Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1964)
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1964), made in Fullerton, California, serial # L-46672, black re- finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This is a cool vibey player's 1964 pre-CBS Stratocaster, sporting a very old black refinish on the body giving a "real relic" look but otherwise largely original. It was built right before Leo's company was sold into CBS corporate slavery in January 1965 and apart from the body-only refinish (which looks like it was done many decades ago) the guitar sports typical features for this period.
The neck is date-stamped 2 OCT 64B ("pre-CBS" officially by about 3 months) while the grey-bobbin pickups are a matched set with penciled markings reading 11-9-64. All three pots and the tone cap were replaced, one is dated 1977 but the codes on the others are soldered over. The 3-way switch is old but we can't swear it's original, the original cloth leads on the pickups are re-soldered to the switch; the rest of the cloth wire is later. The original pickguard is still the lovely slightly greenish nitrocellulose plastic that would also disappear early in the next year, with less shrinkage than many; there are no breaks or cracks but there is a decent sized scoop out by the heel to allow for truss rod adjustment. It sits over the original aluminum shielding plate.
The neck was not refinished but does have an old clear lacquer overspray over most of the back. The '64 small headstock still carries the original thin lacquer, ambered and heavily checked with the original worn gold "Transition" logo decal. The thin lam rosewood fingerboard has been nicely refretted but retains the older "clay" dots phased out at the turn of 1964-5. The other hardware is solidly in the pre-CBS mode including the original bridge, trem block and double-line Kluson Deluxe tuners; the trem arm is a repro.
This now-black beauty is a great looking and sounding medium weight Strat from the time just before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton after the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. Although well-traveled over the past 60 years its sonic character remains intact; all three pickups have the typical 1960s sheen, powerful and crisp with a very full tone. The finish is quite old and has a cool naturally worn-in vibe but if you're not "Back in Black" this guitar also represents an opportunity to re-finish again to any color desired; Sonic Blue? Burgundy Mist? Anything is possible! This remains a cool player's "real relic" of the last days of the "Leo" era at Fender.
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.).
While this is not a completely original guitar, it remains a nice playing and great sounding 60+ year old Stratocaster with a cool vibe. The black lacquer on the body is quite old and naturally worn and weathered; it actually looks pretty era correct. The color is cool for a 1964 Fender, original black guitars from this period are extremely rare (it was a sunnier time!). This finish looks many decades old and was decent quality work at the time, very thinly applied with delicate checking overall. There are numerous mostly small dings, dents, chips, scuffing to the top and a large swath of belt-buckle wear on the back.
The back of the neck is cleanly oversprayed in lacquer and slightly worn down subsequently. The neck retains the "Vintage Fender" feel, with very little in the way of dinks and chips. The headstock finish is original with noticeable checking as is the decal with some discoloration to the gold Fender logo and a couple of small chips. The guitar has been refretted with period appropriate wire and a new nut has been fitted.
The external hardware remains largely original; the lovely "mint green" pickguard has only minor shrinkage overall with no cracks or popped corners. The area below the neck heel was opened up somewhat to access the truss rod. The original pickup covers are intact with some wear, the knobs and switch tip are correct style but later. The bridge/trem unit is original with some fairly heavy wear to the saddles; the trem arm is a repro. Internally the guitar retains the original pickups but much of the other electronics look to date to the 1970s.
The refret is well done and some very minor divoting to the fingerboard in the first position still visible. This guitar has had some adventures over the last 60 years; it was obviously played both before and after the refinish long ago. It remains nicely playable and great sounding as it stands or could be a fine chassis for a "dream" colored '64 Strat of your choice. The hardshell case included is modern. Overall Very Good Condition.
This is a cool vibey player's 1964 pre-CBS Stratocaster, sporting a very old black refinish on the body giving a "real relic" look but otherwise largely original. It was built right before Leo's company was sold into CBS corporate slavery in January 1965 and apart from the body-only refinish (which looks like it was done many decades ago) the guitar sports typical features for this period.
The neck is date-stamped 2 OCT 64B ("pre-CBS" officially by about 3 months) while the grey-bobbin pickups are a matched set with penciled markings reading 11-9-64. All three pots and the tone cap were replaced, one is dated 1977 but the codes on the others are soldered over. The 3-way switch is old but we can't swear it's original, the original cloth leads on the pickups are re-soldered to the switch; the rest of the cloth wire is later. The original pickguard is still the lovely slightly greenish nitrocellulose plastic that would also disappear early in the next year, with less shrinkage than many; there are no breaks or cracks but there is a decent sized scoop out by the heel to allow for truss rod adjustment. It sits over the original aluminum shielding plate.
The neck was not refinished but does have an old clear lacquer overspray over most of the back. The '64 small headstock still carries the original thin lacquer, ambered and heavily checked with the original worn gold "Transition" logo decal. The thin lam rosewood fingerboard has been nicely refretted but retains the older "clay" dots phased out at the turn of 1964-5. The other hardware is solidly in the pre-CBS mode including the original bridge, trem block and double-line Kluson Deluxe tuners; the trem arm is a repro.
This now-black beauty is a great looking and sounding medium weight Strat from the time just before "things started a-changin" in Fullerton after the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. Although well-traveled over the past 60 years its sonic character remains intact; all three pickups have the typical 1960s sheen, powerful and crisp with a very full tone. The finish is quite old and has a cool naturally worn-in vibe but if you're not "Back in Black" this guitar also represents an opportunity to re-finish again to any color desired; Sonic Blue? Burgundy Mist? Anything is possible! This remains a cool player's "real relic" of the last days of the "Leo" era at Fender.
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.).
While this is not a completely original guitar, it remains a nice playing and great sounding 60+ year old Stratocaster with a cool vibe. The black lacquer on the body is quite old and naturally worn and weathered; it actually looks pretty era correct. The color is cool for a 1964 Fender, original black guitars from this period are extremely rare (it was a sunnier time!). This finish looks many decades old and was decent quality work at the time, very thinly applied with delicate checking overall. There are numerous mostly small dings, dents, chips, scuffing to the top and a large swath of belt-buckle wear on the back.
The back of the neck is cleanly oversprayed in lacquer and slightly worn down subsequently. The neck retains the "Vintage Fender" feel, with very little in the way of dinks and chips. The headstock finish is original with noticeable checking as is the decal with some discoloration to the gold Fender logo and a couple of small chips. The guitar has been refretted with period appropriate wire and a new nut has been fitted.
The external hardware remains largely original; the lovely "mint green" pickguard has only minor shrinkage overall with no cracks or popped corners. The area below the neck heel was opened up somewhat to access the truss rod. The original pickup covers are intact with some wear, the knobs and switch tip are correct style but later. The bridge/trem unit is original with some fairly heavy wear to the saddles; the trem arm is a repro. Internally the guitar retains the original pickups but much of the other electronics look to date to the 1970s.
The refret is well done and some very minor divoting to the fingerboard in the first position still visible. This guitar has had some adventures over the last 60 years; it was obviously played both before and after the refinish long ago. It remains nicely playable and great sounding as it stands or could be a fine chassis for a "dream" colored '64 Strat of your choice. The hardshell case included is modern. Overall Very Good Condition.