1965 Vintage Stratocaster Guitar-Mint Green Guard! Killer player, tone for days and true, real vibe! Start Price USD 12,000.00 Current Price USD 12,000.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, August 13, 2008 End Time Saturday, August 23, 2008 Location Soquel, CA See more about '1965 Vintage Stratocaster Guitar-Mint Green Guard!' Description The Sound of Rock n Roll and Electric Blues 1965 Pre CBS Stratocaster made between the first and third month of 1965. CBS bought Leo's business on January 3, 1965, this guitar is from that month, WELL before CBS started to make any of their now infamous changes towards the end of 1965. It is an L series #L66883. This is THE finest playing and mojoed guitar I have ever owned, I have owned it since 1987. I will say right away, I would never sell it (believe it), and I made a couple changes to it before I decided to, since I was sure it would go to the grave with me. However, where I live now I can use the sale money from this guitar to pay for a lot of the construction costs of my new home. So I have to part ways with this KILLER player for financial reasons. First off, this guitar is not for the "collector" who wants an "unmolested purely original guitar", although it is a solid investment with recoverable value. It is for the player who wants/needs the real deal on stage and who wont have to be afraid to take it out to gigs in smoky bars, coz this Strat has lived in dives, bars and night clubs all its life. In the almost 22 years its been mine there have been at least 2149 more appearances plus recording sessions added to it's history. Sorry, but I really have to laugh at people who sell REAL vintage guitars with the line; "Always been in a smokeless environment!" I don't smoke now, but what is the world coming to when a 43 year old Strat aint been played in bars, never mind. This has been a little history for it, now I'll tell you about what's "not correct" and "correct", and what changes have happened over the years: BODY-FINISH: It started life as a three tone Sunburst, yes it's a REFIN and not the absolute best of refins either, the paint's on the thick side, but it doesn't affect the body's resonance, tone or sustain. It shows wear from since it was done, gigs, gigs, the refin has lots of mojo/feel, it's over 22 years old. It is a lightweight Strat, I haven't weighed it, if you need me too, ask. After my 1962 was stolen out the back of my car in 1986 after a gig, I went shopping, I ended up one day at a Vintage Guitar show in San Jose CA. I was just walking down the aisles feeling the necks on every guitar I passed, that I could, when my hand wrapped on this one I had to make a deal regardless of what the person had done to it in the past. It was bought from Guitar Showcase's Vintage department, they had gotten it from the second owner, I'm third. The guitar is now black as you can see and it was done sometime before I bought it. It looks to me that the body was stripped before the refin as I can see the old wood at a screw hole or two, original body. I was told that the original finish was beat so bad the previous owner just went ahead with the refin. He liked black, so do I. NECK: the neck has had a repair at the peghead, as you can see in the images. This occurred because this person decided to install different tuners at some point and did not pre drill the holes for the screws. So when he screwed the first screw he started a tiny split from the screw, the split never made it through to the front of the peghead, check the images. The peghead had a very professional repair done to it that required three small dowels inserted from the top, you almost can't see them. The neck has been stable and without issues since I have owned it, NO ISSUES. My tech at the time of purchase said he could make them invisible but I didn't care and didn't want to lose gigging time with it. You can see where the old (new tuners) screw holes have been repaired also, see the images. Also at the heel there are three very tiny holes about 1mm deep max and looking at them with a loupe they look octagonal as though they were made with very small nails/tacks. Thus the shape from the cut end of the nails. What he was doing, I don't have a clue because there are no reasons for them. Once again, I never covered them up. This is THE best neck I have ever had my hands on; it's pretty thin, the way I like them and I would have to say it's more of a D shape than C to my hands. Rolled edges, etc, super fast. B neck, 7 1/4" radius and 1 5/8" nut. Frets in good to fair condition, the last fret job was in 1990 and the only one I have ever done. No buzzing, low and clean action, I would have a full-on pro do a fret job on it some time. Original frets as far as I can tell. Great looking wood on the fret board, straight