The 1964 Fender Stratocaster is also one of my favorite years for the Stratocaster. It was the mid 60s and the surfing craze had hit. To cash in on it Leo Fender had really started ramping up the custom colored Stratocasters.
Step #2 Match your serial number with the correct date. Start here if your serial number starts with only numbers, no letters. If you have letters in your serial number, skip to Chart number 3. Chart Number 1 – Numbers only no spaces. If your serial number has spaces between the first two numbers and the rest of the numbers, starts with a 76. Now about the 'E4' serial number that show up on some of the first Strat Plus': The photos above show some Plus' with the 'E4' serial number. These are 1987-88 guitars! The serial numbers on the 87-8 models have caused some confusion due to the CBS buyout and the start up of the new plant in Corona, California. In general, Fender has had a lot. The serial numbers do not reflect this change - Fender continued to make instruments using existing serial number schemes. The new Fender did not acquire any physical assets of the old company, just the name 'Fender'. Hence during 1985 to 1987, production of Fender guitars was only done in Japan, while USA Fender created a new factory in.
Last year a guy had a Fender Strat with a similar serial number, and he revealed to kcbuck that it was a Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster, olympic Pearl, Maple Neck axe made in 2000, in Corona, CA. Armed with this information, kcbuck was able to tell that poster the following regarding the value of that guitar; Mint 98%: $1,050.00 USD.
1964 Fender Stratocaster The Spaghetti VS Transition Logo
The Stratocaster itself hasn’t changed much over the years. From mid-1963 to 1964 there were just minor changes as they “transitioned” the model. However, there were quite a few minor changes including the first major change to the Fender headstock logo. First of all, Fender changed from the “spaghetti logo” to what is now known as the “transition logo” shown below.
The image on the left shows the 1963-early 1964 “Spaghetti logo” while the image on the right shows the mid-1964-1967 “transition logo”. It also has an added 4th patent number as well. Mid-1964 they added Patent Number 3,143,028 to the logo. The patent numbers on the logo are now 2,573,254 & 2,741,146 & 2,960,900 & 3,143,028.
1964 Fender Stratocaster Neck
Another change that Fender made was using Pearloid dots instead of the so-called clay dots as fret markers on the neck. The image below shows the Pearloid dots on the right and the previously used clay dots on the left.
The pearloid dots didn’t start until very late in 1964 and carried over into 1965. There are some instances where you’ll see a 1965 with clay dots and a late 1964 with pearloid dots. The reason for this is that Leo Fender was very miserly. He didn’t waste anything. So, when they were changing parts or tooling mechanisms there would be “transition pieces” like that. You can find those all throughout the Pre CBS era of Fender.
The fall of 1964 also saw the change from the celluloid “mint-green” pickguard to the white ABS plastic pickguard.
The 1964 Fender Stratocaster also stuck with the curved laminate fingerboard made of Brazilian rosewood as you can see in the image below. The main part of the neck was still rock maple and used the same truss rod as well. You can also see the neck date stamp. The 2 on the neck date is often confused for the date it was made. But, it’s actually the number for the model of guitar Stratocaster.
For instance, necks with a 4 in that spot are Jazzmasters. Precision Basses are marked with a 7. As far as build date for the neck you get the model month year. 2 Feb 64. The B at the end of the date is the neck width. You will occasionally see a width of A which is a slightly skinnier neck for smaller hands. The standard width was 1 5/8″.
Other notable changes to the 1964 Fender Stratocaster were the tuning keys. They had been using “single line” Kluson tuners since around 1956. Toward the end of 64, the Stratocaster switched to a “double line” Kluson tuner as seen in the image below and to the right.
1964 Fender Stratocaster Body and Finishing
Fender continued to use the paint stick (which was a piece of conduit flattened on one end) screwed into the upper bout side of the neck pocket as shown below.
1964 also brought on the use of more pieces of wood to make the body and less appealing looking wood because it was cheaper that way. They were trying to make the guitars faster by speeding up production. So, on the sunburst models, the yellow was now being sprayed after the initial yellow dye. It made the yellow look more milky colored to cover up the wood more. Also, the color separation didn’t blend as well as previous models. The 1963 Stratocaster is on the left and the 1964 is on the right in the image below.
One thing you would also see from 1962-1964 was the very occasional use of Mahogany as a wood for the body. Over the years, I’ve seen a handful of authentic mahogany body Stratocasters from that time frame. Here is an example that Eddie Vegas has on his site for sale right now. I’ve always been intrigued with the mahogany strat bodies. They give off a little bit of a different sound than the normal alder does. Very sweet sounding.
