Fender Stratocaster Non Tremolo Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (1956), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 10735, two tone sunburst lacquer finish, ash body, maple neck, original tweed hard shell case.
This now 70+ year old "Hardtail" Fender Stratocaster is a lovely early example of a sometimes nearly forgotten variant of Fender's most popular guitar, built without the tremolo system that is one of the model's hallmarks. This guitar is in largely original condition; it has been refretted and the fingerboard overfinished. It also has an unusual anomaly: Although the electronics are original to the guitar, internally there was some additional minor routing to the cavities after the body was finished, slightly lengthening all three pickup routs on the bass side and the control cavity rout on the treble. This is now the SECOND early 1956 Stratocaster we have had with EXACTLY the same post-finish rout pattern, which would have been a quick solution if a final assembler was having trouble fitting the pickguard down to the body and resorted to opening the routs up just a bit. This sort of "assembly line finagle" is a known factory fudge on some makers' guitars, but is uncommon on early Fenders. While we can't absolutely state this was factory work, it looks consistent to the period and really there is no other reason why it would have been done.
This Stratocaster dates to the beginning of 1956, less than two years after the model's introduction when it was the most futuristic fretted instrument on the market and a showpiece for Fender. While the less expensive "non-trem" option was advertised for the Stratocaster from the beginning, few were actually produced as the tremolo model proved far more popular. The sound is somewhat different as the slight natural "reverb" provided by the tremolo spring assembly is absent. The tone is a bit more bitingly Telecaster-like as it shares that model's through-body stringing, but the unique Stratocaster electronic response remains intact. "Hardtail" Stratocasters have remained a minority flavor through the decades but there are players who prefer them to the common tremolo models, and sometimes to any other guitar.
This guitar is a fairly early example, the body dated 2-56 and neck heel marked XA-3-56. This latter still has a round-backed profile, but with more dressed-away shoulders than earlier models presaging the shift in later 1956-7 to a harder "V" shape. As non-tremolo Stratocasters were not ordered all that often, the dates on this example are closer than many as the bodies sometimes sat in stock for some time before being assembled into a complete guitar. The beautifully grained one-piece ash body sports the rich two-tone brown sunburst that was the model's stock finish, with the natural maple neck and white plastic trim.
The hardware remains original including the Kluson deluxe tuners, early round string tree, single layer white pickguard and the chromed bridgeplate screwed directly to the body with stamped steel "Fender Pat.Pend" saddles. The somewhat fragile hard plastic pickup covers and knobs are also original, the neck pickup cover worn a bit around the crown. The visible pot codes are coded 304-605, indicating fabrication in the 5th week of 1956. The "Chicklet" tone capacitor specific to this period and the switch, masking-taped wiring all remain intact. All three pickups are fully original and sound great, and the three-way switch has a very solid feel, selecting the "in-between" tones easily.
While this guitar has seen some use it has managed to avoid the indignities many old Fenders went through like amateur refinishes, humbucker routs, jumbo refrets, and locking tremolos. This guitar plays very well and sounds spectacular, at just over 7 1/2 Lbs it is fairly light for this period. While Stratocasters have been re-issued and "relic-ed" endlessly over the last decades, non-trem models are rarely reproduced; "Hardtails" remain a breed apart, with their own intangible magic for the player looking for a subtly different sound. While not a perfect example, this is a wonderful instrument remaining as Leo and his crew intended, a wonderful-feeling guitar with the weight of some history behind it.
Overall length is 38 1/4 in. (97.2 cm.), 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) deep. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.)., 7.6 lbs.
This now 70-year-old Stratocaster remains largely original, taking into account the additional minor routing to the cavities, slightly lengthening all three pickup routs on the bass side and the control rout on the treble that appears to be factory, or at least period. The neck pocket shows some later added thin spray work for no obvious reason; all external finish on the body is unaltered showing general wear most heavily on the back and edges while the face remains relatively clean.
The clear neck finish remains original on the back and headstock, not ambered heavily as some. The back of the neck has shallow dings and chips along its length, worn down to the maple only along the treble side edge and just a bit in the lower positions on the bass side edge. The fingerboard was completely oversprayed with lacquer as part of an older refret job, and a small grain crack at the treble end of the fingerboard running about five frets up from the truss rod was repaired as part of this process, now completely solid. The headstock was untouched and remains comparatively clean; the Fender logo decal is very well preserved with no loss.
The guitar retains its original hardware; a few parts replaced for functionality are preserved in the case pocket. These are the jack and all the height adjustment screws for the bridge. All other parts remain original including the plastic pickguard (showing some very minor warping), all three knobs, the switch tip and pickup covers; these fragile early "hard" plastic originals are often damaged or replaced. The neck and middle pickup covers show some minor cracking, with a split spot down to the edge of the coil on the neck pickup that was reinforced with a bit of glue. This is almost ubiquitous with the early Stratocasters; the plastic covers were changed not long after to harder-wearing ABS plastic. The steel bridge saddles show some typical fairly minor corrosion.
The pickups and all wiring components are original, including the pots, tone cap, and 3-way switch; some of the rubber tubing on the mounting screws was replaced. The solder joints appear undisturbed except for later work on the volume pot; the original masking tape is largely intact securing the pickup leads. The original single-layer pickguard has some slight warpage and a small burn mark on the lower edge, above a ding in the body. All three pickups sound fantastic in any combination.
As noted the guitar was expertly refretted with appropriate wire some time ago and the fingerboard lightly overfinished, the nut was replaced as well; the original frets and nut are bagged in the case as mementos, at least. This great playing and sounding Stratocaster still resides in the original early-side-pocket tweed HSC which is heavily worn but still functional. The upper end latch is missing; the lower will close properly but the internal springs no longer flips it open. While we all love a clean '50s Fender, the ones with stories often seem to have the most soul; this is simply a wonderful guitar wearing its history on its sleeve that really comes alive when plugged in to that old tweed amp! Overall Very Good + Condition.
