Book Review: "The Stratocaster Chronicles" by Tom Wheeler

by Tom Watson

I own precisely twenty-nine books. Not much of a library for someone writing a book review. The number, to a book, is twenty-nine because I counted them this morning.

Though an avid reader, three years ago I sold, gave away, or abandoned every book I owned that didn't mean something significant to me. I wanted to travel light when I moved from California to Portugal.

Twenty-seven books made the journey. My desert island collection.

Now, three years later, I own twenty-nine books. The two additions are both the same book, The Stratocaster Chronicles, by Tom Wheeler. It's the only book of which I have two copies. I keep one at my desk for constant reference and the other in the living room for casual reading (and picture looking).

The Chronicles is different from the other twenty-seven. It's larger (yes, it looks great on a coffee table), came with an entertaining CD, and is as pleasant to touch (thanks to its satin-feeling hardcover binding) as it is to read.

But what it has in common with the other twenty-seven is more important.

The Stratocaster Chronicles is significant.

Yes, significant to me because I have a serious interest in the instrument it's about, but the book's value holds even if you're not a Strat-a-holic.

The Chronicles' significance, of course, is related to the subject matter. The Fender Stratocaster has triumphed as both a working musician's tool and as an international cultural icon.

More than any other electric model, the Strat is all guitars to all people, a period-perfect vintage object, yet timeless as well. It strikes us at various moments as an example of the beauty of pure function, a futuristic space vehicle, a sexy prop, an elegant piece of sculpture, a badass weapon, a holy grail among collectibles, an investment commodity to be hoarded or traded, a vehicle for personal expression, a tool for making a living, or all of the above. What more do we need to say about the versatility of an instrument that was adopted by the guitar players with both Lawrence Welk and Pink Floyd? [page 21, The Stratocaster Chronicles]

The Stratocaster, as instrument and icon, is pervasive. From MTV music videos to a remote island in the Philippines, the sight and sound of the Strat is simply unavoidable.

But there's no guarantee that a book about a noteworthy subject will itself be noteworthy. It becomes so only when the author examines the subject matter in a way that sheds important new light on his topic. And all the better if that light is shed in a well written, entertaining way.

The Stratocaster Chronicles shines.

[Author Tom Wheeler makes an excellent point - Fender's ongoing success relies heavily on its ability to draw upon both the past and the future, as demonstrated by this Custom Shop Stratocaster built by J.W. Black and pinstriped by Dennis Ricklefs. Image appears on page 208 of The Stratocaster Chronicles. Photo credit: FMIC, courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

A peek under the covers

The 280-page book contains front matter (including a foreword by Eric Clapton), an introduction, ten chapters that chronicle the Stratocaster's fifty years, and a 73-track audio CD that provides 8 tracks of Leo Fender discussing various aspects of his invention and one track of George Fullerton telling how he developed the first Custom Color, Fiesta Red.

Though it follows the Stratocaster story chronologically, that's not to say the book is simply a year-by-year accounting. The Chronicles reads more like a story, or if we personify the instrument or company, an engaging biography, than a recanting of the facts and figures associated with the Strat's history. And while the wealth of detailed year-and-model information will appease a die-hard Stratnik, the story never strays far from its basic theme: The story of the Stratocaster is a story about people.

The chronicle of Leo Fender's ultimate 6-string is a story of wood, wire, metal, and plastic but also a story of design, art, music and unbounded creativity. Ultimately, it's a story about people: A stubborn, independent thinker looks at existing products, listens well, steps outside the box, and fashions a guitar so new it's ridiculed at first yet so functional it dominates its market a half century later, and does so in a remarkably similar form when most of the commercial products of its time have either evolved almost beyond recognition or disappeared altogether. [pages 260-261, The Stratocaster Chronicles]

[A few of the people associated with the Fender Stratocaster. Front, from left: Stuart Adamson of Big Country, Eric Clapton, Hank Marvin, Steve Howe, Richard Thompson. Back, from left: Hal Lindes (formerly of Dire Straits), Dan Smith, Bill Schultz, Jeff Beck, David Gilmour. Image appears on page 197 of The Stratocaster Chronicles. Photo credit: FMIC, courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

The Chronicles will have you hearing voices

Wheeler tells the Strat's story through the people who made the instrument, marketed the instrument, or who, in one way or another, were profoundly influenced by it.

