Vintage 1987 Fender Stratocaster Plus Bowling Ball Prototype with Case

Here at Truetone Music, we are fortunate to have close relationships with some of the most legendary figures in the musical instrument industry.  These are people behind the scenes that have helped make brands what they are today.  One that we go way back with is Jack Schwarz.  So much so that he gave the owner of Truetone his start in the industry!  Over decades, Jack played a pivotal role at Fender and eventually became the owner of Fano.  During his career, he amassed an impressive collection of gear.  Now, select pieces have become available for the first time, exclusively through Truetone Music.

One of the first pieces is this extremely rare, one-of-a-kind Stratocaster.  Built in 1987, this American made Strat Plus with a "Bowling Ball" finish is literally the only one to ever exist.

Fender initially created the Bowling Ball finish in 1984, producing a limited number of Stratocasters and Telecasters in Red, Blue, and Gold marble-like finishes through a hydro-dip method.  In 1987, Fender attempted to revive this distinctive finish on early American Standard Stratocasters, creating 20 prototype bodies with a marble or "swirl" effect, painted by the original artist, Darren Johansen.  Unlike the 1984 run, these were not released.  They were primarily sold to Fender employees.  All were American Standard Strats, except one, which was a Strat Plus, the newest model at the time.

According to Jack, "In 1987, I was a supervisor in the original Fender Corona factory and was asked by Dan Smith, VP of Marketing, to have my crew build approximately 20 American Standard guitars with the unique bowling ball finishes. At that time, I convinced Dan to let me build one guitar as a newly introduced Strat Plus model. When it was decided to not proceed with the full production run, Dan decided to sell many of them to employees. I purchased the only Strat Plus version, which I own to this day."

The Fender Strat Plus was first introduced in 1987 as a high-end production model, seen as a "step up" from the American Standard.  It was the precursor to the American Deluxe, Elite, Ultra and today's Ultra II and Ultra Luxe Vintage series.  This is one of the original Strat Plus builds.  

Not only that, it contains a first batch set of Gold Lace Sensor pickups.  It also marked the debut of a Wilkinson roller nut, another innovation for Fender.  To keep it going, this guitar has a first run American Standard bridge, Sperzel tuners (not standard on the model) and a TBX Tone control.  

Due to the extremely limited number of units produced (about 20) and the fact that these were prototypes rather than mass-produced models, a 1987 Bowling Ball Strat is extremely rare and considered highly collectible. The unique swirl patterns and the historical connection to the original 1984 Bowling Ball finish enhance its desirability among collectors. Unlike the production Fender American Standard Stratocasters, which were widely available, these prototypes were a niche project, adding to their exclusivity.  But what we have here is not just that, it's something even more rare: it's the only Bowling Ball Strat Plus to ever exist.

The guitar is in excellent condition - while Jack did play it, he took extremely good care of it.  Everything on the guitar is original except the trem arm (we found one that fit, but it's not the original).  The case is a Fender hardshell.  The techs in our shop have set it up to play perfectly.  An interesting note is that the Wilkinson nut is designed for 9's, so unless you want to replace it, this guitar should stick with 9's (or 8's).

Note that the body cavity has interesting markings - it's initialed "DJ", as in Darren Johansen, who painted this guitar and other Bowling Ball guitars.

We've had a lot of special guitars here at Truetone, and this is one that definitely rises to the top - it's a serious consideration for collectors and true Fender fanatics.