I got a text today from a friend of mine saying he had just bought a 1964 Fender Strat for $400. I thought he was joking, but apparently he wasn't. He was looking a craigslist ad for another guitar priced $400, and when he got to the guy's house he played it and wasn't a fan. He asked the guy if he had any other Strats for $400, and he brings out this old Fender he said he got in a trade. My friend plays it, loves it, and buys it. He looked up the neckplate serial and if it's correct it dates it to 1964.

But the neck has a CBS headstock, and a bold black logo. It's a four bolt neck though, so I did some research and if the neck is authentic it would have been manufactured anywhere between '68-'71. Is it possible for CBS and pre-CBS parts to get mixed up like that? Or maybe someone broke or replaced the original neck at some point? He sent me some pictures which I compared to guitars in my book, The Stratocaster Chronicles. It seems to be either real, or an excellent fake. I'll see it in person later this week, he's going to bring it to a guitar tech who's seen a lot of vintage Fenders and he's going to help date and authenticate the guitar. I have to ask my friend's permission to post pictures, but if he lets me I'll have some pictures up soon.

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One of those stories, everybody of us dreams about! *sigh*

If it's real, your friend is some lucky devil!! Wow!

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
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STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

It's definitely possible to find incredibly good deals on vintage guitars if you're lucky - a lot of people really have no idea they're worth any money, and just see them as old and worn out, particularly if they've inherited it rather than being the initial purchaser. You have to remember that a large portion of the general public has absolutely no idea that guitars over a couple of hundred (insert currency of your choice here) actually exist.

I have a friend who inherited a 60's Martin D-18, and asked me how much she should advertise it for - "You know about guitars, is £150 too much? It doesn't look very fancy." She was a little shocked when I told her what it was worth, and ended up getting nearly £2000 for it in the end.

Must admit I was very tempted to just give her £150 and keep her in the dark, but she was a good friend, so my conscience won through. She did slip a little cash my way as thanks, so it wasn't all bad!

Your friend is very very lucky if it is not a fake or a part o'caster. IMO CBS neck is a 3 bolts neck, not four. Can the seller fit a CBS neck on a real '64 body ?

With internet today, I would be very surprised if a seller using Craig List, so accustomed to web, do not know the value of a guitar.

But this is the season to believe in Santa Claus.

Like I read often on this forum , without picture , guitar don't not exist.

There have been some Fakes popping up on CL in the Chicago area for 400 in the past few weeks watch out.

FMI/CBS sold thousands of four-bolt neck Strats between 1965 and 1971.

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

Texasguitarsligner write;
"...... But the neck has a CBS headstock, and a bold black logo. "
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For me this is the big headstock since '69 and have the 3 bolts .
I know CBS bought Fender en of 1964 , but fot me , in '65 , 66....it is not what I call CBS headstock.

I could be wrong .

Not quite - they had the big headstock, black CBS logo, but were still 4-bolt from sometime in 1968 until mid-late 1971 when they went to the 3-bolt/bullet truss rod adjuster. So there was at least 2 full years (1969-1970) and parts of two other years (1968 and 1971) where you will find the big headstock, CBS logo and 4 bolts. Jimi's famous black and white (Woodstock) Strats were big headstock/CBS log 4-bolts from 1968, and Gilmour's "The Black Strat" started life as a 1969 Strat with the big headstock/CBS logo/4-bolt neck (as seen in the "Live from Pompeii" film).

However - I'm going to follow this thread and see what the tech says when they inspect the guitar. If the OP's friend is very lucky they have a parts guitar built from vintage Fender parts (i.e. an early 60s body, late 60s neck, and hopefully some mix pickups from the two guitars). Of course it's also possible it's a fake with a faked neck plate.

Thank's JohnC and Retroverbial , I learn with you.