With the Fender Private Collection H.A.R. Stratocaster, the famous US guitar maker from Southern California celebrates a true piece of Stratocaster history. Howard Reed Junior ordered his Stratocaster model in Dallas, Texas in 1955, but with the special request of a completely black paint finish, instead of the then exclusively available 2-color Sunburst finish. In Howard's Rockabilly Band, Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, the sound of his Stratocaster could be heard on US radio for years. Last but not least, three stick-on letters attached by Howard Reed Jr. himself on the upper cut refer to the initials of the owner of this first black Stratocaster. None other than Fender masterbuilder Dennis Galuszka himself set himself the task of recreating the Strat classic as faithfully as possible.
As a true 1955 Strat, the Private Collection H.A.R. Stratocaster was equipped with a classic one-piece maple neck and a correspondingly strong 1954 'U' profile. Also all Dings and Dings of the original are to be found at neck and body. For a true fifties vintage feeling, 21 frets in vintage format are available, while the curved 7.25" radius corresponds to that of the classic instruments of the era.
For authentic strat sounds of the mid-fifties, the Fender Custom Shop relies on three custom shop handwound '55 single coils with classic circuitry, wound according to a proven recipe. The Alnico magnets on the single spools are based on original vintage pickups in terms of magnetic strength and number of windings and produce the classic Stratocaster spectrum from clear Fender Cleans to raw and untamed sounds on amplifiers that have been extended further.