Clarence Leonidas ‘Leo’ Fender, architect, and designer of the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company was born today, August 10, 1909.
Playing a Fender is an art itself. They’re always going out of tune.
Ritchie Blackmore
The Fender Telecaster (1949) was the initial mass-produced electric guitar; the Fender Stratocaster (1954) is among the world’s most iconic electric guitars, and the Fender Precision Bass (1951) sets the code for electric bass guitars. Fender died on 21st March 1991. The Fender Stratocaster, which debuted in 1954.
Who would have expected an instrument designed over 60 years ago could continue untouched and yet be as archetypal as ever in the present day?
Futuristic lines, fluid contours, double cutaways, and a three-pickup arrangement made this innovation unlike all that everybody had already encountered.
And the sound … the Strat was so adaptable that it became the go-to ammunition for artists in rock, blues and country, and even metal and jazz.
Countless all-star performers have used the iconic Strat throughout its distinguished past.
True virtuoso Jeff Beck of The Yardbirds and in his solo career with the Jeff Beck Group was inventive, with blues, rock, metal, jazz, and electronica in his career. Versatile, Beck had the capacity to make guitar sounds with his bare hands, and a Strat tremolo that is visionary.
With his 1968 Stratocaster Ritchie Blackmore defined heavy metal creating powerful double-stop riff of ‘Smoke on the Water’, one of the most memorable riffs in history. His nimble fretwork for Deep Purple, then Rainbow and Ronnie James Duo are unparalleled. Blackmore is an extraordinary player and “neoclassic” pioneer.
He was one of the original rock guitarists to adopt a scalloped fretboard (on which the wood between the frets is scooped into a concave shape), and he would often forgo using a pick.
Blackmore is a standout on the folk-rock scene, in which his group, Blackmore’s Night, has issued nine studio albums since forming in 1997. Though folk is typically acoustic-driven, Blackmore’s assemblage of Strats continues to join him onstage.
Eric Clapton created a model for modern blues and rock through his sizzling efforts with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Cream. His rhythm abilities were exemplary, and his solos seemed uncanny.
Irish virtuoso Rory Gallagher left a lasting legacy for generations of guitarists to come. A self-taught prodigy, Gallagher’s well-worn sunburst 1961 Stratocaster, his unbridled energy and his raw aggression onstage are memorable. With a style rooted in folk, rock, and, most notably, blues, Eric Clapton once credited Gallagher for “getting me back into the blues.”
David Gilmour rose to international fame as vocalist and guitarist for Pink Floyd. He also built a praised and popular solo career. Influenced by blues, Gilmour uses a huge deal of sustain in his arrangements. Inducted into the 1996 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Gilmore is behind some of music’s most influential guitar solos, including Pink Floyd classics ‘Comfortably Numb’ and ‘Time.’
George Harrison ran the spectrum with his guitars of preference throughout his career, but the late Beatle often named his “Rocky” Stratocaster as one of his favorites. Harrison and John Lennon got matching Sonic Blue Strats in 1965. Harrison played his on Beatles albums Help! (1965), Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966).
Jimi Hendrix is one of the finest guitarists of all time—if not the best. Rolling Stone put him at the lead of their list of the leading 100 greatest axemen. Listening to Hendrix, it was challenging to detect where his body ended, and the guitar began. The two just flowed together. Hendrix oozed emotion out of his Strat, with interesting chord voicings and feedback aplenty.
Hendrix’s most famous Strats include the ones he played at Monterey in 1967 and Woodstock in 1969, the latter of which he used for his memorable rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’
Buddy Holly could be the most influential Stratocaster player of the 50s rock-and-roll. Holly had a chord-lead playing style with a rhythm seen in rock music to this day, from the Beatles to Bruce Springsteen to the Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr.
A consummate tone-seeker, Eric Johnson began playing at a young age, influenced by not only the rock ferocity of Jimi Hendrix and the bluesy soul of Albert King but also such diverse artists as Chet Atkins and the Beatles. His style was his own. His uncanny feel, sensitive ear, and a symbiotic relationship with his guitar, it was a liquid, articulate, and incomparable sound instantly recognizable as “EJ’s.” His traditional Fender Stratocaster was used on such hits as ‘Cliffs of Dover’ and ‘Manhattan’.
Mark Knopfler acquired a Strat and came up with a distinct style of his own.
One of the most technically accomplished guitarists ever, Yngwie Malmsteen brought a classical gothic vibe to the Stratocaster, with notes of Paganini, Beethoven, and Bach makes their way into his explosive solos. The Sweden-born Malmsteen raised the bar for aspiring guitarists with 1984 debut album Rising Force.
Nile Rodgers’ style is apparent, with a fresh and simple skill that turned into the sound of disco, hip-hop, funk, and R&B throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s. Rodgers’ production and playing techniques have established him one of the most coveted collaborators in the business.
Robin Trower embarked on a solo career in the 1970s that quickly moved up to arena-headlining status on the back of his electrifying mix of blues-rock and psychedelia. Influenced by greats such as B.B. King, Albert King, and Jimi Hendrix, Trower engages in dynamic Strat gymnastics, and his overdriven tone varies from a punchy bite to a throaty rumble. He makes notably expressive work of a phase shifter and wah-wah pedal.
Stevie Ray Vaughan exploded onto the stage in 1983 when he contributed scorching guitar work to the David Bowie album Let’s Dance. Later that year, Vaughan released his own group’s debut album, Texas Flood, and officially ignited the blues revival of the 1980s.
Vaughan’s skill to perform lead and rhythm parts together was exceptional. His favorite Stratocaster, nicknamed “Number One,” was a hybrid guitar that had a damaged ’63 body and a ’62 rosewood neck. It also featured a left-handed tremolo in the laud of Jimi Hendrix and distinctive stickers spelling out his initials on the pickguard.
