The American Series is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster guitar as well, with the 50th Anniversary American Series Stratocaster guitar. At the dawn of the Schultz era, things began to come back into focus, and in 1985, with Schultz and his investors now owning the company, Fender faced one of its most daunting design challenges yet: Build a better Stratocaster. Not a reissue, not a cost cutter, not a “Cadillac,” not an import — just a basic U.S. Strat. The first mass produced electric bass was developed by Leo Fender, a well-known guitar manufacturer, as experiments with upright basses with pickups did not work very well at the time. He produced the first solid-body guitars, including the Telecaster Broadcaster models, in 1951 and the Stratocaster, with its simple built-in electronics, first hit stores in September of 1954. The buzz was Kramer and Jackson in that mid-’80s era. But when George Blanda and Dan Smith came up with the American Standard, it seemed to be the right thing at the right time. 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. 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. This model also utilizes the “Delta Tone” system, which includes a high output bridge pickup and special no-load tone control for the middle and bridge pickups. Shown in 2-Color Sunburst. Introduced in 1922, the Gibson L5 is the precursor of the modern archtop guitar. It was the first archtop to feature f-holes, which allowed it to project through the horn-dominated bands of the day. Its strong, full, warm sound was an immediate and overwhelming success that turned the heads of makers, players and listeners alike. Bass Guitar Tuning.
