A beautifully restored 1963 Fender Stratocaster, finished in a stunning faded Sonic Blue by none other than Clive Brown—widely regarded as one of the best in the game when it comes to period-correct Fender refinishes. This one’s got the look, the tone, and the feel, with a sympathetic restoration that brings it all together in a truly standout, player grade pre-CBS Strat.

The refinish is exceptional, with tasteful lacquer checking, natural-looking edge wear and dings, and just the right amount of fading to give the Sonic Blue that faded hue we all want. Many period-correct parts were carefully sourced during the restoration process, with the goal of bringing this Strat back to as close to factory spec as possible.

The neck is date-stamped June ’63. It's been refinished and a new decal has been added. It's been refretted with jumbo wire and the nut replaced. The pots are all Stackpole, the tone pots both dating to the 24th week of 1963, while the volume pot is from ’74. The pickups have been rewound in period correct wire, preserving their original tone as much as possible, and one of the single-line Kluson tuners has been replaced with a slightly later double-line version. Everything else falls right into line—plastics are of the period (the neck pickup cover slightly mismatched in appearance to the others), as is the hardware including an awesome looking crack-free mint nitrate guard completing the look.

It plays every bit as good as it looks. The neck profile is a nice all rounder medium C that's comfortable and feels easy. Tonally, it delivers all the sparkle, chime and harmonic richness you'd expect from a good set of black bottom pickups from this period, with added bite and bloom when pushed. This guitar is a joy to play clean or dirty.

Strats refinished by Clive Brown are sought after for good reason—they're accurate, tasteful, and incredibly convincing, often commanding a premium on the market. This one ticks all the right boxes, and then some. A superb pre-CBS Strat with Custom Colour looks and a great spec. Complete with period Selmer hard case.