GUITARS FROM RONNIE SELLERS CALENDARS/BOOKS

 
It should be noted that all the guitars features in the "Ronnie Sellers" category are featured here without explicit permission from either the photographer (Pitkin), the publisher (Ronnie Sellers) or the manufacturer (Fender). I hope that, by including ample information on where to get the actual items, I am preventing "their people" from contacting "my people", so that these beautiful pictures will be able to remain on "Strat Central".

 

Type: Black Limba Set (year unknown, but prior to 1998)
Remarks: A truly beautiful natural-finish black limba wood set built by Gene Baker. Necks and bodies are of black limba, fretboards are rosewood. From left to right a Stratocaster, a twin 6/12 string Stratocaster and a Telecaster (which unfortunately didn't quite fit what with the physical size of my scanner :-(
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 1998 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 1993 NAMM Metal Engraved Stratocaster
Remarks: Designed by J.W. Black and Ron Chacey, built by J.W. Black. Metal body with Art Nouveau engraving, first shown at the 1993 NAMM.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: First Breath Strat (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed by Wyland and George Amicay. An alder relief-carved body, highly figured bird's-eye blue-stained maple neck with ebony fingerboard. Accessorized with abalone and chrome.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: Dweezil Zappa's Sparkle F-Hole Strat (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed by Dweezil Zappa, built by J.W. Black. A thinline Strat in alder wood with maple neck, finished in silver metal-flake.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: 1994 or 1995 (?) Robo-Caster
Remarks: Designed by Steve Boulanger, built by Steve Boulanger and John English. Built as a three-piece body: front and back of clear acrylic, the middle milled out of aircraft and gold anodised. Neck is figured maple with an ebony fretboard.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: 1994 or 1995 (?) Tribal Strat
Remarks: Designed by Mike Ponce and Alan Hamel, built by Mike Ponce and Jason Davis. Hand-painted tribal design on solid alder body, flamed maple beck with ebony fingerboard.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: 1994 or 1995 (?) Pink Flamingo
Remarks: Designed by John English. It's an aluminium body, engraved and anodised. Flamed maple neck with headstock overlay.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: 1994 or 1995 (?) Rhinestone Strat
Remarks: Designed by Fred Stuart and George Amicay, built by Fred Stuart. Made with DuPont Corian on ash and maple. The vines are hand-carved and gilded with gold. The leaves and grapes are inlaid rhinestones.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: Tree of Life Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed by J.W. Black and Larry Sifel, built by J.W. Black. Pau Ferro neck with abalone inlay and border. Flame Koa on bird's-eye alder body with abalone vine inlay.
Above photo credits: This picture was located on the Official Fender Site.

Type: 1994 40th Anniversary Stratocaster
Remarks: Designed by J.W. Black, John Page and Pamelina Hovnatanian, built by the Custom Shop Staff, with an engraved pickguard by Ron Chacey and twelfth fret inlay by Larry Sifel. Two-tone sunburst flame maple top on ash body. You got a ring with this guitar as well.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 1994 Aloha Stratocaster
Remarks: Designed by John English, built by John English with engraving by Ron Chacey and colour anodizing by Peter Kellett. Aluminium body with selective colour anodizing. I will spare you the back :-)
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 1999 Ford Mustang 35th Anniversary Stratocaster
Remarks: Designed by Jason Davis and Alan Hamel, built by them and the Custom Shop senior master builders. It features a chromed aluminium body. The ebony fingerboard has an inlay in mother-of-pearl, brass, copper and nickel-silver. This is item 28 of 35. A total of 15 were released to the public. They would set you back about US$ 25,000 to buy...
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Moto Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed by Fred Stuart and the Custom Shop Staff, built by Steve Murillo and the Custom Shop Staff. Ash and maple guitar covered with pearl acetate plastic (a.k.a. MOTO).
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Dragon with Mermaid Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed by George Amicay, built by John English with painting by Pamelina Hovnatanian and relief carving by George Amicay. Solid alder body with bas-relief-carved mermaid and dragon. Bird's eye maple neck.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 1997 Carved Top Stratocaster
Remarks: Designed by Gene Baker, John Suhr and John Page, built by Gene Baker. Ash body guitar with highly figured maple carved top. The position markers are abalone.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Right-Hand/Left-Hand Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed by Fred Stuart and Bill Rich, built by Fred Stuart. This Strat has a left-handed body and neck, built to be played right-handed.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Deco Sparkle Strat (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed and built by J.W. Black. Pretty regular Stratocaster, however adorned with silver and gold holo-flake mix. Ebony fretboard, birdseye maple neck, Texas Special pickups, gold and nickel parts, metal pickup covers.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2000 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Maximum Overdrive Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed and built by Mike Ponce. This beautiful Stratocaster has a diamond plate pickguard and headstock overlay with lug-nut strap locks. At the twelfth fret marker there's an inlay of stainless steel of two stylized women.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2001 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Rosewood Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Designed and built by John English. This solid rosewood Stratocaster is based on the 1968 model. Black nitrocellulose pickguard.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2001 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 1998 Disney 75th Anniversary Stratocaster
Remarks: This rather over-the-top guitar was designed by John Page and Chris Schnabel, built by Jason Davis with hand carving by George Amicay and painting by Chris Schnabel. Only one of these guitars exists, and it was given away in a contest to commemorate Disney's 75th Anniversary.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2001 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Titan Stratocaster (year uncertain, probably 1999)
Remarks: Built as a collaboration between Titan Motorcycles and Fender, by Alan Hamel. It features a padded armrest, clutch lever tremolo, machined pickguard and custom hex bolt inlays. There's a 'matching motorcycle' as well, the Strat-o-Cruiser. Click here, here and here for pictures of that.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!
The pictures of the Strat-O-Cruiser were callously purloined from Totally Titan

