An early 1963 Fender Stratocaster in stunning sunburst finish.

Regardless of how you feel about them, the Fender three tone sunburst has a special place in the history of the electric guitar with the pre-CBS period having some of the best and 1963 is a year most favoured by a huge amount of players for their sound and a slightly chunkier neck than previous years.

This one is a fine example. There are a few marks and scratches on the front and a few more substantial ones on the back though none of them detract and add a certain something to the overall loo of the guitar. The top hasn’t seemed to have faded very muchl and still has that incredibly vibrancy. This guitar is noteworthy as it is one of the last few that were given a body date, the practice being stopped later in 1963.

There are some small spots on the black bits of local touch ups which is not unusual to see on these and it looks like a label was once on the side of the headstock as a shadow has been left where it once was.

The neck too, date stamped February 1963, is in great shape. The back has worn nicely and the fretboard is in great shape. The original frets have plenty of life left in them.. The lacquer has also escaped yellowing too much so the neck has retained that light maple hue. 

Plastics and pickguard are well preserved. These nitrate guard are particularly prone to warping and cracking so its always nice to find one that hasn’t. In fact this guard hasn’t faded very much at all. There is no corrosion on the saddles and elsewhere the hardware is in great condition with very little signs of use.

Electrically all is as you’d expect and solder joints are undisturbed apart form on the neck pickup where the solder has been reheated. 

The guitar comes with a slightly later, (early ‘64) no logo black tolex case.

Sonically we run the gamut from smooth neck to biting bridge that never gets too spikey or harsh. The neck feels very comfortable and the new frets give it reassuring feel. All three, original black bottom pickups are strong and evenly balanced with classic pre-CBS black bottom, bell like tonal qualities.

An early 1963 Stratocaster in this condition, what more do you want? Grab it before it gets away.