NORM!!!! please do more of these kinds of videos 👍 there is an audience of people like me who aren't kids that have a thirst for, and appreciate this kind of knowledge. and this repair guy is top notch!

If that gets refinished I’m gonna cry 😭😭

I love all of this guitar tech stuff. It's a fascinating combination of technical know-how and historical knowledge.

I was born in 1953 and my Stratocaster that I got in a pawnshop in Chicago in 1971 is a 1954 number 260 Taddio Gomez did the neck and Gloria did the wiring which is what I have named her Strats are pretty cool Great channel

The maintenance technician is a true specialist. Fantastic guitar.

this is the future - people love these types of videos - the internal workings of vintage guitars is very interesting to the question of why some guitars are amazing and why some are not. Like people, we are generally the same - but with interesting differences that are not so easy to first explain.

Here it is 2021. We are going through very difficult times and this 1954 Fender Stratocaster seems to make it all better. Just makes me feel good that it is still around. Thanks, Norman!

Masa! you are THE MAN! Exceptional! and humble

Best video from Norm's shop in a LONG time... Love the format & subject matter.. Please consider doing more

I'm always completely fascinated by the shows with Norm. I can sit for hours and watch them...

I could watch these type of videos endlessly, love the history and Norm's analysis is always really interesting, tremendous video.

I love the color of this old Strat. It looks very similar to the Bourbon Burst finish on Fender´s 75th Anniversary Commemorative Stratocasters. Beautiful!

The luthier has great hands, very, very careful and precise in a very imprecise world. Ooooodles of experience, just watching him remove the pickup covers, skill baby, skill! Thanks,

Schweet, Great job Norman this video takes me to a great song While My Guitar Gently Weeps,If it could only talk of what it has endured over the past 68 plus years,thanks for a great video.

This is, by far, my favorite channel on KZfaq!! Thank you for all the hours of education, inspiration and entertainment!!

Should do more of these Normie

Wow. This was so informative and interesting! Thank you Norm, Masa and whoever was running the camera. I would enjoy seeing more videos like this.

Guitar archeology, love it.

My very first guitar was a 1954 Stratocaster, serial number 0517 or 0571 ... too long ago to remember (1963-1965).

1:45 A relic job on this guitar would be sacrilege. It's bad enough to put fake wear and tear on a guitar to look like you have played it for years, but to put fake wear and tear on a guitar that has real wear and tear on it is something I can't understand.

DON'T TOUCH THAT COLOR! That's one of the most beautiful colors I've seen on a Strat. It's original (implying for a refinish), and unusual. It's looks like a piece of Brach's caramel.

Such a great history lesson, thank you. I have a 63 that’s precious to me seeing 54 taken apart is a rare gift :-)

The pickups are upside down because it once was used as a lefty. Very common mod when you have staggered pickups.

I’ve got a 2010, but same beautiful wood and color. She’s the best piece of ash I’ve ever had.

Back in the 60s and 70s I redid several guitars in my parents storage shed for myself and all my friends. Most of the time I used paint for model cars and for motorcycles. I would spend weeks after school sanding down every little nick and scratch replacing parts and rebuilding each one. My Dad did some wood working and showed me how to steam dents out and make the wood sooth. Most of the guitars were good name brands that were ugly and well used from pawn shops. Loved the video it brought back a lot of memories.

Greatest guitar shop in the Nation. Thanks Norm for all you do. What a find thanks for sharing!!

More vids like this, please Norm. Watching these old guitars being brought back, is fascinating. Personally I’m rather partial to Sienna burst type finishes, so would probably leave as is, if it were mine😁

Its like watching a surgeon, awesome guitar tech

Always been curious about the techs @ Norman's. Great gig working on some very cool guitars. More of this kind of content please!

Norm should do more of this, hopefuly on really beat tour guitars from some iconic guitarrists

For a time people turned Strat pickups around to simulate the way Hendrix's guitars were oriented (Low E string over the high E string pickup pole). That may be what happened on this one.

Norm is nuts! He would be willing to strip it, repaint it and relic it? It is a relic!

These kind of videos are so relaxing to watch.. love it

Thanks for posting this up Norman. Very interesting. If anyone says to you that you're lucky to have a job like this tell them.... "Yes. And the harder I work, the luckier I get.!!"

This is one of the most beautiful colors I have ever seen on a guitar... Such a beauty!!

So much knowledge and experience instantly noticing the changes like an autopsy. It’s in good hands now and will be returned to correct set up. Make more videos like this 🙏

I could watch this tech work on guitars for hours. Do more vids like this pls.

