1962 Fender Stratocaster, Fiesta Red
Simply stunning Custom Colour 1962 Fender Stratocaster in collector grade condition complete with its original Brown Tolex case. Wonderfully original internally and externally the guitar ticks every box you could wish for in a pre-CBS Fiesta Red Stratocaster.
Featuring a lightweight Alder body with a custom colour Fiesta Red finish over a light Desert Sand undercoat with all nail holes paint free. The Fiesta Red has retained its original hue with a uniform colour under the pickguard. The quality of the finish is exemplary with a high lustre uniform colour with very little checking, to be critical there are the slightest of edge marks with the front and back of the guitar as good an example of as you are likely to find. The neck has a dark ‘Slab’ Rosewood fingerboard with close spaced clay dots. The Maple itself is beautifully figured. The delicate "spaghetti" decal has survived intact and the headstock face has a single string tree.
The neck date is June 62B sitting inside the cut off for Slab Rosewood fingerboards. The serial number sits midway through the range given for 1962. The neck has a medium C profile and is a joy to play. There is next to no wear to the lacquer on the back of the neck and the original frets and nut are in excellent condition. The guitar retains its original 3-ply, 11 hole nitrate pickguard. The pickguard is crack free and has resisted twisting or warping. Lifting the pickguard the electronics beneath are equally as clean as the exterior of the guitar with 3 black fibreboard pickups, cloth wire throughout and no disturbed solder. The three Stackpole pots have a matching source code of 304 6218 and the 3-way switch is the original CRL1452 used. Single line Kluson Deluxe tuners, saddles, block and plastics are all correct and in as equally good condition as the rest of the guitar. Tremolo cover and arm are included. The case is the Brown Tolex type with burnt orange lining used between ’61-’63.
Weighing in at 7.7lbs it feels lively acoustically and amplified the pickups have a sweet, delicateness to them that suits all styles. They are well balanced from pickup to pickup and string to string. The pickups measure 6.78K, 6.59K and 6.44K neck to bridge. Measuring 42.24mm the nut width is the traditional B width. The neck depth measures 20.81mm at the 1st fret filling out to a generous 25mm even at the 12th.
Fiesta Red is such an iconic finish for many players and collectors alike with early examples in exemplary condition becoming increasingly scarce and seldom coming to market. This guitar is the complete package for anyone looking for the best, a beautiful, original piece of early 1960's history.