Vintage Fender Guitars

1956 Fender Stratocaster Guitar Review

Written by drbob on July 16, 2010 – 3:10 pm -

1956 Fender Stratocaster Guitar

The Fender Stratocaster guitar is probably the most popular solidbody electric guitar ever made. Early models (1954 to 1965, known as "pre-CBS" models, since CBS Broadcaster Company bought Fender in January 1965) are the most collectible. Originality and condition are the two most important features of a vintage Fender Stratocaster guitar, and Fender Strats do seem to have been easily modified (due to their "bolt together" nature).

The 1956 is the last of the Ash body Strats. The change from Ash body to Alder body occured during the summer of 1956, along with the change in the peghead's E/B string retainer from the button style to the "butterfly" clip.

Serial number range for the 56 Fender Stratocaster are generally 9000 to 16000 (on the neck plate). If you need to figure out the exact year of your pre-CBS Fender Stratocaster, use the serial number and the general features of the guitar. The serial number is located on the back metal neck plate. See the Fender Serial Number Info web page for help determining the year.

Mid 1956 Fender Stratocaster guitar specs:
• Alder body replaces Ash on sunburst finished Strats (blond Strats still use Ash). Also the body finishing procedure changes because of the change to alder - Now the yellow in the sunburst is dyed into the wood, instead of being sprayed (as was done on Ash body sunburst Strats).
• Rectangle string tree ("butterfly") replaces round string tree.
• Neck backshape gets a large "soft V" shape.
• "Single Line" Kluson Deluxe tuners (which says "Kluson Deluxe" in a vertical line).
• Tremolo bar has an even less pronounced bend.
• Pickups no longer have the two very small "tits" in the bottom black fiber part of the pickup on the outside edge around the two wire eyelets. Also gone is the very faint ring pressed into the black fiber that goes around each eyelet.

This late '56 Stratocaster weighs just 7.10 lbs. and has a two-tone sunburst solid alder body, contoured on the back and lower bass bout. One-piece fretted maple neck with a nut width of just under 1 11/16 inches, a wonderful thick "V" neck profile. Small headstock with decal with Fender "spaghetti" logo in gold with black trim. Three white ABS plastic-covered black-bottom single-coil pickups with staggered polepieces and nice, balanced outputs of 6.14k, 5.79k, and 5.82k. Single-layer white ABS plastic pickguard with eight screws. The neck has a pencil mark of "12-56" and the tremolo cavity has a pencil mark of "6-56". This guitar is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition. There are a few small surface chips on the edges and some small scratches on the back of the body. There is a light amount of wear to the fretboard which is mainly confined to the first nine frets. The original frets show some light playing wear but have plenty of life left in them. Housed in its original Fender "Tweed" hardshell case with brown leather ends and orange plush lining (9.25).

Tags: 1956 fender stratocaster, vintage fender stratocaster
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