Stevie Ray Vaughan's Number One Stratocaster

Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Number One" Stratocaster is a composite instrument, combining a 1963 body, a 1962 neck, and 1959 pickups. Acquired in 1973 from Ray Hennig's Heart of Texas music store, it became Vaughan's primary guitar throughout his career. The Stratocaster features a contoured alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard with a 25½-inch scale and sunburst finish. It includes three single-coil pickups, a three-way pickup selector, one volume control, and two tone controls. The guitar's hardware was modified with a gold-plated left-handed vibrato system and Schaller tuners. The "Number One" Stratocaster was central to Vaughan's distinctive blues-rock sound, used on all Double Trouble studio albums and in collaborations like David Bowie's "Let's Dance." The guitar's unique blend of parts and extensive modifications, including a black pickguard with Vaughan's initials, contributed to its iconic status. It was exhibited in various museums and inspired a Fender signature model released in 1992. The guitar's enduring legacy reflects Vaughan's innovative approach to music and instrumentation.