At the 1980 NAMM show in Anaheim, California, Fender introduced a new and higher end version of the Stratocaster, named ‘The Strat’. Fender had already registered copyright on this common shortening of the Stratocaster name.
The Strat design restored original design features and added new ones. The small headstock – though slightly different from the early designs – and 4-bolt neck joint returned, but without the microtilt arrangement. All the hardware was gold-plated, with a new heavier floating bridge design, metal knobs and Schaller-made tuners. The new X-1 model bridge pickup was wound hotter (7.5k ohms), and the lower tone control was replaced with a rotary selector that added a number of new tones.
In 1981, the Fender Strat Walnut was introduced as a top-tier version of The Strat. The Fender Walnut Strat was built using American Black Walnut with a clear gloss finish for both the body and one-piece neck.
This example of the 1983 Fender Strat Walnut is in excellent condition with very little play wear. There are a few small dings around the edges, as expected on an instrument of this age. It comes with its original rectangular tweed case.
These instruments were built towards the very end of the CBS era. In 1985, CBS sold Fender to a group of investors including Fender executives. The deal did not include the historic Fullerton plant (which was on land that had appreciated significantly), which was closed. Finally, the new Fender company located a new American manufacturing facility in Corona, California.
References:
The Fender Stratocaster, 1954-1984, by A. R. Duchossoir (Hal Leonard, 1983)
Fender – The Sound Heard Round The World, by Richard R. Smith (Hal Leonard, 2009)
Serial Number: CC11134, likely built during 1983 at the Fender plant in Fullerton, California.
Pricing: $2,280.00 Canadian or $2,000.00 US with original tweed rectangular hardshell case. SOLD
Status: SOLD
