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1959 Fender Stratocaster Vintage Guitar, Collector-Grade w/ Tweed Case

$43,999.99

+ shipping

Up for sale, a 1959 Fender Stratocaster in collector-grade condition and in perfect working order, complete with a tweed "knucklebuster" case. 100% original save for a substituted vibrato arm, this Stratocaster is stunning in its presentation.

Extremely lively and resonant acoustically with a natural woody cut and sweet sustain, this Strat features an alder body and one-piece maple neck. The three black bobbin single coil pickups all retain their original windings, metering at a healthy 5.7k ohms in the neck position, 5.6k in the middle, and 5.55k at the bridge. Each position on the three-way switch is vital and distinct, faithfully channeling the natural acoustic properties of the instrument. The bridge pickup offers a bouncy, bell-like sparkle, with excellent clarity and percussive cut in the middle position, and a sweet, broad sound at the neck, ideal for thick, throaty leads. Quite simply, this 1959 Stratocaster is a prime example of the reverence afforded the "Pre-CBS" era. The guitar is lightweight at 7lbs 5oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with 11-49 strings, low action, and spot-on intonation.

The maple neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve with quite a bit of roundness in the shoulders and rolled fretboard edges, measuring .795" deep at the 1st fret and .990" at the 12th. The maple fretboard shows only very light natural finger wear through the nitro gloss, and the original slender frets are intact with good meat remaining, lightly dressed in the guitar's lifetime and currently showing only modest wear primarily beneath the plain strings on frets 1-9. The guitar plays easily in every register with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod which has needed sparingly little adjustment in the past 60+ years. The original nut measures 1.675" in width. On the headstock, the single line Kluson Deluxe tuning machines are intact and function smoothly, and the decal is nigh flawless. The neck heel is pencil dated 4-59 (April, 1959).

The solder joints are untouched, the trio of original black bobbin pickups retain their stock windings, the three-way switch is present, and the Stackpole pots have date codes from the 1st week of 1959. The original "phone book" tone capacitor is intact too. The 3/59 grease pencil date is present in the middle pickup route, rounding out the essential date codes. The vibrato unit is complete with pat. pending saddles and the original trem block. Currently utilizing three springs, the vibrato actuates very easily, with a notable touch-sensitive response. From quick flutters to more drastic dives, this vibrato unit works just as designed and the trem block is an integral part of a Strat's sustain and tonal character. The original jack cup and neck plate round out the hardware, both with gleaming chrome plating. Stock plastics comprise the remarkably clean single-ply pickguard and gently aged pickup covers and knobs

The three-tone Sunburst finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, exhibiting very faint, tight vertical lacquer checking. The finish has a strong virtually unfaded central red ring, and there are some minor dings largely on the back body edge, a spot of very light buckle wear along the edge of the belly contour, and a few additional minor marks consistent with careful use. The gloss finish on the neck profile is exceedingly clean.

A vintage tweed "knucklebuster" hardshell case is included. The case features clean brown leather ends, a trio of functional latches, and the original handle. The hangtag pictured with the case is a '90s reproduction.