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(Redirected from Tollmache Dock)
River Mersey and the Port of Runcorn in the
late 18th century
late 18th century
The Port of Runcorn is in the town of Runcorn, Cheshire, England. It is situated to the west of a point where the River Mersey narrows, known as Runcorn Gap. Originally opening directly into the Mersey, with the building of the Manchester Ship Canal, it now links with this canal.
History[edit]
Early days[edit]
Until the 18th century, the major port in northwest England was Chester. However silting of the River Dee prevented access to Chester and in 1708 Thomas Steers was commissioned to build the first wet dock in Liverpool.[1] By 1710 Liverpool had become the third largest port in the country contributing £50,000 in customs revenue.[2] During the early-mid 18th century the major materials passing through Liverpool were salt from Cheshire and coal from the Lancashire coalfields. Other important materials were building stone, roofing slates from North Wales, and ores, particularly copper ore, from Anglesey. Later came imports of cotton, timber and grain to Manchester, and potters' materials to The Potteries.[3] These materials were carried mainly by flat-bottomed barges known as Mersey flats.[4] In the mid-Mersey area communications were being improved by the development of inland waterways, including the Sankey Canal from St Helens to Warrington which was completed in 1757,[5] the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, the act for which achieved Royal Assent in 1720,[6] and the Bridgewater Canal from Manchester to Runcorn, which opened throughout its length in 1776.[7]
Bridgewater House in 2004
There is the possibility that a small port was in existence at Runcorn in the Roman era.[8] However, before 1780 Runcorn could not have been described as even a minor port. The construction of a port of any significance did not start until after the arrival of the Bridgewater Canal. A line of ten locks connected the Runcorn basin of the canal with the Mersey at a position to the west of Runcorn Gap. Close to this point the Duke of Bridgewater built two tidal basins, two warehouses, a dry dock and a house, Bridgewater House, from which to supervise the work.[7] To the west of this area he later built the dock, which opened in 1791.[9]
In 1804 the Runcorn to Latchford Canal was opened. This connected the Mersey and Irwell Navigation with the River Mersey at Runcorn.[10] In 1810 the Weston Canal was built between Frodsham and the Weston Point area of Runcorn to avoid the difficult entrance to the mouth of the River Weaver. At Weston Point a dock was established.[11] At the terminus of the Runcorn to Latchford Canal, in an area known as Old Quay, on the east side of Runcorn Gap, a dock was opened in 1826.[12] This dock was built by the Mersey and Irwell company and included two sets of locks, one for incoming craft and the other for those leaving the canal.[13] By this time the port of Runcorn comprised three separate companies, the Bridgewater Trustees, the Mersey and Irwell company, and the Weaver Trustees.[11] In the early years of the 19th century the amount of cargo passing through the docks steadily increased. From 1816 to 1834 the Bridgewater dock increased its trade from 76,000 tons to 118,000 tons and the Mersey and Irwell from 90,000 tons to 135,000 tons.[14] To cope with this increased business the Bridgewater Trustees built a new dock, the Francis Dock, which opened in 1843.[15] In 1844 the Mersey and Irwell Company was purchased by the Trustees of the Bridgewater Canal.[16]
Tidal dock at the end of the Bridgewater Canal in 2004
Independent customs port[edit]
Throughout this time the port of Runcorn remained part of the port of Liverpool.[13] Towards the middle of the 19th century the port was becoming more important and this was recognised on 5 April 1847 when it was designated as an independent customs port. Its boundary extended on both sides of the Mersey from Warrington Bridge in the east to a point on a line stretching from Eastham church in Cheshire to Chapel Farm House in Lancashire. It included the waters of the River Weaver up to Frodsham Bridge.[17] It included, on the north bank of the Mersey, Widnes Dock, the first purpose-built railway dock in the world.[18] A more dignified customs house was built to mark the event.[17] However Runcorn's status as an independent customs port was not a success. Few large ships were registered in the port or transferred from the Liverpool register and on 12 April 1850 it became part of the Port of Liverpool again.[19] However the port's prospects improved at this time with the abolition of the Navigation Acts (which had restricted the use of foreign shipping), and an increasing number of foreign vessels began to arrive at the docks.[20] Trade increased so much that the Bridgewater Trustees were having difficulty in coping with the increased trade. In 1853 an act promoted by the Earl of Ellesmere led to the construction of a short canal, the Runcorn and Weston Canal, which connected the Francis Dock to the Weston Canal. This was opened for traffic on 25 February 1860. At this time the Runcorn docks were coming under increasing competition from the railways, especially from the St Helens Canal and Railway Company who opened Garston Dock downstream on the north bank of the Mersey.[21]
![Active Dock 1 1983 Active Dock 1 1983](https://www.nootica.fr/media/catalog/product/cache/1/small_image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/a/c/activesafe_dock.jpg)
