1954 Fender Stratocaster

For your consideration, Garrett Park Guitars presents this 1954 Fender Stratocaster, one of the earliest and most historically significant examples of Leo Fender's revolutionary solid-body electric guitar design.

1954 marked the debut of the Stratocaster, a model that would forever alter the course of electric guitar history. Building upon the success of the Telecaster while introducing a host of groundbreaking innovations, the Stratocaster featured a contoured body, three-pickup configuration, synchronized tremolo system, and unparalleled playing comfort. These features established a new standard for electric guitar design and helped shape the sound of popular music for generations to come. 

This particular example is an exceptionally attractive and mostly original survivor, retaining its factory two-tone sunburst finish over an ash body. The finish displays honest wear consistent with age and use while maintaining excellent visual appeal throughout. The contours remain crisp, the colors vibrant, and the overall presentation reflects a guitar that has been carefully preserved over the course of more than seven decades. Weighing a remarkably light 6 pounds 10 ounces, it exemplifies the lively acoustic resonance and effortless comfort that have made early ash-bodied bakelite equipped Stratocasters so highly regarded among players and collectors alike.

The maple neck, dated December 1954 and bearing the signature of legendary Fender neck shaper Tadeo Gomez, features a comfortable medium C profile measuring .84" at the first fret and .92" at the twelfth. The one-piece maple construction is complemented by the model's traditional black fiber dot position markers and 7.25-inch fingerboard radius. While the guitar has been professionally refretted, the work has been expertly executed and contributes to outstanding playability throughout the fingerboard. The fingerboard was also radiused and there is evidence that additional lacquer was added  to only the fingerboard at that time. Original no-line Kluson Deluxe tuners remain fitted and function smoothly.

Electronically, the guitar retains its original trio of black-bottom single-coil pickups, delivering the articulate, dynamic, and unmistakably expressive voice that established the Stratocaster as one of the most recorded instruments in history. The pickups read 6.45kΩ in the bridge position, 6.16kΩ in the middle position, and 5.94kΩ in the neck position. Together they provide exceptional balance, clarity, and the bell-like high end that has become synonymous with the finest early Stratocasters.

The guitar is equipped with its original bridge, single-ply pickguard, and control knobs. The electronics remain substantially intact, though the volume and neck tone potentiometers have been replaced, and the guitar currently utilizes a later five-way selector switch for expanded tonal versatility. The middle tone potentiometer is an original Stackpole unit dated to the thirty-fifth week of 1954. The guitars original bakelite parts are all intact and remain in good shape.

Structurally, the instrument remains in excellent condition with no cracks, breaks, or repairs. It has been professionally set up for low action and plays cleanly across the entire fingerboard without buzzing or dead spots.

Representing one of the most important years in Fender history, this 1954 Stratocaster captures the innovation, craftsmanship, and unmistakable character that established the model as a cornerstone of modern electric guitar design. Combining early-production features, desirable Tadeo Gomez neck markings, original black-bottom pickups, lightweight ash construction, and excellent overall condition, it stands as a superb example of one of the most influential electric guitars ever produced.

Specifications

All components original unless specified

Model & Year

• Model: Fender Stratocaster
• Year of manufacture: 1954
• Serial Number: 6668

Body

• Pencil Date: 11/54 (trem cavity)
• Material: Ash
• Finish: Sunburst nitrocellulose lacquer
• Weight: 6lb 10oz

Neck

• Pencil Date: 12/54, Tadeo Gomez
• Material & Construction: Maple, bolt-on
• Profile shape: Medium C
• Radius: 7.25"
• Nut Width: 1.62"
• Depth: 84." (1st), .92" (12th)
• Inlays: Black fiber dots
• Frets: Refret
• Tuners: Kluson Deluxe, "no-line"

Hardware

• Bridge / Tailpiece: Synchronized tremolo
• Pickguard: Single-ply plastic
• Knobs: Original

Electronics

• Pickups: Black-bottom single-coils
• Impedance / DCR readings (measured through output jack)
  • Bridge: 6.45kΩ
  • Middle: 6.16kΩ
  • Neck: 5.94kΩ
• Potentiometers:
  • Volume: Non-original, codes obscured by solder
  • Neck Tone: Non-original, codes obscured by solder (possibly Stackpole)
  • Middle Tone: Stackpole (304435)
• Wiring: Cloth-bound
• Switch: Non-original 5-way

Condition: Very Good

• Cosmetic condition consistent with age
• Excellent structural condition with no cracks, breaks, or repairs
• Professionally set up for low action with no buzzing or dead spots