Product Description

Here we have a beautiful Fender Esquire from 1966 sporting a Dakota Red finish. This is a rosewood round laminated board instrument with larger fretwire and pearl fingerboard dot inlays. The neck finish, Kluson tuners, string tree, and logo are all original and in excellent condition. The frets are in excellent shape and the back of the neck shows just a hint of play wear. The serial number on the guitar is 178816. The weight is 7 lbs 4 oz and the neck depth is .82" at the first fret to .92" at the twelfth fret.

This guitar spent its early life and many decades in the UK with only a couple of owners. It has "always been" Dakota Red since it was purchased new, according to sources. Upon close inspection, it appears the Dakota Red is expertly sprayed over the original translucent white finish. The guitar also has an ash body, indicating it left California white. The body routes do not exhibit exposed wood, and the paint stick mark is a touch more round than we're used to seeing. The guitar had a neck pickup at one point that has since been removed. The mud circuit caps are gone, but a sprague .0047uF cap is inserted into the circuit. The switch, pots, tone capacitor, and grey bottom pickup all appear to be the original 1966 parts, with a couple solder connections touched up. The pickguard and switch tip are replacements. The nut is replaced and it appears that the guitar has been masterfully refretted.

It's a fantastic playing instrument, lively and resonant, with a neck that is easy to navigate. The modification to the circuit is very musical and much more usable that the original mud switch. In the three position, with the added capacitor, it achieves a nasally tone not dissimilar to a Treble Boost or fixed Wah sound and is super honky.

It is in excellent overall condition with light checking on the body and a few dings through the paint around the edges, mainly on the outer edge of the cutaway. There are small bits of paint chipped away, exposing the white undercoat, around a few of the strings ferrules and a couple spots on the neck pocket. The hardware is all clean and fairly bright still. The neck is in great shape. There is a touch of finish wear on the back of the neck at the third fret and the finish wear on the treble edge of the neck at the first and second fret that is so ubiquitous on well played Fenders of this era. There is a spot of finish chipped and worn away at the low E tuner and just next to the string tree. The front and back of the headstock display a pleasing pattern and amount of lacquer checking.

The guitar presents as extremely well-kept and cherished for many years. It ships in the original black hardshell case with orange interior.

1966 Fender Esquire Specs

• Ash Body
• Maple Neck
• Rosewood Fretboard
• Pearl Dot Inlays
• White Replacement Pickguard
• Ash Tray Bridge
• Steel Saddles
• Single Coil Bridge Pickup
• One Volume & One Tone Control
• 3-Way Toggle Switch
• 25.5" Scale Length

Product Details