By C.

The Fender Fullerton Reissue guitars from the represent a historical moment of the company’s 1980’s production period. A time when Fender looked back to its roots in an effort to recapture the magic of its original 1950s and 60’s models, the iconic Stratocaster and Telecaster, while also responding to growing interest in vintage instruments.

Produced between 1982 and 1984 at Fender’s historic Fullerton, California factory, these reissues were the first serious attempts by a major manufacturer to re-create their most classic designs with period-correct specifications.

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By the early 1980s, the guitar market was increasingly dominated by vintage instruments. Many more collectors and players were beginning to appreciate the craftsmanship and tone of early Fender guitars, particularly pre-CBS models (i.e., those made before Leo Fender sold the company to CBS in 1965). Fender, under CBS management, had developed a reputation during the 1970s for inconsistent quality, leading to a decline in the brand’s prestige among discerning players. To address this and recapture the legacy of Leo Fender’s early designs, the company launched the American Vintage Reissue series.

The Fullerton Reissues were led by the ’57 and ’62 Stratocasters and the ’52 Telecaster. These guitars were intended to be as faithful as possible to the original models in terms of appearance, construction, and feel. They featured vintage-style hardware, nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, and attempted period-correct neck profiles and headstock decals. The Stratocasters came with vintage-style synchronized tremolos, cloth-wrapped wiring, and pickups designed to recreate the original tone. The Telecaster reissue used an ash body, single-ply black pickguard, and the classic butterscotch blonde finish associated with early 1950s models.

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A notable aspect of these guitars is their build location. While Fender would soon shift production of American Vintage reissues to its new factory in Corona in 1985, the Fullerton-made reissues were built in the same facility where the original vintage instruments were crafted, often using many of the same build techniques and machinery. This lends them a kind of “spiritual authenticity” in the eyes of many collectors and enthusiasts. Production in Fullerton was relatively short-lived, making these guitars rare and highly collectible today.

The attention to detail in the Fullerton Reissues marked a turning point for Fender. These guitars were not just nostalgic replicas, they were serious instruments that aimed to compete with the revered originals at a much more reasonable price. The bodies were accurately contoured, neck shapes closely mimicked the originals, and the overall fit and finish represented a significant improvement over the company’s output in the 1970s.

However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Some early reissues had inconsistencies. For example, Fender initially used leftover parts or tooling from other models, resulting in some hybrid features that weren’t entirely accurate to the vintage years they were aiming to reproduce. Still, these quirks have only added to the mystique and collectible appeal of the early Fullerton-made reissues.

Collectors now prize Fullerton Reissues for their historical significance, playability, and tone. Players often describe them as “vintage feel without the vintage price tag”—although, in recent years, their value has steadily increased, and they are now sought after much like the pre-CBS guitars they were meant to emulate. Key identifiers include specific neck dates, body stamps, tooling marks, and serial number ranges that help distinguish them from later Corona-made reissues.

Ultimately, the Fender Fullerton Reissues from the early 1980s played a crucial role in both preserving and revitalizing Fender’s legacy. They re-established Fender’s credibility at a time when it was sorely needed and laid the groundwork for the successful American Vintage series that followed. For many, they mark the beginning of Fender’s return to form—and for collectors, they represent a brief but golden chapter in the company’s long history.

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