Music

Fender Stratocaster Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1965), made in Fullerton, California, ALL ORIGINAL serial # L70363, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case. This is a superb original example of a "transition" early-CBS era Stratocaster, with some light wear but all original, unmodified, and appearing relatively little used. This Strat was built in Spring of 1965. The neck code is 2 DEC 64B; the pots are coded 137 6505 (5 week of 1965) and the grey-bobbin pickups hand-dated 03-25-65.This guitar was in production when Leo's company was sold to the CBS corporation. As a result, it has mostly Pre-CBS  typical features except for the 'L' serial number and the new White pickguard that replaced the Mint Green version while retaining the pre-CBS Clay dots, and the beloved small headstock. This one squeezed in under the wire before the unpopular changes were made by CBS to the Fender line The small Pre-CBS style headstock sports the newer gold "transition" logo that appeared in mid-1964. The sunburst lacquer finish on the body has a nice mixing of shades, not the more quickly sprayed "bull's-eye" bursts that became the norm as 1965 rolled into '66. The thin-lam rosewood fingerboard has the Pre-CBS Clay dot inlay that were replaced by plastic soon after this was made.The neck is a bit chunkier than some '65's with a nice solid feel. The White pickguard is mounted over the scrap aluminum shielding plate used since 1959. Other hardware is consistent with Pre-CBS instruments; steel stamped bridge saddles and trem block, and the Kluson tuners CBS would replace the next year with their own in-house "F" plate machines. The neck plate does not have the CBS era 'F' mark. This is a great-sounding, medium weight resonant Strat built just before things really started changing for the worse in Fullerton as a consequence of the January 1965 sell-out to CBS. All three pickups have the typical mid-60s sheen, powerful and crisp without being excessively bright. Overall length is 39 3/4 in. (101 cm.), 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).7.6 lbs. This beautiful Strat is not absolutely mint, but it is certainly one of the better preserved examples from this period we have seen in a while. The guitar remains 100% original and unaltered. It does not look to have been played that much over almost 60 years, but shows some general light play and handling marks. The vibrant sunburst finish has only some minor fading; this guitar likely never hung in the dealer's window! There are some minor dings, scuffs and dents to the body finish, most visibly on the bottom edge where there is a two medium sized dings where the wood is exposed. The back of the neck is very clean and smooth with hardly any of the common playwear. All the hardware is original and complete. The original trem backplate is also completely uncracked. The tuners and bridge show some no corrosion, and are remarkably clean. The original bridge cover and trem arm are still intact. Internally the electronics are all untouched original. There is some light fretwear to the original small wire. For many players these final small-headstock '65s are the last of the great ones before the CBS changes started piling up. This little-used guitar sounds great and plays just as it did then, with the classic fender twang of the ages. It resides in the original black Tolex "no logo" case, also in Excellent Condition, a lovely period survivor and all-around great example of the Fender's best in that pivotal year of 1965. Excellent Condition.

The Fender Stratocaster, debuted in 1954, stands as an iconic electric guitar renowned for its sleek design, versatile sound, and innovative features. With its contoured body, three single-coil pickups, and tremolo system, the Stratocaster has left an indelible mark on music history, spanning genres from rock and blues to pop and beyond.