Just over 60 years after its namesake predecessor, the Late 1962 Stratocaster is loaded with aged looks, sound and vibe that expertly evoke the Stratocaster in the early 1960s.

The Fender Custom Shop Late '62 Stratocaster features a two-piece select alder body and relic'd lacquer in Aged Aztec Gold. From the finish checking to every last ding, dent, and scar (plus Closet Classic hardware with showing moderate oxidization), this aged finish imparts an authentically worn-in look and feel, and tells a story of a guitar that has experienced many years of regular use in clubs and bars.

In a distinctive combination of appointments for a transitional Stratocaster from late 1962, the rift-sawn maple neck has a classic '60-style Oval "C" profile and is topped by a 9.5"-radius round-lam rosewood fingerboard with clay-dot inlays (with wide 12-fret spacing), 21 narrow tall (6105) frets and a bone nut.

Three Custom Shop hand-wound '60-'63 Stratocaster Pickups (reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup for hum cancellation in switch positions 2 and 4) deliver sought-after and dynamically expressive early-'60s Strat tones with glassy highs, slight midrange scoop, and focused lows.

Other features include Vintage Modified #2 wiring with a Tone-Saver bleed circuit (eliminates tone loss when volume is turned down), five-way pickup switch, three-ply mint green pickguard, Custom Shop vintage synchronized tremolo bridge, vintage-style tuners, wing string tree with tall metal spacer, and a deluxe hardshell case.