We don’t often offer refinished instruments but I’ve been looking at this pretty Fender Stratocaster from 1964 which was part of a friend’s collection, for a while. What a good instrument!!! Very great looking and rare Fender Stratocaster from 1964, for which fortunately the originality of a vintage instrument is not all what matters, because this beauty is a marvel to play. The finish of the body has been completely refinished, with a Surf Green finish, it’s pretty and well done. The neck has been partially oversprayed, there are certain spots where you can see the overcoat, but it is not something you can feel as the neck has obviously been played. This neck is absolutely perfect, with a super comfortable curve and finish. It provides a low action, fabulous playing comfort thanx to these recent frets, not too low and not grooved. This guitar is super pleasant and comfortable as possible. In addition to the neck and the playing comfort, it is above all the baby’s resonance that impresses. Because this Strat is a delight. And as for describing the sound to you, well we’re missing words… But the Rock’n’Roll register of these beauties is there. The tone is truly incomparable to current versions and this guitar’s resonance is really an advantage in terms of grain, softness of tone and sound. And as the neck is the wide and comfortable B profile typical of the end of the 64 year, it’s a great fit (I have 64 Strats with thinner necks, and I recently sold a 64 Strat with a quite similar neck but even slightly rounder and wider, it’s variable so despite the profile announced in B)… Oh, by the way, the Rio fingerboard is absolutely superb.

The pickups are original, 3 gray bottom, with comfortable output levels (neck 5.87k, middle 5.88k, bridge 6.36k ohm) and above all with the original and untouched soldering points on all the pots. These are from 1964. There is a date written on the top of the pickups, and the date, OCT2565, therefore a year later than the rest of the instrument, just suggests that the employee who dated these pickups on his workshop did a mistake. On the one hand, these dates on the top of the mic are no longer seen in the fall of 1965, and on the other hand, the coils, not rewound, the bases and the upper part of the pickups, entirely original, undoubtedly suggest that these pickups are from the end of the year 64… The pickguard is a repro in nitrocellulose, very well made, and the original pickguard shield is present. The tuners are period correct, Kluson with double lines, but given previous holes, visible under the current tuners, there have obviously been other tuners for a while. The tremolo arm, the strap buttons, the pickup springs, some adjustment screws on certain saddles are reproductions. The 3-position selector is period correct but has been replaced on this instrument, the soldering has been redone on this switch as well as on the jack socket, also vintage. The original neck plate matches this guitar, at least by the impression left in the Surf Green finish.

This superb Player comes with a period Fender black tolex no logo hardcase.