Fender 60th Anniversary guitars

[ZMAN]

Once and for all I would like to clear up what seems to be confusion over the 60th Anniversary guitars from Fender.
There were 6 models made, period, that were Anniversary Editions. They had 4 American made guitars including the Tele, Strat, Precision Bass, and Jazz Bass. These came in 3 color burst. And all had rosewood boards.
They came with a sliver commemorative case, a jeweled headstock inlay and a stamped 60th Ann. neck plate. The american ones came fully equipped with modern delta tone, and S1 switching.
There were also two Made in Mexico Anniversary models in Blizzard Pearl.
A strat with a maple board and a precision bass. These came with the Jewelled inlay and stamped neck plate as well. The Strat had Tex Mex pickups an Alder body, and came with a special commemorative 50th Anniversary logo gig bag. The bass had American series precision bass split single coil pickups, vintage style bridge and new knurled chrome Pbass knobs. It also came with a special 60th Ann. logo gig bag.
If you do not have one of these all you have is a fender guitar that was made in the 60th year.
Every one is calling their guitars 60th Anniversary models, and this leads to confusion.
I just thought I might clear that up.

[sunvalleylaw]

See avatar for mine! I love it!

[ZMAN]

Yes they are wonderful guitars. The Mexis also got the upgrades for 2006 including the better shielding, larger frets, bigger tremelo block.
It is interesting that the Mim Strat was the only one with a maple board.
Mine is one of the most highly flamed maple necks I have ever seen.

[ctguy1955]

There were also two Made in Mexico Anniversary models in Blizzard Pearl.
A strat with a maple board and a precision bass. These came with the Jewelled inlay and stamped neck plate as well. The Strat had Tex Mex pickups an Alder body, and came with a special commemorative 50th Anniversary logo gig bag.
If you do not have one of these all you have is a fender guitar that was made in the 60th year.
Every one is calling their guitars 60th Anniversary models, and this leads to confusion.
I just thought I might clear that up.

__________________________________________________ ________________

Hello ZMan !!! I have two electric acoustic guitars and a little MG10 and Ive been having fun playing my Breedlove 12 string through the marshall and never had any longings for a solid body type of guitar. I was looking through craigslist one day, and I saw this picture of a "60 Diamond Anniversary"
Fender strat for 400 bucks. There was something about the white color
that made me have instant GAS (just learned that yesterday online) LOL

I called the guy up and he still had the guitar. I told him how my truck was in the shop having its engine rebuilt (4500 bucks later) and that my wife was at work and could he bring it to me for an extra 20 bucks for gasoline. He agreed. He had bought it brand new 4 years ago and had played it twice.
Talk about Brand new and MINT looking!!! I got it and loved it. I changed the strings as these were 4 years old, and I went with light gage nylon wrapped ( just to try em out) and I got a used Marshall MG30FX, and I picked up a boss 0s/2 and a RC/2.

I was going to sell it to buy a American Standard, but I decided not to and will keep it as its so nice and sounds so nice to play.

Ive seen a blue on on ebay that has all the same markings, so I did not know
if that diamond plate with the 60 on the back of the blue one means that they did make a blue and a white Blizzard?????

Well I am very glad I bought mine and I feel like I got a good deal for what I got.

Thanks for the info.........Mike



************************************************** *****************************************

Well a few years have gone by and I owned 7 guitars until I mailed one to my Son in the Marine Corps in California and gave it
to him as He is a darn good player and He needed something to play. I bought a Taylor 314 and liked it more anyway then the
Ovation I sent to Dan.

