Hey Maurice, what do you reckon to this beauty?

 
Currently on eBay (uk) - 1954 FENDER STRATOCASTER
 
 
I'm no guitar buff, but this looks the dog's bollock
 
 
Can't wait to see what it ends up going for.
 
 
 

space_cowboy


I have a 56.  This is an interesting auction. Might bid. 

 
Bo, if you're serious, I'm only an hour away from Bristol if the guy doesn't want to ship it.
 
If you won it, I'd be more than happy to pick it up for you and then take care of the shipping details.
 
 

I don't know... That serial number sounds a bit shady.  Heck, even "I" know that 07** isn't a four-digit number!

1954?  Pfft.  Too old!  Give me something newer!

(...)
  
 

yorolpal


That's way too cheap.  I'd be wary.

It's just a starting bid with seven days to go.  I'm guessing the final will be about triple that.

My rhythm guitar player (from Jr. & Sr. High School daze) still has his 64 Strat. Only bummer was he modded it for a humbucker in the bridge position. Less bummer was he saved his pickup and since got an original pick guard and has it "restored" (well the routing for the humbucker was not restored). He never plans on selling it though. It was his first guitar. And, he still has his 64 Tweed Princeton (I'm 99% certain it's a Princeton, mebee not though). He did have to replace the speaker once.

Back at our reunion (Feb. 7, 2009) he brought both of them with him. Good memories. 

It's a bad refin using black instead of brown. There's some damage around the nut. THe pots and tone cap are correct but somebody messed with the pickups at some point.

A refin like that cuts the value by 50%. I can get one that's completely straight for $38,000, so this one might go for $16,000 all things considered. SO that would be about 7,000 pounds?

THe case is quite rare although trashed. You don't see many of the centre pocket cases. Curious to see what it goes for.

bapu


My rhythm guitar player (from Jr. & Sr. High School daze) still has his 64 Strat. Only bummer was he modded it for a humbucker in the bridge position. Less bummer was he saved his pickup and since got an original pick guard and has it "restored" (well the routing for the humbucker was not restored). He never plans on selling it though. It was his first guitar. And, he still has his 64 Tweed Princeton (I'm 99% certain it's a Princeton, mebee not though). He did have to replace the speaker once.

Back at our reunion (Feb. 7, 2009) he brought both of them with him. Good memories. 

THe Princeton was brown tolex by 1961. The Champ stayed tweed until mid 64 when it went to black tolex but the same cab and chassis. A mid 64 Champ looks very much like a modern Pro Junior. In 65 it went to the traditional blackface look and chassis.


Having said that, there are exceptions to every rule. I recently went to check out what was advertised as a 61 tweed Deluxe. They were supposed have stopped production in 60 and been brown in 61. It was a nice fake but the idiot put a 61 ink stamp on a 50's style tube chart. The chart was also fake.


Vintage guitars and amps have become so expensive that people will spend the time and money to make very good fakes. Buyer beware.

ampfixer

bapu


My rhythm guitar player (from Jr. & Sr. High School daze) still has his 64 Strat. Only bummer was he modded it for a humbucker in the bridge position. Less bummer was he saved his pickup and since got an original pick guard and has it "restored" (well the routing for the humbucker was not restored). He never plans on selling it though. It was his first guitar. And, he still has his 64 Tweed Princeton (I'm 99% certain it's a Princeton, mebee not though). He did have to replace the speaker once.

Back at our reunion (Feb. 7, 2009) he brought both of them with him. Good memories. 

THe Princeton was brown tolex by 1961. The Champ stayed tweed until mid 64 when it went to black tolex but the same cab and chassis. A mid 64 Champ looks very much like a modern Pro Junior. In 65 it went to the traditional blackface look and chassis.


Having said that, there are exceptions to every rule. I recently went to check out what was advertised as a 61 tweed Deluxe. They were supposed have stopped production in 60 and been brown in 61. It was a nice fake but the idiot put a 61 ink stamp on a 50's style tube chart. The chart was also fake.


Vintage guitars and amps have become so expensive that people will spend the time and money to make very good fakes. Buyer beware.

Thanks for jogging the memory. yes, he owns a Champ not a Princeton.