Fender Stratocaster

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Fender Stratocaster

Manufacturer	Fender
Period	1954 — present
Construction
Body type	Solid
Neck joint	Bolt-on
Scale	25.5" (24.75" on some models)
Woods
Body	Alder, Ash, Poplar (limited edition guitars available in a variety of woods including mahogany and koa)
Neck	Maple
Fretboard	Maple, Rosewood, Pau Ferro, Ebony
Hardware
Bridge	Synchronized tremolo
Pickup(s)	3 single-coils (does vary between models)
Colors available
Standard Series: Navy Blue, Blizzard Pearl, Blue Agave, Black, Chrome Red, Brown Sunburst, Electron Blue, Midnight Wine, Arctic White, sonic blue American Series: Black, 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Chrome Red, Shoreline Gold, Butterscotch Blonde, Charcoal Frost Metallic, Candy Cola American Deluxe Series: Amber, Chrome Silver, Montego Black, 3-Color Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst, Aged Cherry Burst, Olympic White Pearl, Black, Honey Blonde, Candy Apple Red, Butterscotch Blonde, 2-Color Sunburst Highway One Series: Wine Transparent, Flat Black, White Blonde, 3-Color Sunburst, Daphne Blue, Honey Blonde Other colours may be available

"Stratocaster" redirects here. For other uses, see Stratocaster (disambiguation).

The Fender Stratocaster, (often referred to as a Strat), is a model of electric guitar designed by George Fullerton, Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously to the present. The Stratocaster has been used by many leading guitarists, and thus can be heard on many historic recordings. Along with the Gibson Les Paul, Gibson SG, and the Fender Telecaster, it is one of the most enduring and common models of electric guitar in the world. The design of the Stratocaster has transcended the field of music to rank among the classic industrial designs of all time; examples have been exhibited at major museums around the world.[1]

The Stratocaster has been widely copied; as a result, the term "Fake Strat" or "Strat-Copy" is often used when referring to any guitar that has the same general features as the original, regardless of manufacturer.

1 Origins
2 Sound and playability
3 Design and popularity changes
4 Current models
5 Notable Stratocaster players
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Origins

The Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company (now known as Fender Musical Instruments Corporation) developed the first commercial solid-body 'Spanish' (as opposed to 'Hawaiian,' or lap steel) electric guitar beginning in 1948 - the Telecaster, a simple design whose earliest models were offered under the name Broadcaster or the single pickup Esquire. While the Telecaster and its variants were successful, many guitar players of the day used a Bigsby unit, a spring-loaded vibrato device that players use to bend notes up and down with their pick hand. Instead of adding a Bigsby, Fender decided to produce a new, more expensively-made ash or alder line of guitars with his own design of vibrato, which Leo Fender incorrectly referred to as a "synchronized tremolo" (see tremolo arm for more on the evolution of such mechanisms). His decision was also influenced by guitarists Rex Gallion and Bill Carson, who requested a contoured body to temper the harsh edges of the slab-built Telecaster; the new ash body shape was based on that of the 1951 Precision Bass.

The name, 'Stratocaster,' was intended to evoke images of new jet-aircraft technology (such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress), and to express Fender's modernistic design philosophy. In designing the Stratocaster's body, a significant area of the back of the guitar, and the area where the strumming arm rests, were beveled to accommodate the player's chest and arm. The upper bouts featured two cutaways, for easier access to the higher frets. The new 'Custom Contour Body' and 'Synchronized Tremolo' bridge made the Stratocaster a revolutionary design.

The headstock shape of the Stratocaster is patented by Fender.^[1]

The guitar also featured more complex electronics than the Telecaster: three single coil pickups, each with staggered magnetic poled alnico magnets (a mix of Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt, hence the name); a three-way selector switch (five-way since 1977); one volume knob, and two tone controls, one each for the neck and middle pickups. A three single-coil pickup design was an innovation already in use by Gibson in their ES-5 model since 1949. However, Fender's pickups were much more compact.

In the book "The Stratocaster Chronicles", page 33, Mr. Fender explains how the inspiration for the headstock came from his seeing instruments played by visiting Croatian musicians. "it was originally a Croatian design" Leo Fender said. He was speaking of the instrument called "Tamburica".

