The original pre-CBS Fender guitars know a lot of differences, year to year changes and inconsistancy. It was the era where the development of Fender guitars was day to day buisiness and where Leo Fender experimented with different construction techniques to improve the instruments or to serve the production process in whatever way. It is exactly those nuances and inconsistancy that make some years or versions so collectable.
From early 1963 on, all rosewood fingerboards where round laminated onto the maple neck. Whereas, until that time, all rosewood boards where flat slab boards onto the neck. The Time Machine, being name specifically "Late 62" and featuring a round laminated fingerboard, implies to be the prototype Strat for the standard 1963 production method of necks.
The effect on the tone of the guitar from this new way of constructing the neck is highly subtle, but we find that slab boards color the sound slightly darker and a round laminated construction -with and increased proportion of maple used for the neck- sound a bit more bright.
This is definitely the case with this particular example; this correct replica of a late ' 62 Strat sounds bright, smooth and slick. It is a particular great example for atmospheric sounds and music too. All this could as broad as sweet soul or slick funk, but dreamy soundscape stuff as well. We can imagen that players like Daniel Lanois or U2's The Edge would not think twice to pick this particular Strat!
In a distinctive combination of appointments for a transitional Stratocaster from late 1962, the rift-sawn maple neck has a classic ’60-style Oval “C” profile and is topped by a 9.5”-radius rosewood fingerboard with clay-dot inlays (with wide 12-fret spacing), 21 narrow tall (6105) frets and a bone nut. Three Custom Shop hand-wound ’60-’63 Stratocaster Pickups (reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup for hum cancellation in switch positions 2 and 4) deliver sought-after and dynamically expressive early-’60s Strat tone, with glassy highs, slight midrange scoop and focused lows.
Its two-piece select alder body wears Relic lacquer finishes in Super Faded Aged Shell Pink. From the finish checking that covers the body to every last ding, dent and scar from bridge to headstock. Plus Closet Classic hardware with showing moderate oxidization. This treatment imparts authentically worn-in look and feel and tells a story of a guitar that has experienced many years of regular use in clubs and bars.
Other premium features include Vintage Modified #2 wiring with Tone-Saver bleed circuit (eliminates tone loss when volume is turned down), five-way pickup switch, three-ply mint green pickguard, Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuners, wing string tree with tall metal spacer, deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity.
- Handcrafted using the same techniques and tooling as a '60s-era original
- Spotlight-ready Relic nitrocellulose lacquer finish with gleaming Closet Classic hardware
- Lightweight, comfortably contoured 2-piece select alder body
- Rock-solid rift-sawn maple neck with an addictive '60s-style Oval "C" back shape
- Easy-playing 9.5-inch-radius, round-lam rosewood fingerboard with 21 narrow-tall frets
- Custom Shop hand-wound '60/'63 single-coil pickups exhibit flawless Strat tones
- RWRP operation offers hum-canceling in positions 2 and 4
- Vintage Modified #2 wiring with a Tone-Saver Bleed circuit and modern 5-way switching
- Vintage-style Synchronized Tremolo and tuning machines
- Wing-style string tree with a tall metal spacer
- 3-ply mint green pickguard and period-correct small Stratocaster headstock
- Bone nut, Custom Shop "V" logo neck plate, and vintage-style clay dot position inlays
- Comes with a deluxe hardshell case, strap, and certificate of authenticity
- Model: 9236081226
