Vintage 1955 Fender Stratocaster Refinished Gold With Case Owned by Bobby Lewis

One of, if not THE most iconic electric guitar of all time, the Fender Stratocaster has gone through many eras, iterations, and versions over the decades.  After debuting in 1954, the model evolved through the 50's and 60's.  Some of the most coveted are the early ones.  Here we have something special: a Stratocaster built in 1955.  It's the real deal.  And this one has some serious history behind it.  As in, it can be heard on a # 1 song, was reportedly the first Strat that Jimi Hendrix held, and much more.  There's a lot to unpack here, so get comfortable....

 

We'll start with the guitar itself.  At first glance, one may say "what is this" due to the appearance.  When we took it in, we weren't sure, but we did the due diligence, vetting and research.  Everything checks out - this is an original '55 Strat, refinished.  The body is May 1955, the neck is August 1955, and the tone pots date to August 1955.  Check out the photos to see the guitar disassembled. It has the original pickups, with all of the tone desired from a vintage Strat. The guitar was refinished in an ultra cool Gold color - more on that in a moment.  Everything else on the guitar is original, other than the following that were replaced:

• volume pot
• selector switch
• two pickup cover (original included)
• knobs (original included)
• pickguard (original included)
• some screws (originals included)
• nut

The bridge is original, but at some point the trem arm snapped, leaving a piece in the block.  We couldn't remove it, and while we could replace the bridge, that would result in it no longer being original.  So, we chose to leave it as is.  The result is that you get the original, which works fine as a bridge but not as a tremolo.  So, essentially this is now a hardtail Strat.  The frets, neck plate, tuners and other hardware is all original.  The guitar does not come with the original case, unfortunately - that's long gone.  Instead, it came to us in an aftermarket hardshell tweed case.

  

Without plugging, we immediately noticed right away how lively and resonant this Strat is.  Also, it feels fantastic - it has the mid 50's neck shape that players know and love.  There is life left in the original frets.  Plugged in, we were blown away by how great it sounds.  The original pickups give you the clear, bell-like tone and classic Strat sound that is signature to this era.  The pickups are well balanced and sound sweet no matter which position is used. This gives you the sound of the 50's in the most authentic way.  Our top vintage expert did the vetting and gave the guitar a full setup, so it plays wonderfully.   And, it's light, coming in at just 6.7 lbs.

 

The guitar has been refinished, of course.  Originally it was 2-Tone Sunburst.  It looks to have gone through a lot in its life, but it withstood the test of time and came out on the other side with a great vibe.  Personally, we love the color chosen - and it's not often that anyone would have a '55 Strat that looks like this. 

Now, on to the history, which is quite something.  The video tells most of the full story, but there's even more.  Here we go:

The mid 1950's era was just just the early days of Fender, it was the early days of rock 'n' roll.  One of the earliest well known players of a Stratocaster was Billy Davis, guitarist with Jackie Wilson.  On a visit to Fender, he was given this exact Strat for promotional use.  While on the road in Seattle, he showed it to a teenage Jimi Hendrix - supposedly this is the first Strat that Hendrix ever played.  We can't authenticate that as a fact, but that is the story told.  In 1960, Davis was on tour and lost a dice game, leaving him without money to eat.  He ended up selling this Strat to Bobby Lewis for $75.  

For decades to come, Lewis had a tremendous career, including the # 1 song of 1961, "Tossin' and Turnin'".  This is the guitar used on that song - it was a monster hit, and later became even bigger when featured in the movies American Graffiti and Animal House.  He put this Strat to use for countless live shows and recordings for 4 decades.  The gold paint job was done by Lewis himself, using Schwinn bicycle paint.  All of the wear was done by him as well, making this as authentic as it gets.  The indentations on the body above the pickguard are from a stopwatch case, which was installed by Lewis to keep track of time during performances,

By 2005, Lewis was blind and winding down his time on the road.  That's when Matt & Gunnar Nelson came across the Strat, after meeting Lewis at a show where they were all on the bill together.  They ended up buying the guitar and hooking up Lewis with a seeing-eye dog.  The Nelsons had the guitar for a period of time before parting with it in 2010.  It went to Fender to be inspected and recreated for a run of Custom Shop guitars, and was slated for a stint at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  After exchanging hands a few times over the next 15 years, this 1955 Stratocaster has landed here at Truetone Music.

In addition to the original parts listed above, it comes with a signed 8x10 of Bobby Lewis, the letter he wrote when he sold it to the Nelsons, and other paperwork that was with the guitar when we got it.

This is an amazing example of a mid-50's Stratocaster, before the major changes started taking place.  On top of that, it has one of the most interesting stories behind it that we could ever imagine.  This Strat is truly a piece of history.  It would be at home in any vintage collector's stable, a studio that wants the coolest vintage gear for its clients, or just anyone that appreciates the history of Fender.  Come to Truetone Music to experience this 1955 Stratocaster today, or purchase right here for it to be expertly packed and safely shipped (fully insured) to your home.

 

Serial # 8664

Weight: 6.7lbs