Huh...well, that seems to be a detail I overlooked. Probably not going to worry about it but I'm curious enough to see if I can find a photo of an actual 64 or 65 strat with a "correct" decal...

Hopefully going to have the nut installed next week... I'll keep eveyone posted and try and get a video or some info up about how it plays/sounds...cheers.

Well, after a number of related searches for 64 or 65 hardtail strats... I only found one picture of a 64 headstock from a hardtail, sure enough, the synchronized tremolo and serial number portion of the decal were were missing. Found a few pics of hardtail 65's but no headstock pics... so I guess they exist at least.

I'm going to chalk it up to a lazy day at the factory and leave it as is! I do have another 64/65 decal so if at some point it begins to rub me the wrong way I can sort it out.

Honestly though, half the fun of these sorts of projects for me is to find out what I've overlooked... there's always someone to point out something I hadn't thought of. If anyone does find a pic of a hardtail 65 or 65 stray with a picture of the headstock I'd love to see it...

I have a pic of a '64 hardtail in 3TBS and it most assuredly has the complete headstock decal, including the "WITH SYNCHRONIZED TREMOLO" text.

I suppose it all depended upon how consciencious the decal tech was the day a given neck hit his bench for completion. Don't worry about it.

HTH

Arjay

_________________
"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

I really like that color...it's just a great looking guitar,looking forward to more pics.

Yea, I agree with Arjay.
Check out the book the Stratocaster chronicles, it has a picture of a 65 with two contour body decals.
It looks great as it is.

Mind you, I have seen hardtails with the abbreviated headstock decal -- I grew rather disturbed about this situation after building my second vintage-spec hardtail. But after a close scrutiny of the pics in Wheeler's book (and seeing several vintage hardtails up for auction on Ebay with both decal variations) I became less "anal" about it.

Rawk on and just enjoy that new guitar......I have a feeling it's gonna be a proverbial "tone monstah".

Arjay

_________________
"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 for the info... it's just interesting to learn about all the little nuances of the production process... for me that's what makes this transition period so fascinating... lot's of rare custom colors, change in plastic, change in headstock decal, hardtail or trem... the possibilities are really quite varied as far as what might have been rolling out of the factory during that period.

In the case this latest project, it has a slightly confused identity but it is possible that something like the guitar I put together might have actually been produced. Of course, technically speaking, Ice Blue wasn't a color until 65, for either Ford or Fender... I don't know if cars used to come out early like they do today (for instance, if in 1964 Ford was advertising the "all new 65 whatever..." so it's possible that in fact there were never any 64 strats in Ice Blue. I opted for a mint green guard (more typical of 64 than 65), a 65 headstock decal, but my birthday happened to be a serial number from late 64... hence the serial number on the neck plate and possibly still might have had the new transition decal...

Anyhow, as much fun as this has all been geeking out with the trivial details of what "might have been" at this point I'm ready to get the nut installed so I can just play the damn thing! I do need to make a few tweaks to the wiring...seems I overlooked grounding the pots to one another (though things seemed pretty quiet when I plugged it in) I've also decided to bridge the middle and bridge pickups so I can use the second tone control for both of them.

Aside from those few details and installing the string tree... I think it'll be done. My local guitar tech took all this last week off so I need to touch base with him early this week to install the nut and hopefully by next weekend I can be singing the praises of how awesome this thing plays and sounds!

Have you secured a period-correct G&G case yet, JG?

The Eric Johnson case (blonde Tolex, black leather end caps, black poodle-plush interior) would be an excellent choice. I put my Firemist Gold '63 (clone) into one, looks outstanding.

Arjay

_________________
"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

Well, I do have a case kicking around for it... a Fender/G&G, black with orange interior... not period correct oh well. Do you have pics of that by any chace (the guitar and the case have perked my interest.

Not that this has anything to do with cases, strats, fender, or much else frankly but... I just came across these little beauties while poking around on the web... very cool indeed!

Oh no... I see where this is headed!!!

Sure, no problem......





Your black-and-orange case -- if it's a "no-logo" type -- would be completely apropos as well -- blonde Tolex on cases began to be phased out in favor of the black at the same time the amps changed over (ie: the early/mid 1964 timeframe).

HTH

Arjay

_________________
"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

That's a beauty! (both the guitar & the case!)

My case does have a logo on it... it's one of the newer cases. Cool, thanks for all the info Arjay...

Thanks for the kind words, JG.

The pickguard has since been switched out to mint green. As much as I willed myself to like it, that tortoise-shell simply did not work out as I had intended it.

Arjay

_________________
"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

Uhmmm, RJ,although that's a beautiful guitar,the T-shell doesn't work for me either ,post a pic of the green guard if ya don't mind,I'm partial to them I guess from growing up in the '60s..I don't know.

Here she is, with the mint guard......



Understated elegance, less drama.

Arjay

_________________
"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

+1 on the mint guard though I'm a sucker for tortoise guards too! Hey, we don't know until we try...