Dave Hunter

<b>Authoritatively written and lavishly illustrated, <i>Fender Stratocaster</i>®<i> 70 Years</i> is the officially licensed anniversary celebration of this legendary guitar.</b><br/><br/> Ever present in the music world, the Fender Stratocaster® guitar is also an icon of popular culture, its attractive lines and innovative features as forward-looking today as they were when <b>Leo Fender introduced the guitar to the world in 1954</b>.<br/><br/> In <i>Fender Stratocaster</i>®<i> 70 Years</i>, musician and guitar historian Dave Hunter <b>traces Stratocaster® guitars across seven decades and into the present</b>, beginning with Leo Fender's triumph of mid-century design originating in his modest shop in Fullerton, California. From there, Hunter explores:<br/> <ul><li> Groundbreaking features of the new design in the context of the contemporary guitar market and Fender's existing Telecaster<b>®</b> guitar. </li><li> The Stratocaster's solidbody three-pickup configuration, "tremolo" bridge, bolt-on neck, and contoured body, as well as the roles that country pickers played in the guitar's early development. </li><li> Design improvements undertaken throughout the Stratocaster's first decade, such as the introduction of a rosewood fingerboard and Custom Color options to complement the initial Sunburst finish. </li><li> CBS's 1965 acquisition of Fender and its effects on company culture and the Stratocaster, as well as the 1985 acquisition of Fender spearheaded by a group of employees. </li><li> The creation of the Fender Custom Shop and that elite group's relationship to the Stratocaster over the years. </li><li> Fender's forward-thinking combination of vintage specs and materials with modern features in Stratocaster guitars that offer classic styling and current conveniences. </li></ul> <br/> Along the way, Hunter contextualizes the evolving Stratocaster within the contemporary guitar industry and shows <b>the relationships that admired players throughout the decades have enjoyed with this guitar</b>, including Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Dick Dale, Jimi Hendrix, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, and H.E.R.-to name a few!<br/> <br/> Illustrated throughout with <b>rare images </b>from the Fender archives, <i>Fender Stratocaster 70 Years</i>® treats readers to rare behind-the-scenes views of the shop floor and Custom Shop throughout the years, <b>studio imagery</b> of the guitars, rare <b>period advertising</b> and brochures, and <b>performance images</b> of Fender players.<br/><br/> Often imitated but never duplicated, the Fender Stratocaster® remains a triumph of design more than seven decades on. This is the official and definitive illustrated story of this guitar-and a must-have for every guitar enthusiast.