1965 to 1967 Fender 12 string Stratocaster - This may be a 1st year of issue depending how you interpret the serial # info.  Excellent condition with original case and no repairs.  The same guitars in poor condition asks 12k to 20k on ebay.  This is better than their best listed.

I am looking for 20k and sell by August 2008, or will go on consignment at a local dealership.  For feedback, questions, or detailed photos, contact the author of http://www.amrow-saw.com

Good original case - no key to the lock

Sustain is great - keeps tune forever if strings are well used

Cracks in varnish are amplified by the flash of the camera

The grommet is missing from one peg.  The grommets are replaceable if I get it to a shop.

No major dings on this guitar - one is on the back 2" below the serial # plate.  This ding does not crack the finish.

Body contour on this guitar is the most comfortable of any I know.

The lacquer is worn through on the top of the neck where my thumb rests.  This was likely from a hanging stand that is no longer used.

Some surface corrosion on the string bridge - will buff off but return.

Some visible wear on the top three frets and board

Four position pickup switch gives great sound variations

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The following information originated from http://www.provide.net/%7Ecfh/fender2.html I can't vouch for it's accuracy, but there are many resources and more information on the web.  Note that most info is for 6-strings.

1964 & 1965 Fender Stratocaster Guitar

Description: 1964 & 1965 Fender Stratocaster guitar
Available: 1954 to present.
Collectibility Rating: C
Production: no official (or unofficial) production numbers available.
General Comments:
The Fender Stratocaster guitar is probably the most popular solidbody electric guitar ever made. Early models (1954 to 1965, known as "pre-CBS" models, since CBS Broadcaster Company bought Fender in January 1965) are the most collectible. Originality and condition are the two most important features of a vintage Fender Stratocaster guitar, and Fender Strats do seem to have been easily modified (due to their "bolt together" nature).

1964 and 1965 brought a number of changes to the Fender Stratocaster (and none of them good). By mid-1964, the peghead "Fender" logo changed from the petite (and rather cute) thin "spaghetti" logo to a more bold "transition" logo. The finishing procedure also changed for the Stratocaster at about the same time, allowing Fender to use body wood of lesser visual quality (and also making the sunburst finish look less appealing). By the fall of 1964 "clay" fingerboard dots where changed to Pearloid (a plastic that looks like pearl), and late 1964/early 1965 brought a change in pickguard material from the mint-green celluloid to a more stark white ABS plastic. Other minor changes ensued, all to make the production of the Fender Stratocaster quicker (cheaper). By December 1965 Fender also changed from the "L-series" serial number format on the neck plate to a "F-series" (there was now a large script "F" stamped into the metal neck plate). This change, and the enlargement of the Strat's peghead signify the end of the "pre-CBS" Fender Stratocaster (hence large peghead 1966 Fender Stratocasters are not considered pre-CBS models).

Serial number range for the 64 Fender Stratocaster are generally L20000 to L55000 (on the neck plate). Serial number range for the 65 Fender Stratocaster are generally L55000 to L99999 (on the neck plate). If you need to figure out the exact year of your pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster, use the serial number and the general features of the guitar. The serial number is located on the back metal neck plate. See the Fender Serial Number Info web page for help determining the year.

If you have a vintage pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster guitar for sale, please let me know. I am a private vintage guitar collector (not a store), and you can contact me at cfh@provide.net

The Fender Electric XII.
Collectibility Rating: D.

Introduced in late 1965, this model had unusual split pickups, much like a Precision bass. As with most twelve string guitars, its value is low especially compared to six string models. Designed by Leo Fender, the Fender Electric XII was introduced with the bulk of the production taking place in 1966. The model was discontinued around 1970. Unlike its competitors’ electric 12-string models, which were simply existing 6-string guitars with six more strings, the Fender Electric XII was a ground-up 12 string designed to capture part of the folk-rock market. The headstock was different from Fender’s usual 6 on-a-side shape, and is sometimes referred to as a "hockey stick". Leo Fender’s bridge design for this model is very simple, works well, and may be one of Fender's best designs of the 1960s. The bridge has an individual saddle for each string, allowing for precise intonation. A string-through-body design also helps to increase sustain.

Mid 1965 Electric XII specs:

• Rosewood fingerboard with pearl dots.               

Late 1965 Electric XII specs:

• White binding on neck.

Mid 1966 Electric XII specs:

• Rectangle position markers replace dots.

1968 Electric XII specs:

• Black Fender decal.
• "F" style tuning gears replaces "Kluson-Deluxe" gears.
• Polyester thick finish replaces nitrocellulose lacquer.

1969 Electric XII discontinued.

Information from http://www.provide.net/%7Ecfh/fender2.html

---------------  --------------  ------------------

The following is from http://home.exetel.com.au/mosrite/Date%20Your%20Fender_Serial%20Numbers.php

  Note that this info is for 6-strings.

In January of 1965, Fender was sold to the CBS Corporation. The serial numbers do not immediately reflect the change, as CBS continued to make instruments using existing, tooling, parts, and serial number schemes. The following chart details the Fender serial number schemes used from 1965 to 1976. You will notice that there is quite a bit of overlap of both numbers and years.