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Fender Stratocaster
The story of the Fender Stratocaster begins in the early 1950s, when Leo Fender wanted to develop a guitar that was even more versatile and comfortable after the success of the Telecaster. Together with George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares, he created an instrument in 1954 that set new standards with its innovative shape and technology. The ergonomic body with rounded edges, three single-coil pickups and the groundbreaking tremolo system made the Stratocaster unique. Its design was not only functional, but also aesthetically so timeless that it left its mark on musicians worldwide for decades.
A piece of rock history
The Stratocaster quickly became a symbol of rock 'n' roll, played by legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and David Gilmour. Its versatility and unmistakable sound made it one of the most popular and most copied electric guitars in history. You can learn even more about the history of the Stratocaster below our product selection.
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The history of the Stratocaster
After initial legal problems, Leo Fender finally managed to launch the Telecaster, the first mass-produced, all-electric solid-body guitar in history, and was already aiming for the next coup with the new Stratocaster model.
The premium model
In the eyes of many guitarists of the early 1950s, the Telecaster and its predecessor, the Esquire, were too unimpressive. Don Randall, one of Fender's most important employees in the early years, even labelled them ugly. Next to the most important competitors on the market, the jazz guitars from Gibson with their framed necks and bodies, Fender's instruments looked too inconspicuous. So a better, more beautiful new Fender guitar was needed.
As early as 1950, Fender began to develop the new guitar, which was later christened the Stratocaster. After consulting with a number of well-known guitarists, including western swing musician Bill Carson and entertainer Rex Galleon, for whom Leo Fender was to build the perfect guitar, the design for the Stratocaster took shape. It was to have three pickups, a more comfortable, ergonomically shaped body and a completely new feature: The vibrato.
Constant trouble with the vibrato
This vibrato system, which has since been mislabelled by Fender and others as a tremolo system, could be used to add pitch changes and shimmering effects to the guitar's sound while playing. However, it caused headaches for Fender's engineering staff. It took a long time before the vibrato - consisting of an adjustable bridge, tailpiece and vibrato lever - worked in such a way that Leo Fender was satisfied with it and it was ready for mass production. Overall, the release of the guitar was delayed by about a year due to the problems with the vibrato sytem.
A bumpy start
In 1954, the Fender Stratocaster finally came onto the market. The instrument looked like no guitar before it: the body appeared curvier and more flowing than that of the Telecaster and was intended to increase playing comfort, the new headstock was somewhat reminiscent of the old Bigsby headstocks, the jack socket was elegantly recessed in the side of the body instead of on the top and the Strat was equipped with three single-coil pickups. The guitar consisted of an ash body and a bolt-on maple neck and was initially only available with a 2-colour sunburst or white blonde finish. In the beginning, however, it was not a big seller. Many dealers and customers did not know what to do with the vibrato system and were not familiar with this new function. Gradually, however, the Strat became more and more popular and an integral part of music history.
New colours and a facelift
Initially, the Stratocaster was only available in the two colours mentioned above, but from 1957 the first Custom Colours were introduced, which enabled the customer to order a more colourful guitar for an additional price. In 1959, the Strat, together with the Telecaster, was given a facelift: The bodies were now made of alder and the maple necks were fitted with rosewood fingerboards, which provided a warmer overall sound. New colours were also added to the existing custom colours. The popularity of the Stratocaster continued to grow during Fender's heyday in the early 60s and well-known artists such as Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix became fans of the Stratocaster.
Modern Stratocaster models
The Stratocaster from the 50s and early 60s is one of the most copied guitars of all time. The models from the Fender Custom Shop are also usually modelled on these classics. From time to time, however, you can also find guitars in our Custom Reserve that are modelled on models from the late 60s or even the 70s.
After the takeover by CBS in 1965, the Stratocaster was modified several times. In 1966, for example, the headstock was enlarged to match the look of the Stratocaster to the Jaguar and Jazzmaster. Although the new look took some getting used to, the larger headstock also seemed to counteract problems with warping of the wood that occurred with the old design. The design remained unchanged until the 1980s, when a change was made back to the smaller headstock.
The Stratocaster was also repeatedly modified in the 70s. The most serious change was probably the three-point neck mounting, which, when perfectly executed, was intended to improve the vibration behaviour and stability of the guitar, but caused some problems. As with other Fender models, the weight and sound quality also left a lot to be desired in some cases. It was not uncommon for Strats and especially Telecasters to leave the Fender factory weighing 5kg or even more. At the same time, however, there were always instruments that could compete with 50s and 60s Strats in terms of quality. At the end of the 70s, however, the quality reached a more or less balanced level again.
Of course, the Fender Custom Shop pays close attention to every detail; you will look in vain for sloppy screw connections and overly heavy instruments. But you can still feel the feeling of decades gone by when you hold a Fender Custom Shop Stratocaster in your hand.
