Fender Stratocaster

The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most widespread models of Electric guitar in the world. Its silhouette is the icon even of the electric guitar. It was born from the impressions of the first guitarists who used Telecaster. Many guitarists wished a second cut side, an additional microphone and an arm of vibrato.

It is drawn by Leo Fender, Freddie Tavares and George Fullerton in 1953 and adopts a form avant-gardist for the time. Not being musician himself, Leo Fender calls upon professionals of Country music, such as Bill Carson and Rex Gallion in order to make sure that the model corresponds to their needs and by validating the options chosen to each stage of the design. The design of this guitar is directly related to the mode of production of the type Série and not Artisanal . The model was to be marketed at the origin under the name Billy Carson Model.

In fact, the invention of the electric guitar (all confused originators and models) very quickly passed, in the History, of the experimental stage at the stage of the mass production. It will have largely taken part in the evolution of the Western popular music since the Années 1950.

Description

Stratocaster is guitar of the type solid-body , i.e. with body full (in opposition to the acoustic guitar whose hollow body forms a case of resonance), it is made of a body in Aulne or Frêne according to the completions, of a handle screwed by 4 screws until May 1971, by 3 screws then. The handle, at the massive maple origin, is a composition of maple and Palissandre for the key since end 1959. Equipped with three microphones simple windings ( individual coil ), Stratocaster made it possible at the origin to obtain three sounds. The selector (switch) with five positions appears in the Années 1970. Today, the new model of Stratocaster, provided with a special switch named “S-1”, offers a wide sound pallet. Stratocaster is also the first guitar with being provided with an effective arm of vibrato. The other arms of vibratos of the time, and in particular those of Paul Bigsby, did not keep a stable agreement. Leo Fender invented a block Rest-Rope-maker which makes it possible to keep the tuned guitar. Until the arrival of the arms of vibrato Floyd Pink in the Years 1980, this model was most effective.

She dissociates herself, in term of Design, rather quickly of the other instruments (of the same kind) produced at the time by avoiding bright colors (the guitars produced until there existed only in wood color or sunburst , a range of brown) and by adopting a revolutionary drawing and ergonomic named french curles .

Stratocaster is characterized especially by its practical aspects: its weight is relatively low compared to other model (in particular the Gibson the Paul, principal competitor as an other models headlight ), its cut sides allow an access facilitated to the last boxes (acutest). She is without any doubt the model of electric guitar most general-purpose and also more imitated.

Its success is ensured by the many famous guitarists who will adopt it, in particular: Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, John Frusciante, Rory Gallagher, David Gilmour, Buddy Guy, Buddy Holly, Mark Knopfler, Hank Marvin of the Shadows, Stevie Ray Vaughan, or, in France, Michael Jones, Jean-Pierre Danel and - m, among many others…

Models “signature” are created (often in limited series) to pay homage to these artists, at prices often rather high.

The original models of the Fifties and at the beginning of 60 reached such coasts in the Eighties that Fender decided in the Eighties to republish models taking again specificities of their elder under the name of " Re-issue". These republications continue to be marketed nowadays.

Initially produced only with the the United States, of the workshops are also created in the Eighties and Nineties with the Japan, then with the Mexico. These workshops have knowledge-faires different, which (primarily by the combination varnish-wood-stringed-instrument trade) gives different sonorities according to their source. Of Stratocasters are also manufactured in Korea under the mark Squier by Fender . Versions for left-handed or with twelve cords are gradually marketed.

Improvements are made during the years and mechanics with oil bath makes in particular their appearance.

In the Years 1980, success leads many manufacturers to propose copies then to develop superstrata with the more aggressive drawing, equipped with devices Floyd Pink and very much used in the Hard rock and the heavy metal. These hybrid guitars are those of the marks Ibanez and Jackson/Charvel (it should be noted that they have most of the time Humbucker S and configurations type HH or HSH ). They are however less general-purpose than true Stratocaster.

Stratocaster exists today with many possible configurations which are characterized by various series ( American Deluxe , Highway 1 , Strat+ , etc). The combinations are quasi-infinite and each guitar is “single”, the microphones being able to be different, the wood of the bodies can be different, the type of vibrato, the head, etc Knowing that two guitars having been made in the same day can not sound one like the other, it becomes important to test in store. Who more is, in the second-hand market Fender Stratocaster of years 1980 were often modified, much profited from installation of Chevalet Kahler with blocking (standard Spyder), with the result that Stratocasters of occasion of this period can not have same sonority as in the beginning.

Models emblématiques

  • Stratocaster 1954 : First Strats are the graal collectors. Manufactured in series restricted (an about sixty specimens in spring 54 and primarily intended, after ten prototypes, for the stores as sample or guitarists close to the mark, then beginning of production in small series with the autumn, 268 guitars in all over the year), they remain extremely rare. Beautiful Strat of this year reaches today easily 150.000 Euros, even more if it is about one of (very) rare Custom Color, which one knows 3 or 4 specimens (the standard color at Fender, at all times, being the range " Sunburst" , yellowish or sometimes amber). Some musicians of reputation play on this mythical instrument, whose some very rare models had a body in only one and single part, supporting particularly the natural vibrations and thus the sonority of the instrument. David Gilmour has a model Custom Color (white broken) of this year, the mythical guitar carrying serial number 0001, although it is absolutely not the produced first. It is said that the model Fiesta Red of the same year, offered by Leo Fender to the guitarist Pee Wee Crayton, also carried serial number 0001. Among the other owners of Strat '54 one counts Mark Knopfler (color standard " sunburst"), George Harrison (standard color " sunburst" offered by Eric Clapton), Eric Johnson (standard color " sunburst")"), and Jean-Pierre Danel (" Miss Daisy " , a model " sunburst" amber, body in only one part, one of first Strats of pre-production, manufactured with spring-be 54).

  • Model '50s: The other years of the Fifties give all exceptional instruments, privileged by the largest musicians (what exploded their coast with beginning of the year 80). Eric Clapton and his Strats mythical " Brownie" (1956) and " Blackie" (composite of several models, primarily 1957, and sold more than one million Dollars with the profit of its Crossroads detoxification center) or Hank Marvin (1958, first Stratocaster delivered in Europe).

  • Stratocaster "L" series; : Between 1963 and 1965, the serial numbers of Stratocasters reached the 100.000. An error on the plates carrying the number in question made appear a " L" instead of the " 1" , from where the semi-official nickname of Series L. These guitars are in general of excellent instruments, with the sound fattier than the models of the Fifties, which were equipped with a maple handle, whereas the series L have a handle " rosewood". George Harrison and his mythical " Rocky" revarnished and decorated by its care psychadelic way, or, in France, Jean-Pierre Danel or - m use these instruments.

  • Model end 60s & 70s: A long time décriés - often rightly - these models of the period when the mark was held by CBS had lost many the qualitities which make the legend of the model first. Its less shining and with less body, little looked after stringed-instrument trade, etc With time, these year however ended up finding the favor of the collectors, and even of certain guitarists, and not of least: Jimi Hendrix, The Edge (U2), Yngwie Malmsteen or Ritchie Blackmore.

Guitarists using Fender Stratocaster

See too

External bonds

  • http://www.cooper.com/newsletters/2001_07/what_we_can_learn_from_the_stratocaster.htm

  • Official site Fender

Simple: Fender Stratocaster

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