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 delivers an impact that never fades.

　Of course, each model year and specification has its own tonal characteristics, 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 reshaped and reborn as an instrument, the wood remains alive and continues to breathe. Over the decades, as it cycles through humidity and dryness alongside that breathing, and through the act of being played, it develops a tone that resonates with astonishing richness.A deep, rich tone that resonates as the entire instrument works in unison—mellow yet lustrous... this is the true beauty of vintage instruments. The Stratocaster debuted in 1954. Over a history spanning more than half a century, it has undergone numerous minor revisions, yet it remains an unshakable standard that produces a one-of-a-kind sound—a 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 delivers an impact that never fades.

　Of course, each model year and specification has its own tonal characteristics, 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 transformed into an instrument, the wood continues to live and breathe. Over the decades, as it cycles through humidity and dryness and is played, it develops an astonishingly rich resonance. The entire instrument resonates as one, producing a deep, lustrous tone that has matured over time... this is the true beauty of vintage instruments.

　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.Eventually, together with musician and engineer Clayton “Doc” Kauffman, he established “K&F (Kauffman & Fender) Manufacturing” in 1945 to produce original steel guitars and amplifiers.Shortly thereafter, 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 electric Spanish guitar, the “Broadcaster.” Following this, they entered Fender’s golden age, bringing to life many innovative ideas—such as the Stratocaster—before selling the company to CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) in 1965 due to Leo’s health issues.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. (Note: Officially, the name changed from "Esquire" to "Broadcaster.")

　In 1972, he helped establish "Music Man" alongside "Forrest White," who had been Fender's vice president, and "Tom Walker," who was in charge of sales. With "CLF Research," a company Leo had established independently for consulting work, handling development and manufacturing, the first Music Man product—an amplifier—was released in 1975.Their use by artists such as Eric Clapton sparked a boom, and in 1976, they introduced the "Stingray" guitar and Bass, both equipped with active preamps. The Stingray's Bass was particularly well-received and remains a quintessential example of active Bass to this day.

In 1980, after parting ways with Music Man, Leo founded "G&L Musical Products" with 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 realize innovative ideas unbound by the past, he immersed himself in research and development, drawing on the technical expertise and experience he had cultivated over the years. The essence of Leo’s work at G&L lay particularly in pickup development, where he 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 founded, and his private workshop remains 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 impact not only on the electric guitar 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 music.

1950–

The "Esquire," the world's first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar, was unveiled at the NAMM Show. With 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 under the brand logo alone as the "No-Caster" while the name was unavailable, it officially launched as the "Telecaster" the following year in 1951.

1954–

The "Stratocaster," positioned as a higher-end model than the Fender Telecaster, was introduced. It featured a groundbreaking synchronized tremolo system, realized through innovative ideas that defied the conventional wisdom 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 models adopted a 22 1/2-inch short scale. They shared most parts, including the body and neck, making them models designed to streamline production.On the Duo-Sonic, the front and rear pickups are wired in series, allowing the signal from both pickups to be mixed to achieve a humbucker effect.

1958–

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

1962–

Developed as an upgraded model of the Jazzmaster, the "Jaggar" was introduced, inheriting the body shape and tremolo unit from the Jazzmaster. While the Jazzmaster had a 25 1/2-inch scale length with 21 frets—similar to the Stratocaster—the Jaggar featured 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 1/2 inches with 21 frets and 24 inches with 22 frets. A 3-way slide switch was used for pickup selection, allowing for half-tone and phaser sounds depending on the combination. Also introduced this 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 a unique, elongated headstock shape known as the "hockey stick." The bridge, designed specifically for 12-strings, featured independent saddles that allowed for individual octave adjustment.

1966–

To compete with Gibson, Fender introduced the hollow-body "Coronado" series. The lineup included the single-pickup "Coronado I," the dual-pickup "Coronado II," and the 12-string "Coronado XII," with many models featuring tremolo systems.That same year, the "Bronco" was introduced as a student model equipped with a tremolo. 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 featured a semi-hollow body 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 body of the first single-pickup version was available in two types—ash and mahogany—allowing players to choose based on their sound preferences.