Article One - The Fender Custom Shop "A" List, "B" List, "C" List, and "Short Run List"

Introduction

This series of articles is intended to serve as an introductory guide to non-vintage collectible Fender Stratocasters. Bear in mind that suggesting that one model is more or less "collectible" than another is a matter of opinion, as is virtually everything connected to the topic of collecting. The lists below, and those to follow, are based upon my perception of what the "collecting community" feels are the instruments worthy of inclusion at this particular moment. Opinions will vary, and while good arguments could be made for and against every aspect of these lists, they provide a starting point for discussion.

Part One considers instruments built by the Fender Custom Shop (none of which has yet achieved vintage age). Part Two considers the classification of non-vintage collectible production model Stratocasters.

Fender Custom Shop Stratocasters

Two things complicate an attempt to classify the collectibility of Custom Shop Strats: the Custom Shop has been and is prolific; and, model popularity varies from year to year and varies from place to place at any given time. What seems hot at an east coast guitar show might be ignored at one on the west. And then, there's the rest of the world.

In this, and the companion article to come (Article Two), I separate the Custom Shop Strats in this way: "A" List; "B" List; "C" List; Short Run Models (approximately 40 or less of the model was produced); One-offs; Art Guitars; and, Catalog Models. While individual instruments from one list might be "more collectible" than even an entire list with a higher rank, I am considering the ranking based upon what I feel is the overall current collectible status of the group as a whole. For example, while there are several one-offs that are, individually, probably more collectible than any instrument on the entire C List, it is my opinion that the C List, as a whole, has greater collector interest at the moment than the one-offs. This is not an instrument by instrument classification of every Custom Shop guitar ever built.

The primary factor I considered in assembling the lists was what I perceive to be overall market perception. The problem with this approach (apart from extreme subjectivity) is that it will change over time. For example, there are some incredible one-offs that have gotten very little general market attention so far. Why? Much of it stems from where advertising and promotional campaign money has been spent. Apart from the yearly Fender Calendar, many of the top one-offs and art guitars get relatively little exposure compared with other models, especially the "Limited Editions".

Take the first entry in the "A" List, for example. The 1993, Harley-Davidson 90th Anniversary Custom Shop Stratocaster is arguably the best known Strat the Custom Shop has produced. Does that mean it is and always will be the most collectible? Of course not. But information about the extreme high quality, and obvious rarity, of the Custom Shop one-offs and art guitars will take time to have a real impact upon the general collecting community. Time plays an important role, even in the non-vintage collectible market.

Finally, the lists, overall, do not account for every potentially collectible guitar the Custom Shop has produced. There are many one-offs, art guitars and short run instruments that will not appear on their respective list. That's not to say they're not potentially collectible. It only means that, in my opinion, interest in their collectibility had not reached a level as of October, 2003, to warrant inclusion.


And again, emphasis is placed on "in my opinion".


I predict that over time, some instruments from a lower list will climb, such as the low serial numbered early Custom Shop guitars, in fact, I could see these guitars outweighing the current "A" List in value down the road. But we'll leave that to another discussion. Categorization by collectibility is further complicated by the fact that a low serial number model from the "B" List could easily be more collectible than a high serial numbered guitar from the "A" List. Again, this is intended only as a general guide.

The number after the guitar is the total number of units manufactured.

"A" List

1993, Harley-Davidson 90th Anniversary Stratocaster. 109

1994, Playboy 40th Anniversary (Marilyn Monroe) Stratocaster. 175

1997, Jimi Hendrix "Monterey" Stratocaster. 210

"B" List

1987 - 1989, low serial number Custom Shop guitars. 100 (#0001 - 0100)

1993, Bill Carson Signature Stratocaster. 100

1994, Freddie Tavares Aloha Stratocaster. 153

"C" List

1989, 35th Anniversary Stratocaster. 500 (I would put the first 10 in the B List, and #001 in the A List)

1989, Homer Haynes Limited Edition Stratocaster (HLE). 500 (I would put the first 10 in the B List)

1995-96, Hank Marvin Signature Stratocaster. 164

1994, Diamond Dealer 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Stratocaster. 150

1996, 50th Anniversary Relic Stratocaster. 200

1998, Custom Shop Disney Stratocaster. 75

Short Run Models

1999, 35th Ford Mustang Anniversary Stratocaster. 35 (15 released to the public)

1995, Western Stratocaster. 5

1992, Hippocaster. 20

1993, Purple Haze Stratocaster. 32

2000, Custom Jaguar Stratocaster. 25