OK, hard as it is, I have to admit it... I'll be fifty at the end of this year.

To mark this momentous occasion I'm tempted to acquire either a 50th Anniversary edition or a genuine vintage guitar of that year (late 1961).

Any suggestions? It's gotta be a keeper...

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Check this out! A quick search on Ebay brought this one to my attention. Not an anniversary model I don't think but a '61 reissue.
http://cgi.ebay.com/2010-USA-Fender-196 ... 3829wt_928

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Hmmmm.... sounds like a lovely guitar... but "silver sparkle"? A bit too bling for me!

Thanks anyway - any other suggestions?

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get you a custom shop guitar made. heck you will be 50, you deserve it.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

Get an AMSE 50th Strat, trust me you won't regret it !!!

The two tone burst Limited edition with the special tweed case.

It has custom shop 54 pickups in it and sounds awesome !!!

Then there is the limited deluxe version, i had one of these also, didn't dig the tone of the Cobalt S pickups, S-1 switching or the gold hardware.

You can find the American Standard version online for $900 or less these days

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive

Well, the difference in price between a 2004 Strat and a 61 is what? About 20k? But it's worth it:

http://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/Fender--Stratocaster-%252d-3-Tone-Sunburst-w%7B47%7D-Rosewood-Fretboard-1961.html

20K worth it ???

probably not for most of us as players.

Fender has been making excellent Strats since The employee buy out, as good as the originals ?, at least I think they are.

We are in and have been in Fender's second golden age.
Excellent guitar and amps (The American Made stuff) for a very reasonable price.
The mexi made guitars and amps are a huge bang for the buck also, The trend towards offshore amps kinda bums me out.

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
Cmatmods Signa Drive

in my opinion way cool jr makes a good point here you only turn fifty once and only in rare cases do you live another fifty i say live to the fullest and make the dream guitar and you could even make it look like a 61 strat but with what you like on a strat ...

or get a guitar and mod it to what you want it to be

thats right, BUILD YOUR GUITAR. build it the way you want them to.
dont buy what somebody else thinks is a good guitar.
have them build what YOU think is a good guitar. have them to build
your personal signature guitar. hell send your sig in and have them
put it on the back of the headstock. its very easy to do.

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63supro
"The good thing is in a club situation, most of the patrons are trashed and really can't tell the difference."

so cool you know about the exchange, I have spent many hours in there playing guitars and amps only a king could afford but the help is super gracious and the guitar shop downstairs is very customer friendly. If you are ever in Chicago take a moment to visit, you will have a gaseous time

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

Thanks for the suggestions... 20k is a bit over my budget but I like the sound of the AMSE 50th Strat.

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Yea, they sell a lot of gbase too, they seem to have loads of vintage gear, that must be what heaven looks like. A few weeks ago I went to 30th Street Guitar on Manhattan and picked up a 65 I believe, 17k. Probably the most expensive guitar I've held in a while, the neck was so smooth, very worn but no dings, super fast. There's just something about parts that have been fit together for 50 years. Wonder if Red Paul feels the same

As others have recommended, get a custom!

Carvin also makes a great range of options for high end customs and for less than you might think.

What's your dream guitar like...?