It’s often said that Leo Fender got it right the first time – but, actually, he got most of it right the first time and then figured out the rest as he went along. Join us as we examine how the Stratocaster evolved throughout the pre-CBS era
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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 shape we know today, and pots were changed to 250k units. Early switch tips were a different shape, too, and are called ‘football’ tips – American football, naturally. Pickup covers from this era tend to have round rather than square top corners, but they were brittle meaning many cracked apart.
1954 Stratocasters feature rounded-over headstock edges and the necks felt quite full, but the ‘one-piece’ construction with the rear truss-rod channel was unchanged from the Broadcaster’s design.
The Strat featured the first Fender pickups with staggered slugs. These fixed magnets were cut to various lengths and arranged to optimise string-to-string balance. For the 1954 stagger, the G slug was lower than the D slug. However, Fender soon realised that players were increasingly favouring a plain G and lengthened the G slug accordingly. 1954 Strats also had Alnico III magnets with a 0.2-inch diameter.
Although Fender’s pre-1958 Sunbursts are generally classed as two-tone, t
