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1966 Fender Stratocaster, Blue Ice Metallic
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Serial #: 144929, four bolt 'F' logo neckplate. Neck stamp: 13MAR66B
Finish: Original Blue Ice Metallic Lucite finish. Weight: 7lb. 14 oz.
Materials: Solid alder body; solid one-piece maple neck with "B" profile; solid rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays.
Hardware: All original hardware includes white staggered pole single coil pickups dated 6-20 and 6-22-66; Stackpole pots dated 3/66; three ply white pickguard; spring tremelo with bar and white cover plate; white plastic volume and tone controls and switchtip; CRL three-way pickup selector switch; double line nickel Kluson Deluxe tuners; single butterfly string retainer; "micro-adjustable" bridge saddles with nickel bridge cover; adjustable truss rod.
Notes: Forgetting your phone is annoying. Forgetting your anniversary, downright catastrophic. Forgetting a guitar for almost 60 years however, can be an exceedingly lucky break.
When its owner purchased this guitar brand new, he was looking for a bargain, and got one. At the time, it seemed that everyone wanted a sunburst Strat, so this guitar was marked down, owing to its unusual color. It was metallic. And blue. But not the more common Lake Placid Blue. The actual Lucite finish from the Fender color chart lists it as "Blue Ice Metallic' and it was offered only from 1965 to 1969, on a very limited number of instruments. (And on a Ford Fairlane of the era as well, if you were lucky.) Simply put, to behold its shimmering light azure hue is to time trip to that delicious American Graffiti era of drive-in movies, chocolate malts, and roller skating carhops.
The other lucky break was the fact that its new owner was not a thrasher. The evidence is right in the case, with some original sheet music from the likes of Dean Martin and Shirley (Goldfinger!) Bassey. And after a brief fling with this striking instrument, it was soon stashed away in favor of other interests. Until now.
Not a single screw is missing, and every one is factory original. There is no pick wear, no buckle wear, no thumb wear, no fretboard wear. The original Fender 'jumbo' frets, introduced that year, are all but pristine. The staggered pole pickups date to June of 1966, and measure from 5.51 to 5.76K. The original Stackpole pots date from the Spring of that year as well, with original capacitor, switch, wiring harness, and solder joints intact. Virtually the only signs of age would be a tiny nick on the tremelo back plate, and a pair of small dimples in the finish on the treble edge, where this gleaming guitar rested in its case for all those decades.
The neck profile is a delight to hold, the action is smooth and low, and the pickups range from a purr to a roar, depending on your mood. The case, too is just as nice as the guitar, and still holds a lode of period case candy, including a number of vintage string boxes. And the finish? Rare enough to be sure, but it did catch the eye of one Jimi Hendrix, who played a Blue Ice Strat briefly in 1968, before it disappeared altogether.
So if you've been searching for a truly spectacular '60s Strat, are a die-hard Hendrix fan, or are just trying to complete your collection of Fender's rarest colors, you might need that time machine to find a sweeter one than this. One only, call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with light gauge nickel strings (.010). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with light relief. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.
