He so improved the clarity of the amplified vibrating string that he gave almost every style of music played on the guitar a means to sound better. For five decades, finicky musicians made pilgrimages to Leo's R&D labs to discuss their musical frustrations and seek better ways for guitars to function. Introduced in 1954 and now recognized as the best electric guitar ever designed, Leo Fender's Stratocaster is one of the 20th century's most influential inventions. All information is based on Gibson's own documents and literature. * The different stages of evolution of the electric guitar, with detailed speci fications of all models introduced up to 1961. This great American icon is the subject of Gibson's Fabulous Flat Tops, a comprehensive book that chronicles the history of the Gibson company and the growth and development of their flat top guitars. Electro Acoustic Bass Guitar. So how would the new Fender company accommodate changing styles and tastes, and adapt its venerable Stratocaster guitar to the needs of the present? During the CBS era, clear answers had often eluded the suits who ran the company. One exec opined in private, “What are we supposed to do — build in the same old mistakes, just to keep the purists happy?” 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. 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. Another industry standard, the Fender Jazz Bass, was released in 1960. Electro Acoustic Bass Guitar.
