Fender Stratocaster 1963/1964, Sunburst

While we don’t know the exact story behind how this Strat came to be, here are the known details. The neck dates to early 1963, while the body appears to be from late ’63 to early ’64. The current logo is not original, and it previously had a transition logo that was also a replacement. Originally, it would have carried a spaghetti logo with two or three patent numbers.

The back of the headstock has been refinished, and the guitar has had a refret, but otherwise it remains original. The electronics are all dated 1964, so the important components are intact and period-correct in their own right. It’s possible this was assembled as something of a factory parts guitar for one reason or another.

Regardless of the mystery, what we have here is an excellent early-’60s Stratocaster with a nicely sized C-shaped oval neck carve. Thanks to the refret, it plays exceptionally well, while the original pickups and electronics deliver everything from warm, rounded tones to aggressive, biting Strat character.

Though it shows honest wear, none of it is excessive or off-putting—just the desirable signs of age you’d hope to see on a guitar that’s clearly been loved and played rather than left sitting untouched.

 Includes the original hardshell case (OHSC).