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. 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. You don’t mess with an icon. Edinburgh Guitar In Shop. The change to the guitar form factor and the addition of frets made the instrument much easier to play. Fender's Precision Bass was first sold in 1951, with the single split pickup design that is still widely available (both Fender Precision basses and innumerable copies) being introduced in 1957. Never before have we offered such groundbreaking benchmarks. As to new or more recent "non vintage" Strats, I have noticed that people have starting to enquire about Limited Edition Custom Shop models. Recently, we have been asked about the 40th Anniversary Hank Marvin Model, the Jaguar Racing Green Stratocaster model (that’s Jaguar the car, not the guitar), and the Hendrix Monterey model. Edinburgh Guitar In Shop.