An Exceptionally Fine September 1963 Pre CBS 'L Series' Three-Tone Sunburst Stratocaster
Very similar to the late great Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Number One" (when new!)

1963 Fender Stratocaster

This pre-CBS 'L Series' Stratocaster weighs just 7.50 lbs. and has a three-tone sunburst, solid alder body, contoured on back and lower bass bout. One-piece maple neck with a veneer rosewood fretboard with 21 original thin frets and clay dot position markers. A wonderful and typical '63 neck profile rising gently from the first fret (0.83 inches) to the fifth fret (0.87) to the ninth fret (0.93) to the twelfth fret (0.97) and finally to the 15th fret (1.01 inches). Small headstock with decal with "Fender" 'Spaghetti' logo in gold with black trim, "Stratocaster" in black beside it, and "With Synchronized Tremolo" and three patent numbers "2,573,254"  "2,741,146" & "2,960,900" in black below. Single "butterfly" string tree with metal spacer. Individual "single-line" Kluson Deluxe tuners with oval metal buttons, each stamped on the underside "D-169400/Patent No." The end of the neck is stamped "2 JUL 63B" and the body is dated "9/63" in pencil inside the tremolo cavity. Four-bolt neck plate with serial number "L14086" between the top two screws. Three black-bottom white plastic-covered single-coil pickups with staggered polepieces and outputs of 6.50k, 6.57k, and 5.68k. Three-layer "minty" white over black plastic pickguard with eleven screws. Three controls (one volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch, all on pickguard. The pots are dated "304 6338" (Stackpole September 1963). White plastic knobs with green lettering. Jack socket in body face. Fender "Synchronized Tremolo" combined bridge/tailpiece. There are two very small marks on the back of the body just to the left of the top left screw on the tremolo cavity cover. There are some very small surface marks on the body edges (nothing through the finish) and some fine finish checking on the top and back of the body. The neck shows very little sign of wear having most certainly been played by a rhythm guitarist. The fret wear is confined to the first five frets only with the most noticeable being on the 'B' & 'G' positions on the first two frets. The veneer rosewood fretboard also only shows very small divots on the first five frets with the most noticeable being on the first position and corresponding exactly to the very light fret wear. There is also some very light finish wear on both sides of the neck at the first five positions. This nearly fifty-nine year old Stratocaster is in exceptionally fine (9.00++) condition, and is certainly one of the finest examples that we have ever seen. Complete with the original tremolo arm, bridge cover, black leather 'Fender' guitar strap and even the original instruction manual with matching serial number. Housed in it's original Fender three-latch, rectangular 'coffee-with-cream' tolex hardshell case with orange plush lining and brown leather ends (9.00).

63 Strats have some of THE best neck profiles and are some of the best-sounding Strats ever!  Outstanding condition original decal, rosewood fretboard with original frets and nut, tight tuners, all the metal is shiny, original three-way switch.  Nice light weight at 7 pounds, 7 ounces, original tremolo arm, bridge cover, and tremolo spring cover, and original cream case (the coolest case Fender ever put out!).