Type: 1994 or 1995 (?) Flintstones Stratocaster
Remarks: None.

Type: 1999 (?) Wireless Strat Rod Deville
Remarks: This guitar is wireless, and the amp (seen in the back) fits with it. The remote circuitry is built into the guitar itself, and the player can turn the amp on/off/standby on the guitar. The artwork was hand-painted by noted hot rod artist Dennis McPhail.
Above photo credits: The Official Fender Site

Type: 2000 Star Trek Strat
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This guitar was first demonstrated at NAMM 2001, was conceived and painted by Dan Curry (Paramount's head of visual effects for "Star Trek Voyager"). It was hand-carved by George Amicay.
Click here to see a picture of the guitar on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise.
Click here to see a picture of the guitar in the hands of "The Doctor".
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book! The picture of the guitar's back side was taken from the Official Fender Site. The picture is the guitar on the bridge of the Enterprise was supplied by David Maddux.

Type: Pink Paisley Stratocaster and Precision Bass set (year unknown)
Remarks: You either think they're butt-ugly or you love 'em, I guess. Built by Jason Davis. The model was based on the 60's models that has a coloured "wallpaper" kind covering under the finish. Matching bodies and headstocks.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Gold Sparkle Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This guitar, built by Todd Krause, has custom pickups (Seymour Duncan humbucker at the bridge and a single-coil at the neck) and a Floyd Rose locking tremolo. Locking nut.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 1999 Jaguar Stratocaster
Remarks: Built by Stephen Stern. Only 25 of these guitars were made, especially for the United Kingdom. It includes burl walnut from the same supplier who provides Jaguar with the wood for their interior details. It also has an 18 carat gold 'jumping cat' inlay on the neck, and gold hardware all over. One seriously stylish-looking guitar.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Rory Gallagher Tribute Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Only 40 of these guitars were made, exact in every detail to Rory Gallagher's 1961 Stratocaster. This includes the mismatched low E string tuner (look carefully and you may see it). It was built by John Cruz with assistance from John English and Mike Eldred, and involved Rory's brother Donal.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2002 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Ernie Isley's Custom Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This guitar was specially made by the Custom Shop for Ernie Isley, one of the Isley Brothers. It was commissioned by his wife on occasion of her husband's birthday. George Amicay hand-carved the flame maple top, and also engraved a subtle rose in the headstock (look hard). The rosewood fingerboard has several inlaus as well, among which are a hummingbird and two doves. The guitar itself was built by Art Esparza.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2003 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 6/12 Doubleneck Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Quite a beautifully finished guitar. One neck is 12 strings, the other 6. Exotic woods were used throughout. Highly figured maple necks and a quilted maple top. Beautiful. Built by Art Asparza.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2003 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Birds-Eye Alder Strat/Tele Set (year unknown)
Remarks: Birds-Eye Alder is very rare, and it highly figured. These guitars also have gold anodized pickguards.
Click here for a more detailed shot of the wood grain.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2004 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Leopard Strat/Tele Set (year unknown)
Remarks: A set of guitars with leopard motif. Gold abalone "cat's paw" fret markers, black hardware, ebony fretboard. The leopard motif is actually a custom print foil. It's got antique sunburst around the edges.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2004 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 2003 So-Cal Speed Shop Stratocaster
Remarks: This guitar was designed and painted by the So-Cal Speed Shop in cooperation with the Fender Custom Shop. It has custom-built pickups, custom knobs and pickguard, and a tremolo arm made from the turn lever knob of a 1949 Mercury.
Click here for a detail of the headstock.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2004 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Control Plate Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This guitar is a replica of one of the earliest 1954 prototypes of the Stratocaster, which included a metal part of the pickguard where the controls were located.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2004 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Custom Surf Stratocaster/P-Bass Set (year unknown)
