PROTOTYPES

 

Type: 1987 Alex Gregory 7-string Prototype #1
Serial #: Not applicable
Remarks: Seven-string guitars are often just ordinary guitars with a thicker neck and a sturdier truss-rod. In the late eighties, Fender did some research to make true 7-string axes. For this they enlisted the help of 7-string neoclassical guitar guru Alex Gregory. Unfortunately, this never went beyond a prototype stage. The picture of this first prototype is crap, but it's all there is. It's a see-through burgundy on quilted maple guitar, with reversed headstock. It had a one-piece maple neck with scalloped fingerboard, 3 exposed Seymour Duncan 8 poles single coil pickups adjustable from the back plate, gold hardware.
Above photo credits: Stolen outright from Penta Systems

Type: 1988 Alex Gregory 7-string Prototype #2
Serial #: Not applicable
Remarks: The specifications are the same as the first model, only no scalloped fretboard, one piece swamp ash body, nickel hardware, peach perl finish.
Above photo credits: Stolen outright from Penta Systems

1988 Alex Gregory 7-string Prototype #3
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: 25.5 inch scale (as opposed to 25 inch with the others), non-reverse headstock with matching colour over an ash splice, special staggered machineheads (to prevent top A string breakage), one piece maple neck, one piece swamp ash body, Mary Kaye finish, 3 Seymour Duncan 7 string alnico V stack pick-ups (cream bobbins) with individual spacing for each pickup, nitrocellulose 50's pickguards (both pictures are the same guitar with the different pickguards), original late 50's knobs and switch tip. This third prototype was perfect but was never released because of financial reasons...and later Alex released an album with a cover where he was pissing on the graves of Yngwie M. and Steve V. Too controversial for Fender...
Above photo credits: Stolen outright from Penta Systems

Type: 1995 10-String Stratocaster #1
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This guitar has a maple neck, is painted purple with chrome hardware and Dimarzio pickups. It was made by Russ Ng at Fender. Russ worked at Fender and was part of a team who built some experimental guitars.
Above photo credits: The owner, Russ Ng.

Type: 1995 10-String Stratocaster #2
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This one has DeArmond pickups (though it started out with DiMarzios), natural body with white binding, rosewood fingerboard with clay inlays. It was made by Russ Ng at Fender. Russ worked at Fender and was part of a team who built some experimental guitars. He presented this one to his boss when leaving Fender in 1997.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction

Type: 1995 10-String Stratocaster #3
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This has a flamed maple neck painted green and yellow sunburst on a AAAAA flamed maple body with Duncan JB's and gold hardware. It was made by Russ Ng at Fender. Russ worked at Fender and was part of a team who built some experimental guitars.
Above photo credits: The owner, Russ Ng.

Type: 1995 Double-cutaway prototype Stratocaster
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: Silver sparkle, flame maple neck, and a rather unique double-cutaway body mark this guitar (in fact you'd be tempted not to call it a Stratocaster at all). It was made by Russ Ng at Fender. Russ worked at Fender and was part of a team who built some experimental guitars.
Above photo credits: The owner, Russ Ng.

Type: 1996 Artist Series Stratocaster
Serial #: No
Remarks: Russ (see guitars above and below) built this in 1996. It is a one off prototype with no serial #. Instead of dots on the AA flame neck it has signatures: Eric Clapton 3rd fret, Jeff Beck 5th fret, Buddy Guy 7th fret, Yngwie Malmsteen 9th fret, Silver Fender logo 12th fret, Stevie Ray Vaughan 15th fret, Bonnie Raitt 17th fret, Richie Sambora 19th fret and James Burton 21st fret. It has chrome lace sensor pickups and black hardware.
Above photo credits: The owner, Kevin Schultz.

Type: 1996 Yngwie Malmsteen prototype Stratocaster
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: A prototype Malmsteen signature guitar, including scalloped fretboard and gold hardware. It was made by Russ Ng at Fender. Russ worked at Fender and was part of a team who built some experimental guitars.
Russ says: "Since the Yngwie Malmsteen Signature model had been introduced, I've always thought that the guitar was politically incorrect. Knowing that Malmsteen has always prefered the vintage vibe, I decided to make a prototype for Yngwie. I started with a very light alder body and gave it a vintage style tremolo that I know Malmsteen preferred over the American Standard bridge. It was loaded with Dimario HS-3's. The guitar was painted Aztec Gold and fitted with gold hardware. The neck is a left handed '54 style nicely flamed maple neck. I used a maple fretboard because Malmsteen prefers maple to rosewood. Look closely at the back of the body and you'll notice that there are no screw holes for the tremolo cover since Yngwie doesn't prefer one (something that Fender would never consider). Also instead of double dots on the fretboard for position markers there is his signature decal which is usually found on the headstock. I showed this to Yngwie backstage at a show he had locally. He said it was beautiful and he wanted it bad enough to offer my wife and I a plane trip to his house in Florida and go through 250 guitars of his guitars and trade one-for-one...but I turned him down. After I left Fender in mid '97, Fender came out with the new Malmsteen models complete with the much prefered vintage style tremolo."
Above photo credits: The owner, Russ Ng.

Type: 1997 Buddy Guy prototype Stratocaster
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: A prototype Buddy Guy signature guitar, using the polka dots pattern but with different colours than the signature model would get in the end. It was made by Russ Ng at Fender. Russ worked at Fender and was part of a team who built some experimental guitars.
Above photo credits: The owner, Russ Ng.

Type: 2001 American Vintage '62 Stratocaster prototype
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This guitar is the prototype of a limited run that was made early 2001. These guitars differ from a standard-production American Vintage '62 Strats in that they feature a matching-finish headstock. The colour is Ice Blue Metallic.
Above photo credits: This picture was absconded from the Official Fender Site.

 

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