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50 years of the Stratocaster infographic
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The Strat -- the “axe” that changed the world

February 2, 2004 - Fifty years ago in the spring of 1954, Leo Fender debuted the most celebrated electric guitar ever - The Fender Stratocaster. Played by some of the world's greatest guitarists, the story of the Strat is intertwined with the history of jazz, blues, soul and rock 'n' roll. First Strat delivered May 16, 1954.

Initially ridiculed by other guitar manufacturers as a “canoe paddle with strings”, the Fender Stratocaster became one of the most popular, recognizable, influential, and best-selling electric guitars ever made.

The Stratocaster, introduced half a century ago in spring 1954, has helped pioneer literally every form of popular music. From Bill Carson to Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler to David Gilmour or from Stevie Ray Vaughan to John Mayer. The “Strat” became the guitar that started the rock revolution.

Shortly after World War II, 41-year-old Clarence Leonidas Fender founded the Fender Manufacturing Company. It soon became the Fender Electric Instrument Company from where he designed and built his famed wooden cabinet amplifiers and hardwood steel guitars.

Leo Fender’s vision was to create the ultimate solid body electric guitar. Fender wasn’t alone. Previous notable attempts included the Rickenbacker A-22 “frying pan”, a 22-inch (560mm) diameter cast aluminum version of a Hawaiian steel guitar; and the Paul Bigsby/Merle Travis Spanish solid body electric. As early as 1929, legendary guitarist Les Paul was experimenting with electrifying an acoustic guitar, using a phonograph needle.

Fender introduced his single-pickup Esquire solid body guitar in April 1950, followed by a dual-pickup Broadcaster (later renamed the Telecaster after a legal tussle with Gretsch) and the revolutionary Precision Bass in 1951.

The P-Bass became a milestone in musical instrument design. More than just a new model, it was a new class of instrument: a fully electric, fretted bass -- hence the “precision” -- held and played like a guitar. It was instantly adopted by greats like Lionel Hampton and Monk Montgomery, and became one of the most popular electric basses ever made.

Next, in the year that the B-52 Stratofortress bomber made its maiden voyage, he launched the Stratocaster. Not being a musician himself, Fender worked with employees Freddie Tavares and George Fullerton, and musicians Bill Carson and Rex Gallion to design an instrument that was easy to repair or customize and fulfilled musicians’ goals of playability, comfort and sound.

The Strat was designed in answer to the introduction in 1952 of the Gibson Les Paul solid body, as well as a new Gretsch Duo Jet. In a letter written in April 1954, colleague Don Randall promised to ship the first Stratocaster on May 15. It retailed for US$249.50, the equivalent of $1,600 in today’s currency, adjusted for inflation.

What made the Strat so unique was that it was a “platform” that inspired new musical genres: rock-n-roll, surf rock, Chicago soul, blues, hard rock, psychedelia, heavy metal, even grunge and rap. It looked different -- Fender used the latest, hard-wearing automotive paints developed for General Motors: Daphne Blue, Surf Green, Fiesta Red and Sunburst.

It sounded different -- after several attempts, Fender successfully designed his Tremolo vibrato unit. He used multiple springs, instead of one big, hard spring, to ensure return to centre pitch. The three-pickup configuration, using Alnico pickups that sharply focused the magnetic field for each string, also gave the Strat a unique range of sounds, and the double-cutaway body enabled the strings to be played all the way up the neck.

Probably the most famous “axe” of all time is the Strat that Jimi Hendrix played at Woodstock in 1969. It was here that Hendrix played his infamous version of the American national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner, in protest against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

His Olympic White 1968 Stratocaster, serial number 240981, sold at Sotheby’s auction house in London in 1990 for £174,000 ($309,000, equivalent to $418,800 in today’s currency). The guitar was resold in 1993 for £750,000 ($1,124,840, equivalent to $1,437,380 in today’s currency) to an Italian collector. The guitar was later bought by Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen for an undisclosed amount.

Eric Clapton’s “Brownie”, which was used on the whole of the classic Layla album, is a 1956 model with the serial number 12073. “Slowhand” bought it in London in 1967 for a measly £150 ($414, equivalent to $2,330 in today’s currency). In August 1999, this axe went under the hammer at Christie’s in New York for $497,500 (£307,485).

For those who yearn for a vintage Strat without parting with a ransom, Fender’s Custom Shop is making replicas of 1954 Stratocaster guitars. Just 100 of these instruments will be crafted with a price tag of $5,400 (£2,967) each.

Since the late 1980s, Fender has built “Signature” replicas of a handful of Stratocasters. They include tributes to Eric Clapton, Robert Cray, Mark Knopfler, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix and Ritchie Blackmore. For the 50th anniversary the Custom Shop is rebuilding “Number One”, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s battered Stratocaster. As long as people play guitars they’ll be playing the Fender Stratocaster.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 16/1/2004; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Associated Press
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