A SOLID-BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR, CUSTOM SHOP STRATOCASTER FOR JEFF BECK, BY TODD KRAUSE

Inspired by a favourite pair of camouflage combat trousers that Jeff had recently acquired from a friend in the military, Jeff’s wife Sandra commissioned Fender to build a custom Stratocaster with the same camouflage finish as a surprise for his 60th birthday. The multi-scale camouflage pattern on the trousers, as worn by Jeff for his performance at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in early June 2004, appears to resemble the pixelated Woodland MARPAT design introduced by the U.S. Marine Corps from late 2002. Sandra sent a photograph of the fabric to Jamie Crompton, then Artist Relations Director for Fender Europe, who in turn commissioned Martin Sims of Sims Custom Shop to create a custom wrap from the digital photograph, which was applied to a white Custom Shop Strat put together by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Todd Krause to Jeff’s signature specification.

The custom camouflage Strat was presented to Jeff backstage before his 60th birthday show at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on 24 June 2004, with love from everyone at Fender. Delighted with the birthday surprise, Jeff showed off his new Strat to a handful of backstage guests after his performance at Colston Hall, Bristol, on 26 June 2004. As reported to The Jeff Beck Bulletin by a lifelong fan, Jeff detailed how the camouflage design came about, before adding 'Fender has been very good to me!' Mark and Michael Mondesir, who played drums and bass on the tour, told us that Jeff enjoyed playing the camouflage Strat backstage for the remainder of the short UK tour. The guitar was thereafter kept at Jeff’s East Sussex estate for home use.