Runcorn was appointed again as an independent customs port on 1 January 1862.[22] In 1860 the Bridgewater Trustees had opened the Alfred Dock, which was fitted with hydraulic cranes.[23] In 1862 a telegraph line was installed which linked the dock with the Bridgewater Trustees' offices in Manchester and their dock in Liverpool.[24] From around this time there was a considerable increase in trade; in April of that year over 110 vessels entered the port, which was more than could be conveniently accommodated.[25] In order to deal with the increased trade the Bridgewater Trustees began to build a new dock in 1867 and to remove obstructions from the river.[26] The new dock was the Arnold Dock and this was opened in 1870.[27] Before the repeal of the Navigation Acts most of the trade had been coastal; there now came a considerable increase in foreign trade. In 1845 foreign trade had been virtually nothing; in 1871 the export trade amounted to 43,000 tons and the imports more than 30,000.[28] Matters were not as successful with the Mersey and Irwell business because there had been no major dock improvements since 1829 and the approach channels were silting up.[29] On the north bank of the Mersey, West Bank Dock at Widnes was busy especially with importing raw materials and exporting chemicals and fertilisers. The other major materials passing through the port were raw cotton, potter's clay, salt, coal and soap.[30]
During the 1870s the business of the port was beginning to decline because of the progressive silting of the shipping channels.[31] When the Duke of Bridgewater died in 1803 he left his coal mining and canal businesses to be run by a Trust. In 1872 the navigation part of the trust was sold to the Bridgewater Navigation Company at a cost of £1,115,000; this consisted of the Bridgewater Canal and the Mersey and Irwell Navigations, together with their docks and warehouses.[32] The company developed further improvements including a new dock, the Fenton Dock (named after the chairman of the company) which was completed in 1875 at a cost of £50,000. This was equipped with hydraulic cranes and served by high level tramways and railway sidings. Meanwhile, the Weaver Trustees were developing their trade, having built the Delamere Dock in 1870.[33] The engineer for this dock was Edward Leader Williams who later became the engineer for the Manchester Ship Canal.[34] There were no further large scale developments at the port until the Tollemache Dock was opened at Weston Point in 1885.[35]
Coming of the Manchester Ship Canal[edit]
Active Dock 1 1983 Evinrude
From about 1877 the silting of the channels started to improve and trade improved again.[36] The improvement continued until 1889 when the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal caused problems. Trade declined again and in 1894 the independent customs Port of Runcorn was abolished being incorporated in the Port of Manchester.[37] Construction of the ship canal began in November 1877. On 3 August 1887 the Manchester Ship Canal Company had purchased the Bridgewater Navigation Company for £1,710,000, thus acquiring the Bridgewater Canal and its docks and the Mersey and Irwell system.[38] The ship canal allowed large ocean-going ships to access the Port of Runcorn. The canal was completed from Eastham to Weston Point by 1892 and in July of that year a temporary port, called Saltport, was established at the mouth of the River Weaver.[39] By 1893 the ship canal was opened as far as the Old Quay Dock.[40] In order to allow direct access to the Port of Runcorn and the Weaver Navigation four locks were built. Weston Marsh lock at the mouth of the Weaver allowed access to the Weaver Navigation, Weston Mersey lock enabled entrance to the Weaver Docks, the Bridgewater docks were served by the Bridgewater lock and the Old Quay dock by the Runcorn Old Quay lock.[41] The ship canal was opened throughout its length in 1894. Saltport was bypassed and a few years later it was dismantled.[42] To the east of the Bridgewater Dock the ship canal passes under Runcorn Railway Bridge which has a clearance of 75 feet (23 m) above the high water mark of the Mersey.[43] This meant that the larger of the tall ships could not pass under the bridge. A lay-by was therefore built for these ships to discharge their cargo, which was carried onwards by a lighter to its destination.[42] The lay-by was big enough to accommodate the largest merchant vessels of the day.[44] While the larger vessels approached the Runcorn docks by way of the ship canal, the smaller vessels sailed up the Mersey and entered the docks through the locks.[45]
Decline and recovery[edit]
From the opening of the ship canal there was a temporary improvement in trade for the Runcorn docks but a decline set in from the turn of the century. There was a short revival after the First World War but this was not maintained. Improvements were made to Bridgewater Docks in 1935 but this was unsuccessful. By 1950 the docks were 'virtually moribund'.[46] At Runcorn docks trade declined from 124,428 tons in 1925 to 32,881 tons in 1951, and at Weston Point dock from 200,000 tons in 1938 to 40,000 tons in 1954.[47] The old line of locks from the Bridgewater Canal became disused in the late 1930s, they were closed under the Ship Canal Act of 1949 and filled in. The Ship Canal Act of 1966 allowed the closure of the new line of locks, the old dock area and the Francis and Arnold Docks. The Runcorn and Weston Canal has been filled in to provide additional quay space for modern docks and the old warehouses have been demolished. However, with the building of the Silver Jubilee Bridge in 1961 communications to the docks have been improved and trade has begun to recover again. The dock entrance has been widened and the docks deepened. Trade increased from 50,000 tons in 1957 to 773,000 tons in 1973.[48] In the month of December 2014 the Docks saw 50,126 tons of cargo in trade, the highest monthly tonnage recorded in the last quarter of a century.[49]
Present day[edit]
The site now contains two ports, Runcorn Docks and the Port of Weston.
