1954 Stratocaster, real, replica, details, fakes and famous.

[Eagle]

I just started a new body for my 54 replica because I was never 100% happy with the one I made.
Here it is ;

It is 3.5lb unloaded and off centre two pieces ( like most originals) it has the vibe of a slightly later version.

Painted as an early 50s blonde in nitro,super thin and light relic.

Obviously inspired by but not a replica of

The most famous 54 that isn’t a 54 ( the body is later and refinished in Olympic white over blonde;

(Thanks for sharing these)

 

[2112]

Looks awesome!

 

[Eagle]

Now some real 54s;

Terrible fake knobs on this ( numbers too big.)

Original different knobs and switch tip

 

[Eagle]

Looks awesome!

That body is going to be replaced with this one when I finish it

The detail on this one’s more in line with a typical 54. This is also a bit of a moving target because of how much variation there was.

 

[Eagle]

The Gilmour 0001 has a 56 ish body and a refinish at some distance point. It belonged to Seymour Duncan in the 70s.

Quite light contours for the time.

 

[Eagle]

Early version 2 knobs and covers .

Sharp edges to the head too which is not typical of early production.

 

[Eagle]

These are the most accurate version 2 replicas available . The problem is when you want version 1

These are the only ones that have been released but now long discontinued and very expensive. Fortunately I have this set.

 

[Eagle]

54 trem.

Note the back of the plate is just cut not polished.
Try finding that.

Not a fender bridge but made with the same exact process and materials. Indistinguishable from an original even disassembled and micrometer measured. Every tool mark is the same.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Awesome project. Looking forward to the final result.

 

[Eagle]

Logo anyone?
Original ones are four layers of screen paint and have a texture that modern custom shop ones don’t. Even though they now have the right design and that is pretty recent.

Master built Fender .
And something more accurate;

A colleague of mine made these over 20 years ago and I still have some but I only use them for me on restoration projects.

 

[Eagle]

Back to the body;
Originals have two dowel filled holes on each side where the temple was screwed and the bottom of the rout usually has a tool imprint.

Then the nail holes without paint

And the fully painted neck pocket.
This is a 59 body but not different in this.

 

[Eagle]

I should have said the nail hole in this picture would be higher up in 54, up next to the screw hole position.

This is the spray booth at Fender mid 50s
They stood the body on a piece of wood and sprayed the top then flipped it on to the nails and painted the back. It then stood on a shelf on the nails to dry.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I should have said the nail hole in this picture would be higher up in 54, up next to the screw hole position.
View attachment 29007
This is the spray booth at Fender mid 50s
They stood the body on a piece of wood and sprayed the top then flipped it on to the nails and painted the back. It then stood on a shelf on the nails to dry.

How'd they pick it up to flip it over w/o messing up the paint?

You mean in 1954 nobody could figure out to just use a nail at each end, so it could be hung up on something in the air and rotated as paint was applied? @FuzzyAce you haven't ever done anything like that have you?

 

[Eagle]

Painting on nails works with nitro . Each body sits on its own tray and you don’t flip it until it is touch dry. The tray sat on a lazy Susan to rotate. The new part coat on the back’s nitro melts in to the existing around the edge. When you buff it you can’t tell it was done in two parts.

 

[Eagle]

Looking at some original blonde finishes. They are mostly later and vary according to the paint person at the time and the amount of sunlight they have had.

Early original with obvious heavier application around the edges

57 that has faded in the clear coat. It’s been a while since I had an original here to photograph as they don’t come up often and now cost big.

 

[Eagle]

The vast majority you see are reissues and custom shop replicas.

This is ok but my original is closer and I’m replacing that.

 

[FuzzyAce]

How'd they pick it up to flip it over w/o messing up the paint?

You mean in 1954 nobody could figure out to just use a nail at each end, so it could be hung up on something in the air and rotated as paint was applied? @FuzzyAce you haven't ever done anything like that have you?

Not like that, but I can see the benefit when doing it this way. For drying purposes. I'm no paint expert myself, I know enough to be dangerous.
I've seen some do it with a rotating stick or post horizontally. Either way it seems this would help cut down on potential runs in the lacquer.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Not like that, but I can see the benefit when doing it this way. For drying purposes. I'm no paint expert myself, I know enough to be dangerous.
I've seen some do it with a rotating stick or post horizontally. Either way it seems this would help cut down on potential runs in the lacquer.

I'm with you there. My painting-of-individual-pieces has been limited to priming boards. But we always do some type of setup to minimize handling.

Paint is a whole nother animal, best left to good subs.

 

[V|J]

Not a fan of pickguards but really dig this metal gold finish one.

If you told me yours was an OG ‘54 strat, I’d believe you.
But then if you told me, it’s a ‘44 strat, I’d still believe you.

 

[la szum]