Stratocaster 0001 - the first Strat?

David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame has a Fender Stratocaster #0001, which has been well documented and photographed. In close examination by a number of experts, they believe that it is actually a 1954 model from the first year of manufacture. Some have contended that it is a Frankenstrat put together of old parts (1957 neck and 1957 body) but the pickups appear to be original 1954 and so do the tuners.

Although stamped with the #0001 serial number, it’s not the first ever-made Stratocaster. The unusual color and the gold hardware indicate that it might be a showpiece made for a special occasion or for an employee - perhaps an "unveiling".

Other researchers indicate that it was the first Stratocaster to have a serial number via a neck plate, and that there were most certainly other Strats produced ahead of Gilmour's. There is talk of a 1953 "prototype" as well as the original "body contour design" model given to musician Bill Carlson for testing. There are also pictures of what appear to be a Stratocaster with a Tele neck that Leo Fender used as a test bed during the Stratocaster development.

The neck is signed “TG 6.54”, referring to Taddeo Gomez June 1954 and the body has a handwritten signature “Mary 9.28.54”, referring to Mary (this could very well be Mary Lemus, a Fender factory employee. Mary began work at Fender in 1954 as an assembler, eventually becoming a final assembly supervisor) signing off on it September 28. 1954.

According to Guitarist journalist David Mead, who examined the guitar for an article in 1995, the ash body is indeed white although it might appear to be aged Olympic White, pale green or even blue-ish on some pictures. The guitar features an anodized gold 8 hole 1-ply pickguard, custom gold plated tremolo system and output jack and Kluson Deluxe tuners. The pickups appear to be original 1954 Fenders with a 3-way pickup switch (the 5-way switch didn’t surface until the mid 70’s).

First Strat? Probably not. Worth enough to buy a mansion? Undoubtedly.