The year 1962 marked a transitional period for the Fender Stratocaster, introducing several significant changes.
One of the most notable alterations was the switch from the "slab" fingerboard to a thinner "veneer" style in August 1962. Instead of a flat bottom, the new fingerboard was curved, just like the top playing surface, resulting in a much thinner layer of rosewood.
Additionally, in March 1962, Fender changed the neck dating method from a handwritten date on the butt of the neck to a rubber-stamped date. This stamp also included the neck width, with the "B" width being the most common.
Later in 1962, the paint process was modified; Fender began using a "stick" to hold the guitar in the neck pocket during painting, which left an unpainted area in the neck cavity.
The Stratocaster we have here is an early 1962 model, retaining its slab fingerboard but featuring the new stamped neck date (2MAR62B). The neck pocket is still fully painted and has nail holes from the painting process. This guitar was originally sold in the UK and comes with its original Selmer crocodile case in very good condition.
An interesting feature of this guitar is an invisible zip code (HP18 0LN) that can be seen under black light. This code corresponds to Waddesdon, near Oxford. It’s possible the owner added this mark as a discreet proof of ownership.
The guitar remains largely original, including the pickups, pots, and paint. It once had an extra switch installed, but fortunately, no internal routing was done. This resulted in a repaired hole on the pickguard and some touched-up soldering. The pickups are original, though the neck pickup has a repaired wire (original pickup, original wiring).
This guitar is a joy to play, boasting a high pickup output. It delivers everything one would expect from a 1962 slab board Stratocaster.
Specs:
- Serial: 76851
- Pickup Output: neck 6.02, middle 6.26, bridge 6.34 kOhm
- Pots Date: 304 6209 (Stackpole, 9th week of 1962)
- Neck Stamp: 2MAR62B
- Frets: Previous refret job
- Case: Original Selmer UK case