Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1960)
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1960), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 54769, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body; maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown tolex hard shell case.
This is a really lovely early slab-board Pre-CBS Stratocaster, beautifully preserved with vibe to spare. It has had a well done refret but otherwise remains untouched original. It shows typical features for the period, when the Stratocaster was still a popular model but had recently been supplanted by the Jazzmaster as Fender's top of the line offering. While many players over the next few years would favor the Jazzmaster and the flashier Jaguar, the Stratocaster remained distinctive with its 3-pickup layout and unique trem system. Surf Master/Originator Dick Dale always exclusively played the slab-board Stratocaster, proclaiming he could not see why anyone would use anything else!
This guitar is a prime example from even before the dawn of the surf era. The neck is hand dated on the heel in heavy pencil 8-60; the body is marked 7-60 in the trem cavity. The original smaller Pre-CBS style headstock carries the older gold "Spaghetti" logo decal that was phased out in 1964. The rosewood fingerboard is the original thicker version used from mid-1959, now referred to as the "slab board" to distinguish it from the thinner laminates Fender used after late 1962. It is inlaid with the "clay" dots that would also be phased out at the end of 1964.
The sunburst finish on the body is a 3-color sunburst that has faded somewhat to a more almost 2-tone look over the past 65 years. The pickguard is a beautiful clean example of the lovely thick greenish-hued nitrocellulose that would also disappear in 1965, replaced by plainer white plastic. This guitar would have likely been assembled and sold in the fall of that far-off year, just as the Nixon-Kennedy presidential race was heating up.
The original electronics are untouched with a visible pot date of the 43rd week of 1960. The wiring was done by Nell (her name is written in pencil on the shielding plate) and it is a particularly neat and lovely job; we salute the skill and care she brought to her job at Fender! All three single coil black-bobbin pickups have a strong well-defined tone, and the "in between" settings offer up a "Stratty" quack without sounding as glassy as some earlier or later models. The early 1960s slab board Stratocaster has 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 fabulous example of the undying appeal of prime Fender mojo is a two-owner guitar, still housed in its lovely original brown Tolex case with the original trem arm, bridge cover, and strap and a repro of the 1960 "Down Beat" Fender catalog. It also includes the Mandolin Bros catalog listing it for sale in 1997, plus the original color photos they sent out; they had gotten the guitar from the original owner and sold it to the last one. This is simply a great playing and sounding Strat, a prime 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.).
This is a completely original guitar apart from a very well-done refret with period correct wire, showing some light general wear but in excellent playing condition. The finish on the body has faded somewhat on the front, still showing some red hue but closer to the 1950s two-tone than the later '60s style 'burst. Overall there are a number of small dings, dents, and chips overall, but no large areas worn away. There are some wear spots along the edges, one deeper ding on the upper on the side, and a small spot of belt buckle wear to the back along with some general scratching and scuffing. The face has some fairly random dings and a few pick scratches above the neck pickup; somebody used to miss the jack regularly when plugging in and there are numerous small dinks below the cup.
The back of the neck has some light finish loss along the treble side edge, but overall is relatively well-preserved with hardly any dings or dents and that classic "old Fender" feel. The headstock and decal are very clean. The newer frets feel correct if slightly taller than the vert small originals and show virtually no subsequent wear. The beautiful "green guard" has lass shrinkage than most, no broken or chipped corners and only a tiny notch by the truss rod; the trem cover on the back is also unbroken. Internally the guitar remains completely original and unaltered with untouched solder joints and all original components; it appears to have been only opened up for inspection twice in 65 years. The original trem arm and bridge cover are included, although the bridge cover seems reluctant to snap on.
All three black-bobbin pickups are all very strong and sound great in any combination. While this guitar shows some signs of play over 6+ decades, it remains far better preserved than many period Stratocasters, which were often heavily worn and modified through the 1960s and '70s. This early slab-board Strat is one of our more requested instruments, and we are thrilled to offer this delightful example in its original brown Tolex case, which has one broken latch but is otherwise not heavily worn. Included are the original strap (broken at one end) the original Fender polish cloth in the cellophane baggie, a Mandolin Brothers polish cloth, their 1997 catalog and photos of the guitar and the repro Fender catalog. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a really lovely early slab-board Pre-CBS Stratocaster, beautifully preserved with vibe to spare. It has had a well done refret but otherwise remains untouched original. It shows typical features for the period, when the Stratocaster was still a popular model but had recently been supplanted by the Jazzmaster as Fender's top of the line offering. While many players over the next few years would favor the Jazzmaster and the flashier Jaguar, the Stratocaster remained distinctive with its 3-pickup layout and unique trem system. Surf Master/Originator Dick Dale always exclusively played the slab-board Stratocaster, proclaiming he could not see why anyone would use anything else!
This guitar is a prime example from even before the dawn of the surf era. The neck is hand dated on the heel in heavy pencil 8-60; the body is marked 7-60 in the trem cavity. The original smaller Pre-CBS style headstock carries the older gold "Spaghetti" logo decal that was phased out in 1964. The rosewood fingerboard is the original thicker version used from mid-1959, now referred to as the "slab board" to distinguish it from the thinner laminates Fender used after late 1962. It is inlaid with the "clay" dots that would also be phased out at the end of 1964.
The sunburst finish on the body is a 3-color sunburst that has faded somewhat to a more almost 2-tone look over the past 65 years. The pickguard is a beautiful clean example of the lovely thick greenish-hued nitrocellulose that would also disappear in 1965, replaced by plainer white plastic. This guitar would have likely been assembled and sold in the fall of that far-off year, just as the Nixon-Kennedy presidential race was heating up.
The original electronics are untouched with a visible pot date of the 43rd week of 1960. The wiring was done by Nell (her name is written in pencil on the shielding plate) and it is a particularly neat and lovely job; we salute the skill and care she brought to her job at Fender! All three single coil black-bobbin pickups have a strong well-defined tone, and the "in between" settings offer up a "Stratty" quack without sounding as glassy as some earlier or later models. The early 1960s slab board Stratocaster has 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 fabulous example of the undying appeal of prime Fender mojo is a two-owner guitar, still housed in its lovely original brown Tolex case with the original trem arm, bridge cover, and strap and a repro of the 1960 "Down Beat" Fender catalog. It also includes the Mandolin Bros catalog listing it for sale in 1997, plus the original color photos they sent out; they had gotten the guitar from the original owner and sold it to the last one. This is simply a great playing and sounding Strat, a prime 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.).
This is a completely original guitar apart from a very well-done refret with period correct wire, showing some light general wear but in excellent playing condition. The finish on the body has faded somewhat on the front, still showing some red hue but closer to the 1950s two-tone than the later '60s style 'burst. Overall there are a number of small dings, dents, and chips overall, but no large areas worn away. There are some wear spots along the edges, one deeper ding on the upper on the side, and a small spot of belt buckle wear to the back along with some general scratching and scuffing. The face has some fairly random dings and a few pick scratches above the neck pickup; somebody used to miss the jack regularly when plugging in and there are numerous small dinks below the cup.
The back of the neck has some light finish loss along the treble side edge, but overall is relatively well-preserved with hardly any dings or dents and that classic "old Fender" feel. The headstock and decal are very clean. The newer frets feel correct if slightly taller than the vert small originals and show virtually no subsequent wear. The beautiful "green guard" has lass shrinkage than most, no broken or chipped corners and only a tiny notch by the truss rod; the trem cover on the back is also unbroken. Internally the guitar remains completely original and unaltered with untouched solder joints and all original components; it appears to have been only opened up for inspection twice in 65 years. The original trem arm and bridge cover are included, although the bridge cover seems reluctant to snap on.
All three black-bobbin pickups are all very strong and sound great in any combination. While this guitar shows some signs of play over 6+ decades, it remains far better preserved than many period Stratocasters, which were often heavily worn and modified through the 1960s and '70s. This early slab-board Strat is one of our more requested instruments, and we are thrilled to offer this delightful example in its original brown Tolex case, which has one broken latch but is otherwise not heavily worn. Included are the original strap (broken at one end) the original Fender polish cloth in the cellophane baggie, a Mandolin Brothers polish cloth, their 1997 catalog and photos of the guitar and the repro Fender catalog. Overall Excellent - Condition.