Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1970)
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Item # 11553
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1970), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 273741, sunburst polyester finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a stunningly clean all original sunburst "Hendrix Era" early CBS Stratocaster, now well over 50 years old made during the period when a lot of changes were going down at Fender. It has transitional features specific to this time, when the character of the instruments was evolving from the old "Leo" style into the slicker '70's pure CBS look. The ultimate avatar of the Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix mostly played these then-new models at this time; that has given the guitars of this exact period a special appeal in the ensuing years. While no longer truly Pre-CBS in feel, these transitional 1960-70s Strats still hold a strong fascination for many players, redolent of what many feel was a special time in music and cultural history.
The rosewood fingerboard neck is stamped with an early-style "green code" on the heel which by published information should read as 1968, but we believe to indicate 1970 having seen a number of quizzical markings in this period. The pots are date coded to the second week of 1970 (the huge pot order CBS made in 1966 was just running down) and the guitar has typical features for that year. The finish in the body is the Polyester encountered starting in summer 1969, with less red in the 'burst than 65-68 lacquer finishes. The neck also has the earlier type of Poly finish, not as thick as the later 1970's versions and with the decal under a lacquer overcoat. The guitar still feels much more natural than the later 1970's "Thick Skin" Strats, which can look like they were dipped in Polyester.
Internally the guitar remains untouched all original. The grey-bobbin pickups are a perfect matched set leaded with plastic-coated wire instead of the 1968 and earlier cloth-covered variety, with coded stamps on the underside indicating 1970 manufacture. The white plastic pickguard has a pearloid underside, again typical of this exact 1969-70 time period. All solder joints are original and undisturbed, and all hardware is original and correct.
This guitar plays extremely well and sounds great, exactly as expected. It has survived the last 50+ years far better than most, escaping the refinishes, jumbo frets, humbucker routs, locking trems and other pitfalls of the '70's and '80's. Overall this is a simply superb example of this particular CBS-era Stratocaster in the original black Tolex Fender hard shell case.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a superbly clean all-original guitar overall showing only very light wear and no repairs or alterations. The body has some very minor typical edge wear on the lower side into but not through the finish, often seen on older Fenders even if just stored in the case through the years. The top is very clean with some very minor dings and dents but no heavier wear; the back and the neck are the same, if not cleaner which was after all the point of the new harder Polyester finishes. There are a few tiny pressure chips off the bottom edge of the neck plate.
This Strat remains all original inside "Under the Hood' with an untouched wiring assembly with all original solder joints intact. The hardware is quite clean except for some typical corrosion on the steel bridge saddles; it looks to have been mostly played with the cover off. The trem arm and that chrome snap-on bridge cover are still present. The pickguard shows little of the typical shrinkage common to the pearloid-backed plastic,
The guitar still retains its original small frets showing some light wear. This is just a really fine example of this period Stratocaster, even retaining the original factory neck shim and five-spring trem spring setup. It plays and sounds excellent with a very "Stratty" quack to the in-between switch positions, which the original 3-way switch engages easily. The original black Tolex hardshell case is intact with some external wear. In the pocket is the original hangtag/booklet (warranty detached) with the matching serial number and some period Fender string packages. This Strat is an instant trip back to the early '70s, still waiting to be really well played many decades on. Excellent + Condition.
This is a stunningly clean all original sunburst "Hendrix Era" early CBS Stratocaster, now well over 50 years old made during the period when a lot of changes were going down at Fender. It has transitional features specific to this time, when the character of the instruments was evolving from the old "Leo" style into the slicker '70's pure CBS look. The ultimate avatar of the Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix mostly played these then-new models at this time; that has given the guitars of this exact period a special appeal in the ensuing years. While no longer truly Pre-CBS in feel, these transitional 1960-70s Strats still hold a strong fascination for many players, redolent of what many feel was a special time in music and cultural history.
The rosewood fingerboard neck is stamped with an early-style "green code" on the heel which by published information should read as 1968, but we believe to indicate 1970 having seen a number of quizzical markings in this period. The pots are date coded to the second week of 1970 (the huge pot order CBS made in 1966 was just running down) and the guitar has typical features for that year. The finish in the body is the Polyester encountered starting in summer 1969, with less red in the 'burst than 65-68 lacquer finishes. The neck also has the earlier type of Poly finish, not as thick as the later 1970's versions and with the decal under a lacquer overcoat. The guitar still feels much more natural than the later 1970's "Thick Skin" Strats, which can look like they were dipped in Polyester.
Internally the guitar remains untouched all original. The grey-bobbin pickups are a perfect matched set leaded with plastic-coated wire instead of the 1968 and earlier cloth-covered variety, with coded stamps on the underside indicating 1970 manufacture. The white plastic pickguard has a pearloid underside, again typical of this exact 1969-70 time period. All solder joints are original and undisturbed, and all hardware is original and correct.
This guitar plays extremely well and sounds great, exactly as expected. It has survived the last 50+ years far better than most, escaping the refinishes, jumbo frets, humbucker routs, locking trems and other pitfalls of the '70's and '80's. Overall this is a simply superb example of this particular CBS-era Stratocaster in the original black Tolex Fender hard shell case.
Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a superbly clean all-original guitar overall showing only very light wear and no repairs or alterations. The body has some very minor typical edge wear on the lower side into but not through the finish, often seen on older Fenders even if just stored in the case through the years. The top is very clean with some very minor dings and dents but no heavier wear; the back and the neck are the same, if not cleaner which was after all the point of the new harder Polyester finishes. There are a few tiny pressure chips off the bottom edge of the neck plate.
This Strat remains all original inside "Under the Hood' with an untouched wiring assembly with all original solder joints intact. The hardware is quite clean except for some typical corrosion on the steel bridge saddles; it looks to have been mostly played with the cover off. The trem arm and that chrome snap-on bridge cover are still present. The pickguard shows little of the typical shrinkage common to the pearloid-backed plastic,
The guitar still retains its original small frets showing some light wear. This is just a really fine example of this period Stratocaster, even retaining the original factory neck shim and five-spring trem spring setup. It plays and sounds excellent with a very "Stratty" quack to the in-between switch positions, which the original 3-way switch engages easily. The original black Tolex hardshell case is intact with some external wear. In the pocket is the original hangtag/booklet (warranty detached) with the matching serial number and some period Fender string packages. This Strat is an instant trip back to the early '70s, still waiting to be really well played many decades on. Excellent + Condition.