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Fender Stratocaster Guitar: American Deluxe, American Vintage And Fender Strat
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Published: May 2, 2007
The Fender Stratocaster guitar may be one of the most influential instruments of the twentieth century. Used predominantly by rock enthusiasts, the Fender Stratocaster guitar broadened the sonic landscape of musicians by providing them with an instrument of ingenuous design and distinct sound quality. But the story of the Fender Stratocaster guitar isn't simply about the high-quality nature of the instrument; it also reflects the sensibilities of the 1960s Cultural Revolution and the experimentation that was endemic to this time period.
Apart from the Gibson Les Paul, no other instrument can claim to have had such a tremendous impact on the cultural landscape as the Fender Stratocaster guitar.
The history of the Fender Stratocaster guitar begins in the 1940s' when Clarence Leonidas Fender opened an electronic instrument manufacturing company in Fullerton, California. Leo initially developed a number of lap steel guitars and amplifiers before testing his skills at the electric Spanish guitar (what we would call an electric guitar today). In 1950 ,Fender released the Esquire, which would later be called the Broadcaster, and finally, the Telecaster. Fender did to the guitar what Henry Ford did to the automobile; he made it cheap to manufacture and introduced it to the mass public. The Telecaster is important because, like the mass consumption of automobiles, it would go on to shape the cultural, political, and social landscape of American culture.
After Fender released the Telecaster, he began work on a new, modified guitar. In 1954, the Fender Stratocaster guitar was released. The Fender Stratocaster guitar had both a new design in body shape and electronic engineering. Unlike the Telecaster, which was a dual pickup guitar, the Fender Stratocaster guitar came with three single-coil pickups. The advantage with the three pickup design was that it increased the electric guitar's versatility. The three pickup design on the Fender Stratocaster guitar had a three-way selector switch that allowed musicians to alter the sound of the instrument. Each setting on the selector switch correlated with a particular pickup—one for lead guitar, one for normal guitar, and one for rhythm.
The Fender Stratocaster guitar, or the Fender Strat as it came to be called, became the staple guitar of blossoming rock icons such as Buddy Holly and Dick Dale. In the 1960s' Fender expanded the colors of the Fender Stratocaster guitar and made minor alterations in its design. Eventually, the Fender Strat became the guitar of choice for many of the leading rock bands—the Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix all used one.
But in 1965 Leo Fender decided to sell the company to the Columbia Broadcasting System, or CBS. The implications of this sale were disastrous to the Fender Stratocaster guitar. From 1965 to 1985, the years in which Fender was under the control of CBS, both the perception and the quality of the Fender Strat declined drastically. Many of the alterations to the guitar were actually cost-cutting tricks, designed to increase profitability rather than quality. By 1985, the Fender Stratocaster was in dire straits.
In 1985, William Schultz bought Fender from CBS and renamed the company Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The renaissance of the Fender Stratocaster guitar began with this sale. The owners first built a production plant in California for the higher-end models and one in Mexico for the lower-end models. The company also supported the luthiers in their quest to redefine the sonic capabilities of the guitar. Today, the Fender Stratocaster is enjoying a new reputation amongst enthusiasts and is continually adding innovative features to their expanding line of instruments.
A few of the most famous Fender Stratocaster guitar models are the Fender American Vintage and the Fender American Deluxe. The Fender American Vintage comes in a variety of styles and colors, depending on the year in which the guitar is being replicated. The Fender American Deluxe can come with humbucker or single coil pickups and various wood finishes. Both the Fender American Deluxe and the Fender American Vintage come in a wide range of prices and features.
The Fender Stratocaster guitar has become an American accessory as common as apple pie. The influence of its design and electronic engineering on the American cultural scene is incalculable. The recent renaissance of the Fender Stratocaster guitar is simply another sign that this is a piece of American history that will be with us for the generations to come.
