57 or 58 Strat.. What do I have?

[tstroff]

Help I'm a total Newbie to guitars!!!

Below is a link to pictures of a guitar I got through a family member. It appears to be a late 1950's Stratocaster based on the serial number. (30815)

http://stroffnet.homeip.net:8880/mai.../stratocaster/

I have been told that the guitar has been repainted and that it was "chiseled" (not sure what that means!) but that it is still an "interesting" guitar.

Can any tell me what I have? What it could be worth?

Thanks!

[Bhodie]

Here is a pretty good place to start your investigation:

http://www.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html

Right off hand, chiseled means someone has used an angry beaver to enlarge the routing in the body :) At least that is what it looks like at first glance...

[tstroff]

Thanks for the link. That is actually the person who gave me what little information I have thus far. Out of respect I didn't ask about what a guitar like this is worth since he didn't volunteer it. No question, he is very knowledgeable!!

[mertzy]

tstroff

Read the numbers stamped in the bottom of the potentiometers, slack the strings, remove the neck and read the date on the neck butt, photograph these while it's apart.

This should give you an idea of when it was made, it can't be any older than the date of manufacture of it's youngest part.

[tstroff]

Would the Serial give me the year?

[goldtopper]

Stop screwing around and take the neck off.

[tstroff]

Originally Posted by goldtopper

Stop screwing around and take the neck off.

ok already.. I'll do tonight... pics to follow.

[tstroff]

ok, as instructed, I removed the neck and the date is 10-58, so as the serial number plate suggests, it's a '58. Nows granted it appears to be repainted but otherwise pretty much unharmed can anyone give me some "rough" idea of what one of these is worth? I mean rough in terms of 400, 1000, 4000? More?

I'm planning to take it for a real appraisal now that I've verified it is as old as I thought so thanks for your help in forcing me to do something I thought might damage it!

[Geoff738]

Even repainted, it could be worth a fair bit.

there's a 58 for sale at the shop around the corner - I don't think it was totally original, and they're asking 30 grand (Canadian). As a rough guide a refinished guitar can drop the value by about half.

So, your guitar may still be worth a fair bit.

Cheers,
geoff

[tstroff]

And so I took a trip to Nashville and brought this guitar along.. The folks at Gruhn took a look. I had them do the more expensive detailed inspection and appraisal.

The summary results: "This guitar has been greatly altered from original condition and wold not appeal to collectors. However, with minor repairs (rewinding the middle pickup and rewiring) it would be a desirable guitar for a working musician."

The details were pretty interesting and no doubting what it is that I have and what condition it's in. (Or the market value for that matter!)

Thanks to all on here for the help!

[endzone]

Hey, how about giving us the story on the Strat....how'd you get it, where's it been?, etc. Don't just go away without a story.

[tstroff]

This guitar fell into my lap... It was in a pawn shop in the CT area. It was purchased for $50 as a gift for my guitar loving 4yo son to play with. (see video) When I saw it I knew it was more than that however the person who I got it from firmly insisted it was not that old and that it wasn't worth much at all. (He is a relative and works in the pawn shop.) They paid very little for it and it had sat there for quite a number of years.

I have really no idea where it's been, only that the person(s) who had it liked to "customize" it.

Lin Crowson from Gruhn identified a few things that just made no sense... example: The neck pickup has characteristics of 1964 and 1967 (unexplainable but clearly not original to 1958); the bobbin has a pencil date of 1-24-57 which cannot be correct for this pickup.

I am at a crossroad... Do I put it on a shelf and see if my son grows up to want to play it? Do I get the recommended repairs completed? Do I sell it as it is? Right now I am leaning toward putting it on a shelf for a bit... or making the repairs and then putting it on a shelf.

[Gareth John]

For some reason I can't see the pictures...but if it's already messed with you may be able to sell it off as parts and make a bit of cash. Many people need replacement bits for their originals. You can always buy a short scale Squier for your 4 year old son to knock about on.

[RodeoTex]

I can't see the pictures either but am intrigued.
I'd try to put it back to original shape as much as possible myself but not sure since I can't see it.

I'd be will to bet that a decent 10-58 neck would bring at least $2-4000 if you went the part-it-out route.

Really, a 4 year old doesn't need a '58 Strat, for that matter a 40 year old either so I wouldn't hang onto it just for that reason.

[tstroff]

Pics are back now, use the link below and from earlier.

I wouldn't give it to my 4yo old now but if/when he takes up playing it would be quite an interesting guitar to have. Gruhn put a number on it that leads me to think I could sell it in it's current state for someone who would want it to play rather than to just look at.

