1957 Fender Stratocaster Sunburst

Fender Stratocaster 1957 – serial number 17354

Link to extensive Google Photos album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/qjwbyHhCw5rJMps4A

This guitar is truly addictive and a total joy to play. The sound is incredible, the feel can’t be replicated, and the look is just about as cool as anything out there. It weighs a mere 7 pounds, 7 ounces and has a V Neck to die for. Neck measurements are: .915" at the first fret, .96" at the seventh fret and .991 inches at the 12th.

This Strat was played professionally by its original owner for decades. Scans of pictures show the owner and his bands with the guitar from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, with wear increasing in the pictures by the decade.

The guitar was clearly loved, and justifiably so. Arguably one of the better years for Strats, or at least a distinctive one, the light weight and V neck alone set it apart from others.

The obvious playwear cannot be replicated, and like many utility instruments from the period there are changes that one who made a life-long commitment to one instrument might perform, some misguided and others out of necessity.

The finish throughout is original with no overspray. Present is the obligatory cigarette burn, near the nut.

The logo is somewhat remarkably intact for a guitar that has seen so much use. The tuners are original, and no changes have been made to the headstock. The high E tuner shaft is bent, and the G string tuner’s slot has been squeezed (see pic). I’d bend it back, but the tuner works and loads with a new string just fine and bending it will likely cause at least one side of the tuner post to crack. The string tree is original.

The nut must have been changed, several times perhaps due to the extensive play on the guitar, but the bone replacement is nicely done and has aged so that it pretty much looks stock.

Frets have been replaced with medium jumbo looking replacements. The extra height, as compared to the ’56 Telecaster I have nearby, really allow you to dig in and bend notes. The fret job must have been done somewhat recently as they are in excellent shape and won’t need to be milled or changed for a long, long time. The fret work is very professionally done.

The neck is played like few others I’ve had my hands on. It is something to see, really. Nearly all the finish on the back of the neck, from the nut to around the 12th fret, is completely worn to the wood from natural playwear. It feels amazing, the product of truly honest play wear. Original finish remains on the headstock, the neck heel, and the fretboard (where it hasn’t been played through).

The fretboard shows pitting from the third through the 12th frets, between the D and high E strings. The original owner didn’t just hammer the “cowboy cords”!

On the treble side of the neck at the 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th frets you’ll see the wear that I find truly telling of the love and extensive soloing produced – wear through the hard maple that is almost like scalloping, but on the edge of the neck. It took a LONG time to get that wear there, and the cool things is that it looks almost inspirational (we all should have time to play that much), and it does not affect the feel of the guitar whatsoever. The wear is an idiosyncrasy of the original owner’s playing style, so most players will not even notice it is there.

The neck date is 3-57 and the standard tool mark is there where the heel meets the body.

Have I mentioned that the guitar sets up and plays like a dream?

On to the body… The finish is quite obviously original. Wear abounds. Three pieces of alder, typical across all alder Fenders, are well matched. The parts of the body where the finish has worn show the inspiration for the Relic trend and embody the challenge to those who attempt to replicate authentic wear.

The pickup, control, output jack and tremolo cavities are all intact. The date is written in pencil in the middle pickup cavity – 2-57.

There are added holes in the body. One goes from the back of the guitar, through the control cavity. It is a little smaller in diameter than the head of a pickguard screw. There are 6 small holes on the front of the body, perhaps from mounting a Roland guitar synth unit to the face of the guitar. None go through the body. There are 5 small added holes under the pickguard as well, perhaps related to this err in judgement. Pictures display all of these. Other holes under the pickguard are factory nail holes, added during the finish process.

The biggest transgression on the body shows on the lower bout: a hole that is the diameter of the head of a neck screw that goes into the control cavity, flanked by two screw holes. It appears that this was once some sort of output jack, but who really knows. The work here is crude, but out of sight and does not structurally impact the guitar. These could be plugged and finished over, but that’s a decision for a future owner to make.

The entire bridge and tremolo block assembly is stock with the exception perhaps being some of the saddle height screws, which just appear too shiny to be stock. Judging by the coloration of the springs and saddles, this must be the case. The tremolo springs seem to bee newer as well, with the spring claw and screws clearly being original. The tremolo cover plate is original with a significant piece and one original mounting screw missing. The strap button on the lower bout is changed.

Upon trade in of the guitar, I was told that the pickguard was not original to the guitar but that it was in fact a 50’s Fender pickguard. I measured the thickness with machinist calipers and compared it to the tremolo plate, and it is thicker, though it does look correct, shows some era-correct warping and has clearly been on the guitar for quite a long time. Until I get my hands on another late 50’s Strat, I can only describe this pickguard as such. Two of the pickguard screws are not original.

Pickup covers are the original “bakeliite” with wear that is typical for the era and for this guitar. The knobs and switch tip are ABS plastic, original 50’s Fender material, and are likely original to the guitar as this transitional year did see Strats with a mix of “bakelite” and ABS parts.

The pickups all are stock, but the middle and neck pickups appear to have been rewound, very professionally I might add, with era-appropriate winding wire and cloth-covered leads. Pickups all sound balanced – there is no audible indication that two are rewound. The bridge pickup winding does show the dirt and scattered winding that you’d expect to see. Winding on the middle and neck pickups is of the same color but is cleaner and more “organized”, indicative of more modern pickup winding techniques.

Someone hand numbered the pickup covers; I assume when the pickup rewind was undertaken. The numbers can be seen in the pictures, and they cannot be seen without the pickguard off the guitar. The original pickup spacers are all there, but the height adjustment screws for the mid and neck pickup differ from the bridge pickup.

The pots are changed. I am certain that the originals were worn by all the play this guitar has seen, so this change makes sense. With the pots there is a new, era-appropriate paper capacitor. All the wiring under the hood looks original, as is the three-way CRL switch with the two patent numbers embossed. Solders on the switch look original. The output jack also looks original with original solders undisturbed.

The original trem arm is included. The lower bout strap button appears to be changed, the other is original.

The original case has been right there with the guitar, taking a bit of a beating. It is a “knuckle buster” – three latches with one under the handle, but all the latches are changed and the one under the handle is half missing. The handle has somehow survived. Bondo patches fill holes that wore into the case where the original latches were. Hinges and metal feet are intact.