Stratocaster Pioneers Of The 50s - Ask Zac 178
Introduced in 1954, the Fender Stratocaster could have died a quick death if it had not caught on with key players on the music scene of the day. The guitarists who put it on the map, Ike Turner, Otis Rush, Pee Wee Crayton, Buddy Guy, Buddy Holly, Johnny Meeks, Eldon Shamblin, Buddy Merrill, and Neil LeVang, deserve credit for their important role in the success story of the Strat. Bill Carson & Rex Gallion also get special mention as the guys who pushed Leo Fender to create the Stratocaster because of their desire for an instrument with a built-in vibrato, a 6-piece bridge, 3 pickups, and a contoured body.