1965 Fender Stratocaster

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 1965 Fender Stratocaster is a wonderful, super clean example of a transitional era Stratocaster with an interesting back story!

Constructed from an Alder body, this guitar features the more defined, less blended 3 tone sunburst found on Stratocasters from mid '64 onwards, giving transitional era Strats a distinct look from their predecessors. Thing guitar also shows the technique of both spraying and dyeing the yellow on the body employed by the company at the time, which can be seen in the neck pocket. The Maple neck is in excellent condition, with a Rosewood veneer fretboard and pearl dot inlay markers, first introduced in late 1964. The pickups on this guitar are lively, with the typical bell-like chime and clarity you would expect. 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 was formerly owned by Kent Lindquist of Swedish pop group The Hillbilly Five, and the case can be seen on the cover of their 1965 record 'Waiting For A Train'. Included with this guitar is the original strap, sales paperwork and photograph of the band performing live, along with an original copy of the aforementioned LP. 

This guitar is in excellent condition, and is one of the cleaner examples we have seen, with the finish remaining vibrant and only minimal play wear and patina, mostly concentrated on the back of the body. It is in internally and externally original, with a MAY 65 neck heel stamp. The finish is original and correct, with the paint stick shadow appearing correctly for an original finish, and the solder joints untouched. The electronics are original, with all pots dating to the 16th week of 1965 (304 6516). The pickups are the original grey bottom single coils, with a yellow date stamp of 6-1-65. All hardware including the single line Kluson tuners, bridge, tremolo arm and bridge cover are original. This guitar also includes its original Swedish export case, which is a nice unique addition.

This guitar has been given a full service by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.