In late 1981 Fender hired Dan Smith to head up marketing and help turn Fender's quality issues and lagging sales around. It was Dan Smith's goal to restore the confidence of the dealers and guitar players in Fender once again.

The factory at this time was building about 200 - 300 guitars a day. Dan Smith, with Fender's approval, literally shut down the Fender plant and spent approximately 2+ years training what employees were left how to build a quality guitar.

Dan Smith, with the help of John Page, proceeded to work on a reissue of the most popular guitars of Leo Fender's era.

They decided to manufacture a 1957 and 1962 Stratocaster along with the 1952 Telecaster. This project was very important and critical to the survival of Fender.

These first few years (1982 - 1984) of limited, hand built reissues are some of the finest to ever leave Fender's factory.

For more on the entire Fullerton story read the book, "The Fender Stratocaster" by A. R. Duchossoir.