Patents were applied for all these new designs, and production line Stratocasters reached the market in early 1954 for US$249.50 (approximately US$1,850 in 2007 currency^[2]). The basic production model had a two-tone nitrocellulose 'sunburst' finish, one-piece maple neck, ash body, chrome hardware, and Bakelite-like thermoplastic parts. Other manufacturers began imitating these innovations immediately. An early-model Stratocaster was a key component of Buddy Holly's signature look, along with his black-rimmed glasses, and he was among the first players to popularize the Stratocaster in rock music.^[3] Both his gravestone and his walk-of-fame statue in Lubbock, Texas feature a Stratocaster.

[edit] Sound and playability

Much of the popularity of the Stratocaster can be attributed to its versatility. The neck, middle, and bridge pickups (termed "rhythm", "normal tone" and "lead", respectively) provide a wide range of tones. The Stratocaster's single-coil pickups produce a trebly sound with a high top end and bell-like harmonics.

The Fender synchronized tremolo tremolo arm mechanism, introduced with the Stratocaster, has become the most copied design of all, eclipsing all other designs including the later floating bridge designs by Leo Fender himself.

The Telecaster also remained in production, and both the Stratocaster and the Telecaster flourished into diverse families of guitars, with many variants. Each continues to enjoy its own following among guitarists.

[edit] Design and popularity changes

From 1959 to 1967, the Stratocaster was refitted with a rosewood fretboard, as well as color choices other than sunburst, including a variety of colorful car-like paint jobs that appealed to the nascent surfer and hot-rod culture, pioneered by such bands as the Surfaris, the Ventures and the Beach Boys. Dick Dale is a prominent Stratocaster player who also collaborated with Leo Fender in developing the Fender Showman amplifier. In the early 1960s, the instrument was also championed by Hank Marvin - guitarist of the Shadows, a band which originally backed Cliff Richard and then produced instrumentals of its own. So distinctive was the Hank Marvin sound that many musicians - including the Beatles - initially deliberately avoided the Stratocaster and chose other marques. However, by 1965, George Harrison and John Lennon of the Beatles both acquired Stratocasters at about the time of the Rubber Soul recording sessions.

Eric Clapton plays his signature model at the Tsunami Relief concert, January 22, 2005

The one-piece maple neck was discontinued in 1959. However, a maple neck with a glued-on maple fretboard was offered as an option in 1967. The rosewood fretboard over maple neck remained as the other neck option. In 1969, after a ten year absence, the one-piece maple neck was again made available as an option. The primary reason for the switch to rosewood was to meet increased demand; as one piece maple necks required more work to manufacture and more work to finish.

Since the introduction of the Ultra series in 1989, ebony was selected as a fretboard material. Guitar models with such fingerboards include the American Deluxe FMT/QMT Stratocasters and Telecasters, introduced in 2004, sporting a solid select alder body with quilted or flamed maple top, HSS (Strat) and HH (Tele) pickup configurations with S-1 switching.

Many artists (including Buddy Guy, Rory Gallagher, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Mark Knopfler) discovered that the pick-up selector could be lodged in between the basic three settings (often using objects such as matchsticks to wedge it in position) for further tonal variety. Since 1977, Stratocasters have been fitted with a five-way switch to make such switching more stable. Other subtle changes were also made to the guitars over the years, but the basic shape and features of the Strat have remained unchanged. In the 1970s and 1980s, some guitarists began modifying their Stratocasters with humbucking pickups, especially in the bridge position to create what became known as the Superstrat. This was intended to provide a thicker tone preferred in the heavier styles of hard rock and heavy metal. Notable early examples of this are Allan Holdsworth and Iron Maiden's Dave Murray (also Eddie Van Halen's home made guitar, Frankenstrat, was essentially a single-humbucker Strat). The popularity of this modification grew and eventually, Fender began manufacturing models with a bridge humbucker option, denoted and separated from the original triple single coil by the title of "Fat Strat", as a reference to the humbucker's distinct sound.