Remarks: These instruments feature multi-laminations of specific woods used to make surfboards and feature custom-designed Fender "surfboard" decals.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2005 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: La Taranta Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This guitar was built by Mike Kendrick with artwork by Dan Shultz. It uses exotic woods and hand-painted art. In fact, the guitar was sold with a full-size hand-painted, um, painting. Custom pickguard and pickups, gold hardware, and a unique inlay make this guitar quite a work of art.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2005 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Ernie Isley "Zeal" Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This guitar (like the other one featured above somewhere) was commissioned by Ernie Isley's wife. It was built out of the finest quilted maple and features hand-carved roses throughout. It also has the familiar "Zeal" inlay, gold hardware and custom pickups.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2005 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Blue Moto Strat/Tele Set (year unknown)
Remarks: These guitars feature blue Moto ("mother of toilet seat") overlay, and gold hardware all over the place. They also have custom pickups and electronics.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2005 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: 50th Anniversary 1954 Stratocaster (2004)
Remarks: This is the prototype of a limited run built by the Custom Shop to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster. It is an as-exact-as-possible replica of the first run of Stratocasters. Orders were only allowed in 2004.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2006 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Troy Lee Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This Stratocaster was hand-painted by famous racing world artist Troy Lee.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2006 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This is one of 100 replicas of SRV's famous "Number 1" axe - including every mark, scratch and ding. It included a replica of Steve's gig bag and various goodies.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2006 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Custom Surf Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This Stratocaster includes much of the aesthetics and design of "old school" surfboard creations. Note the unusual tremolo (like a Jaguar's), bridge and controls.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2006 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Carved Phoenix Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Carved flame maple top over a thin layer of rosewood that you can see in the shape of a phoenix. Maple neck, ebony fingerboard. Made by Yuriy Shishkov.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2007 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Rocket Stratocaster (2005)
Remarks: This guitar was built for the Summer 2005 NAMM show. The stars are made of white and yellow golf leaf. The bird's-eye maple neck is inlaid with an aluminium rocket with a "vapour trail".
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2007 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Limited Edition Psychedelic 1969 Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: A limited run of 100 of these guitars was made. They were all painted by Pamelina Hovnatanian, and each was painted differently. Built by senior master builder Chris Fleming.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2007 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Mini Stratocaster and Bike Set (year unknown)
Remarks: John Cruz thought of this set. He bought the mini bike, disassembled it, painted it and customized it. The small-scale guitar features a matching paint job.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2008 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Limited Edition Psychedelic Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This is another one of the limited run of 100 Psychedelic Stratocasters (see the other one a few guitars above).
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2008 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Limited Edition Crash Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: This Stratocaster was hand-painted by famed graffiti artist Crash. Only 50 were made. Each guitar looks different.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2008 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Limited Edition Hello Kitty Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Apparently, there are not enough little girls playing the guitar... Ten of these guitars were made, with coloured inlays on black halo flake finish. Even the volume knob is inlaid.
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2008 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

Type: Troy Lee Krazy Klown Stratocaster (year unknown)
Remarks: Famous racing helmet painter Troy Lee has been at it again. The painting techniques used are gold leaf, airbrush and others. Probably a one-off?
Above photo credits: This picture was scanned from the 2008 Fender Custom Shop Calendar. It's published by Ronnie Sellers Productions. Check out the bibliography for more of these pictures in the "Fender Custom Shop Guitar Gallery" book!

 

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