Hurley and Fender Present ‘Strat: 60 Years of the Stratocaster’

Through a unique blend of artists and musicians – including Donald Edward Hardy, Brandon Boyd, Thomas Campbell, Johnny Marr and Shawn Stussy – Hurley and Fender® will recognize the unparalleled heritage of the Stratocaster on its 60th anniversary. Twenty American-made, hand-painted Stratocaster guitars will be auctioned off to raise money for Waves For Water, which in turn will save lives through water-based initiatives.

“STRAT: 60 Years of the Stratocaster” is a collaboration between the two unique brands and pays homage to the iconic Fender Stratocaster® guitar as it embarks on its seventh decade of existence. Each Strat® guitar will include individual designs and artwork by a featured artist and will be auctioned on eBay, October 22 through November 1. Proceeds will benefit Waves For Water, an organization that brings access to potable water to nations in need.

“As forms of creative expression, music and art have always been closely linked and ride the same cultural waves,” said Justin Norvell, vice president of product marketing for Fender.

“A musician’s desire to express themselves has often led to their guitars and basses being painted – like Jimi Hendrix’s Monterrey Strat, Joe Strummer’s Stenciled Telecaster guitar, or art commissions like Eric Clapton’s guitars painted by CRASH. This collaboration is an exciting and natural fit – we have tons of crossover between the musician, skate and surf communities, and are stoked to get together for a great cause.”

A charity art show will take place at Hurley’s headquarters in Orange County on October 24 to bolster the financial efforts of the project, and will be the only exhibit to see the guitars in person before they’re sold via eBay Givingworks.

The featured artists each designed their own unique guitar – the list includes: Shawn Stussy, Don Ed Hardy, Craig Stecyk, Christian Jacobs, Natalia Fabia, Ryan Adams, Johnny Marr, Brandon Boyd, Tommy Guerrero, Ray Barbee, Wes Humpston, Lance Mountain, Tim Armstrong, Tim Biskup, Dan Smith, Albert De Alba, Russell Crotty, Tokyo Hiro, Cryptik and Thomas Campbell.

“Having had a relationship with both Fender and Hurley for years, it seemed natural to bring them together; both are two seminal Southern California brands that have become leaders in world culture,” said curator and participating artist C.R. Stecyk III.

One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Waves For Water. To learn more, see the guitars, and place a bid on a one-of-a-kind Stratocaster, visit ebay.com/stratauction, and wavesforwater.org.