Body Wood
1956 is the last year Fender used ash for Stratocaster bodies before switching to alder around mid-1956. Either is correct for the year depending on the build date.
Value Guide / 1956
1956 Fender Stratocaster Value Guide
What a 1956 Stratocaster is worth, and the specs that make this year its own thing.
The 1956 Stratocaster sits in an interesting spot: it’s the last of the ash-body Strats and carries the chunky soft-V neck people either love or remember vividly. This page covers the year’s specifications and what one is worth today. For the full year-by-year picture, see the main Stratocaster value guide, and for an exact figure on your guitar, get a free appraisal.
1956 Stratocaster Specifications
Neck Profile
A large ‘soft V’ carve, a chunky V-shape that’s a hallmark of the mid-’50s neck.
Electronics
Single-ply white pickguard, three single-coil pickups, one volume and two tone knobs, and a three-way selector switch.
Finishes
Sunburst and blonde were standard. Custom colors from 1956 exist but are extremely rare and worth far more.
What a 1956 Stratocaster Is Worth
For an all-original 1956 in excellent condition with its original case, figure roughly $55,000 to $75,000 for a sunburst. Custom-color examples are far rarer and can run well into six figures. The number swings on condition, originality (original finish, pickups, hardware, and pickguard), provenance, and how it plays. A refinish or replaced parts can cut the value roughly in half.
Updated March 2026, and the market moves, so treat this as a guide rather than a quote. These figures match the 1956 row in the full Stratocaster value guide.
Selling Your 1956 Stratocaster
Consign It
I handle the photos, listing, authentication, and buyers. Consignment runs from as low as 8% on top-tier instruments.
Sell It Outright
A fair cash offer and payment up front, with me handling shipping or pickup. Sell your Fender to me directly.
Sell It Privately
You can, but a guitar at this value is real liability for a first-time seller. If you go this way, Reverb’s buyer protection is worth the fees.
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Joe Today
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