...but The Stratocaster Chronicles' larger function is to broaden what we know about the origin of this extraordinary instrument, and to lend perspective to all the facts, dates, and specs reported here and elsewhere. It gives voice to the people behind the guitar, providing a forum for them to recount the tale of the Strat as a reflection of musical tastes, manufacturing necessities, industry competition, and economic trends. [ page 5, The Stratocaster Chronicles]

Throughout the book, Wheeler lets the cast of characters share their individual take on the Strat story by providing excellent, topic-perfect quotes. In fact, "In Their Own Words" is the title of Chapter 2, an imaginary roundtable discussion among Don Randall, George Fullerton, Leo Fender, Bill Carson, and Forrest White, drawn from interviews and discussions Wheeler conducted with these pivotal participants in the Strat's conception.

And what a tale they have to tell.

[Eric Clapton's June, 1956, 2-color Stratocaster known as Brownie. Similar to the original 1954 Stratocaster created by Leo Fender with only minor upgrades since the Strat's introduction. Image appears on page 14 of The Stratocaster Chronicles. Photo credit: Experience Music Project, courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

The conception debate

To many serious Strat aficionados, the circumstances surrounding the conception and birth of the Stratocaster is a matter of some mystery and controversy. While Leo Fender is universally acknowledged as the father of the Strat, never-ending debates over who contributed what to the instrument's features continue to clog guitar show aisles and Internet discussion forums.

The Chronicles does not put those debates to rest.

What the Chronicles does do is let the key participants present their unique perspective on who did what, why, and when, allowing the reader to draw his own conclusion if, after reading Wheeler's treatment, it's still felt a "conclusion" is necessary. Because above all else, the Chronicles puts things in perspective not by zeroing in on the details, but by pulling back and painting an overall picture of the people, the circumstances, and the times.

By the end of Chapter 3, I had a new take on pre-CBS Fender: Leo Fender and company were the Internet kids of the '50s.

Like present day college students around the world working on open source coding outside the fold of the software giants, focused on doing what it takes to get the job done and not who did what and when, the 1950s produced a similar group of electronics, design and engineering pioneers focused on creating their own better mousetrap in a more open environment of influence and idea sharing.

From Wheeler's extensive use of participant quotes I began to understand that when Leo Fender, George Fullerton, Bill Carson, Don Randall, et al., speak about who contributed what to the birth of the Strat, they aren't testifying in front of a patent judge - they're a group of proud relatives each claiming the baby has his nose.

[Early '60s advertisement created by Bob Perine. Image appears on page 109 of The Stratocaster Chronicles. Photo credit: Bob Perine, courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

The Fender eras

The question of who deserves credit for what feature of the early Stratocaster isn't the only topic of debate among Strat fans. Each of the acknowledged Fender eras - Fender-Leo (1954-1965), Fender-CBS (1965-1985), and Fender-FMIC (1985-present) - contains an element (or two) of mystery and myth that inevitably produce lighthearted to serious debate among the instrument's followers.

Wheeler knows what he calls "the family of Strat" very well. While it's true that we share a sincere and instant camaraderie, we can also be a cantankerous bunch.

From the Fender-CBS era, often simply referred to as "70s Strats," the debate centers on the question of quality, or the lack thereof. One camp claims that when the evil corporate giant, CBS, took over from Leo the Stratocaster's "golden era" ended and that Strats produced by Fender-CBS, especially those from the mid to late '70s, are abominations at worst and boat anchors at best. The other camp says, yes, there were some manufacturing problems during the period, but we don't recall players in the 70s taking up the drums because they had to play "CBS Strats".

The bullet truss rod adjustment - engineering advance or butt ugly? Yes, a calm observer might remark that it's a butt ugly engineering advance, but a good number of Strat fans tend to draw lines in the sand.

