History
The Fender Stratocaster guitar was invented in 1954 by Leo Fender and others in California. Leo had already created the successful Telecaster guitar.
Body
The Stratocaster, or Strat as it is sometimes known, is a double cutaway guitar. A cutaway is indentation or scallop in the guitar body, where the neck joins the body. Since the Stratocaster is a double cutaway, it has a cutaway above and below the neck where it meets the body. This cutaway provides room for the guitar player's hand to move in when playing notes "high" on the neck. By having a double cutaway the player's thumb can grip the neck area above while the other fingers play in the lower cutaway. The body of the Stratocaster consists of smooth, rounded, flowing curves. Fender called the body design a "Comfort Contour Body".
Neck
The Stratocaster had a one piece maple neck with twenty-one frets. Later a rosewood fret board was used. Today the Strat is available in maple and rosewood fretboard models.
Bridge
Fender used a spring assembly on the bridge to allow it to float with the pull of the strings. Attaching a tremolo arm to the bridge, you could move it up or down to increase or decrease the pitch of the notes you were playing. Some players do not care for this feature of the Stratocaster and disable it, but nonetheless, it was an innovative design.
Pickups
The Stratocaster has three single coil pickups, as opposed to the double coil "humbucking" pickups found on some other guitars such as those by Gibson. The pickup nearest the bridge is mounted in a slanted position. The Stratocaster had a three position switch to select the pickups. Early players discovered you could position the switch in between positions for an interesting distinctive sound. Later Fender added a five position switch to facilitate this setting. This interesting sound has become a distinctive characteristic of the Stratocaster guitar. Musicians and later Fender also experimented with other pickup combinations on the Strat, including using double coil or "humbucking" pickups.
Finish
The first Strats were finished in a two color sunburst. Since then the Strat has been painted in a variety of colors and finishes. Fender used automotive type paints and colors and the Strat is frequently seen in these colors.
Corporate History
CBS went on a buying binge and bought Fender in 1965. They also bought Steinway, the famous piano maker, Rodgers organs, Rogers drums, the maker of the Leslie speaker (best known for being paired with the Hammond organ), and others. The general consensus is that the quality of Fender instruments suffered greatly during this time due to cost cutting measures. Through the years, Fender exported or licensed the manufacture of Stratocasters in other countries. There was also a line of guitars created called Squier that included the Stratocaster. The Squier line consisted of cheaper models designed for entry-level, or student, guitarists. In 1985, led by Bill Schulz, Fender completed a buyout from CBS. Schulz is generally credited with saving Fender by restoring the quality.
Future
Fender prospered. The future looks bright. And today there are numerous models of American Standard Stratocasters available from Fender in various price ranges.
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