You may be able to make out the original the spaghetti Fender logo on the headstock. The decals have varied over the years with the spaghetti logo being the first. It was replaced with the 'transition' decal in '64. The logo with the reverse F for the first letter was designed by Bob...
During Rossmeisl’s time designing for Fender he also designed the lesser known Fender Montego, a jazz box style guitar which shares the Coronado’s fixed F tailpiece; and the 1967 Fender Wildwood which shares the Stratocaster headstock.Fender Montego is a pretty rare model with probably less tha...
So if you have a Japanese Fender with a serial number starting with either an “A” or “S”, you have to look at the decal on the heel or headstock. Made in Japan decals were made before 1997 and Crafted in Japan decals were after. You can see both serial numbers on my tables. ...
This also means that various parts used on a particular guitar may have come from different points in time, so no single number can absolutely define when the instrument was built.Instead, the best approach to dating a Fender is to combine indicators from the design of the instrument, the ...
In 1976, Fender decided to stop stamping ID numbers in guitar parts and started making decals for the guitar peghead or headstock. Along with the new location a new series of serial numbers were instituted. Fender apparently was thinking long term because they developed a serial numbering system...
All coats on the face of the headstock had always been nitrocellulose lacquer because the poly reacted with the decals underneath (This is why headstock faces sometimes age to a different color). The finishes on these guitars are very thick and glossy compared to the finishes on Fenders of ...
Other cracks, usually the Mother of all Cracks, is caused by the guitar falling over and the neck or headstock hitting something. When Gibson's do that they snap off the headstock, while a Strat will crack the neck sockets on the body! This is the weak spot on a Strat, unfortunately....