Who designed the Fender Stratocaster?
Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton and Freddie Tavares designed the Fender Stratocaster between 1952 and 1954. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has manufactured it continuously since 1954.
Questions about Fender Stratocaster
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When were hardtail Fender Stratocasters without a vibrato first introduced?
Fender added hardtail Stratocasters, which use a fixed bridge instead of a vibrato system, to the lineup in March 1955.
What is the most expensive Fender Stratocaster ever sold?
David Gilmour's Black Strat is the most expensive Stratocaster and was the most expensive guitar ever sold at the time, going for $3.975 million in 2019. The buyer was Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who added it to the Jim Irsay Collection.
Why is Jimi Hendrix associated with the Fender Stratocaster?
Jimi Hendrix's playing in the late 1960s is credited with reviving Stratocaster sales after Fender had been promoting the Jazzmaster as its flagship guitar. His popularity on television led CBS to ask Fender to enlarge the Stratocaster name printed on the headstock.
How many pickups and switch positions does a Fender Stratocaster have?
A Fender Stratocaster typically has three single-coil pickups controlled by a selector switch. The switch was originally a three-way design and became a five-way selector in 1977.
What did a 2025 German court rule about the Fender Stratocaster's shape?
In December 2025, the Dusseldorf regional court ruled that the Stratocaster's body shape is a protected work of applied art under German and European Union law. The default judgment came in a case Fender brought against Yiwu Philharmonic Musical Instruments Co over imported S-style guitar bodies.