The year 1965 will always be a heartfelt year in the history of Fender guitars. It marks the end of the Leo Fender era and the start of the CBS ownership. And for some among us, it perhaps means the end of the "original" Fenders. Undeniably though, the mid 60's Fender guitars are just as collectable and rare nowadays as their early 60's or 50's predecessors.
What's particularly interesting about the early CBS guitars ('65 - '69) is that they still had lots of new old stock pre-CBS supply of parts and pieces that was used up first. So eventough Leo Fender was no longer with the company, the guitars from the early CBS era come with the same heart and soul as those from the early 60's.
Whatever your feel is on the "critical" mid 60's era guitars, the Fender Custom Shop is in peace with its legacy in total and this "Big Head" Strat is a straight up ode to what was the turning point of Fender's history.
To address the eliphant in the room right away; what's the deal with that Stratocaster's big head?! When CBS bought the Fender company early 1965, they didn't slide into it slowly but immediately changed a few design features of the Strat. The whole idea of enlarging the headstock came purely from an simple marketing point of view; it made place for a larger headstock decal, drawing more attention to the logo and increasing visabillity of the Fender brand. No sound or tone reasons, just good old marketing of the 1960's! CBS went with the big headstock on all guitars (except the Telecaster) from 1965 until the early 80's.
This LTD "Big Head" Strat is built like one of those early '65 jems; it features the unmistakeble 60's combo of a 2-piece alder body and a quarter sawn maple neck with 9,5" radius round laminated rosewood fingeboard. For the occassion, the Fender Custom Shop used roasted alder and maple that provides a sweet, vintage, woody tone.
The neck features a comfortable -yet not too thin- '63 C-shaped profile and late 50 / early 60's pickups and wiring; handwound Fat 60's single coils with POMO Strat Fat '50's wiring. The pickups are connected to a 5-way blade switch and a Greasebucket II Tone circuit.
The roasted neck is a gorgeous combination with the -what would in 1965 have been a rare- Candy Apple Red body finish with gold anodized pickguard. A tastefull relic aging has been applied to match the period correct replication of this guitar.
Now you know it's story, you have to know about its tone; if you're after a creamy, fat Strat rock tone, this is your match! It has sweet low-end and all the clearity of that typical Strat spank. If you play bluesrock, rock, grunge and you looking for a great Strat with all the character and vintage vibe, than this is the one.
All specs;
- Precise reproduction of a mid-60s strat with a period-correct large headstock
- Relic nitrocellulose lacquer with an 11-hole gold anodized aluminum pickguard
- Lightweight, comfortably shaped 2-piece select roasted alder body
- Quarter-sawn maple neck with '63-style "C" back shape
- 9.5-inch radius round-lam rosewood fingerboard with 21 jumbo frets
- Custom Shop hand-wound Fat '60s single-coil pickups
- RWRP control offers hum-canceling in positions 2 and 4
- POMO Strat Fat '50s wiring with a Greasebucket II Tone circuit and modern 5-way switching
- Vintage style synchronized tremolo and tuning machines
- Comes with a deluxe hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity
- Model: 9236081257
