Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1969)
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Item # 9139
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1969), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 244195, Candy Apple Red finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a quite clean and nicely original custom color "Hendrix Era" early CBS Stratocaster, made at a time when a lot of changes were going down at Fender. The guitar has transitional features seen only at this specific time, when the character of the instruments was changing from the old "Leo" style into the slicker '70's pure CBS look. The ultimate avatar of the Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix mostly played the then-new models built 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 end-of-the-60's Strats still hold a strong fascination for many players, redolent of what many feel was a special time in music and cultural history.
The neck is dated May 1969, and the guitar has typical features for the year. The Candy Apple Red finish in the body is still the older '60's style lacquer, with a slightly heavier clear top coat. The neck has the earliest type of Poly finish, not as thick as the later 1970's versions and with the decal under the poly overcoat. Apparently problems with this approach shortly led to Fender putting the decal OVER the neck finish, then shooting a coat lacquer over the headstock face. 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 all pots are all matching, dated to the 18th week of 1966. Apparently a huge CBS pot order made early that year lasted the company up into the beginning of the 1970's. The grey-bobbin pickups are leaded with plastic-coated wire instead of the 1968 and earlier cloth-covered variety. The white plastic pickguard has a pearloid underside, again typical of this exact time period. All solder joints are original and undisturbed.
This guitar plays extremely well and sounds great, exactly as expected. It has survived the years better than most, with some small dings and dents but escaping the refinishes, jumbo frets, humbucker routs, locking trems and other pitfalls of the '70's and '80's. A lovely 50+ year old Stratocaster, in the original case with the Stratocaster hang tag/manual with the matching serial number. The warranty card was detached.
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 gleaming red Strat remains original inside and out except it has been neatly refretted with 1960's style wire, with a new bone nut. "Under the Hood' is an untouched wiring assembly with all joints intact. The body finish is mostly free of the typical edge wear seen on older Fenders, even those just stored in the case through the years. The top has a couple of rather noticeable dings to the lacquer through to the undercoat, which show some attempts at touch-up. Those must have hurt when they were new! There are a few chips by the neck pocket (always be wary of removing the neck on Custom Color Fenders for the first time!) some wear spots just above that, a few random dents and dings with some tiny chips by the edge of the pickguard in the lower waist area.
The neck finish shows very little wear, which was after all the point of the new harder Polyester finishes. All hardware is extremely clean; this one may have had the bridge cover on all the time as there is almost no wear or corrosion on the bridge saddles. The original trem arm is also free of plating wear or loss. The pickguard shows some light shrinkage typical of this pearloid-backed plastic; there are no broken or missing tips but one tight crack at the screwhole on the bass side of the neck pickup. We're not sure how this guitar came to be refretted but there are some marks in the fretboard attesting to that work. While not perfect this is a really fine example of a relatively rare Stratocaster; the older Hot Rod Fender colors were rarely ordered in the burgeoning hippie era and this classic gleaming metallic red option would be discontinued soon after. This is one really sharp looking Strat straight from the Summer of '69'. Overall Excellent Condition.
This is a quite clean and nicely original custom color "Hendrix Era" early CBS Stratocaster, made at a time when a lot of changes were going down at Fender. The guitar has transitional features seen only at this specific time, when the character of the instruments was changing from the old "Leo" style into the slicker '70's pure CBS look. The ultimate avatar of the Stratocaster Jimi Hendrix mostly played the then-new models built 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 end-of-the-60's Strats still hold a strong fascination for many players, redolent of what many feel was a special time in music and cultural history.
The neck is dated May 1969, and the guitar has typical features for the year. The Candy Apple Red finish in the body is still the older '60's style lacquer, with a slightly heavier clear top coat. The neck has the earliest type of Poly finish, not as thick as the later 1970's versions and with the decal under the poly overcoat. Apparently problems with this approach shortly led to Fender putting the decal OVER the neck finish, then shooting a coat lacquer over the headstock face. 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 all pots are all matching, dated to the 18th week of 1966. Apparently a huge CBS pot order made early that year lasted the company up into the beginning of the 1970's. The grey-bobbin pickups are leaded with plastic-coated wire instead of the 1968 and earlier cloth-covered variety. The white plastic pickguard has a pearloid underside, again typical of this exact time period. All solder joints are original and undisturbed.
This guitar plays extremely well and sounds great, exactly as expected. It has survived the years better than most, with some small dings and dents but escaping the refinishes, jumbo frets, humbucker routs, locking trems and other pitfalls of the '70's and '80's. A lovely 50+ year old Stratocaster, in the original case with the Stratocaster hang tag/manual with the matching serial number. The warranty card was detached.
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 gleaming red Strat remains original inside and out except it has been neatly refretted with 1960's style wire, with a new bone nut. "Under the Hood' is an untouched wiring assembly with all joints intact. The body finish is mostly free of the typical edge wear seen on older Fenders, even those just stored in the case through the years. The top has a couple of rather noticeable dings to the lacquer through to the undercoat, which show some attempts at touch-up. Those must have hurt when they were new! There are a few chips by the neck pocket (always be wary of removing the neck on Custom Color Fenders for the first time!) some wear spots just above that, a few random dents and dings with some tiny chips by the edge of the pickguard in the lower waist area.
The neck finish shows very little wear, which was after all the point of the new harder Polyester finishes. All hardware is extremely clean; this one may have had the bridge cover on all the time as there is almost no wear or corrosion on the bridge saddles. The original trem arm is also free of plating wear or loss. The pickguard shows some light shrinkage typical of this pearloid-backed plastic; there are no broken or missing tips but one tight crack at the screwhole on the bass side of the neck pickup. We're not sure how this guitar came to be refretted but there are some marks in the fretboard attesting to that work. While not perfect this is a really fine example of a relatively rare Stratocaster; the older Hot Rod Fender colors were rarely ordered in the burgeoning hippie era and this classic gleaming metallic red option would be discontinued soon after. This is one really sharp looking Strat straight from the Summer of '69'. Overall Excellent Condition.