The Fender Stratocaster is the most copied, best selling electric guitar design ever. This is one of the first and finest examples ever made, from June 1954, the beginning of something very important. This guitar has many of the very early features that are unique to guitars from this time frame. The headstock end of the truss rod is painted black. That is only found on some guitars from June 1954. The pickup cavities are flat on the bottom, pre dating the channel for the wires that came a moment later. The guitar has the early form fit case seen only in the first part of 1954. The serial number is low and found on the neck plate and also in pencil on the underside of the pick guard. The tape in the control cavity reads 6-16-54 Mary, the completion date. The knobs and switch tip are replaced.T he guitar weighs 8 pounds two ounces. It is still in nice original condition.