[Mom, apple pie, and the Fender Stratocaster? Though an international icon of the essential "electric guitar", the Strat is also seen by many as pure "Americana". Image appears on page 22 of The Stratocaster Chronicles. Photo credit: FMIC, courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

By the beginning of the third era, Fender-FMIC, the folks at Fender had figured out their eternal marketing dilemma: We're damned if we do and damned if we don't. We're damned if we don't make Strats with the basic features from the Fender-Leo "golden era" that grew our market share in the first place and that account for a huge, loyal following; but, we're also damned if we remain a one trick pony and don't respond to the needs of hair bands, heavy metal, punk, grunge, etc. and let the competition gobble up share by offering humbucking, Floyd Rose-d, 24-fret instruments for emerging styles.

A humbucker on a Strat? The purists were outraged. Three single coils and a vintage tremolo? Young players yawned.

As with the earlier "creation debate", while The Stratocaster Chronicles does not put these issues to rest, it does a wonderful job of putting them into perspective, again, through the voices of those who were there.

For example, on the issue of quality in the '70s:

Fender's Mike Lewis: "The tilt-neck is a great feature, with a proven track record. It just wasn't executed well in the '70s. Our American Series and American Deluxe Series all have it. The American Standard had it, the Strat Plus, the Strat Ultra - generally it's a stock feature on all the American stuff, except the vintage-correct reissues that pre-dated the tilt-neck. We also make a '70s style reissue in Mexico that has the 3-bolt neck. All these guitars are fine, solid as a rock. On those Strats of the '70s, those necks move around because the slot [or neck 'pocket'] in the body was too big." [page 146, The Stratocaster Chronicles]

Dan Smith: "...There's this misconception that the tilt-neck was all CBS, but it was already in the works and the patent was in Leo's name. To vintage guys, the 3-bolt neck is like the cross to Dracula [laughs] - they think it's the worst. So when I got to Fender [in 1981] the first thing I did was get rid of the 3-bolt. Then 20 years later we wanted to recreate it for a reissue of the CBS-era guitar, because to some 20-year-old guys, that's a vintage guitar, so we had to put the authentic 3-bolt on there, but by then we'd figured out how to fix it, and the reissue 3-bolt necks fit perfectly. Also, the bullet truss rod was a way to make it easier to access. So a lot of things were done for good reasons, but they didn't look like the instruments from the '50s and '60s, which suddenly started to become popular." [pages 149-49, The Stratocaster Chronicles]

And with respect to the central issue facing FMIC after its purchase of Fender from CBS in 1985, the Chronicles lays the cards on the table.

You don't mess with an icon. On the other hand, you can't afford to stagnate. (As William Schultz has said, "If you don't grow, you die.") So how would the new Fender company accommodate changing styles and tastes, and adapt its venerable Stratocaster guitar to the needs of the present? During the CBS era, clear answers had often eluded the suits who ran the company. One exec opined in private, "What are we supposed to do - build in the same old mistakes, just to keep the purists happy?" [page 199, The Stratocaster Chronicles]

Luckily for the new Fender-FMIC, CEO Bill Schultz and crew got what the "suits" at CBS never grasped - the success of the company depended upon a basic Leo Fender principle: Build guitars that respond to the needs of players. A large number of players want an affordable "golden era" Strat? Build them a '57 or '62 vintage reissue. A large number of players want the look and feel of a classic Strat but with updated features? Revamp the modern standard Strat. Give the players what they need.

A return to its past assured Fender-FMIC a dominant place in the future.

[CEO Bill Schultz speaking to the staff of Fender's production facility. Image appears on page 172 of The Stratocaster Chronicles. Photo credit: FMIC, courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

Two books in one

Though complementing the Chronicles' tale told in text, the book's stunning images also tell the Stratocaster story in their own way. Two ways in fact.

Most of the photographs fall into two categories: guitars and stars. The guitar photos speak directly: I am the Stratocaster. These are the curves, contours and colors I've worn. See how I've grown and blossomed.

