“Most Fender colors were inspired by automotive trends. Candy Apple Red stood out because it came from the hot-rod scene”: Why Leo Fender’s favorite custom color finish still drives guitarists wild
Much like Gibson’s 1950s sunbursts, the look of vintage Candy Apple Red Fenders varies considerably. We’ll be discussing the reasons for that later as we examine six examples from a collection of around 50 that will be coming up for sale at Gardiner Houlgate over its next few guitar auctions.
Auctioneer Luke Hobbs tells us: “They’re not all great guitars because, probability-wise, that’s never going to happen – but the thing the owner really wanted was at least one example of every model in Candy Apple Red. Another issue with some of these guitars is that the owner was a serial buffer, so in some cases he flattened the finishes down and made the lacquer checking less pronounced than it should be.”
Candy Apple Red is one of those colours that divides opinions – most guitarists either love it or they quite like it. So, before examining each of these guitars in detail, let’s check out the origins of the finish and discuss how the application method differs from Fender’s other metallic custom colours.
From the early 1960s onwards, Fender offered a fairly wide choice of custom colours. Some are vanishingly rare and genuine vintage examples are seldom seen, while others are almost as common as sunbursts. Of the 21 factory custom colours Fender listed during the 1960s (not including the sparkle and metal flake finishes and one-off specials), 12 were metallic.
One of those metallic finishes was Candy Apple Red, but the process of applying it differed significantly and it created a toffee-apple lustre. Most Fender colours were inspired by automotive trends and are associated with specific US car manufacturers. Candy Apple Red stood out because it came from the hot-rod scene and the method of application was developed by a car customiser called Joe Bailon.
His ‘candy’ painting process, which Fender adopted, was developed over a 10-year period, and Bailon began applying it to custom builds in 1956. All of Fender’s other metallic finishes were mixed and applied in the same manner as Gibson’s gold finishes, with metal powder mixed into coloured lacquer.
Fender would usually, but not always, apply a white base coat and then spray Lucite acrylic metallic colour coats on top before building the thickness with clear nitrocellulose lacquer.
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In 1963, Candy Apple Red replaced the then-unpopular Shell Pink in Fender’s custom colour chart. Fender typically began by applying a white base coat, which was then oversprayed in silver. At that time, Fender’s silver of choice was a Chevrolet colour called Inca Silver, and it seems probable that’s what they would have used for Candy Apple Red.
The red component was the same transparent red that was used for sunbursts and it was applied straight over the silver. This provided depth, with the metallic silver glowing through the red and the topcoats of clear nitrocellulose or poly, depending on whether the guitar was sprayed pre or post mid-1968.
A change was made to the formula when CBS took over in 1965 and Inca Silver was quietly dropped. Rather than continue to buy it especially for Candy Apple Red paint orders, the factory began spraying gold instead. Firemist Gold replaced Shoreline Gold in 1965, so it is most likely the gold that Fender applied until Candy Apple Red was withdrawn in 1973.
1966 Jaguar
This is one of the guitars that has maybe been over-polished, but, otherwise, Luke tells us, “it checks out as a really good honest guitar”. It combines play-worn gold hardware with an off-white three-ply pickguard, and the foam mute is still mounted on the bridge.
Besides what might be an added strap-button screw hole on the lower bout, the finish retains a strong colour and, given that this guitar was clearly played, it’s still in largely undamaged condition. The back of the neck also retains its finish and isn’t worn or discoloured.
The matching headstock is a standout feature, with its gold-plated string tree, fully intact decal and a set of F-stamped tuners. The original factory shim is still present in the neck pocket, and the paint stick shadow reveals that Fender applied a semi-opaque yellow stain prior to spraying the white base coat and colour coats.
By 1966, Fender’s offset necks were being fitted out with pearloid marker blocks and fretboard binding. Fender necks weren’t squared off at the body end, so there was no need for a mitre or butt joint; Fender simply wrapped the binding around, allowing the job to be done using a single strip of binding. Here, the fret nibs are in great shape, and Fender even cut nibs around the nut.
Lifting the pickguard reveals the original pickups and fully intact multi-coloured wiring, switches, components and potentiometers that are dated the 34th week of 1966.
The shield plate remains taped to the underside of the pickguard and the finish is only a hair darker, so this Jaguar has barely faded. It weighs 3.85kg (8.5lb) and comes with its original case containing the factory leather strap and hang tags.
1970 Competition Mustang
First introduced in 1964, Fender’s Mustang was a ‘student’ model, which was available with two shorter-than-standard necks – 21 frets with a 571.5mm (22.5-inch) scale and 22 frets with a 610mm (24-inch) scale. Besides the finish, this 22-fret example’s standout feature is the ‘Competition’ stripes.
They were almost certainly inspired by the special paintwork applied to Carroll Shelby’s hot-rodded racing version of the Ford Mustang, and Fender’s ‘Competition’ colours also included dark blue, red and orange.
In recent years, many players have come to appreciate the Mustang’s easy-playing charms, especially in the wake of Kurt Cobain, so they are no longer as affordable as they once were
Competition Mustangs were produced from 1969 until 1973. This one has some minor surface scratches and dents, along with a drop-filled ding on the top and a superficial lacquer crack on the back running half the length of the body. The colour remains dark and vibrant, and the overall condition attests to the toughness of poly finishes as much as minimal use.
For a ‘student’ model, the Mustang is pretty well equipped, with two pickups and a vibrato. There’s a three-way switch assigned to each pickup that turns them off and engages them both in and out of ‘phase’.
