Fender Competition Mustang Story.... Freestylin Edition
Posted: Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:34 am
So it all started with this picture:
during 1998 i remember seeing that Daphne Blue mustang and falling in love. I just adored that color and that particular shade of Daphne Blue.
I don't know if it was the lighting in that photo or that particular example, but I could never find a mid 60's Mustang *that particular* shade. they always seemed so much lighter in person.
eBay was new and money was cheap. what (is now) in retrospect called the dot com bubble was in full swing. The impact this had was during that era, vintage guitar buying on the internet was the wild west. it was an emerging market and the US dealers were just getting their act together - however, they at least by then had fully embraced the concept of shipping anywhere in the world.
Vintage Mustangs were popping up everywhere and the prices were starting to heat up. it felt like month to month, they were going for $400 then $500, then $600!!! the desirable competition versions were climbing to $750 - considered crazy money at the time.
I remember being outbid for a sanded down 65 when bidding got to $500. I remember *that* 3/4 21 fret competition orange mustang.... first one ever seen for a lot of us. being disappointed that a B- 1970 Competiton Red was sold out from under me at the last minute.
The excitement of buying the mintiest Dakota Red mustang i had ever seen to date for $1500 and being taught a hard lesson in 1999 about what a guitar stand does to nitro. Dogs who were issued major credit cards, and others who weren't so lucky.
it was an exciting time to be alive. they fed me on dakota red and sunburst and I went crazy trying to replicate that original photo, but I could never get the spices right. It was a dream to have my own little photo on Mr Maxima's site, but once I started taking them I realized it was someone elses daydream.
All this talk of reissue Mustangs reminded me of a time and place I had long since forgot. Here is a little artifact below and the worlds a better place for it:
during 1998 i remember seeing that Daphne Blue mustang and falling in love. I just adored that color and that particular shade of Daphne Blue.
I don't know if it was the lighting in that photo or that particular example, but I could never find a mid 60's Mustang *that particular* shade. they always seemed so much lighter in person.
eBay was new and money was cheap. what (is now) in retrospect called the dot com bubble was in full swing. The impact this had was during that era, vintage guitar buying on the internet was the wild west. it was an emerging market and the US dealers were just getting their act together - however, they at least by then had fully embraced the concept of shipping anywhere in the world.
Vintage Mustangs were popping up everywhere and the prices were starting to heat up. it felt like month to month, they were going for $400 then $500, then $600!!! the desirable competition versions were climbing to $750 - considered crazy money at the time.
I remember being outbid for a sanded down 65 when bidding got to $500. I remember *that* 3/4 21 fret competition orange mustang.... first one ever seen for a lot of us. being disappointed that a B- 1970 Competiton Red was sold out from under me at the last minute.
The excitement of buying the mintiest Dakota Red mustang i had ever seen to date for $1500 and being taught a hard lesson in 1999 about what a guitar stand does to nitro. Dogs who were issued major credit cards, and others who weren't so lucky.
it was an exciting time to be alive. they fed me on dakota red and sunburst and I went crazy trying to replicate that original photo, but I could never get the spices right. It was a dream to have my own little photo on Mr Maxima's site, but once I started taking them I realized it was someone elses daydream.
All this talk of reissue Mustangs reminded me of a time and place I had long since forgot. Here is a little artifact below and the worlds a better place for it:
