Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1964)
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Item # 11579
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1964), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L44511, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a really superbly well preserved all-original example of a late pre-CBS Stratocaster, made JUST before Leo's company was sold into CBS corporate slavery in January 1965. The guitar has a typical set of "transition" features specific to this period. The neck is date-stamped October 1964 ("pre-CBS" officially by three months), the pickups are hand dated to the 19th of November (neck and bridge) and the 23rd (middle). The pots are a lovely matched set coded to the 28th week of that year. The headstock sports the older style small headstock with the newer gold "transition" logo. The thin rosewood fingerboard retains the older "clay" dots phased out in the next few months.
The sunburst finish on the body shows the trend towards the more quickly sprayed "bull's-eye" bursts that would become the norm in 1965. The pickguard is still the lovely slightly greenish nitrocellulose plastic that would also disappear early in the next year, replaced by less romantic white ABS plastic. All other hardware is still in the pre-CBS mode. Internally the guitar is untouched with all pickups, pots, cloth wire, solder joints and masking tape intact.
This is simply a great-sounding, medium weight, and resonant Strat built just before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton after the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. All three pickups have the typical 1960s sheen, powerful and crisp with a very full tone. This is a fine and completely unmolested product of the last days of the "Leo" era at Fender, still housed in a very nice original black Tolex 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 completely original and unaltered guitar, simply a lovely example with some light wear but no repairs or alterations. The lacquer on the body is a sharp 3-color sunburst with virtually no fade and very little checking. It has some small dings, chips, and scrapes mostly to the edges and especially to the back where there are the onl. The back of the neck is lightly worn down, with the perfectly played-in feel of old lacquer-finish Fender necks. The headstock shows some light checking, the Fender logo decal is fully intact.
The hardware is all original and complete including the trem arm and chrome bridge cover. The only real flaw is the pickguard has the typical split above the neck pickup common to these green guards; there is some shrinkage overall but none of the screw holes are cracked or pulled away. Internally it retains untouched with all original hardware and electronics, including the masking tape and solder joints intact. There is a piece of masking tape with "F. Villanueva" written on it in the neck pickup cavity; it would appear to be an assembler's signature although we don't commonly expect to see this in a '64; it may just be a pervious owner's name.
The original small frets have been crowned down somewhat but are still fully playable; there is minor divoting to the fingerboard in the first position. This guitar has been lightly played but never abused and is ready for the next 55+ years. The original black Tolex hardshell case is included, in excellent shape with an original black leather Fender "anchor" strap, cleaning cloth, Fender picks and period curly cord in the pocket. Overall Excellent + Condition.
This is a really superbly well preserved all-original example of a late pre-CBS Stratocaster, made JUST before Leo's company was sold into CBS corporate slavery in January 1965. The guitar has a typical set of "transition" features specific to this period. The neck is date-stamped October 1964 ("pre-CBS" officially by three months), the pickups are hand dated to the 19th of November (neck and bridge) and the 23rd (middle). The pots are a lovely matched set coded to the 28th week of that year. The headstock sports the older style small headstock with the newer gold "transition" logo. The thin rosewood fingerboard retains the older "clay" dots phased out in the next few months.
The sunburst finish on the body shows the trend towards the more quickly sprayed "bull's-eye" bursts that would become the norm in 1965. The pickguard is still the lovely slightly greenish nitrocellulose plastic that would also disappear early in the next year, replaced by less romantic white ABS plastic. All other hardware is still in the pre-CBS mode. Internally the guitar is untouched with all pickups, pots, cloth wire, solder joints and masking tape intact.
This is simply a great-sounding, medium weight, and resonant Strat built just before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton after the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. All three pickups have the typical 1960s sheen, powerful and crisp with a very full tone. This is a fine and completely unmolested product of the last days of the "Leo" era at Fender, still housed in a very nice original black Tolex 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 completely original and unaltered guitar, simply a lovely example with some light wear but no repairs or alterations. The lacquer on the body is a sharp 3-color sunburst with virtually no fade and very little checking. It has some small dings, chips, and scrapes mostly to the edges and especially to the back where there are the onl. The back of the neck is lightly worn down, with the perfectly played-in feel of old lacquer-finish Fender necks. The headstock shows some light checking, the Fender logo decal is fully intact.
The hardware is all original and complete including the trem arm and chrome bridge cover. The only real flaw is the pickguard has the typical split above the neck pickup common to these green guards; there is some shrinkage overall but none of the screw holes are cracked or pulled away. Internally it retains untouched with all original hardware and electronics, including the masking tape and solder joints intact. There is a piece of masking tape with "F. Villanueva" written on it in the neck pickup cavity; it would appear to be an assembler's signature although we don't commonly expect to see this in a '64; it may just be a pervious owner's name.
The original small frets have been crowned down somewhat but are still fully playable; there is minor divoting to the fingerboard in the first position. This guitar has been lightly played but never abused and is ready for the next 55+ years. The original black Tolex hardshell case is included, in excellent shape with an original black leather Fender "anchor" strap, cleaning cloth, Fender picks and period curly cord in the pocket. Overall Excellent + Condition.