Fender Stratocaster Olympic White 1972

Few guitars capture the seventies quite like a large-headstock Stratocaster in Olympic White. This one looks truly stunning. It combines a neck from January 1972 with a body from 1973. Its serial number, 372313, falls right at the start of Fender's 1973 range.

Fender came under CBS ownership in 1965. In the years that followed, the Stratocaster changed step by step. The large headstock arrived at the end of 1965. In late 1971, Fender introduced the three-bolt neck with Micro-Tilt adjustment and the "bullet" truss rod. Those features define the Strats of the early seventies. For a long time these guitars lived in the shadow of the pre-CBS models. Today players and collectors value them for their own character.

The dates on this guitar tell an interesting story. The neck is stamped "22 JAN 72 B". The 22 was Fender's code for a Stratocaster neck, while the B stands for the standard 1 5/8" nut width. The CTS potentiometers carry the code 137 7337, which dates them to the 37th week of 1973. A 1972 neck on a 1973 body is perfectly normal for this era. Fender often used necks from stock, so parts from different months regularly came together on the assembly line.

This is a very resonant example that sounds great. You feel every chord vibrate through the body and neck. The alder body gives this Strat a balanced and open voice. The rosewood fingerboard rounds off the highs just a little. Its three single-coil pickups deliver that glassy Strat tone, with plenty of bite on the bridge pickup.

The original three-way switch has been replaced with a five-way switch. That gives you the hollow "quack" of the in-between positions without balancing the switch between two notches. The original three-way switch is included, so the guitar can easily be returned to stock. The Micro-Tilt system lets you set the neck angle without shims. The bullet truss rod adjusts at the headstock, which makes it easy to keep the setup just right. The cavities have been shielded with copper tape, which helps reduce single-coil hum.

This Stratocaster is in very good condition. It shows the usual signs of use you would expect from a Strat of this age. There are two chips in the body. You will also find natural playwear all over, in the form of scratches and small dings. The guitar was refinished in Olympic White at some point. The finish shows clear checking, also underneath the pickguard. In the neck pocket you can see white paint over a black layer. The neck has also been oversprayed at some point. There are a few extra small holes under the tuners. They show the guitar once had different tuning machines. It now carries seventies Fender tuners that appear to be original.

The output jack has been replaced. The original jack is included as well. The pickups have black fiber flatwork, which matches Fender pickups from the early seventies. We cannot say with certainty whether they are original to this guitar. One potentiometer has also been replaced. The removed pot is included with the guitar. It also appears to be an old pot from the same period. Its stamp is unclear, though. The two CTS pots in the guitar date from 1973.

This guitar has been carefully inspected for condition and playability, then set up to our Gold Standard by a luthier. We make sure it arrives in your hands exactly as it should: sounding its best, playing effortlessly and ready to be enjoyed from the very first note.

It comes in an old Fender case, together with a TFOA passport.