Fender Coronado I Special, Sunburst (1966)

This rare, early-run Fender Coronado I blends unmistakable DeArmond tone with thinline charm and a bit of mystery—likely a special pre-launch build from the model’s 1966 debut.

One of the more unique offerings from Fender's post-CBS lineup is the short-lived but ultra-vibey Coronado. This model came to market in 1966 likely aimed at competing with Gibson/Epiphone and their Casino, but it didn't quite take off enough to make a serious impact. That being said, these Coronados certainly make for a lovely sounding thinline that sound nothing like their solidbody counterparts.

Outfitted with an original set of DeArmond-built single coil pickups and Fender's own bridge and tremolo tailpiece, the Coronado has a bright and sparkly tone with a nice airy response. Those DeArmonds remain true to form even in a Fender-built instrument - that unmistakable voice is there. Light on the midrange, and those high and low frequencies have some nice pop to them with a hint of compression.

You might be looking at this guitar and wondering "Why does it say Coronado I on the peghead but have two pickups?" Great question! While we can't say with absolute certainty that it's a factory job, this Coronado is stamped "SPECIAL" on the back of the headstock. Combined with a March 1966 neck heel ink stamp, this is likely one of the first Coronados Fender produced, destined for the NAMM trade show that summer, or possibly a future celebrity endorsee. We hypothesize that it started out as a single pickup model that Fender converted to a twin pickup - maybe for the show? Maybe after? Who knows, frankly. We still love that it's got the simplified control array with a single volume and tone knob and 3-way switch. The wiring harness was replaced at some point with similar CTS pots, but the pickups are original Fender equipment.

The neck sports a super comfortable Slim/Medium Oval C neck shape with moderate taper and original Medium Jumbo fretwire. It's got nice natural play wear that feels perfectly broken in and smooth. The tuners are of the later Schaller-made Fender F tuner variety and work great. There's some light finish touch-up surrounding the tuner bushings, but no cracks or breaks. The original vinyl inset vibrato tailpiece mirrors the Mustang's in terms of functionality, and works very nicely at that. An aftermarket Fender arm is included.

It's certainly not without its fair share of bumps, bruises, and some changes from years of being in service, but it's a wonderful sounding and great playing example of one of Fender's most unique offerings of the 1960s.