1962-63 Fender Stratocaster (player grade)

By 1963, Fender’s flagship Stratocaster was 9 years old and evolved into the classic form we now know as ‘pre-CBS with Rosewood fretboard’. Here we have serial number 89805 with a smooth ‘B’ neck dated Dec 1963. A one-owner instrument with original Stamford case, but with changes over the decades including several different body colours and now back to Fiesta Red.

Please read the following details carefully as this is what we believe provides a complete overview of the guitar, coming from our own careful analysis, input from the original owner, and comments from other collectors who have reviewed the guitar.

• The 1963 neck is not original to the guitar. The reason the owner swapped this out in 1966 was he wanted a slightly more D shaped neck profile.
• The dark Rosewood fretboard was professionally refretted in 2020 using vintage-correct 6105 fretwire and plays beautifully.
• The tuners are not original. They have been replaced with excellent 1964 double line Klusons showing the correct Patent Nos on the body side.
• The back of the headstock shows aftermarket tuners have been on the guitar, possibly Schallers, and the holes expertly plugged. The spline holes are original.
• The neck has a replaced aftermarket decal (the original would have had the 3 patent numbers under the Fender logo) and has been refinished.
• The neck plate is original, Serial no 89805 which dates from Oct-Nov 1962 (info sourced online and from AR Duchossoir’s book ‘The Fender Stratocaster’).
• Following installation of humbucker pickups in the 1970s, the pickguard has been replaced with an aftermarket 1963 style (additional screw hole in the body to accommodate the later 1963 style pickguard).  The original pickguard is no longer with the guitar.
• The body is a 1962 Fender alder body with crude major routing around the neck and middle pickup, due to past installation of humbuckers and additional switches.
• The body has the original screw hole between the neck and middle pickups intact which indicates a 1962 body.
• The body has undergone a number of paint changes; there are traces of Lake Placid Blue, White , grey undercoat over the original Fiesta Red, as corroborated with the original owner.
• The wiring has been changed to mostly later wiring, possibly in 1990 according to the owner, along with replaced volume and tone pots, and a newer tone cap.
• The 3-way switch is original.
• Current pickups are Neck: Original 1962 black bottom, rewound by Rod ‘Slider’ McQueen in 2024, Middle: Fender c. 1966 grey bottom, Bridge: Original 1962 black bottom.
• Metal hardware including tremolo arm is all original, except for 2 screws on the bridge and 2 on the saddles. The tremolo system works well. The original chromed bridge cover is in the case, along with the original strap.
• Plastic parts are original apart from the replacement pickguard.
• It comes with its original grey Australian-made Stamford case with green velvet lining in good condition with all latches working. 

This is a vintage Stratocaster that looks, feels and plays great, despite its chequered history, and was loved and played extensively by one original owner most of its working life.

This guitar saw action on stage in Australia with the late and great Billy Thorpe and Barry ‘Lobby’ Lloyd. It presents as a smooth playing, excellent player grade guitar as it is now, with restoration option for a future owner.