The Accidental Birth: How The Fender Antigua Was Born

[jd56hawk]

https://fatbottomguitars.co.uk/blogs/news/the-accidental-birth-how-the-fender-antigua-was-born

[nige1968]

I remember smoked glass being fashionable at the time so I always linked the two in my head. Smoked glass burst. I was a fan then and still am, a bit.

 

It's available as a finish now in the Mod Shop, but the matching pickguards ain't.

 

Ian Martin Allison has a just-clean-enough 70s Jazz in this finish, with rosewood board and blocks/binding. I would have that off him in an instant, even if I then had to get the (presumably chunky) neck profile adjusted.

[Pea Turgh]

That has to be an AI-written article.  All that repetition and bullet points.

[ASW]

Bizarrely written article which misses out some key points and includes odd sections such as "what can we learn from Antigua".

 

I also suspect it's an AI created article. 

[Shaggy]

AI or not; still interesting.   Probably my favourite Fender finish, ever since the lead guitarist in my school band circa 1977 turned up with a brand new Antigua finish Strat (maple neck, which IMHO looks much better with it than rosewood).   Rather unfairly referred to as "snotburst" I think......

[jd56hawk]

1 hour ago, Shaggy said:

AI or not; still interesting.   Probably my favourite Fender finish, ever since the lead guitarist in my school band circa 1977 turned up with a brand new Antigua finish Strat (maple neck, which IMHO looks much better with it than rosewood).   Rather unfairly referred to as "snotburst" I think......

Had a chance to buy one back in 2015, more gold than green, but waited too long and someone else jumped on it.

I really like the Coronado. 

[Grooverjr]

Doesn't say why it was named Antigua? I have never been, but I would expect it to be all bright tropical colours so not an obvious match. 

[Reggaebass]

I did read somewhere a long time back that the colour came about after a mistake mixing, and they liked it , not sure how true it is 

[synthaside]

I bought the recent Classic Vibe " re-issue "  its REALLY grown on me i wouldn't have picked it over any other finish but playing wise ... through luck or setup kicked the crap out of all the other options and i needed to leave the shop with a bass or i wasn't playing the wedding .

Changing the Antigua Scratchplate to a black one was a massive improvement IMHO , the  " colour matched" one is going begging if anyone is  DESPERATE for Antigua on Antigua .
Its Standard Fender screw pattern.

Edited yesterday at 10:16 by synthaside

[jd56hawk]

16 hours ago, Grooverjr said:

Doesn't say why it was named Antigua? I have never been, but I would expect it to be all bright tropical colours so not an obvious match. 

That's what I was hoping to find out after typing "Antigua etymology" in the search box. 🤔

[Grooverjr]

26 minutes ago, jd56hawk said:

That's what I was hoping to find out after typing "Antigua etymology" in the search box. 🤔

Well I just used Google AI and it said the name was chosen "because it sounded exotic and luxurious". I suppose that type of colour scheme would have been luxurious in 60s USA. Still seems a misnomer to me. It would be interesting to show the finish to a random selection of people who don't know what it is and ask them what they would call it. I don't expect you would get Antigua or anything even vaguely similar. 

[LeftyJ]

There's this famous photo of some really rare instruments (especially the lefties!) all together on one wall:

 

 

Just incredible! I'd love me that lefty Coronado and that Precision, but it's especially the Telecaster Deluxe and the Mustang Bass that have me hankering. 

[Schnozzalee]

I think i prefer the rosewood board but its between this and the 70s 'walnut' finish (with cream dimarzios) for me.

[Grahambythesea]

3 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

There's this famous photo of some really rare instruments (especially the lefties!) all together on one wall:

 

 

Just incredible! I'd love me that lefty Coronado and that Precision, but it's especially the Telecaster Deluxe and the Mustang Bass that have me hankering. 

Yikes, that’s a bit frightening! I don’t like the shaded headstocks, just too much.

[Steve Browning]

Walnut every time. I cannot abide Antigua as a finish. I guess it represented a bass that was ridiculously heavy when it first appeared. 

[Maude]

Mmm gherkinburst over congealed salad cream. 😁

[Hellzero]

The most awful "colour" ever and we are lucky as the clear varnish coat is yellowing over the years, otherwise it's even more horrendous.

 

I got an original 1977 Antigua Precision Bass in a trade and couldn't simply get it out of its case without wanting to puke, so I traded it for the first bass that was the proposed to me: a 1969 500/1 Höfner, what a relief.

[Stub Mandrel]

On 18/11/2025 at 12:21, jd56hawk said:

https://fatbottomguitars.co.uk/blogs/news/the-accidental-birth-how-the-fender-antigua-was-born

 

Spot the AI journalism...

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm firmly anti-gua.

 

I assume the name is wordplay on 'gua-no'