Q: I have seen some Strats with black pickups and even some with both a black pickguard and black pickups. Were these customized or were there Strats built with this unusual feature by Fender?
A: In about 1981, as part of an effort to “re-vitalize” the Strat, CBS introduced “International Colors” such as Arctic White, Morocco Red, Maui Blue, and Monaco Yellow. These came with both black pickup covers (rather than the traditional white) and black control knobs. Black pickguards were typically a user-installed feature and such items were available from a number of after-market sources, all aimed at the guitarist who wanted to personalize his or her guitar. The 1979 Anniversary Strat had both black pickups and controls, as well as a black pickguard. The black pickups (and controls) were not a hit and were soon back to their traditional white color.
WORDS: pickup, pickguard, guitar