I spent the 400 for the guitar and gig bag and was happy for a long time, but having 6 guitars, and especially a American Strat with
a butter neck, I did not really play the 2006 much at all. Eventually I changed two of the tex mex pups to make the guitar a HSH
and I put a push/pull pot and a blender and made it so the super switch could make it have 10 sounds and not just 5.
Now Im into Gibson's and les Pauls, and I put my strat for sale with a brand new Fender case for 500 bucks. I have about 762 into it now
and its still in like new condition. The sound is amazing, but yet I feel that 6 guitars is too many and Im trying to get rid of three
in order to afford a American Gibson Standard for 2013. Three is enough for me !!! If I dont sell it, no big deal, its still a beauty !!!

http://s968.photobucket.com/albums/a...wasHSSonly.jpg

[sunvalleylaw]

Hi Mike. I have one just like yours I got back in late 2006. As far as I know, and I am pretty darned sure, there were no blue ones. I have seen stuff floating around ebay also now and again, and I can only say that I do not think that they were official Fender releases. Could be parts that were put together or something. That would be my guess.

As far as your 60th Ann. Standard MIM Strat, Congrats! I absolutely love mine, and still consider it my Number One!

[ctguy1955]

Hi Mike. I have one just like yours I got back in late 2006. As far as I know, and I am pretty darned sure, there were no blue ones. I have seen stuff floating around ebay also now and again, and I can only say that I do not think that they were official Fender releases. Could be parts that were put together or something. That would be my guess.

As far as your 60th Ann. Standard MIM Strat, Congrats! I absolutely love mine, and still consider it my Number One!

http://cgi.ebay.com/FENDER-MIM-60th-...item2eb177c623

You cant see the neck "Diamond" plate on this......so its just a 2006 !!!


http://cgi.ebay.com/FENDER-STRATOCAS...item2a0bf17bdb


The above guy really HAMS it up and again you can see the neck plate is plain with nothing on it. WOW .......these people are sorta ripping people off with just the little "button" they put on just the headstock !!!

[ctguy1955]

So am I wrong in thinking that every 2006 MIM strat had the little button and that EVERY one would be considered a "60th Anniversary Strat" but just NOT
the Diamond Anniversary blizzard one I have???????

That is what the reply says on one of the responses I got back when I asked a question on ebay. Did they make Standard Strats that did not have the button? Thanks if you know.

[sunvalleylaw]

The 60th Anniversary commemorative strat are just the ones ZMan describes above. I am not sure if some or all of the other 2006 MIMs had the little button. Whether or not they did, just the ones Zman describes are the Anniversary models, both American and MIM. Somewhere around I have the Fender catalog from that period that has the pages announcing the guitars. If I find it, I will scan it and show you.

[MAXIFUNK]

I have a 2006 FSR no pick guard Strat with the 60th diamond on the neck.

I think all the guitars made that year got that diamond on the neck or that only ANVI's or FSR runs used the diamond necks not sure.

But I will say this about that 60th neck on my Strat it is my favorite neck on any of my Strat's (rounded edges like a American standard) or any of my fenders for that matter. But I must admit the stain back on my American Special is damn nice give me that 60th aniv. neck with a satin back and it would be the perfect fender maple neck.

[sunvalleylaw]

Here is an old MF article about the guitars with a run through of the American model:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/docum...?doc_id=100101

[ctguy1955]

Im a little bit confused about the neck button. Does the American one have a fake diamond that looks like a real Jewell, as my MIM 60th has the normal diamond ann neck plate but the head stock thing is just a round piece of aluminum with a drawing of a diamond with the number 60 inside the diamond.

That my case is a regular gig bag and not a 60th ann special one is really strange to me too !!!!!!!!!!! Some one may have stolen it and they gave the guy a regular one .......who knows. Its a keeper and I do like it a lot !!!!!!!

[sunvalleylaw]

I think the fake diamond only came on the American one. Here is one for sale at Elderly that says it has the jeweled headstock. I cannot really tell from the pic. http://www.elderly.com/fmic/items/F60AS.htm

Mine did not have it and is definitely the 60th standard MIM. The specs for the MIM do not mention the jeweled badge and I do not remember that being a feature advertised for the MIM. http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/p...&CJPID=3821802

I have the gig bag, and it is the same as the regular Fender gig bags except has a diamond Fender 60th Ann logo thing sewn on the front pocket. No big loss as long as you have a decent bag. It should be a beautiful player for you.

