.Vintage 1966 Fender USA Coronado I Gold Bigsby Sunburst Guitar

Vintage 1966 Fender USA Coronado I Gold Bigsby Sunburst Guitar

Last year I went with my wife and baby boy to the USA on a road trip. As we were doing our last leg of the journey - Mississippi to Florida, we stopped off at a little guitar shop in Mobile, Alabama (more for a break from the storm more than anything!). As I walked in, my wife spotted this beauty hung up right at the back of the store. The store had it labelled as a 1973 Fender Coronado, but I could see it was something special. The store manager mentioned this one had come in from a local widow and she was keen to get rid of it. Her husband had owned this since the 1970s. We did a deal, and I sent it home ahead of me to the UK.

What did I find upon returning home?

Well, aside from the fact I was glad for it raining that day, making me stop, I found a rather nice surprise. This is one of the first Coronado’s made, with a neck date of 1966. The gold hardware (minus the Bigsby) is likely to be a Fender factory order in the late 1960s when Fender’s catalog started to sell gold plated Coronado hardware (1969 to be exact). So the original silver hardware would have been swapped over for the gold hardware in circa 1969. The rare gold Bigsby was clearly purchased at the same time and fitted to the guitar then also.

The wife remembered the guitar being exactly as it is today since the 1970s. Obviously minus the machine heads as these were changed later on. So it all must have happened before then! I’ve not seen another like this - EVER! It’s got so much character and possibly the nicest Coronado I’ve ever seen. Cosmetically in wonderful condition as you can see, and it comes with a period correct hard case too! You'll not be disappointed with this gold hardware 1966 Fender Coronado I, one owner since new, and lovingly loved since then! Please see the pictures below as these form part of my description.