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Anyone knows the serial number of Hank's 1958 Stratocaster,
- bought from Patrice Bastien in 1980 ?

Patrice probably knows - he's a member of this site
(Patrice: http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=3109).

Erik

39085

Hi Kon Tiki,

Alan is right (!)
The serial number of this original Strat Fiesta Red 58 is #39085.
To complete, the date on the neck is 12-58 and the original Custom Color is sprayed over an grey/blue undercoat.
On some videos live of the Shadows (when Hank used this guitar on stage, I remember a video of Wonderful Land...) it's easy to see this "grey/blue color behind the wears... (Many of them done by Hank after he bought it... Shush !)
As you know many early 60's Fender Custom Color are sprayed (mainly) over a white undercoat color and sometimes "over Sunburst". And sometimes over an other Custom Color... or sometime first over a Sunburst then over an other color !

Thank you for your interest

Amitiés à tous
Patrice

Thank you all, for your great knowledge.

If the famous 34346 was a 1959 model, why does this 1958 guitar have a later serial number?

Ray

RayL wrote:If the famous 34346 was a 1959 model, why does this 1958 guitar have a later serial number?

Ray

Because the serial number was on the neck plate, and the date pencilled onto the end of the neck. These two parts weren't neccesarily made at the same time as each other, or indeed any other part of the instrument!

Numbered neckplates would be sent out for chrome plating and arrive back at the Fender factory, all mixed up, and dumped in a box. Completed necks would be hung on a rack, probably no longer in date order. Then a worker would take a body, grab any neck off the rack, and use the first plate he came to to attach it.

Forrest White who ran the factory said he got fed up hearing people claim they could date a guitar from its serial number. He called it 'Fender fiction'!

These days guitar experts tend to regard the neck date as the 'birthday' of the guitar. I'm not one, so I'll accept that!

FiestaForrest White who ran the factory said he got fed up hearing people claim they could date a guitar from its serial number. He called it 'Fender fiction'!

These days guitar experts tend to regard the neck date as the 'birthday' of the guitar. I'm not one, so I'll accept that.

And the neck date on 34346 is 3-59 IIRC.

Erik

Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour had a Strat numbered 00001 but it was not the first one built.

Serial numbers.... my 58 strat has "neck date" 8-58 and 0261xx
I've seen double stamped plates on one side,double stamped plates on both sides,numbers with a - before the serial number and like my f red strat a 0 before the rest....so like I start this reply
The more pre cbs guitars you look into,the more you'll know...there are hardly two the same

Let's not forget, the 34346 has gold plated H W ...they made a bundle and I can see those laying on a shelf...for a long time...until someone comes along with the gold fever and spend some cash extra