FENDER STRATOCASTER 1956 100% ORIGINAL W/ ORIG CASE THE GUITARIST IN FRANK ZAPPAS BANDS BUTTERY NICE STRAT Start Price USD 34,995.00 Current Price USD 34,995.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Sunday, August 17, 2008 End Time Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Location Southern California See more about 'FENDER STRATOCASTER 1956 100% ORIGINAL W/ ORIG CASE' Description WE SHIP WORLDWIDE WITH PLEASURE. YOU COLDN'T MAKE A BETTER INVESTMENT THAN RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW ON THIS!!! I PREDICT IN 2010 THIS AXE WILL BE WORTH 100K FEEL FREE TO EMAIL US YOUR BEST OFFERS. TO:  56stratoffers@guitargems.com   VINTAGE GUITAR GEMS PRESENTS: AN ALL ORIGINAL 1956 STRATOCASTER WITH 1956 FENDER WORN TWEED CASE. SERIAL# 10167 _____UPDATE!!  UPDATE!!____ _____HQ PIX ARE HERE____ WE SAT DOWN WITH GREG WHO WORKED WITH LEO FENDER TO TAKE THESE SHOTS TO PROVE IT PERFECT!!! RARE ASH BODY WITH 100% MATCHING NECK & BODY DATES 3/56 AND 100%ORIG. PICKUPS, 3 WAY, PICKGUARD & POTS. SET UP, INTONATED, NECK ADJUSTED & RE-STRUNG ON AUGUST 12/08 & PLAYS LIKE MELTED LURPAK BUTTER! THIS AXE'S INCREDIBLE TONE COULD MAKE YOU JUST CRY! THIS IS THE GUITAR THAT  INFLUENCED A TEEN FRANK ZAPPA TO MOVE AWAY FROM DRUMS & VIBES TO GUITAR!!! Pics are now here, HQ Pics have arrived. Vintage Guitar bluebook '08' says value is between $44,000.00 and $71,000.00!!!! WE'RE STARTING OFF THE BIDDING AT A VERY FAIR PRICE W/ NO RESERVE! No Reserve AuctionsInternational Buyers please email for shipping quote before purchasingFAST SHIPPING We ship your US order within 48 hours.We ship insured with UPS.EASY PAYMENT Payments due within 48 hours of purchase.We accept Paypal, eCHECK and Money Orders.We can process your credit card directly by phone at our store. Get the STRATOCASTER VINTAGE deal of a lifetime in this buyer friendly soft financial market. With the US dollar worth 40% less of what it was a few short years ago, you can use euros, lbs, yen or even Canadian $$ and steal this bargain. 1956 Stratocaster all original with original Fender case THIS IS A BETTER INVESTMENT THEN ANY STOCK OR BOND IN TODAY'S MARKETS. Used and played by Wally in the Blackouts (Frank Zappa's 1st high school band) this rare '1956' Fender Strat was used regularly by Wally & members including Frank to play thru "The Blackouts" shows and "The Omen" band before Frank Zappa started "The Mothers" & "The Mothers of Invention". This rare strat on it's own is still worth as per Vintage Guitar Blue book '08' (without Frank's DNA) about $44K to $71K. Please contact me for all questions and I will answer based on Wally's time schedule. This is guaranteed 100% genuine. An original first & only one owner 1956 2 color Sunburst Stratocaster with maple fretboard and original Fender case. OUR PERFECT FEEDBACK RECORD OF OVER 8 YEARS ON EBAY GUARANTEES YOUR 100% SATISFACTION. WE SPECIALIZE IN USED / VINTAGE GUITARS & AMPS:  ONLY AT VINTAGE GUITAR GEMS, CA - 805-371-7654 - 12-6 Closed Monday THIS AND ALL GUITARS ON THE INTERNET ARE FOR SALE AT OUR STORE - AUCTIONS WILL BE CLOSED IF SOLD AT VGG. Based on interviews with Frank Zappa and early band members: Highly versatile, young Zappa does not confine his artistic pursuits to painting although he will study at  Idylwild this summer on a scholarship obtained through the good offices of Mrs. Amy Heydorn, Antelope Valley high school teacher under whom he has studied. Currently, he is in Shirley Eilers' class at the Lancaster high school. He is presently engaged in writing a book, but his reply to a query as to whether painting or literature would be his chosen career was "Music." A performer on the drums, vibes and guitar, he is the former leader of the jazz combo known as the Blackouts. But he enjoys musical composition, and his efforts along this line are on the classical level. Then on p. 15 he gives another list of members: Frank Zappa's next experience was with the eight-piece R&B band The Blackouts, formed in 1956 while he attended Antelope Valley. This band was unusual at the time, in that it was racially integrated--three blacks (Johnny Franklin, Carter Franklin and Wayne Lyles), two Mexicans (the Salazar brothers--horn player Fred and guitarist Wally) and three whites (Zappa, pianist Terry Wimberly and unofficial member Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood [born May 8, 1942 in Arkansas City, KS], who used to dance "The Bug" in front of the group). Sax