This one is on display in our Vintage Vault Museum! Amazing and super clean example of a 1965 Stratocaster. It retained its original hardshell case as well.
Below are some interesting details and differences between the 1964 and 1965 Strats courtesy of guitarhq.com.
Late 1964 Fender Stratocaster specs:
About 12/64 the "nail holes" are no longer present under the pickguard.
Pearloid fingerboard dots replace "clay" dots. This transitions in with the 1/4" fingerboard dots converting to pearl first, followed by the smaller side dots becoming pearloid.
Plastic white three layer pickguard replaces the "mint green" celluloid (this happens about 12/64 to 3/65, though early style mint green celluloid pickguards can be found on some Strats throughout 1965).
Tuners change from "single line" Kluson Deluxe to "double line" Kluson Deluxe (where "Kluson" and "Deluxe" are now in two vertical parallel lines).
Contouring of the body is even less dramatic, especially at the right forearm.
Pickups change from "black bottom" to "gray bottoms". Dates are often seen on the bottom of the gray pickups in either a black hand-written pen, or in a yellow ink stamp.
The metal spacer below the butterfly string tree was replaced with a white plastic spacer.
Late 1965 Fender Stratocaster specs:
Peghead design enlarged significantly about 12/65 (known as the "large peghead" Strat).
Maple fingerboard optional (2 piece neck, no "skunk stripe").
Peghead Fender decal has 5 patent numbers (2,573,254 & 2,960,900 & 2,741,146 & 3,143,028 & 2,817,261).
Often the "film" of the peghead "Fender Stratocaster" decal is much larger. This large film decal only lasted a month or two, around 12/65. (But I have also seen this large film decal used in 1966.)
After serial number L99999, the serial number plate now has a large script "F" (known as a "F plate"). The serial number starts at 100000 but with no preceeding "L".
Check out our vast selection of Fender Custom Shop relics on our website! We are one of the largest Fender Custom Shop dealers in the world, so if we don't have what you are looking for, we can get it for you. The Custom Shop is creating some of the best playing and sounding reissues on the planet! The really do look and feel like the real deal! (Trust us, we know, because we can compare them to the real deal) . WE do many special runs through the Custom Shop and always have many for sale. Please contact us if you would like us to order you a Fender Custom Shop Reissue... sales@bizarreguitar.com or give us a call at 775-331-1001!
This particular 1965 Stratocaster is on display in our Vintage Vault, it is not currently for sale. We estimate it's value between $20,000-$30,000