Players first perceived a loss of the initial high quality of Fender guitars after the company was taken over by CBS in 1965. As a result, the late-'60s Stratocasters with 3 bolt neck joints (instead of the traditional 4) and the large "CBS" headstock fell out of fashion. However, Jimi Hendrix and many other blues-influenced artists of the late '60s soon adopted the Stratocaster as their main instrument, reviving the guitar's popularity. George Harrison used a Stratocaster in the 1971 Concert For Bangladesh, (though Eric Clapton had started using Stratocasters at this time, he used a Gibson during the concert) giving the Strat additional high visibility in rock circles. Also, so-called 'pre-CBS' Stratocasters are, accordingly, extremely sought-after and expensive due to the huge perceived difference of quality even with contemporary post-CBS models. In recent times, some Stratocasters manufactured from 1954 to 1958 have sold for more than US$175,000. Many now reside in Japan, cached away as collectible pieces of Americana.^{[citation needed]}

After a peak in the 1970s, driven by players such as David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Eric Clapton, and Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits, another lull occurred in the early 1980s. During that time, CBS-Fender cut costs by deleting features from the standard Stratocaster line, despite a blues revival that featured Strat players such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray, and Buddy Guy (a Stratocaster player since the mid-1960s, sometimes credited with influencing Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in their choice of the Stratocaster as a primary blues-rock guitar).^{[citation needed]}

In England, The Shadows' lead guitarist Hank Marvin who got the very first Stratocaster to be exported to Europe (a '58 Fiesta Red model that started the huge success for this color's sales for Fender), played vintage Strats till the end of the 80s, then turning on his own Signature Stratocaster model.

However, when the Fender company was bought from CBS by William Schultz in 1985, manufacturing resumed its former high quality, and Fender was able to regain market share and brand reputation. This sparked a rise in mainstream popularity for vintage (and vintage-style) instruments.

[edit] Current models

As of 2007, Fender offers a wide line of Stratocasters alongside vintage reissues, as well as maintaining a "Custom Shop" service that builds guitars to order. Those who wish period-accurate replicas can request Stratocasters with original cloth-coated wiring, pickup and electronics designs, wood routing patterns, and even artificial aging and oxidizing of components using the Custom Shop "relic" process.

The American Deluxe Series Stratocasters came with a variety of high-end options such as a Fender DH-1 humbucker in the bridge position and an American 2-point locking vibrato bridge (Fender/Floyd Rose assembly) with LSR Roller Nut, locking tuners on certain models and Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups with S-1 switching. Guitars produced before 2004 featured Vintage Noiseless pick-ups and 4-bolt neck fixing. The contoured neck heel feature on these Stratocasters was added in 2002. Additionally, the American Deluxe Strat HSS (also known as American Deluxe Fat Strat) utilizes two Hot SCN pickups for a proper balance with the humbucking pick-up. This guitar was also available with an optional Fender Deluxe locking vibrato bridge (American Deluxe Strat HSS LT). Introduced in 1998 and upgraded in 2004, the American Deluxe Strat HSS LT has been discontinued as of 2007.

American Series Stratocasters come with alder or ash bodies, rolled fingerboard edges, three staggered single-coils and the DeltaTone system (which includes a high output bridge pick-up and a reverse-wound single-coil in the middle position). Hardtail versions were discontinued in 2007. New for 2003 was the American Strat HSS which features a Diamondback humbucker (bridge), two Tex-Mex single-coils (neck/middle) and S-1 switching. An HH model with dual Sidewinder/Black Cobra humbuckers was offered until 2007. As of 2008, all American Standard Stratocasters come with a newer bridge model, and the S-1 switching has been dropped.

The Vintage Hot-Rod Series has vintage looks and modern playability ignited together in these next-level guitars, which feature authentic ’50s and early ’60s designs paired with some of the most scorching hot-rod modifications.

The American Special Series included Stratocasters with features that span the bridge between traditional and modern technology, either in specifications, design or both. Fender American Special series models were made in Corona, California (USA). The Floyd Rose Classic Stratocasters (made from 1998 to 2002) featured an original Floyd Rose locking tremolo bridge. They came in HSS and HH configurations (a set of Fender DH-1 humbucking pick-ups paired with two DeltaTone single-coils). The range also included the Honduran mahogany-bodied Strat-O-Sonic guitars with the choice of Black Dove P-90 soap-bars and Atomic II humbucking pick-ups, which lasted until 2007.

