Back in 1977 I purchased a old Stratocaster from a pawn shop in Wichita Kansas it was in bad shape and it was my first Fender. I will get some pictures of it to post a bit later as the guitar has just been "rediscovered" after twenty years of storage. But until then here is a brief description.

The neck has no trussrod and is ash with a rosewood fingerboard (I think) the finish on the ash neck blonde. The frets are not from fret wire but small little brass plates. the tremilo is not like the ones on the production strats but separate from the bridge. The bridge was made from a curved piece of all thread rod with four small screws for adjustment. The pickups were made by hand with the magnets wrapped with masking tape before being set in a plastic slury. Also the tuning pegs were all on a single metal strip with open gears (no covers)

The body was a metallic blue but now in bare.

I talked with Leo Fender back then as I remember he was with Musicman guitars back then and he sent me a letter conserning the guitar I was to send pictures but this never happened being teen back then I got distracted...oh well. (there were no digital cameras or internet in 1977 for those who weren't around back then)

The numbers on all the parts are 2N or N2 I can't remember the order.

He told me that the first batch of strats (I think the first twenty) were stolen from the factory and that this one could be of that batch....frankly I don't know.

I'll send pictures as soon as I can...

Eddie

I call shenanigans. This is what really gave it away, "the first batch of strats (I think the first twenty) were stolen from the factory".

This one is a real hoot too, "The neck has no trussrod and is ash with a rosewood fingerboard". ALL Fender guitars had a truss rod starting during 1950. The neck should be maple not ash. Rosewood fingerboards didn't appear on Strats until 1959, five years after the Strat was introduced.

It's all here: http://home.provide.net/~cfh/fender.html

Besides why would Leo bother with creating a kindergarten art project guitar out of masking tape wrapped pickups and brass pieces for frets when by the late 40's his was a first class shop making pro gear for pro musicians.

Let's see a pic of this homemade guitar.

_________________
Obligatory gear list: Fender, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Gretsch, Vox, Martin, and more Fender.

And it was Metallic blue

_________________
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

im really embarrassed, im im not the original poster....

_________________
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

DING DING DING!


WE HAVE A WINNAH!



Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Sounds like the Viet Nam Strat what's his name bought.

Right, another "Lonely Boy" story. With the long lost first attempt at a tremolo.

Still, we gotta see some pictures!

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

I was thinking the exact same thing. At least Lonely Boy won't be lonely anymore.

_________________
I really like all them "Aster" guitars. You know, like the Stratoc, Telec and Jazzm.

That guitar will be worth about $5 million.....put it on eBay.

Heck yeah!! I saw a old painting selling for 20 million!!!

Wheres Eddie

Wow. I have the exact same guitar. I took the pickguard off, and it said, "To my buddy, John Lennon...always, Jimi". I sanded it out of there though, cuz it wasn't original. What kind of an idiot would write on a vintage guitar?

Its been 24 hours since he posted. Don't think he's coming back.

_________________
Bill

I was going to offer a woodden nickel