1965 Fender Stratocaster Vintage Guitar Sunburst w/ Case

Description: Up for sale, a 1965 Fender Stratocaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. A model with unique features for 1965, this Stratocaster has a small headstock, transitional logo, and rare padauk fingerboard. Lightweight at 7lbs 5oz with an alder body, this Strat has a natural liveliness, clear and smooth-sounding. The gray bobbin pickups all retain their original windings, and the bridge pickup has a bold, chewy spank, round and clear. The middle pickup has a dry, percussive cut, while the neck pickup has a particularly vocal midrange, velvety and smooth without losing a clear note attack. Fitted with a vintage five-way switch, the 2 and 4 positions offer two flavors of pinched, somewhat thinned-out cut (Neck+Middle is more bell-like, and Middle+Bridge is the most scooped and squawky). This Stratocaster has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with fresh 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation. The maple neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with moderate shoulder, measuring .815 deep at the 1st fret and .965 at the 12th. The neck profile is silky smooth and fast-feeling, with natural palm wear through the majority of the gloss on the profile length. The padauk fretboard has a distinctive grain with pearloid dot inlay, retaining its 7 1/4" radius and refretted with jumbo fretwire. The frets show virtually no wear, playing cleanly in every register up the 25 1/2" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nut is a modern replacement, measuring 1.650" in width. The original Kluson Deluxe double line tuning machines are intact and turn smoothly, and there are small, cleanly doweled mounting holes just inset from the original tuners, from a different tuner set installed in the guitar's lifetime. The small Pre-CBS-style headstock shape sports its original transitional logo, with one added string tree mounting hole. The neck heel has a clean June, 1965 date stamp, and the original paint stick markings are present in the neck pocket. The truss rod nut is also flush with the heel, indicative of the limited adjustment this neck has needed in the past 55+ years. All three original gray bobbin pickups are intact with original windings on each coil and cloth-covered leads. Each pickup is hand-initialed by its original winder (the middle pickup features the distinctive "AY," wound by Abigail Ybarra, Fender's most famous pickup winder). The middle pickup's solder joints have been touched-up, yet the windings are original. The pickups meter at 6.8k ohms in the bridge position, 6.35k in the middle, and 6.2k at the neck. The original CTS pots date to the 14th week of '65, and the guitar is fitted with a vintage (replacement) five-way switch. All of the hardware is original including the L-prefix neck plate, jack cup, and vibrato unit with original block, arm, and Fender-stamped saddles which show uniform surface patina. The vibrato has a smooth feel, jumping back to the original pitch with ease, perfect for subtle shimmer and deeper expressive vibrato work. All of the original plastic parts are intact too, including the white wide bevel pickguard which sits very flat with no splits, as well as the pickup covers, knobs, and switch tip. The original three-tone Sunburst nitro lacquer gloss is intact, with a richer ring of red on the back of the body. There are targeted areas of black lacquer touch-up on the body perimeter, with subsequent wear in these areas down to the bare alder, particularly on the bass-side lower bout and outside edge of the treble-side cutaway. Further cosmetic wear includes buckle rash across the back (not through the finish) and various additional scuffs and nicks consistent with honest use. The original black tolex no-logo hardshell case is included. The case has functional latches, the original handle, and black leather ends that show moderate wear.

Price: 23999.99 USD

Location: Seattle, Washington

End Time: 2024-10-19T09:50:24.000Z

Shipping Cost: 350 USD