The VG Stratocaster (designed by Fender and Japanese synthesizer giant Roland) is an American Series virtual modeling guitar with a Roland VG pickup and two extra knobs for Tuning Function Control (5 Rotary Positions) and Mode Control (5 Rotary Modes), offering 37 different Stratocaster, Telecaster, humbucking, 12-string and acoustic sounds, plus five alternate tunings, all at the simple flip of a switch or twist of a knob. The VG Stratocaster has been introduced in 2007 and endorsed by Fender guitar clinicians Greg Koch and Jeff Kollman.

Custom Classic Strats are Custom Shop versions of the American Series models, sporting C or V-shape maple necks with rosewood or maple fingerboard and three Modern Classic single-coils with a Hot Classic bridge pick-up featuring a custom steel inductance plate. Custom Classic guitars made before 2003 were equipped with a set of Fender Texas Special single-coils.

Highway One guitars (introduced in 2000 and upgraded in 2006) include a large headstock, '70s styling, super-sized frets, three distortion-friendly Alnico III single-coils and a Greasebucket tone circuit (which rolls off the high frequencies without adding bass). The Highway One Stratocaster HSS features a black bobbin Atomic II humbucker in the bridge position. Limited edition models with '50s and early '60s specs are also offered with a run of 150 instruments; 2-tone sunburst finish, ash body, maple fingerboard and 1-ply parchment pickguard or surf green finish, alder body, rosewood fingerboard and 3-ply mint pickguard, both featuring a small headstock with "spaghetti"-style decal. Additionally, the alder-bodied guitar with the rosewood fretboard and the 3-ply mint pickguard sports a set of Custom Shop '69 Stratocaster single-coil pick-ups.

The Artist Signature Series line includes several Stratocaster models come with features and specifications favored by popular artists such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Mark Knopfler, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen and others. The Custom Artist guitars are the Custom Shop versions; they slightly differ from the regular Artist Signature range in terms of quality and construction, making these instruments much more expensive than the regular production versions. Like the other Custom Shop models, the Custom Artist guitars are available as Team Built and Master Built items.

Standard, Deluxe and Classic Series Stratocasters are generally made in Mexico, although some models are manufactured in Japan and Korea.

Fender Stratocasters are built in the United States, Mexico, Japan and Korea.

American, American Deluxe, Artist, Custom Classic, Custom Artist and Highway One series Stratocasters are made in a Fender factory in Corona, California, United States of America and are commonly called Made In America (MIA) Stratocasters. There is also a Fender Museum there open to the public.
Most other Stratocaster series models are made in a Fender factory in Ensenada, Mexico and are often labelled as Made In Mexico (MIM). Guitar necks are still manufactured in the Corona factory and sent to the Ensenada factory to be mounted onto guitars.
The Fuji Gen Gakki factory in Matsumoto, Japan, is also licensed to manufacture Fender Stratocasters, but exclusively for the domestic market. However, second-hand or earlier Made In Japan (MIJ) or Crafted In Japan (CIJ) Stratocasters can be found in foreign markets. Fender Japan had previously used the MIJ label, but switched to CIJ shortly after it limited guitar production to the domestic market.

Fender also produces Stratocasters under the Squier brand in China, Indonesia and India at lower cost than Fender-branded models. While Squier Stratocasters are predominantly inexpensive versions of Fender Stratocasters, some models are also unique to the Squier brand, such as the OBEY Graphic series or Hello Kitty series. They also offer a starter kit through Costco,Target, and other retailers, which comes with a Strat under the name Starcaster by Fender , which comes in standard and deluxe pickup configurations. It also comes with extra strings, three guitar picks, a gig bag and an SP10 Amp.

Fender also offers a 12-string version, known as the Fender Stratocaster XII.

[edit] Notable Stratocaster players

Main article: List of Stratocaster players

[edit] References

Bacon, Tony; Day, Paul (2000). 50 Years of Fender: Half a Century of the Greatest Electric Guitars. London: Balafon. ISBN 0-87930-621-1.
Wheeler, Tom (2004). The Stratocaster chronicles: Fender: celebrating 50 years of the Fender Strat. Milwaukee, WI: H. Leonard. ISBN 0-634-05678-6.