1964 Stratocaster
Fender's Stratocaster model was 10 years old during the last full year of manufacturing under the company's founder. 1964 is revered by guitar players and collectors as being one of the finest years for the model before the sale to parent company CBS in January the following year. Prices for 1964 Stratocasters are still within reach of many guitar players when compared with the value for similar guitars made during the 1950s. The supply of Strats from 1964 is far higher than earlier years as a result increasing production levels during the mid 1960s.
Price of a Stratocaster in 1964
1964 Stratocaster Identification
'64 Stratocaster Photo Gallery
I am looking to collect and document Stratocaster from 1964. If you're considering selling one then you can contact me here: Sell a Fender. Or if you'd like help finding its value then check out Value of a Stratocaster.
How much did a Fender Stratocaster Cost in 1964?
The Fender price list has four different listings for the price of a Stratocaster from $259.50 to $349.50 in 1964. Fender offered most of their guitars in a few different variations with different pricing for each. Most guitar players were pretty happy with the Sunburst finish with tremolo tailpiece, so that is the most common configuration. The custom color with gold hardware Stratocaster from 1964 is extremely rare. I am looking to buy one so you can click Contact Me if you have one.
From the 1964 Fender price list:
STRATOCASTER Guitar: (no tremolo, three pickups) Sunburst finish -- $259.50 and 52.50 for the case
STRATOCASTER Guitar: (with tremolo, three pickups) Sunburst finish -- $289.00 and $52.50 for the case
STRATOCASTER Guitar: (with tremolo, three pickups) Blond or Custom Finish -- $303.97 and $52.50 case
STRATOCASTER Guitar: (with tremolo, three pickups) Blond or Custom Finish, Gold Hardware -- $349.50 and $52.50 case
1964 Stratocaster Identification
It's important to have accurate identification in order to determine the age of a Stratocaster. Here are a few important parts to identify and help find the year it was made. Check out How to date a Stratocaster for more information. Click Contact Me if you're considering selling a 1964 Stratocaster.
1. Check the serial number - You can find the serial number of a Stratocaster on the back of the body on the metal plate just below the neck. 1964 Strat serial numbers begin with either an "L" with 5 following digits from L2xxxx to about L5xxxx.
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2. Neck heel ink stamps - '64 Strats should have an ink stamp on the heel of the neck indicating when it was made, the model it's intended for, and a letter code for the neck width. The date is from when that part was made, not when the guitar left the factory. The neck heel ink stamps can help determine if the date of the neck matches the body and date codes on the electronics. The ink stamp has a model code, month, year, and a letter code for neck width. The Stratocaster model code in 1964 is 2 and the standard neck width is B.
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3. Electronics - the term "electronics" here refers to the potentiometer codes and or pickups. The pots will have date codes from when they were made. The pickups were made with black bobbins and a yellow ink stamp earlier in the year but transition to the grey bobbin and pencil date in mid to late 1964.
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4. Features - Fender continually updated small aesthetic features on each guitar model. If one feature is from a different time period then it could mean that the part has been replaced. Important 1964 features include the spaghetti or transitional logo, mint green pickguard, clay dots, and a thin veneer fretboard made of Brazilian Rosewood. The photo below show an early 1964 Stratocaster spaghetti style logo with three patent numbers. The bottom photo is of the transitional style logo with 4 patent numbers which began in late 1964.
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Gallery of 1964 Stratocasters
I've been privileged to have some great 1964 Stratocasters come through my hand. My current goal is to collect and document as many as I can to preserve the information for the future. You can click the Contact Me button to reach out if you're considering selling your Strat. Here are a few examples of '64 Strats I've had.
1964 Fender Stratocaster Foam Green
1964 Stratocaster Candy Apple Red
