1964 Fender Stratocaster
1964 Fender Stratocaster
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The Fender Stratocaster is without doubt the most iconic guitar in the history of rock and roll, with vintage examples now becoming more and more sought after by players and collectors alike. This 1964 Fender Stratocaster is one of the finest we have seen, and is perfect example of a pre-CBS transitional era Fender guitar.
Constructed from an Alder body, this guitar features the more defined, less blended 3 tone sunburst found on Stratocasters from mid '64 onwards, and also shows the technique of both spraying and dyeing the yellow on the body, which can be seen in the neck pocket. The Maple neck is in excellent condition, with a Rosewood veneer fretboard and clay dot fret inlays, which were phased out towards the end of 1964 in place of pearloid fret markers. The pickups on this guitar sound particularly good, with a resonant, woody tone that sets it apart from other examples we have played. The guitar is also particularly lightweight, which no doubt adds to its resonance. The headstock features the 'transition' period logo, with the spaghetti font Fender logo replaced with a thicker gold decal, although still on the smaller headstock shape.
This guitar is in excellent condition, and is arguably the cleanest pre-CBS Stratocaster we have had for some time. It is in internally and externally original, with an OCT 64 neck. The finish is original and correct, with the paint stick shadow and nail holes present on the body which remained the finishing process up to the end of the year. The electronics are original, with all pots dating to the middle of 1964. The pickups are the original grey bottom single coils, with a yellow date stamp of Nov 1964. All hardware including the single line Kluson tuners, bridge, tremolo arm and bridge cover are original. This guitar also includes its original case, which is in equally exceptional condition.
This guitar has been given a full service by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.