-i]

Hendrix got a lot of his guitars at Mannys in NY. Clapton bought his 5 strats (or was it 3?) in the late 60s somewhere in the US (can't remember if it was famous place or not).
And from those he took the best parts of each and built his black strat he used throughout the 70s and early 80s....
so no. Clapton didn't get his signature guitar until late 80s....

Yea, gruhn's in Nashville. Clapton took 6 @$100 each, built blackie, and a few more for himself, gave one the Harrison and one to someone else.

No custom shop, just custom colors and a few options.

 

[monty]

They did the Mary Kaye as a one off no?

 

[ropiyas]

 

[stratus]

Cool pic. Thanks for posting that.

 

[theon]

Pee Wee Crayton Fiesta Red Strat
Eldon Shamblin Gold Strat
Both were gifts from Leo Fender.

Johnny Meeks custom ordered 1955 Black Strat.

 

[2HBStrat]

Yea, gruhn's in Nashville. Clapton took 6 @$100 each, built blackie, and a few more for himself, gave one the Harrison and one to someone else.

I thought it was Sho-Bud?

 

[gmann]

You could ride out to Fullerton and get pretty much what you wanted. This was in Leo's time, not CBS.

 

[Kmaz]

Pee Wee Crayton Fiesta Red Strat
Eldon Shamblin Gold Strat
Both were gifts from Leo Fender.

Johnny Meeks custom ordered 1955 Black Strat.

I believe the Custom ordered black Strat was for Howard Reed when he was with the Blue Caps. Now owned by Joe Bonamassa.

 

[bob-i]

I thought it was Sho-Bud?

Could be, it's been a long time since I read the autobiography.

 

[mattymel]

What about George's all rosewood tele? That would have been CBS era though...

 

[2HBStrat]

I believe the Custom ordered black Strat was for Howard Reed when he was with the Blue Caps. Now owned by Joe Bonamassa.

Does he own ALL the guitars? I guess playing the blues really IS still valid...