’50s Strats
The very first iteration of the Strat delivered a concoction of classy aesthetics, groundbreaking tone and trendsetting playability. It was the electric guitar spark needed for many of the iconic fifties guitarists such as Buddy Holly and Hank Marvin.
Ash was the wood of choice to make the body and it was an all-maple affair for the neck and fingerboard. One of the early features unique to the fifties Strat was its “V” shaped neck, which a deep middle section and narrow shoulders. It also had a curvy 7.25-inch fretboard radius, but Fender opted to build American Original guitars with a flatter 9.5″ introduced later in the decade.
The trio of single coil pickups sounded feisty and dynamic. They allowed guitarists to play thicker sounding chords with better handling of low levels of tube amp saturation. At the same time, dreamier cleans were just as achievable when using the tremolo bridge and a smattering of echo.
American Original ’50s Strat Key Features
- Ash body with lacquer finish
- Three Pure Vintage ‘59 single-coil Stratocaster pickups
- Thick “Soft V”-shaped neck profile; 9.5”-radius fingerboard