Fender International Colours?

1983

Hey!

Just a feeler in case anyone out there got any early 80s strats/teles in international colours for sale? 

Sahara Toupe would be cool, but keen to hear what’s out there. 

Thanks!

munckee

Saw an 80 sahara taupe strat in a shop in portsmouth a couple of weeks ago, was pricy at £2k and was heavy - good condition though.

StefB

Seen these?

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1978-fender-international-series-telecaster-maui-blue/944292

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1980s-international-series-stratocaster-maui-blue-second-hand-pre-owned-/945834

Surprising how much the shade of Maui blue differs between the two.

ICBM

StefB said:

Seen these?

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1978-fender-international-series-telecaster-maui-blue/944292

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1980s-international-series-stratocaster-maui-blue-second-hand-pre-owned-/945834

Surprising how much the shade of Maui blue differs between the two.

Looks like the Strat has a much thicker clear coat and/or has been exposed to light a lot more. The clear coat goes yellow and makes the blue look much more green.

The Tele is far closer to the original colour, which is visible where there's been a sticker on the body covering a chip.

1983

StefB said:

Seen these?

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1978-fender-international-series-telecaster-maui-blue/944292

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1980s-international-series-stratocaster-maui-blue-second-hand-pre-owned-/945834

Surprising how much the shade of Maui blue differs between the two.

Thanks!

yes, I've seen these, but they were unsure the tele had the original finish and the Strat was a little too heavy! 

munckee said:

Saw an 80 sahara taupe strat in a shop in portsmouth a couple of weeks ago, was pricy at £2k and was heavy - good condition though.

oooh! do you remember the name of the shop?

Zoonyboy

The Tele's colour looks too light to me. I used to sell these brand new, and have owned one. They were always great guitars, if usually on the heavy side. X-1 bridge p/up in a Strat and excellent playability. Fender were starting to get it right, but were in a tailspin, it seems. The Strat on the link looks about the right colour for 40 years of age, just my opinion. FYI Sahara Taupe was a hard sell, we couldn't shift them back then!

munckee

The shop is called The Guitar Centre in Southsea, I take all my guitars there for any work that needs doing it's a nice old fashioned guitar shop.  The guitar was a 79 thinking about it.  Has been there a while so might be worth an offer.

1983

ICBM said:

StefB said:

Seen these?

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1978-fender-international-series-telecaster-maui-blue/944292

https://www.gak.co.uk/en/fender-1980s-international-series-stratocaster-maui-blue-second-hand-pre-owned-/945834

Surprising how much the shade of Maui blue differs between the two.

Looks like the Strat has a much thicker clear coat and/or has been exposed to light a lot more. The clear coat goes yellow and makes the blue look much more green.

The Tele is far closer to the original colour, which is visible where there's been a sticker on the body covering a chip.

gotcha! so perhaps that shade of blue isn't a refin?

munckee

Maui Blue goes very greeny/aqua - lovely colour.

1983

munckee said:

The shop is called The Guitar Centre in Southsea, I take all my guitars there for any work that needs doing it's a nice old fashioned guitar shop.  The guitar was a 79 thinking about it.  Has been there a while so might be worth an offer.

Thanks man! I'll try them and see what they say! 

1983

Zoonyboy said:

The Tele's colour looks too light to me. I used to sell these brand new, and have owned one. They were always great guitars, if usually on the heavy side. X-1 bridge p/up in a Strat and excellent playability. Fender were starting to get it right, but were in a tailspin, it seems. The Strat on the link looks about the right colour for 40 years of age, just my opinion. FYI Sahara Taupe was a hard sell, we couldn't shift them back then!

Amazing! Yes they seem to be heavier from what I can tell!

Sparks

That Strat badly needs some aged white pickup covers and knobs, in my humble opinion

Funkfingers

1983 said:

Sahara Toupee

Flagged for blatantly plugging hair extension products.

glitterjet

I think there may be a black hardtail in Some Neck Guitars in Dublin, they are advertising as changed plate and it being a 78.  But from the pix it looks like an Int Colours.  Looking £1300 for it, almost tempted myself lol

richardhomer

If my memory serves me correctly, the International Colours were introduced in 1981. I owned a sunburst 1980 Strat which had an S9 serial number - so you can’t rely on that as an accurate indicator of age.

glitterjet

They can be found with 78/79 serials, they were just using up the old parts/decals.   

rze99

I had one with 79 parts. It was the Olympic White one with the black plastics a la Richie Blackmore but with maple neck. It was a goodie. Pickups were very Strat and with good output but not hot. I don’t remember it being very heavy. 

1983

richardhomer said:

If my memory serves me correctly, the International Colours were introduced in 1981. I owned a sunburst 1980 Strat which had an S9 serial number - so you can’t rely on that as an accurate indicator of age.

That’s a good bit of info. I’ve read that they were introduced in 81, but a lot of the ones for sale have been advertised as anything from 78-81. Thanks for the tip!

richardhomer

1983 said:

richardhomer said:

If my memory serves me correctly, the International Colours were introduced in 1981. I owned a sunburst 1980 Strat which had an S9 serial number - so you can’t rely on that as an accurate indicator of age.

That’s a good bit of info. I’ve read that they were introduced in 81, but a lot of the ones for sale have been advertised as anything from 78-81. Thanks for the tip!

I think it’s either a lack of knowledge or being able to say ‘70s’ adding extra desirability. It’s quite likely that they were produced to shift the remaining badly contoured bodies and large headstock necks, before the ‘Dan Smith’ Strat was introduced (which were the final Fullerton ‘non-reissue’ guitars before the ‘two knob’ Strat was unleashed on the world). In that sense, some of the parts may be late 70s - but as far as I can recall, the finished instruments left the factory in ‘81.

1983

Any of these around? Still looking. Thanks 

Zoonyboy

Check out the Fender catalogues of the time. The pearl then silver 25th anniversary Strat was the first sign of some sense from Fender regarding anything to do with vintage being preferable. There was the International series, which I used to sell new at the time, in response to customer demand for white pick guards and coloured bodies. Mostly they were heavy, but well made, with X-1 bridge pickups. Straight necks! Then The Strat in blue or red metallic, and the Walnut Strat and gold Strat, smaller but wrong headstock shapes, even heavier, and then the better Dan Smith models. By then it was a tailspin and too little too late. Those serial numbers on the decals are very unreliable in dating the year. There was a run of "new" standard colours in the 80s on regular Fenders, just before it all went Dan Smith and pear shaped. Three different variation sunbursts, plus trans wine red, etc. You can see these advertised as 78/79 but they are not. Every time the rep came in there was a new range. They almost got it right, but I must say that some of the last ones made in Fullerton were pretty good, especially the 57 and 62 re-issues. I would say take them at face value and enjoy!