Fender Coronado II Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1966), ser. #503080, original black tolex hard shell case.

Fender Coronado II Model Thinline Hollow Body Electric Guitar (1966), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 503080, Candy Apple Red finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case. Fender's 1966 Coronado models were the CBS management's attempt to challenge Gibson, Gretsch, and Guild in the booming 1960s hollowbody electric market. The new owners felt Fender should offer instruments to cover the entire market, not just their traditional solidbody strengths. The Coronado guitar and bass line was launched in January 1966, Just a year after CBS bought the company. While ultimately not a big hit with either Fender loyalists or players of those other brands, the Coronados remain interesting and often very attractive guitars.This early model Coronado II is finished in Fender's popular Candy Apple Red lacquer with a matching headstock. It shows some features suggesting it was likely made early in he run. Former Rickenbacker designer Roger Rossmeisel was involved in the design, and it bears some of his touches. This Coronado mates a bound, block-inlaid Fender neck to a double cutaway, thin-rimmed fully hollow body with bound edges and bound f-holes. The checkerboard binding material on the top is typically seen as a Rickenbacker feature. Finishes offered were initially only Cherry or Sunburst but the palette was quickly expanded; this is an early Custom Color example.The twin pickups on this II model are not Fender-made units but were sourced from Rowe industries, makers of the DeArmond line. These early versions have adjustable poles and thin metal covers decorated with the Fender script logo. The trapeze tailpiece has the Fender "F" in the center; a floating tremolo option was also available. The bridge on this guitar is a Jazzmaster/Jaguar style adjustable unit adapted to a floating base, one of several ideas Fender tried.The serial number on this guitar's F-marked neck plate is in a 500000 series initially used specifically for this line, though Fender soon enough harmonized the numbers with the rest of their models. These nominally out-of-sequence numbers lead some to date Coronados to the 1973-5 period, but they ceased production around 1969. While generally maligned as a failure in the 1960-70s, the Coronados -- especially this twin pickup, six-string II model -- have in later years gone on to be a better regarded instrument mating the well-loved Fender neck to a light and handy hollow body.Priced at $319.50 on introduction, the Coronado II was competitive with the Gibson ES-330 and Rickenbacker Model 330, although it never really challenged either. The most striking feature of this particular instrument is the Candy apple Red lacquer finish, popular with "the kids' of 1966 but not that common on this model. This is a good-playing and sounding guitar, far better than its original reputation suggests, and in its flashing red glory a lovely instrument too behold.Overall length is 41 1/4 in. (104.8 cm.), 16 5/16 in. (41.4 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.). This custom color Coronado is a nice example overall, appearing played but not abused showing light general wear with all original finish and hardware. The original Candy Apple Red finish remains rich with minor fade. There are some scuffs and ding marks to the face and edges with heavier belt buckle and "strap burn" marks to the back but overall not bad for 55+ years on. The back of the neck is quite clean; the matching painted headstock face has some small chips around the edge.The original owner personalized the guitar with some stick-on letters ("D.A.H.") on the upper horn; these were unfortunately later removed leaving some marks and the silhouette behind. He also etched Driver's license and social security numbers on the lower part of the neckplate; somebody really liked this guitar back in the day! All original hardware is intact and in very good shape. This Coronado has ZERO binding distress, which unfortunately is starting to plague some of these layer 1960s bound Fenders. The guitar is housed in an original 1966 Victoria-made Fender Coronado case, with some external wear and a replaced handle. It is sized for a Coronado bass or 12-string with an extended neck region. This guitar appears to have always been in this case (there are no marks from it ever housing any other instrument, and it is also personalized with the owner's initials) so this was a factory or dealer match up when new, now the second one like this we have had. The original frets have been crowned down just a bit and the guitar plays and sounds as it should, a nice example of this now-more-respected Fender oddity, a cool piece of Fender history and a better player's instrument than the critics of 1966 would ever admit! Overall Excellent - Condition.