Most of the big guitars makers end up giving away a fair number of great instruments as part of their promotional campaigns (if you follow this blog you might have noticed that Gibson & Epiphone are particularly proficient at this) but the latest contest from Fender seriously ups the ante.
While IMHO any free guitar is a good guitar, Fender’s not just giving away a nice instrument… they’re giving away a small piece of history––the original prototype of their new Highway One HSS Stratocaster. As in: this is the exact guitar that appears in their Highway One ads (including the one seen here.)
According to Fender’s website the guitar was built in Spring of this year (2006) in the company’s Research & Development shop, in Corona, CA. As a true prototype, the guitar’s design hadn’t been completely realized at the time that it was built, so it is a true one-of-a-kind instrument.
Unlike the Highway One HSS Strat that was finally built and released by Fender this Summer, this prototype version is said to sport a more vintage-styled pickup, and apparently shows the wear & tear expected from a guitar that has been well-played during R&D, and even put through numerous photo shoots.
I hope whoever wins this thing thinks long and hard about just wrapping it up and storing it away for safe keeping––while the guitar would undoubtedly be a pleasure to play, my guess is it could be worth a small fortune in another 30 to 40 years.
You can sign-up for the Highway One HSS Protoype giveaway at Fender’s online contest page.
- Your Chance To Win A Prototype American Special Guitar From Fender
- Fender Unveils New Highway One Strats, Teles, And Basses
- Line 6 To Give Away A Spider III Prototype Every Month
- Fender Giving Away An American Strat Signed By The Gin Blossoms
- Sustain For Days… Fender’s Highway One Stratocaster
- Semi-Hollow Hardtail: Fender Unveils Strat-O-Sonic
- My Quest For The Perfect Strat
- REVIEW: Fender Highway One Stratocaster (’06 Upgrade)
October 15th, 2006 at 1:39 pm
A fantastic deal for genuine American craftsmanship and quality control. The American Strat has been stripped down with a lighter finish and a vintage fretboard, neck joint, and 6-point bridge to give you true American quality at a phenomenally low price. Genuine alder body with rosewood or maple fretboard and unmistakable Fender tone from American Special pickups with staggered pole pieces and alnico magnets. Medium-jumbo frets, a 3-ply black/white/black pickguard, and gorgeous satin finishes make it sweet to play and sweeter to look at. Includes deluxe gig bag.