Stratocaster History

The Fender Stratocaster 1954-present

An electric guitar stood upright in an all wooden surrounding
1950's & 1960's models

1950's Fender Stratocaster

  • Slab Rosewood Fingerboard characterised by a thicker rosewood fingerboard without a separate, curved fingerboard radius.
  • Spaghetti Logo classic on 1950's & 1960's models
  • Nitrocellulose Lacquer which contributes to a vintage look and feel
  • Clay Dot Inlays found on the fretboard
An electric guitar stood upright in an all wooden surrounding
1970's & 1980's models

1970's Fender Stratocaster

  • Transition Logo moving away from the 'spaghetti' logo, mid-70s Stratocasters featured a transition logo on the headstock.
  • Larger Headstock Towards the late '70s, Fender increased the size of the headstock, giving it a larger bolder appearance.
  • Pearloid pickguard. Some70's fender strats have a pearloid pickguard, adding a distinctive visual element.
An electric guitar stood upright in an all wooden surrounding
1990-present models

1990's Fender Stratocaster

  • Transition Logo moving away from the 'spaghetti' logo, mid-60s Stratocasters featured a transition logo on the headstock.
  • Larger Headstock Towards the late '60s, Fender increased the size of the headstock, giving it a larger bolder appearance.
  • Pearloid pickguard. Some 60's and 70's fender strats have a pearloid pickguard, adding a distinctive visual element.