Fender Stratocaster in that other yellow you never see

It's not Graffiti Yellow, but you could mistake it as such.

Above is, at least at the time of this writing, a Fender Custom Shop '69 Stratocaster in yellow (it's not cheap as you'll see from the link). But not just any yellow. Monaco Yellow.

As said above, it's easy to confuse this with another Fender color, Graffiti Yellow. I actually like both.

The main difference between Monaco and Graffiti is that Monaco is a few shades darker. Some players really like this particular yellow because it's a "mostly loud" color without being too in-your-face, so to speak.

Monaco Yellow has appeared on several Fender electric guitar models and a few basses, but it unquestionably looks best on the Stratocaster. And the main reason for that actually the pick guard and black pickup covers and knobs. The combination of Monaco Yellow body, white guard, black covers and black knobs just really works.

A nice thing about Monaco Yellow is that it's not necessarily tied to any specific decade. It works as a '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s or 2000s guitar color. The only decade where this wouldn't work is '50s. But for any other decade, yes, works.

The particular Strat seen above is a 1969 kinda/sorta reissue model, meaning yes, there is a 4-bolt plate holding on the neck and not the '70s 3-bolt. The neck also has some really nice figuring to it, so aside from the body color, the neck has some nice eye candy to it as well.

If you've got the cash for this guitar, grab it. Monaco Yellow is something that upon first glance looks a little loud initially, but it grows on you quickly. Seeing a Strat in a nice sunny color always puts a smile on the face.

Published 2020 Dec 8