Hank Marvin/Shadows Custom Shop Stratocasters

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi all. Thank you Tony for pointing me in the right direction regarding Pat Terret's name after all he is the gentlman responsable for getting myself, and I think quite a few other people, playing the Shadows music again via the UBH CD's. Can I ask what was the strap like that came with the 40th.
Ian/Tony When you started out to document the Hank Custom Shop Srats was there any mention of doing a similar document to include the Squire, Jap, Mex and Burns HBM sig models?
Regards Geoff.

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi Ian. Jusr receved the prints in the mail. Super packaging and a super item. Thank you.
Regards Geoff.

[ScouserJoe]

Hi Geoff,

Glad you got your printed version of this publication OK, and that you are pleased with it. Although I say so myself, I do think that the printed images of the complete guitars have come out particularly well and they are the best images of these models to be found anywhere. End of advertisement ..

You ask whether there was any mention of producing a similar document on the other models. Well, Tony might well wish to give his own opnion on this but I considered it, then quickly dismissed it for several reasons.

Firstly, I wanted to deal with the instruments which Hank had actually played and which were probably the most reveered of all the Fender Stratocasters.
Secondly, these guitars were very expensive and only built in small numbers (the maximum being the Signature/Autograph series of approx 164) so there are very few of them about; many people have probably only ever seen one or two of them at best. Obviously, there are literally thousands of copies of the other models like the Jap, Mex and Burns editions out there and so it is much easier to find out information about them, to see one or to be able to afford to own one.
Thirdly, most of the questions and points of interest (and also mis-information) that cropped up on forums like this was inevitably about these four particular models. So I felt that this project would attract a fairly large audience and people would welcome complete and accurate information supplied in one document.
Fourthly, the Fender Custom Shop and other sources were willing and able to supply information that I did not have to hand - I'm not sure how easy that would be to obtain on other models.
Finally, I have at some time owned each of these four guitars at some point over the last 3 years, so I felt that I could put together a fact sheet based on good sound knowledge and personal experience of ownership.

Hope that gives you some idea into my thinking behind the project.

[Tone]

Hi Geoff

I can't really add anything to Ian's explanation. In the early stages of the project we did discuss whether the other Signature models should be included but decided against it for the reasons Ian has so eloquently set out.

With regard to the 40th Anniversary strap, here is a photograph. The Custom Shop and Hank signature logos were picked out in gold leaf but, as you can see, it had worn quite badly on my strap. Since the photograph was taken I've painstakingly touched in the gold leaf and it looks much better now. However, to be honest, I'm not to keen on the strap because it is very wide and the leather is very stiff and rigid which makes attaching and detaching it very difficult. Incidentally, I note that the photograph of the strap on Hank's guitar no. 00 currently adverised on eBay shows a Fender logo which mine and, I assume, the others in the production models for retail do not have.

Hank_Strap.jpg

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Cheers.

Tony

[Geoff Alderton LH]

Hi Ian/Tony. Thank you for the answers to my questions. I can see your logic as to why you didnt include all the other HBM sig guitars and it makes fair comment. Good pic showing the strap Tony, when you say that Zoe had the guitar heavily customised, do you know what jobs were done on it? As MeBHank says it should not happen and god knows how mutch it knocks of the value, even if its never going to be put up for sale. But I suppose if the owner of any piece of kit wants to alter it who are we to condemn it even though we dont condone it.
Regards Geoff.

[ScouserJoe]

Hi Everyone,

Many thanks for your support in our dispute with the E-Bay seller. The offending material has now been removed from the item description on E-Bay, so I have re-instated the item on my website.

Members of the forum are once again able to download the free PDF. The original link is now functional again, but is repeated here ..

http://www.mountain-images.co.uk/shadows/shadows-fender-facts.html

[Tone]

Hi Geoff

I'm afraid I can't remember all the details of the customisation of Zoe's guitar but I think the body was refinished in a different shade of red and a black scratchplate with different pickups was fitted. Perhaps Justin has more information?

I believe that after she acquired her 40th Anniversary she decided she wanted a Strat built to her own spec but, at that time, the Custom Shop lead time was something like two years. As she didn't want to wait that long she decided to adapt the 40th.

Personally, I agree with you and Justin that to do that was akin to sacrilege but I have also to agree with your comment that it's her guitar so she has the right to do what she likes with it.

Cheers.

Tony

[OLDEREK]

I took this photo at Shadowmania a couple of years ago........

zoe.JPG

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[Tone]

Thanks for the photo, Derek. I guess "a different shade of red" was a bit of an understatement!

Cheers.

Tony

[bor64]

Well Tony's strat was missing the strap....mine was missing the CD.
But thanks to Tony I got the package complete at last after 10 years

Regarding Hanks strats, I saw them a few times,face to face
I know what is on the back of those headstock's ,but I don't know if I'm allowed to tell about it
But the 00 was there, look at the pic I made backstage a few years back.
At the back it's Hank's no1,Hank's no3 and the 40th at the front Hank's no2,the heavy strung one, was on Lionel's table.

3strats (111 x 201).jpg (9.68 KiB) Viewed 9599 times

HTH