Here, the 1970 date-stamped 250k volume and tone pots are still intact, along with the original 0.05μF ceramic tone capacitor. However, the switches are a bit on the intermittent side. The October 1970 neck still has its original frets and, besides a small dent and a slightly bent top E tuner shaft, it’s almost devoid of playwear.
In recent years, many players have come to appreciate the Mustang’s easy-playing charms, especially in the wake of Kurt Cobain, so they are no longer as affordable as they once were. This one weighs 3.35kg (7.4lb) and comes with an original Victoria hard case.
Swinger/Musiclander/Arrow
This fairly obscure Fender was also a ‘student’ model and is known by various names. It was concocted as a way of using up leftover Bass V bodies and Musicmaster hardware, and production estimates range between 250 and 600.
Apparently, they were all assembled in 1969, but neck and potentiometer dates are often earlier.
On this example, the potentiometers are from the 42nd week of 1966, and the short-scale neck has a 1966 date stamp and a very slim profile. The body was refinished by Clive Brown a long time ago and it’s not certain that the (now deceased) owner was made aware of that when he bought the guitar from a dealer.
The overall condition is fairly good, with original frets, fully functioning electronics and an original Victoria hard case.
1966 Jazzmaster
Of all the Jazzmasters in the collection, this is Luke Hobbs’ personal favourite due to the finish fading.
During the 1950s and 1960s, most guitar manufacturers struggled with red pigments that lost intensity when exposed to UV light, but the fading that would have been grounds for warranty claims when the guitars were new is now highly prized by many vintage-guitar enthusiasts.
The extent of the fading on this late-1966 Jazzmaster is apparent even without looking under the pickguard, where the finish retains a more intense vibrancy.
With gold beneath, the exposed areas have softened to a lighter red with a hint of orange. The back is slightly less faded, and in all other regards the guitar is in extremely good condition.
There appears to be no hardware corrosion, and the bound neck retains its original nibbed frets and an unmarked Indian rosewood fretboard. The only obviously noticeable blemish is a cigarette burn on the headstock face, which shares the same faded Candy Apple Red as the body. Interestingly, the area under the logo looks even more orange thanks to the yellowed decal.
The wiring is completely intact, with the original masking-tape pieces securing the wires flat against the shield plate. Besides the serial number, there are various pieces of information that pinpoint the manufacturing date to late 1966.
The potentiometers are from the eighth week of 1966, but the neck date reads 13NOV66B and the handwritten dates on the grey-bottom pickups are 11/17/66 and 12/6/66 – in American-date style.
With its original case and a body weight of 3.61kg (8lb), we think this Jazzmaster is a real highlight of the collection.
1966 Telecaster
Luke considers this particular Telecaster to be “basically all good”. The finish has survived well, although it’s clear numerous drop-fills have been carried out in order to camouflage dents, and there is some armwear. Similarly, the neck finish shows that the guitar has been used with some light surface wear.
The transitional decal is in fairly good shape and the double-line Klusons tuners remain fitted, along with the original pickups. The potentiometers are both replacements, with the volume and tone dating to 1984 and 1986 respectively. The instrument also has a relatively recent paper-in-oil tone capacitor, but the switch appears to be original.
The jury is out on whether the neck has been refretted, but the frets retain plenty of life. The hardware is in good condition with only very light rusting and tarnishing that doesn’t affect functionality. Its Fender case is from the 1970s, but the guitar weighs a mere 3.65kg (8lb) and, according to Luke, it “sounds incredible”.
1966 Stratocaster
If you like the look of heavily worn vintage Fenders with armwear on the lower bout, copious lateral lacquer-checking, beautiful fading and ‘tan lines’ around the pickguard, this 1966 Stratocaster is the stuff of dreams. The irony is that it may be the least original of the bunch.
A Strat from this era should have a paint-stick shadow in the neck cavity revealing yellow stain, as we can observe on the Telecaster, Jaguar and Jazzmaster. But besides a bit of red stain, this Strat’s neck pocket is bare wood.
The finish in the pickup and control cavities appears excessively thick, and the wood fibres lining the worm rout are caked in lacquer. The solder also looks a bit shiny and reworked around the ground wire connections on the volume potentiometer.
All things considered, Luke believes that the body was refinished a very long time ago. Clive Brown has identified all the guitars in the collection that he refinished, but he didn’t mention this one. It certainly looks the part, but Clive would have done the neck pocket correctly.
The potentiometers are dated mid-1966, the pickups all have hand-written dates from early November 1966, and the neck is date stamped September 1966. The fretboard shows some playwear, and the neck has been refretted with chunkier wire, but the ends are slightly protruding and need to be chased back.
Luke is unconvinced the gold bridge parts or pickup and pickguard screws are correct because the plating is so intact. It’s possible they have been replaced or replated, but if the looks and 3.49kg (7.8lb) weight appeal, it’s a tempting player-grade Strat that may be relatively affordable.
- With thanks to Luke Hobbs and Gardiner Houlgate for showing us this collection.
- This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.
Huw started out in recording studios, working as a sound engineer and producer for David Bowie, Primal Scream, Ian Dury, Fad Gadget, My Bloody Valentine, Cardinal Black and many others. His book, Recording Guitar & Bass, was published in 2002 and a freelance career in journalism soon followed. He has written reviews, interviews, workshop and technical articles for Guitarist, Guitar Magazine, Guitar Player, Acoustic Magazine, Guitar Buyer and Music Tech. He has also contributed to several books, including The Tube Amp Book by Aspen Pittman. Huw builds and maintains guitars and amplifiers for clients, and specializes in vintage restoration. He provides consultancy services for equipment manufacturers and can, occasionally, be lured back into the studio.
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