1961 Fender Stratocaster

This 1961 Fender Stratocaster in ultra-rare Sherwood Green finish turned up in the hands of  friend somewhere around the very late 1970s or very early in the 1980s and it blew our minds as we had up to that time never seen another in this colour. I personally have not seen one since either to be honest.

Amongst us collectors at the time there was some envy for sure, as we were all very keen on custom colour Strats and this was virtually unheard of up to this point. So myself, and a few others would have been keen to buy it for sure, but…

Sadly, only months after getting the guitar, word spread to not just other collectors, but also to the thieves in the area around where this guitar lived and it was taken when it was left in the home alone. They took nothing else, just this guitar!

Even sadder than the actual theft, some years later the guitar resurfaced with a resprayed body to try and disguise its origins and if my memory serves me well it also had a new serial number attached. This was certainly one guitar that got away from us all.

See the Fender Colour Chart from 1964-65 to decide for yourself if this is Sherwood Green, but remember the effect of the clear coat yellowing over the years.