FENDER STRATOCASTER (CBS MFG. 1965-1971) Description
- offset double cutaway alder body with smaller body contours, bolt-on four-screw maple neck, 21-fret rosewood fingerboard with clay off-white dot inlays, large Strat-style headstock, six-on-one-side tuners, tremolo bridge, three-layer plastic white pickguard, three single coil staggered height pickups, three knobs (v, two tone), three-way pickup switch, jack angled into the top, nickel hardware, available in standard 3-Tone Sunburst finish or various custom color finishes, mfg. 1965-1971.
A 1969 Olympic White Stratocaster, similar to Jimi Hendrix's model commands a substantial premium with values ranging from $15,000 to $25,000.
"CBS Mfg." notation refers to the sale of Fender Electric Instruments Company to the CBS Broadcasting Co. in January, 1965. In 1967, a maple fingerboard that was glued onto the maple neck became optional. Between 1965 and 1967, a few models featured bound fingerboards. In 1969, a one piece maple neck/fingerboard was reintroduced. In 1967, Fender chrome-plated tuning keys (F stamped) replaced the original nickel-plated Kluson tuners.