Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965)
LOADING IMAGES
Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L77176, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, vintage road case.
This is a well played-in but nice and mostly original example of a "transition" early-CBS era Stratocaster, with some wear and minor restoration but a serious gigger for sure! The bridge pickup has been invisibly rewound to spec by Fender whisperer Norio Imai, and an original period 3-way switch re-installed in place of a cranky 80s 5-way. It plays beautifully to the original '65 spec with the classic vintage Strat sound.
This Stratocaster dates to the far-off end of summer 1965. The ink-stamped neck date is 2 JUL 65B; the pots are coded 137 6506 (6th week of 1965) and the grey-bobbin pickups are hand-dated to the 11th and 12th of August 1965. This was under a year after Leo's company was sold to the CBS corporation and the guitar shows typical features seen at this time, mixing old and new.
The small Pre-CBS style headstock sports the newer gold "transition" logo that appeared in mid-1964. The sunburst lacquer finish on the body follows the trend towards the more quickly sprayed "bull's-eye" bursts that became the norm as 1965 rolled into '66. The pickguard is the whiter ABS plastic adopted in early '65 mounted over the scrap aluminum shielding plate used since 1959. The thin-lam rosewood fingerboard has the pearloid dot inlay that came in at the end of 1964, replacing the older "clay" dots. This neck is a bit chunkier than some '65s with a nice solid feel. The other hardware is consistent with Pre-CBS instruments; steel stamped bridge saddles and trem block, and the Kluson tuners CBS would replace the next year with their own in-house "F" plate machines. Stamped on the neckplate is a late L-77xxx series serial number.
This is a great-sounding, medium weight resonant Strat built just before things really started "a-changin" in Fullerton as a consequence of the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. All three pickups have the typical mid-60s sheen, powerful and crisp without being excessively bright. While PRE-CBS has been a watchword for Fender afficionados for decades, this early-CBS Stratocaster is still simply a great-feeling and sounding guitar, a far cry from what the instrument would evolve into a few years down the line.
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 Strat was a well-used gigging guitar and shows some typical road wear and tear but remains a nice example from the period. The vibrant sunburst finish has only some light fading and shows a collection of dings, scuffs and dents to the body finish, most heavily on the body edges and the back. There is some belt buckle wear to the back but not as heavy as some. The back of the neck is worn smooth leaving much of the lacquer naturally rubbed off giving that classic "worn Fender' feel.
The hardware is mostly original, in a few cases restored to spec. The original white ABS pickguard has shrunken slightly but has only some minor pulling at the screws, with no popped corners or cracks. The original Kluson tuners and bridge show some minor corrosion the screws and springs are relatively clean. The original bridge cover is long gone and the trem arm is a 1970s black-tipped piece; the trem cover is missing as well but a later black one is in the case.
Internally the electronics are mostly original. As noted the bridge pickup has been perfectly rewound to original spec, and sounds great. The other two are untouched original. The cloth wiring remains original, the pots are original 1965, a period 3-way switch has been restored and the pots are fitted with old NOS Fender knobs but not original to the instrument.
The guitar appears to have been refretted some time ago with wire similar to the original; these show some very light wear and look to have been crowned down just a bit. The decal on the headstock is better preserved than many '65s.
For many players these final small-headstock '65s are the last of the great ones before the CBS changes started piling up. This guitar sounds great and plays just as it did then, with the classic Fender twang of the ages. It resides in a large, well-used '70s road case (remember those?) but is a well-used survivor and all-around cool example of the Fender's best in that pivotal year of 1965. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a well played-in but nice and mostly original example of a "transition" early-CBS era Stratocaster, with some wear and minor restoration but a serious gigger for sure! The bridge pickup has been invisibly rewound to spec by Fender whisperer Norio Imai, and an original period 3-way switch re-installed in place of a cranky 80s 5-way. It plays beautifully to the original '65 spec with the classic vintage Strat sound.
This Stratocaster dates to the far-off end of summer 1965. The ink-stamped neck date is 2 JUL 65B; the pots are coded 137 6506 (6th week of 1965) and the grey-bobbin pickups are hand-dated to the 11th and 12th of August 1965. This was under a year after Leo's company was sold to the CBS corporation and the guitar shows typical features seen at this time, mixing old and new.
The small Pre-CBS style headstock sports the newer gold "transition" logo that appeared in mid-1964. The sunburst lacquer finish on the body follows the trend towards the more quickly sprayed "bull's-eye" bursts that became the norm as 1965 rolled into '66. The pickguard is the whiter ABS plastic adopted in early '65 mounted over the scrap aluminum shielding plate used since 1959. The thin-lam rosewood fingerboard has the pearloid dot inlay that came in at the end of 1964, replacing the older "clay" dots. This neck is a bit chunkier than some '65s with a nice solid feel. The other hardware is consistent with Pre-CBS instruments; steel stamped bridge saddles and trem block, and the Kluson tuners CBS would replace the next year with their own in-house "F" plate machines. Stamped on the neckplate is a late L-77xxx series serial number.
This is a great-sounding, medium weight resonant Strat built just before things really started "a-changin" in Fullerton as a consequence of the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. All three pickups have the typical mid-60s sheen, powerful and crisp without being excessively bright. While PRE-CBS has been a watchword for Fender afficionados for decades, this early-CBS Stratocaster is still simply a great-feeling and sounding guitar, a far cry from what the instrument would evolve into a few years down the line.
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 Strat was a well-used gigging guitar and shows some typical road wear and tear but remains a nice example from the period. The vibrant sunburst finish has only some light fading and shows a collection of dings, scuffs and dents to the body finish, most heavily on the body edges and the back. There is some belt buckle wear to the back but not as heavy as some. The back of the neck is worn smooth leaving much of the lacquer naturally rubbed off giving that classic "worn Fender' feel.
The hardware is mostly original, in a few cases restored to spec. The original white ABS pickguard has shrunken slightly but has only some minor pulling at the screws, with no popped corners or cracks. The original Kluson tuners and bridge show some minor corrosion the screws and springs are relatively clean. The original bridge cover is long gone and the trem arm is a 1970s black-tipped piece; the trem cover is missing as well but a later black one is in the case.
Internally the electronics are mostly original. As noted the bridge pickup has been perfectly rewound to original spec, and sounds great. The other two are untouched original. The cloth wiring remains original, the pots are original 1965, a period 3-way switch has been restored and the pots are fitted with old NOS Fender knobs but not original to the instrument.
The guitar appears to have been refretted some time ago with wire similar to the original; these show some very light wear and look to have been crowned down just a bit. The decal on the headstock is better preserved than many '65s.
For many players these final small-headstock '65s are the last of the great ones before the CBS changes started piling up. This guitar sounds great and plays just as it did then, with the classic Fender twang of the ages. It resides in a large, well-used '70s road case (remember those?) but is a well-used survivor and all-around cool example of the Fender's best in that pivotal year of 1965. Overall Very Good + Condition.