Bay Area Vintage Guitars is proud to present this stunning and exceptionally rare 1966 Fender Stratocaster in original Lake Placid Blue from the collection of Night Ranger guitarist Brad Gillis.

This is one of those guitars that immediately tells a story the moment you pick it up. It has the look, feel, resonance, and honest wear that only comes from decades of real playing time. The neck is incredibly comfortable, the guitar is lightweight at only 7.7 lbs, and acoustically it rings loud and clear with that unmistakable mid-60s Stratocaster response. Plugged in, this Strat absolutely delivers — glassy neck tones, articulate in-between sounds, and a bridge pickup that cuts beautifully without being harsh.

One of the most fascinating things about vintage Lake Placid Blue Stratocasters is how many of them appear green today rather than bright blue. Fender originally sprayed Lake Placid Blue as a metallic blue custom color and then applied a clear coat over the finish to protect it. Ironically, that protective clear coat yellows over time, and when yellow mixes with blue, the finish gradually shifts into the greenish teal hue collectors love today. You can clearly see the brighter original blue preserved in protected areas such as the neck pocket, under the pickguard, under the neck plate, and inside the tremolo spring cavity.

This finish aging phenomenon is part of what makes vintage custom color Fenders so visually unique and desirable. No two age exactly the same.

And of course, Lake Placid Blue has serious rock history behind it. Jimi Hendrix famously played a 1966 Lake Placid Blue Stratocaster during the mid-1960s era, helping cement the finish as one of the most iconic custom colors Fender ever produced.

We inspected the pickups in great detail during evaluation. The neck and bridge pickups read within expected vintage spec, while the middle pickup measures significantly hotter at 7.5K. Despite the out-of-spec reading, we found no evidence whatsoever of a rewind. The wind pattern, wire appearance, aging, tooling marks, bobbin characteristics, and overall construction are all fully consistent with original factory winds. Vintage Fender pickups can occasionally vary substantially from the norm, and this appears to be one of those rare examples.

We included a wonderful video from Mark Agnesi when he was working at Norman's Rare Guitars because it truly reflects the great sound and tone that these Stratocasters are known for.

This Stratocaster remains all original and untouched electronically.

Condition:
Very Good vintage condition with authentic wear throughout, including edgewear, finish checking, nicks, dings, light scratches, and natural aging, exactly as you would hope to see on a real player-grade custom-color Strat from this era. The guitar has honest wear in the cowboy chord area, but the original frets still retain substantial life and play extremely well.

Details:

• Year: 1966
• Finish: Original Lake Placid Blue
• Body Material: Alder
• Neck Material: Maple
• Fretboard Material: Rosewood
• Neck Profile: Medium C
• Scale Length: 25.5"
• Weight: 7.7 lbs
• Pickup Readings: Neck: 5.55K | Middle: 7.5K | Bridge: 5.52K
• Electronics: Original and Untouched
• Case: Original Fender Hardshell Case (black tolex/no-logo version)

Regarding the case – the black Fender no-logo hardshell case is period-correct for the mid-1960s and commonly seen during the transition years around 1965–1966 before the later Fender logo/script cases became more standardized.

Why Buy From Bay Area Vintage Guitars?

Bay Area Vintage Guitars specializes in authentic vintage and collectible guitars, amps, and gear with a focus on originality, accurate representation, and player-focused instruments. Every instrument we sell is carefully inspected and evaluated in detail.

We are players and collectors ourselves, and we understand how important trust and transparency are when purchasing vintage instruments online.

Shipping:
All guitars are professionally packed with extreme care and fully insured. We ship promptly and communicate throughout the process.

Please note that vintage guitars may require minor setup adjustments upon arrival due to changes in climate and humidity during shipping. This is completely normal and expected with vintage instruments.

International buyers are welcome. Please contact us prior to purchase for an accurate shipping quote.

If you have questions or would like additional detailed photos, feel free to reach out anytime.