1954 Strat #0108

dinobyte · August 10th, 2006, 12:02 AM

Hello everyone,

My first post here! It's great to see a new forum dedicated to the Stratocaster.

I thought I'd introduce old #0108. I must admit, it has the sweetest sounding pick-ups I have ever heard on a Strat or any other guitar for that matter. My jaw just dropped to the ground when I heard them for the first time. Just under the guitar neck in the first pic, is the original owner's instruction manual that came with Stratocasters from the period. Basically, two type-written pages explaining the trem set-up. I've also included a snap of the first ad ever published for the Strat from an April 1954 International Musician Magazine. What the heck... The guitar belonged to a musician by the name of Smokey Harper, aka... "The Timber Troubadour". He played quite a bit in the Washington state area in the early '50s as I understand it. I can't find anything on him after extensive web searches. If anybody comes up with something, let me know! As with many C&W players at the time, Smokey emblazoned his name on the upper waist of the guitar body. The letters have long since been removed and alas, all that remains are the scars.

nvosmeier · August 10th, 2006, 06:03 AM

Great find!

Did you buy it? I wouldn't object to adding that to my collection. I could probably find some room for it.

Strat-Talk · August 10th, 2006, 09:37 AM

Yikes, that's wonderful! It's worth so much do you still play it? The way prices are climbing I'd be afraid to touch it. OK, I wouldn't be that afraid. But it does change the scenario quite a bit.

How long have you had it? Tell us more. More photos too!!

Thanks for joining.

dinobyte · August 10th, 2006, 01:59 PM

Thanks for the welcome. Well, I just spent the last hour and a half or more, writing out a nice story on this strat. Upon submitting the post I was prompted to log in again as I must have timed out of the session. Upon logging back in, it completely blew away all that I had written. Grrrrr... :evil:

Here are a few extra pics... The first one is of Dick, the second owner who purchased the strat used from Hoffman Music in Spokane, WA in 1956 at the young age of 16.

Smokey Harper sold it to Hoffman Music after owning the strat only a few short years but did his fair share of wear and tear on the guitar before selling it to them. Hoffman Music removed Smokey's name and resold the guitar to Dick.

The guitar is technically the 8th serial numbered strat produced.

I had written up such a nice detailed history but I don't want to redo it again at the moment. This has happened to me before and I should have seen it coming! Too bad forums don't have a way of recovering your work once you've been timed out. :( Anyway, enjoy the extra pics. All the parts are original including the football switch tip and trem arm too!

Strat-Talk · August 10th, 2006, 03:55 PM

Here's a hint. To keep from being timed out (I think it's set for an hour, but it could be a half hour). Simply stop writing and hit "Preview" every once and a while. Like every 15 min or so. And then keep on writing. While you are typing you are simply working in the browser and the website has no idea that you haven't moved on to www.doughnuts.com or someplace.

And, if you get the notice to log in... don't do it until you hit the back button once and see if your browser has kept the words in the input box. Some browser's do and some don't.

Lastly, if you know it's been a while and you're worrying about it. Simply highlight the whole thing, copy it to the clipboard and then hit the submit button without fear.

dinobyte · August 12th, 2006, 01:38 AM

Thanks Strat-Talk, Good advice well worth heeding. :P I didn't know about the preview refreshing bit. Good to know. I did actually ctrl-c my work several times throughout the composition, but... I ended up copying and pasting the image links immediatley following the text and well, you know the rest.

I wrote up a little more if anyone is interested in having a look...

Dear Forumites,

About the pics... just under the guitar's neck in the first pic, is the original owner's instruction manual that came with Stratocasters from the period. Basically, two type-written pages explaining the trem set-up. The original strap is there too! All the parts on the guitar are original, right down to the football switch tip. The neck date shows TG 5-54 and the body date indicates 5/54. Interestingly, there appears to be what might be a batch number (4), pencilled in the trem cavity. It has a great sunburst which is in fact, a one-burst finish found only on the earliest strats with tremolo plate serial number stamps. Essentially, a one- burst meant that Fender sprayed the outer edges of the guitar with a dark brown lacquer, leaving the center portion unfinished, save for a clear overspray, (which coincidentally, turned somewhat yellow because of the environmental reaction of nitrocellulose lacquer, but no yellow was sprayed in the center of the burst on the very first ones). I've also included a snap of the first ad ever published for the Strat from an April 1954 International Musician Magazine. Sorry, I haven't included pics from 'under the hood', perhaps a little later, when I have the opportunity to snap some.

