A coworker has this strat but does not play. He is lending it to me for the weekend. It has 21 frets, neck plate is stamped Corona California #64166 and in the pictures is looks like daphne blue but in person looks more like surf green. Maybe it's just faded out. Hope the pictures help. It does not say on the headstock made in the USA also can not find any serial number except for what is on the neck plate.





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Those vintage tuners are what I like! The Fender California Series Stratocasters have USA vintage style tremolos and tuners.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

It's a partscaster.
*Neck is MIM as evident by the black plastic instead of walnut around the truss rod access hole. The only 21 fret rosewood MIA neck would be the '62 reissue and it has no truss rod access or plug at the headstock, doesn't have a skink stripe on back either like this one does.

*What's all the extra writing on the headstock under the Fender logo? Fake decal?

*Neckplate is suspect. Legit neckplates do not have "Fender Corona California" AND a serial number. 64166 isn't even a legit serial number.

*Neck and body mismatch. Body is a 50's style and doesn't match up with the wannabe 60's style neck. First clue is the 50's style 1-ply pickguard with 8 screw hole pattern. I don't think Fender ever did a '57 AVRI in this color blue.

No way of knowing the origin of these parts without looking looking at the body routing and what's stamped on the neck heel. I'm still curious what all of theat verbage on the headstock says.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Yeah, but what does that have to do with this guitar? It's definately not a California Series. Wrong color, pickguard, and neckplate for starters. As for the neck, yes the CA series had the Mexican style black truss rod hole plug, BUT the CA series had "California Series" written on the headstock where "Original Contour Body" usually is. The guitar in question has an extra illegible extra word in that area at the end of the headstock. Looks fishy to me. A serial number on the back of the headstock starting with AMXN... is another indicator of a California Series.

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Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

Definitely a "Wonky-Caster" as others have opined.

The parts themselves all seem good though -- so if it plays well and sounds nice, WGARA?

Enjoy it.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Retro, if you would please, explain this to me. WGARA? Thanks!!

"Who gives a rat's azz"



Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Thanks my friend!! I'd have spent all weekend trying to figure that one out!!

Regardless, nice looking strat - love that color.

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Robert Moog - "Hey... where do all these patch cables go?"

Oh yeah! It is nice looking and I hope the OP enjoys it!! Congrats!

I meant no disrespect!

Under the stratocaster on the head stock it states 3 diferent times pat. pending and 3 different sets of patent numbers. I will take it apart and get better pictures. When I give it back to my friend I'd like to be able to say what it is.

Three patent numbers with a "spaghetti" logo connotes a headstock decal used only between early 1962 and mid/late 1964. And to my knowledge, no re-issues from Fender ever had a repro decal that included the patent numbers.

Dig deep......there's definitely more than meets the eye lurking within.

Arjay



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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Looks like a parts caster. Getting it home I noticed a lot of swirl marks on the body. Taking the neck off it looked like the body was hand painted or rattle can. There is a stamp in the neck pocket with the same number that is on the neck plate. The guts are all MIM. Neck & bridge pickups are staggered pole pieces but the mid pick up is flat pole pieces. The wiring is horrible job of splices.