There was once a really odd shaped guitar labeled Stratocaster with horns that were kida angular and squared off. I played one that belonged to a fella name Gemma in '96 and a guy named Jackie Lee (former road player for Wilson Pickett) played one regularly in D.C. in the early '90s.

Both were white. If I remember the headstock shape was different too. I believe they were only made for one year and probably very few were made.

Anyone have any information about this guitar and a photograph?

The Fender Swinger?

http://www.davesguitar.com/product/CSWINGER.JPG

Nope. Pretty sure that I'm thinking of the Fender Performer (could have sworn that the word Stratocaster was someplace on the guitar).

Hmmm, our own forum's Alain Lafrance has a few Performers. Maybe he can help.

I believe that the picture above is of his white one.

Cant see a picture here but here's one from maindrag in BK :

http://www.maindragmusic.com/85FenderPerformer.JPG

Personaly I dont care much for the headstock.

A collectable curiosity none the less.

We've got a Bass at our Church like that I'm pretty sure they're Japanese models and it does say Performer on the headstock.

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

Oh yes? Didn't know they'd done a bass version of the Performer.

Can't help it: I'd love to have one of those - though the headstock really was not Fender's finest moment. A wacky son-of-Strat for those of us not brave enough to be seen out with a Parker Fly.

While we're about it try an image search on the Fender Katana, from the same period. A terrible, sickly lapse of taste the Company had with that one. And yet... As shape guitars go, bizarrely that's the one for me.

[The Forum collectively shake their heads at Ceri's unaccountable departure from reason.]

- C

Both attempts from CBS to revive the company in the late 80's.

From what I've been able to find out, the performer was only manufactured (in Japan) for one year from 85 - 86 as a desperation move.

It was manufactured to very high quality standards.

There was a Bass too - micro tilt neck, requires light gauge strings.

I'm sure that at least a couple went out of the factory with the word Stratocaster on them.

The one I played was a really nice guitar.

Ceri
I'll take some pictures and post them for your enjoyment... Gives me an excuse to use my camera. Look for them next week on this thread.

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I'm not slow... and I'm not fast... just sort of halffast...

i remember i saw that guitar. I got a book called "50 years of Fender". Like someone say before it´s a Fender Performer. So here is some info...

After Fender was buy from CBS (around ´85), this guitar was a working proyect before the sale. This model got a short live, and only can survive until ´86 (if someone got a catalog from those years you can find it). The Original Desing is from John Page. This model was original thinking to made in the US but since Fender don´t have a factory where to made it, the production start in Fujigen, Japan.
The guitar have 24 frets, two inclined twin mics, and a head in "arrow" shape. This head was based in an old fender head: "´69 Swinger". This choice was because they didn´t want to use a new trade mark and in those years another superstrat low head shape was the top of the top...this guitar was the "Charvel/Jackson".
Another guitar with short live (until ´86 too) was the "Katana". With a somekind similar shape of a "flynig V": 22 Frets, 2 humbuckers, Floyd Rose, one volume knob and a 3 way switch.
sorry for my english and this was the info that i found!...

Not too unreasonable. We all have "Heavy Metal" shaped guitars in our closets, don't we?

I don't know, do many Katana's wind up on the market?


These Fender "experiments" fair much better than Gibson's experiments (Corvus, anyone?) IMO (after a number of years pass I mean).

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I remember those guitars. That is a Fender/Squire Performer in the Fender Japan's attempt at stepping outside the box and experiment with new styles to see if they catch on.
I remember looking at one of those at a shop that used to be the only authorized Fender dealership, ( Gone 4 years ago now), And I almost bought it.
I thought the price was kind of steep for what it was. $800 for a guitar made in Japan when I could spend $100 more for a Stratocaster Elite, made in USA.
That was the only thing that stopped me.

From the pics, you'd think those were hum cancelling pickups, but they are'nt. Those pickups buzz just like an old Strat pickup will.

-Harley

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I only have two brain cells left, and I'm saving them....for this weekend!

They looked kind of cool, but they weren't as comfortable to play as a Strat--the body anyway.

Still an interesting idea, that was never given much of a chance due to all that was going on with Fender at the time.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.