SOLD - Vintage Fender Stratocaster - USA 1954

SOLD

A guitar like this needs no introduction. The Fender Stratocaster changed music forever. In 1954 the planets aligned when the small-town radio repairman and in-no-way-guitarist Leo Fender designed, as if by magic, the most iconic electric guitar the world has ever seen.  

The early days of Fender were small. Californian radio repairman/inventor/tinkerer had been having success making amplifiers for country musicians around the local area. His amps were solid, reliable and thoroughly practical. In 1949 the Fender Esquire hit the market. Its practicality, despite its Spartan appointments, proved a hit due to its strong, reliable function-over-form approach as the first commercially available solid body guitar. Shortly after came the Broadcaster – based on the same design with upgrades such as a front pickup and adjustable truss rod. In 1952 the guitar was rebranded the Telecaster and little has changed since then.  

In 1954 Fender had been working on a new guitar. This was to be a ‘deluxe’ model of the Fender Telecaster. It would feature the same scale length, materials and solid body construction with bolt on neck. The guitar was to feature three pickups, and a vibrato system that Leo had been working on (misnamed ‘tremolo’). Leo added curved edges to the body and extended the top horn out to better offset the weight of the neck. (Some of the lighter telecasters suffered from neck dive). This extended top horn was a feature taken from their successful Fender ‘Precision’ Bass - introduced in 1951.  

Fender knew they had made something special. The sound, feel, and playability of this new guitar was something else. It also looked out of this world. This was more than just a Telecaster ‘deluxe’ this was unlike anything that had come before it. Fender had taken guitar design into the stratosphere. The name Stratocaster couldn’t be more fitting.  

Presentation 

This guitar is an honest, well-loved and well cared for instrument. It’s seen the bars and juke joints at the inception of rock and roll. If guitars could talk, eh? 

The paint is bone stock original. Under a black light there are no signs of repair, overspray or finish touch ups. The neck is straight and true with a nice medium C profile. The original 7 ¼" radius neck holds 21 original frets with very usable levels of fretwear. The original rounded pickup covers have minimal cracking. Cracking was common on these early pickups as the grade of plastic hadn’t been perfected. Early pictures of Buddy Holly with his 54 Strat show extensive cracking on the pickups even though his guitar was only a couple of years old at the time. Very early on this guitar has had its volume and tone control pots replaced. We can only speculate, but it was common for control knobs on these 1954 examples to crack due to the brittle plastics. As 1954 tone/volume pots had a different shaft to later pots, replacement pots were required to go with the new control knobs. Only one date code is visible on these pots which dates to 1956. This could have easily been an early factory repair.  

Feel/Sound 

The sound of this guitar is big and warm. Almost jazzy on the front pickup. It has a deep, rich tone with a clear top end sparkle. The bridge pickup has telecaster like twang. The original 3 position pickup selector works as it should. The light ash body has a full resonance, testament to the ageing of these fine tonewoods. If you haven’t already, take a look at our YouTube demo here. 

Notes 

This guitar has been owned since 1991 by a founding member of a world-famous Australian rock band. It was purchased from renowned collector and dealer Albert Molinaro at Guitars-R-Us on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California.  

Conclusion 

Electric guitars don’t get much more historically significant than this one. The research on this guitar has been extensive. Please get in touch if you have any questions. We would be happy to assist you.  

Specs: 

Scale length: 25.5 

Fretboard Radius: 7 ¼"  

Action at 1st fret: 0.3mm 

Action at 12th fret: 2.5mm 

Neck depth at 1st fret: 22.2mm 

Neck depth at 12th fret: 24.95mm  

Nut Width: 41.4mm 

12 fret width: 50.5mm 

Neck material: Maple 

Fretboard inlays: Black dot 

Body: Ash 

Body size at lower bout: 322mm 

Front Pickup: 5.47K 

Middle Pickup: 5.27K 

Bridge Pickup: 5.49K 

Tuners: Original, unbranded 

Pickguard: White 

Bridge:Tremolo 

Electronics: Original pickups, volume, tone, tone 

Hardware: Nickel/chrome 

Case: ‘Koylon Foam’ mid 50s Tweed Hard Shell Case