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Strat Invented
Leo Fender, in collaboration with George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares, designs the first Fender Strat.
The first Stratocaster to be released had “ a single piece ash body with a two color Sunburst finish, a single piece maple neck..., 7.25” fingerboard; 3 hand wound single coil pickups...and a 3 way switch” (Seo).
The Stratocaster was the third instrument to be designed by Fender. It differed from it's predecessor in that it had three pickups rather than the two that the Telecaster had.
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A few Adjustments
In 1956 the wood used for the body was changed to Alder. The dyes were soaked into the wood instead of sprayed on and the neck shape was changed to a softer V-shape. The tuning hardware also displayed "Kluson Deluxe" as their brand name.
(1): http://www.carlosseo.com/2011/09/24/fender-stratocaster-history/ -
TV Debut of Strat
Buddy Holly was one of the first musicians to play a Stratocaster on live Television -
The Beetles jump on the Bandwagon
John Lennon and George Harrison both purchase Sonic Blue 1961 Strats. -
CBS Buys Fender
In 1965 Leo Fender sells his company to CBS. Fender was experiencing health problems and was concerned for the longevity of himself and his company.
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Period: to
CBS Era
During this time span CBS sought to find ways to make the Stratocaster cheaper to produce. They cut the quality of every spect of the instrument from the body wood to the hardware. One of the few good things to come out of this era was the introduction of the five-way switch. It allowed for the player to switch between pickup combinations which allowed for a greater tonal range.
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Fender becomes Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
Employees of what used to be Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company bought the company and renamed it to Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In the months following, the company made efforts to return to pre-CBS quality and regain their customer base.
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