Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1963)
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Item # 10783
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1963), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L14086, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard on maple neck, original brown tolex hard shell case.
This is a lovely original Pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster, appearing not too much played and nicely cared for over the last nearly 60 years. In 1963 the Stratocaster was still a very popular model but had been supplanted by the Jazzmaster and Jaguar as Fender's top of the line offering. While many of the Surf'n'Twang players over the next few years would favor those models, the Stratocaster remained distinctive with its 3-pickup layout and unique trem system. Surf Master/Originator Dick Dale exclusively favored the Stratocaster, proclaiming he could not see why others would use anything else! Of course by the late sixties the Strat roared back to prominence as the world's favorite Fender guitar.
This guitar dates to the summer of 1963, just around the height of the surf rock era before the Beatles showed up and changed everything. It shows typical period features, quite different in some ways from its 1950's ancestors. The rosewood fingerboard laminate is thinner than the "slab board" used from mid-1959, inlaid with the "clay" dots that would be phased out at the end of 1964. The neck carries the original smaller Pre-CBS style headstock with the older gold "Spaghetti" logo decal that was also replaced in 1964.
The finish on the body is very lush a 3-color sunburst that has hardly faded at all over the decades. The pickguard is a beautiful example of the lovely thick greenish-hued nitrocellulose that would also disappear in 1965, replaced by plainer white plastic. It has no cracks or splits and shows noticeably less shrinkage than most. The neck is date stamped July 63 on the heel. The body is more subtly marked 7-63 in pencil in the trem cavity. The pots date to the 38th week of 1963.
All three single coil pickups have a strong well-defined tone, and the "in between" settings offer up a "Stratty" quack without sounding as glassy as many earlier or later models. These early 1960s Stratocasters have become a player's favorite over the last few decades, often offering up a meatier tone than either the earlier maple fingerboard guitars or the later CBS period examples.
This fine example of prime Fender mojo is still housed in its original brown Tolex case, which shows some light wear but remains solid and functional. The original trem arm, bridge cover, and trem cavity cover are all included and intact. This is simply a great-sounding Strat, an example of what Fender's reputation and success were built on well before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton with the January 1965 sell-out to CBS.
Overall length is 38 15/16 in. (98.9 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a nicely original guitar, showing some light typical wear but in excellent playing condition. The finish on the body has quite a bit of checking to the topcoat but remains bright, unfaded and quite shiny. We examined it very carefully for any evidence of later overspray and there is none. This checking does seem more common on '63's than many other years. Beyond this there are only some dings, dents, scrapes and chips overall. The most noticeable scrapes, chips and dings are on the back with a couple of minor touch-up spots but there is none of the typical buckle wear.
Internally the guitar appears untouched with all original components and no disturbed solder joints. All hardware is original and very clean. The beautiful "green" pickguard has some light surface wear but is one of the best preserved we have seen with no popped-out ends or cracks and only some slight pulling at the outer screws. The black-bobbin pickups are all very strong and sound great in any combination, the original masking tape is intact on the wires. The original owner seems to have likely played with the still-intact bridge cover on, as the saddles and screws have less wear and corrosion than many. The trem arm and cover are also original.
The back of the neck has some light wear down to the wood in the lower positions. The original small frets and fingerboard have some minor wear, also in the lower positions but are still very playable. This is a great sounding Strat, with the more muscular, less brittle sound typical of this period but plenty of snap remaining on the top end. It lives in a relatively clean original brown Fender case with a slightly later '60s Fender-marked strap, some period Fender picks and the original hangtag booklet with the matching serial number. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a lovely original Pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster, appearing not too much played and nicely cared for over the last nearly 60 years. In 1963 the Stratocaster was still a very popular model but had been supplanted by the Jazzmaster and Jaguar as Fender's top of the line offering. While many of the Surf'n'Twang players over the next few years would favor those models, the Stratocaster remained distinctive with its 3-pickup layout and unique trem system. Surf Master/Originator Dick Dale exclusively favored the Stratocaster, proclaiming he could not see why others would use anything else! Of course by the late sixties the Strat roared back to prominence as the world's favorite Fender guitar.
This guitar dates to the summer of 1963, just around the height of the surf rock era before the Beatles showed up and changed everything. It shows typical period features, quite different in some ways from its 1950's ancestors. The rosewood fingerboard laminate is thinner than the "slab board" used from mid-1959, inlaid with the "clay" dots that would be phased out at the end of 1964. The neck carries the original smaller Pre-CBS style headstock with the older gold "Spaghetti" logo decal that was also replaced in 1964.
The finish on the body is very lush a 3-color sunburst that has hardly faded at all over the decades. The pickguard is a beautiful example of the lovely thick greenish-hued nitrocellulose that would also disappear in 1965, replaced by plainer white plastic. It has no cracks or splits and shows noticeably less shrinkage than most. The neck is date stamped July 63 on the heel. The body is more subtly marked 7-63 in pencil in the trem cavity. The pots date to the 38th week of 1963.
All three single coil pickups have a strong well-defined tone, and the "in between" settings offer up a "Stratty" quack without sounding as glassy as many earlier or later models. These early 1960s Stratocasters have become a player's favorite over the last few decades, often offering up a meatier tone than either the earlier maple fingerboard guitars or the later CBS period examples.
This fine example of prime Fender mojo is still housed in its original brown Tolex case, which shows some light wear but remains solid and functional. The original trem arm, bridge cover, and trem cavity cover are all included and intact. This is simply a great-sounding Strat, an example of what Fender's reputation and success were built on well before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton with the January 1965 sell-out to CBS.
Overall length is 38 15/16 in. (98.9 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a nicely original guitar, showing some light typical wear but in excellent playing condition. The finish on the body has quite a bit of checking to the topcoat but remains bright, unfaded and quite shiny. We examined it very carefully for any evidence of later overspray and there is none. This checking does seem more common on '63's than many other years. Beyond this there are only some dings, dents, scrapes and chips overall. The most noticeable scrapes, chips and dings are on the back with a couple of minor touch-up spots but there is none of the typical buckle wear.
Internally the guitar appears untouched with all original components and no disturbed solder joints. All hardware is original and very clean. The beautiful "green" pickguard has some light surface wear but is one of the best preserved we have seen with no popped-out ends or cracks and only some slight pulling at the outer screws. The black-bobbin pickups are all very strong and sound great in any combination, the original masking tape is intact on the wires. The original owner seems to have likely played with the still-intact bridge cover on, as the saddles and screws have less wear and corrosion than many. The trem arm and cover are also original.
The back of the neck has some light wear down to the wood in the lower positions. The original small frets and fingerboard have some minor wear, also in the lower positions but are still very playable. This is a great sounding Strat, with the more muscular, less brittle sound typical of this period but plenty of snap remaining on the top end. It lives in a relatively clean original brown Fender case with a slightly later '60s Fender-marked strap, some period Fender picks and the original hangtag booklet with the matching serial number. Overall Excellent Condition.