1962 FENDER STRATOCASTER STRAT VINTAGE ELECTRIC GUITAR! 100% ALL ORIGINAL SONIC BLUE CUSTOM COLOR STRAT BEATLES Start Price USD 0.01 Current Price USD 29,200.00 Time Left - Bid Count 43 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Thursday, November 13, 2008 End Time Sunday, November 23, 2008 Location LA, CA See more about '1962 FENDER STRATOCASTER STRAT VINTAGE ELECTRIC GUITAR!' Description 1962 FENDER STRATOCASTER! ORIGINAL SONIC BLUE FACTORY FINISH! 100% ALL ORIGINAL with CASE! FREE SHIPPING!* ITEM: For your consideration is this incredibly rare 100% ALL ORIGINAL 1962 Fender Stratocaster in original factory sonic blue finish.  This slab-board Strat, serial #80969, features; original factory sonic blue finish over a daphne blue uunder-coat, original electronics (including; pickups, pots, capacitors, cloth wiring), all original and untouched solder joints, original matching 1962 Stackpole pots with corresponding 304 6232 date codes, original and un-cracked Green guard, original frets, all original hardware and screws, and original brown hard case. This is an extremely rare guitar given the original sonic blue finish.  Slab board Strats are rare in ANY finish, let alone a rare custom color such as sonic blue.  It is also important to note that both John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles owned and played 1962 sonic blue Stratocasters.  In fact, it was Harrison's '62 sonic blue which was later transformed into the famous "Rocky" Strat!  This is a Grade AAA collector's item, and it is very likely you will never see another 1962 Fender Stratocaster like this.  This is a guitar worthy of the absolute best guitar collection.  At this point in time, there is no better investment than this blue chip Fender Stratocaster.  Invest and enjoy one of the finest musical instruments ever made.THE STORY: The original owner of this instrument is unknown to us, however, the second (and current) owner bought the instrument used in 1968 from Canfield Music Center in Canfield Ohio.  This instrument was purchased by the current owner because of The Beatles association.   He has had the guitar ever since, and has used it on all of his recording projects.  Recently, it was brought to us to sell on his behalf.  Due to financial problems he is now forced to sell his prized possession.  The consignee is looking for the original receipt, and is confident that he may still have it.  If he finds the original receipt during the auction, we will post a photo on the auction as it will then be included.  If he finds it after the auction ends, we will gladly mail it to the winning bidder.  This instrument, as with all consigned instruments, has been thoroughly inspected and authenticated.DESCRIPTION and CONDITION: THE FINISH: As stated, the Sonic Blue Duco DuPont nitrocellulose finish, which was sprayed over a coat of Daphne Blue (the slightly darker blue color exposed beneath the light blue coat) is 100% authentic and original to this awesome guitar.  It is very common that Fender would use an entirely different color as an undercoat.  Blue instruments will often have a different shade of blue, white, or even desert sand finish as the undercoat.  The finish is over an Alder body, and has faded to a more yellowed version of Sonic blue as evident when inspecting the finish under the pickguard. which has not yellowed and remains as when the guitar was new.  The neck also retains all of it's original clear nitrocellulose lacquer finish.  The three original nail holes are easily recognized and original, as this was the means Fender employed to dry pre-1963 Fender finishes.   The neck and body share the exact same "fingerprint" where corresponding remnants of finish are transferred from the bottom of the neck to the neck pocket or vice-versa, which is only seen on original finish Fender instruments from this era that have remained assembled for the entirety of their existence.  The neck plate also makes a permanent impression upon the back of the body which results in a perfectly mirrored registration of where paint/dirt/oxidation has been sandwiched since originally assembled.  THE NECK: The neck has original single-line Kluson Deluxe tuners.  No extra holes nor any modifications were made to the headstock whatsoever.  The original Spaghetti logo is completely intact and remains very crisp.  All of the frets are original and exhibit typical, although considerably minimal, fret wear and oxidation.  The Brazilian Rosewood slab board fingerboard is very thick and has original clay dot inlays.  The neck has an ink stamped date code of "2JUN62B."  The back of the neck exhibits interesting wear consistent with that on the body.  The neck is perfectly straight, and the medium-large size soft-C profile is perfect.  This neck is the quintessential Fender slab board neck.  It feels comfortable, smooth, manageable, and effortless. THE BODY: The body is made of Alder, as can be determined by the tight and symmetrical grain pattern, which is quite apparent since the original finish has been partially absorbed by the body due to age.  All of the routs are original and beautifully display original mill marks and original saw forensics.  There are 3 original nail holes; one to the immediate left of the where the bottom of the fingerboard meets the body, one near a bottom pickguard screw hole on the bass side of the bridge, and one in the input jack cavity.  The cavities are crisp and show both wood and Daphne blue finish emerging from beneath the Sonic blue finish on ALL lightly painted cavity walls.  Unfortunately, the current owner installed a Black unlaminated after market 8-screw hole pattern replacement guard, but kept the original green guard which we uninvasively reinstalled.  What remains are two small extra screw holes under the guard, neither of which can be seen with the guitar as is.  We know that this minor issue can be easily filled and touched up, but as always prefer that the next owner make that choice. THE ELECTRONICS: The electronics are 100% ALL ORIGINAL.  