FENDER 1959 STRATOCASTER

　The year 1959 marked a major change: the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, first introduced on the "Jazzmaster" in '58, became standard on the Stratocaster and other models starting in '59. Until mid-'62, the neck-to-fingerboard joint used a flat "slab board," but thereafter it was changed to a "round board" with a curved joint surface, which significantly affected the sound.
Early models with the slab-board design featured a thick fingerboard, resulting in a rich, full-bodied tone.

　From the middle of 1959, the pickguard was changed from a white single-ply model with eight mounting points to a three-ply model with eleven mounting points. Due to this pickguard change, the area around the screw holes in the control cavity protruded slightly, making the cavity slightly narrower than before. This became the standard shape for the 1960s.

　The groove for the wiring harness at the rear pickup position varies by individual instrument, but starting around 1957, it was carved freehand with a rounded bottom and a consistent depth.

　The jack is a "SwitchCraft" model Recruit. The edges of the cavity are sanded down after painting, but the finish varies depending on the individual instrument. There appears to be what looks like a pin hole for a jig on the sanded edge, but I could not confirm this clearly.

　The body’s date is marked in the spring cavity on the back, confirming it as 1959.

　From 1957 onward, the contour tended to gradually become shallower and shorter. As you can see, the back contour is already shorter on both sides. Since these changes were made incrementally, there are subtle differences depending on the year.

　The neck pocket is fully painted. The lacquer wear at the joint matches between the body and the neck, so it is undoubtedly the original set. Starting around 1962, a hanger was attached to the neck pocket before painting, so the paint only covers half of the surface.

　Original pickups featuring black fiber paper on the top and bottom of the bobbins. These have also been preserved in their original condition, right down to the masking tape used to bundle the wiring.The pickups feature cylindrical Alnico Type V magnets and "AWG (American Wire Gauge) #42" wire for the coils. The pole pieces are of the "staggered" type, with different heights for each string to balance the volume, a design used until the mid-1970s.
*Alnico Type V: An alloy consisting of approximately 50% iron with added aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and cobalt (Co). Incidentally, the name "Alnico" is simply a combination of the chemical symbols.
◎For reference:

(F) 6.07kΩ (M) 6.10kΩ (R) 5.85kΩ

　While the serial number is generally an important factor in determining the year of manufacture, it does not always correspond exactly to the actual production date. This is due to variations in the manufacturing process and other system changes, as well as the existence of units where the serial number and production date are significantly out of sync for various reasons. Since parts can be easily replaced, determining the actual year of manufacture requires a comprehensive assessment that takes all components into account.

　The potentiometer is a round-groove type manufactured by "Stackpole" and installed around 1957. The pot date is "304-5948," which indicates week 48 of 1959.Starting around 1958, unpotted 0.1μF 150VDC capacitors manufactured by "Cornel Dubilier" were used. The switch is also an original three-way "CRL" model, characterized by a trapezoidal (rice-ball-shaped) base.

　From around the middle of 1959, the design was changed from a single-ply vinyl chloride version to a three-ply version using celluloid in a white/black/white pattern.Because the celluloid yellowed over time and blended with the dark navy blue in the center (which looks black but is actually navy), creating a greenish hue, it became commonly known as the "Green Guard." At the same time as the switch to the three-ply design, the aluminum shield plate on the back—which had previously covered only the control section—was redesigned to cover the entire body.

　Following the Jazzmaster, rosewood fingerboards were introduced in mid-1959. Initially, they were made using a slab-jointed construction that resulted in a flat surface, but from mid-1962 onward, they were made using a round-jointed construction that followed the curvature of the neck. Unfortunately, the neck date cannot be confirmed...

　After the V-neck (triangular neck) used until 1957, the design shifted to a thinner, flatter grip starting in 1958. This thin neck shape was a characteristic feature until the early 1960s. With the rosewood fingerboard becoming standard in 1959, the walnut "skunk stripes" found on the one-piece maple necks disappeared.
◎For reference:

Nut width: 42mm, 12th fret: 51mm
Neck thickness: approx. 21mm (at the 1st fret), approx. 25mm (at the 12th fret)

　The tuners are covered "Kluson" types. They are "single-line Kluson" tuners engraved with "KLUSON DELUXE" and were used until around 1963 Recruit.

　The headstock features the so-called "spaghetti logo"—gold with black outlines. It has a boxy appearance with almost no chamfering. Until 1960, there was no patent number; only "WITH SYNCHRONIZED TREMOLO" was inscribed at the bottom.

　Starting in the latter half of 1959, a spacer was added beneath the string guide. This reduced the load on the strings, resulting in softer string tension. It’s a small detail, but it’s surprisingly important.

　You can see that the shape from the fingerboard to the headstock has changed with the introduction of rosewood. While the maple version features a steep curve that appears to dip down, the rosewood version has a much larger, gentler curve.
◎For reference

1st string side: 14mm, 6th string side: 14mm

　From around 1959 to 1963, matte position markers known as "Clay Dots" were used. Additionally, sometime in 1963, the spacing between the two dot markers above the 12th fret was narrowed, and the side markers were similarly modified.

　While the frets were previously pressed in from the top, it is evident that from this period onward, they were set into the fingerboard by sliding them from the 6th string side toward the 1st string side.

　A separate-type tremolo block that integrates the "bridge" and the "inertia block," which functions as a tailpiece. The name "Synchronized Tremolo," which brought this innovative idea to life, was derived from the fact that the integrated bridge plate and inertia block move in sync (synchronously) during arm movement.Starting around 1957, a version with a deeper groove for the "FENDER PAT.PEND." stamp on the saddle began to appear, but it seems there are quite a few individual instruments where both types are mixed.

　Around 1958, the screws for the pickguard (top 11) and the jack (bottom 2) were changed from wood screws to tapping screws with threads cut all the way to the top. The screws for the neck joint and spring hanger remained wood screws. The serial number is stamped on the top of the neck plate.