A rather striking and sympathetically restored slab-board Strat, offering pre-CBS Custom Colour looks at a fraction of the price of an original model. Refinished in a beautifully judged Sonic Blue with just the right degree of ageing and discolouration, laid over a Desert Sand base coat in true period-correct fashion this one certainly has the look of a convincingly aged early-’60s custom colour Strat.

The neck is a slab-board, clay dot example with an APR 62 stamp. As part of the restoration, the headstock was veneered, the decal is a repro and the neck as a whole has been re-lacquered, with a changed nut, refret and later double-line Kluson tuners fitted. In the hand, it has a comfortable and familiar early-’60s feel, with a nut width of 41.3mm, a slim C profile at the lower end tapering out nicely towards the body measuring 20mm at the 1st fret and 24.2mm at the 12th across the depth.

The body restoration has been carried out to a high standard, with some filled backplate holes and a filled bridge pickup route. Hardware-wise, it retains the correct bridge and correct Pat. Pend. saddles. Under the guard, the tone pots are correct period Stackpole dated week 18 of 1962, while the volume pot is a later CTS replacement from 1982. The pickups comprise of 3 correct black-bottom single coils, with the neck pickup appearing to have been rewound. Readings are 5.88k in the neck, 5.76k in the middle and 5.90k at the bridge.

It weighs in at 3.52kg and feels like a lively, usable vintage Strat as you'd hope from a good player-grade example. Tonally, it delivers the clear, open and articulate response, with plenty of chime across the 5-way switch positions.

For someone wanting old wood and the look, feel and tonal character of an early custom colour Strat without the price tag of an original example, this guitar is an excellent choice!