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Limited Edition "Lenny" Strat for sale

 
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LennyForSale



Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 3:39 pm    Post subject: Limited Edition "Lenny" Strat for sale Reply with quote

Hello all-

Not meaning to spam, but I figured this is relevant. I work at Guitar Center, and our store has access to only one Lenny Strat from the Fender Custom Shop. This is the limited run of 185, which will be a killer (and fun) investment.

If anyone is seriously interested, send me a message, and we can talk.

Thanks.

Here's the press release-

Fender Announces the Custom Shop Tribute Series Stevie Ray Vaughan "Lenny" Guitar

Press release
Source: FMIC
Fender Custom Shop Tribute Series Lenny Guitar

Fender Custom Shop Tribute Series Lenny Guitar
In a historic collaboration among Fender®, Guitar Center® and the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate, the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan “Lenny” Stratocaster® guitar has been commissioned by Guitar Center to be reproduced in a limited edition by the Fender Custom Shop. As part of Fender’s Tribute Series of guitars, “Lenny” will be produced in a limited quantity, with 185 guitars offered for sale in the United States, made available exclusively through Guitar Center. Guitar Center stores throughout the United States will introduce the guitar on Dec. 12, 2007, and will offer them to customers for $17,000 (U.S.).

This emotive addition to the Custom Shop Tribute Series will feature an intricate reproduction of “Lenny” down to the smallest of details—from the customized neck that was a gift from ZZ Top’s Billy F Gibbons to the reflective “SRV” stickers on the body to the battered headstock, the autograph that Stevie himself etched into the neck plate, and even an autograph from legendary baseball great, Mickey Mantle.

Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, purchased the original guitar for $623,500 at a 2004 Christie’s auction that benefited the Crossroads Centre, Antigua, a charitable organization founded by Eric Clapton.

“Guitar Center is both thrilled and privileged to be able to offer Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ Fender Stratocaster to the world,” said Keith Brawley, Guitar Center vice president of merchandising for guitars and amplifiers. “Stevie Ray Vaughan’s fans are among the most loyal and passionate guitar lovers in the world. The ‘Lenny’ Stratocaster, Stevie’s main instrument for his love songs, is a truly fascinating guitar that has, as part of its DNA, a tender, personal love story and an incredibly colorful and touching history.”

The original “Lenny” guitar is a universally recognizable Fender Stratocaster, best known for its uniquely bright and powerful tone and known as one of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s favorite instruments throughout his entire career. The guitar itself has an almost mystical heritage that can be traced back to the very beginning of Vaughan’s rise to stardom.

Stevie Ray Vaughan was just a struggling young guitarist in Austin, Texas, in 1980, when his wife, Lenora “Lenny” Vaughan, gave him a used Stratocaster that had recently caught his eye in a local pawnshop. It was a 1965 Fender Stratocaster guitar with the original pickups that, from the look of it, had seen better days. Although it began life as a three-color sunburst model, it had obviously been refinished (none too expertly) at some point, and now it had a dark natural finish bearing an elaborate inlay in the body behind the bridge. Nonetheless, there was something about it that clearly and immediately resonated deeply with Vaughan.

As Vaughan himself said during an interview published in the Feb. 1990 issue of Guitar Player magazine:

“It’s called ‘Lenny.’ I found it at a pawnshop and didn’t have the money to buy it, and my wife and several other friends of mine put a pool together and bought the guitar. It’s always meant a lot to me. And I love what it sounds like. ‘Riviera Paradise’ and ‘Lenny” (Texas Flood) are both played on the same guitar, and for some reason that guitar works for songs like that more than anything else.” [Guitar Player, Feb. 1990]

Seven friends with $50 each pooled their money to buy the Stratocaster and gave it to Vaughan on his birthday during a celebration at a local Austin nightclub. He was thrilled. He took the guitar home and, sometime that night, as Lenora slept, wrote a new song on it. In the morning, Lenora Vaughan remembers, “He was sitting on the edge of the bed with the guitar and said, ‘Listen to this.’” He played her the song he had written that night, “Lenny.” The song later became one of Vaughan’s most well-known instrumental pieces, and he continued to perform it exclusively on the “Lenny” guitar. Throughout the remainder of his career, the “Lenny” guitar traveled with Vaughan almost everywhere he went, and it was later autographed by baseball great Mickey Mantle during a chance meeting in Houston. On April 10, 1985, Vaughan had just performed the National Anthem at the season’s opening game for the Houston Astros where Mantle was also in attendance as a guest of honor. Without a baseball or bat nearby, Stevie offered up his beloved guitar to be touched with the magic of the American sporting legend. More information on the guitar’s journey, plus detailed images, can be found at www.fender.com/lenny.

"This guitar had very special meaning to Stevie,” said Mike Eldred, Fender Custom Division sales and marketing director. “He had it throughout his career; he took it everywhere, and during each show, he stopped, sat down on the stage, and played that song, on that guitar. It's like he was holding on to that very special time before he was a star, and just didn’t want to let that part of his life go."
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Medhb



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:27 am    Post subject: Fender Bender?! Reply with quote

Great! Maybe someone can clarify this because it's driving me crazy! Why is LENNY autographed by Mickey Mantle?! This has to be the biggest screw up in the world. #1 was the guitar SRV used to play the Star Spangled Banner and #1 was the one Mickey signed. What the F%#&???
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Christopher X



Joined: 11 Jul 2006
Posts: 149

PostPosted: Fri Nov 30, 2007 7:02 am    Post subject: Not to many Reply with quote

How come they only make this many realy,as far more would want one im shure and buy it if out there.
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Euthanasiast



Joined: 27 Dec 2007
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The reason is because it costs $17,000.00.

Yeah, you read that right.

Also, Mantle signed both guitars at the same time.
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Medhb



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Enthusiast! Many thanks for your reply, this has been driving me crazy! Can you provide any sources that confirm this? Because there is video of Stevie on a talk show discussing the whole thing and he never mentioned Lenny being signed too. I didn't even think he had Lenny with him when he played the Star Spangled Banner.

Not questioning you, I just have a terrible curiosity that must be cured!

Many thanks!!!
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Euthanasiast



Joined: 27 Dec 2007
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't recall exactly where I got the information as it has been years ago, but if you check Fender's site for the Lenny model guitar they have a video with Lenora Vaughan talking about the guitar and there are scenes in the Fender Custom Shop that clearly show them examining the original and the signature is there.

http://fender.com/lenny

Click "The Story" link and then click the "Video" tab
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Christopher X



Joined: 11 Jul 2006
Posts: 149

PostPosted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:54 am    Post subject: Thanks Reply with quote

Thanks for the info Euthanasiast,that shure is a lot for a guitar.
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seansdadj



Joined: 18 Jan 2008
Posts: 8

PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2008 11:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow, thanks for the info.
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