The Stratocaster was first produced in early 1954 by Los Angeles engineer Leo Fender, who had tinkered with improving amplified hollow-body instruments since the 1940s. The acoustic bass guitar is similar to an acoustic guitar with a large, hollow body that is clearly audible without amplification. For the Gibson lovers, I'd consider a '54 to '56 Les Paul Gold Top (I think you might be lucky to pick up a '57) or a Custom. If you have $5,000 or $6,000 left, then a good Fender Tweed Bassman or Twin would fit the bill nicely. A catholic choice, I know, but these guitars have consistently been in demand, and I see no change to this in the near or far-off future. A new Strat was developed in 1986, unveiled to key dealers, and introduced to critical raves at the January 1987 NAMM trade show. Details included typical features (three-layer pickguard, one-piece maple neck, etc.), plus a small headstock, 4-bolt neck, a 9 1/2” radius fingerboard with jumbo frets, a TBX tone circuit, a redesigned tremolo with two bearing points instead of six screws, flat-polepiece pickups, a hum-reducing, reverse-polarity pickup in the middle position, a silver transition logo, and a urethane finish. This 50th anniversary model features three new Custom Shop Vintage 1954 single-coil pickups, a special commemorative 50th anniversary neck plate, and “Parchment” knobs and pickup covers. However, with prices on the increase, most sixties guitars are too expensive, leaving only Fender Duo Sonics, Mustangs or Gibson Melody Makers within their budget. The electronics consist of split-coil, hum-canceling pickup, and volume & tone controls. Johnson uses a diecast bridge with individual saddles for dialing in your action. The machine heads are modeled after vintage elephant-ear tuners, but have a 20:01 gear ratio. Acoustic Electro Guitar Sale.