Sources:
Smith, Robert R.. “Forty Years of the Fender Stratocaster.” Adirondack Guitar. 2007. 1 May 2007.
http://www.adirondackguitar.com/fender/StratHist ory.htm
Fender Stratocaster. Kelly Industries. 2007. 1 May 2007.
http://www.kellyindustries.com/guitars/fender_st ratocaster.html
“Fender Stratocaster.” Wikipedia. 28 April 2007. 1 May 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster
Related Articles
The history of the Fender Stratocaster guitar begins in the 1940s' when Clarence Leonidas Fender opened an electronic instrument manufacturing company in Fullerton, California. Leo initially developed a number of lap steel guitars and amplifiers before testing his skills at the electric Spanish guitar (what we would call an electric guitar today). In 1950 ,Fender released the Esquire, which would later be called the Broadcaster, and finally, the Telecaster. Fender did to the guitar what Henry Ford did to the automobile; he made it cheap to manufacture and introduced it to the mass public. The Telecaster is important because, like the mass consumption of automobiles, it would go on to shape the cultural, political, and social landscape of American culture.
After Fender released the Telecaster, he began work on a new, modified guitar. In 1954, the Fender Stratocaster guitar was released. The Fender Stratocaster guitar had both a new design in body shape and electronic engineering. Unlike the Telecaster, which was a dual pickup guitar, the Fender Stratocaster guitar came with three single-coil pickups. The advantage with the three pickup design was that it increased the electric guitar's versatility. The three pickup design on the Fender Stratocaster guitar had a three-way selector switch that allowed musicians to alter the sound of the instrument. Each setting on the selector switch correlated with a particular pickup—one for lead guitar, one for normal guitar, and one for rhythm.
The Fender Stratocaster guitar, or the Fender Strat as it came to be called, became the staple guitar of blossoming rock icons such as Buddy Holly and Dick Dale. In the 1960s' Fender expanded the colors of the Fender Stratocaster guitar and made minor alterations in its design. Eventually, the Fender Strat became the guitar of choice for many of the leading rock bands—the Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix all used one.
But in 1965 Leo Fender decided to sell the company to the Columbia Broadcasting System, or CBS. The implications of this sale were disastrous to the Fender Stratocaster guitar. From 1965 to 1985, the years in which Fender was under the control of CBS, both the perception and the quality of the Fender Strat declined drastically. Many of the alterations to the guitar were actually cost-cutting tricks, designed to increase profitability rather than quality. By 1985, the Fender Stratocaster was in dire straits.
In 1985, William Schultz bought Fender from CBS and renamed the company Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. The renaissance of the Fender Stratocaster guitar began with this sale. The owners first built a production plant in California for the higher-end models and one in Mexico for the lower-end models. The company also supported the luthiers in their quest to redefine the sonic capabilities of the guitar. Today, the Fender Stratocaster is enjoying a new reputation amongst enthusiasts and is continually adding innovative features to their expanding line of instruments.
A few of the most famous Fender Stratocaster guitar models are the Fender American Vintage and the Fender American Deluxe. The Fender American Vintage comes in a variety of styles and colors, depending on the year in which the guitar is being replicated. The Fender American Deluxe can come with humbucker or single coil pickups and various wood finishes. Both the Fender American Deluxe and the Fender American Vintage come in a wide range of prices and features.
The Fender Stratocaster guitar has become an American accessory as common as apple pie. The influence of its design and electronic engineering on the American cultural scene is incalculable. The recent renaissance of the Fender Stratocaster guitar is simply another sign that this is a piece of American history that will be with us for the generations to come.
Sources:
Smith, Robert R.. “Forty Years of the Fender Stratocaster.” Adirondack Guitar. 2007. 1 May 2007.
http://www.adirondackguitar.com/fender/StratHist ory.htm
Fender Stratocaster. Kelly Industries. 2007. 1 May 2007.
http://www.kellyindustries.com/guitars/fender_st ratocaster.html
“Fender Stratocaster.” Wikipedia. 28 April 2007. 1 May 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Stratocaster
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