Vintage Guitar: Chapter 1
—FENDER STRATOCASTER

FENDER STRATOCASTER

　The Stratocaster debuted in 1954. Over its history spanning more than half a century, it has undergone numerous minor revisions and remains an undisputed standard, producing a one-of-a-kind sound that has supported countless legendary performances to this day!! The supreme Stratocaster sound, epitomized by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, continues to captivate many guitarists today and has an impact that never fades.

　Of course, the tone varies depending on the year and specifications, but isn’t the greatest appeal of all that, precisely because it’s made of wood, you can experience a “living” resonance? Even after being shaped and reborn as an instrument, the wood remains alive and continues to breathe. Over the decades, as it cycles through periods of humidity and dryness—and is played time and again—it develops a surprisingly rich and resonant tone.The entire instrument resonates as one, producing a deep, lustrous tone that has matured over time… this is precisely what makes vintage guitars so wonderful. The Stratocaster debuted in 1954. Over a history spanning more than half a century, it has undergone numerous minor revisions and remains an undisputed standard, producing a one-of-a-kind sound that has supported countless legendary performances to this day!! The supreme Stratocaster sound, epitomized by Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, continues to captivate many guitarists even today and maintains an impact that never fades.

　Of course, the tone varies depending on the year and specifications, but isn’t the greatest appeal of these instruments—precisely because they’re made of wood—the ability to experience that “living” resonance?Even after being shaped and reborn as an instrument, the wood remains alive and continues to breathe. As it breathes, it has undergone repeated cycles of humidity and dryness over the past several decades, and through the act of being played, it resonates with an astonishingly rich tone. The entire instrument resonates as one, producing a deep, lustrous tone that has matured over time… this is precisely what makes vintage instruments so wonderful.

　It all began in 1938, when Leo Fender, the founder of Fender, opened “FENDER’S RADIO SERVICE,” a radio repair shop he ran himself, in Fullerton, California.Later, together with musician and engineer “Clayton ‘Doc’ Kauffman,” he established “K&F (Kauffman & Fender) Manufacturing” in 1945 to produce original steel guitars and amplifiers.Some time later, following Kauffman’s departure, the company changed its name to “Fender Electric Instrument Company” and began operating in earnest as a guitar manufacturer.

　In 1950, they introduced the world’s first Spanish-style guitar, the “Broadcaster,” and went on to realize many innovative ideas—including the Stratocaster, packed with groundbreaking features—during Fender’s golden age. In 1965, due to Leo’s health issues, Fender was sold to CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System).He later returned as a consultant for CBS and worked on product development, but in 1970, he terminated his contract with CBS to pursue new challenges. (※Officially, the model name evolved from “Esquire” to “Broadcaster.”)

　In 1972, he helped establish “Music Man” alongside “Forrest White,” who had been vice president of Fender, and “Tom Walker,” who had been in charge of sales.CLF Research, a company Leo had established independently for his consulting work, handled development and manufacturing, and in 1975, the company released its first Music Man product: an amplifier. Its use by artists such as Eric Clapton sparked a boom, and the following year, in 1976, the company introduced the “Stingray” guitar and Bass, both equipped with active preamps. The Stingray Bass in particular, was highly acclaimed and remains synonymous with active bassBass to this day.

In 1980, after parting ways with Music Man, Leo founded “G&L Musical Products” alongside George Fullerton, an early Fender craftsman who had served as Leo’s right-hand man during the development of the Broadcaster and Precision Bass. Determined to bring even more innovative ideas to life without being constrained by the past, they immersed themselves in research and development, drawing on the technical expertise and experience they had cultivated over the years.The essence of Leo’s work at G&L lay particularly in pickup development, where he later established a unique approach capable of meeting the demands of any genre and even creating entirely new sounds. G&L was the last brand Leo launched, and his private workshop has been preserved exactly as it was during his time there, ensuring that his legacy lives on to this day.

　In conclusion, the immense contributions made by Leo Fender are immeasurable. He had a profound influence not only on electric guitars and Bass but also on amplifiers, and it goes without saying that he left a magnificent legacy for the modern music scene. Leo Fender was truly a great innovator who revolutionized the world of electric instruments.

1950–

The “Esquire,” the world’s first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar, was unveiled at the NAMM Show. Upon its release, the two-pickup version was named the “Broadcaster,” but the company was soon forced to change the name due to trademark issues. After a brief period during which the model was shipped as the “No-Caster”—featuring only the brand logo while the model name was unavailable—it officially launched as the “Telecaster” the following year, in 1951.

1954–

The “Stratocaster” was introduced, positioned as a higher-end model than the Fender Telecaster. It featured a groundbreaking synchronized tremolo system, born from innovative ideas that defied the conventions of tremolo units at the time. After repeated minor revisions through trial and error, it has become an undisputed standard beloved by countless guitarists.

1956–

Fender introduced the “Music Master,” positioned as a student model, followed shortly thereafter by the “Duo-Sonic.” Both Recruit a 22 1/2-inch short scale. These models shared most parts—including the body and neck—to streamline production.On the Duo-Sonic, the front and rear pickups are wired in series, realizing the idea of mixing the output from both pickups to achieve a humbucker effect.

1958–

Fender introduced the “Jazzmaster,” packed with new innovations such as the brand’s first rosewood fingerboard, the asymmetrical “Offset Waist Design,” “Preset Tone,” and “Floating Tremolo.” The early pickguards Recruit the so-called “Gold Anodized” finish, which Recruit for less than a year.

1962–

Fender introduced the “Jagger,” developed as an upgraded model of the Jazzmaster, which retained the Jazzmaster’s body shape and tremolo unit. While the Jazzmaster had a 25 1/2-inch scale length with 21 frets—the same as the Stratocaster—the Jagger Recruit a 24-inch scale length with 22 frets.

1964–

The “Mustang” was introduced, featuring a dynamic vibrato with a wide range of adjustment. Two neck scale options were available: 22 2/1 inches with 21 frets and 24 inches with 22 frets. A 3-way slide switch Recruit to select pickup configurations, allowing for half-tone and phaser sounds depending on the combination. Also introduced that year were the redesigned “Music Master II” and “Duosonic II.”

1965–

Fender introduced its first 12-string model, the “Electric XII.” It was characterized by its unique, elongated headstock shape, nicknamed the “hockey stick.” The bridge, designed specifically for 12-string guitars, featured independent saddles that allowed for individual octave adjustments.

1966–

Fender introduced the hollow-body “Coronado” series to compete with Gibson. The lineup included the single-pickup “Coronado I,” the dual-pickup “Coronado II,” and the 12-string “Coronado XII,” with many models featuring a tremolo system.That same year, the company introduced the “Bronco,” a student model equipped with a tremolo system. Unlike a synchronized tremolo, it featured a newly developed tremolo unit that moved on two pivot points.

1968–

The “Telecaster Thinline,” produced as a variation of the Telecaster, was introduced. It was a semi-solid-body model with F-holes; initially, it was equipped with single-coil pickups like previous Telecasters, but by the end of 1971, these were replaced with humbucking pickups designed by Seth Lover.Additionally, the first version with single-coil pickups was available in two body types—ash and mahogany—allowing players to choose based on their sound preferences.