~1972 Fender Electric X Candy Apple Red
Description
Fender Electric X ten string electric guitar, made in USA, circa 1972; Body: candy apple red finish with Competition stripe, square sticker burn patch to centre of lower bout, light checking throughout, a few minor dings to edges; Neck: maple; Fretboard: rosewood; Frets: good; Electrics: in need of attention, potentiometers dating to 16th week of 1971; Hardware: good; Case: original hard case; Weight: 3.30kg; Overall condition: good
*An interesting and possibly unique ten-string electric guitar by Fender, annotated ‘SPEC X’ beneath the pickguard.
Information about this guitar, or others like it, is extremely limited. However, after consultation with Fender USA and several respected vintage experts, we can summarise the consensus as follows:
During the CBS era (circa 1965–1970), Fender is known to have conceived and occasionally produced a number of unusual and experimental instruments. Production notes from this period reference an ongoing list of ideas discussed in R&D meetings, along with detailed proposals for instruments that never became part of the standard product line.
It was once speculated that this guitar might be an employee-built project, but the ‘SPEC X’ marking suggests it may instead have been an official R&D experiment rather than a prototype per se. Most genuine Fender R&D instruments were assembled using existing parts or tooling, then modified for testing purposes, a description that this guitar fits perfectly.
*An interesting and possibly unique ten-string electric guitar by Fender, annotated ‘SPEC X’ beneath the pickguard.
Information about this guitar, or others like it, is extremely limited. However, after consultation with Fender USA and several respected vintage experts, we can summarise the consensus as follows:
During the CBS era (circa 1965–1970), Fender is known to have conceived and occasionally produced a number of unusual and experimental instruments. Production notes from this period reference an ongoing list of ideas discussed in R&D meetings, along with detailed proposals for instruments that never became part of the standard product line.
It was once speculated that this guitar might be an employee-built project, but the ‘SPEC X’ marking suggests it may instead have been an official R&D experiment rather than a prototype per se. Most genuine Fender R&D instruments were assembled using existing parts or tooling, then modified for testing purposes, a description that this guitar fits perfectly.