Also, the likes of Rickenbacker, Gretsch, National and Epiphone, which have increased less quickly until recently, now seem to be making up for lost time. No two Strats sound alike. They have an incredible variety of sounds available on the same instrument. It's brilliant. There is no other instrument like it. It was half a century ago that the curvaceous instrument, recently named by What Guitar? magazine as the world's greatest electric guitar, debuted in a career that would change the sound of music forever. Acoustic Guitar Pickup. 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. This allowed bassists to move further up front in the band mix, both visually and audibly. This work has been continued and many companies and individual luthiers have joined the quest to take Leo Fender's original dream and idea to new levels. Invented by a California radio repairman, the "Strat" became an instant staple for rock 'n' roll musicians, starting with Holly, and won iconic status when Hendrix vaunted his on stage as he famously performed The Star Spangled Banner at the 1969 Woodstock concert. Acoustic Guitar Pickup.