I could listen to Masa all day and watch him work. Wow!

"Heavy Build" formvar wire on the pickups ! That is why the bobbin is so full and its just under 6 K ! I made some with the same wire and they sound fantastic ! Wonderful video !!Thank You

- puts pickups in backwards - "Huh, these aren't fitting now. Guess I better route out the wood to make them fit" 🤦

This was interesting to watch. I don't like to pull the pickguard with pickups attached though when inspecting. I know you guys are experts, but I find it much easier to pull the knobs, remove the locknuts from the pots, unscrew the pickups and pickguard and lift the pickguard off leaving all the electronics in place. Old wiring can be fragile and twisting a loaded pickguard around can be problematic along with the potential to damage the finish with a pickup height screw you slip up.

Very interesting work that goes into verification of a guitar! Good stuff

I have a 1954 Strat. #0859. Ash but the body was treated badly in the 50's. The neck is beautiful but probably shaved down a bit. Original tuners on it and I have the original pickups but I put newer old ones in it. Some where I have the original saddles and the tone controls. Bought it in 72 and played it a long time but not anymore. It's retired I guess. They are the original frets. The best thing is how great the neck is....

I actually love that finish, I’ve been looking for the modern American ash body with that color (Sienna sunburst) for awhile they are difficult to find, they don’t, or can’t use ash anymore… I’d leave it alone, put some new strings on it clean the pots and play the heck out I’d it… In no way whatsoever would I want a fake “relicted” 54, nope…. What it looks like now is what it is… long as it plays…

I reckon it WAS a deliberate act to put the pickups in upside down and not a mistake due to the influence of Jimi Hendrix and the notion that his pickups would be “upside down“ in relation to a left-handed player👍

0269!!! What a gem! Could be worth a fortune at a reputable auction if the right people heard about it.

This is was cool to see the ends and outs of these old guitars

The reason the pickups are in backwards is a left-handed player had this at one time.

That is a really nice 'burst finish, I must say!

Lovely. '54 has short skirt knobs, football switch tip, round bakelite pickup covers... and yeah '54s didn't have BLACK outer ring of burst color. It was dark brown. Such a cool video and guitar. Thanks!

I learned a few things that I should have known (or noticed) a long time ago. Thanks, Norm !

...perhaps the guitar was set up for a player like Eric Gales ie. strings back to front? ...might explain the pick-ups being upside down especially as the poles are staggered?

Interesting, I didn't realize they had them with a 3 way switch. I thought all strats were 5 way, you learn something new every day.

Fasciating video, I'm not a player but guitar construction has always fascinated me.

ANWE NEED MORE OF THESE NORMAN WATCHING MASA WORK AT HIS BENCH IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT 99.9% OF YOUR VIEWERS HAVE NO INSIGHT INTO A PERFECT RESTORATION CANDIDATE PERSONALLY ME NO LIKEY RELICING JUST THE BEST VIDEO IN A LONG TIME THANK YOU NORMAN & MASA MAN CARLOS GUITARLOS 90042

Your friend Bonamassa had a concert in Carnage Hall and just knocked it out of the park, great jobZ!

LOVE THESE VIDEOS

That burst color reminds me of the current performer series strat burst.

Amazing vidéo of a LEGENDARY instrument !!! Love it 👍. Cheers from France 🇨🇵

had to chuckle, i'm all for restoring stuff .... yes, this has been refinished BUT thinking of relic'ing it seems absolutely crazy to me ;) Greetings though.

1:58 - couldn’t disagree more...imo, it’s precisely because the sunburst is that light that it looks as beautiful as it does.

This is really great content!

Great stuff, thanks Norm.

Fascinating! But leave that colour, it’s awesome!

I would have loved to see a proper restoration of this guitar.

Do a vid of restoring this guitar....

Hello to Norm and Masa. Thanks for a most thorough inspection on this very interesting instrument. One minor thing to point out is that the original 1954 pickup covers were not actually made of Bakelite. The term is used often but it is incorrect. I forget the actual name of the type of plastic - it may have been Formvar or something like that - but anyway it proved to be too thin and fragile and Leo switched to a more durable plastic by 1955 or so. Very few original pickup covers exist. Buddy Holly’s first Strat was a ‘54 and photos show it with the pickup covers broken and missing pieces (Fender even reproduced that detail when they issued their Buddy Holly Strat). That guitar was stolen during Buddy’s last tour so who knows perhaps this is it! Ha ha I think not very likely but it’s something to ponder. Best wishes to all from Petey

Yes, more of these videos please Norm.

