Doug

Mad Mike is right on...probably the finish, or a minor crack if it is the wood. I'm a bit more conservative though...if it were mine, I'd take it to a reputable luthier and get an evaluation. I wouldn't risk it suddenly breaking clean through. Which would mean a more complex and costly repair.

No, the reissue trem arms are not the same. You'll have to do a Google search for the correct replacement. You don't need an actual 1965 vintage Mustang trem arm...I found one that fit my 1965 Mustang by slogging through the old parts bins at a guitar repair shop. I doubt your tuners are original. The originals are white plastic as you've guessed. Regarding your switch, yes, do get that working as designed. It's a great tonal option with the Mustang. Have a highly recommended tech with vintage guitar experience do the work. Don't trust it to a good all-around guitar tech who may know "

WLP, I refinished my Mustang to a natural finish...it was my first attempt at refinishing and I learnd a lot that I hope will help you. The biggest challenge is you don't know what's under that paint. Likely Poplar or another wood that may be "pieced". That is two or three different pieces of mismatched wood glued together to make the body. Even if it's a single piece of wood, some woods like Poplar have gray, brown, tan, and green streaks...not as pretty as you might want in a natural finish. So while disassembly and sanding are a challenge, exactly how to refinish a less than uniform

Detailed, clear, useful, as always, Mike. Thanks for helping to make this such a good forum...

Here's a 1966 Mustang, refin, replaced tuners, all else original ncluding OHSC. $900.00 https://reverb.com/item/173105-fender-mustang-1966-natural I'm not connected to this in any way; purely FYI.

Hi, Caleb. You have a prize there, friend. Mine was originally red and was refinished before I got it. The new finish was vintage-correct Dakota Red but the vintage value was destroyed by the refin. So I refinished it natural so the body matches the headstock & neck...the aged pearl pick-guard really stands out now. Let us know how the new nut works out. Cheers,

Wow, you have a 1965 Mustang. Me too. But wait a minute, unless you have an excellent Luthier lined up. Learning to cut a nut takes practice. Plan on having a good coach or a great instruction manual, and plan on ruining a few before you get it right, Caleb.

I'm jonesin for a Harmony Stratotone H49 Jupiter. https://www.google.it/search?q=harmony+stratotone+h49+for+sale&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=eyJpU5LIGbDa0QWft4DAAQ&ved=0CEwQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=585 If you run across one, please let me know. Thanks,

Mad Mike, you're always helpful with a ton of knowledge...thanks. Doug

Thanks for the good find, CJS... ... I was prepared not to like it (I'm a Mustang purist). But gotta admit, I like the tort with the trans-cherry and matching headstock. Really beautiful. I like the tuners' configuration and shape of the headstock. They retain the phase buttons...Yesss!...a Mustang copy without them is just a "Must". The bridge is a pretty serious compromise so this new one better be noticeably better...can't tell if it's got vibrato. I'm very curious to hear these pups. And it's at a decent price (of course no case in that). BTW, I've been living in Naples, Ita

My heart's with ya, man. I have the same need for my '65. Somebody, HELP!

Below is a reasonable reply I got from Daniel at Chicago Music Exchange. It's my understanding that the finish black light test is an accepted vintage-industry method for assessment. I replied with encouragement that in the future they include verification when their ads make extraordinary claims. Cheers, Doug Hello Doug, Thanks for the inquiry and interest. Fender made a hand full of one-off sparkle colors in the '60's. Typically they were reserved for trade show displays or special orders. Based on several references, it seems that the sparkle finishes were usually done by a lo

They never did until maybe 1970. And then it was mainly a nice cosmetic touch. The Mustang is so small and light, you (well, I) really don't need the contour. Cheers, Doug

Damn good deal...$299 USD...whew!

Can you believe this? I guess if it really is Fender factory original, as claimed, it might be worth $4,000 or $5000 USD. But more than nine grand... http://reverb.com/item/520-fender-mustang-blue-sparkle-1966