The guitar originally belonged to a musician by the name of Smokey Harper, aka... "The Timber Troubadour". It is unkown whether Smokey acquired it directly from Fender, through someone at Fender Sales or from a dealer as a demonstrator). He played quite a bit in the Washington state area in the early '50s as I understand it. I can't find anything on him after extensive web searches. If anybody comes up with something, let me know! As with many C&W players at the time, Smokey emblazoned his name on the upper waist of the guitar body. The letters have long since been removed and alas, all that remains are the scars.

I acquired 0108 from Dick, the guitar's second owner, who bought it 'used' from Hoffman Music in Spokane, WA in the fall of 1956, at the young age of 16. (there's a picture of Dick playing the guitar below). Smokey put a LOT of wear on this guitar in the little time he owned it. Hoffman Music either purchased it from him or took it on trade some time in 1956. They removed his name from the body of the guitar, then resold it. Dick recalls getting the guitar for a really great price because of the scars left on the body from the name removal. Thank god Hoffman music chose not to refinish the guitar all those years ago and left it as you see it.

The store is still around too. While their original downtown store (where this guitar originally resold in 1956) is long gone, they are still in Spokane at another location (actually 2 locations).

All in all, its a pretty neat guitar. Again as I say, the pick-ups are out of this world and have untouched, original windings. The bridge PU reads at 5.30K ohms, the middle at 5.40K ohms and the neck at 5.54K ohms. While those numbers may seem a little low by todays standards, I think it has a lot to do with the tone of these pick ups.

All for now

Strat-Talk · August 12th, 2006, 12:27 PM

Don't forget on those p'ups... its not just the Ohms from a short winding because after 52 years some of the magnets have lost their strength as well.

I'm guessing that those have a nice, clear as a bell sound that's as sweet as that baby looks.

What do you think it's worth... maybe $50,000+ in today's market? Maybe more. I'd hate to guess. I know the body has a negative due to the name being removed, but I'm thinking it wouldn't hurt it too much -- maybe not at all.

ionisation · August 14th, 2006, 07:09 AM

dinobyte, that is a very nice guitar you have! and very interesting to know it's history as well.
very cool.

oh, you don't say when you aquired the guitar. recently?

dinobyte · August 15th, 2006, 03:14 PM

Sorry about the late responses. I purchased the guitar from Dick about a year ago, so it is a rather recent acquisition in the greater scheme of things. Strat-Talk, you've pretty much nailed, in words, the quality of the pick ups. Perhaps the old wood has a bit to do with it as well, or more reasonably... a combination of things.

I have considered those questions as to value vs. condition. It's tough to tell. I think about the name removal but then I realize that for those interested in such a thing, the choices aren't many, if any at all (considering the handful of originals that are staying in collections). It's a question of rarity over condition I guess but the guitar has a story to tell and it's original.

Even if I did sell it, it wouldn't be much of a windfall for me considering the heaping amount of debt I've found myself in... again! I'd love to keep it because I can't see myself ever being able to find one again, let alone afford it. Here's a close-up pic of the short-skirt knobs and football switch tip...

Strat-Talk · August 15th, 2006, 07:15 PM

Great nitty-gritty photos. I've never seen the short skirt knobs before.

THANKS!

T65 · September 5th, 2006, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strat-Talk

I've never seen the short skirt knobs before.

THANKS!

...same for me, at least not so close...

They make you feel like if you were diving on the Titanic for the first time!

Great pics, thanks!

stratmasters · September 30th, 2007, 04:11 PM

that surely is a most beautiful stratocaster.
if you ever get over to fullerton, california - look up richard r. smith curator of the fullerton museum.
as part of the permanent leo fender exhibition, he has his '54 # 100 hanging in a glass cabinet - they would look beautiful side by side!
best wishes - bob hewitt - 'stratmasters' uk.