Backwards pickups: maybe the original owner was trying to imitate Hendrix's strat tone on a right-handed guitar?

Cool really enjoyed this one, maybe do more like this

Watching this at the end of 2022 going to 2023 tomorrow!! Happy New Year to all!!

Love Your Videos......always the Straight Shot. Much appreciated. :)

who would customize a 54 Strat? And relic it?!!! Did I hear right?

I hear this would be a great guitar to restore guys

I agree! That color is beautiful.

Yes, more of these please. Very ASMR.

More videos with Masa, please!

There's a possibility that the pickups were fitted upside down in an attempt to get closer to the Hendrix tone

That Milwaukee tool he is using.. I have the exact same one.. for building industrial control wiring. Love that tool. Fantastic tool. BTW

What a great job/business Norm has. Could imagine just tinkering with old guitars Allllll day and getting paid VERY well for it?

Note , If you see the guitar used by Buddy Holly , all the pickup covers were broken !

18:02 Regardless of how crude the finish is, if it's actually a 54, I can't believe they let the switch and pots drag across the finish. That's bush league. I wouldn't do that to a $100 Squier. Tape it off, or cover it completely with that green rag.

Although the old plastics are often referred to as bakelite, they were in fact made from styrene. Bakelite starts out as a warm putty color and cannot be made lighter. As the raw bakelite color is quite unappealing, it was almost always darkened to a chocolate brown or black final color.

Great video norm....please do more of these

i love that he feels the need to have an assistant to take the neck off for him! Man,I'll never get those 20 mins back!!!

Restore? Yes, definitely. Relic? Seriously? I’m really surprised I heard you mention that twice in this video. “Relicing” is an obviously polarizing topic; and I’ve seen many more terribly unrealistic relic jobs, than really good and believable work. It would be a real shame if someone did a relicing job on even a “player grade” 70 year old Strat.

I have the very first Fender Stratocaster "non prototype" ever made. The serial number is 0000, and Leo gave it to me personally. I stripped the original sunburst, and had it finished in a super thick polyurethane, and I re fitted it with a floyd rose, and routed that joker out for 3 humbuckers. I was told it could have been worth a billion dollars, but since I screwed it up, it's only worth about $150. I'm dumb. Never do to a priceless guitar, what I did.

fascinating. thx norm & crew .. .

This video got sooo much better once "The Sales Guy" left the room.

Wonder if the pickups were mounted upside down to try and achieve a Hendrix tone?

Great guitar!! IMHO Masa missed the pot date: 304901 is a Stackpole pot dating to the 1st week of 1959. While the guitar body and neck appear original, it looks like an entire 1959 complete guard assembly with pickups, pots, switch and cap were swapped into this guitar. Pickups do not look like 1954, as the D string pole piece was set higher than the rest. This feature was exclusive to 1954. Still a beautiful players-grade vintage Stratocaster.

Love old strats! Iconic guitars

I had an old Strat that I called Leo Fender about back in the '80's. I knew it was an old Strat, so I called Leo Fender when he was at Music Man in LA. He told me how to find the date it was made by removing the pick guard and there would be a piece of masking tape with a date it was built. That is when I found out the age of the guitar. It had a 1954 date on the tape just like he said. I called him back the next day and he told me I had one of the first 500 prototypes they made. He told me they only made 500 to begin with because, as he put it "we didn't know if the thing would sell". He was happy to know the guitar was still out there being used. He also said the number on the neck plate had nothing to do with the age. They had a box of plates and put them on the guitars in no certain order. BTW, I only paid $20 buck for it because the guy who had it was a friend and told me the 3-way switch was broken and all the pick-ups were all wired together. He said it sounded OK, but not great. Enjoyed the video.

Since it's already been worked on, there's no reason not to take it back to period-correct!

I love the light Burst

Very fascinating vid. And I'm not even a Strat fan, but she should get a rescue restoration.

Sometimes when norm wants something to be what he thinks it is, he will literally come up with every excuse as to why this or that is not correct at all lol don’t get me wrong norm has the greatest guitars and does know his shit but it’s like come on buddy…. You can’t win them all lol great episode though!

The emperor has no clothes. Logically, if you want a stellar Strat to play buy a new custom shop Fender. If you can't see the value for yourself without someone else telling you what that is, it's not worth paying for. IMO

I like the color as it is... put it playable and it´s good... nice video

tap tap tap, that wedding ring is freakin me out man