Is this how we remember the F-red colour?

[Derek Misselbrook]

Maybe I should of said that my memory of the Strat back in the sixties was hanging on the wall in Jim Becket's music shop in Southampton, and the colour was as per my first photo (as I remember it), nothing to do with The Shadows or Hank Marvin......I never saw The Shadows or Hank until 2004...........The Shadows guitars never ever looked the way I remember them to be.............It seems that because of the demand for Red Strats back then hundreds were resprayed in the UK as per common knowledge........

[fullerton62strat]

Interesting post.

I purchased my first Strat in 1962 - it was Flamingo Pink! Which as it says, is more pink than red. I saw the Shads at the Gloucester Regal in 62 and their guitars gave off a pink hue under the lights, especially Hanks when he had the spotlight on featuring Sleepwalk.

Dave is right about the Vintage Re-issue colour, it is more pink than red. I remember when my local music shop told me about the re-issues coming out in 1982, so I ordered one immediately as I had sold my original 62 Strat in 1967 - %#@::!^?...

Not many 62 Strats were ordered in 1982/3 as the 1957s seemed to be the desired model, and the few 62 models that were ordered were mainly sunburst. Mine was classified as Fiesta Red and I took delivery of it in Jan 1983. The colour, contours, neck, and as I can honestly say, the whole of the guitar was identical to my original 1962 model. The original 57 and 62 colour was a paint they used on Ford cars (the Mustang I think) and was celluloid based. they must have used the same paint on the early re-issue models. It still plays and sounds great and the condition after all these years is great. Dave will know what I'm talking about - they are as good as the originals. Colins' is the same colour although it is a later model (mid to late 80s) - he loves his.

If you own one you've got a cracker. These early first re-issue models are as rare as hens teeth.

John

[dave robinson]

Interesting post.

I purchased my first Strat in 1962 - it was Flamingo Pink! Which as it says, is more pink than red. I saw the Shads at the Gloucester Regal in 62 and their guitars gave off a pink hue under the lights, especially Hanks when he had the spotlight on featuring Sleepwalk.

Dave is right about the Vintage Re-issue colour, it is more pink than red. I remember when my local music shop told me about the re-issues coming out in 1982, so I ordered one immediately as I had sold my original 62 Strat in 1967 - %#@::!^?...

Not many 62 Strats were ordered in 1982/3 as the 1957s seemed to be the desired model, and the few 62 models that were ordered were mainly sunburst. Mine was classified as Fiesta Red and I took delivery of it in Jan 1983. The colour, contours, neck, and as I can honestly say, the whole of the guitar was identical to my original 1962 model. The original 57 and 62 colour was a paint they used on Ford cars (the Mustang I think) and was celluloid based. they must have used the same paint on the early re-issue models. It still plays and sounds great and the condition after all these years is great. Dave will know what I'm talking about - they are as good as the originals. Colins' is the same colour although it is a later model (mid to late 80s) - he loves his.

If you own one you've got a cracker. These early first re-issue models are as rare as hens teeth.

John

At last I've found someone who knows what I'm talking about - I fully agree with your description and the sound is to die for, spot on!

[Didier]

The original 57 and 62 colour was a paint they used on Ford cars (the Mustang I think) and was celluloid based.

Ford Thunderbird 1956 in fiesta red :



Colours where changed every year, so I guess that Leo Fender might have bought some remaing paint stocks in 1957 !

Didier

[petercreasey]

With the discussions and different opinions on what is the correct Fiesta red we are considering using white guitars for our shows this year in case we might get the wrong shade of red/pink. Mind you we could get the wrong shade of white and that could could upset the purists too! Oh sod it I'll just use an Epiphone dot , Dave get your Les Paul out we'll have a summer of shock rock

[Iain Purdon]

With the discussions and different opinions on what is the correct Fiesta red we are considering using white guitars for our shows this year in case we might get the wrong shade of red/pink

Maybe that's why the Shadows switched to white back in 1963 and stayed with the colour for years!
Have you thought of a whiter shade of pale?