1984 Fender American Vintage Fullerton '57 RI Stratocaster

This 1984 Fender American Vintage '57 RI Strat is one of the early reissues with manufacturing at the original Fullerton factory to encapsulate the quality and feel of the original golden-era Stratocasters! This example is in very good condition with some normal body and neck finish wear for an authentic road-worn aesthetic. The neck feels excellent with great playability and it sounds great with connective resonance and ideal classic tones with a clear, articulate sound with plenty of Strat mid-range character. An excellent early AVRI! Includes original hardshell case.

Check out the feature from our luthier Tyler in the ECG Newsletter:

"It’s no secret that the 1970s were a dark time for Fender, and indeed for the American guitar in general. Quality was dwindling, finishes were getting thicker/uglier, and far-east copies of our classic designs nearly bankrupted the companies responsible for creating them in the first place. An absolute and fundamental reimagination was the only way to turn things around, and Fender sought the help of Dan Smith to do just that in 1981.

Formerly of Yamaha’s musical division, Dan was well aware of the widespread public acclaim of Fender’s 50s models, and of course was equally aware of the negative reputation earned by their guitars of the 70s. His solution? A company-wide return to the basics, complete with the first-ever line of Fender vintage reissue models. The ’57 Stratocaster reissue was and remains to this day a mainstay of Fender’s catalog, with the early Fullerton models being specifically sought after.

1982 was the first year for the ’57 reissue, and by all accounts these early examples were built largely by hand to extremely tight standards. The neck profile and contours are especially striking, distinctive, and uncanny when compared to a genuine 50s model. This particular example shows a charming level of naturally earned playwear. It’s obvious this instrument was both heavily used and lovingly cared for, and could easily be confused for a genuine original ’57. While it is technically a reissue, 40 years of service make this axe a legitimate vintage instrument for far less than many brand-new Custom Shop creations."