The original pickups work perfectly and have not been re-wound.  The pickups sound ridiculously amazing!  All of the Stackpole potentiometers are dated 304 6232.  The 3-way switch is original, as is every solder joint on this guitar.  All of the knobs function perfectly.  Masking tape still routes the original cloth-wiring.THE PARTS and HARDWARE: All of the parts are original to this guitar.  The Kluson tuners, the string tree, the nut, the frets, the green pickguard, the knobs, the bridge block and pieces, the pickup covers, the back plate, the input jack plate, the switch tip, the strap pins, the screws, etc. ARE ALL 100% ORIGINAL to THIS STRAT!   THE ACCESSORIES: Included with the guitar is; the original brown case, and original tremelo arm. PERFORMANCE: This is not just a great Fender Strat in a rare custom color, but it is also one of the best performing slab board Strats we have ever owned.  The guitar is very light and weigns 7 pounds and 13 ounces, and feels perfectly balanced when playing with it resting upon your knee.  The neck feels amazing and the action is great.  More importantly, the guitar sounds fantastic.  All three standard positions of the 3-way switch produce very clear, robust, and dynamic harmonic tones, and the 2 positions in between do not create a nasty nasal mid-range like most Strats, rather even those extra positions sound like an extension of the given tone selections.  This guitar sounds and plays incredible.  It is not only a collector's guitar, but a very very superior quality player's instrument. *Free shipping anywhere in the United States. International buyers will pay $75 for shipping (except for Spain and Australia, please contact us regarding shipping).Vintage Gear Hollywood Agreement with Bidders <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->Please read carefully before bidding. We own a very successful retail music store in L.A. called Vintage Gear Hollywood. We have been buying and selling high quality used and vintage guitars, amps, pedals, keyboards and drums for more than 30 years, in doing so we have acquired great expertise and experience. We are recognized internationally as known experts in our field. We offer some items for sale on eBay for our customers who are unable to come in and buy from us in person. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->Shipping Policy We pack and ship hundreds of musical instruments every year. We purchase new shipping materials with the average cost of materials being $20 per instrument, this includes a new box, bubble wrap, peanuts and tape. To insure the safe arrival of your purchase, a box must be considerably larger than the instrument, this larger box is more expensive than a box the same size as the instrument but we feel it’s worth the added protection it offers. This larger box cost more to ship because shippers charge extra to the same address for a larger package, this is what they call dimensional weight. Larger packages also require more packing materials. Guitars are expensive and so is the insurance to cover them when shipped, this insurance is sometimes purchased from the shipper, sometimes covered by our store policy, sometimes a combination of both. Items are always insured. We charge a flat rate charge for domestic and international shipping because it’s easier and the charge can be published in the auction allowing the buyer to know exactly what the is total before bidding. We recommend the buyer factor in the shipping charges to their bid as opposed to seeking a cheaper alternative to our published charge. If you cannot do this we prefer that you don’t bid on our item. By bidding on our item you have in fact accepted our flat rate charge as well as all of the stated terms of our auction. Please allow at least five business days from the time payment is secured to process and ship your order. We make no promises or guarantee as to when your item will be shipped, we attend to shipping when our busy schedule allows. Sometimes we are able to ship immediately. *PLEASE NOTE*Australian buyers must now pay much higher USPS rate because of recent change in USPS policy, it will cost between three and four times the published rate. Please contact us with any questions. Refund Policy All sales are final, no refunds or exchanges. We feel that the buyer should be aware of their part in the transaction and that they have the responsibility to assume some of the liability of buying a musical instrument from us in an on line auction forum. We have always made an attempt to write a very thorough and accurate description of an instrument and to portray it with photos to the best of our expert ability. We are only interested in a successful auction experience for both the seller and buyer, we hope for the best possible outcome, we want you to be happy with your purchase. Please bid with confidence, we have supplied many on line customers with many beautiful instruments, please help us continue to do so. <!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->Vintage Gear Terms What we expect in return is positive feedback only and no less than a five star rating in each category if you choose to participate in the star rating system. These ratings are the appropriate and fair evaluation for us. We have stated our terms, policies and practices up front. In return we promise to successfully complete the transaction to the best of our ability. These are the terms we ask of those who wish to purchase instruments from us. Anything other than those ratings will force us to reconsider the buyer seller relationship and we will block buyers from bidding. These instruments are getting harder to find and there is very little expertise these days. We are only interested in dealing with  buyers that appreciate the opportunity to buy from an experienced knowledgeable and honest seller. We prefer you not bid if these terms are not acceptable, but if they you are, you are welcome and we look forward to a mutually beneficial, long and lasting relationship. John NelsonVintage Gear Hollywood Place a Bid!