That Was The Year... 1986
Liberty, Halley, Duffy And shorty
WITH MANY OF ITs GUITARs
now being manufactured outside the UsA, Fender officially develops the American standard stratocaster as the all-American built model. Although the main dealers are fully aware of the strategy the guitar itself (in all its vintage looking glory) will not be unveiled to the public until the January 1987 NAMM trade show.
HALLEY’s COMET RETURNs
and reaches its closest approach to sun (Perihelion) and also makes its closest approach to Earth. in hot pursuit are three probes, the UssR’s Vega 1 probe and Japan’s suisei and sakigake. soyuz T-15 transports two cosmonauts to the newly launched soviet space station, Mir. The space shuttle challenger tragically explodes soon after take off.
INTERNATIONAL PEACE YEAR BEGINs
The Pope and Mother Teresa meet in calcutta; spain and Portugal join the European Economic community,;actor clint Eastwood is elected as mayor of carmel in california; a gallon of petrol costs £1.89; the GcE ‘O’ level and csE exams are replace by the new GcsE course.
TAKAMINE INTRODUCEs ITs
‘Natural’ series starting with the EN-10 dreadnought model with a solid cedar top and mahogany back, sides and neck. Along with an unadorned rosewood fingerboard and bridge it features a crystal pickup fitted beneath the bridge and a three-band EQ mounted on the upper body edge.
THE sTATUE OF LIBERTY Is REOPENED
by Nancy Reagan after being fully refurbished; two days later the a soviet TV news programme announces a nuclear accident at chernobyl power station; British Gas is floated on the stock Exchange and the bank of England declares the year end interest rate at 10.8%.
ENGLAND Is KNOCKED OUT OF
the World cup by Argentina and Maradona’s ‘hand of God’ incident; the biggest turnaround in TV history sees Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) returning from the dead on Dallas; Disneyland opens its living seas attraction; and videotapes are released showing the sunken wreck of the Titanic.
QUEEN’s MAGIC TOUR BECOMEs
their most successful to date but sadly it will be their last with the original members; Jerry Garcia (Grateful Dead) is released from hospital after being in a coma for three weeks; Rock Me Amadeus by Falco and chicken song by spitting image both reach No 1 on the Uk pop chart in consecutive weeks ;and Geffen Records signs Guns N’ Roses to the label.
HOFNER Is NO LONGER THINKING
small as it phases out both the 180 and the 181 shorty guitars. introduced in 1980 these full-scale ‘travel guitars’ had tiny bodies and were offered in a range of finishes and featuring a cool shadow humbucking pickup. Amazingly, in spite of its diminutive proportions the 181 shorty super even had a built-in amp and speaker!