Runcorn Docks[edit]
Runcorn Docks is owned by the Manchester Ship Canal Company which is now part of the Peel Ports Group.[50] It now comprises Francis Dock, Alfred Dock and Fenton Dock.[51] It can take ships with cargoes up to 5000 tonnes with a maximum length of 350 feet (107m) and maximum draught of 7 metres.[52] The adjacent canal lay-by has a deepwater berth of 168m. It has pipelines handling chemical and other liquid cargoes connecting to adjacent storage facilities and to the Ineos Chlor network.[53]
Port of Weston[edit]
In August 2007 the owners of the Port of Weston, The Westbury Property Fund, merged with the Eddie Stobart Group to form the Stobart Group. This group plans to develop the site into an inter-modal port facility to enable freight, currently carried by road, to be transported by rail and water. This will mean increased warehousing, new container handling facilities, an extension to the existing West Coast Main Line rail siding, a new link road, and improved navigable access between the dock and the Manchester Ship Canal.[54][55]
References[edit]
Citations
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 5.
- ^Bagley 1970, p. 49
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 3, 5–6, 11–13.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 12.
- ^Starkey 1990, p. 173.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 17.
- ^ abStarkey 1983, p. 13.
- ^Nickson 1887, p. 4.
- ^Mather 1970, p. xvii.
- ^Starkey 1990, p. 130.
- ^ abStarkey 1983, p. 41.
- ^Nickson 1887, p. 162.
- ^ abStarkey 1983, p. 38.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 39.
- ^Starkey 1990, p. 179.
- ^Mather 1970, p. 163.
- ^ abStarkey 1983, p. 63.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 53.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 66.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 68.
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 85–86.
- ^Port of Runcorn: Limits of Ports and Legal Quays, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, 1 January 1862
- ^Commercial Directory and Gazetteer, Morris and Co., 1874, p. 559
- ^Starkey 1990, p. 180.
- ^Warrington Advertiser, 12 April 1862Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ^Starkey 1983, p. 92.
- ^Runcorn Dock expansion, E. Chambré Hardman Archive, archived from the original on 25 May 2011, retrieved 18 August 2008
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 93.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 94.
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 98–101.
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 111–114.
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 150–151.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 151.
- ^Runcorn Docks - Weston Point, E. Chambré Hardman Archive, archived from the original on 25 May 2011, retrieved 18 August 2008
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 156.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 157.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 162.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 180.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 181.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 187.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 183.
- ^ abStarkey 1983, p. 184.
- ^Nickson 1887, p. 203.
- ^Starkey 1990, p. 187.
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 186–187.
- ^Starkey 1983, p. 205.
- ^Hadfield & Biddle 1970, pp. 374–375.
- ^Starkey 1983, pp. 206–207.
- ^'Runcorn Docks records best shipping figures for 25 years' Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News, 22 January 2015. Accessed: 23 January 2015.
- ^Peel Ports Group, Peel Ports Group, archived from the original on 12 March 2013, retrieved 18 August 2008
- ^Pilotage Direction(PDF), Peel Ports Group, 2008, p. 2, retrieved 18 August 2008Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|month=
(help) - ^Gray 1997, p. 63.