[ctguy1955]

I think the fake diamond only came on the American one.
I have the gig bag, and it is the same as the regular Fender gig bags except has a diamond Fender 60th Ann logo thing sewn on the front pocket. No big loss as long as you have a decent bag. It should be a beautiful player for you.

Thanks for the info on the Button (not a faux diamond). The case I have
is a really good one, and even though its a gig bag and not a hard case, Im
not taking it on an airplane so its fine. I saw a used fender case for 45 bucks
and was going to go for it until I found out the guy was an hour and a half away and the three hour trip would cost 30 bucks in gasoline. My truck only gets about 16mpg.

I really like the feel and sound of my guitar and now want to learn how
to take better care of it. I bought a cloth from GC for 11 bucks to wipe off
my fingerprints and oil from the neck, but now need to learn what I can
use to treat the wood and boards to oils like lemon or whatever. I really
appreciate these forums for the info they contain!!!!

Thanks for all your help and info........I appreciate it very much !!!!!!

[ZMAN]

You mentioned that you didn't get the 60th Gig bag with it. I find that a little strange You did get the 60th Anniversary MIM model though. It is correct all the way. The Bag is the same as the other deluxe bags that I have except for the Fender 60 patch on the front and the zippered pockets have pull fobs that look like a guitar pick and say since 1946 on them.
I paid 599 Canadian for mine and they were going for 499 in the US. At the time the exchange rate was pretty high so most the extra `100 was due to exchange. I have never seen a neck like mine on any other guitar.

[ctguy1955]

As far as electric guitars go, My MIM fender is the only one ive played
in many many years, and I was wondering how much experience you have
had with different necks. I really like the 9.5" radius and the Medium Jumbo Frets. Have you ever played other type of boards then Maple? I heard Ebony
was a cool wood? I just like the way maple looks (fretboard) but dont know if other choices are going to feel the same and just look different????

Thanks Mike

[MAXIFUNK]

As far as electric guitars go, My MIM fender is the only one ive played
in many many years, and I was wondering how much experience you have
had with different necks. I really like the 9.5" radius and the Medium Jumbo Frets. Have you ever played other type of boards then Maple? I heard Ebony
was a cool wood? I just like the way maple looks (fretboard) but dont know if other choices are going to feel the same and just look different????

Thanks Mike

CT I prefer MAPLE or EBONY boards but Rosewood is very nice I would not let that stop me from buying a guitar because of it by any means.

[ZMAN]

Mike I have 17 electric guitars, and I have everything from gloss maple to rosewood and I have had an ebony board guitar in my possession of several years at a time. I was storing for a friend. I have strats with both rosewood and maple. I have one maple with a 7.5 radois and I do prefer the 9.5. Right now I am playing mostly rosewood on my LPs. I like both and I really don't have a preference.

[markb]

Yeah, I see the 60th anniversary thing abused a lot. My 8502 tele has a 60th button on the head even though the serial dates it to November 2005. Fortunately the special anniversary editions are quite distinct.
Likewise my 1994 strat has a 40th anniversary swingtag but definitely isn't a 40th anniversary model. Just to add to the confusion it's a Fender Europe 1994 Special Edition. Basically it's a US std with a Strat Plus ash veneered body and a one-off finish.

I can see how the misinformation arises.

[ctguy1955]

So I have heard ( dont know much of anything myself about guitars) that the
maple boards will look nicer for a longer time, and that the rosewood, being
much darker will show signs of more wear from strings on board being pushed in
and wiggled around. (brain fart...I should know the name for this action).

So then its basically the look and not the feel when it comes to the
fretboard.

Thank you to all.........last question, what do you use to clean your
boards with???? Special stuff at guitar store or lemon pledge or what????

(dont yell at me, I did not use pledge on my guitar, just asking)

LOL

Thanks for info !!!!!!!!!!

Mike





Yesterday I learned how to check for intonation.....you do a light press
near the 12th string metal fret (harmonics) and then you play the actual
fret and they should sound the same. KEWL.....I did it right away with
my MIM 60th and it was PERFECT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I checked each
fret for noise or buzzing and it was great.........so now I guess I will know
how to check out guitars a little bit better for in the future !!!!!!