Fender
Stratocaster / Strat
Collectibility Rating: 1950's models: A, 1960's models: A-.
First introduced in spring 1954, it may well be the most
popular and copied guitar design ever.
| Vintage Specs 1950's |
| Body |
Asymmetrical double cutaway body, contoured
on back and on lower bass bout. Ash was the original choice
of wood, but since 1956 Alder was used. 2-color sunburst
finish. 1958 models had 3-color sunburst finishes. |
Neck
|
truss rod adjusts at butt. Neck attaches with 4 bolts
and a metal neckplate.Neck is 1 piece of maple with black
dot position markers [pic]
. Walnut "skunk stripe" down back of neck where truss
rod was installed. |
| Fingerboard |
in 59 Slab Rosewood fingerboard with white "clay"
position dots. Bottom of fingerboard (part glued to maple)
is flat. |
| Head |
"Small" peghead, round string tree [pic],
in 56 Rectangle string tree replaces round string tree.
|
| Decal |
Thin "spaghetti" peghead decal logo, no patent numbers.[pic] |
| Pickguard |
Single layer, white vinyl pickguard with 8 attachment
screws. A small aluminum sheilding plate is installed
underneath the pickguard that covers the control cavity.
In 59 Celluloid "mint green" three layer pickguard, with
11 attachment screws (some 1959 transitional models have
only 9 or 10 screws). Also a thin aluminum sheild the
size of the pickguard is installed underneath the pickguard. |
| Pickups |
3 single coil pickups with exposed poles, jack angled
into top, |
Control
|
3 knobs (volume, tone, tone) [pic]
, gold plated parts optional till 1967. |
Bridge
|
tremolo standard. Steel 2 piece tremolo, with 6 adjustable
saddles [pic].
Each nickel plated saddle is stamped "Fender Pat Pend"
(note reissue models are stamped "Fender Fender"). Also
available without tremolo (known as a "hardtail" model).
|
| Hardware |
gold plated parts optional till 1967. |
| Serial Number |
Serial number on neck plate (except April to May
1954 models on back tremolo plate). |
| Vintage Specs 1960's |
| Body |
Asymmetrical double cutaway alder body,
contoured on back and on lower bass bout. 2-color sunburst
finish. 1958 models had 3-color sunburst finishes. 68
Polyester thick finish replaces nitrocellulose lacquer.
|
Neck
|
truss rod adjusts at butt. Neck attaches with 4 bolts
and a metal neckplate.Neck is 1 piece of maple with black
dot position markers [pic]
. Walnut "skunk stripe" down back of neck where truss
rod was installed. |
| Fingerboard |
in 62 Veneer Rosewood fingerboard. Bottom of fingerboard
(part glued to maple) is arched. Notice that 50's models
were flat. In 64 Pearl fingerboard dots replace "clay"
dots. 65 Maple fingerboard optional (2 piece neck, no
"skunk stripe") |
| Head |
65 Peghead design enlarged significantly. [pic],
in 56 Rectangle string tree replaces round string tree.
68 "F" style tuning gears replaces "Kluson-Deluxe" gears. |
| Decal |
In 64 Gold Fender peghead decal thicker than previous
"spaghetti" logo. Peghead decal logo now has 2 patent
numbers (2,573,254 & 2,741,146).[pic]
In 1962 3 patent numbers (2,960,900 added). 65 Peghead
decal logo now has 5 patent numbers (2,817,261 added).
66 Peghead decal has 3 patent numbers (2,741,146 &
3,143,028 & DES 169,062). 68 Black Fender peghead
decal with 2 patent numbers (2,741,146 & 3,143,028) |
| Pickguard |
In 64 Plastic white three layer pickguard replaces celluloid |
| Pickups |
3 single coil pickups with exposed poles, jack angled
into top, |
Control
|
3 knobs (volume, tone, tone) [pic]
, gold plated parts optional till 1967. |
Bridge
|
tremolo standard. Steel 2 piece tremolo, with 6 adjustable
saddles [pic].
Each nickel plated saddle is stamped "Fender Pat Pend"
(note reissue models are stamped "Fender Fender"). Also
available without tremolo (known as a "hardtail" model).
|
| Hardware |
Gold plated parts optional till 1967. |
| Serial Number |
Serial number on neck plate (except April to May
1954 models on back tremolo plate). |
| Vintage Specs 1970's |
| Body |
Asymmetrical double cutaway alder body,
contoured on back and on lower bass bout. 3-color sunburst
finishes. 73 The "Mocha Brown" color is introduced on
the Fender Stratocaster (perhaps Fender's most aesthetically
challenged custom color!). A factory black pickguard was
used for the first time on a Strat, but only on this color.Polyester
thick finish replaces nitrocellulose lacquer. |
Neck
|
71 "Bullet" truss rod adjusts at peghead instead of
butt-end of neck. . 70 3 bolt neck with micro-tilt replaces
4 bolt system. .Neck is 1 piece of maple with black dot
position markers [pic]
. Walnut "skunk stripe" down back of neck where truss
rod was installed. |
| Fingerboard |
in 62 Veneer Rosewood fingerboard. Bottom of fingerboard
(part glued to maple) is arched. Notice that 50's models
were flat. In 64 Pearl fingerboard dots replace "clay"
dots. 65 Maple fingerboard optional (2 piece neck, no
"skunk stripe") |
| Head |
Large peghead [pic],
71 2nd string tree added on peghead to hold G and D strings.
. "F" style tuning gears. 79 Last year for the "large"
peghead. Starting in 1980, Fender switches back to the
(more attactive) small pre-CBS peghead style on most models.
|
| Decal |
In 64 Gold Fender peghead decal thicker than previous
"spaghetti" logo. 70 Peghead decal has 1 patent number
(2,741,146) |
| Pickguard |
75 Black 3 layer pickguard, black knobs and black pickup
covers (as used previously only on the Mocha Brown Strats).
This color change transitions in. That is, black pickguards
with white knobs and covers are seen first, followed by
black pickguards and black knobs and covers. |
| Pickups |
3 single coil pickups with exposed poles, jack angled
into top, 74 Flush pole pickups replace staggered pole
pickups. |
Control
|
3 knobs (volume, tone, tone) [pic]
|
Bridge
|
71 Die-cast 1 piece chrome Mazac tremolo replaces 2
piece steel unit. Bridge saddles are now cast with no
stampings. |
| Hardware |
Gold plated parts optional till 1967. |
| Serial Number |
Serial number on neck plate (except April to May
1954 models on back tremolo plate). 76 Serial number moves
to peghead decal. |
|
1954-1959
style maple
fingerboard Strat. Notice the 2-tone sunburst colour.
Click for images
1959-1964 style rosewood
fingerboard Strat
|