- ^Runcorn Port Services, The Manchester Ship Canal, retrieved 18 August 2008
- ^Eddie Stobart joining Stock Market, Eddie Stobart, 15 August 2007, archived from the original on 12 August 2009, retrieved 18 August 2008
- ^Short, Adrian (12 August 2007), 'Truck giant to haul in jobs', Runcorn Weekly News, Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales, retrieved 18 August 2008Cite has empty unknown parameter:
|month=
(help)
Sources
- Bagley, J. J. (1970), A History of Lancashire, Henley on Thames: Darwen Finlayson, ISBN978-0-850-33246-9CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Gray, Edward (1997), Manchester Ship Canal, Sutton Publishing, ISBN0-7509-1459-9
- Mather, F. C. (1970), After the Canal Duke, Oxford: Clarendon Press, ISBN978-0-198-22329-0
- Hadfield, Charles; Biddle, Gordon (1970), The Canals of North West England, Vol. 2, Newton Abbot: David & Charles, ISBN0-7153-4992-9CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Nickson, Charles (1887), History of Runcorn, London and Warrington: Mackie & Co., OCLC5389146
- Starkey, H.F. (1983), Schooner Port: Two Centuries of Upper Mersey Sail, Ormskirk: G.W. & A. Hesketh, ISBN0-905777-34-4
- Starkey, H.F. (1990), Old Runcorn, Halton Borough Council
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 53°20′23″N2°45′02″W / 53.3397°N 2.7506°W
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Port_of_Runcorn&oldid=965223550'
August 12, 2004
by Hunter H and Tom Watson
images by Hunter H
images by Hunter H
Stratocaster tradition: a blessing and a curse
There is a very close connection between the stories of rock ‘n’ roll and the Fender Stratocaster. It’s hard to imagine one without the other. But in the case of the Fender Stratocaster, history and reputation have often proved to be both a blessing and a curse.
Over the course of its fifty year history, the Stratocaster has faced a repeated challenge – how to retain the classic features that form the basis of its widespread appeal while incorporating evolving technologies and reflecting changes in musical tastes. While the history of the Fender Stratocaster chronicles many such attempts by its manufacturer, one of the more interesting was the 1980-83 model known simply by the Stratocaster’s famous nickname, the STRAT.
A nod to the past
The “STRAT”, a customized and souped-up variation of the Stratocaster, was introduced by Fender at the 1980 NAMM Show. Designed by Gregg Wilson, then chief of guitar R&D; at Fender, with the help of Dan Armstrong serving as a consultant, the STRAT tried to blend classic features with modern electronics to rejuvenate the Stratocaster concept. With the STRAT model, Fender gave a nod to the past by reinstating the smaller 1954-1965 pre-CBS headstock design (however, since the original worn-out tooling was used, the STRAT headstock, though smaller than the CBS era design, was not an entirely accurate re-creation of the pre-CBS model); and, like the 1979 25th Stratocaster Anniversary models, the STRAT was fitted with the popular pre-CBS style truss-rod adjustment and four-bolt neck plate, replacing the CBS Bullet truss rod adjustment and three-bolt neck plate.
An eye toward the future
Looking forward, in addition to offering a matching headstock (the headstock painted to match the guitar’s body color), the STRAT incorporated several noteworthy features:
* a hotter lead pickup (branded the X-1) with a much stronger output than the standard Stratocaster pickup (various X-1 pickups tested were between 6.0 and 8.5 ohms).
*a new wiring circuitry delivering 9 different basic tones:
a twin mode rotary selector switch replaced the bottom tone control which when used with the five-way pickup selector switch allowed not only for your standard 5 Stratocaster positions(tones) but also 4 “new” tones never before or since available on a Fender Stratocaster :
a twin mode rotary selector switch replaced the bottom tone control which when used with the five-way pickup selector switch allowed not only for your standard 5 Stratocaster positions(tones) but also 4 “new” tones never before or since available on a Fender Stratocaster :
neck and middle pickups in series – humbucking
middle and bridge pickups in series – humbucking
neck and bridge pickups in parallel
neck and bridge pickups in parellel, with the middle pickup in series
middle and bridge pickups in series – humbucking
neck and bridge pickups in parallel
neck and bridge pickups in parellel, with the middle pickup in series
Thus, the STRAT delivered nine (5+ 4) different basic pickup tones by combining the 5-position switch with the twin rotary selector tone knob. Otherwise the STRAT was fitted with the standard 250k ohm audio taper pots and the “master” tone control carried a regular .05 MFD capacitor. This unique wiring design delivers many tones not usually associated with a Fender Stratocaster and makes the STRAT one of, if not the most, versatile of any era Stratocaster produced by Fender prior to the recently introduced S-1 switching system.
