Fender Stratocaster Black Over Sunburst Refinish 1965

During the transition period, roughly between 1963 and 1966, most guitars were characterized by a serial number starting with the letter L. This 1965 Stratocaster is one of those L-series instruments.

At the time, Fender finished the Stratocaster in the standard Sunburst, but of course that didn’t mean it had to stay that way forever. This particular guitar was refinished long ago in black, with the original sunburst and yellow undercoat still preserved beneath the new finish. The heavy playwear clearly shows that the guitar has seen plenty of use since, and a later overspray with transparent nitrocellulose lacquer has beautifully sealed those marks for eternity.

Like every vintage Fender, this Stratocaster is rich with stamps and codes that help confirm the originality of its parts. On the neck plate, we find the serial number L57569, indicating production in 1965. Other stamps and codes confirm the year the guitar left the Fender factory: the neck is marked 2MAR65B, which designates a Stratocaster neck from March 1965 with a standard 1 5/8" nut width.

In the electronics department, the Grey Bottom single-coil pickups show the handwritten code 4-22-65, accompanied by three Stackpole potentiometers with one fully legible code and two partially readable ones: the volume pot shows 304-65xx, the first tone pot 304-xxxx, and the second tone pot the complete code 304-6532, indicating the 32nd week of 1965.

The neck was also included in the overspray, which can be seen along the edge of the rosewood veneer fingerboard. The headstock was not oversprayed and proudly displays the more bold Transition logo, which replaced the thinner stylized Spaghetti logo. The guitar has been refretted with fairly wide frets, and the nut has been replaced as well. The Kluson Double Line tuners are original and show their patent numbers on the back, just like the tremolo saddles.

This Stratocaster found its way to us through Emerald City Guitars, and is truly one with a story to tell; a genuine player in every sense, as you can both see and hear!