Vintage Fender Stratocaster – Slab Board – USA 1959

Here is something quite unique and very rare – a fabulous 1959 Fender Stratocaster. This one is pre L-Series, pre-CBS, and it features one of the thickest, beautiful dark Brazilian rosewood slab board fingerboards that we at Premier Guitars have ever seen! 

This one has been played, showing the common signs of player wear on a 65-year-old instrument, yet it has obviously been well looked after, and presents in excellent original condition.

There is no neck date showing but this was not unusual in 1959-60.

The body date is October 1959 as indicated by the '10/59' hand written in pencil in the tremolo spring cavity.

Serial # is 42xxx = 1960

The volume and two tone pots appear to be original and are numbered 304920 = Stackpole - May 1959.

Everything else appears to be original including black bobbin pickups, wiring, bridge & saddles, plastics and tuners. The backplate is present, along with the trem arm. The guitar has had a pro refret and as such, the frets are in excellent condition.

The 3-ply pickguard appears to be original, and is now minty green but still flat and in proper shape. No cracks, splits, buckling or any other issues.

It has a beautiful one piece C shape maple neck with and clay dot markers in the slab Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. The back of the neck is naturally worn right through to the wood, which feels just great.

The original 2-tone nitro sunburst lacquer has not been changed and there are no body finish touchups. There is some discolouration on the bridge saddles but all grub screws and adjustments are turning.

This one is way up there with some truly great vintage Strats we have listed. Super comfortable to play, it is a beautiful sounding instrument – clear, bell-like tones, with that wonderful woody sound from the neck pickup, plenty of snarl from the bridge p/u, and lots of pop & cluck from the in-between p/u settings. Relatively speaking it’s a very light Stratocaster which absolutely contributes to its lively and spacious sound.

This is a killer vintage pre-L-Series slab-board Strat – with one of the thickest Brazilian slab boards we have come across.

Comes in its original tweed Fender hard case in very-good condition.

Features:

Action at 1st Fret: 0.5mm

Action at 12th Fret: 2.0mm

Neck Depth at 1st Fret: 20.15mm

Neck Depth at 12th Fret: 24.88mm

Nut Width: 42.19mm

Width at 12th Fret: 51.63mm

Weight: 3.28kg / 7.22lb

Body Shape: Stratocaster

Body Material: Alder

Body Finish: 2-Tone Sunburst Nitrocellulose

Neck Material: Maple

Fretboard Material: Brazilian Rosewood Slab

Neck Shape: Medium "C"

Scale Length: 25.5″ (648 mm)

Number of Frets: 21

Position Inlays: Clay Dot

Bridge Pickup: Original Fender Black Bobbin (6.5 k ohms)

Middle Pickup: Original Fender Black Bobbin (6.4 k ohms)

Neck Pickup: Original Fender Black Bobbin (6.16 k ohms)

Bridge: Original Synchronised Tremolo

Tuning Machines: Original

Case: Fender Tweed OHSC