Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Forum Rebuilding my Strat

Hi Rob,
Wow...I just looked up your serial number, here's the link I used http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html#serial

it shows the serial #'s 9000 - 16000 to be 1956!
Man you've got one valuable ax there! I've seen some from that pre cbs time period on ebay going for amazing amounts. This link also mentions on pre cbs they put nail holes in the body under the pickguard for painting on a lazy susan, does yours have those nail holes too? I guess they stopped doing that after 1964.You must have been floored when you found out how old it really is! Have you got the original case too? That is really super great news!

Yep, It's got the nail holes, all right. That was the same question the guitar appraiser asked me, then he was all excited and said "Hang on, I'll see if I can work you in". First he said he was booked up until march, but then he said he could see me 'two weeks from thursday.' No, I don't have the original case, but it's still gonna be worth a bundle, I'd guess. Not that I'd ever sell it - I've been through too much with this guitar... I love it like a family member!

Rob

Thats great its got those holes! I know exactly how you feel about hanging onto it. I have the same attachment to my instruments. Neat to have it appraised tho just so you have the documentation. Best of luck when you go for your appt. with the appraiser. Looking forward to hearing about what he has to say. Good stuff!

Hi again Rob,
I was talking to a friend of mine who builds guitars and he asked me if your strat neck is a round profile? He said if it is, that would help identify it as very old. Just thought I'd mention. Looking forward to hearing all about the details when you find out.

Tell him it's got a great big 'ol honkin' boat neck. I love it - it fits my hand like a glove! I talked to a lot of people since I last posted, did a ton of research, and here's what I've come up with. The neck is almost certainly a 1965 custom shop Fender neck, available on only a few models, because ebony was not a widely accepted fretboard material back in the 60's. It has, since then, become one of the most sought-after fretboard woods because of the combination of warmth and tone. The body, I believe, is a real Fender 1956 stratocaster body, but it's not worth much, because of the modifications done to it over the years - routing for a Floyd Rose tremolo system, routing for humbucking pickups, etc. It doesn't matter to me, however - I know it's a 'muttcaster', and I love it just the same. I've had this guitar for 24 years, and I've played so many gigs with it and written so many cool songs on it, that I wouldn't sell it, regardless of the price (well, maybe for a million bucks, but, you know...) I'll know for sure next week, I'm gonna show it to a professional guitar appraiser, and he's gonna tell me the low-down on all the different parts. I'll let you know what I find out, but I think I've got her pretty much identified.

Two weeks from today, I'll be doing the wetsanding and polishing, so get ready for some pics and sound files!!!

Take care, and thanks for all your interest!

Rob

Wow, that is sooooo cool, Rob.

Who knows, some day, God willing, the provenance of your having owned it will add to the value too!

So, when do we all get to hear you play your "Lady"?


Spenser23

1 week and 6 days from today, I'll be putting her back together! It's getting closer all the time! I'll post pics and an MP3 or two as soon as possible!

Rob

Good to hear!
Really anxious to hear what she's gonna sound like Rob. I know its gonna sound great with all the new work you've done and new pups, wiring, switches etc. You'll enjoy setting her up too no doubt, getting the action just right etc. thats fun stuff. It will be hard to put her down after you plug in for the first time. Talk about fun!
My good friend Lennie I was telling you about is really good with vintage Fenders so if you ever need any info his email address is telestrat47@hotmail.com you can write him anytime with any questions about your strat or amps. He's very knowledgeable and would be happy to help. He's way into details and stuff etc.
Can't wait to see the new pics and hear the sound files! ...and up goes the volume thats gonna be really neat!

Hey, all - finally got the verdict from the vintage guitar guy - Turns out the "Lady" is a 1965 Stratocaster, circa November-December 1965. The body, neck, & tuners sealed the deal. The neck plate was a mystery to me, because it dates back to 1956, but they explained it to me, and now I understand. In those days, Fender was stamping out those plates by the thousand, and they used to keep all the neck plates in big 'laundry' type bins, and whenever they assembled a guitar, they'd just go over to the bin and grab a plate out, put the neck on, and go from there. Every couple of months they'd come and dump a new batch in on top of the old ones, and it was not uncommon in those days for a plate manufacured 5 or even 10 years earlier to go on a guitar made that day. That's what happened with my guitar. They must have been getting to the bottom of the bin, and just grabbed a plate (manufactured in Nov 1956) and put it on a 1965 stratocaster - 4 piece Swamp Ash body, standard neck with ebony fretboard (which was rare at the time, but a few thousand were made that way) and out the door it went! Now if it was in mint condition, without any repaints or modifications, it would be worth somewhere between 25 and 35 thousand dollars. The value has been greatly diminished, since it's been changed so much, but he suggested that for insurance purposes, I should value it at somewhere between 5 and 8 thousand, just because of the body and somewhat rare neck. He suggested that I sell the neckplate and tuners at auction, but I'm going to hold on to the tuners for now (they're worth the most - perhaps as much as 1000 bucks, and he said fair market value for the neckplate was only 300 bucks, since they're very hard to validate and there are so many fakes out there. I was offered 225 bucks by a member on another board (music forum), and I sold it. What the hell - 225 bucks for a little piece of metal with 4 holes in it? Hell yes! I'm going to put the money in a fund for my next guitar - I'm saving for a Gibson Explorer right now, and I only need another 775 bucks... :p Anyway - sorry it took so long to post the results, but I just heard from him yesterday with the news. He asked me if I would consider selling the guitar for 7500 bucks, and I told him 'not for all the tea in china!', and he laughed and said "I don't blame you one bit, hold on to it, it's only going to go up in value"... Only 4 more days til sanding and polishing!!! I cannot wait!

Rob

Its great you got all the detailed info from the appraiser! Thats really interesting about the neckplates and how they kept them in the barrel like that. So if your guitar is a 1965 its still a pre CBS, cool! I believe that was the year Fender was bought out by them . I had a 66' and they were still using some of the pre cbs parts in 66', but after 66' things changed alot. Its great that now you have an accurate year and value on her. I know you won't ever sell her,(I wouldn't either if she was mine)but its neat to know all the fine points etc. If you ever have any questions down the line, don't forget you can always talk to my friend Lennie Joseph, he's on the east coast and is an authorized Fender repairman...Lennie has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Fender stuff too. He builds really nice guitars. He's always happy to offer advice and information. (I'm always asking him stuff lol)...I've learned alot of neat guitar and amp facts from Lennie.
Really good to hear you're coming along nicely with getting her completed and ready to play! Looking forward to hearing her and seeing more pics!
Its really neat reading all the info you posted about her..makes me want to buy another strat like today! Cool stuff!