Fender Stratocaster

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The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as a Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares in the early 1950s, 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, the Gibson SG, and the Stratocaster's sister model, the Fender Telecaster, it is one of the most enduring and common models of electric guitar in the world.

The Stratocaster has been widely copied, such that Stratocaster or Strat is often used when referring to any guitar that has the same general features as the original regardless of manufacturer. Such a guitar not produced by Fender or Squier is hence called a strat copy. However, in many jurisdictions the word 'Stratocaster' is reserved solely for use by Fender and its subsidiary company, Squier.

Contents

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 in the Telecaster, a simple design whose earliest models were offered under various names like Broadcaster or its single pickup conterpart the Esquire, beginning in 1950. While the Telecaster and its variants were successful, many guitar players of the day used a Bigsby unit, a spring-loaded vibrato device with which players could 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 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 design 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.

http://www.fenderplayersclub.com/home/legal.htm Trademark of headstock]</ref>]] The guitar also featured more complex electronics than the Telecaster: three single coil pickups, each with staggered magnetic poles; a three-way selector switch (five-way since 1977); one volume knob, and two tone controls. 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.

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<ref>Modern equivalent of 1954 Stratocaster pricing.</ref>). 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. Template:Fact

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.Both his gravestone and his walk-of-fame statue in Lubbock, Texas feature a Stratocaster.

Sound and playability

Much of the popularity of the Stratocaster can be attributed to its versatility. The neck, middle, and bridge (termed "rhythm", "normal tone" and "lead", respectively) pickups provide a wide range of tones. The standard single-coil pickups often found in Stratocasters 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.

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 was 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. Fender had planned to stop production of the Stratocaster before Jimi Hendrix popularized the guitar in the late 60s.Template:Fact

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.

Many artists (including Buddy Guy, Rory Gallagher, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Mark Knopfler) discovered that the pickup selector could be lodged in between the basic three settings 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 humbucker pickups, especially in the bridge position. 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 Edward Van Halen's homemade guitar 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. As a result, the Stratocaster fell out of fashion in the mid-sixties, to the point where the Fender company (owned by CBS) reduced its price and considered removing it from their production line completely. 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. Both George Harrison and Eric Clapton used Stratocasters in the 1971 Concert For Bangladesh, 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 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. Template:Fact

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). Template:Fact

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 sales for Fender), played vintage Strats till the end of the 80's, then turning on his own Signature Stratocaster model. Vintage market for the Stratocaster was strong after great players' choice for 50's and 60's models. Many international guitarists among a new generation still prefer vintage models nowadays. French musician Jean-Pierre Danel plays a '56 Fiesta Red Strat nicknamed "La Marquise" and a rare '54 one-piece-body model named "Miss Daisy" , and so do many guitarists around the world (although not with such rares guitars).

However, when Fender was bought by William Schultz from CBS 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.

Current models

Fender now offers an extensive line of contemporary cutting-edge Stratocaster models alongside vintage Stratocaster 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-style cloth-coated wiring, pickup and electronics designs, wood routing patterns, and even artificial aging and oxidizing of components using the Custom Shop "relic" process.

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

  • American, American Deluxe 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.

There is also a budget-minded Squier brand of Stratocasters by Fender, and is popular among novice guitarists. Squier Stratocasters are produced in Indonesia and India at lower cost than Fender Stratocasters, but are otherwise similar in concept and maintain similar respective quality standards. 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. A 12-string version, known as the Stratocaster XII, is also available.

Fender has also offered both Custom Shop and regular production Artist Series guitars, featuring replicas of the Stratocasters played by famous guitarists such as: Ritchie Blackmore (see Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster), Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton (see Eric Clapton Stratocaster), Mark Knopfler (see Mark Knopfler Stratocaster), Robert Cray, Dick Dale, Rory Gallagher, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson, Yngwie J. Malmsteen (see Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster), John Mayer, Robin Trower, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmie Vaughan and others. (see Fender Signature Artists).

Notable Stratocaster players

Due to the great popularity of this model, musicians are listed here only if their use of this instrument was especially significant — that is, they are players with long careers who have a history of Stratocaster use, or the particular guitar they used was unique or of historical importance, or their use of the Stratocaster contributed significantly to the popularization of the instrument.

A-E

  • Jeff Beck (b. 1944) A Grammy award winning rock guitarist. Beck is known for playing for various bands such as the Yardbirds and his own group The Jeff Beck Group, Beck primarily plays a Stratocaster and also has a signature Strat
  • Marc Bolan (1947–1977) Founder/creative force behind T. Rex (band), played a white Fender Stratocaster with his trademark tear-drop emblem (as seen on the back cover of the 1971 compilaton, "Bolan Boogie") for much of the early 1970s.
  • Creed Bratton (b. 1943) Is a long time Strat enthusiast. He played numerous concerts in the late 60's with a Strat touring with The Grass Roots.
  • Bill Carson A country and western guitarist credited by Fender as "the man for whom the Stratocaster was designed.
  • Eric Clapton (b. 1945) A Grammy-award-winning guitarist who originally played Gibson guitars has been a Stratocaster enthusiast since the early 70's. Clapton bought his first Stratocaster in 1967, Brownie, which was used on Layla.
  • Robert Cray (b. 1953) A long-time blues guitarist and singer. Plays a '64 Strat and had his own Signature model made in 1990.
  • Rivers Cuomo (b. 1970) Singer and lead guitarist of Weezer. Known to use various Stratocasters, including a sticker-covered Warmoth customized Stratocaster.
  • Dick Dale (b. 1937) Considered the pioneer of surf rock. He has been revolutionary in experimenting with the sound of the guitar by using heavy reverb and a unique playing style.
  • Jean-Pierre Danel (b. 1968) French grammy-award-winning artist, Danel had a #1 hit album in France in 2006 with "Guitar Connection". He also dueted with Hank Marvin on Guitar Connection 2. Danel plays a '56 Fiesta Red Strat nicknamed "La Marquise", a Sunburst '54 original one piece body model named "Miss Daisy", a '64 L serie and a Clapton signature model.
  • Tom DeLonge (b. 1975) Guitarist and singer of blink-182, Box Car Racer, and Angels & Airwaves. Played Stratocasters in the early days of blink-182, until his own signature model was developed after blink's 1999 album "Enema of the State" was released. DeLonge's Stratocaster contains only a single Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader pickup, and a single volume control knob. Since 2003, DeLonge switched to a custom Gibson ES-335.
  • The Edge (b. 1961) Lead guitarist of U2, known for his melodic playing and use of delay, has used the Stratocaster as one of his main guitars throughout his career. He owns multiple Stratocasters.

