This vintage 1967 Fender Mustang has one of the best preserved Original Daphne Blue finishes I have ever come across. The Blue is super vibrant and looks incredible. The latest date I can find anywhere on the guitar is Valentine's Day 1967 (February 14th) and let me just say...There's a lot to Love going on in here. OMG, that was full-Quattro Formaggi! Thanks for your forgiveness-now, lets move on together...This guitar was produced in Early 1967 at the original Fender factory in Fullerton, California U.S.A. The guitar is 100% original and has been professionally set up and it is ready to go-it needs nothing. It is full of factory ink-inspection stamps and other bonus features...excellent provenance!
The body is the original pre-CBS design "slab" style offset silhouette. The finish as previously mentioned has amazing hue, and a beautiful vintage gloss that can only be found with vintage guitars. There are a few signs of handling evidence here and there-most notable is the coily-cord melt witness mark on the backside-see photos...adds a legit vibe if there ever was one. The body is factory stamped "ES" for Entered Special as are many 1966-era Mustangs. The neck slot has the perfect paint stick shadow with factory neck shim still present and the model designation "16" written in marker. There are also 2 circle-ink inspection stamps (number 2 and letter P) present. The neck joint is an excellent fitment and the neck angle is outstanding.
The neck itself is super straight and smooth as can be. It has a very cool factory inspection stamp "INSPECTED" in red ink on the backside along with the black ink stamp on the heel "16 (MUSTANG) May 66 B (standard 1 5/8" neck width)". The neck is the typical medium-C shape profile. It has a fairly wide (for a Mustang) width, measuring 1.63" wide at the nut. The neck depth measures .840" deep at the 1st fret and .915' deep at the 12th fret. The original tuners function as designed and the guitar stays in tune. The headstock and logo display excellent with a slight patina (minute line checking) see photos. The Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard has a very nice color and it is clean and very smooth to the touch. The frets have been professionally leveled, crowned and polished and they appear near-new condition-see photos. The action is set low for an easy and fast playing experience. The string height measures .010" at the 1st fret and .055" at the 12th fret. The guitar plays great up and down the fingerboard with no issues.
The pickups have an excellent signal and really amazing balance-they measures 5.95 ohms for the Neck position and 5.96 ohms for the Bridge position! Hard to beat that. The pickups sound really awesome...exactly what you want in a vintage Fender Mustang...It has the classic Mustang brilliance and warmth with that quintessential Fender "bell"tone that we all know and Love! The black bobbins are common for the very few (and therefore RARE) guitars that were assembled in 1967 at Fender. The writing on them is difficult to see until you get the right angle, but clearly is 2-14-67 on both pickups. The employee signed it "X" which is most likely Xavier Armenta (who was a known neck-sander/shaper primarily). The wiring harness is in excellent condition and the original switches function smoothly and quietly as do the potentiometers. The pots are the original "stackpole" 304 units and both have the same date code: 31st week of 1966. The original mustang pancake capacitor is in excellent condition as well. The original pearloid "mother of Toilet Seat" pickguard is nice and flat with a very slight toning that really sets off the finish well. The bridge and vibrato tailpiece function smoothly-no vibrato bar is included however.
The Mustang is super lightweight-it only weighs 7.14 lbs. It is incredible comfortable to play whether on a strap or in your lap. The offset body design sits perfectly where you want a guitar to sit. This is truly an investment-grade quality piece that you can enjoy-it is right at home in the studio, on stage or even just on the couch. LOTS of Fun.
The original Fender Salt & Pepper hard case is included, of course.
