When you hear "rock and roll" coupled with "guitar" you often will picture a Fender Stratocaster (or "Strat") in your mind.  After all, Leo Fender's invention has been used by so many of music's greats that it's hard to keep track of all of them!

Leo Fender first broke into the music business on his own in 1946.  He was keen enough to realize what the industry needed and as an electronics technician, he knew a thing or two about electric instruments and amps.  He would go down the path to Icon, inventing much-needed amplifiers and guitars, including the introduction of the Stratocaster in 1954.  Fender, along with George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares designed the new solid body.  This guitar model is so popular that is still being manufactured today!

The original model was produced with a sunburst finish, a solid once-piece maple neck with 21 frets, dot inlays, and Kenson machine heads.  Dupont automobile lacquers were used in the day to customize colors.  The white pickguard hid the electronic components of the Strat.  The resonance of the original is still sought after worldwide.  The phenomenal quality of this guitar did not end with the original, however.

As time progressed, Fender always kept his ear to the wall, listening to what the professionals wanted in their guitar so that he could continue to meet their needs.  The Stratocaster's contoured body fits nicely against the guitarist's own body.  It will meld and curve, allowing guitarists such as George Harrison and Buddy Holly to rest their arms on the body of the Strat, and able to grip better with the maple neck's dogleg style headstock.  The strings are anchored well with the through-body pivot bridge that is attached with springs to graze the backside as well.  You used to be able to actually make the bridge float by adjusting the clawed connections.  In this manner, a wider variety of sounds, tones and pitches can be made as the guitar will sing.

There were three single-coil pickups on the Strat, breaking way for the five pickup selector that come with all Strats now.  Eric Clapton is one who likes to use a combination of two selections for some odd, yet pleasing, sounds.  Two other ways to change sound are: tones are adjustable with the use of knobs and the bridge can be slanted. Humming will not be heard, however, due to stabilization technology incorporated in the Stratocasters.  Hot configurations can be found that spice up the music heard.

Later the Stratocaster guitar would blossom into a multi-layer design, rosewood, and ebony fretboards, and would be produced with larger headstocks to work match other series from Fender.  The newest Strats off the block have bent-steel saddles on the bridge with copper infused for ultimate resonance and sustain.  Hand tolled fingerboard edges still impress the musicians. String friction and breakage is minimal with the new designs. Tex-Mex pickups are added into some new models for a heavenly rockin' sound. Fender Music's vision states what is behind every Strat pretty well"  "Our vision is to champion the Spirit of Rock-N-Roll® throughout the world.  The spirit is individual expression, creativity, passion, energy and YOU."  With that behind the product, how can you fail?

Iconic, symbolic and a true status symbol, the Fender guitars have been at the forefront of the musician's world for half a century.  Leo Fender, the original founder and inventor of much of the Fender line kept working with the company, hands on, for most of its illustrious life.

Fender guitars were first Fender's Radio Service, starting in 1938 Fullerton, California in the U.S..  Leo Fender was an electronics technician and would repair radios and amps, among other items. He would grow to see the need for better quality amplifiers for musical instruments as he saw design flaws in what he was repairing.  By 1940 Leo partnered with Doc Kauffman and the formed a new manufacturing company (K&F Mfg. Corp.) designing and selling electric instruments and amps.  They first produced an Hawaiian lap steel guitar in 1945 that were accompanied by amps.  They were such a hit, that Fender decided to stop repairing and concentrate on manufacturing. He broke from Doc and formed Fender Electric Instrument Company.  Leo would grow, blossom and expand from this point on to head the most well known electrical instruments in the world.

The late 1940s, into the 50s and 60s would have Fender producing innovative Tweed, Champ, 85w Twin, Jensen, Oxford, Utah and CTS speakers and amps.  These produced clear and powerful sounds, leaving others with a tiny feel in the dust.  Jensens and Oxfords were the most commonly used and with four to eighty-five watts, they were adaptable for many bands and musicians.

Also, in 1949, Leo Fender developed the infamous Fender Telecaster, known simply as the Tele.  This solid-body electric guitar was originally introduced as the Esquire and would reenter the market as the Broadcaster the next year, later to be named the Telecaster.  The Broadcaster had a two-pickup and truss rods added to its design. The Telecaster is still alive and well today with the Road Worn™ series being introduced in 2009.  The series is named for the road warriors that have used the Telecasters or Strats since their inception.  It was all part of the "bad boy" persona that was launched in campaigns by Fender.  Three new Teles are introduced based around the original designs of the 50s and 60s.  This model has been used by such well-knowns as George Harrison of the Beatles, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen and Muddy Waters, just to name a few.

Stratocasters (Strats) hit the market in 1954 and have been continuously manufactured ever since.  The Strats have become a part of American history as you hear them on many a recording from "back in the day".  The double-cutaway guitar has an extended top horn to aid in balance while standing.  It is a classic design; one of the most industrious of all time and the Strat is on display in museums worldwide.  It had as easy to remove surface with a pickguard covering all of the guitar's electric components.  The "Comfort Contour Body" has curves to fit the musician for easability of play.  The strings could float or fit tightly against the neck of the guitar.  Sounds can be produced differently with the Strat with the switch included as evidenced in the playing from Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly or Eric Clapton.

1965 Leo Fender sold his company to CBS who went in a new direction with the Fender guitars, but couldn't duplicate their popularity.  CBS sold this division to some employees in 1985.  Since then the company has been Fender Musical Instruments Corp. based out of Scottsdale, Arizona with manufacturing plants in California, Mexico and Germany.  The Fender guitars come, as always, in the Strats and Tele lines, as well as self-invented bass guitars that include the Jazzmaster.  The sight, feel, grip and sound from a Fender are astronomically richer and cleaner than most any other out on market.