HISTORIC HARDWARE
Pre-CBS Strats are commonly divided into 50s and 60s types, or maple-’board and rosewood-’board models, but there were plenty of variations within those categories. Vintage Strats can have a mix of features and parts, which don’t always coincide with the ‘official’ specs for any given year. Even so, for this overview of the pre-CBS years, we’re focusing on four years that mark key stages in the evolution of the Stratocaster: 1954, 1956, 1959 and 1962.
1954: The Story Begins
Like the earliest Broadcasters and Esquires, the very first Strats, made between March and May 1954, are often described as ‘prototypes’ – but, in comparison, they were fully formed. Fender sold a significant number before the ‘official’ launch in October, with a few minor changes having been made over the intervening months. ‘Prototype’ neck plates were blank because serial numbers were stamped into spring covers with circular string-access holes. There’s often a notch on the bottom of the bridge pickup cavity to create clearance for the wires. They simply chiselled out the wood and the ‘worm rout’ came later.
At first, Strats had solid-shaft 100k potentiometers fitted with narrow skirted control knobs. Made with marbled plastic, these ‘tall boy’ knobs were soon replaced by polystyrene versions in the
