1959 Fender Stratocaster
Body date of 4-59 (April, 1959); Potentiometer codes of 304901 (First week of 1959). No neck dating, which is indicative of Fender necks dating from mid 1959 and early 1960.
This guitar was bought new in 1959 by the fellow who brought it our way last week. He was a high school student in Wallaceberg, Ontario, a town of then about 7500 people some 25 miles from the US border, when he bought the guitar. It was August 1959, and he had just worked for the summer in a glassware manufacturing plant to save up the $360 the Stratocaster was going to set him back. By 1960 he had formed a band with a few friends, and was playing dances in the area and getting rave reviews by the local papers. The band was called The Fender Tones, and an original band business card and newspaper clippings can still be found in the case pocket, along with the original purchase receipt for the guitar.
This Fender hardtail Strat is in excellent and 100% original condition. There have been no repairs or alterations to it in its history. No parts have been changed or removed and re-installed aside from the dried-up latex pickup height springs (the originals are provided). The original frets and fingerboard show one owner wear, as does the body; but there is no excessive wear anywhere.
Two-piece Alder body with three-tone "brown" sunburst finish, bolt-on single-piece maple neck with some gorgeous flame, Kluson single-line tuning machines, "Fender Stratocaster" headstock decal over the finish (no other headstock decals), bone nut, black Bakelite fingerboard dots, single-ply white pickguard; white pickup covers, knobs, and switch tip. This is a non-tremolo version of the Stratocaster.
All plastic components are original, all electronic components are original and unaltered. All solder-joints are original and intact. The sunburst finish is original and in excellent condition with only minor dings, and a 3-3/4" by 3/8" area of discoloration (on the front) from where stickers spelling the name of the original owner were removed. The finish on the back of the neck is worn off in the first position, and well worn up to behind the 10th fret. The fingerboard wear is consistent with that on the rear of the neck. Frets are original and fairly worn in the first position. The electronics are in excellent working order; pickup DC resistances are 5.67K (bridge) 5.67 (middle) and 5.57 (neck). The guitar weighs in at a feathery 7.1 lbs.
Needless to say, the guitar is an incredible thing to play or to behold. The neck carve is about as perfect as one can find, the pickups are full or character and life, and the acoustic resonance is really something else. Playability is very good, despite the worn original frets, and the set-up (done by us) is lovely.
The case is its original lacquered tweed rectangle hardshell, with leather ends and plush orange interior. It's in excellent condition as well, and perfectly functional.
A very exciting guitar for us to offer here.
Shipping into the USA?
Sending this guitar to a US address is easy to do, and there are no import fees, taxes, or duties to pay when it arrives. We take care of everything involved in shipping -- all you have to do unpackage the instrument when it arrives and play!
Questions? Email us anytime, or call us toll-free at 1-855-772-0424.
This guitar was bought new in 1959 by the fellow who brought it our way last week. He was a high school student in Wallaceberg, Ontario, a town of then about 7500 people some 25 miles from the US border, when he bought the guitar. It was August 1959, and he had just worked for the summer in a glassware manufacturing plant to save up the $360 the Stratocaster was going to set him back. By 1960 he had formed a band with a few friends, and was playing dances in the area and getting rave reviews by the local papers. The band was called The Fender Tones, and an original band business card and newspaper clippings can still be found in the case pocket, along with the original purchase receipt for the guitar.
This Fender hardtail Strat is in excellent and 100% original condition. There have been no repairs or alterations to it in its history. No parts have been changed or removed and re-installed aside from the dried-up latex pickup height springs (the originals are provided). The original frets and fingerboard show one owner wear, as does the body; but there is no excessive wear anywhere.
Two-piece Alder body with three-tone "brown" sunburst finish, bolt-on single-piece maple neck with some gorgeous flame, Kluson single-line tuning machines, "Fender Stratocaster" headstock decal over the finish (no other headstock decals), bone nut, black Bakelite fingerboard dots, single-ply white pickguard; white pickup covers, knobs, and switch tip. This is a non-tremolo version of the Stratocaster.
All plastic components are original, all electronic components are original and unaltered. All solder-joints are original and intact. The sunburst finish is original and in excellent condition with only minor dings, and a 3-3/4" by 3/8" area of discoloration (on the front) from where stickers spelling the name of the original owner were removed. The finish on the back of the neck is worn off in the first position, and well worn up to behind the 10th fret. The fingerboard wear is consistent with that on the rear of the neck. Frets are original and fairly worn in the first position. The electronics are in excellent working order; pickup DC resistances are 5.67K (bridge) 5.67 (middle) and 5.57 (neck). The guitar weighs in at a feathery 7.1 lbs.
Needless to say, the guitar is an incredible thing to play or to behold. The neck carve is about as perfect as one can find, the pickups are full or character and life, and the acoustic resonance is really something else. Playability is very good, despite the worn original frets, and the set-up (done by us) is lovely.
The case is its original lacquered tweed rectangle hardshell, with leather ends and plush orange interior. It's in excellent condition as well, and perfectly functional.
A very exciting guitar for us to offer here.
Shipping into the USA?
Sending this guitar to a US address is easy to do, and there are no import fees, taxes, or duties to pay when it arrives. We take care of everything involved in shipping -- all you have to do unpackage the instrument when it arrives and play!
Questions? Email us anytime, or call us toll-free at 1-855-772-0424.