Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1962), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 72701, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown tolex hard shell case.

This beautiful slab board Stratocaster came to us straight from a period owner's family where it has sat untouched for decades. It dates to the very beginning of 1962 and has a late production example of the 1959 style "slab" rosewood fingerboard on the maple neck which is pencil dated 12-61. The body is pencil marked 1-62 in the trem cavity and pots are coded to the 4th and 43rd weeks of 1961. Currently the neck and middle pickups sound fantastic; the bridge pickup is functional but the output weak; most players will wish to have it rewound but we have left it as it stands for now as the guitar is untouched original inside and out.

In the spring of 1962 Fender concentrated on the launch of the brand new Jaguar; along with the Jazzmaster these newer "offsets" were the company's focus at the time. The Stratocaster and Telecaster remained popular instruments, but amazingly enough seemed a bit "old fashioned" at the time compared to the newer sleeker Fender offerings! We have seen quite a decent number of 1962 Stratocasters, but this is one of the nicest ones, a truly lovely example from this period.

This Strat shows the typical period features. As noted the rosewood fingerboard on the round-backed maple neck is the original thick version used from mid-1959, now referred to as the "slab board" to distinguish it from the thinner laminates Fender began using after mid-1962. 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 and "single line" Kluson Deluxe tuners both also supplanted in '64. These subtle changes make a big difference to Strat afficionados, giving each period's instruments their own distinctive character.

The finish on the body is a beautifully blended 3-color sunburst that shows some wear but has faded very little over the decades, retaining a strong red hue. The pickguard is a superb example of the lovely thick greenish-hued nitrocellulose that would also disappear in 1965, replaced by plain white plastic. The three single coil pickups remain untouched original along with all the wiring. The guitar has a strong well-defined tone in every position except the bridge pickup, which has a serviceable but weak output. We would be happy to arrange a rewind for this unit as requested but as there are currently many options for this service we can discuss what would be preferred upon purchase.

Early 1960s slab board Stratocasters have remained a player's favorite over the decades, usually offering up a somewhat meatier tone than either the earlier maple fingerboard guitars or most later CBS period examples. This fantastic feeling and sounding one-owner Strat from the beginning of the "Surf era" stands as a perfect example of what Fender's reputation and success were built on before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton with the January 1965 sell-out to CBS.
 
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.)., 7.6 lbs.

This is a beautifully original guitar, played but languishing "under the bed" for decades showing some minor wear but in completely unaltered condition. We are finding an increasing number of old Fenders that have been sitting unused for long periods are showing up with pickup coil issues; this seems to be an unavoidable result of the march of time. We have elected to leave this lead pickup untouched before sale but can happily discuss options for restoring the coil as desired.

The remainder of the guitar has no performance issues and looks beautiful. The deep sunburst body finish retains very strong color with minimal fade to the rich red pigment and a very nice largely unchecked patina. Overall the lacquer is better preserved than many with some typical dings, dents and scrapes mostly to the sides and back which has one larger spot of buckle wear. There is very little armwear on the upper body, which does has a some very small touched-in spots here and there (mostly on the edges) but no overspray or other large-scale finish tampering. The neck has some minor dings and dents but no large scale wear.

All hardware is original and fully intact. The beautiful "green guard" has shrunken up far less than many have; there are no cracks, none of the tips or screw holes are broken out but it does have a small amount material chewed up by the truss rod from previous adjustments. The bridge base, saddles and screws have some corrosion but everything is fully functional. The original bridge cover is included but looks like it was not much used as the saddles took the brunt of wear from the player's hand.

Internally the guitar is unaltered with all original components and solder joints; the masking tape wrapping the leads is still intact. The original frets show some light wear but play very well. The guitar is housed in a very nice original brown Tolex HSC, which shows only minor wear mostly to the handle covering; the leather ends are better preserved than many. There are some stains along the inside but nothing too serious. Included is the original strap, too aged to use, but the best piece of "Case Candy" is the original receipt from early 1962 for this and a Bassman amp purchased from Rondo Music in Union NJ, a well known store and major area Fender dealer in the 1960s. Even considering the pickup issue this is a wonderful package of Fender delight. Overall Excellent - Condition.