{"product_id":"fender-bullet-s-3-cream-1981-w-ohsc","title":"Fender USA Bullet S-3 Cream 1981 w\/ OHSC","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFender USA Bullet S-3 Cream 1981 w\/ OHSC\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConditi\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eon: Excellent\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eRARE, SHORT-LIVED, AND ONE OF THE MOST DISTINCTIVE FENDERS EVER PRODUCED — THIS AMERICAN-MADE BULLET S-3 IS A SERIOUSLY COLLECTIBLE PIECE OF FENDER HISTORY. It is in absolutely pristine condition.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eThe Fender Bullet S-3 was part of one of the shortest-lived guitar lines in Fender history, an American-made instrument designed by John Page at the beginning of his remarkable career with Fender. Introduced as an affordable alternative to the Mustang and Musicmaster, the Bullet was produced for only a few years before disappearing from the Fender lineup. The S-3 is particularly interesting because it belongs to the later, Strat-inspired generation of Bullets, with three Mustang-style single-coil pickups, a 5-way selector, one volume and one tone control, a hardtail bridge, and the distinctive Telecaster-style Fender headstock. This example is finished in the classic Cream and comes complete with its original Fender hardshell case — a fantastic combination for anyone interested in unusual vintage Fenders.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Page's connection to the Bullet makes this model even more significant. The Bullet was his first major Fender design, and he later became one of the most important figures behind the Fender Custom Shop. Page designed the Bullet around an ingenious philosophy: capture the essence of a Fender while keeping it affordable to manufacture. The name “Bullet” itself came from the music-business phrase “number one with a bullet,” inspired by the Billboard charts and the silver star that identified records rapidly climbing the charts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlthough the Bullet wasn't originally marketed as a professional artist's flagship instrument, its reputation has grown considerably over the years, and recognizable players have embraced these quirky little Fenders. Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard famously used a Fender Bullet, while Phoenix guitarist Laurent Brancowitz has been documented playing an original 1981 Bullet, and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day has also been seen with a Bullet. The appeal makes sense: these are real American Fenders from a fascinating transitional period in Fender's history, and the Bullet's unusual combination of Fender DNA, compact proportions and John Page design makes it unlike the company's better-known models.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnd here's where this particular guitar gets especially interesting for collectors: the American-made Bullet was a very short chapter in Fender history, and the S-3 was itself a specific configuration within that limited run. The S-3s are scarce enough that examples are routinely described by vintage dealers and collectors as rare, while complete examples with an original Fender hardshell case are even harder to encounter. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis isn't simply an old Fender that happened to survive — it's one of the unusual models from a very small window in the company's history, designed by a future Custom Shop legend and produced in America before the Bullet name moved into the later Japanese\/Squier era. For the Fender collector who already has the usual Stratocasters and Telecasters, this is exactly the kind of guitar that adds depth and character to a collection. Original USA S-3s are getting harder and harder to find, and pristine examples like this don't appear often. If you've been waiting for a truly distinctive piece of early-'80s Fender history, this Bullet is the kind of piece worth moving on before another one disappears into someone else's collection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Used","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45245170024491,"sku":"MM70024491","price":999.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/mountainmusicsite.com\/products\/fender-bullet-s-3-cream-1981-w-ohsc","provider":"Mountain Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}