I have no reason to have to sell it and the market surely isn't right for that kind of spending. I considered the parts route but I feel like it would be sacrilegious to do that!!

http://stroffnet.homeip.net:8880/mai.../stratocaster/

[Joisey]

Originally Posted by RodeoTex

Really, a 4 year old doesn't need a '58 Strat, for that matter a 40 year old either so I wouldn't hang onto it just for that reason.

Why not? tstroff should keep it and play the heck out of it! Newbie or not start playing. As the saying goes, "Like father, like son". tstroff, how many vultures have PM'd you looking to weasel it out of your hands? Just post a number.

[tstroff]

Truth, no one. Being from Jersey too, I wouldn't get BS'd here or anywhere. Hence the reason I was willing to pay Gruhn to do the detailed appraisal. I think I can say that the value they put on it in real and the assessment that they gave me in writing is true and trusted. Agree?

BTW, Joisey, I liked your late 50's pics. Grun believed if I get the wiring redone and the pickup rewound it would be a desirable instrument for a working musician... I tend to agree and might even lend it to someone from my church just to let it get some action. :-)

You have to admit, how cool would my kid (who is into country and likely will continue to be into it) be at 20 playing a 50+ year old guitar? :-)

[Joisey]

Originally Posted by tstroff

You have to admit, how cool would my kid (who is into country and likely will continue to be into it) be at 20 playing a 50+ year old guitar? :-)

It would be very cool. Lucky kid! No reason why you can't learn some cowboy chords to plant the seed. At that age all he wants to be is big like you.

[WYfish]

tstroff, very cool find. It's cool that you were able to get it appraised. Gotta ask why you don't just keep it and play it? Then, if down the road, your kids wants it, you could pass it on. Seems like it would be a cool addition to any guitar collection. I know if I found an old strat at a pawn shop, I'd keep it and play it.

[backalleyblues]

I'd keep it-rewinding a pickup should be well south of $100, even for the "name" people out there.

The refin is pretty old-notice the color change where the pickguard ends.

The pickguard looks like it came from a '64 possibly, so that would explain the neck pickup... maybe the body is a '64 as well? I've known a number of people over the years who would swap necks, pickguards, bodies etc. around on vintage pieces trying to get that "magic" guitar (this was in the days before prices went into the stratosphere). This guitar certainly could be one of those...

Like I said before, I'd keep it, especially for what you have into it ($50? Nice... )

Franc Robert

[tstroff]

All, thanks for the advice. Sorry I dropped out of site.

I have kept the guitar, and am likely just letting it sit for a while. My 5 year old is learning piano right now (and mind you knows more about chords than me!) and will likely get the chance to pick up this guitar in a few years.

Gruhn's guy did a great job of dating all the components. The appraisal is a full page and extremely detailed. I recommend them, but hey, they are the renound experts.

I figure I'll wait for a while till I get the repairs done it needs. The thought crossed my mind to sell it but you know, it landed with me for some reason, and I should let that play out. Won't end up losing any value if I sit on it longer.

Sometimes I feel bad that it's just sitting there, so I might loan it to someone at my church who plays and has fondness for Strats. If I do that I obviously have to get it fixed up first.

Thanks again, you all have been extremely helpful to a newbie to guitars like me!!
Tom

[andrewr]

Great story

Don't loan it to no-one though - I heard a while back that Hank Marvin loaned the Fiesta Red to Bruce Welch twenty-odd years back and he can't get it back now

[allen st. john]

Great story. Lucky kid. Lucky dad.

best
Allen

[Hash Brown]

Hey All,
I really enjoyed this thread. I am new to the TDPRI.
I uploaded some pics of a few nice strats and amps to the Stratocaster Gallery,
I couldn't figure out how to get them in the email:
Photo 1. : My 56' Stratocaster, purchased in CT in 1980. Totally original
Photo 2. : My 59' Stratocaster, with a 1955 neck. This guitar was refinned sometime
in the 1960's, a nice black nitro finish. Luckily the trem cavity still has the original
paint with body date. This guitar was originally a blond!
Photo 3. : Both Strats(56', 59') with a bunch of tweeds. The stack behind the 56' are
all 57' amps(a Pro recovered in the 60's at McCord Music, Dallas, TX., a really nice
all original Deluxe, and topped off by a Princeton).
Stack on the right behind the 59' are a 59' Bassman I have owned since 76', a 50' Deluxe and a 58' champ amp. Everything is surrounded by three tweed cases.

[Del Pickup]

Well, I have to say that some things in life happen for a reason. You came by this strat so maybe you're meant to have it.

Whether it's all original or otherwise, it's a very cool instrument to have in your possession and you should certainly get it properly insured as a vintage item in your household.

Heck, players would fall over themselves to own something as cool as that. And because it's been tinkered with in the past, it's not a truly collectable item and therefore one that can be played.

If I were you, I'd play it myself and make sure that my kids got the opportunity to use it too.

I, for one, am VERY envious of you!!!!