I have a strat and was told it was an anniversary edition, can anyone help me varify this ?

Yes it is, it's the really good anniversary one too!










My Friend, you're going to need to give a whole load more information before you get a sensible answer.

Can you tell us the full Serial number? Can you describe the guitar? Any special features? did you get any information with the purchase? Any pictures etc.....etc.....

serial # N596381 The headstock is painted the same color as body, the guy at the store said only anniversary editions were painted this way.

Is it surf green in colour?

I'm afraid I can't help you just by the serial number... but you can email it to consumerrelations@fender.com and they'll tell you everything about your guitar.

I did it and found out that my guitar was a completely different model to what I was told!

_________________
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Digitech Whammy WH-4

2004 Anniversary Models have a special neck plate that say, "50 Anniversary."
Commemorates the Stratocaster's 50th Anniversary
Solid ash body
Modern C-shape maple neck with satin polyurethane finish
Maple fingerboard
Chrome hardware
2-point synchronized tremolo with stainless steel saddles
Black dot inlays
22 medium-jumbo frets
Rounded fingerboard edges and beautifully worked frets
3 Custom Shop '54 replica pickups with standard covers
2-tone sunburst finish
Identifying 50th Anniversary logo engraved into neck plate
Vintage tweed 50th Anniversary case with logo embroidered inside
Limited run, only to be made during 2004

Colors:
American Series 2-color Sunburst
Deluxe: 3-color Sunburst
MIM Gold with gig bag.

If it had a gold foil sticker on the back of the head stock, than no you do not have an Anniversary model. Every Fender instruments cam with the little sticker. also none of them have painted headstocks.

2006 Anniversary Models came in 3-color sunburst and had a small man made diamond inlayed in the headstock.

Sixty Years jeweled headstock inlay
60th anniversary stamped chrome neck plate
US Vintage Reissue pickups
Reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup
Delta Tone wiring
2-point tremolo with stainless steel saddles
Original alder body
Modern C-shaped maple neck with satin finish
Rosewood fretboard with rolled edges
Pearloid dot position markers
21 medium-jumbo frets
3-color sunburst finish
Parchment knobs and pickup covers
Custom Silver Solarium case with embroidered dark red plush interior

MIM model came in silver.

If your guitar has a little metal disk with a diamond and the #60 stamped in it, you don't have an Anniversary model. All Fender instruments in 2006 received the little metal disk.

I've seen this problem a lot. I've even had music store guys try to show me guitars claimed to be Anniversary models which were not.

_________________
1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

Hi Chap,

There are several "anniversary" models, including the ones with the foil sticker on the back of the headstock, all strats had that for that anniversary year. The serial number on yours indicates '95 to '96, and '96 would be the year of yours if it is an anniversary model, Fender's 50th to be exact. Not all ann models had a special neck plate.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Well, I recall a 40th anniversary Strat ('54 Model) and a 50th anniversary Strat as well as a 60th anniversary Strat...and there may be others.

You could compare yours to all of the YouTubes...here's the 50th :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-0tkP79eU8

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Keep in mind that there is the Fender anniversary (1946) and the Strat anniversary (1954), as well as Tele anniversary (1951). So, '96 would be a Fender 50th anniversary, whereas 2004 would be a Strat 50th anniversary, and 2001 is the Tele 50th anniversary.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Send your serial number to
Customerrelations@fender.ca
Fender will email you back all of the information they have on it.

_________________
He who dies with the most Strats wins.

Will Fender know all the details about a particular guitar’s information? I don't think they would. I asked about my '87 Strat Plus and they couldn't tell me more than I could find out in the Fender dating tab at the top of this website.

The information I posted earlier came from research, my one 50th Anniversary Strat and years of experience.
The fact that the guy at the music store told Chap that only Anniversary models got the painted headstock really bothers me. To the best of my knowledge and research none of the Anniversary models came with a painted headstock.

Back in the late '90s Fender did come out with a series of painted headstock Strats. all the ones I personally saw came in vintage colors. I saw the following: Salmon pink, Surf Green and Lake Placid Blue. Now having said that, Fender may have made other painted headstock guitars, but none of them would an Anniversary model.
Chap, if you could post some photos it would help greatly.

_________________
1975 Sunburst Stratocaster rosewood finger board
1979 Stratocaster with roseowood finder board
2001 Candy Green Clapton Stratocaster
2007 Andy Summers Inspired Telecaster
2007 '51 P-Bass
2012 Taylor 110
2015 Mystic Ice Blue Deluxe Stratocaster Plus

I believe that Fender serial number records only go back to about '93, anything before that and they don't have the particular info, anything after that and they should be able to tell the specifics of any particular serial number, at least for US and Mex models. So, yes, if the model was made from '93 to present, Fender should have the details, give them a try.

_________________
---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Odds are you just have a model made in the Anniversary year. Fender puts those badges on all guitars made in an anniversary year regardless of if they are the "Anniversary model" or not. Also they made a few different American Standards that year with matching head stocks.

like this one:


Every now and then they do a small run of matching headstock American standards.

Serial # is posted above, guitar is red. I will post a picture later today

I'm 99.9%* certain you don't have an anniversary Strat, but you do have a rare Strat that is very cool. I always wanted one.

*No one's perfect or completely knowledgable about everything.