*22 carat gold electroplated brass hardware including a re-designed extra massive(sustain) bridge and vibrato block, tuners, and volume/tone knobs that were officially dubbed the “Brassmaster Series”. According to Fender, the hardware was actually plated with a 100 micron gold coat (the same as fine jewlery) and for that reason it’s rumored that the company lost money on every unit sold. Some very early models are missing the gold tuners (same tuners but in chrome) and the gold plated pickup selector tip because of a delay in parts delivery.
The STRAT could be ordered with either a one-piece maple neck or a maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Three uniquely different neck shapes were available for the STRAT:
1. U shape – a very thick early 50s style “U” shaped neck.
2. D shape – a classic oval “D” shaped neck.
3. C shape- a classic “C” wide flat shaped neck with a flat radius typically only found on 1958 to early 1959 Stratocasters.
2. D shape – a classic oval “D” shaped neck.
3. C shape- a classic “C” wide flat shaped neck with a flat radius typically only found on 1958 to early 1959 Stratocasters.
The availability of several width/thickness/radius variations indicate that there was no standard neck for the STRAT model.
Architect 3d professional 19 0 8. According to Fender pricelists, the STRAT listed for $995 in 1980 ($250 more than a Stratocaster), was raised to $1,095 in 1981 and was priced at $1,150 in 1982 at which it remained until discontinued in early 1983.
Prototype
A prototype of the STRAT (pictured on the right) is in a private collection, with the following features that vary somewhat from the production model:
Tuners: An early version of the tuners later found on the “Elite” Stratocaster instead of the typical STRAT gold plated (or chrome on some of the early models) tuners.
Knobs: “Dome” gold plated Telecaster style knobs instead of the skirted gold plated “F” style knobs used on the production STRAT.
Electronics: The pickups feature three early prototype versions of the very under-rated X-1 pickup that was used in the bridge position of the production STRAT. Produces a very “woody” bell-like tone.
Bridge: Gold plated brass Stratocaster standard style bridge instead of the heavier production line STRAT “Brassmaster” bridge. Air buddy 1 3 trailer.
Finish: Olympic White, as opposed to Arctic White offered by Fender after the models introduction in either Candy Apple Red or Lake Placid Blue.
Pickguard: Fender was not using tortoise shell pickguards at the time, but the prototype has a very rare pickguard material imported from Italy that was used on limited production and top of the line guitars such as the LTD and Montego, referred to by some as “flamed” or Italian tortoise shell.
Weight: 7.3 pounds (most likely a swamp ash body).
Pedigree: Hand made one-off formerly owned by Bill Carson with a letter of authenticity from Carson.
Why the STRAT? A brief look at Fender in the early 80s
Freddie Tavares, long time Fender employee who retired in 1986, had this to say about the state of the Fender company from the late 60s through the 70s: “We had turned into a big fancy corporation all of a sudden, where all the different departments had got their say in everything and then there were budgets, quotas and so on. They would try to put out stuff as fast as they could! When they [CBS] bought the Fender company they found out how profitable the operation was and they wanted the profits held right there. Like so many other American companies, it was to make sure the stockholders got plenty of dividends. So, what could the people at the plant do?”
Due to these drastic increases in production (output by the late 70s was 500 guitars per day), workers on the assembly line could not maintain the same attention to detail and as a result, Fender received an ever increasing number of complaints from dealers regarding quality and assembly issues. Despite the sometime questionable quality of Stratocasters from the 70s, 1971-1981 marked the Stratocaster’s incredible rise to fame and it was adopted by a growing number of players. Countless artists chose the Stratocaster as their main instrument.
Popularity rises, sales decline
It was noted by Fender, however, that these famous musicians were using the older models and not the newer ones. Fender-CBS sensed that something should be done to take full advantage of the Stratocaster’s popularity. Fender’s desire to cash in on the popularity of the traditional Stratocaster through model twists that might appeal to a more modern market had much to do with why several variations of the Stratocaster model were introduced in the late 70s and early 80s – an attempt to recapture market share.
To further this goal, in the early 80s Fender-CBS hired Bill Schultz and John McLaren from Yamaha to take over at the helm of Fender musical instruments division and address some of the problems plaquing the company. Initial appraisals by this new team outlined some very troubling issues that needed immediate attention and an internal Fender memo dated May 19,1981, mentioned a sharp decline in product quality and a significant increase in international and domestic dealer complaints about defective parts and unacceptable quality. The same report also stated that the Fender company had followed a “policy of high margins and little product improvement”.
