pre cbs fender stratocastor

by jason graham
(london england)

1962 Fender Stratocaster Serial No. 84650




Neck:

Maple neck with ?slab board? Brazilian rosewood fingerboard in very good original condition (no grooves or wear) With correct ?clay dots? Board has been re fretted with jumbo wire. Original bone nut in good useable original condition. Original single line ?kluson Deluxe? tuners work well and hold tune. Top E shaft very slightly bent. Correct fixing screws. Correct ?Spaghetti logo? with patent numbers. Correct pin router holes. Neck has been ?blown over? with what looks like Clear poly. The neck is straight and plays very well up and down the neck. Neck plate is possible replacement with correct screws.

Body:

Original alder body with no modifications or routes other than the inclusion of silver shielding tape to the cavities (which was not removed for this assessment but I strongly believe all is correct) Correct strap hooks one has washer under. Correct input assembly. Correct tremolo block, bridge and steel ?patent pending ? saddles. All springs, screws and Allen adjustment screws look correct. Correct tremolo ?claw? plate. No tremolo cover plate. The original tremolo arm has been bent to suit its player. The body has been sprayed black at some point in its life over the original sonic blue nitro-cellulose factory paint which looks like it was applied over a cream or white undercoat. The black paint has since been removed perhaps amateurishly leaving the original blue under. The back of the instrument shows more disturbance than the front.

Plastic:

The Guitar comes with its original nitro mint green guard, which is in good uncracked condition. It has some slight notching where the neck adjustment screw sits. All volume and tone knobs are correct and the guitar has its correct plastic switch tip. All guard-fixing screws are correct except one.

Electronics:

The guitar has had work done to the electronics and wiring over the years. The volume pot has been changed, maker unknown. Both tone knobs have the codes 304 6338. Making this guitar a 1963. Two capacitors replace the original and some of the original cloth wiring has been removed, snipped and replaced with plastic, including to the jack socket. The 3 original black bottom pickups read Neck: 6.57 Middle 6.19 and Bridge 6.61 ohm?s making this a superb balanced set. Original windings unknown but assumed original. The guitar has its original shielding plate.

Conclusion:

This guitar I believe is a custom ordered Fender Stratocaster in 1962 in "sonic blue" paint finish. The Guitar was completed and delivered in 1963. Finish issues aside it plays and sounds wonderful and is a very good example of Fender at their pre CBS best. It comes in a nice reissue tweed case. At present market conditions I would value this guitar for insurance purposes at £15,000.00. Fifteen thousand pounds sterling.


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