A super vibey and characterful 1966 Fender Stratocaster in its original sunburst finish, this one’s led a fascinating life—spending most of its years in Southeast Asia and Australia, where it’s developed a wonderfully unique patina and discolouration. The finish has taken on a warm, almost orangey hue, and combined with the natural play wear, it gives the guitar a really distinctive look.

Spec-wise, it has the larger headstock with the transition Fender logo, double-line Kluson tuners, pearl dot inlays, and a white pickguard sitting atop the sunburst body. Underneath you’ll find a trio of black-bottom pickups, all original and full of chime, punch, and clarity. The electronics include a set of original Stackpole pots dated to 1966, some work has been done to the ground wiring at some point, the guard is a slightly later foil shielded version and the switch has been changed to a 5-way for modern versatility.

Other changes include some overspray to the back of the neck and back of the headstock but it appears to have been done some time ago and it's wearing in nicely. There are some filled holes on the back of the neck where it sits in the pocket. It's also missing it's back plate and it has had a very well done refret with slightly larger frets.

Tonally, it delivers exactly what you want from a good mid-’60s Strat—sparkle, bite, warm mids and beautifully balanced cleans, with just the right amount of compression and top-end sweetness. There’s a liveliness to this one that makes it inspiring to play, and the overall look and patina give the guitar a familiarity the moment you pick it up.

A cool looking Strat with lots of mojo! Comes in a modern hard case.