Lena Rivera
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is one of the most iconic electric guitar models of all time. Designed in the early 1950s and sold ever since, the Stratocaster has undergone numerous design changes over the decades. One of the most notable design features was one it originally never had: the controversial big headstock. Fender started painting the headstocks of Stratocasters in the mid-1960s, and the large headstock became standard for about 15 years. The company also introduced a new logo and larger decals in the late 1960s to improve visibility on black-and-white TV sets.
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What You'll Learn
CBS-era headstock redesign
The CBS-era headstock redesign of the Fender Stratocaster came about after the CBS corporation bought out Fender in 1965. This change in ownership ushered in a new era for the Stratocaster, with several notable alterations to its design and manufacturing processes.
One of the most striking changes was the introduction of a larger headstock, which first appeared on Stratocasters in December 1965. The new headstock was approximately 10% larger than its predecessor and featured a funkier shape. The primary purpose of this redesign was to accommodate a bigger and bolder Fender logo, making it more visible on television and in product catalogues. This change was driven by mass marketing strategies, as television and radio were the primary platforms for advertising at the time.
The larger headstock was not without its critics, and this era is generally considered the worst for quality control. However, it did introduce some interesting developments. For example, the use of polyester finishes, which dried quickly and were better suited to mass production, resulted in a significant change to the look and feel of Fender guitars. The thicker "Thick Skin" high-gloss finish became characteristic of the Stratocasters from the 1970s.
During the CBS era, the Stratocaster's pickups also underwent significant changes. The old-style hand-guiding machines were gradually replaced with new auto-winders, and the insulating coating on the pickups was switched from formvar to plain enamel. Additionally, the staggered pole pieces were replaced by slightly smaller flat pole pieces.
The CBS-era headstock redesign of the Fender Stratocaster lasted until the end of the CBS era in the 1980s. Today, the Stratocaster continues to evolve, with various versions of both large and small headstocks available, each catering to different preferences within the musical community.
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Polyester finishes
The Fender Stratocaster was introduced in 1954 as a sleeker, improved model. Fender has continued to produce the Stratocaster in a variety of forms through eight decades. The guitar's distinctive body shape, double cutaway, elongated horns, and heavily contoured back were all designed for better balance and comfort while playing. The Stratocaster's sunburst finish, consisting of a brownish-black outer hue called Dark Salem and a golden inner hue called Canary Yellow, was included to give the guitar a more high-end look.
In the early days of Fender, nitrocellulose lacquer ("nitro") finishes were the most commonly used finish, as they were the first spray-on paint, quickly adopted by the musical instrument industry. Nitrocellulose lacquers, however, are unstable, harder to work with, and can produce dangerous toxic fumes. After CBS took over Fender, polyester finishes were introduced in the late 1960s, with the clear coat being replaced by two coats of polyester, while the colour coat remained acrylic or nitro lacquer. Polyester finishes were popular due to their quick drying time, resistance to yellowing, and durability.
Fender's early guitars from the 1950s and 1960s featured blonde finishes, which were standard on their first solid-body electric models, the Esquire and Broadcaster (renamed Telecaster in 1951). These finishes were applied by hand using furniture lacquers from McFadden and Sherwin-Williams.
In the 1970s, Fender experimented with thicker coats of polyester, generating a significant change in the look and feel of their guitars. The "Thick Skin" high-gloss finish was developed, with '70s bodies sprayed with 10-15 coats of polyester. During this decade, Fender also introduced the American Series Stratocaster with a smaller headstock.
In 1979, Fender was asked by the Air Quality Management District and the Environmental Protection Agency to modify its spraying installation and find a less polluting finishing method. They experimented with water-based finishes, but these proved disastrous, so they returned to polyester finishes. By the early 1980s, a new type of polyurethane began to replace the polyester clear coat in the Standard Stratocaster, but polyester was retained as an undercoat.
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Headstock string-guides
The Fender Stratocaster has been in production since 1954, with the company continuously making design changes to the guitar over the years.