1964 Fender Stratocaster Pickups
Since its inception the Stratocaster had been using the black bottom single coil pickups. The only change to them had been around late 1959-early 1960 when they changed from winding them north wound to south wound.
They started the year off with the standard south wound black bottoms then around the spring to early summer started stamping the bottom of the pickups with a yellow date on the bottom showing when it was wound as seen below.
As they moved through the year of 1964 they transitioned to a gray bottom pickup. At this point that was only change to the pickup was the color of the bottom.
1964 Fender Stratocaster Cases
There were two color options of Pre-CBS guitar cases through the year of 1964. One, was the cream colored or blonde case used from mid 1963-mid 1964 as seen below. (This one is my favorite).
Here is an image of the burnt orange crushed velvet interior.
The other case used toward the end of the year in 1964 was the black no logo case. It was exactly like the blonde case but with black tolex instead. And it’s called the no logo case because well…it had no Fender logo on it until mid-late 1965 or so.
The insides of the black cases were the same burnt orange crushed velvet interior and the black leather duck foot handle on the case pocket. The case pocket as seen in the above image is angled with the larger side being on the headstock end of the case. These cases were smaller than cases we see today.
1964 Fender Stratocaster Serial Numbers
Serial number range for the 1964 Fender Stratocaster is generally L20000 to L55000 (on the neck plate). If you need to figure out the exact year of your pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster, use the serial number and the general features of the guitar. The serial number is located on the back metal neck plate.
Highlights
Mid 1964 Fender Stratocaster specs:
- A gold Fender peghead decal thicker than previous “spaghetti” logo. This is known as the “transition” Strat logo. Now has 4 patent numbers (3,143,028 added).
- The finish on the sunburst changes (especially the yellow, which is now sprayed in addition to the yellow body dye, and is far less translucent). Sunburst finish has a more “target” look with a more dramatic change of the three colors, with less blending between colors.
Late 1964 Fender Stratocaster specs:
Fender Guitar Serial Number Decoder
- About 12/64 the “nail holes” are no longer present under the pickguard.
- Pearloid fingerboard dots replace “clay” dots. This transitions in with the 1/4″ fingerboard dots converting to pearl first, followed by the smaller side dots becoming pearloid.
- Plastic white three layer pickguard replaces the “mint green” celluloid (this happens about 12/64 to 3/65, though early style mint green celluloid pickguards can be found on some Strats throughout 1965).
- Tuners change from “single line” Kluson Deluxe to “double line” Kluson Deluxe (where “Kluson” and “Deluxe” are now in two vertical parallel lines).
- Contouring of the body is even less dramatic, especially at the right forearm.
- Pickups change from “black bottom” to “gray bottoms”. Dates are often seen on the bottom of the gray pickups in either a black hand-written pen, or in a yellow ink stamp.
- The metal spacer below the butterfly string tree was replaced with a white plastic spacer.
- Peghead Fender decal has 4 patent numbers (2,573,254 & 2,741,146 & 2,960,900 & 3,143,028).
See the previous year’s 1963 Fender Stratocaster.
See the next year’s 1965 Fender Stratocaster.
Back to the Pre-CBS Stratocasters Home Page
Fender guitars are a rarity in the music industry. It’s a brand whose reputation is strong enough to even reach outside that sphere and into the general public knowledge. Ask someone what a Strat is and they might be light on details. But they’ll still be able to give a general description of it. But when one looks closer there’s a lot which even experts might be surprised to find within the brand’s history.
History of the Fender brand
The Fender brand began with the work of an inventor named Leo Fender. Leo ran a small electronics repair shop. His specialty was radio, but he also had a steady stream of customers who wanted him to look at various items related to creating music. He was especially intrigued by the problems he’d spot in amplifiers. Leo’s tinkering with the designs would lead him to co-found a small company called K & F Manufacturing Corp. This is where Leo first saw the potential in designing and selling custom audio equipment. Finally, in 1946, Leo headed out on his own to create Fender Electric Instrument Company. During that year he would also create his first guitar to sport the now famous F logo.
By 1950 he was ready to take his now perfected prototypes onto the market. The Fender quality was readily apparent. But other factors helped launch the brand into the public eye. Fender was able to keep up with demand in a way that his competition couldn’t thanks to his modular design. He also had brilliant marketing which not only worked with the evolving culture of the time but might have even helped shape it. The highly mobile and fun portrayal of Fender’s design led quite smoothly into the rock and roll lifestyle of the late 50s and early 60s.
Fender would eventually agree to an offer by CBS and sold his brand for $13 million in 1965. Design changes during this period were often due to cost cutting measures that many musicians disagreed with. In 1985 ownership was again sold, this time to the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company. Renamed to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC), ownership was again in the hands of people who were first and foremost dedicated to music.
