1965 Fender Duo Sonic II, Blue

A very clean and original 1965 Fender Duo-Sonic II, finished in Blue and complete with its original salt-and-pepper hard case. The Duo-Sonic II is one of Fender’s coolest mid-’60s student models and, in simple terms, is essentially the hardtail counterpart to the Mustang. With its 24” scale length, compact body and straightforward twin-pickup layout, it has a very easy, minimalist feel and a tonal character all of its own. This example presents exceptionally well. The Blue finish remains strong and attractive, and the guitar has a very tidy, clean look throughout. The neck is dated March 1965 and has a rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, along with some lovely birdseye figuring through the maple. It is an A-width neck, measuring 37.7mm at the nut, with a depth of 20.1mm at the 1st fret and 24mm at the 12th. Hardware is all as you would hope to see, including the correct double-line Kluson tuners, single string tree and 3-ply pearl pickguard. Both grey-bottom single-coil pickups are ink dated 1965, the Stackpole pots are coded 304 6512 for week 12 of 1965, and the wiring and solder all look excellent and appear untouched. These little offset Fenders have a bright, punchy and articulate sound, with plenty of attack and a slightly leaner, more immediate response than a Strat. The fixed bridge helps keep things direct and stable, and the shorter scale gives the guitar a relaxed, easy feel under the hand. All in all, a superb, original Duo-Sonic II in excellent condition in the best colour for this model (we think anyway!) It comes complete with its original salt-and-pepper hard case and Fender polish cloth.