A little Stratocaster history.
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double-cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously manufactured the Stratocaster since 1954. The guitar's distinctive body shape was revolutionary when introduced in the mid-1950s, and the first time a mass-market electric guitar did not resemble earlier acoustic models.
The double cutaway, elongated horns, and heavily contoured back were all designed for better balance and comfort to play while standing up and slung off the shoulder with a strap. The three-pickup design was a step up from earlier one- and two-pickup guitars, and a responsive and simplified vibrato arm integrated into the bridge plate, which marked a significant design improvement over other vibrato systems, such as those manufactured by Bigsby.
Stratocasters are often heavily customized by their owners. Their assembly line style construction makes them perfect platforms for modifications to suit the needs of the player.