Dion · September 30th, 2007, 07:49 PM

Hey dinobyte,
Great first post!
Beautiful Strat, Wow!

Leeo · March 17th, 2008, 11:07 PM

My first post at Start-Talk. Wow, either my heart is pounding, or I'm breathing irregularly, or both. What a looker. I haven't had time to read these posts, but I will get to them later. I was stunned and had to comment on the visual beauty of this strat. It looks great in the case too. Onea these days, I'll haveta git me one. Have you plugged it into a blackface deluxe reverb?...leeo

Strat God · April 12th, 2008, 06:08 AM

That is a beautiful guitar Dino.
You're a lucky man!

StratDen · May 23rd, 2008, 12:38 PM

That is one special guitar you have there! Congrats and thanks for sharing!

StratDen · May 23rd, 2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeo

Wow, either my heart is pounding, or I'm breathing irregularly, or both. What a looker.

That was about on par with my reaction as well! I won't forget seeing #0108 anytime too soon...

StratDen · May 27th, 2008, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dinobyte

The guitar belonged to a musician by the name of Smokey Harper, aka... "The Timber Troubadour". He played quite a bit in the Washington state area in the early '50s as I understand it. I can't find anything on him after extensive web searches. If anybody comes up with something, let me know!

Yeah, I looked around Google and no luck either. Maybe a more localized (town by town) search may help?

StratDen · May 27th, 2008, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dinobyte

The guitar is technically the 8th serial numbered strat produced.

Excatly why I keep coming back to this thread to drool over my keyboard while gazing at it!

Dino, Have you thought about contacting Vintage Guitar Magazine? This is definitely a cover story guitar you have there! I'm sure they would be tripping over themselves to get it in one of their issues...

thaus · June 6th, 2008, 09:32 AM

That is a real relic!! Natural wear in all the right areas! This post deserves to get to the top of the list at least once a day!! Those short skirt knobs are really cool.......wish Fender offered those.........

StratDen · June 6th, 2008, 08:17 PM

Yeah, there's nothing like seeing the real deal !

Strat God · June 7th, 2008, 09:50 PM

Awesome guitar. Thanks for the pix!

brazil66 · June 13th, 2008, 12:40 PM

Appreciation from this corner here too....! Would love to hear a discussion of the value of Strats like this.

Michael

StratDen · June 13th, 2008, 03:29 PM

While I am sure there is a (high) dollar value that would sell for, I can say with alot of conviction that if I were the one to be fortunate enough to own this one, it would be priceless to me.

Cassady · June 14th, 2008, 11:36 AM

First, let me say that that is an amazing Strat. I don't think that I've ever seen the short-skirt knobs or football switch tip--thanks for the great pictures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strat-Talk

Don't forget on those p'ups... its not just the Ohms from a short winding because after 52 years some of the magnets have lost their strength as well.

I hate to disagree with our esteemed moderator, but it is my understanding that the magnets used in guitar pickups are actually very stable over time--pickups of this age would, I believe, have 99+% of their original magnetism.

I can find a source for the above if you'd like, but I think that it's Bill Lawrence.

Cassady

StratDen · June 24th, 2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cassady

First, let me say that that is an amazing Strat. I don't think that I've ever seen the short-skirt knobs or football switch tip--thanks for the great pictures.

I hate to disagree with our esteemed moderator, but it is my understanding that the magnets used in guitar pickups are actually very stable over time--pickups of this age would, I believe, have 99+% of their original magnetism.

I can find a source for the above if you'd like, but I think that it's Bill Lawrence.

Cassady

I'm no scientist, but I think putting any definitive % on what is out there is no more accurate that picking a number out of thin air. It's my understanding that magnetism can be effected many by factors that will vary from one magnet to the next (i.e. outside factors which effect the electrons of the magnet). I think if you research it, you'll find that a magnet's magnetic field strength can suffer from degradation over time even is some of the more ideal environments.

StratDen · June 24th, 2008, 09:17 AM

I'll add that I remember this topic being discussed a long time ago on the TDRPI and another factor that was mentioned is that what we see in some of the older guitars is rust and/or oxidation which may be one of those factors that effect the pickups magnets too...