An Exceptionally Fine Pre CBS 'L Series' Custom-Color Stratocaster

1964 Fender Stratocaster

This early-to-mid 1964, pre-CBS 'L Series' custom-color Stratocaster weighs just 7.50 lbs. Solid alder body, contoured on back and lower bass bout. One-piece medium-profile maple neck with a nice, fat nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 25 1/2 inches and a wonderful medium profile. Brazilian rosewood fretboard with 21 original medium-thin frets and clay dot position markers. Small headstock with decal with "Fender" 'Spaghetti' logo in gold with black trim, "Stratocaster" in black beside it, and "With Synchronized Tremolo" and three patent numbers in black below.  Single "butterfly" string tree with metal spacer. Individual "single-line" Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons. The neck is dated "2 APR 64B." Four-bolt neck plate with serial number "L30443" engraved between the top two screws. Three gray-bottom white plastic-covered single-coil pickups with staggered polepieces and outputs of 6.38k, 6.24k, and 5.95k each one stamped on the underside in yellow "EP AUG 6  64". Three-layer "minty" white over black plastic pickguard with eleven screws. Three controls (one volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch, all on pickguard. The pots are dated "137 6428" (CTS, July 1964). White plastic knobs with green lettering. Jack socket in body face. Fender "Synchronized Tremolo" combined bridge/tailpiece. Complete with the original tremolo arm and bridge cover. The Candy Apple Red finish is bright and vivid and shows none of the usual fade associated with this color. There are a few miniscule surface marks on the body edges and a couple on the back but otherwise this forty-nine year old custom-color Stratocaster is in near mint (9.25) condition, and is certainly one of the finest examples that we have ever seen. Complete with the original tremolo arm and bridge cover. When we purchased the guitar from the previous owner (who had owned it for over forty years) we noticed that the neck pickup was not reading correctly. We sent the guitar to our master luthier - Scott Lentz who has successfully recovered the pickup coil. The guitar looks, plays and sounds like a dream… Housed in it's original Fender three-latch cream hardshell case with black leather ends and dark orange plush lining (9.00).