“It’s ugly, but if you want probably the best-sounding Stratocaster in the house...” Norman’s Rare Guitars is home to some of the finest Strats in the world – but you’ll never guess which one sounds the best

Norman’s Rare Guitars is home to some of the finest vintage guitars in the world – and, by extension, that means it’s also home to the best vintage Stratocasters currently accounted for.

However, apparently none of those can hold a candle to one Mexican-made model that’s currently sitting in the store’s inventory, because it has amazingly been deemed the best-sounding of all its Strats – even if it’s “ugly as shit”.

The Fender Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster, in an Ultraviolet finish, was released as a limited run in 2018 to celebrate the late guitar hero’s legacy. It features vintage-voiced single-coil pickups, a maple neck and fingerboard, and an Authentic Hendrix neckplate.

There’s even a reverse headstock, and a flipped bridge pickup, as a nod to the fact that the southpaw guitar legend played right-hand axes out of necessity.

Posted to Norman’s Rare Guitars’ ‘secret stash’ Instagram page, its looks have been ridiculed, but its sounds have been praised.

“OK, I know what you’re thinking, and I will agree with you 2000%: it’s ugly as shit,” the post begins. “But if you want probably the best-sounding Stratocaster in the house, then you might wanna get over the look.

“Ask anyone in the store, and they will tell you. The other day, [Michael] Lemmo played it and everyone in the shop agreed this guitar holds up to any Strat we have, even the vintage ones. It’s just special. It has that thing and sounds ridiculous. I guarantee whoever gets this one will be thanking us.”

The guitars were limited edition when they were released, with a price tag of around £799 GBP (approx $1,080). That will likely have inflated a little since then as a result of its rarity. Even then, if the Mexican-made Strat gets close to the hyperbole the store is dropping here, it could be quite the steal.

It’s also a big pat on the back for Fenders made south of the border. Of course, guitars crafted in its Corona, California, factory are the most sought-after, but as Fender Japan continues its hot streak of left-field creations, and more affordable overseas Fenders continue to shine, it shows that not all foreign-made Fenders should be snuffed at.

We don't imagine that Ultraviolet finish will be making a comeback anytime soon, though...