ELAN

 

 

The Elan, a.k.a. Elan I, has a Honduras mahogany neck and body, bound flamed AAA grade maple top, ebony fretboard, Mother of Pearl (sometimes abalone) dot inlays, 22 frets, dual humbuckers (made at the Fujigen plant especially for the Elan, they're not Dimarzios), pearl tuner buttons, gold hardware and a fixed bridge with string through body design. Scale length is 638 mm (25").

It used to sell for $1599.99.

Resistance on the stock pickups on an Elan measure 15.6 K on the bridge, and 6.95 at the neck pickup. They have two 4-wire humbuckers with black and blue end wires, and orange and yellow wires where the two coils connect to each other. On the neck humbucker, the blue wire is hot, the black wire is ground. On the bridge humbucker, it is the opposite, blue is ground, black is hot.

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: June 1989 (serial number F89632, see guitar below). Last documented month of manufacture: November 1991 (serial number K91730, not pictured on this site). 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 (I) is in fact the one with the American Standard tremolo (which should be the Elan II).

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

 

 

Type: Elan I (year unknown)
Serial #: Unknown.
Remarks: This colour is Violet Blue Sunburst!
Above photo credits: No idea where the picture came from. Maybe an eBay auction? Sorry.

Type: 1989 Elan I
Serial #: F89632
Remarks: Totally stock Antique Burst Elan I.
Above photo credits: This picture was ruthlessly lifted off the previous Heartfield by Fender site, just before it went the way of the Dodo. Originally, the picture was by the owner, Jerry Silva. At that site, it was (erroneously) listed with a serial number of F98632.

Type: 1990 Elan I
Serial #: I90011
Remarks: The knobs are not original. The colour is Crimson Red Transparent (tinted).
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1990 Elan I
Serial #: K90032
Remarks: This guitar is modified to feature Joe Barden Humbuckers, plus an S-Style Deluxe Single Coil added between the two humbuckers. This colour is Amber.
Above photo credits: This picture was ruthlessly lifted off the previous Heartfield by Fender site, just before it went the way of the Dodo. Originally, the picture was by The owner, Jim Einarson.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91043
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91055
Remarks: Antique Burst, with a most amazingly beautiful quilted maple top.
Above photo credits: The owner, Kevin Hiddleston.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91132
Remarks: Look at that beautiful amber wood pattern!
Above photo credits: An Ebay auction.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91155
Remarks: Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Dan.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91157
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Greg Yarber.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91820
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91821
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Paul S. Abrams.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: A91823
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst. The rear of the headstock has a "2" stamped into it.
Above photo credits: The then owner, Dean Medlock.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: B91752
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, David Roupell.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: B91755
Remarks: The colour is Amber.
Above photo credits: The owner, Brian Marquis.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: B91766
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst. Spectacular quilted maple, don't you agree?
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: B91897
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Joey Carvalho.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: C91726
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst. The headstock (click here for detail) has a gold-coloured Fender logo, which is quite unique.
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: D91746
Remarks: The colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent.
Above photo credits: The owner, Hiram Gonzales.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: D91749
Remarks: The colour is Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1990 Elan I
Serial #: D91810
Remarks: The colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent.
Above photo credits: The then owner, Raymond Whitlock.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: E91711
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: E91715
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst. This one is branded "Fender".
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: E91764
Remarks: The colour is Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: The owner, Ralph.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: E91766
Remarks: The colour is Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: The then owner, Kevin Hiddleston.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: G91829
Remarks: The colour is Sapphire Blue Transparent. And it looks awesome!
Above photo credits: The owner, Alan Lighton.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91833
Remarks: The colour is amber.
Above photo credits: Buffalo Bros Guitars (lifted straight from their site). They sold the guitars owned by George Fullerton after his death in 2009.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91843
Remarks: The colour is Amber.
Above photo credits: The owner, Charlie Dellavalle.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91845
Remarks: The colour is amber.
Above photo credits: The owner, Paul Abrams.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91849
Remarks: The knobs are not original. The colour is Antique Burst...and it has a beautiful flame top!
Above photo credits: A former owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91851
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst.
Above photo credits: The owner, Mark Scheffers.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91854
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst. Note that it has Fender on the headstock, whereas it's near-related sister instruments (above and below) don't.
Above photo credits: The owner, Marko Oving.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91860
Remarks: The colour is Antique Burst. The maple top is worthy of a classic sunburst Les Paul, isn't it?
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91870
Remarks: This one is branded "Fender". The pickups and knobs are not original. This is Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: A previous owner, the late Al Reader.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91871
Remarks: This one is branded "Fender". Pickups not original, Zakk Wylde EMG 81 & 85 Set. Crimson Red Transparent (clear).
Above photo credits: The original owner, Neil Gosselin.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91875
Remarks: This is Crimson Red Transparent (clear). Note that this guitar, though it is only 2 serial numbers down from another one of the owner's guitars (see below), it is branded differently (Heartfield, not Fender).
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91877
Remarks: This is Crimson Red Transparent (clear). Fender-branded.
Above photo credits: The owner, John Simmons.

Type: 1991 Elan I
Serial #: J91887
Remarks: Beautiful Sapphire Blue Transparent.
Above photo credits: The owner, Mark Lojewski.

Type: 1989 Elan I
Serial #: J91888
Remarks: None.
Above photo credits: The owner, Kosei Fukuoka.

 

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