Here’s an early ’78 Fender Stratocaster in a see-through heavily yellowed Blonde finish. It has the typical features of the era: an ash body (five pieces that were very carefully matched and look more like one or two pieces through the finish), black plastics, grey fiber bobine pickups, a five-way switch, S7- serial number on the headstock and the 3-bolt neck plate. The electronics are all original and untouched. The pickups were wound in the last week of 1977, the 5171 stamp on the neck points to wk 51/1977. Therefore we call this an early ’78 Stratocaster even while it has a 1977 S7-serial number.

This Stratocaster used to belong to a local Dutch professional musician called Willem Jaanus. He played this guitar for many years before it came to us. He must have been very attached to this guitar as his name is all over it. He even had his full name engraved in the pickguard but also wrote his name and address in the tremolo spring cavity and even on the spring claw.

This is a very nice playing and sounding Strat. Luckily the weight is low for the era and the finish is not too thick. There’s a nice balance between resonance and sustain and the original grey fiber bobine pickups have a great snap to them without sounding too sharp. The frets were replaced professionaly and show some wear in the lower positions but still work fine. There’s plenty of fret left for one or two levelling jobs in the future.

At some point the neck was fixed to the body with four screws, the body shows the contours of a square neck plate and two filled with epoxy holes. The 3-bolt system is back on the guitar and works fine. Currently this guitar is fitted with new white knobs, covers and pickguard, which is not exactly period correct but looks nice with the blonde finish. The original engraved pickguard, pickup covers and control knobs are included with the sale, as is a home-made (by we presume mr. Jaanus himself) hardcase.