One of the most iconic guitars in rock and blues belonged to Rory Gallagher, bought for just shy of £100 in 1963 and played throughout his life.
(next section unashamedly edited from wikipedia where the facts are well recorded)
The guitar was extensively modified by Gallagher. The tuning pegs are odd (5 Sperzel pegs and one Gotoh), and all of these have been found to be replacements.
The pickups—none of which are original—were also changed. The final modification was that of the wiring: Gallagher disconnected the bottom tone pot and rewired it so he had just a master tone control along with the master volume control. He also installed a 5-way selector switch in place of the vintage 3-way one.
The most notable effect that years of touring have had is the almost complete removal of the guitar's original sunburst finish. When the Strat was stolen it was left abandoned in a ditch, in the rain, for days. This is not believed to have caused any effect. All of the wear is caused by playing, not misuse.
It also had a period of time of having a replacement neck, with the original bowing due to the amount of moisture it absorbed during continuous touring. The neck was taken off the Strat and left to settle, and was eventually reunited with the Strat after returning to its correct shape. Other quirks include a 'hump' in the scratch plate which moves the neck pickup closer to the neck on the bass side, and a replacement of all of the pickups, though this replacement was due to damage rather than a perception of a tonal inadequacy.
(above photograph : taken in Paris where it was exhibited for a short period with 4 other Fenders)
Here is Rory playing it with Taste in 1970.
A classic combination of the Stratocaster (Rangemaster) through a Vox AC30 amp.
