History of The Legendary Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, often referred to "Strat", was designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and produced continuously to the present. The Stratocaster become legendary musical instrument as it has been used by many leading guitarists. For more than four decades, Fender stratocaster electric guitars and amplifiers have had a tremendous influence on the way the world composes, plays and listens to music.

The Stratocaster has been widely copied. A trademark of Fender Musical Instrument Corporation, "Strats" often used generically referring to any guitar that has the same features as the original Stratocaster, regardless of manufacturers.

Fender Stratocaster history began in the 1940's, when Leo Fender had made some custom guitars and amplifiers in his radio shop. With his knowledge of electrical technology, in 1951 he introduced the Broadcaster, the prototype solid-body guitar that would eventually become the legendary Fender Telecaster, the first commercial production solid-body electric Spanish-style guitar. Following the Telecaster were the revolutionary Precision Bass guitar in 1951, and the Stratocaster in 1954.

The Stratocaster's radically sleek, contoured body shape was a marked difference to the flat, slab-like design of the Telecaster. The body features a unique curve on the upper back and a gradual curve at the front bottom, where the player's right arm rests.

Original Stratocasters were shipped with five springs anchoring the bridge flat against the body. The one-piece maple neck's uniquely-shaped wide style headstock again contrasted to the very narrow Fender Telecaster's headstock shape. The strings are anchored on a through-body pivot bridge attached with springs to a 'claw' in the bridge cavity on the back of the guitar.

Many players who dislike the tuning instability of floating bridge Stratocasters usually block the tremolo bridge by inserting a small wedge of wood in the front of the gap nearest the neck and placing excessive spring tension on it to pull the fulcrum tight against this block. Some Strats have a fixed bridge in place of the tremolo assembly; these are colloquially called "hard-tails."

Fender also supplying a variety of signature models, each with its specifications similar to those used by well-known performers. Artists with their guitar models available in the Stratocaster's signature range includes Tom Delone, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, Billy Corgan, Dick Dale, David Gilmoure, Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Dave Murray, John Mayer, Mark Knopfler, Yngvie Malmsteen, Richie Sambora, Pete Townshend, and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Fender Musical Instrument itself, as a company, became the world leader and also recognized the importance of an open-door policy for the professional musician. Guitar artists were accommodated when they requesting specific features for their guitar. By defining the ultimate sounds and meeting the needs of musicians, Fender Musical Instruments Corporation creating quality products and backing them up with service and stability. It maintain Fender's number-one status in musical instrument industry through combination of love of music and business acumen.