A great looking early veneer fingerboard model, this 1962 Fender Stratocaster comes finished in a well-executed classic Fiesta Red refinish. With its October 1962 neck stamp, veneer fingerboard, clay dot inlays and pre-CBS appointments, it has all the right ingredients, offering the feel and look of one of Fender’s most celebrated periods while coming in as a more accessible player-grade example.

The body has been refinished in Fiesta Red over a white undercoat/primer, with the finish well applied and aged nicely. The neck and headstock have also been refinished, the decal is a replacement, with the original retained and stuck to the underside of the trem cavity plate. The correct (crack-free) mint guard and aluminium shielding plate are present and the plastics all appear correct besides the trem cover.

The correct Kluson single-line tuners are in place, as is the original bridge, trem block and saddles. The electronics tell more of the story of a guitar that has been worked on over the years, with the volume and bridge tone pots changed, while the middle tone pot dates to the 42nd week of 1962. Under the guard, the pickup masking tape has been changed, and the pickups appear to have all been rewound, with solder at the eyelets looking fresh, and coil wire a silghtly different colour than we would expect from the period. It retains the original 3 position pickup switch.

The guitar has been refretted and the nut changed. There's a nice wide/flat, slim feel to the neck profile and overall the guitar plays great.

All of this places the guitar firmly into player-grade territory, but that is often where some of the most enjoyable vintage Strats live. You still get the lightweight, resonant pre-CBS construction and quality of materials, without the worry or price tag of a completely untouched collector piece. For someone wanting a genuine 1962 Stratocaster with loads of vintage vibe and a classic look, this is a very cool example.