![]() In 1986, the saddles gained mass and had more of machined, slotted look instead of the bent stamped metal that the original and the current American Standard have. Interestingly enough, the Fender American Standard Stratocaster has moved closer to the original ‘50s design over the last thirty years. Aside from some small changes in pickup wiring and making the 2 and 4 pickup positions “official” (players would stick the selector there even before it was a locked position), it is the same design, still built in California, still offering the quality, comfort and versatility that made it an icon in the first place. The tremolo unit has changed in subtle ways as well, but these are very nuanced differences. ![]() Over sixty years, the differences boil down to the wood used, the actual polymers used for the finish and plastic, the tuners and the fingerboard radius. The tuners are chrome Fender-designed sealed units, and the pickup selector is now five-way (including the hum-cancelling 2 and 4 “quacktone” combination positions). The neck is Maple with a separate Rosewood or Maple fingerboard with a wider 9.5 inch radius, and has a satin urethane finish on back for a smoother feel. 187 inch diameter, though the model now comes with Fender Custom Shop Fat ‘50s pickups, which include period correct cloth-covered wiring. ![]() The knobs and pickup covers are made of a more durable plastic, and the pole pieces have a slightly smaller. The current Fender American Standard Stratocaster uses an Alder body covered in a urethane three-tone sunburst finish, with three-layer parchment pickguard held in place by eleven screws. The tuners were nickel-plated Klusons, and the pickup selector was only three-way. The neck was a single lacquered piece of hard rock Maple with no separate fingerboard and a radius of 7.25 inches. 200 inch diameter pole pieces within the pickups were staggered. The knobs and pickup covers were made of brittle ABS plastic (often mistaken for true Bakelite), while the. The original 1954 Stratocaster had an two or three part Ash body covered in a nitrocellulose two-tone sunburst finish, with a single layer white pickguard held in place by eight screws. To the untrained eye, most Stratocasters look the same. For anyone looking to have only one guitar, the Fender American Standard Stratocaster has to be part of the discussion. It is the guitar that can do it all, the swiss-army-knife guitar, but still has enough signature tone in its glassy, bell-like attack to have a world unto itself. Not to mention the guitarists whose careers are inextricably linked to the model, such as Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, and Mark Knopfler to name a few. The fact that countless professional guitarists who can afford any guitar still choose to have at least one Stratocaster in their arsenal is a testament to its magnetism. It remains the go-to choice for millions of musicians who need a well built, no frills guitar that looks sexy but still has deep history and credibility. While the model was briefly renamed the American Series Stratocaster from 2000 to 2007, the germ line continues today again as the Fender American Standard Stratocaster. Read more about the various Stratocaster models here. Read more about the history of Stratocasters here. With the blooming Japanese market, Vintage Reissues and SuperStrat variations, Fender realized it needed to protect the identity of the original, launching the Fender American Standard Stratocaster in 1986. In the early 1980s, the model saw some experimentation while production moved from Fullerton to Corona. Through 1981 the Stratocaster continued production under a single name. Leo Fender claimed the Stratocaster was in development before the Les Paul debuted in 1952, but there’s no doubt the competition accelerated the timeline for the Strat’s eventual launch in 1954. Six decades after its launch, the Stratocaster is a guitar that remains above trends, working its way into the pantheon of timeless human ideas. The sheer number of imitations, both corporate and homebuilt, are further evidence that the Strat is etching itself into our collective unconscious. Any search for electric guitar clip art will prove as much. ![]() When someone thinks of the idea “electric guitar,” a mental image of a Fender Stratocaster usually pops into their head. ![]()
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