F-J

  • Rory Gallagher (1948–1995) Irish blues rock guitarist, often credited as one of the most influential Irish rock and blues guitarists of all time. He is well-known for his worn sunburst Stratocaster. He described his battered Stratocaster as "a part of my psychic makeup". "B.B. King has owned over 100 Lucilles, but I only own one Strat, and it hasn't got a name".
  • David Gilmour (b. 1946) Both as a solo artist and as the guitar player in Pink Floyd, Gilmour is credited for his unique, blues-based compositional approach and expressive soloing. Gilmour's guitar of choice is a custom, specially-modified Fender Stratocaster.
  • Buddy Guy (b. 1936) American blues guitarist and singer. Guy is well known for playing the Stratocaster throughout his long career. He is also known for his showmanship.
  • Buddy Holly (1936–1959) Holly has been identified as "the first Strat' hero." A statue of Holly in his home town of Lubbock, Texas portrays him playing his Stratocaster, and the guitar is also engraved on his tombstone.
  • Eric Johnson (b. 1954) A Grammy-award-winning guitarist from Austin, Texas, Johnson has played Stratocasters regularly during his career and has played many different types of music.

K-P

  • Alex Lifeson (b. 1953) Guitarist for Rush since 1969. Started using a Stratocaster in 1980 and continued to use the model as his main guitar for most of the 1980s
  • Yngwie J. Malmsteen (b. 1963) Known for his work in the neo-classical metal genre. Influenced by an array of musicians, Malmsteen is regarded highly influential for his use of heavy classical-style chord progressions, interesting phrases and arpeggio sweeps. He is known for playing Stratocasters with scalloped fretboards.
  • Hank Marvin (b. 1941) Lead guitarist of The Shadows, was the owner of the first Fender Stratocaster in the UK (given to him by Cliff Richard). The guitar was finished in a shade of Fiesta Red, sometimes referred to as 'Salmon Pink'. This guitar, with its tremolo arm, contributed to the Shadows' distinctive sound.
  • John Mayer (b. 1977) A Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter has enjoyed recent popularity. Mayer has played Stratocasters throughout his career and recently has had a Fender Signature Model made.
  • Ed O'Brien (b. 1968) Guitarist in Radiohead. He has 2 plain black Stratocasters with custom modifications.
  • Mike Oldfield (b. 1953) A British guitarist who plays a wide range of guitars and instruments. His "Salmon-pink" strat, bought at the time of his hit Moonlight Shadow, is his favourite guitar.

Q-Z

  • Bonnie Raitt (b. 1949) An American blues/R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter. She plays a '69 Stratocaster and she also plays her own signature Strat.
  • Richard Thompson (b. 1949) An English musician, best known for his guitar playing and songwriting, and a founder member of Fairport Convention. For many years Thompson played a '59 Sunburst Stratocaster, with a maple '55 neck.
  • Pete Townshend (b. 1945) A guitarist for The Who. He used a Stratocaster during the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and has exclusively used a modified version of the Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster since 1989.
  • Simon Townshend (b. 1960) A British guitarist noteworthy for his solo work as well as his work with The Who. He plays a modified Fender Stratocaster with P-90 pick ups.
  • Robin Trower (b. 1945) A British rock guitarist known for his work in the band Procol Harum and his successful solo career. Trower also has his own Signature Stratocaster made by Fender. "The sight of him onstage with his signature Stratocaster is as characteristic to his fans as his classic songs."
  • Alex Turner (b. 1986) The lead vocalist and guitarist of indie-rock band Arctic Monkeys was known to play an Arctic White Fender Stratocaster (although it is unconfirmed whether the colour is any relation to the band name), however the Stratocaster he now plays is black.
  • Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954–1990) Known for his Texas blues style guitar playing. Vaughan was an American blues guitarist and is considered highly influential for his driving guitar style soaked with rhythmic style playing. Vaughan is noted for playing a Stratocaster equipped with a left-handed vibrato system. He is also known for tuning his guitar down a half-step and using heavy strings.
  • Dean Ween (b. 1970) Stage name for Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr., of Ween fame. Deaner has used the same red Stratocaster for the band's entire history. He is well known for his elongated guitar solos, sometimes spanning more than half the song.
  • James "J.Y." Young of multi-platinum rock band Styx has been using a Stratocaster as his principal guitar almost exclusively since 1967.

Trivia


See also

External links

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