The images of guitar-playing greats (with accompanying quotes that poignantly reveal the role the Strat has played in their career) serve as the ultimate argument for the Strat's icon status: The music these stars have made wielding a Stratocaster has significantly influenced virtually every human being on the planet.

The Stratocaster Chronicles will have you hearing voices - literally

Though the text and images are strong enough to tell this tale, the Chronicles also comes with a 73-track audio CD that lets you hear the story.

On tracks 1-8, Leo Fender speaks about elements of his creation such as the origin of the Strat's headstock design and the benefit of having all six tuners on one side. Track 9 is George Fullerton explaining how he developed the Strat's first Custom Color, Fiesta Red.

The balance of the CD is called, Fifty Sounds of the Strat. It's an incredible aural tour of what the Strat has sounded like in the hands of legendary players that range in style from Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix, plus 9 tracks of unique "sounds" that serve as examples of the Stratocaster's limitless possibilities. As you read through the book you'll notice small icons that refer you to a particular track on the CD. The referenced track will allow you to hear the sound of the Strat

The guitar tracks are the work of Greg Koch, an amazingly versatile musician who recreates the styles, tones, and techniques of Strat masters as diverse as Eldon Shamblin and Curtis Mayfield.

Summary

The Stratocaster Chronicles is an excellent addition to the library of any Stratocaster fan. Extremely well written and beautifully presented, it is a true chronicle of the instrument's first 50 years thanks to the wealth of first-hand information Tom Wheeler provides through an extensive use of quotes from those who directly participated in its history.

Fifty years from now my children will have celebrated the Strat's 100th birthday in 2054. How do I know? Because as Wheeler makes so abundantly clear, in addition to being a company that has proven its ability to act and react with changing times, Fender has adopted Leo's point of view - the Stratocaster always was and always will be a work in progress.

[A note about the photographs: All of the images presented above appear in The Stratocaster Chronicles on the pages indicated. However, the captions provided above are by the author of this review and are not the captions that appear in the book. The above images appear courtesy of the Hal Leonard Corp.]

About the author

That a book celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stratocaster was published in 2004 is only fitting. The choice of Tom Wheeler as its author is a good fit.

Although I'd been contributing to other authors' books in recent years, I never thought I'd write another guitar book of my own. Of course, I always loved Fender and lately I'd been doing some projects with them, speaking at events and making videos. I really liked the new friends I was making there and I have a lot of respect for what they're doing. Ritchie Fliegler, who's a Senior Vice President, proposed the book. He made it clear they were familiar with all my work in the field and they hoped I would take it on. I was flattered and appreciative. At the start I was humbled by the size of the project, but once I got started I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. I started in the Fall of 2002, so it's been about a 15-month task, very concentrated.

Wheeler knows his way around guitars and writing.

After freelancing for Rolling Stone, he joined the staff of Guitar Player and became its Editor in Chief four years later. He served in that capacity for ten years, was also the founding Editorial Director of Bass Player, and continues to provide a monthly column for Guitar Player. His first encyclopedia, The Guitar Book: A Handbook for Electric and Acoustic Guitarists, was published by Harper & Row in various languages over a period of 14 years; a new Japanese translation was published in 2000. His next book, American Guitars: An Illustrated History, has been in print for more than 20 years and was called by one retail catalog "the best book ever written about guitars."

Wheeler co-edited Richard Smith's Fender: The Sound Heard 'Round The World, and also wrote the foreword. He wrote the foreword for The PRS Guitar Book, and contributed chapters to Gibson Guitars, 100 Years of an American Icon; The Electric Guitar; Electric Guitars of the Fifties; and Electric Guitars of the Sixties; among others. He has been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, MTV, NPR, the BBC, and CNN. He is a consultant to The Smithsonian Institution, host of the American Guitar video series, and the writer and host of informational videos for Fender and Guild. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Loyola School of Law, is currently a member of the faculty of the University of Oregon's School of Journalism, and gigs regularly with soul singer Deb Cleveland.

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