Fender Stratocaster Solid Body Electric Guitar (1975)
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Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1975), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 559878, sunburst polyester finish, alder body, maple neck, original black tolex hard shell case.
This is a good playing example of the now-classic mid-1970's Stratocaster, with some fairly minor changes but generally original. The one-piece maple neck is the 3-bolt "Bullet" truss rod '70s version that is actually easier to adjust but was a controversial change at the time. The fingerboard has been planed and refretted on this one resulting in a playing surface not swathed in polyester. Another then-recent change to the Strat is the cast Zamac bridge saddles and trem block. This mid-1975 example has the then-new flat-pole pickups but retains the white pickguard and trim supplanted by black plastic in 1976.
This Stratocaster has no neck date (not uncommon in the mid-70s) but the pots are coded to the 17th week of 1975 and the pickups are all date-stamped to the same year. It is resplendent in a typical Fender sunburst finish, a bit thicker than the first Poly runs in 1969 including a slight greenish tinge to the yellow center. This was applied even more heavily as the super-dense "Thick Skin" Polyester that enveloped the Strat soon after. At 7.68 Lbs this is fairly light for the period, a good playing and sounding Strat typical of its '70's era, now amazingly (to us old guys) 50 years old and not much too much the worse for wear.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 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.)., 7.68 lbs.
This early '70's Strat is a good player and fairly clean overall, showing signs of 50 years of use with some typical wear and revamping. The all-original not-to-thick poly finish on the body has some scuffing, dings and dents with heavier wear to the back than the face and larger chips along the lower and rear edges. There is an area of overcoating rubbed way down to the clearcoat on the upper back, and a small odd spot below where the trem cover would have been where it looks like something was etched into the wood, then scratched out and filled with black ink. As there is a tiny heart visible next to this etched into the finish we'd guess it was a one-time player's paramour's name, deleted after a break-up!
The neck finish on the rear and headstock remains original but the fingerboard was planed and refretted, with smaller more 60's style wire than we might have expected! The board received only a light oil finish after this, not a full overspray so actually feels more "vintage" and nicely worn in than most from this period. There are some feelable chips and dings to the back of the neck but no large areas worn away, the headstock has some checking. The tuners have been restored to original Fender "F" machines from something else, leaving no external marks except slight pressure rings on the headstock face.
The bulk of the hardware remains original including all three flat-pole pickups (date coded 82375 and 92475) the pots and cap. A 5-way switch was added (this was just before Fender fitted this as standard) so some re-wiring has been done. The original pickguard is relatively clean with no shrinkage cracks. The original bridge/trem system is set up with three screws and the backplate is missing; the trem arm looks like a repro. There is only very light wear to the frets in the lower positions, and the guitar is a very nice player particularly if you don't appreciate heavy poly-finished fingerboards. This is a fairly spanky-sounding Stratocaster with a lively range of tones tone and some great "in-between" sounds. Overall it remains a nice example from this period, playing well and sounding like it should still living in the original black Tolex Fender HSC, worn but solid with some sticker residue on the lid. Very Good + Condition.
This is a good playing example of the now-classic mid-1970's Stratocaster, with some fairly minor changes but generally original. The one-piece maple neck is the 3-bolt "Bullet" truss rod '70s version that is actually easier to adjust but was a controversial change at the time. The fingerboard has been planed and refretted on this one resulting in a playing surface not swathed in polyester. Another then-recent change to the Strat is the cast Zamac bridge saddles and trem block. This mid-1975 example has the then-new flat-pole pickups but retains the white pickguard and trim supplanted by black plastic in 1976.
This Stratocaster has no neck date (not uncommon in the mid-70s) but the pots are coded to the 17th week of 1975 and the pickups are all date-stamped to the same year. It is resplendent in a typical Fender sunburst finish, a bit thicker than the first Poly runs in 1969 including a slight greenish tinge to the yellow center. This was applied even more heavily as the super-dense "Thick Skin" Polyester that enveloped the Strat soon after. At 7.68 Lbs this is fairly light for the period, a good playing and sounding Strat typical of its '70's era, now amazingly (to us old guys) 50 years old and not much too much the worse for wear.
Overall length is 39 1/4 in. (99.7 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 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.)., 7.68 lbs.
This early '70's Strat is a good player and fairly clean overall, showing signs of 50 years of use with some typical wear and revamping. The all-original not-to-thick poly finish on the body has some scuffing, dings and dents with heavier wear to the back than the face and larger chips along the lower and rear edges. There is an area of overcoating rubbed way down to the clearcoat on the upper back, and a small odd spot below where the trem cover would have been where it looks like something was etched into the wood, then scratched out and filled with black ink. As there is a tiny heart visible next to this etched into the finish we'd guess it was a one-time player's paramour's name, deleted after a break-up!
The neck finish on the rear and headstock remains original but the fingerboard was planed and refretted, with smaller more 60's style wire than we might have expected! The board received only a light oil finish after this, not a full overspray so actually feels more "vintage" and nicely worn in than most from this period. There are some feelable chips and dings to the back of the neck but no large areas worn away, the headstock has some checking. The tuners have been restored to original Fender "F" machines from something else, leaving no external marks except slight pressure rings on the headstock face.
The bulk of the hardware remains original including all three flat-pole pickups (date coded 82375 and 92475) the pots and cap. A 5-way switch was added (this was just before Fender fitted this as standard) so some re-wiring has been done. The original pickguard is relatively clean with no shrinkage cracks. The original bridge/trem system is set up with three screws and the backplate is missing; the trem arm looks like a repro. There is only very light wear to the frets in the lower positions, and the guitar is a very nice player particularly if you don't appreciate heavy poly-finished fingerboards. This is a fairly spanky-sounding Stratocaster with a lively range of tones tone and some great "in-between" sounds. Overall it remains a nice example from this period, playing well and sounding like it should still living in the original black Tolex Fender HSC, worn but solid with some sticker residue on the lid. Very Good + Condition.