Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1963)

Fender  Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar  (1963)
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Item # 11330
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1963), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L28763, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown tolex hard shell case.

This is a lovely original Pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster made in 1963, well worn over the last nearly 60 years and with some nicely done internal restoration. In 1963 the Stratocaster was still a popular guitar but had been supplanted as Fender's top of the line offering by the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. 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 used a Stratocaster, proclaiming he could not see why anyone would use anything else! Of course by the late sixties the Strat roared back to prominence as the world's favorite Fender guitar.

This Strat was likely sold in the summer of '63, just at the height of the surf rock era before the Beatles showed up and changed everything. It shows typical period features, rather different from its 1950's ancestors. The neck is date stamped May 63 on the heel with a rosewood fingerboard laminate thinner than the "slab board" used from mid-1959. It is 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. There is some subtle birds eye figure in the headstock.

The finish on the body is very lush a 3-color sunburst that has faded somewhat all over the decades but still retains a decent red hue in the 'burst. 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 less shrinkage than most.

The pickups are all old period Fenders but not original to this guitar. The neck and bridge are black-bobbin Strat units dated to 1964; the middle is from a late 50s Strat. All three had short, spliced leads so the cloth leads have been correctly replaced. The middle pickup was remagnetized to match the polarity of the 60s pickups, a change Fender made in 1960. The pots are old and the correct style but not original to the guitar dating to 1962, 1963 and 1979. All wiring was done to 1960s Fender standards. All three pickups have a strong well-defined tone, with 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 one is a really great feeling guitar and excellent player; the restoration work was done by former Fender master builder J. Black who is simply one of the best on the planet at reviving wounded orphans from Fullerton and making them whole again.
 
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.).

As noted this well-worn Stratocaster has been restored with correct if not all exact period components, preserving the original look and feel of this "genuine relic" Fender. The finish is all original, well worn but with no overspray or notable touch ups. There is a lot of general wear including nicks, dings and dents and a large area of belt buckle wear on the back. The back of the neck is mostly worn down to the wood with that glorious "played-in Fender' feel. The rosewood fingerboard has been refretted by J. Black with Jescar Vintage nickel silver frets for an exact original feel.

Internally the pickups and wiring have been restored as noted above. The tone capacitor, output jack and trem arm are correct reissues, the other hardware is original. The bridge and saddles are original, one saddle is less corroded than the others so may be replaced, though it appears to be from the same era. Many of the height adjustment screws have been replaced, as they tend to be corroded into non-functionality. The backplate had shielding paint added long ago that has been removed. The original headstock decal is in nice shape.

This is simply a great gigging '63 Stratocaster, lovingly restored by a master to the exact correct feel, look and sound. Unlike many in this condition bracket, the finish remains original and undisturbed and the important parts are all from the correct era. This is a wonderful guitar to play, a great example of why the world has always loved the Stratocaster. It resides in a well-worn but still solid and functional original brown Tolex case, missing the leather ends but still doing its job. Very Good + Condition.