Should I buy a Vintage '65 Strat ?

[Anand Mahangoe]

Hi Gentz,
I have been wondering quite a while what it is with Vintage Strats......and what is the best way : Try one....BUT please leave your wallet at home !!
I consider myself very lucky to have found one for a great price due to the nice old gentleman owner....the first owner had it since '65 and just sold it 10 months ago to the gentleman from whom I bought it and he wants to buy a '63 because that is his year of birth. Pictures and documents , sales contract are all included but most important : what a SOUND !!!!

And I was lucky enough to have played on his great vintage Fender Showman amp too and some other vintage deluxe....!

Me and my friend have checked out all the dates on every part and all is original and no scam.

I own a hell of a CS Masterbuilt Strat but after playing the Vintage '65....no way back .....NOT to mean that one is better than the other !!
Here is a short video and the full video is coming next week......

Very curious about your opinions on Vintage Strats playing , comparing , buying experiences !

 

[troyad]

I prefer old strats, particularly ash. The 54 I had was easily the best strat I've personally played. It was a body refin with some repro plastic so it was also MUCH cheaper than something with 0 issues.

 

[DutchRay]

I've had my '64 since 1999 and while I've hardly played it for years, it is such a great sounding guitar. Actually, two weeks ago I took it to rehearsal for the first time since 2006 to check if I should keep it or start looking for a new owner. Still not sure so I guess it'll stay in the stable for now.

 

[Anand Mahangoe]

I've had my '64 since 1999 and while I've hardly played it for years, it is such a great sounding guitar. Actually, two weeks ago I took it to rehearsal for the first time since 2006 to check if I should keep it or start looking for a new owner. Still not sure so I guess it'll stay in the stable for now.

Keep it man !! But what happened to that spot where the paint got ‘roasted’ ?

 

[DutchRay]

Keep it man !! But what happened to that spot where the paint got ‘roasted’ ?

It's Fiesta Red over Sunburst. From what I was told when I bought it, the guy ordered it from a shop in north-Holland which was one of the few Fender dealers back then. He had big hands and ordered the biggest neck (D-neck, 1 7/8 inch), so this one is wider than a regular (B-neck, 1 5/8 inch), he was also a Shadows fan, hence the Fiesta Red. I guess Fender had a Sunburst D-neck guitar and just reshot it in Fiesta Red to fill the order. It took him 4 months to get the guitar and like many guitars exported to Europe it came without a case, probably to cut shipping cost.

Did you score any of those amps as well? I love to have a go at that those Deluxe Reverbs!

 

[Anand Mahangoe]

It's Fiesta Red over Sunburst. From what I was told when I bought it, the guy ordered it from a shop in north-Holland which was one of the few Fender dealers back then. He had big hands and ordered the biggest neck (D-neck, 1 7/8 inch), so this one is wider than a regular (B-neck, 1 5/8 inch), he was also a Shadows fan, hence the Fiesta Red. I guess Fender had a Sunburst D-neck guitar and just reshot it in Fiesta Red to fill the order. It took him 4 months to get the guitar and like many guitars exported to Europe it came without a case, probably to cut shipping cost.

Did you score any of those amps as well? I love to have a go at that those Deluxe Reverbs!

Awesome Ray !! Looks great....ah no those amps he did not want to sell at all...hard to get them in mint condition .

 

[Anand Mahangoe]

Here are some pics :

 

[Anand Mahangoe]

and some more

 

[Wilko]

I have a '60 slabboard that I've been playing since 1986. Alder body, very light. I put taller frets on it. I love the vintage feel and the sound is awesome. I've tried a lot of other strats and it's not too hard to get that vintage feel.