Appraised at the legendary Gruhn Guitars in Nashville Tennessee and signed off by the one and only George Gruhn. Serial Number 53108. While the neck plate serial number dates to 1960, these plates were stamped in large quantities and then used in random order so the numbers do not strictly correspond to the final assembly dates. They can be easily changed and do not serve as an indicator of originality for an entire instrument. However, the neck date (5-60), body date (1-60) and potentiometer manufacturing date codes (304 6020-20th week of 1960) are also consistent with this guitar being originally assembled in 1960. This guitar exhibits a Fender factory original custom-color blond body finish. The finish exhibits very light deterioration with some lacquer checking (treble side body horn), small dings and compression marks. In other respects, this instrument conforms to the typical specifications of the model for the period in which it was made with double cutaway body with blond finish (other finish options were available), multi-ply beveled-edge 11 screw "mint green" plastic pickguard (finish used in late 1959), single-ply white plastic tremolo cavity cover, tremolo bridge assembly (with metal bridge cover), three-single coil pickups (6.32 ohms-bridge, 6.22 ohms-middle, 6.08 ohms-neck) three white plastic "skirt-style" control knobs, three-position pickup selector switch, maple neck with adjustable truss-rod, 21=fret Brazilian rosewood "slab" fingerboard and clay dot inlays (in use from late 1959 through july 1962), "spaghetti-logo" peghead decal, Kluson tuners with metal buttons, one rectangular "butterfly" string tree, nickel-plated metal hardware, and other typical Stratocaster model appointments. The instrument is currently housed in the original hard-shell case with brown Tolex exterior covering and orange plush interior lining. Whammy Bar, Manuel, and Tags are all so included. Designed in 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously manufactured the Stratocaster from 1954 to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top "horn" shape for balance. Along with the Gibson Les Paul, it is one of the most-often emulated electric guitar shapes. "Stratocaster" and "Strat" are trademark terms belonging to Fender. The Stratocaster is a versatile guitar, usable for all styles of complete music and has been used in many genres, including country, rock, pop, folk, soul, rhythm and blues, blues, jazz, punk, and heavy metal.