A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE FENDER STRATOCASTER GUITAR
The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most iconic images in musical history. It was invented by Leo Fender in the late '50s and is still manufactured by Fender to this day. The name, 'Stratocaster,' was intended to evoke images of newly emergent 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 guitar also featured more complex electronics than the Telecaster: three single coil pickups, each with staggered magnetic poles; a three-way selector switch; one volume knob, and two tone controls. An early-model Stratocaster, along with his black-rimmed glasses, was a key component of Buddy Holly's signature look, and he was among the first players to popularize the Stratocaster in rock music. Other famous guitarists who used the Strat include Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kurt Cobain, The Edge, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, and many, many more.