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. 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. You don’t mess with an icon. This is the comprehensive, must-own owner's or collector's manual for any Gretsch fan. It uncovers the history of the guitars through 32 pages of color photos, hundreds of black & white photos, and forewords by Fred Gretsch, George Harrison, Randy Bachman, Brian Setzer, and Duane Eddy. Following a complete history of this distinctive instrument's development, this book offers extensive portions of interviews with dozens of great guitarists like Dick Dale, Otis Rush, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy and many more. These musicians describe their first experiences with the Stratocaster, why they choose it over other guitars, the individual models they own, and playing techniques that maximize the Strat sound. Classical Guitar Part.