This was one of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s favourite guitars and one which he had with him wherever he went. And with good reason too… This guitar was a present given to him by his wife Lenora “Lenny” Vaughan on his 26th birthday, when he wasn’t a superstar yet.

(Pictures taken from Fender)

Stevie spied upon the used Fender Stratocaster in a Texas pawnshop and immediately fell in love with it. Unfortunately, during those early years of pre-mega stardom, did not have the means to buy it. It cost $350.

The guitar was a 1965 maple neck Fender Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard that still had the original pick ups on it. Although it used to be a 3-colour sunburst, it was obvious it hadn’t been refinished expertly at some point and it now had a dark natural finish bearing an elaborately arty inlay behind the bridge.

Lenora devised a plan to get that guitar for him. She went out to find 7 people with $50 so that they could pool their money together. They presented the guitar to Stevie and he was absolutely thrilled. When he took the guitar home that night, he wrote a song for her while she slept and played it to her the next morning. “Lenny” was thus born.

Now, in a historic collaboration among Fender Guitar Centre and the Stevie Ray Vaughan estate, the famous Stevie Ray Vaughan “Lenny” Stratocaster guitar has been commissioned by Guitar Centre for reproduction as a limited edition by the Fender Custom Shop. The original “Lenny” will be reproduced in a limited quantity, with 185 guitars offered for sale in the United States, available exclusively through Guitar Centre.

Guitar Centre purchased the original guitar for $623,500 at a 2004 Christie’s auction.

Have a look at more pictures and the complete story of this beautiful guitar at the official Stevie Ray Vaughan Fender “Lenny” Stratocaster page.

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