as an arrow. Original tuners were reinstalled, idiot, for changing them in the first place! Transitional decal from later in the year, guitar must have been in the factory for a few months. Neck date: 2 JAN65 B PUP SWITCH, POTS & TONE: Selector switch was changed some time before I bought it to a 5 way, I don't have the original. I changed the 5 way recently to a new 5 way since the one it had was absolute toast. Pots are all original and dated: 137 6501. Selector tip original. Wiring intact original except for the switch of course and the leads to the jack & term block. I installed a new jack because of grounding issues, the old jack comes with it. Did I mention TONE? What do you expect from a guitar like this? I will answer the question for you; TONE, TONE, and lots of it, YES it has it, like the angels singing on high. Except of course if you crank your amp then... well you know. The guitar tone that made Rock an Roll and Electric Blues possible. Sorry Gibson. BRIDGE & SADDLES: Bridge original, I installed new Fender-Fender saddles recently because I didn't want to twist on the original hex screws that hard. The original Fender-PatPend saddles come with it. Comes with re-issue black tip trem arm. PUPS, PICKGUARD and KNOBS: All pups, knobs and Mint Green (semi rare by this time!) pickguard completely original. Pups have date and inspectors name hand written on them, hi Milli! Pickguard has "old" style full aluminum shield with factory stamp on it, it is also one of the last of the Nitro Mint Green guards. This is accurate to my eye and my tech. It's an old guard, and as you can see in the images from where the hand has been, it's mint green. Screws original too. CASE: There is no original case. However I do have a "beat" circa 1974-75 plush red case I can include, there is a catch though. The case is not in the same place as the guitar, if you are in the USA I will send it to you via slow ground service for free separately. If you are international we will have to make some kind of a deal because that wont be cheap. The only way an international buyer could get everything at once is to wait till around the 4th of October for shipping, your choice, of course. Please do not bid on this if you are not serious and ready to pay for it immediately! I am pricing it at the level for "non-all original, untouched" vintage Strat's, with a repair. Feel free to make an offer, I'll take a look at it and let you know, but if you are looking at this you know what even the parts are worth so don't insult me with low offers, ok? *Purchase and Shipping Information * Payment: Initial immediate payment of $1000 via PayPal to lock the deal, then the remainder in my account within 3 days via Bank Transfer/Wire(Bank of America), cashiers check or postal money order. If not a Bank Wire/Transfer, the payment will be sent via UPS, or over night, two day USPS service so you and I do not have to wait to ship things, and I do NOT have to pay the ungodly high fees! Insurance required! Any questions email me. Payment International - Anyone in the world can buy this, but you will have to wire the money to my account first, It will then ship after I see all is well. As you know, if you wire money it takes about 2-3 days to show in an account, so this is your timeline for the shipping process to start. Returns: This is an old vintage Fender Strat of 43 years age, I have represented it accurately and without exaggeration, it is in perfect working and playing order. When it goes in a box it will be that way. Sale is final, make sure you want what I have described before you commit with payments. Shipping: USA shipping - I'll split it with you, I'll pay the first $100. After a deal is made I will find out where it goes, find the cost and email immediately the amount you will add to the final payment, IF ANY. Shipping International - I will ship the guitar anywhere in the world, AFTER payment has cleared, that payment would be Bank Wire to my Bank of America account. Anyone who has an account with B of A will find inter-bank transfers are free, a plus! International shipping; I will pay the first USD$175, the same calculations apply as the US shipping, international buyer will pay any fee after the $175 when I find out where it's going. International buyer will also be responsible for any duty that must be paid.. Thanks for checking this instrument out and good luck if you are bidding, or offering! Rock on, or... Shuffle on with de Blues! Below shows the peghead repair Below shows the back side and why the repair   Rear, you can see where the changed tuner holes were repaired Below, the three tiny 1mm deep holes. Can't see them here or in the top images     I have a few more images if you need to see, email me and I will see if I can accommodate you.     Place a Bid!