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I happened to find this video of Sir Cliff playing a white-or-blonde Strat with what might be gold hardware. This song, My Kinda Life, is from about 1976. I wonder what the serial number is on that guitar. He put his feet on it! But he did own it at the time, if it's the one I think it is.

- Donna

Allthough Ciff's original Strat had been repainted in white, Bruce got it from Cliff around 1975, so it's unlikely that's the one on this clip...

Didier

I think that probably IS "The Strat".

Maple-neck, pre-CBS, Strats with gold hardware were very hard to find in Europe at the time, and I'm sure Bruce (who was very involved with Cliff's career at the time) would have made the Strat available for use in a video. he might even have just had it in the boot of his car outside the studio...

Cliff used at least two other white Strats around that time (second half of the 1970s). One was pictured on an album sleeve and was clearly a brand-new CBS Strat. Another was a curious instrument - very similar to 34346, but non-tremolo. Someone had converted it to a trem model by fitting a short Bisgby, and by fitting an enlarged, custom-made white scratchplate to cover the site of the original bridge and to provide posts for a new T-O-M-style bridge.

There's a picture of it in Otto Kasper's book.

But would Cliff have used that if he had a near-replica of 34346 available?

Cliff clearly has a thing for white strats, this is the one cliff used for move it at the event with jet Harris and tony Meehan

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/msg/3149003560.html

Hank2k wrote:Cliff clearly has a thing for white strats, this is the one cliff used for move it at the event with jet Harris and tony Meehan

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/msg/3149003560.html

£3400 is a bargain price for a genuine 1958/59 maple neck Fender Stratocaster, even the non-trem model.

The switching arrangement is a bit of a shame, but the mod was done before the vintage market was fully developed. I'm sure a replacement sratchplate could be found which has the right patina of age.

JN

Hank2k wrote:Cliff clearly has a thing for white strats, this is the one cliff used for move it at the event with jet Harris and tony Meehan

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/msg/3149003560.html

I think I found the video clip. Here it is. This is fun. A nice distraction from some other realities going on at present. Also nice to see Jet smiling like that, and Tony as well.

Kind regards,
Donna

JimN wrote:Another was a curious instrument - very similar to 34346, but non-tremolo. Someone had converted it to a trem model by fitting a short Bisgby, and by fitting an enlarged, custom-made white scratchplate to cover the site of the original bridge and to provide posts for a new T-O-M-style bridge.

Maybe this is it (see 3:50 or so in the video) or maybe not. It is interesting, though. I really enjoy it when you share all this insightful information. I learn so much from you and the others.

Oh, and I got to see Terry Britten in the band. By the way, does anyone recognise the bass player? I was thinking maybe Mo Foster or Alan Jones, but I have no idea. It could be neither.

Kind regards,
Donna

That's an interesting video, Donna.

I think that probably is the guitar I was thinking of.

After all, how many pre-CBS, maple-necked, hard-tailed-but-retro-fitted-with-a-horsehoe-Bigsby Stratocasters can Cliff have owned?

But when I saw it previously, and as pictured in Otto's book, it was finished in either white or blonde.

JN

Definitely Terry Britten on the black Les Paul Gibson, bass player- possibly Mo Foster?

Didn't recognise the guy right behind Cliff playing slide on the black Gibson L6.

The guitar Cliff is playing looks like a typical hot rod/modified guitar from the '70's!

Very politically incorrect to alter such gear these days but they were often just working musicians' instruments back then, modified to suit the person using them.

I reckon it's Mo backing Cliff there