Here's a really nice looking 1974 Fender Stratocaster in its original 3-color Sunburst finish. It was produced at the original Fender factory in Fullerton California U.S.A. It presents very nicely and the finish is shiny and beautiful. The guitar appears to be all original, with the exception of the nut and a 5-way switch instead of the original 3-way. Best of all: it represents one of the last Strats to have key desirable vintage Stratocaster features like staggered pole pickups, white pickguard/covers/knobs and serial number on the neck plate.
The body is the familiar Stratocaster shape, wearing its original Sunburst finish. The coloring is strong and the red is bright and looks killer. There is a cool woodgrain underneath the sunburst-it looks nice. The finish is clean with a nice vintage glossy quality. The top is smooth and glassy-and in excellent condition. There is minor evidence of handling here and there-mostly on the edges. Nothing noteworthy-just a few tiny pecks in the finish-see photos. Overall, it is in excellent condition. The neck joint is solid and a good fitment.
The neck itself is smooth and straight. It has a real nice vintage feel to it that you just don't get with today's guitars. The profile is best described as a vintage-C shape. The nut measures 1.62" wide and the neck depth measures .855" at the 1st fret and .925" at the 12th fret. The tuners turn freely and the guitar stays in tune. The headstock and logo display excellent with just the right touch of toning. It looks really nice and unmistakably vintage. There is a little bit of checking between the tuners that adds to the vintage vibe. The nut has been replaced with a correct size unit. The string spacing is the original setup, in fact you would never even know that it wasn't the original nut-except it is just a newer piece. The rosewood fingerboard is clean and felled nice and smooth. The frets are in excellent shape and appear near new condition-see photos. The string height measures .010" at the 1st fret and .040" at the 12th fret. The action is set low for an easy playing experience. The guitar plays great up and down the fingerboard with a soft touch.
The pickups all have an excellent signal and the requisite Stratocaster tone. The neck measures 5.47 ohms, the middle is 5.48 ohms and the bridge measures 5.69 ohms. As You can see, they have an excellent balance. The original 3-way switch has been replaced with a 5-way unit to give you the combination out of phase positions used by Hendrix and others. This was such a popular mod that Fender itself made the 5-way switch a standard-issue on all Strats soon after this time period. The harness is in excellent condition and the potentiometers all look clean and function nicely. The dates on the potentiometers date to different weeks but all 3 date to 1974. The bridge and saddles are clean as is the pickguard. The Vibrato functions smoothly.
The guitar is a medium weight-it comes in at 8.58 lbs. It is a lot of fun to play and sits great in your lap or on a strap. The pickups sound really nice and that killer Fender "bell" tone is just perfect. The original fender hard case is included for safe keeping.
I have taken several photos to show how it looks in different lighting for your viewing. Photo props including signs, straps, cords, cars, shoes, dentures, toothbrushes, dust, albums, clothes or photos are not included unless noted otherwise. Draggin’ Guitars has been collecting, buying, selling and trading as well as repairing and restoring vintage guitars amps and effects for 35+years. Our descriptions of items are honest and forthright. In fact, we got our start in mail-order back in 1989 so you can count on our detailed descriptions. We want you to get exactly what you expect-so read thoroughly and please ask questions prior to purchase. There will be a 25% restocking fee plus the full amount of our outgoing shipping charges on any return for any reason-no exceptions. Although minor changes in shipping are possible-ANY alterations including adjustments, modifications or moving the truss rod, nut, bridge, saddles or anything else on or in the guitar-will void any return policies. Please call us first. We will not be liable for 2nd or 3rd party repair ‘bench’ fees. Again-call us first. If you have any technical questions just call us on the Draggin’ Guitars hotline: 785-766-8906. Again, we welcome your call with any questions-we want your experience to be the best it can be. Our track record and reputation is #1 (go team!)-But don’t take my word for it-view our feedback and see for yourself.
