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The Stratocaster Chronicles: Celebrating 50 Years of the Fender Strat
(Book). The world's most famous guitar had a golden anniversary in 2004, and this official, authorized book/CD package offers the best photos, quotes, facts and sounds to properly celebrate this achievement. From Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix to today's hottest players, the Fender Stratocaster defines rock'n'roll for generations of fans and players. Special features include exclusive photos from the world's greatest guitar collection, as well as a CD with musical examples of famous Strat sounds and styles hilariously performed by Greg Koch even spoken excerpts from the author's interviews with the Strat's beloved inventor, Leo Fender. This book also recognizes that the Stratocaster's deeper significance lies in the music that guitarists have created with it. You'll hear what Strat players have to say about their instrument, their music and each other. The Fender Stratocaster both reflects and influences popular culture worldwide. The Stratocaster Chronicles focuses on the people who brought it into the world, the designers and builders who refined it, and the players who have taken it from there.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
280 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2004
About the author
Tom Wheeler
78 booksTom Wheeler was an award-winning music journalist and guitar historian. He was also a beloved SOJC professor. He freelanced for Rolling Stone, served as editor of Guitar Player magazine, and founded Bass Player magazine. He authored eight books about guitars, including the award-winning
The Stratocaster Chronicles
and
The Dream Factory: Fender Custom Shop,
as well as a textbook on the ethics of media imagery.
Over the course of his career, Wheeler interviewed many music greats, including Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Les Paul, Leo Fender, and Keith Richards. Clapton, Richards, and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons all wrote forewords for Wheeler’s books.
After earning a journalism bachelor’s degree from the University of California in Los Angeles and a juris doctor degree from Loyola School of Law in Los Angeles. Wheeler joined the University of Oregon faculty in 1991 and taught classes in feature writing, magazine editing, and grammar at the SOJC. He co-founded the student-run magazine Flux in 1992.
Over the course of his career, Wheeler interviewed many music greats, including Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Les Paul, Leo Fender, and Keith Richards. Clapton, Richards, and ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons all wrote forewords for Wheeler’s books.
After earning a journalism bachelor’s degree from the University of California in Los Angeles and a juris doctor degree from Loyola School of Law in Los Angeles. Wheeler joined the University of Oregon faculty in 1991 and taught classes in feature writing, magazine editing, and grammar at the SOJC. He co-founded the student-run magazine Flux in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 1, 2021
I received this book (or bought it? or got it free somehow?) around the time it came out in 2004, flipped though it, and never picked it up again. Until recently as I've discovered the joy of lazily reading coffee table books over my morning coffee.
BEAUTIFULLY put together tale of Fender Instruments with the focus on the iconic Stratocaster and its evolution from 1954 to 2004. I have a soft spot for these as my first guitar was a Mexican Strat in Olympic White.
Wheeler tells the story about the artisanal, quality-focused mindset of the workers, including founder Leo Fender himself. There was a challenging period when Fender was bought by CBS and a path to redemption when CBS was later looking to sell, and Fender was purchased by its employees and recovered their image and market share.
My minor complaint is the artist photos often didn't match the story of the evolution of the Strat. For example the author would be discussing the latest features in some 1980s-era model, have a picture of that new model, and show adjacently a picture of Stevie Ray Vaughn playing a beat-up 1960s model. Maybe this was unavoidable (during the "CBS era" the drop in quality in Strats coincided with the explosion of the vintage market, so there are few artists playing new Strats in the 80s) but could have been visually clearer to the reader.
5 stars for the stunning guitar photos, the great artisanal success story, the attention to detail by the author, and part of the rating is definitely a big personal appeal to nostalgia for me as this conjured up many fond memories of playing my beat-up, bought-used, paint-chipped, Mexican import Strat, which to this day is one of the smoothest guitars I've ever played.
BEAUTIFULLY put together tale of Fender Instruments with the focus on the iconic Stratocaster and its evolution from 1954 to 2004. I have a soft spot for these as my first guitar was a Mexican Strat in Olympic White.
Wheeler tells the story about the artisanal, quality-focused mindset of the workers, including founder Leo Fender himself. There was a challenging period when Fender was bought by CBS and a path to redemption when CBS was later looking to sell, and Fender was purchased by its employees and recovered their image and market share.
My minor complaint is the artist photos often didn't match the story of the evolution of the Strat. For example the author would be discussing the latest features in some 1980s-era model, have a picture of that new model, and show adjacently a picture of Stevie Ray Vaughn playing a beat-up 1960s model. Maybe this was unavoidable (during the "CBS era" the drop in quality in Strats coincided with the explosion of the vintage market, so there are few artists playing new Strats in the 80s) but could have been visually clearer to the reader.
5 stars for the stunning guitar photos, the great artisanal success story, the attention to detail by the author, and part of the rating is definitely a big personal appeal to nostalgia for me as this conjured up many fond memories of playing my beat-up, bought-used, paint-chipped, Mexican import Strat, which to this day is one of the smoothest guitars I've ever played.
August 24, 2024
I'm a HUGE Fender - and specifically Stratocaster - fan. This is such a gratifying read.
November 5, 2014
As authoritative a tome as you could reasonably ask for. Tom Wheeler has the musical and writing chops to make this a must have if the history of the Strat is important to you. Naturally, it will be missing some particular detail we'd like, with that detail being different for each reader. Mine has to do with the short-lived Elite Strat hardtail, of which I own a near-mint piece. But when you look at the scope of the book you have to be as thoroughly impressed as I am at what Wheeler's achieved.
March 7, 2008
what a great coffee table book!!! I actually used this in business college as part of a case study concerning the Fender corporation...
great articles, interviews, pictures and info.. a must for any Strat freak out there!
great articles, interviews, pictures and info.. a must for any Strat freak out there!
January 17, 2016
Though dated at this point, this is still the definitive book on the legendary Fender Stratocaster. Designed mostly as a coffeetable book, this is still very useful as a reference for the many iterations of this iconic guitar.
October 25, 2008
very interesting, useful, and well-put-together.
August 19, 2012
Another amazing guitar book by Tom Wheeler! A tremendous write up of the Fender Stratocaster - its history and its players. Well researched and written. Includes a CD of Stratocaster performances.
April 20, 2013
A walk in time ... With style - rock on!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews