Fender Stratocaster 531921 226016277 2008-07-16T13:29:17Z A plague of rainbows 5863195 /* Design and popularity changes */ {{Not verified|date=March 2008}} {{Infobox Guitar model|title=Fender Stratocaster |image=[[Image:fender strat.jpg|200px|]] |bgcolor=#FFFFFF |manufacturer=[[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] |period=1954 — present |bodytype=Solid, Double Cut |necktype=Bolt-on |scale=25.5" (24.75" on some models) |woodbody=[[Alder]], [[Ash tree|Ash]], [[Poplar]] (limited edition guitars available in a variety of woods including [[mahogany]] and [[koa]]) |woodneck=[[Maple]] |woodfingerboard=[[Maple]], [[Rosewood]], [[Pau Ferro]], [[Ebony]] |bridge=Synchronized [[Tremolo arm|tremolo]] |pickups=3 or 2 [[single-coil]]s, with the latter having a [[humbucker]] bridge pickup<ref>http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=guitars&cat=stratocaster</ref>, with the exception of the Acoustasonic Strat, the only acoustic Stratocaster.<ref>http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0139700327</ref> There are also select models that come with [[humbucker|H]][[single coil|S]][[humbucker|H]] and [[humbucker|H]][[humbucker|H]] pickup configurations. |colors= '''Standard Series'''<ref>http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=guitars&cat=stratocaster&subcat=standard</ref>: Navy Blue, Blizzard Pearl, Blue Agave, Black, Chrome Red, Brown Sunburst, Electron Blue, Midnight Wine, Arctic White, Sonic Blue '''American Standard Series''' (as of [[2008]])<ref>http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=guitars&cat=stratocaster&subcat=americanstandard</ref>: Black, 3-Color Sunburst, Olympic White, Blizzard Pearl, Charcoal Frost Metallic, Candy Cola (alder), Sienna Sunburst (ash) '''American Deluxe Series'''<ref>http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=guitars&cat=stratocaster&subcat=americandeluxe</ref>: Amber, Chrome Silver, Montego Black Metallic, 3-Color Sunburst, Tobacco Sunburst, Aged Cherry Burst, Olympic White Pearl, Black, Honey Blonde, Candy Apple Red, Butterscotch Blonde, 2-Color Sunburst, ''(Factory Special Run)'': Lake Placid Blue, Teal Green Transparent, Natural, Cobalt Blue Metallic, Vintage White '''Highway One Series'''<ref>http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?section=guitars&cat=stratocaster&subcat=highwayone</ref>: Midnight Wine, Flat Black, White Blonde, 3-Color Sunburst, Daphne Blue, Honey Blonde Other colors may be available }} {{redirect|Stratocaster}} The '''Fender Stratocaster''', often referred to as the '''Strat''', is a model of [[electric guitar]] designed by [[Leo Fender]], George Fullerton and [[Freddie Tavares]] in 1954, and manufactured continuously to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top horn for balance while standing. The Stratocaster has been used by many leading guitarists, and thus can be heard on many historic recordings. Along with the [[Gibson Les Paul]], [[Gibson SG]], and the [[Fender Telecaster]], it is one of the most common and enduring models of electric guitar in the world. The design of the Stratocaster has transcended the field of music to rank among the classic [[industrial design]]s of all time; examples have been exhibited at major museums around the world.<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9405E2DD1139F931A25752C1A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all</ref> In its original form, the Stratocaster was offered only in a 2-color sunburst finish, together with a solid one-piece maple neck with 21 vintage frets, black dot inlays and Kluson machine heads. The single-ply, 8-screw hole white pickguard was a unique concept that allowed all of the guitar's electronic components - except the recessed jack plate - to be mounted on one easy-to-remove surface. Subsequent Stratocaster designs (by both Fender and other imitating companies) have ostensibly improved upon the original in useability and sound, but vintage Fender models are still often worth large amounts of money and some prefer the [[tonality]] of older models. The Stratocaster has been widely [[Strat copy|copied]]; as a result, the term "Strat" is often used generically when referring to any guitar that has the same general features as the original, regardless of manufacturer. ==Design and popularity changes== The Stratocaster's radically sleek, contoured body shape (officially referred to by Fender as the "Comfort Contour Body") was a marked difference to the flat, slab-like design of the Telecaster. The body features a unique curve on the upper back and a gradual curve at the front bottom, where the player's right arm rests. The one-piece maple neck's uniquely-shaped wide "dogleg"-style headstock again contrasted to the very narrow Telecaster's, which was designed when wood supplies were less plentiful. The strings are anchored on a through-body [[Tremolo_arm#Fender_synchronized_tremolo|pivot bridge]] attached with springs to a 'claw' in the bridge cavity on the back of the guitar. Original Stratocasters were shipped with five springs anchoring the bridge flat against the body. Players were able to remove the backplate covering the bridge, remove two of the springs and tighten the claw screws to allow the bridge to 'float,' with the pull of the strings in one direction countering the pull of the springs in the opposite direction. Once in the floating position, players can move the tremolo arm mounted on the bridge up or down to increase or decrease the pitch of the notes being played. Many players such as [[Eric Clapton]], who dislike the tone of floating bridge Stratocasters, usually block the tremolo bridge by inserting a small wedge of wood in the front of the inertia block (the gap nearest the neck) and placing excessive spring tension on it to pull the fulcrum tight against this block. The Stratocaster features three [[single coil]] [[Pickup (music)|pickups]], with the output selected by a 3-way switch (the 5-way pickup selector, a standard feature since [[1977]], allowed further tonal combinations and provided better switching stability; the "quacky" tone of the middle and bridge pickups, popularized by players such as [[Mark Knopfler]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Robert Cray]], can be obtained by using the pickup selector into positions 2 and 4). The neck and middle pickups are each wired to a tone adjustment knob, while the bridge pickup, which is slanted towards the high strings for a more trebly sound, has no tone control. On many modern Stratocasters, the first tone affects the neck pickup; the second tone affects the middle and bridge pickups; on some Artist Series models (Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy signature guitars), the first tone is a presence circuit which cuts (or boosts) treble and bass frequencies, affecting all the pickups; the second tone is an active midrange booster which boosts the midrange frequencies up to 25dB (or 12dB), giving a richer, fatter sound, almost identical to that of a full-sized [[humbucking pickup]]. The [[Elite Stratocaster]] of [[1983]] had similar features, except for the addition of three push-push buttons for pickup selection and a side-mounted jack socket. All three pickups' volume level is controlled by a single volume knob. The placement of the knobs allowed for relatively easy manipulation of the sound with the right hand while playing. [[Image:BuddyHolly_EdSullivan_OhBoy.jpg|left|thumb|[[Buddy Holly]] playing his Stratocaster on the [[Ed Sullivan Show]] in [[1958]]]]The Stratocaster is noted for its bright, clean and 'twangy' sounds. The neck pickup has a mellower, fuller and louder sound compared to the brighter and sharper tone of the bridge pickup. The middle pickup provides a sound somewhere between the two. Typically, the neck pickup is used for [[rhythm guitar|rhythm playing]], while the bridge pickup is used for [[lead guitar|lead work]]. [[Buddy Holly]] was one of the pioneers of the Stratocaster and used the instrument on virtually all of his songs with [[The Crickets]]. During the recording of [[Peggy Sue]], rhythm guitarist [[Niki Sullivan]] was not needed for the song, and instead stood next to Holly, and flipped the selector switch of Holly's guitar from the neck pickup to the bridge pickup for the [[guitar solo]]. From 1959 to 1967, the Stratocaster was refitted with a rosewood fretboard, as well as color choices other than sunburst, including a variety of colorful car-like paint jobs that appealed to the nascent surfer and hot-rod culture, pioneered by such bands as the [[Surfaris]], [[the Ventures]] and the [[Beach Boys]]. [[Dick Dale]] is a prominent Stratocaster player who also collaborated with Leo Fender in developing the Fender Showman amplifier. In the early 1960s, the instrument was also championed by [[Hank Marvin]] - guitarist of [[the Shadows]], a band which originally backed [[Cliff Richard]] and then produced instrumentals of its own. So distinctive was the Hank Marvin sound that many musicians - including the [[Beatles]] - initially deliberately avoided the Stratocaster and chose other marques. However, in 1965, [[George Harrison]] and [[John Lennon]] of the Beatles both acquired Stratocasters and used them for the ''[[Rubber Soul]]'' recording sessions. [[Image:Eclapton cardiff.jpg|left|thumb|[[Eric Clapton]] plays his [[Eric Clapton Stratocaster|signature model]] at the Tsunami Relief concert, [[January 22]] [[2005]]]] The one-piece maple neck was discontinued in [[1959]] and the following year the pickguard design changed to a 3-ply (4-ply on some colors) "multi-layer" with 11 screw holes. However, a maple neck with a separate glued-on laminated maple fretboard was offered as an option in [[1967]] (known as a "maple cap" neck). The rosewood fretboard over maple neck remains the other neck option. In [[1969]], after a 10-year absence, the one-piece maple neck was again made available as an option. The primary reason for the switch to rosewood was to meet increased demand, as one piece maple necks required more work to manufacture and more work to finish. Since the introduction of the Ultra series in [[1989]], ebony was selected as a fretboard material on some models (although several [[Elite Stratocaster|Elite Series]] Stratocasters manufactured in [[1983]]/[[1984|84]] such as the '''Gold''' and '''Walnut''' were available with a stained ebony fretboard). In [[1965]] the Stratocaster was given a broader headstock with altered decals to match the size of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. == CBS buys Fender and player modifications == After CBS bought the Fender companies in [[1965]], rosewood fretboards were no longer slabs of rosewood with a flat bottom glued onto a maple neck (with a corresponding flat top for the fretboard). They were curved pieces of rosewood glued onto a maple neck of the corresponding curvature at the contact point. During that time the older "clay"-style dots were replaced by pearloid shell position markers. This was done to save money (ie. these new necks would use less rosewood than the original, 1959 ones). Many artists (including [[Buddy Guy]], [[Rory Gallagher]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Robert Cray]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Robin Trower]], [[David Gilmour]], [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Mark Knopfler]]) discovered that the three-way pick-up selector could be lodged in between settings (often using objects such as matchsticks to wedge it in position) for further tonal variety, resulting in a 'quacky' sound when two pickups are combined. Hendrix would also move the switch across the settings while sustaining a note, creating a characteristic 'wobbly' sound. Since [[1977]], Stratocasters have been fitted with a five-way switch to make such switching more stable. Other subtle changes were also made to the guitars over the years, but the basic shape and features of the Strat have remained unchanged. In the 1970s and 1980s, some guitarists began modifying their Stratocasters with [[humbucker|humbucking]] pickups, especially in the bridge position, to create what became known as a [[Fat Strat]]. This was intended to provide a thicker tone preferred in the heavier styles of [[hard rock]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]. Notable early examples of this are [[Allan Holdsworth]] and [[Iron Maiden]]'s [[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]] (also [[Eddie Van Halen]]'s home made guitar, [[Frankenstrat]], was essentially a single-humbucker Strat). The popularity of this modification grew and eventually, Fender began manufacturing models with a bridge humbucker option (HSS), denoted and separated from the original triple single coil by the title of "[[Fat Strat]]", as a reference to the humbucker's distinct sound, as well as models with dual humbuckers (HH), better known as "[[Fat Strat|Double Fat Strats]]". Fender also started making Stratocaster pickguards specially designed for use with guitars equipped with two humbuckers and a middle-position single-coil pickup (HSH). [[Image:Rockin_outside.JPG|right|thumb|A giant red Statocaster greets [[rollercoaster]] riders in [[Disney World]] for the [[Rock 'n' Rollercoaster]] [[headliner|starring]] [[Aerosmith]].]] Players perceived a loss of the initial high quality of Fender guitars after the company was taken over by CBS in [[1965]]. As a result, the late-'60s Stratocasters with the large "CBS" headstock and (from the mid 70s) the 3-bolt necked models (instead of the conventional 4 bolts) with the "Bullet" truss-rod and the MicroTilt adjustment system fell out of fashion (although some new models with 4-bolt necks retained the MicroTilt system that was native to the 3-bolt necks, like the [[Strat Plus]], the flagship American Standard Stratocaster and, what's now known as the [[Fender American Deluxe Series|American Deluxe]] Stratocaster) and added a new BiFlex truss-rod system (designed by Charlie Gressett), which adjusts the neck curvature in two directions, convex and concave, as well as locking security StrapLock Ready strap buttons made by [[Schaller]] on guitars produced after 1982/83. However, Jimi Hendrix and many other blues-influenced artists of the late '60s soon adopted the Stratocaster as their main instrument, reviving the guitar's popularity. George Harrison used a Stratocaster in the 1971 [[Concert For Bangladesh]], (though Eric Clapton had started using Stratocasters at this time, he used a Gibson during the concert) giving the Strat additional high visibility in rock circles. Also, so-called 'pre-CBS' Stratocasters are, accordingly, extremely sought-after and expensive due to the huge difference in quality even compared with contemporary post-CBS models. In recent times, some Stratocasters manufactured from 1954 to 1958 have sold for more than US$175,000. Many now reside in Japan, cached away as collectible pieces of Americana. {{Fact|date=February 2007}} After a peak in the 1970s, driven by players such as [[David Gilmour]] of [[Pink Floyd]], [[Ritchie Blackmore]] of [[Deep Purple]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Robert Cray]], [[Robin Trower]], [[Bob Dylan]] , [[ Uli Jon Roth ]] of Scorpions and [[Mark Knopfler]] of [[Dire Straits]], another lull occurred in the early 1980s. During that time, CBS-Fender cut costs by deleting features from the standard Stratocaster line, despite a blues revival that featured Strat players such as [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]], [[Robert Cray]] and [[Buddy Guy]] (a Stratocaster player since the mid-1960s, sometimes credited with influencing [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]] in their choice of the Stratocaster as a primary blues-rock guitar). {{Fact|date=February 2007}} In England, [[The Shadows]]' lead guitarist [[Hank Marvin]] who used the very first Stratocaster to be ordered direct to Europe, was ordered and owned by [[Cliff Richard]] to be exported to Europe (a '58 Fiesta Red model that started the huge success for this color's sales for Fender), played vintage Strats until the end of the 80s, then turning to his own Signature Stratocaster model. == Squier models == By 1982 the company had started producing Stratocasters in Japan.<ref>http://www.fujigen.co.jp/history/</ref> [[Fender Japan]] produced the less expensive "[[Squier]] Stratocasters" for the European and American markets ([[Squier]] was originally a string company that was acquired by Fender, under CBS in the late 1960s'). All of Fender's guitars in the 1985 catalog were made in Japan. Some estimate that as much as 80% of Fender's sales between 1984 and 1986 were Japanese models. Japanese models are now only available in Japan, with the exception of some instruments, like the '51 [[Precision Bass]]. == Fender 1985-1998 == When the Fender company was bought from CBS by [[Bill Schultz (Fender)|Bill Schultz]] in 1985<ref>http://www.musiciansbuy.com/Fender_History.html</ref>, manufacturing resumed its former high quality and Fender was able to regain market share and brand reputation. This sparked a rise in mainstream popularity for vintage (and vintage-style) instruments. Dan Smith, with the help of John Page, proceeded to work on a reissue of the most popular guitars of Leo Fender's era. They decided to manufacture two Vintage reissue Stratocaster models, a maple-neck 1957 and a rosewood-neck 1962 along with the maple-neck 1952 Telecaster. This project was very important and critical to the company's survival. These first few years (1982 - 1984) of reissues are now high-priced collector's items and considered as some of the finest to ever leave Fender's Fullerton plant, which closed its doors in late 1984. In 1985, Fender's US production of the Vintage reissues resumed into a new factory at Corona, located about 20 miles away from Fullerton. These three guitars form an important part of the '''American Vintage Series''' line since July 10th, 1998. ==Current models== As of 2007, Fender offers a wide line of Stratocasters alongside vintage reissues, as well as maintaining a "Custom Shop" service that builds guitars to order. Those who wish period-accurate replicas can request Stratocasters with original cloth-coated wiring, pickup and electronics designs, wood routing patterns, and even artificial aging and oxidizing of components using the Custom Shop "relic" process. The American Deluxe Series Stratocasters came with a variety of high-end options such as a Fender DH-1 humbucker in the bridge position and an American 2-point locking vibrato bridge (Fender/Floyd Rose assembly) with LSR Roller Nut, locking tuners on certain models and Samarium Cobalt Noiseless pickups with S-1 switching. Guitars produced before 2004 featured Vintage Noiseless pickups and 4-bolt neck fixing. The contoured neck heel feature on these Stratocasters was added in 2002. The American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS (also known as American Deluxe Fat Strat) utilizes a Fender DH-1 humbucker in the bridge position and two Hot SCN pickups for a proper balance with the [[humbucker|humbucking pickup]]. This guitar was also available with an optional Fender Deluxe locking vibrato bridge (American Deluxe Strat HSS LT). Introduced in 1998 and upgraded in 2004, the American Deluxe Strat HSS LT has been discontinued as of 2007. American Series Stratocasters come with alder or ash bodies, rolled fingerboard edges, three custom "modern" staggered single-coils and the DeltaTone system (which includes a high output bridge pickup and a reverse-wound single-coil in the middle position). Hardtail versions were discontinued in 2007. New for 2003 was the American Strat HSS which features a Diamondback humbucker (bridge), two Tex-Mex single-coils (neck/middle) and S-1 switching. An HH model with dual Sidewinder/Black Cobra humbuckers was offered until 2007. As of 2008, all American Standard Stratocasters come with a redesigned bridge with vintage-style bent steel saddles and the S-1 switching has been dropped. The Vintage Hot-Rod Series has vintage looks and modern playability ignited together in these next-level guitars, which feature authentic ’50s and early ’60s designs paired with some of the most scorching hot-rod modifications. The American Special Series included Stratocasters with features that span the bridge between traditional and modern technology, either in specifications, design or both. Fender American Special series models were made in Corona, California (USA). The Floyd Rose Classic Stratocasters (made from 1992 to 2003) featured an original [[Floyd Rose]] locking tremolo bridge. They came in HSS (Fender DH-1 humbucker and 2 DeltaTone single-coils) and HH (dual Fender DH-1 humbuckers) configurations. Models manufactured before 1998 had DiMarzio PAF Pro humbucking pickups. The range also included the Honduran mahogany-bodied Strat-O-Sonic guitars with the choice of Black Dove P-90 soap-bars and Atomic II humbucking pick-ups, which lasted until 2007. ==In popular culture == The Fender Stratocaster or Strat has been featured in many movies, roller coasters, tv shows and much more. It has been featured in Rock N Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith in Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It has also been featured in [[Drake and Josh]] as one of Drake's guitars. It was featured in the Drake and Josh episode "Guitar," where Drake gets a Stratocaster signed by Devin Malone. The VG Stratocaster (designed by [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] and Japanese synthesizer giant [[Roland Corporation|Roland]]) is an American Series [[virtual]] [[modeling]] guitar with a [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] VG pickup and two extra knobs for Tuning Function Control (5 Rotary Positions) and Mode Control (5 Rotary Modes), offering 37 different [[Stratocaster]], [[Telecaster]], [[humbucker|humbucking]], [[12-string]] and [[acoustic guitar|acoustic]] sounds, plus five alternate tunings, all at the simple flip of a switch or twist of a knob. The VG Stratocaster has been introduced in 2007 and endorsed by [[Fender Musical Instruments Corporation|Fender]] guitar clinicians Greg Koch and Jeff Kollman. Custom Classic Strats are Custom Shop versions of the American Series models, sporting C or V-shape maple necks with rosewood or maple fingerboard and three Modern Classic single-coils with a Hot Classic bridge pick-up featuring a custom steel inductance plate. Custom Classic guitars made before 2003 were equipped with a set of Fender Texas Special single-coils. Highway One guitars (introduced in 2000 and upgraded in 2006) include a large headstock, '70s styling, super-sized frets, three distortion-friendly Alnico III single-coils and a Greasebucket tone circuit (which rolls off the high frequencies without adding bass). The Highway One Stratocaster HSS features a black bobbin Atomic II humbucker in the bridge position. Limited edition models with '50s and early '60s specs are also offered with a run of 150 instruments; 2-tone sunburst finish, ash body, maple fingerboard and 1-ply parchment pickguard or surf green finish, alder body, rosewood fingerboard and 3-ply mint pickguard, both featuring a small headstock with "spaghetti"-style decal. Additionally, the alder-bodied guitar with the rosewood fretboard and the 3-ply mint pickguard sports a set of Custom Shop '69 Stratocaster single-coil pick-ups. The Artist Signature Series line includes several Stratocaster models come with features and specifications favored by popular artists such as [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Jeff Beck]], [[John Mayer (musician)|John Mayer]], [[Stevie Ray Vaughan]], [[Mark Knopfler]], [[Eric Johnson]], [[Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster|Yngwie Malmsteen]], [[Billy Corgan]] and others. The Custom Artist guitars are the Custom Shop versions; they slightly differ from the regular Artist Signature range in terms of quality and construction, making these instruments much more expensive than the regular production versions. Like the other Custom Shop models, the Custom Artist guitars are available as Team Built and Master Built items. Standard, Deluxe and Classic Series Stratocasters are generally made in Mexico, although some models are manufactured in Japan and Korea. Fender Stratocasters are built in the United States, Mexico, Japan and Korea. *American Standard, American Vintage, American Deluxe, American Special, Artist, Custom Classic, Custom Artist, Hot-Rodded American Vintage and Highway One series Stratocasters are made in a Fender factory in Corona, California, United States of America and are commonly called Made In America (MIA) Stratocasters. There is also a Fender Museum there open to the public. *Most other Stratocaster series models are made in a Fender factory in [[Ensenada, Baja California|Ensenada]], Mexico and are often labelled as Made In Mexico (MIM). Guitar necks are still manufactured in the Corona factory and sent to the Ensenada factory to be mounted onto guitars. *[[Fender Japan]] Stratocasters and Squiers were exported in the 1980s and 1990s but are now mostly limited for sale to the Japanese domestic market. Fender also produces [[Squier Stratocaster|Stratocasters]] under the [[Squier]] brand in [[China]], [[Indonesia]] and [[India]] at lower cost than Fender-branded models. While Squier Stratocasters are predominantly inexpensive versions of Fender Stratocasters, some models are also unique to the Squier brand, such as the [[OBEY Graphic Stratocaster|OBEY Graphic series]] or [[Hello Kitty Stratocaster|Hello Kitty series]]. They also offer a starter kit through Costco, Target and other retailers, which comes with a budget Strat under the name [[Starcaster by Fender]], which comes in standard and deluxe pickup configurations. It also comes with extra strings, three guitar picks, a gig bag and an SP10 Amp. It is common for guitarists who enjoy customizing their instruments to buy a cheap Stratocaster variant and upgrade the components to their own tastes. Many modern Stratocasters are routed with a large single 'swimming pool' pickup rout, allowing a completely different pickguard with any configuration of humbucker or single-coil pickups to be fixed to the guitar virtually instantly; three wires from the bridge ground and jackplate are all that need to be soldered into place. Other modern Strats, such as the [[Fender American Deluxe Series|American Deluxe]], American and American Standard Series, came with the 'universal' [[humbucker|H]][[single-coil|S]][[humbucker|H]] rout. Fender also offers a [[Twelve-string guitar|12-string]] version of the Stratocaster, known as the [[Fender Stratocaster XII]]. Fender has licensed the appearance of the Stratocaster to [[Electronic Arts]] for a replica guitar controller for EA and [[Harmonix Music Systems|Harmonix]]'s ''[[Rock Band (video game)|Rock Band]]'' [[Music video game#Rhythm games|rhythm]] [[video game]]. ==Notable Stratocaster players== {{Main|List of Stratocaster players}} ==References== {{Commonscat|Stratocaster}} {{reflist}} {{refbegin}} *{{cite book | last = Bacon | first = Tony | coauthors = Day, Paul | title = 50 Years of Fender: Half a Century of the Greatest Electric Guitars | location = London | publisher = Balafon | year = 2000 | id = ISBN 0-87930-621-1 }} *{{cite book | last = Wheeler | first = Tom | title = The Stratocaster chronicles: Fender: celebrating 50 years of the Fender Strat | location = Milwaukee, WI | publisher = H. Leonard | year = 2004 | id = ISBN 0-634-05678-6 }} * U.S. Patent No. 2,960,900 * U.S. Patent No. D186826 {{refend}} ==External links== *[http://www.fender.com/ Fender official website] [[Category:Fender electric guitars|Stratocaster]] [[Category:Electric guitars]] [[Category:Industrial design examples]] [[Category:1954 introductions]] {{Link FA|de}} [[cs:Fender Stratocaster]] [[da:Stratocaster]] [[de:Fender Stratocaster]] [[es:Fender Stratocaster]] [[fr:Fender Stratocaster]] [[hr:Fender Stratocaster]] [[it:Fender Stratocaster]] [[he:פנדר סטראטוקסטר]] [[hu:Fender Stratocaster]] [[nl:Fender Stratocaster]] [[ja:フェンダー・ストラトキャスター]] [[no:Fender Stratocaster]] [[pl:Fender Stratocaster]] [[pt:Fender Stratocaster]] [[ru:Fender Stratocaster]] [[simple:Fender Stratocaster]] [[sl:Fender Stratocaster]] [[fi:Fender Stratocaster]] [[sv:Fender Stratocaster]] [[tr:Stratocaster]]