This was posted on the Telecaster .com Forum on 9/29/2007 I would be interested to know what Normans rare Guitars had to say about it as well. To remind you as to what I am talking about this was your post from that forum.

1953 Strat-Still searching for a value

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As some of you may know I have this old Strat that was given to my father back in 54 by a friend of his that worked at Fender. I am finally going to get a nuts and bolts evaluation done next week at Normans rare guitars in L.A.
Also included in this will be a guess as to how much its worth. Such a guess will be primarily for insurance purposes but at least its a start. Because of its rarity the guitar has baffeled most professionals in the guitar business and caused the shrugged shoulder and "I dun know" responce in more than one observer. At least with the nuts and bolts evaluation a professional can know what is and what ain't there with the guitar. one I can get an apropreiate appraisal I can get on with making sure the insurance is up to snuff and then who knows .
JMPRO

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

The folks at the custom shop were very nice and said that the "Company" does not put anything in writing regarding authenication of pieces like this. They had the guitar for a few hours the first time I took it over there and 2 days the second time I took it. When I picked it up the second time they gave me a very nice parting gift which wasn't necessary.

I might add, the pictures were leos personal property and not part of the G&L sale is what I have been told.

How did the Norman Rare Guitars evaluation asked about above turn out with there nuts and bolts check as you put it.

From Telecaster forum
1953 Strat-Still searching for a value

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As some of you may know I have this old Strat that was given to my father back in 54 by a friend of his that worked at Fender. I am finally going to get a nuts and bolts evaluation done next week at Normans rare guitars in L.A.
Also included in this will be a guess as to how much its worth. Such a guess will be primarily for insurance purposes but at least its a start. Because of its rarity the guitar has baffeled most professionals in the guitar business and caused the shrugged shoulder and "I dun know" responce in more than one observer. At least with the nuts and bolts evaluation a professional can know what is and what ain't there with the guitar. one I can get an apropreiate appraisal I can get on with making sure the insurance is up to snuff and then who knows .

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Never did go to Normans, I ran into him at a guitar show and he was so rude I never went to see him.

Not sure why Fender doesn't do any written authinications. Probably legal reasons and its just not thier business.

Well, even though you appear to be the exception to the rule, you've got to figure if they did offer that service they would be constantly inundated by thousands of people that picked up some POS Indonesian knockoff with a bad decal from Craigslist ,and are are convinced it is a closet classic 54.

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'95 Custom Warmoth Soloist Solid Flame Koa Body/Neck, Duncan Classic Livewire SSH, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson VS100 bridge, all black chrome.
2008 MIM Lonestar Strat Black/White Pearl
2008 Taylor 114 CE

As I stated in a prior post the guys {and I could tell you the names but I don't want to drag them into this} at the Custom shop, perhaps a dozen of them looked at the guitar, compared it to the photos that Leo took, measured it and took photographs. All of them without decent agreed that the body, bridge and trem block were the same ones as in the photo. One of them said I had a very nice old body and bridge with some other old parts. When I asked about some sort of a letter from them stating what it was the responce was in effect that "The Company" was not in the business of authitication and there could be legal issues associated with that process.
I really didn't expect them to do anything in that reagrd when I went in and hold no ill feelings toward them , after all it is not their business to do authinicating.

On another matter and only a few people have been guilty of this. I if said to you "I have seen liers, cheats, fruads and shysters before and I'm not calling you a lier but" --would you be offended? Maybe its just me and I am just to thin skinned but I am offended . When you preface your statment with such a negitive phrase and insinuate that I am with that bunch it just irks me. I would guess that most of the people that are guilty would not do that to a persons face, only on the net where politness dosn't count.Perhaps some thing like "Hum, thats an interesting story your telling, I would like to know more facts about it" would be more polite and less apt to cause a defensive posture on the part of the reciever. Like I said only a few people here and on other forums have been guity of this. Most of the responces have been and thats an overwhelming been good , kind and polite.

Didn't mean to imply that you weren't telling the truth...on the contrary...I find your provenance to be solid, and find the story fascinating. I just meant that you were the one-in -a-million exception to the stories we've all heard, and can thus understand Fenders reluctance to engage under any circumstance.

Not to mention the promotional value they derive from 50 years of guitar mythology...because, let's face it...we've all dreamed of that mythical pawnshop in the middle of nowhere, that doesn't realize what they have...

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'95 Custom Warmoth Soloist Solid Flame Koa Body/Neck, Duncan Classic Livewire SSH, Sperzel locking tuners, Wilkinson VS100 bridge, all black chrome.
2008 MIM Lonestar Strat Black/White Pearl
2008 Taylor 114 CE

Razorbladesd. My last post was not aimed at you. Thanks for your support.

I think someone important said this

"Son, we live in a world that has guitars under beds, and those beds have to be guarded by men with C.O.A.’s. Who's gonna do it? You? You, John Mayer?

I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You cry for Strats and you curse the people that have them. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that my guitar, while unbelievable, probably is true. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves guitars.

You don't want the truth because, deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me to have that guitar, you need me to have that guitar.

We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending Strats. You use them as a punchline.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very knowledge of guitars that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you pick up a guitar and stand on a stage. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."


This was supposed to be a joke, I may have misfired

I love how this topic went from a rather simple question to a catapultic discussion about a 1953 fender stratocaster.

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One of God's own prototypes. Too weird to live, too rare to die.

Ya, It went a lot further than that "What color pick guard will get me that S.R.V. tone" thread

pics of Jerry Garcias Alligator Strat:

http://www.nii.net/~obie1/deadcd/images ... ordetw.jpg

http://www.jackofroses.com/ebay/jerryalligator.jpg

1957 heavily modified strat. Weird bridge

Pretty unique strat. Where may it be now?

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One of God's own prototypes. Too weird to live, too rare to die.