1982 Fender American Vintage '62 Stratocaster Very Early Original

This is a very ‘early serial number’ (Neck plate V001219 - Body stamp Aug 20 1982, Neck dated 10.07.82 -pots # R1378226) 1982 Fender Fullerton-era American Vintage '62 Stratocaster in good, original condition (original 5-way switch installed, original 3 way was lost). Notably the bridge pickup is not affected (much or at all) by either of the tone pots, which work in all other positions, not sure if this was original configuration, it was like that when I originally bought the guitar.

I’ve owned this guitar since 1983 and aside from being a backup guitar on a handful of rock gigs back then it has not been played much, mainly because at the time the noiseless pickups on my fender Elite kept the hum at bay as we used way too much distortion - when you get older, you get a bit wiser. That said, it was not babied and has now got a lot of vintage mojo from being dragged all over the world - decades ago some idiot -me- over tightened the back plate and the nitro finish has cracked near the screw holes but the neck pocket and plate are still tight. Ware marks at the top of neck are from hanging on bad wall mounts. I had it set up about 7 years ago by a pro in Vancouver (they added the 4th -not original- spring in the back as I prefer hard tails) and it’s still holding great intonation, I still have the original screw in whammy bar which will come with the case and back plate.

This one is a genuine part of Fender history and a great player with lots of natural checking and a few chips in the nitro finish (front and back are in remarkably good shape), a super comfortable, straight, slim, and fast rosewood neck. The body is very resonant, a good weight and it's original pots and pickups deliver that classic 60’s tone - electronics have not been touched since 5-way switch went in. Frets in great condition considering they are the originals. Sadly, it’s time to put this lovely guitar in someone else’s hands who will play it and love it for a few more decades and I need to get my home renovations completed.  

I have a stack of photos listed on a flickr site for closer inspection and happy to answer any genuine questions or have it appraised at a shop or with a luthier in Vancouver with the buyer. I have tried to be really fair with pricing as I know vintage guitars can be hard to list but I know this is the real deal because I have had it since almost new. The price also includes the fees that Reverb charge, which I will lose on the sale. If I don't exchange in person I will only ship with FedEx for security, so it will be a bit more expensive (my friend is a regional manager, so I’ll get a half decent price). Shipping costs are just estimates at this stage, they have gone up a lot since the pandemic and vary wildly from country to country, the estimates are based on my latest research.

Guitar comes with the original tweed hard-shell case which is worn but in decent condition, original back plate, whammy bar and anything else I can find. This is a true Fender 80’s gem and will only go up in value! Please no time wasters, life is too short and way too painful!

Additional pics: message me for a private link - thanks for reading.

What Fender says:

The Fullerton factory era of Fender vintage reissue production was very brief, lasting only from 1982-84, when Fender was still manufacturing their guitars on the same machines that made the originals back in the '50s and '60s. These models marked the birth of the American Vintage line of instruments, and were the very first vintage reissue guitars ever offered by the Fender company (when in this case the model they were replicating was only 20 years old). The Fullerton-made guitars are highly prized for their rarity, tone, and connection to the origins of the Fender company.