State of the Strat

by DAN YABLONKA

Since its incarnation and public release in the spring of 1954, the Fender Stratocaster, a space age machine then and now, has been one of the best experiences a guitar player could have. Whether you're a Fender guy first or start with a Gibson, and no matter where you wind up, the Strat is an irreplaceable part of a player's sound and a collector's stash! Whether it be a 1954 two tone with Bakelite parts, or a '73 with staggered pole pick ups, it is still the sleekest design I know.

*Thank you Leo, Freddie, Tadeo, Bill, and the many others who had a hand in making the Stratocaster the world-class instrument it is! While as a player, I own both Gibsons and two pre-CBS Stratocasters, if I could only keep one, the choice would be "No Choice". The Strat stays!

The market indicates that I'm not alone. Through even economically uncertain times I can say, as both a dealer and collector, one of the few guitars that you can always seem to count on is the Strat. I have friends that dumped their entire stock portfolio, and in one case, put his funds into fourteen pre-1965 models. None of my friends or customers has been let down. On the contrary, they are all in better shape today than they were two and three years ago at the apex of the economy's stall. The Strat as an investment is probably the most constant of all electric guitars.

So, whether you love to play the guitar or just look at them, embrace your Stratocaster. Learn it. Love it. And know that you may be sitting on an investment, both musically and financially.

In future articles I will discuss a number of vintage Strat models and talk about how the introduction of various features, such as changes in pickups, headstock design, custom colors, etc., affects the collectibility of vintage Strats. The articles will also be intended to help identify the year and "era" of a vintage Stratocaster.
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* Refers to Leo Fender, Freddie Tavares, Tadeo Gomez (TG on 50's necks), and Bill Carson.