by Apex » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:10 am
I've had a wide variety of guitars, some vintage, since '64 when I started out, but never a Fender Strat. I could have had a 1965 Strat in 1965, but not knowing a lot, and of course back then the Strat had not yet become super popular, so I opted for the top of the line Fender, figuring it was the best Fender available, and got a Fender Jaguar instead. Had I bought a Strat at that time, I would have eventually sold it off, like my real 1954 Gibson Les Paul and some others, before the value of vintage stuff skyrocketed, so I would not have it today anyway.
Unknowingly though, I did myself a big favor with the Jaguar. It was super comfortable, the body was contoured so it didn't dig into my chest, and light weight, I was able to stand and play for hours with it, and its short 24" scale was also a benefit, even tho I didn't know anything about scale lengths at the time. When you yourself are light weight and have group practice 2-3x a week, and 1-2 gigs on the weekends for 3+ years, a heavy guitar can really weigh you down.
But I disgress from the topic here. The Fender Strat has rightfully won a great place in music history, and its use by so many stars has proven it to be a great guitar. I have a framed picture of a '65 Strat on my wall here, it looks down at me and speaks volumes. The 3 pickups thing, even if it were a quirk by Leo at the time, really worked in the Strat's favor. The quote was taken from a book about the Fender Strat. Assuming it's legit, it sounds like Leo Fender may have just come up with the idea as a marketing ploy. Whatever, it was genius. It also set the Strat apart from its sister guitars, the Jaguar and the Jazzmaster. Ultimately, the Strat won out, due to its body design and those three pickups.
The Fender Stratocaster was ready for production around May, 1954.
Re: The Fender Stratocaster turns 60
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