ELAN II

 

 

The Elan II has a Honduras mahogany neck and body, flamed maple top, ebony fretboard, Mother of Pearl (or Mexican abalone) dot inlays, 22 frets, dual humbuckers (made by Fujigen especially for the Elan, not Dimarzios) and pearl tuner buttons (locking Gotoh tuners). The difference with the Elan (I) is that it has chrome hardware, a Fender American Deluxe tremolo and a narrower headstock (resulting in straighter string pull). Some models have been seen with an extra single coil pickup in the middle. Scale length is 638 mm.

It used to sell for $1699.99.

Heartfield colour codes available for this guitar: Amber (720), Sapphire Blue Transparent (727), Antique Burst (737) and Crimson Red Transparent (738). Crimson Red Transparent exists in two variations: The one with clear lacquer (where you can see the off-white binding) and the tinted lacquer (where the binding is also tinted red).

A 1990 Japanese catalogue mentions VBS-Violet Blue Sunburst, ATB-Antique Burst (urethane), AMB-Amber Burst and STR (See Through Red).

First documented month of manufacture: November 1990 (serial number K90027, see guitar below). Last documented month of manufacture: November 1991 (serial number K91779, see guitar below). The guitar appeared in Fender Frontline first in winter (i.e. early) 1991 and last in autumn 1993. Confusingly, a 1990 Japanese catalogue mentions that the Elan II is in fact the one with the fixed bridge (which should be the Elan (I)).

Click on a serial number to view an instrument's known history.

 

 

Type: 1990 Elan II
Serial #: K90027
Remarks: This colour is Amber.
Above photo credits: The owner, Pete Beauds.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91100
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst. It has replaced Gotoh tuners.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91112
Remarks: This colour is Crimson Red Transparent (tinted). The guitar is all original.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91137
Remarks: This colour is Crimson Red Transparent (tinted). Red hot top.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91171
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91191
Remarks: The colour is amber. The tigerstripe is just about perfect!
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91195
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Alan Lighton.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91196
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst, with a wild flame maple top. Controls are not original.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91198
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst, with very tight flames in the maple top.
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: A91202
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst. For a detail of the headstock click here.
Above photo credits: The then owner, Raymond Whitlock.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: B91824
Remarks: The colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: B91846
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: C91749
Remarks: The colour is antique burst. The pickups have been replaced by one PRS HFS Treble Nickel Pickup and one PRS Vintage Bass Nickel Pickup.
Above photo credits: The owner, Scott Ostrander.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: C91754
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst. There is a replacement Seymour Duncan SH-4. JB Model Humbucker in the bridge position.
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: C91760
Remarks: This colour is Amber. Bridge has been modified to Gibson Tune-O-Matic.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: C91768
Remarks: This colour is Amber. Pickups and control knobs not original.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: C91790
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: D91724
Remarks: The colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent. Note the non-standard knobs in the right picture.
Above photo credits: The left picture was ruthlessly lifted off the previous Heartfield by Fender site, just before it went the way of the Dodo (picture by then owner Jim Einarson). The right picture is from a previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: D91829
Remarks: None.
Above photo credits: Kosei Fukuoka.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: D91832
Remarks: None.
Above photo credits: Kosei Fukuoka.

Type: 1991 Elan II one-off demonstration model
Serial #: E91003
Remarks: Well...a lot to say about this one! According to Mr Kazuma Natabe, this was possible used by Fender to display during a NAMM show. It was built by Mr Atsumi Suzuki. The top of the body is Redwood, the back is Mahogany and the binding is abalone. The neck is mahogany, with a laminated Redwood headstock and ebony fingerboard (mother of pearl inlays). Medium wide SBB213 frets. Abalone truss rod cover. Scale is 664 mm. Tuners are Gotoh Magnum lock. At the time it was supposed to sell for $2500-3000. The serial number is cut into the fingerboard between the highest fret and the bridge pickup (click here to see) and it is actually HE91003.
Above photo credits: The lucky owner, Brad Morrison.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: E91745
Remarks: Very nice top on this Amber finish guitar.
Above photo credits: The owner, Mark Cockerill.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: I91745
Remarks: Tuners are non-original.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: I91750
Remarks: This colour is Amber. Rather neat tigerstripe!
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: I91754
Remarks: Very nice tigerstripe on this Amber Elan II.
Above photo credits: Then owner, Michael Meehan.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91897
Remarks: None.
Above photo credits: The owner, Joe Sausa.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91902
Remarks: This colour is Amber. Pickups and control knobs not original.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91908
Remarks: This colour is Amber.
Above photo credits: The owner, James Heartfield. This guitar appears once to have been either owned or played by gospel guitarist Phil Keaggy.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91914
Remarks: This colour is Amber.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91919
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst, and it's got another rather lovely tigerstripe top.
Above photo credits: The owner, John Roach.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91921
Remarks: Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Arthur Pettersen.


Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91929
Remarks: This colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Nayn Rodsu.


Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91933
Remarks: This colour is Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: The then owner, Raymond Whitlock.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91934
Remarks: This colour is Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: The owner, Achim Zdunek.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91937
Remarks: This all-original, Fender-branded guitar is coloured Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: J91945
Remarks: None.
Above photo credits: The then owner, Jeff Drummond.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91705
Remarks: This Amber Elan II has a rather spectacularly quilted maple top.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91706
Remarks: Like it's brother, above, another rather spectacularly quilted maple top.
Above photo credits: The owner, Michel Romanski.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91751
Remarks: This colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent. This guitar has the serial number stamped on the very bottom back of the body, 1 inch from the bottom edge.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91753
Remarks: Very nice tigerstripe antique burst. Serial number is at the bottom rear of the body, see here.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91758
Remarks: Serial number near bottom strap lock at rear of body. Tuning pegs are no longer original.
Above photo credits: The owner, Francesco Golfetto.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91765
Remarks: None.
Above photo credits: The owner, Joe Sausa.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91766
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst, and the tiger stripe is beautiful.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91768
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Jeff Groesser.

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91770
Remarks: Very nice tigerstripe top on this Antique Burst instrument.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction

Type: 1991 Elan II
Serial #: K91779
Remarks: The colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: Elan II (year unknown)
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This Amber Elan II has a nice maple top.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction, submitted by Oliver Pfaender.

Type: Elan II (year unknown)
Serial #: Unknown
Remarks: This Amber Elan II had its factory tremolo removed, the hole filled up, and a Gibson Les Paul style bridge installed. It might be the same as the C91760, above, but I am not 100% certain. Some of the tigerstripes seem the same, including the two "V" shapes between the pickups, but quite a few other things differ.
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction.

 

Please report dead links, possible copyright infringements or guitar-related info to the maintainer of these pages, Richard Karsmakers!