What Makes the Fender Stratocaster a Timeless Classic?

After the initial success of its predecessor, the “Telecaster,” Fender began designing a new guitar around 1952, based upon feedback from guitarists who played the infamous Telecaster; with a view to improve upon the company’s initial electric guitar design and sound. In 1952, there wasn’t the plethora of electric guitars we have to chose from today, and the concept of the electric guitar was still quite a new concept. In fact, when the design for the Stratocaster was taking place, it was a mere 20 years after fundamental concepts like the “Frying Pan” were conceived; meaning that Gibson were the only real solid body competitors with the Les Paul. This gave Fender a prime opportunity to carve the history of solid body electric guitar design, focusing on comfort, adjustability, style and range of sound. The Stratocaster took the limits of its predecessor and what was born was a comfortable tone machine with never before seen features. It’s safe to say they capitalised on that opportunity with almost perfect execution.

Whether we call it a tremolo, vibrato or the affectionately named “whammy bar” (thanks Lonnie Mack), with the birth of the Stratocaster came innovation. However, let’s get it out of the way, tremolo is volume and vibrato is pitch, though the system was so good no one cared to pull Fender up on it. Earlier versions of a guitar bridge that offered the ability to alter the pitch of notes existed through the Bigsby for example, these earlier systems came with tuning instability and sometimes a compromise in tone. The Fender system allowed for 3 variations: Floating, Decked or Blocked.

• Floating the trem allows the bridge to be pushed down which loosens the string tension, and pulled up which tightens the string tension.

• Decking the trem allows for the bridge to be only pushed down. When released, the bridge plate will be flush with the guitar body.

• Blocking the trem physically blocks the system from being able to move, with some preferring the sustain that comes with doing so.

All three options change the characteristics and feel of the guitar. Having the ability to experiment with these options also gave a little mystique to the already innovative system, as well as making the instrument highly versatile and attractive to all kinds of players.

Changing strings is easy, staying in tune is easy - Fender literally nailed the design of this thing and it allowed us to hear it in varied usage in the likes of Jimi Hendrix & Jeff Beck.

Where the Telecaster was an angular and static feeling instrument, the Stratocaster just looks and feels right - it makes sense. Anyone who has played one will know that it is a comfortable guitar and this is down to both the overall shape, as well as the contours within the body. Having the contours both where the guitar lies upon the body and where the arm rests when playing made the Stratocaster an ergonomic instrument and really the first of its kind. Though, it’s not just fitting playability features that shine here, it’s how these features make the guitar look; offering a harmonious balance of style and comfort. In addition to this, historically, this is a rather light guitar; which is something that often helps it win the race when in competition with the likes of a Les Paul among players. It’s a guitar you can play night after night and not put your back out for the pleasure of doing so.

Another notable design feature that I think really makes the Strat stand out is the mounted electronics within the pickguard and the ergonomics that come with doing so. Not only did 3 single coil pickups change the sonic spectrum of electric guitar forever but it brought all the controls right beneath the players picking hand. The pickups had the magnet poles set according to the strength and radius of the strings, so the sound was much more balanced. Over time, Fender started using alnico 5 magnets. The pickup height could also be adjusted, enabling the ability to change the sound of pickups. This also meant that any repairs needed or replacing any pickups was incredibly easy to do and allowed players to experiment with different combinations of pickups and wiring to the tone pots.

The Stratocaster is both iconic in its own right and also for the guitar icons that it helped shape. Fender were very hip to this fact and in 1988, announced the first of their “Signature” guitars through non other than Eric Clapton (God, is that you?) and Yngwie Malmsteen. SRV, Jeff Beck and David Gilmour to name a few shortly followed. Fender literally put the signatures of revered players on their headstocks! Gibson didn’t follow suit until 1995 with the Jimmy Page model, though that still had some other guys name on it…What also made this an amazing marketing technique was the involvement of these players in the design of the guitars, not only drawing in the best players to help cement the iconic status of the brand, but allowing their fans to feel closer connected to the “magic” of their favourite players. For goodness sake, my main guitars are Eric Johnson signature models, by releasing this range they reinvented their popularity with a new generation of guitar players and continue to do so to this day.

Whether it be the addition of a 5 way pickup selector or the stock Strat now being wired with the second tone control to the bridge pickup, Fender have listened to feedback and made the small steps and changes to keep the instrument modern. From a range of different pickups, to locking tuners and boost switches - one fact remains…the guts and glory of this icon have largely remained the same since its creation in 1954. Heck, the want for a new guitar that looks like it’s from 1954 says it all. It’s the most copied guitar style of all time and whether you love it or hate it, the Stratocaster is here to stay.