FENDER 1961 STRATOCASTER

　A rare 1961 model in blonde ash and slab-board specs!! From the middle of 1959, the standard specification became the rosewood fingerboard first introduced on the previous year's 1958 Jazzmaster, and the characteristic slab board of this period had the neck and fingerboard glued together with a flat joint. For body wood, alder had been used since midway through 1956, but only the blonde finish with a visible grain continued to use ash. Blonde examples from the 1960s are rare with low production numbers.

　The basic control cavity of the 1960s. From around the middle of 1959, the pickguard changed from an 8-screw white one to an 11-screw 3-ply guard with 3-ply construction. With this change in pickguard, part of the neck pickup cavity protrudes, so the shape becomes slightly narrower.

　The routing groove for the rear pickup wiring cavity varies by individual, but from around 1957 even the bottom is rounded and shaved to a certain depth by hand.

　The jack is a Switchcraft jack. The body edge is trimmed after painting, but the finish varies by individual. The jig pin holes can also be clearly confirmed.

　The date written in the spring cavity inside the body can be confirmed as September 1961.

　Toward 1965, the area of contour processing narrows and the shape changes, such as becoming extremely slanted, so there are slight year-to-year differences in form.

　The neck pocket is painted overall. The lacquer peeling and the date stamp in the neck joint area also match “9/61,” so this can be confirmed as an original, factory-set example. From around 1962, a hanger is attached to the neck pocket during painting, so the paint no longer adheres as much.

　The bobbin, commonly called the “black bobbin,” uses black fiber paper on the top and bottom. Around 1964, it was changed from black fiber paper to gray fiber paper, commonly called the “gray bobbin.” The masking tape used to organize the wiring also remains untouched, so this is an original pickup. The pickup magnet uses a cylindrical alnico type V, and the coil uses AWG (American Wire Gauge) #42. The pole pieces use staggered rods of different heights to balance the volume, and this type continued until the mid-1970s.
※ Alnico type V: an alloy of roughly 50% iron with aluminum, nickel, and cobalt added; the name Alnico comes simply from the element symbols.
◎ For reference
〈Pickup DC resistance values〉
(F) 6.03kΩ (M) 5.98kΩ (R) 5.82kΩ

　The serial number is basically one of the important points for identifying the year of manufacture, but due to system changes including production processes, there are exceptions where the serial number and the manufacture date are far apart for some instruments, so it is not always the case that they match. Parts can also be easily swapped, so to identify the actual year, it is necessary to make a comprehensive judgment including all parts.

　The pots are round-groove types made by Stackpole, used from around 1957. The pot date is “304-6134,” so it can be identified as the 34th week of 1961. The capacitor changed from the orange ceramic capacitor used up to this year to a yellow tube. The selector switch has also unfortunately been replaced with a 5-way switch made by CRL, but it could also be said to be the minimum necessary change to prioritize ease of use, such as half-tone settings.

　As with the body, the date stamp of September 1961 can be confirmed. A rosewood fingerboard used from the middle of 1959 onward. Initially it was the standard “slab board,” which adheres flatly, and from the middle of 1962 it became the commonly called “round board,” which adheres to a curved surface. The slab board has thickness and therefore changes the sound and attack, and that is one area where tastes can differ.

　After the V-neck up to 1957, it moved to a thinner flat grip from 1958. The slimmer neck shape is also a feature until the early 1960s, but after that it gradually becomes thicker. With rosewood fingerboards becoming standard in 1959, the walnut material that was on the 1-piece maple neck is no longer used as a skunk stripe.
◎ For reference
〈Neck size〉
Nut width: 43 mm; 12th fret width: 52 mm
Neck thickness: 22 mm (at 1st fret), 26 mm (at 12th fret)

　The pegs are covered type made by Kluson. These are “single-line Kluson” tuners with “KLUSON DELUXE” stamped on them, used until around 1963.

　The gold headstock with black edging is commonly called the “spaghetti logo.” The headstock shape is almost square, with little contouring. Until 1960 there was still no patent number, and only “WITH SYNCHRONIZED TREMOLO” was printed on the bottom.

　From the latter half of 1959, spacers were added under the string guide. This reduces the load on the strings and ultimately softens the tension, so although it is a small detail, it is surprisingly important. From around 1964, they were changed to nylon spacers.