Now here is a mystery!

This old Stratocaster came to us exactly like this. An absolute 'bush pig', but with mojo, tone and playability that will astound you. I'm not usually a big fan of active pickups, but the very early EMGs the guitar has been fitted with are superb! I suspect the guitar was stolen and 'rebirthed' many years ago, as there is no serial number (I did a Police check, as a previous owner's licence number is engraved on several key components of the guitar, but it came up blank). I suspect the "F" neck plate replaced the original with a serial.

The decal on the headstock is a spaghetti logo with three patent numbers (see the detailed photograph in the 'more pictures' link below), just like a '62 to mid '64 Strat, but the date on the stub of the neck has been sanded off! (once again, see pics)

The body is Alder, and has the original routs. The rear pickup rout has been deepened just slightly to clear the very early EMG active pickups the guitar is fitted with (I suspect mid-1980s, right when production of the original EMGs began), and a small notch from the front wall of the front pickup rout to enable the truss rod to be adjusted. The 'EX' stamp in the neck pocket makes me suspect the body may be a very early Japanese body, as the very earliest (and sought-after) JV serial Fenders (when production ceased in the USA and was transferred to Japan during all of 1985) were stamped in this way to indicate they were for the export (worldwide) market, and not the local Japanese market.

The 8 screw 3-ply mint green guard seems to have its original pots and switch, and the code on the visible pot indicates 21st week 1984 production. The pots are USA-made CTS units, which opens many questions and theories. Was the body and pickguard assembled in Japan just after the closure of the USA plant from USA-made components? What age is the neck? The three-patent spaghetti logo decals were never applied to any re-issues to the best of my knowledge, yet if the neck is a '63 it should be a Rosewood board. Yet the decal is definitely original and not a reproduction, as is the finish on the headstock. When was the '70s style F neck plate fitted? Etc, etc, etc...

This guitar has been played a LOT! It was never an ornament. The neck has been fitted with jumbo frets which are low, but very level and have plenty of life left in them yet. This guitar plays incredibly well, with a low and fast action, and loads of ring and sustain from the aged Olympic White Alder body. The aged Kluson tuners work well, but the top one has received an impact at some stage which has pushed the button further down on the shaft, and loosened the shaft to some extent within the body (see closeups) - it still tunes perfectly and holds tune just as perfectly!

This old Fender Strat weighs in at 3.6kg (7.9 pounds), and comes in an old, but still quite serviceable, non-original black tolex hard shell case.

The guitar is to some extent a lucky dip, but you can be sure of a guitar that sounds and plays like you won't believe, and yet has buckets of street cred.

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Sold to Shane in South Australia