1961 Fender Stratocaster - Fiesta Red - Preowned

Here we have the rare opportunity to purchase a one owner original Fiesta Red 1961 Fender Stratocaster. An iconic guitar in the most sought after of finishes that has a fantastic story to tell and all the wear, aging and patina you could ever ask for!

The guitar was purchased by us from the gentleman who bought the guitar new in 1962 from a store in Denmark Street London, who then toured, recorded and played this guitar extensively for decades up until the last few years. Lots of lovely providence provided including a number of records that feature this guitar. 

The guitar is presented in great mostly original condition with heavy wear. The non original parts on the instrument are indicative of those that are simply worn through when a guitar is played as much as this one was, and we'll start with those. 

The guitar has been refretted a couple of times and the guitar currently has a set of medium jumbo frets installed that do show some extensive play wear still. There is still a good amount of height to the frets and there is easily a good level re-crown in them if not two. The re-fret work is fantastic and the ends of the frets and tangs could easily be passed as original as the work is so clean. Most importantly too, the fingerboard still retains its thickness and hasn't been plained thin during the refret process. The slab Brazilian Rosewood board is in lovely condition at a good thickness and with only minor play wear. 

To coincide with the refret the guitar also has a brass nut. Once again this has been done to a very high standard and fits the guitar well. A very popular modification in the 70's/80's and easily replaced to a factory correct bone example if preferred. We did consider a full bone nut and refret to get the guitar more factory correct for sale but decided that it was best passed on in the condition that we received it in with the next custodian having the choice of what they would like to do with it. As is the guitar plays fantastically with a decent low action and incredible neck, not a guitar you want to put down in a hurry! 

The next replaced part is the volume pot which would appear to be a 70's/80's DiMarzio pot. Again a very common part to be replaced when a guitar is played as heavily as this and is not a surprise to see. The rest of the electronics are spot on and original with pot dates dating to the 34th week of 1961 and an original flat disc capacitor and 3 factory original single coil pickups. The jack is also original to the guitar. The switch in the guitar was very quickly replaced to a 5 way as was popular on many of the original 3 way guitars.

The guitar is missing its back plate and bridge cover and though incredibly hard to tell, the tremolo arm tip does appear to be newer due to its much lighter shade of aging. The owner wasn't aware of it being changed and it is hard to tell so we are airing on the side of caution and not listing it as original.

All of the metal hardware is original to the guitar including the bridge, machine heads, string tree, strap buttons and jack plate. As well as all of the plastic hardware including the pickup covers, knobs and covers. The pickguard does show some wear but is very solid, with the shielding plate keeping things all locked together.

The neck has a lovely figuring to it and from above is very heavily flamed which looks just stunning with the amber tint the maple has taken on over the years. The truss rod works flawlessly and is set in the perfect spot not sunken into the heel and the heel bears the original pencil written date stamp of 10/61 putting the neck manufacture sign off of October 1961. The neck is very slim at the top and has that classic 60's 'C' profile that so many guitars have been modelled off of in the last few decades, perfection! 

The body shows no cracks or repairs and is a good weight all round. The original Fiesta Red finish is present and heavily worn with some fantastic areas of wear through the primer and down to the wood. There are bumps, dings and all sorts present over the body as it has been gigged and travelled with over the years. The wear on this is as real as it gets and just can't be replicated even in the depths of the Fender Custom Shop! The neck has been worn lovely and smooth and has ambered to perfection. Some of the 'Stratocaster' logo is missing and the neck shows no signs of overspray.

The guitar is a great weight at 7lb 9oz and balances perfectly played on a strap or sat down. Though a well worn beast everything on this guitar feels super solid even down to each and every screw which is tight fitting and solid. Despite the wear everything functions smoothly on the guitar including the tremolo which is amazing to use and anything adjustment wise such as the bridge saddles and truss rod. A true example of a great guitar that not only has a super high level of collectability but also playability, as shown by its well loved condition.

Supplied with the instrument are a couple of super cool period correct items. The first item is a Selmer hard shall case. A lot of these golden era Fenders were original sold with these and this one came with the guitar when purchased new. The strap is a very similar story and was purchased not long after the guitar to pair with it. Both have seen a lot of life but have years of service left in them!

Also included are a host of prints and images of the this guitar with its original owner through out the years that really put the story to this guitar wonderfully. A real great piece of guitar and music history that many will enjoy. 

All in all this is a very exciting piece and one that we are thrilled to have in the shop. A real holy grail for vintage guitar collectors particular those specialising in vintage Fenders. This guitar would have rubbed shoulders in the factory with the exact instruments that went on to live in the hands of Rory Gallager, Gary Moore and many other significant artists.

Please study the photos carefully and feel free to get in touch if anymore information is required. We have gone over this guitar with a fine tooth comb and given it a full setup and appraisal to give the next owner an exact idea of how special this guitar is!

***COLLECTION OR HAND DELIVERY WITHIN THE UK ONLY!***