player Dwight Bement (an original member), saxists Steve Wolfe and Jerry Reuter and trumpeter Ernie Thomas also made their way through the group during its lifetime. Asked by Splat about the High School times, trumpet player Ernie Thomas said this: Let me say that Frank and I got along OK. We played together in High School band and with our group called the Blackouts. As you probably know, Frank was an innovator. He created a thing called the "Bug." What we would do while playing, we would toss an imaginary "Bug" at people in our audience and they would go along with the "gag" and start doing this weird kind of dance, indicating that they were "overcome" with this bug thing. (...) Again, the only time I ever heard from Frank Zappa after graduating from High School was through mutual friends who stayed in touched with him. Denny Walley, interviewed by The Idiot Bastard (August, 2008), remembers some of the singers: The first time I ever heard a live band was in an assembly at Antelope Valley Joint Union High School (AVJUHS). The band was The Blackouts: Frank Zappa on drums; Terry Wimberly on piano; Fred Salizar on baritone sax; Fred's brother Wally on guitar; and three soulful vocalists, Henry Strawberry, Chuck Spencer, and a third singer whose name I don't recall at the moment but I will get it from my yearbook. At the time that was the first mixed band I or anyone else had EVER seen.   More about the end of the Blackouts by Jim Sherwood (T'Mershi Duween Magazine #31): Frank had a band at that time called the Blackouts. I went over and saw them at the Moose Lodge or something, and the group disbanded right after that. Frank and Bobby moved down to Ontario, and I started playing with the  band. We called it The Omens, and I was with them for quite a while. Frank had formed a few groups down in Ontario, and he would come up for battles of the bands all the time. It was kind of a kick. It was mostly involved with swapping records. Frank was working at the record store, and we'd go down and try to get all the blues records we could before Frank got a hold of them. Alex Snouffer again (Grow Fins booklet): Then, I teamed up with (Terry) Wimberly (keyboardist). We formed the Omens ('58 or '59 through '62), essentially. I was LEAD guitar, right? (Laughs.) Then of course, the Salazar Brothers, Fred played horn and Wally, his brother played guitar, so me and Wally were an act. We had Stan Mitchell, and Fred Salazar and Pete Lovio, on tenor. Had Gary Burkey on alto, Jim Sherwood on baritone, David Griego on trumpet, Frank Lynch on trombone. And Pat Prue on drums . . . (We played) early Rhythm and Blues. Gary Burkey also remembers The Omens (from a comment on The Captain Beefheart Radar Station, April 15, 2008): I played with "Butch", the Salazar brothers, Terry Wimberly, Don van Vliet, Jim Sherwood, et al as a drummer in one of "The Omens" iterations prior to joining the Navy in the fall of 1960. More about The Omens, courtesy of Sharva Maynard (on a personal e-mail, February 10, 2007): I sang with the Omens during their time together . . . Many gigs around Antelope Valley in 1960-62. Jim Sherwood used to borrow my hairspray as we'd cruise out toward Pearblossom, Littlerock or some other obscure little burg around the valley. We did R&B, and "Louie Louie" was my song . . . can't remember how many times I sang THAT one. Terry Wimberly was on keyboards with Jim (I guess they called him Motorhead later) Sherwood on sax, with Fred of the Salazar brothers on sax too and Wally Salazar on guitar. Alex (we called him "Butch") Snoufer on lead guitar. Pat Prue was the drummer later on. I remember Don Vliet played too and we rehearsed in everyone's garage we could get our hands on. Loved it . . . (...) I remember the first time I sang with them they passed the hat after so I could get a little "bread" for my effort. I think they came up with ten bucks. Wow! . . . but I was all of sixteen or so then and thought the world was sweet indeed! That was at the old Exhibition Hall at the fairgrounds. EASY RETURN POLICY  We give a 48 hour approval time. If not satisfied with your purchase, just return to us.100% Refund on purchase (Minus return shipping and item must be returned in same condition as shipped)*No returns on items being sold AS IS. Please check out my other auctions On Aug-06-08 at 23:09:12 PDT, seller added the following information: Sellers: Delight buyers. Get your own map of past buyers. Place a Bid!