The headstock string-guide is one of the components of the Stratocaster that has seen alterations since its debut in the 1950s. The original design featured a round string retainer, which was replaced in the second half of 1956 with a butterfly-shaped string tree, also known as a "string guide," with a "half-tunnel" guide for the B and high E strings.
In mid-1964, the butterfly-shaped string guide was replaced with an ABS plastic spacer. Then, in late 1971, a second string tree was added to the large CBS headstock to control the two middle G and D strings. However, some Stratocasters continued to feature only one string tree until 1972.
The headstock's design was also modified to accommodate a larger and bolder logo, making it more visible on television and in product catalogs. This change occurred gradually, with the new design becoming more common in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s.
The Stratocaster's headstock has gone through several iterations since its introduction, with notable variations in the size and shape of the headstock, the string guide design, and the logo style.
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Headstock decals
The Fender Stratocaster has been in production since 1954, and its headstock has undergone several changes over the years. The most notable change occurred in the late 1960s when CBS ordered a redesign to accommodate a bigger and more TV-friendly logo. This was done to make the Fender logo more visible on television and, theoretically, boost guitar sales. The new headstock design was around 10% larger and had a funkier shape. The logo was changed to a bolder black font, and the "Stratocaster" model name was made more prominent.
The introduction of the Modern Logo, also known as the Silver Logo, in 1980 marked another change in the headstock decals. This logo first appeared on the headstock of the 1980 Strat and was later used on the second version of the Standard Stratocaster (the 2-Knob Stratocaster) in 1983. The "STRATOCASTER" lettering was reduced in size but was still larger than in previous iterations.
In the early years of the Stratocaster, the headstock decals were applied on top of the finishing lacquer. From the late 1960s onwards, when Fender started using polyester finishes, the decals were applied before the clear coat, sealing them under it and providing more durable branding. This period also saw the use of a new type of reverse decal, known as the "C transfer," which required a special solvent for application.
The headstock of the Stratocaster has been described as distinctive, with six tuning pegs mounted inline along a single side. The design was influenced by instruments built by Paul Bigsby and featured all tuners within easy reach on one side. The Stratocaster's debut decade in the 1950s saw notable developments, including the introduction of the Jazzmaster in 1958, which ended the Stratocaster's brief reign as Fender's top professional guitar model.
The headstock of the Stratocaster has gone through various iterations, with some models featuring larger headstocks than others. The American Performer Strats, for example, feature larger headstocks with high-ratio tuners and '70s-style headstock logos. The Japan-made 12-string Strat model introduced in the late 1980s also required a new elongated six-a-side headstock design.
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Headstock shapes
The Fender Stratocaster, first introduced in 1954, has undergone several design changes over the years, including modifications to its headstock. The Stratocaster's headstock has a distinctive shape, with six tuning pegs mounted inline along a single side.
In the late 1960s, CBS ordered a redesign of the headstock to accommodate a larger, more TV-friendly logo, as mass marketing through television was crucial at the time. The new headstocks were around 10% larger, with a funkier shape and bolder black and silver decals. This change was gradual, implemented as old supplies were depleted and further design tweaks were made.
The larger headstock remained standard for about 15 years, not just for Stratocasters but for many other Fender guitar models as well. However, some argue that this redesign compromised the quality and ergonomics of the guitar.
In the autumn of 1981, a smaller headstock was reintroduced with the 1981 Standard Stratocaster, dubbed the "Smith headstock" by enthusiasts. This design was also featured on subsequent models, including the 1983 Standard Stratocaster and the 1982 and 1983 Elites.
Over the years, Fender has released hundreds of Stratocaster models, including modern alternatives and vintage reissues, offering a range of headstock sizes and shapes to cater to various preferences.
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Frequently asked questions
Fender started painting headstocks on several models in the mid-1960s.
The colours used were either sunburst or whatever the Ditzler or DuPont catalogue had at the time.
CBS, which bought Fender in 1965, asked for the word "Stratocaster" on the headstock to be made larger so that people could easily read the model name on their black-and-white TV sets.
CBS made several changes to the Stratocaster, including making the logo bolder and increasing the size of the model name.
