Morecambe music shop 'privileged' to sell incredibly rare Fender Strat guitar for undisclosed sum as original owner parts with it after 60 years

But at just 17, he can’t have realised the interest that would be generated by the Fender Strat’s sale to a local buyer after 60 years in his care.

“It’s one of the coolest all-original 3-tone sunburst Fender Stratocaster that we’ve ever seen,” said David Wood, of Morecambe’s Promenade Music, which arranged the sale.

“The guitar was made in February 1963. There weren’t that many Fender guitars in the UK at that point – I think the first one that came over was for Hank Marvin. It’s incredibly rare nowadays to find a working guitar like this in this kind of original condition, that’s been owned by the same person for over 60 years.

“Eric’s kept it in immaculate condition over the years – which is a real credit to him – and he still had the original case and all the original tags from when Fender made it in February ‘63.

“He’s thought about selling it for a couple of years and always said that when he sold it, it would be sold through Promenade Music… so a massive thanks to him for trusting us with the sale.”

Eric, who played his Fender on the semi professional circuit for many years, recalled: “My father used to look after it for me when I was doing it semi professionally around the clubs in the Lancaster area When I was getting ready he would always put it back in the case and clean it up for me. It’s like part of my dad going. It has been all over with me has that guitar.”

And he still remembers when he first spotted it: “The Shadows and Cliff had come out with Apache and everyone wanted the American guitar. The shop had two in the window so I went down and got one. I paid 165 guineas and got it on HP because that was a lot of money in 1963, if you think I bought my first house for £2,500. You know what you are like when you are 17, you get the new girlfriend and the new guitar.”

The guitar has sold for an undisclosed sum but for Eric, it was about much more than money. He said: “We thought I’m nearly 78 in a couple of months, my lad doesn't want it – he doesn't play guitar. So I thought that rather than just leaving it to my family to sort out, I will sort it out now as long as it was going to go to somebody who was going to look after it – and it has. It has gone to a guy who is really, really chuffed to buy it.”

David said: “I’ve known Eric for a long, long, long time and it was just lovely to handle it for him. It's a special guitar because of what it is and how old it is. It was such a privilege to be trusted with finding the next custodian.”

He added: “It's not about a buyer, it’s about who is going to own it going forward for the next 20, 30, 40 years or whatever.”