Active Dock 1 1983 Yamaha
Another former Yamaha employee, Dan Smith, was then hired by Bill Schultz to help solve some of the problems at Fender. According to Smith, “Basically our goal was initially to restore the confidence of the dealers and the players in Fender. The only way we could achieve that was to raise the quality levels back up! We could not redesign the production line all at once so we started to initiate steps to get the product back to where it had to be, but while that was going on, we basically shut the plant down and retaught everybody how to make Fender guitars the way people wanted them. It probably took us 2 1/2 years to achieve that.”
The 1979 25th Silver Anniversary Stratocaster and then the 1980 STRAT model were Fender’s first attempts at blending the old and with the new. The 1979 Anniversary Stratocaster was the first new model to adopt the old style four bolt neck and truss rod. Imindmap 11 full version crack mac & win. The 1980 STRAT was designed to take some of the older features, and add some modern ones.
Although 10,000 Anniversary models were sold, the STRAT models were not very profitable due to the very high cost of the parts (gold plated) and assembly time (the wiring was extremely time consuming). As a result, the STRAT was discontinued after limited numbers were manufactured between 1980 and 1983.
The STRAT was made at a very unique time in Fender history when extra attention was given to detail and materials and the resulting quality of the STRAT is second to none. However, in 1982, in an attempt to further cut costs and capitalize on the emerging “vintage market”, Fender decided to focus its energies on producing copies of hugely popular older models and in 1982 released the first of the highly successful American vintage reissues (which, ironically, are now highly prized vintage instruments themselves).
Stratoburst?
The STRAT was initially available in only two classic finishes Candy Apple Red and Lake Placid Blue, both with a matching painted headstock. In 1981, at the initiative of then chief design engineer of Fender R&D;, ChipTodd, another model was introduced, a deluxe version of the STRAT crafted entirely of American Black Walnut officially named “The Walnut Strat” (sometimes referred to as The Super Strat). This model used a one-piece walnut neck, black pickguard and pickup covers. Otherwise its basic appointments were identical to a the STRAT, which at this time was made available in its third and final official finish, Artic White.
Although officially only available in Candy Apple Red, Lake Placid Blue, and later, Artic White, several other colors (possible one-offs) and variations (hues) of the original three official colors are known to exist, including “Stratoburst”, Black (Cathay Ebony), Candy Apple Green, Gold, Natural Ash, Olympic White and Sapphire Blue (see image gallery below).
From the January 1982 Fender Catalog:
STRAT
A unique new instrument that combines several of the most popular modifications of the standard Stratocaster developed by independent guitar experts, as well as some exciting developments from Fender engineering.
Active Dock 1 1983 Ford
All the hardware on the STRAT is of the highest quality with a heavy coat of 22k gold plating- the heaviest most durable gold finish ever used on a guitar. In addition, the bridge assembly is extra-massive, to achieve maximum possible sustain. On the STRAT, one of the standard Stratocaster’s tone controls have been replaced by a pickup selector mode switch which gives an extra four pickup selections not available on a standard Stratocaster. These extra tonal options provide a “thicker” sound than a standard Stratocaster can produce, making the STRAT one of the most versatile guitars ever designed. Offered in the classic colors: Candy Apple Red, Lake Placid Blue, and Artic White.
WALNUT STRAT
The new Walnut Strat incorporates all the custom hardware and electronics of the STRAT in an instrument crafted entirely of selected solid Black American Walnut. The rock-hard finish and extra density of walnut give the Walnut Strat all the great playing qualities of the Fender STRAT, plus a unique custom look. Truly the connoisseur’s guitar!
Collectibility
Because of limited production numbers, rumors that they are “boat anchors” (although as heavy as 11 pounds, most are in the comfortable 8-9 pound range and some weigh as little as 7 pounds), and a lack of information available, the STRAT has remained somewhat obscure, under-rated, and undervalued. Although prices are starting to rise for this unique model, until recently it has been relatively ignored by collectors and most can still be had at a very affordable price.
In a fall 1980 John Lennon magazine interview (conducted shortly before his death), Lennon describes a brand new Fender Stratocaster guitar he’s using as “the cats pajama’s”, and is pictured holding a Lake Placid Blue STRAT. Rumor has it that Fender was seeking his official endorsement shortly before his tragic passing.
STRAT Gallery