Brand: Fender
Instrument Categories: Electric, Guitars, SOLD, Solidbody
We haven’t seen one of these for a while – a Fender L-Series Stratocaster, built during the transition to CBS ownership.
While there is technically no ‘L Series’ as such, the term refers to Fender instruments built from 1963 into 1965, using a neck plate stamped with an ‘L’ as the first character of the serial number. There is a story that the “L” was a misprint intended to be a ‘1’, but the plates were used anyway. Once CBS fully took control of Fender, the neck plates changed again, prominently bearing a stamped F. But, Fender being an economically minded company, new parts were not used until existing stock was used.
This Fender L-Series Stratocaster has a neck date stamp of 5JAN65B, and the pots date to 1965. Two of the pickups date to January 1965, one to March of 1965. The trem bridge is original, but the tuners, pickguard backplate and 5-way switch are replacements. The body is Alder, and the neck is Maple with clay position markers and one of the last Brazilian Rosewood fingerboards, as it was phased out during 1965, The neck has been refretted and fret wear is moderate. The body has been refinished, and as part of the process the original finish was removed, and unfortunately – and easy to do – the contours were ‘softened’ slightly particularly in the rear comfort cutaway.
I personally find the neck profiles and widths from this period to be some of the most comfortable.
This Fender L-Series Stratocaster is sold with its original rectangular case, and contains a period strap plus the warranty / manual with this guitar’s serial number on it.
- Model: Stratocaster
- Year: 1965
- Finish Metallic Grey Refinish
- Class: Vintage
- Serial Number: L60811, built 1965 in Fullerton CA
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Good
- Date Posted: 06/04/2022
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 7.26lbs 3.3kg
- Scale Length: 25.5in 647.7mm
- Nut Width: 1.666in 43.32mm
