The year 1958 marked a major change when the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, first adopted on the Jazzmaster, became standard on other models including the Stratocaster starting in 1959. Until mid-1962, the neck and fingerboard were joined using a flat-faced "slab board," but thereafter the joint transitioned to a curved-faced "round board," significantly impacting the sound.
Early slab-spec models feature thick fingerboards and are characterized by a rich, full-bodied tone.
FENDER 1959 STRATOCASTER
From mid-1959, the pickguard changed from a single-ply white model with eight mounting points to a three-ply model with eleven mounting points. Due to this pickguard change, the screw hole area in the control cavity became slightly protruding, making it narrower than before. This became the basic shape for the 1960s.
The wiring groove in the rear pickup assembly varies by individual unit, but starting around 1957, it is freehand-cut with a rounded bottom and consistent depth.
Features a SwitchCraft jack. The cavity edges are shaved after painting, but the finish may vary due to individual differences. There appear to be pin holes for jig clamping on the shaved edges, though this could not be clearly confirmed.
The body dating is stamped on the rear spring cavity and can be confirmed as '59.
Since 1957, there has been a gradual trend toward shallower and shorter contours. The back contour is already shorter on both sides. Due to the detailed modifications, there are subtle differences depending on the model year.
The neck pocket is fully painted. The lacquer peeling at the joint matches both the body and neck, confirming this is undoubtedly the original set. Starting around 1962, hangers were attached to the neck pocket before painting, resulting in only half the paint being applied.
Original pickups featuring black fiber paper on both the top and bottom bobbins. These too remain in their original, untouched state, even down to the masking tape used to bundle the wiring. The pickups employ cylindrical Alnico Type V magnets and "AWG (American Wire Gauge) #42" wire for the coils. The pole pieces are staggered, with varying heights for each string to achieve volume balance, 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" simply comes from stringing together the element symbols.
For your reference
＜Pickup DC Resistance Value＞
(F) 6.07 kΩ (M) 6.10 kΩ (R) 5.85 kΩ
Serial numbers are fundamentally one of the key elements for identifying the year of manufacture. However, discrepancies can occur due to variations in the production system, including the manufacturing process itself. Furthermore, there are instances where the serial number and the actual manufacturing date are significantly different for various reasons. Therefore, they do not always correspond exactly. Since parts can also be easily replaced, determining the actual year of manufacture requires a comprehensive assessment, including all components.
The pot is a round-groove type manufactured by Stackpole, adopted around 1957.The pot date is "304-5948," identifying it as week 48 of 1959. Starting around 1958, the capacitor used was a 0.1μF 150VDC "CornelDubilier" model without potting. The switch is also the original "CRL" 3-point type, characterized by its trapezoidal (rice ball-shaped) base.
From the middle of 1959, the design changed from a single layer of vinyl chloride to three layers of celluloid in white/black/white.The celluloid yellowed with age and mixed with the dark navy blue (which looks black but is actually navy blue) in the center, giving it a greenish appearance, which is why it is commonly known as the "Green Guard". At the same time as the change to three layers, the aluminum shield plate on the back, which had only covered the control section, was changed to cover the entire body.
Following the Jazzmaster, rosewood fingerboards were adopted starting mid-1959. Early models featured a flat-laminated slab fingerboard, while mid-1962 models transitioned to a curved-laminated round fingerboard. Unfortunately, the neck date cannot be confirmed...
Following the V-neck (triangular neck) design used until 1957, the transition to a thinner, flatter grip began in 1958. This thinner neck shape remained a characteristic feature until the early 1960s. With rosewood fingerboards becoming standard in 1959, the walnut skunk stripe on the one-piece maple neck was discontinued.
For your reference
＜Neck Size＞
Nut width: 42mm, 12th fret: 51mm
Neck thickness: Approx. 21mm (at the 1st fret), Approx. 25mm (at the 12th fret)
The pegs are Kluson-made covered types. They are single-line Kluson pegs stamped "KLUSON DELUXE," used until around 1963.
The so-called "spaghetti logo" with gold lettering and black outlines. A headstock with minimal chamfering, giving it a distinctly angular appearance. Until 1960, it still lacked a patent number, bearing only "WITH SYNCHRONIZED TREMOLO" on the lower section.
Starting in the latter half of '59, spacers were added beneath the string guides. This reduces the load on the strings, resulting in softer string tension. It's a small detail, but surprisingly important.
The introduction of rosewood has altered the shape from the fingerboard to the headstock. While the maple version features a steep, stepped-down radius, the rosewood version has a much larger, gentler radius.
For your reference
＜Head Thickness＞
1st string side: 14mm, 6th string side: 14mm
From around 1959 to 1963, matte position markers called "clay dots" were used. Additionally, midway through 1963, the spacing between the two dot markers above the 12th fret narrowed, and the side markers were similarly modified.
The frets, which were previously pressed in from the top, are now 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" with the "inertia block" functioning as the tailpiece.This innovative design earned the name "Synchronized Tremolo," reflecting how the integrated bridge plate and inertia block move in sync during arm operation. From around 1957, a type with deeper grooves for the "FENDER PAT.PEND." stamp on the saddles was also adopted, though many instruments appear to have both types mixed.
Starting around 1958, the screws for the pickguard (top 11) and jacks (bottom 2) changed from wood screws to tapped 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 was stamped on the top of the neck plate.