Earliest known Fender Stratocaster on sale in Nashville

I always thought Gilmour's was the first Strat???

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20...nclick_check=1



It wasn’t played by a rock 'n' roll hero like Bob Dylan or Elvis Presley, but a historic guitar is on sale for $250,000 at a Nashville instrument shop.

The guitar is the earliest known Fender Stratocaster, the electric guitar that has built a cult following all its own.

The guitar, which has a serial number 0100, is being sold via consignment at Gruhn Guitars by Fender historian Richard Smith.

Gruhn Guitars owner George Gruhn said the recordkeeping on the guitar is superb because Smith has owned the instrument for 30 years and is considered a foremost expert on Stratocasters. Smith published the book “Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round the World” and curated a museum exhibit on Fender guitars at the Fullerton Museum in California.

“It’s a guitar in a fine playing condition. It was acquired from the original owner by Richard over 30 years ago,” Gruhn said. “And it is extremely well-documented.”

Gruhn said he has already had some interest in the guitar, which he put on sale a week ago. He said the likely buyer would be a collector who appreciates the history behind the Fender Stratocaster, which Gruhn said is the most popular electric guitar in the world.

Gruhn said his shop, which specializes in new, used and collectible instruments, has sold more expensive guitars in the past, such as Maybelle Carter’s guitar to the Country Music Hall of Fame for $585,000. But Gruhn said he was more interested in this guitar because of the model’s place in music history.

“It’s the most popular electric guitar model in the world, and this is the first one,” Gruhn said. “It wasn’t owned by a celebrity performer, but it was made by a celebrity maker. It’s like if you had a Picasso painting or a Van Gogh. Who’s the celebrity – the previous owner or the (piece of art)?”

While there are some Stratocasters in circulation with lower serial numbers, those guitars have the serial stamped on the neck fastening plate, which Fender didn’t begin doing until later. When the guitar first hit the market, the serial was stamped on the tremolo cavity plate, and the company began numbering them at 100, Gruhn said. The guitar is dated to 1954.

Late last year, the Fender Stratocaster played by Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival sold for nearly $1 million. Gruhn said the price of that guitar was inflated because of Dylan’s celebrity status.

“To me this guitar is more important,” Gruhn said. “It’s the first Stratocaster.”

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and on Twitter @tnnaterau.
View Comments () | Share your thoughts »

That's pretty cool!

It's widely known that Gilmour's was not the first.

That's an awfully huge amount of money just to say you have the first one!

Cool guitar but it's sad to think it will probably end up with a person who does not play or will not play it.. Thanks for sharing!

Another cool ax..

http://elderly.com/vintage/names/gib...-30U-18394.htm

Quote:

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Originally Posted by melody

Cool guitar but it's sad to think it will probably end up with a person who does not play or will not play it.. Thanks for sharing!

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At least now some minimum-wage slacker won't be routing it for EMG's and a Floyd Rose.

:biglaugh:

Hmmm, maybe it can find a spot for it in my collection. Just sold my boat...

Yeah, even though Gilmour's is Serial # 0001, it was built several months after the production started.
His may have been the first custom order, with the metal pickguard and white finish.

If it's really the first production Strat, it belongs in a museum (Indiana Chicken House Willie Jones).