Fender Electric Guitar Models
Fender Musicmaster
Created in 1956, this was Fender’s first 3/4 scale student-model. It features a single-piece maple neck and fingerboard. In 1964, it was redesigned with a choice of 24 inches or 22.5-inch scale neck. This was technically a Musicmaster II but was usually just called a Musicmaster.
Fender Duo-Sonic
Launched in 1956 as a student model guitar. It features two Duo-Sonic single-coil pickups. It uses the typical Fender bolt-on construction. The guitar is also notable for the shorter scale neck, designed to make it more suitable for younger guitarists. The Duo-Sonic was originally issued only in a tanned “Desert Sand” color.
Guild Guitar Serial Number Lookup
Fender Coronado
Released in 1965, it offers a rare divergence from the typical Fender style. It’s the first hollow body design from Fender and has a unique aesthetic. The guitar uses a maple neck and rosewood fretboard. Fender Coronado gained sudden notoriety when used by Elvis in the movie Speedway.
Fender Jaguar
Launched in 1962, it’s notable for using a switching system with separate lead and rhythm circuits. At the time of release, it was the highest quality Fender guitar on the market. It finally gained large scale popularity in the 80s and 90s among the punk and alt-rock scene.
Fender Jazzmaster
Released in 1958, it was marketed toward jazz bands but found a larger audience in California’s surf culture. The off-waist body shape was designed around the needs of guitarists in a sitting position. A notable inclusion is the tremolo lock used to keep it from going out of tune.
Fender Mustang
Released in 1964, the solid body design was a reinvention of the Fender guitar student line. The Fender Mustang combined a short scale with a unique tremolo arm and two single-coil pickups. Later popularity in the alt-rock scene has led to a high level of interest among collectors.
Fender Starcaster
Released in 1976, this was Fender’s first semi-hollow body offering. It’s notable for using the Fender guitar bolt-on neck design rather than the industry standard for semi-hollow body guitars. The Starcaster highly memorable due to the number of high profile guitarists that make public use of it on a regular basis.
Fender Stratocaster
Released in 1954, this Fender guitar is also known simply as a “Strat”. It’s particularly notable for the now iconic and often imitated aesthetic design. The double-cutaway design uses a distinctive horn shape to provide extra balance. The Stratocaster was also the first Fender guitar with a contoured body.
Fender Telecaster
Released in 1950, it was the first solid-body electric guitar to prove commercially successful. It’s also notable for proving the viability of Fender’s bolt-on neck design. Additionally, it’s quite similar to the original prototype guitar made by Fender when he was first evaluating the market.
Fender Jagstang
This Fender guitar was designed by Kurt Cobain to blend the best features of the Fender Jaguar and Fender Mustang. Two left handed models of the guitar were specially crafted for Cobain’s use. A heavily modified version would eventually become an iconic symbol of the performer.
Fender Telesonic
A particularly rare variation on the Fender Telecaster design. It features a distinctive chambered body made of mahogany. The Fender guitar also has single coil pickups along with a Wilkinson stop-tail. The neck is constructed from rosewood over maple. This marks a particularly distinctive design for Fender guitars.
Fender Starcaster
A line of student guitars. Despite a similar name, these are distinct from the Fender Starcaster. The line generally has three single coil pickups, 21 or 22 frets, and a basswood or Agathis body. The CBS headstock may be painted to match the body.
Finding serial numbers on a Fender guitar
Identifying a guitar will usually involve matching up serial numbers. The modular nature of Fender’s design can make this a somewhat difficult process. Over the years Fender changed serial number placement on various models and parts. As a result, it can create misleading or missing information as parts are exchanged.
There are a few places on a Fender guitar where a serial number might be found, and which will usually correlate with a manufacturing date:
Fender Stratocaster Model Number Lookup
- 1950 – 1954 the serial numbers were typically placed on the bridge.
- 1954 – 1963 the serial numbers were placed on the neck plate.
- 1963 – 1965 the serial numbers were usually placed on the neck plate and prefaced with an uppercase L.
- 1965 – 1976 the serial number was often found with the distinctive big F on the neck plate.
If the serial number isn’t in these locations than one should check the back vibrato cover plate, the front and back of the headstock or the area between pickup and saddles.
Final Thoughts on Fender Guitars
Fender guitars are just as remarkable for their history as their sound. The Fender line began by taking the standard of the day and improving on it. But this quickly changed into an exploration of the nature of music. Fender’s creations helped amplify and merge sounds to create a new type of harmony. It gave new voice to solo artists and helped manage the distinct sounds of bands into something totally new.