1960 Fender Stratocaster

Introduced in early 1954, Fender's Stratocaster model was a revolutionary design in the rapidly evolving world of solid-body electric guitars. The model went through a number of minor specification changes throughout the 1950s - shifting from two-tone to three-tone sunburst finish in 1958; switching from a single-ply ABS pickguard to a three-ply celluloid guard in 1959; and adopting a "slab" rosewood fingerboard that same year. While the maple-neck Strats built from 1954-1958 are remarkable, many players agree that the "slab-board" version of the Stratocaster produced between 1959 and 1962 is the best variant of the model ever produced, thanks to the tonal and serviceability advantages of the thick rosewood fretboard.

An exceptionally clean, early "slab-board" Strat from the model’s golden era, this 1960 example is truly ‘collector-grade.’  It is completely original with no repairs or modifications. Apart from a handful of minor dents, chips, and small scratches, this guitar is in far better condition than most 65-year-old electrics we’ve ever seen. The original frets are in excellent condition and play well despite some light wear in the first few frets and the guitar’s original three-ply celluloid pickguard remains crack-free and shows only minimal shrinkage. 

As is the norm with Fender’s first 3-tone Stratocasters, this guitar's original finish has seen its red fade significantly, yielding a brownish sunburst that looks more like a mid-'50s two-tone finish. Similar to the cherry lacquer Gibson used on their Specials, Juniors, and Sunburst Les Pauls between 1958 and early 1960, the red pigment initially used in Fender's three-tone Sunbursts was unstable and faded from exposure to UV light. Fender remedied this issue after 1960, resulting in a more vibrant tone to their Sunbursts from 1961 onwards. 

Beautiful condition and originality aside, this 1960 Stratocaster is a spectacular sounding and playing guitar. The trio of original unmodified pickups offer a rich array of wonderfully dynamic Strat tones. The bridge pickup (5.7k) is thick and well-defined, the middle (5.9k) is articulate and chewy, and the neck (5.9K) is warm, open, and airy. The three pickups balance well with each other and offer the perfect amount of output to push an amp without compromising their touch-sensitive quality. The C-shaped neck has first fret depth of 0.834", a twelfth fret depth of 0.987", full shoulders, and a 1-5/8" nut width and is remarkably comfortable. The guitar weighs in at a respectable 7-3/4 lbs.

Neck date of June 1960 (6-60); body date of March 1960 (3/60); pot codes date to the 20th week of 1960 (304-6020), 48th week of 1959 (304-5948), and 23rd week of 1960 (304-6023).

This 1960 Fender Slab-Board Stratocaster comes complete with its original hardshell case, matching-serial-number hangtag, instruction booklet and Tolex hangtag, and its original trem arm and bridge cover. It’s a spectacular package.

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